Changes in the communicative skills of young people as a result of a communication training.

Purpose: To analyze the effect of communication training developed for adolescents on the youth's communication skills.

Methods: Forty-one young people participated in the study and were divided into two groups. Group I received intervention - communication training for five weeks; Group II - were guided on the importance of voice for communication.

Osseointegration evaluation of an experimental bone graft material based on hydroxyapatite, reinforced with titanium-based particles.

Bone graft materials are more and more frequently used in dentistry for improving the periodontal support and for creating a bone support favorable for the insertion of dental implants. The experimental study carried out on laboratory animals aimed to evaluate the biocompatibility and the manner of integration of an experimental bone augmentation material, based on hydroxyapatite (HAp), reinforced with titanium-based particles by comparison with a commercial synthetic graft material already existing on the profile market, also based on HAp. We noticed a common pattern of evolution, although there were differences related to the speed of new bone tissue formation and implicitly the morphological elements captured at the two moments of time.

Limits to Gauge Coupling in the Dark Sector Set by the Nonobservation of Instanton-Induced Decay of Super-Heavy Dark Matter in the Pierre Auger Observatory Data.

Instantons, which are nonperturbative solutions to Yang-Mills equations, provide a signal for the occurrence of quantum tunneling between distinct classes of vacua. They can give rise to decays of particles otherwise forbidden. Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory, we search for signatures of such instanton-induced processes that would be suggestive of super-heavy particles decaying in the Galactic halo.

Earth's volatile depletion trend is consistent with a high-energy Moon-forming impact.

The abundance of volatile elements in the silicate Earth relative to primitive chondrites provides an important constraint on the thermochemical evolution of the planet. However, an overabundance of indium relative to elements with similar nebular condensation temperatures is a source of debate. Here we use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to explore the vaporization behavior of indium from pyrolite melt at conditions of the early magma ocean just after the Moon-forming impact.

The Speciation and Coordination of a Deep Earth Carbonate-Silicate-Metal Melt.

Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations on a carbonate-silicate-metal melt were performed to study speciation and coordination changes as a function of pressure and temperature. We examine in detail the bond abundances of specific element pairs and the distribution of coordination environments over conditions spanning Earth's present-day mantle. Average coordination numbers increase continuously from 4 to 8 for Fe and Mg, from 4 to 6 for Si, and from 2 to 4 for C from 1 to 148 GPa (4,000 K).

Stability of high-temperature salty ice suggests electrolyte permeability in water-rich exoplanet icy mantles.

Electrolytes play an important role in the internal structure and dynamics of water-rich satellites and potentially water-rich exoplanets. However, in planets, the presence of a large high-pressure ice mantle is thought to hinder the exchange and transport of electrolytes between various liquid and solid deep layers. Here we show, using first-principles simulations, that up to 2.

Frequency of Bone Augmentation Materials Use in a General Dental Practice.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the frequency of bone augmentation materials used for implant or periodontal surgical treatment depending on the age and sex of the patients from a dental practice in Essen, Germany, but also the implants dimensions and respectively the stage and progression grade of the periodontitis. The analysis of the data showed that bone augmentation materials are used much more frequently in the implant surgical cases (43,33%) compared to periodontal surgical cases (13,33%). While the correlations with sex and age were less obvious, the use of bone augmentation materials in the implant surgical cases was correlated with the use of shorter implants, while their use in the periodontal surgical cases was correlated with the stage 3 periodontitis.

The Frequency of Dental Materials Use for Fixed Prostheses in a General Dental Practice.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the frequency of dental materials use for fixed prosthesis depending on the location of the teeth, the restorative prosthetic type, the age and sex of the patients from a dental practice in Essen, Germany. The analysis of the collected data showed that zirconia is currently the most common material for making dental fixed prostheses, a larger number of prosthetic elements for women and a significant increase for these restorations at ages over 40 years. Most of the prosthetic elements were made in the mandibular molar area, with an increased frequency of zirconia bridges in the mandible, while for the upper jaw the number of crowns was higher.

Genesis of a CO-rich and HO-depleted atmosphere from Earth's early global magma ocean.

The magma ocean was a important reservoir for Earth’s primary volatiles. Understanding the volatile fluxes between the early atmosphere and the magma ocean is fundamental for quantifying the volatile budget of our planet. Here we investigate the vaporization of carbon and hydrogen at the boundary between the magma ocean and the thick, hot early atmosphere using first-principles molecular dynamics calculations.

Analyzing Melts and Fluids from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations with the UMD Package.

We have developed a Python-based open-source package to analyze the results stemming from ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations of fluids. The package is best suited for applications on natural systems, like silicate and oxide melts, water-based fluids, and various supercritical fluids. The package is a collection of Python scripts that include two major libraries dealing with file formats and with crystallography.

Measurement of the Fluctuations in the Number of Muons in Extensive Air Showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory.

We present the first measurement of the fluctuations in the number of muons in extensive air showers produced by ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. We find that the measured fluctuations are in good agreement with predictions from air shower simulations. This observation provides new insights into the origin of the previously reported deficit of muons in air shower simulations and constrains models of hadronic interactions at ultrahigh energies.

Buoyancy and Structure of Volatile-Rich Silicate Melts.

