Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Activity of Three Root Canal Irrigants on Enterococcus Faecalis: An in Vitro Study

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial effects of 2.5% Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHX) and BioPure MTAD (MTAD) on Enterococcus (E) faecalis-contaminated root canals of human extracted teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy human intact extracted single-rooted teeth with straight root canal randomly divided into 5 groups: positive control (n=5), negative control (n=5), 2.5% NaOCl (n=20), 2% CHX (n=20), and MTAD (n=20). Each tooth was instrumented using the passive step-back technique hand and rotary instruments. E. faecalis incubated into the canals and grew for 4 weeks. Canals irrigated using three mentioned solutions for 5 minutes. Samples were taken from canal walls and transferred into Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) culture medium and placed in an incubator at 37ºC for 96 hours and bacteriological evaluations were done. Chi- Square test and SPSS software were used for the statistical analysis of the results. RESULTS: Bacterial growth was seen in only one sample of MTAD group (5%), but in 4 of CHX group (20%) and 5 of NaOCl group (25%). Chi-Square test showed no statistically difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it seems that all three solutions have acceptable antimicrobial effect on E. faecalis.
A Phonetically-Based Model of Phonological Vowel Reduction

This paper proposes an analysis of phonological vowel reduction according to which vowel contrasts are subject to neutralization in unstressed syllables because it is more difficult to keep vowels distinct where vowel duration is shorter. Where the durational difference between stressed and unstressed vowels is large enough, it may not be possible to realize the same number of vowel contrasts in stressed and unstressed syllables while keeping the unstressed vowels adequately distinct, in which case it is preferable to reduce the size of the unstressed vowel inventory. The analysis is formulated as a numerical model, extending Liljencrants and Lindblom’s (1972) model of vowel inventories by incorporating aspects of the prosodic and segmental contexts of vowels, and allowing for different vowel inventories in different contexts. The model contributes to our understanding of vowel reduction, providing an explanation for the observation that vowel reduction primarily neutralizes height contrasts, and demonstrates how Liljencrants and Lindblom’s modeling approach can be developed to analyze contextual restrictions on the distribution of speech sounds.
Distributed graph transformation with application to visual design of distributed systems

Distributed systems demand a number of requirements on speciication techniques which do not have to be taken into account for the development of non-distributed software. Allocation of objects and tasks, object replication and migration, remote interactions, multiple threads of control as well as dynamic network topologies are important issues in distributed systems. Some of these distribution issues are already handled by common modeling techniques mostly based on graphical notations , but altogether distributed systems cannot be designed suuciently with these techniques satisfying all the requirements. In this article, new concepts for visual design of distributed systems are presented which are based on distributed graph transformation as underlying formal speciication technique. The kernel of this technique focuses on a structured graph with two abstraction levels, the network and the local level, and its transformation. On the network level, the (possibly) dynamic topological structure of a distributed system is speciied. The local level contains the graphical descriptionof local object and data structures where parts of them may be replicated in remote network nodes. Those structures may evolve in-dependentlyor synchronized with remote structures using a interaction mechanism based on subactions. Network activities as well as local actions are described rule-based. The advantage of using rules in this context is to avoid purely sequential or serie-parallel control ow, since rules naturally support the design of multiple threads of control on the level of events without prescribing the order of execution. Distributed graph transformation is based on the double-pushout approach to graph transformation. Local graph transformations may be attributed and may use application conditions for rules. Using graph transformation as underlying formal framework, distributed behaviour is designed in a way that consistency of the network as well as of all object and data structures involved is ensured in a way that the result is again a distributed graph. This result is obtained from the for-malization of distributed graph transformation as double-pushout in the category of distributed graphs and graph morphisms. For the illustration of the concepts presented we use a reference application modeling distributed version management for any kind of document. This subject becomes the more important the more remote software development becomes popular. In contrast to server-client solutions where all documents are held centrally, the documents are really distributed over the involved sites in our case. 1 2 1.1 Introduction Graphical notations have been employed for a long time in speciication and design of …
Czech Labor Market Flows 1993-2003 (in English)

This paper focuses on structural changes in employment in absolute and relative terms, using Czech labor force survey data. Gross flows, job-to-job flows, and industry flows are investigated to delineate the major movements on the Czech labor market. The overall analysis of mobility flows throughout 1993-2003 shows an increasing structural stagnation and diminishing labor market flexibility. The decisive mobility channel has been a direct job change without an episode of unemployment, but even this kind of mobility flow tends to diminish over time. Employment flows in and flows out between industries have decreased markedly over the last ten years.
The PersonaWeb System: Personalizing E-Commerce Environments based on Human Factors

