Effects of Input Modality on Capturing Notes

The features of the smartphone make it an indispensible commodity of Western urban lifestyles. However, the most common problems of using a mobile device for work-related activities are limited screen space and poor input techniques. People in the workforce whose daily job entails being in a mobile environment generally prefer to carry light, mobile devices along with a pen and a notepad. The purpose of this study was to investigate optimal input modality for taking notes. The three modes of input evaluated were spoken notes, typing on the phone, and writing by hand using a pen and paper. The variables measured to evaluate the three modalities were accuracy of content, perceived mental task load, preferred mode, and number of words. Spoken notes were significantly more accurate, less taxing mentally, and more detailed compared to typed or handwritten notes. The difference between typed and handwritten notes was shown to be nonsignificant. However, the majority of participants preferred the typed or handwritten modality. The study shows that even though the accuracy of the spoken modality by far exceeded the rest, spoken notes are best suited for taking rough notes for personal use only

Implementation Considerations for Mitigating Bias in Supervised Machine Learning

Machine Learning (ML) is an important component of computer science and a mainstream way of making sense of large amounts of data. Although the technology is establishing new possibilities in different fields, there are also problems to consider, one of which is bias. Due to the inductive reasoning of ML algorithms in creating mathematical models, the predictions and trends found by the models will never necessarily be true – just more or less probable. Knowing this, it is unreasonable for us to expect the applied deductive reasoning of these models to ever be fully unbiased. Therefore, it is important that we set expectations for ML that account for the limitations of reality. The current conversation of ML regards how and when to implement the technology to mitigate the effect of bias on its results. This thesis suggests that the question of “whether” should be addressed first. We tackle the issue of bias from the standpoint of justice and fairness in ML, developing a framework tasked with determining whether the implementation of a specific ML model is warranted. We accomplish this by emphasizing the liberal values that drive our definitions of societal fairness and justice, such as the separateness of persons, moral evaluation, freedom and understanding of choice, and accountability for wrongdoings

Evaluation of discontinuation of antibacterial prophylaxis in children with vesicoureteral reflux

زمینه و هدف: ریفلاکس وزیکویورترال ( VUR ) مهمترین علت زمینه ساز عفونت ادراری در کودکان است. جهت جلوگیری از عفونت ادراری در کودکان با ریفلاکس وزیکویورترال، از آنتی بیوتیک پروفیلاکسی استفاده می شود که می تواند با عدم پذیرش خانواده به دلیل مصرف طولانی مدت دارو همراه باشد. این مطالعه با هدف مقایسه قطع و عدم قطع داروی پروفیلاکسی در کودکان با ریفلاکس وزیکویورترال درجه 1 و 2 انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه نیمه تجربی 54 کودک مبتلا به ریفلاکس وزیکویورترال درجه 1 یا 2 و بالای 5 سال که طی یکسال گذشته فاقد عفونت ادراری بودند به روش در دسترس انتخاب شدند. کودکان به صورت یک در میان به دو گروه قطع (32 کودک) و ادامه (21 کودک) درمان تقسیم و حداقل به مدت 12 ماه پیگیری شدند. میزان عود عفونت در دو گروه مورد مقایسه قرار گرفت. جهت بررسی آماری از آزمون های آماری کای دو ، t ، Logrank و تحلیل رگرسیون کاکسی استفاده شد. یافته ها: میانگین سن کودکان 5/2 ± 8/7 سال و 8/77 دختر بودند. در گروه قطع درمان 5 مورد و در گروه ادامه درمان 7 مورد عود عفونت وجود داشت (05/0 P> ). شانس عود عفونت در دختران 5/1 برابر پسران (05/0 P> ) و در کودکان زیر 7 سال 5 برابر کودکان بالای 7 سال بود (033/0= P ). نتیجه گیری: قطع دارو در کودکان بالای 5 سال با ریفلاکس وزیکویورترال درجه 1یا2 ریسک عود عفونت ادراری را افزایش نداده و قطع درمان پروفیلاکسی می تواند یک روش مطمئن و بی خطر باشد

Evaluation of the buccolingual position of maxillary and mandibular anteriorteeth roots by cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)

Introduction: Evaluation of the position of anterior teeth in the alveolar bone for planning implant treatments is so important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thickness of buccolingual/palatal bone at anterior teeth roots and the angle between the tooth root axis and alveolar bone axis. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the position of root apex, angle between the tooth root axis and alveolar bone axis as well as thickness of buccolingual/palatal bone in 2,4,6 mm from alveolar crest and root apex areas were evaluated in the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 360 maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth. The data were then analyzed by ANOVA and t-test. Results: Twenty eight females and 27 males with the mean age of 43.13±10.91 participated (181 female teeth and 179 male teeth) in the current study. In maxillary anterior teeth, the buccal bone thickness was thinner than the palatal bone and was significantly smaller in females than males (p≤0.0001). The thinnest area in buccal bone was in 4mm from alveolar crest in female’s lateral incisor of maxilla (0.09±0.02). The thickness of the palatal bone in the maxillary lateral incisors was significantly thicker in females than males. The thickness of lingual bone was thicker in mandibular lateral incisors and canines than in buccal bone and the lingual bone thickness was significantly thicker in males than females. The apex position of anterior teeth was predominantly buccally in the maxilla (%94), while it was middle in the mandible (%44). Conclusion: Due to the small thickness of buccal bone, evaluation of the position of implant fixtures in maxillary anterior teeth is of great importance