The early Earth was marked by at least one global magma ocean. Melt buoyancy played a major role for its evolution. Here we model the composition of the magma ocean using a six-component pyrolite melt, to which we add volatiles in the form of carbon as molecular CO or CO and hydrogen as molecular HO or through substitution for magnesium.

Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations of the liquid-vapor equilibrium and the critical point of sodium.

The ab initio (ai) Gibbs ensemble (GE) Monte Carlo (MC) method coupled with Kohn-Sham density functional theory is successful in predicting the liquid-vapour equilibrium of insulating systems. Here we show that the aiGEMC method can be used to study also metallic systems, where the excited electronic states play an important role and cannot be neglected. For this we include the electronic free energy in the formulation of the effective energy of the system to be used in the acceptance criteria for the MC moves.

The Critical Point and the Supercritical State of Alkali Feldspars: Implications for the Behavior of the Crust During Impacts.

The position of the vapor-liquid dome and of the critical point determine the evolution of the outermost parts of the protolunar disk during cooling and condensation after the Giant Impact. The parts of the disk in supercritical or liquid state evolve as a single thermodynamic phase; when the thermal trajectory of the disk reaches the liquid-vapor dome, gas and melt separate leading to heterogeneous convection and phase separation due to friction. Different layers of the proto-Earth behaved differently during the Giant Impact depending on their constituent materials and initial thermodynamic conditions.

Features of the Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above 2.5×10^{18} eV Using the Pierre Auger Observatory.

We report a measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×10^{18}  eV based on 215 030 events. New results are presented: at about 1.

Pressure-Induced Coordination Changes in a Pyrolitic Silicate Melt From Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

With ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on a Na-, Ca-, Fe-, Mg-, and Al-bearing silicate melt of pyrolite composition, we examine the detailed changes in elemental coordination as a function of pressure and temperature. We consider the average coordination as well as the proportion and distribution of coordination environments at pressures and temperatures encompassing the conditions at which molten silicates may exist in present-day Earth and those of the Early Earth's magma ocean. At ambient pressure and 2,000 K, we find that the average coordination of cations with respect to oxygen is 4.

Carbon sequestration during core formation implied by complex carbon polymerization.

Current estimates of the carbon flux between the surface and mantle are highly variable, and the total amount of carbon stored in closed hidden reservoirs is unknown. Understanding the forms in which carbon existed in the molten early Earth is a critical step towards quantifying the carbon budget of Earth's deep interior. Here we employ first-principles molecular dynamics to study the evolution of carbon species as a function of pressure in a pyrolite melt.

Integrating bilingual musculoskeletal imaging education into radiology and diagnostic imaging residency programs.

Objective: To analyze the perception of the relevance of introducing bilingual (Portuguese-English) musculoskeletal imaging education into radiology and diagnostic imaging residency programs, describing the method used.

Materials And Methods: To evaluate the relevance of incorporating the bilingual study of musculoskeletal imaging into medical residency programs, we administered a questionnaire, consisting of several multiple-choice questions and one subjective question, to 21 radiology residents at a private tertiary hospital. The residents completed the questionnaire voluntarily and anonymously.

Anharmonic contribution to the stabilization of Mg(OH) from first principles.

Geometrical and vibrational characterization of magnesium hydroxide was performed using density functional theory. Four possible crystal symmetries were explored: P3[combining macron] (No. 147, point group -3), C2/m (No.

Proton dynamics and the phase diagram of dense water ice.

All the different phases of water ice between 2 GPa and several megabars are based on a single body-centered cubic sub-lattice of oxygen atoms. They differ only by the behavior of the hydrogen atoms. In this study, we investigate the dynamics of the H atoms at high pressures and temperatures in water ice from first-principles molecular dynamics simulations.

Compressional pathways of α-cristobalite, structure of cristobalite X-I, and towards the understanding of seifertite formation.

In various shocked meteorites, low-pressure silica polymorph α-cristobalite is commonly found in close spatial relation with the densest known SiO polymorph seifertite, which is stable above ∼80 GPa. We demonstrate that under hydrostatic pressure α-cristobalite remains untransformed up to at least 15 GPa. In quasi-hydrostatic experiments, above 11 GPa cristobalite X-I forms-a monoclinic polymorph built out of silicon octahedra; the phase is not quenchable and back-transforms to α-cristobalite on decompression.

Superionic-Superionic Phase Transitions in Body-Centered Cubic H_{2}O Ice.

From first-principles molecular dynamics, we investigate the relation between the superionic proton conduction and the behavior of the O─H⋯O bond (ice VII^{'} to ice X transition) in body-centered-cubic (bcc) H_{2}O ice between 1300 and 2000 K and up to 300 GPa. We bring evidence that there are three distinct phases in the superionic bcc stability field. A first superionic phase characterized by extremely fast diffusion of highly delocalized protons (denoted VII^{''}  hereinafter) is stable at low pressures.

Pressure-dependent isotopic composition of iron alloys.

Our current understanding of Earth's core formation is limited by the fact that this profound event is far removed from us physically and temporally. The composition of the iron metal in the core was a result of the conditions of its formation, which has important implications for our planet's geochemical evolution and physical history. We present experimental and theoretical evidence for the effect of pressure on iron isotopic composition, which we found to vary according to the alloy tested (FeO, FeH(x), or Fe3C versus pure Fe).