This demonstration paper presents the PersonaWeb system, an adaptive interactive system that personalizes the visual and interaction design aspects of E-Commerce product views based on individual differences in cognitive processing. The PersonaWeb system consists of three main components: i) the user modeling component in which explicit and implicit user data collection methods are performed for eliciting the users’ cognitive processing factors; ii) the content management component for creating and managing structured Web content; and iii) the adaptive user interface that is responsible for performing rule-based mechanisms for deciding and communicating a personalized visual and interaction design according to the users’ cognitive characteristics.
The Joint Effects of Corporate Governance and Regulation on the Disclosure of Manager-Adjusted Non-GAAP Earnings in the US

: This paper examines the joint effects of corporate governance and regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission on the disclosure of manager-adjusted non-GAAP (or pro forma) earnings numbers in the United States. We provide evidence that prior to Regulation G investors were misled by disclosures of non-GAAP earnings, but only for disclosures made by firms with weaker corporate governance. After the SEC intervention there is no evidence that investors were still being misled. Furthermore, the effect of the intervention applied to both adjustments that are ex ante recurring as well as to adjustments that just meet or beat analysts’ forecasts.
A Comparison of Visceral and Somatic Pain Processing in the Human Brainstem Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Evidence from both human and animal studies has demonstrated a key role for brainstem centers in the control of ascending nociceptive input. Nuclei such as the rostral ventromedial medulla and periaqueductal gray (PAG) are able to both inhibit and facilitate the nociceptive response. It has been proposed that altered descending modulation may underlie many of the chronic pain syndromes (both somatic and visceral). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to image the neural correlates of visceral and somatic pain within the brainstem. Ten healthy subjects were scanned twice at 3 tesla, during which they received matched, moderately painful, electrical stimuli to either the midline lower abdomen or rectum. Significant activation was observed in regions consistent with the PAG, nucleus cuneiformis (NCF), ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra, parabrachial nuclei/nucleus ceruleus, and red nucleus bilaterally to both stimuli. Marked spatial similarities in activation were observed for visceral and somatic pain, although significantly greater activation of the NCF (left NCF, p = 0.02; right NCF, p = 0.01; Student's paired t test, two-tailed) was observed in the visceral pain group compared with the somatic group. Right PAG activity correlated with anxiety during visceral stimulation (r = 0.74; p < 0.05, Pearson's r, two-tailed) but not somatic stimulation. We propose that the differences in NCF and right PAG activation observed may represent a greater nocifensive response and greater emotive salience of visceral over somatic pain.
Recent Advances in Quantile Regression Models: A Practical Guideline for Empirical Research

This paper provides a guideline for the practical use of the semi-parametric technique of quantile regression, concentrating on cross-section applications. It summarizes the most important issues in quantile regression applications and fills some gaps in the literature. The paper (a) presents several alternative estimators for the covariance matrix of the quantile regression estimates; (b) reviews the results for a sequence of quantile regression estimates; and (c) discusses testing procedures for homoskedasticity and symmetry of the error distribution. The various results in the literature are incorporated into the generalized method of moments frame-work. The paper also provides an empirical example using data from the Current Population Survey, raising several important issues relevant to empirical applications of quantile regression. The paper concludes with an extension to the censored quantile regression model.
Diabetes-related emotional distress in Dutch and U.S. diabetic patients: cross-cultural validity of the problem areas in diabetes scale.

OBJECTIVE To examine the cross-cultural validity of the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID) in Dutch and U.S. diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 1,472 Dutch people with diabetes completed the PAID along with other self-report measures of affect. Statistics covered Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Pearson's product-moment correlation, and t tests. Psychometric properties of PAID were compared for Dutch and U.S. diabetic patients. RESULTS Internal consistency of the Dutch PAID was high and stable across sex and type of diabetes. Test-retest reliability was high. Principal component analyses confirmed 1 general 20-item factor, whereas EFA identified 4 new subdimensions: negative emotions, treatment problems, food-related problems, and lack of social support. These dimensions were confirmed with CFA and were replicated in the U.S. sample. The PAID and its subscales demonstrated moderate to high associations in the expected direction with other measures of affect. Dutch and U.S. subjects reported having the same problem areas, with U.S. patients reporting higher emotional distress levels both in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The Dutch and U.S. 20-item PAID appeared to be psychometrically equivalent, which allowed for cross-cultural comparisons.
Efficient routing in wireless mesh network by enhanced AODV

