Penalized regression has been widely used in genome-wide association studies for jointanalyses to find genetic associations. Among penalized regression models, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) method effectively removes some coefficientsfrom the model by shrinking them to zero. To handle group structures, such as genes andpathways, several modified Lasso penalties have been proposed, including group Lasso andsparse group Lasso. Group Lasso ensures sparsity at the level of pre-defined groups, eliminating unimportant groups. Sparse group Lasso performs group selection as in group Lasso,but also performs individual selection as in Lasso. While these sparse methods are useful inhigh-dimensional genetic studies, interpreting the results with many groups and coefficients is not straightforward. Lasso's results are often expressed as trace plots of regressioncoefficients. However, few studies have explored the systematic visualization of group information. In this study, we propose a multi-level polar Lasso (MP-Lasso) chart, which caneffectively represent the results from group Lasso and sparse group Lasso analyses. An Rpackage to draw MP-Lasso charts was developed. Through a real-world genetic data application, we demonstrated that our MP-Lasso chart package effectively visualizes the resultsof Lasso, group Lasso, and sparse group Lasso.

The goal of suction denture is to enhance retention of dentures by the formation of negative pressure between the denture base and the underlying tissue and sealing around the denture by the mucosa. This patient has been converted to a completely edentulous state after the extraction of residual teeth. Fabrication of suction denture was planned because it was estimated that the conventional compete would be hard to achieve retention due to the absorption of residual ridge and lack of sublingual fold. Through appropriate clinical and laboratory technique such as preliminary impression on the mandibular rest position, provisional vertical dimension determination with Centric Tray® (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein), closed mouth definitive impression and jaw relation record using individual tray with Gnathometer M® (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein), artificial teeth arrangement considering stability of the denture, and proper polymerization technique that minimizes polymerization shrinkage, restoring the patient with suction denture resulted in satisfaction throughout the function and asesthetics.

In the case of complete edentulous patients, as the mandibular alveolar bone absorption progresses, the maintenance and stability of the existing dentures, which had satisfactory functions in the past, are deteriorated. Despite of the need to fabricate new dentures, they often hesitate due to physical burdens on the duration and intensity of future treatment progress due to the effects of aging and systemic diseases. In the case of these completely edentulous patients, it is necessary to consider the treatment goals that can reduce the number of visits and the adaptation period for new dentures before starting the treatment. This case is a case of producing complete dentures of elderly patients with deteriorated physical ability. In addition to producing suction dentures through preliminary and definitive closed mouth functional impression suggested by Sato, CAD / CAM technique was used to transfer occlusal functional information of existing dentures to facilitate adaptation to new dentures.

In patients with myasthenia gravis, it is difficult to manufacture and maintain dentures because the muscles and nervous system in the oral cavity are not properly adjusted. In addition, excessively extended or thick dentures may cause muscle weakness by stimulating the muscles, so dentures should be manufactured in consideration of this. In this case, a denture was fabricated using the closed mouth technique in a patient with myasthenia gravis with mouth opening limitation. Using the closed mouth technique, the patient’s masticatory pressure and muscle movements were reproduced and denture with good retention were manufactured.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on quality of life (QOL) and physical ability in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Patients with MI who were referred to the Cardiac Health and Rehabilitation Center 2 weeks after percutaneous coronary intervention were divided into CR and non-CR groups. The CR group performed supervised exercises 3 times a week for 2 months. QOL assessment, using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and physical ability evaluation were performed at the beginning and end of CR. RESULTS: The CR group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in physical functioning (PF), physical role functioning (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health perceptions (GH), vitality (VT), social role functioning (SF), emotional role functioning (RE), mental health (MH), physical component summary (PCS), and mental component summary (MCS). The non-CR group showed improvement in RP. Secondary outcomes, including resting heart rate (RHR), maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2max)), metabolic equivalent of task (MET), maximal exercise time (ET(max)), stage 3 Borg rating of perceived exertion (3RPE), maximal Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPEmax), and stage 3 rate pressure product (3RPP), improved in the CR group. The non-CR group showed improvements in VO(2max), MET, ET(max), and 3RPE. There were significant differences in improvements in PF, RP, BP, VT, SF, MH, MCS, RHR, VO(2max), MET, ET(max), 3RPE, and 3RPP between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Male patients with MI demonstrated improvements in QOL and physical ability following hospital-based CR; the impact on the mental component was greater than that on the physical component.
Exercise ; Health Surveys ; Heart Rate ; Home Care Services, Hospital-Based ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Metabolic Equivalent ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Oxygen Consumption ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Physical Fitness ; Quality of Life* ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Rehabilitation*

OBJECTIVES: Mastoid obliteration is used to obliterate the mastoid cavity following a mastoidectomy or to prevent the formation of a retraction pocket. This study evaluated the effectiveness of beta-tricalcium phosphate and polyphosphate (beta-TPP) for mastoid obliteration in middle ear surgeries in prospective human and animal studies. METHODS: Twenty patients with chronic otitis media underwent mastoid obliteration using beta-TPP after a intact canal wall mastoidectomy or simple mastoidectomy. The clinical data were prospectively evaluated including: the diagnosis, temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT), otoscopic findings, pure tone audiogram, and complications. In the animal experiment, beta-TPP was applied into the right bulla in five rats, and the opposite bulla was used as the control in the non-obliterated state. The skulls of five other rats were drilled out and the holes were obliterated with beta-TPP. TBCT were obtained at 3, 6, and 9 months after the obliteration and histologic analysis was done at 3 and 9 months after surgery. RESULTS: In the human study, fourteen TBCTs were obtained at 12 months after the surgery. All demonstrated no bone resorption in the obliterated mastoids. Among the 15 cases displaying retracted tympanic membranes preoperatively, 11 showed no retraction, 2 showed retraction postoperatively, 1 was lost to follow-up and 1 was a case of postoperative wound infection. Among 20 cases, one case developed a postoperative infection that necessitated a second operation. Sixteen underwent ossiculoplasty; hearing improvements were obtained in 15 cases and 1 case showed decreased hearing. In the animal study, new bone formation without significant bone resorption in the radiologic and histologic findings were noted in both the skull and bulla groups. CONCLUSION: Although beta-TPP is a foreign material having the possibility of infection, mastoid obliteration with it can be a treatment option in middle ear surgeries to prevent retraction pockets or the recurrence of diseases.
Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Blister ; Bone Resorption ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cholesteatoma ; Ear, Middle ; Hearing ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Mandrillus ; Mastoid ; Osteogenesis ; Otitis Media ; Prospective Studies ; Rats ; Recurrence ; Skull ; Surgical Wound Infection ; Temporal Bone ; Tympanic Membrane