Imagining Women in U.S. Politics: The Problem of Sisterhood in the Long 1960s

The gendered expectations of the masculinist political establishment of the long 1960s made it difficult for women to define their own unique terrain as politicians. Even with the guarantee of formal political rights firmly in place, women\u27s status as second class citizens persisted throughout the long 1960s. Often, women were forced into frames that defined their political interests around their embodied sex, rather than the needs of their constituents. This imagined construction of women as a separate subject class established a fundamentally unequal platform for women\u27s participation as first class citizens of the United States. While ideological differences between male politicians were accepted as the normal business of a two party political system, women in Congress were frequently expected to form a politically coherent coalition around issues of sex equality. Feminism during the long 1960s provided little relief from this rigid construction of women\u27s political interests. With the growing popularity of second wave feminism\u27s imagined sisterhood for all women, female politicians were increasingly defined by their relationship--or lack thereof--to the women\u27s movement by feminists and anti-feminists alike. This single issue framework, however, had little historical precedent as an accurate barometer of women\u27s real political concerns and alliances

Age estimation by pulp/tooth area ratio in anterior teeth using cone-beam computed tomography: comparison of four teeth

Objectives: Age estimation is one of the most important factors in forensic medicine. Measuring secondary dentin deposition using cone-beam computed tomography images is an easy and noninvasive method. The aim of this study was to evaluate cone-beam computed tomography images as a reliable method to estimate chronological age by pulp/teeth ratio in anterior teeth in Iranian population. Methodology: A total of 649 CBCT images from 377 Iranian patients aged between 20 and 69 years were evaluated. Pulp/teeth ratio (PTR) in maxillary and mandibular canine and central incisor teeth was measured in the axial and sagittal sections using OnDemand 3D Dental software. The Pearson correlation coefficient was determined to evaluate the correlation between the variables. Linear regression analysis, as well as age estimation formula, was used for each tooth separately. Results: The regression analyses indicated that maxillary central incisors were more reliable for age estimation (R2=0.586 and standard error of estimate=7.045) compared with the other anterior teeth studied. Maxillary canine teeth had the lowest predictive power (R2=0.392 and standard error of estimate=8.387). Also, comparison of the axial and sagittal sections showed that the axial sections had a higher predictive power. (R2=0.48 for axial plans and R2=0.328 for sagittal plans). Conclusion:The use of cone-beam computed tomography in age estimation by pulp/teeth ratio of anterior teeth is useful and a reliable method for age estimation in Iranian population

Determining the Demographic and Histopathological Pattern of Basal Cell Carcinoma in the Pathology Laboratories of Babol University of Medical Sciences from 2013 to 2020

Background and Objective: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common human malignancy that has been increasing in recent years. The aim of this study is to determine the demographic and histopathological pattern of this malignancy in the pathology departments of state hospitals in Babol from 2013 to 2020. Methods: In this retrospective study, after reviewing the existing files with the final diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma from 2013 to 2020, the patients' information including age, gender, lesion location and microscopic subgroup were recorded and analyzed. Findings: In this study, 367 cases were obtained from Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Yahyanejad Hospitals in Babol with the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. The mean age of people in both genders was 67±10.89 years. 69% of the samples were men and 31% were women (p<0.001). The highest frequency was from the scalp area (134 samples) and the lowest frequency was related to the chest (3 samples). The most common histopathology subtype was nodular type and the rarest types were metatypical and clear cell carcinoma. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the location of the sample and gender (p=0.023); the cheek in men and the nose in women were more common than the other gender. The highest incidence was seen in 2017 with 83 cases, which was a significant increase compared to the previous year. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the high incidence of basal cell carcinoma in the head and face area of elderly people, especially men, reveals the need to inform high-risk communities and to be more familiar with therapists, especially dentists who are in close eye contact with the face

Diagnostic Accuracy of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography and Periapical Radiography in Internal Root Resorption

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and periapical (PA) radiography in detecting internal root resorption. Methods and Materials: Eighty single rooted human teeth with visible pulps in PA radiography were split mesiodistally along the coronal plane. Internal resorption like lesions were created in three areas (cervical, middle and apical) in labial wall of the canals in different diameters. PA radiography and CBCT images were taken from each tooth. Two observers examined the radiographs and CBCT images to evaluate the presence of resorption cavities. The data were statistically analyzed and degree of agreement was calculated using Cohen’s kappa (k) values. Results: The mean±SD of agreement coefficient of kappa between the two observers of the CBCT images was calculated to be 0.681±0.047. The coefficients for the direct, mesial and distal PA radiography were 0.405±0.059, 0.421±0.060 and 0.432±0.056, respectively (P=0.001). The differences in the diagnostic accuracy of resorption of different sizes were statistically significant (P&lt;0.05); however, the PA radiography and CBCT, had no statistically significant differences in detection of internal resorption lesions in the cervical, middle and apical regions. Conclusion: Though, CBCT has a higher sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value in comparison with conventional radiography, this difference was not significant.Keywords: Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Periapical Radiography; Root Resorptio