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are developing as a potential solution for growing wireless applications. As the area is new, there are many basic issues still to be solved. This article investigates applicability of the ad-hoc routing protocols and the suitability of existing routing metrics for WMNs. AODV is enhanced by proposing a new hybrid routing metric. The results show that selected path is more optimal than the one selected with standard AODV by considering load balancing, link quality, successful transmission rate, and number of hops.
Subliminal exposure to national flags affects political thought and behavior

Political thought and behavior play an important role in our lives, from ethnic tensions in Europe, to the war in Iraq and the Middle Eastern conflict, to parliamentary and presidential elections. However, little is known about how the individual's political attitudes and decisions are shaped by subtle national cues that are so prevalent in our environment. We report a series of experiments that show that subliminal exposure to one's national flag influences political attitudes, intentions, and decisions, both in laboratory settings and in “real-life” behavior. Furthermore, this manipulation consistently narrowed the gap between those who score high vs. low on a scale of identification with Israeli nationalism. The first two experiments examined participants' stance toward the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Experiment 3 examined voting intentions and actual voting in Israel's recently held general elections. The results portray a consistent picture: subtle reminders of one's nationality significantly influence political thought and overt political behavior.
The accumulation pattern across Siple Dome, West Antarctica, inferred from radar-detected internal layers

Abstract The spatial distribution of accumulation across Siple Dome, West Antarctica, is determined from analysis of the shapes of internal layers detected by radio-echo sounding (RES) measurements. A range of assumed accumulation patterns is used in an ice-flow model to calculate a set of internal layer patterns. Inverse techniques are used to determine which assumed accumulation pattern produces a calculated internal layer pattern that best matches the shape of internal layers from RES measurements. All of the observed internal layer shapes at Siple Dome can be matched using a spatially asymmetric accumulation pattern which has been steady over time. Relative to the divide, the best-fitting accumulation pattern predicts 40% less accumulation 30 km from the divide on the south flank of Siple Dome and 15–40% more accumulation 30 km from the divide on the north flank. The data also allow the possibility for a small time variation of the pattern north of the divide. The mismatch between the calculated and the observed layer shapes is slightly reduced when the accumulation rate north of the divide is higher in the past (> 5kyr BP) than at present. Sensitivity tests show that the predicted change in the spatial accumulation pattern required to cause the slight Siple Dome divide migration (inferred from previous studies) would be detectable in the internal layer pattern if it persisted for > 2 kyr. Our analysis reveals no evidence that such a change has occurred, and the possible change in accumulation distribution allowed by the data is in the opposite sense. Therefore, it is unlikely that the Siple Dome divide migration has been caused by a temporal change in the spatial pattern of accumulation. This conclusion suggests the migration may be caused by elevation changes in Ice Streams C and D at the boundaries of Siple Dome.
A study on Korean nursing students' educational outcomes

The purpose of this study was to describe outcome indicators of nursing education including critical thinking, professionalism, leadership, and communication and to evaluate differences among nursing programs and academic years. A descriptive research design was employed. A total of 454 students from four year baccalaureate (BS) nursing programs and two three-year associate degree (AD) programs consented to complete self-administered questionnaires. The variables were critical thinking, professionalism, leadership and communication. Descriptive statistics, χ2-test, t-tests, ANOVA, and the Tukey test were utilized for the data analysis. All the mean scores of the variables were above average for the test instruments utilized. Among the BS students, those in the upper classes tended to attain higher scores, but this tendency was not identified in AD students. There were significant differences between BS students and AD students for the mean scores of leadership and communication. These findings suggested the need for further research to define properties of nursing educational outcomes, and to develop standardized instruments for research replication and verification.
The Economic Returns to Schooling in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

The author uses micro data from the Labor Force Surveys conducted in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during 1981-91 to show that during 1981-87 wage differences between schooling groups fell by well over one-half. This sharp reduction is associated with large increases in the size of the educated Palestinian labor force. Since the returns to schooling for Israeli Jews were stable, the decline in returns to schooling for Palestinians is consistent with the notion that the returns to schooling in the territories were determined largely by the forces of supply and demand in a segmented market for skilled labor. Copyright 1995 by American Economic Association.
Geometric Rounding : A Dependent Rounding Scheme for Allocation Problems

This paper presents a general technique to develop approximation algorithms for allocation problems with integral assignment constraints. The core of the method is a randomized dependent rounding scheme, called geometric rounding, which yields termwise rounding ratios (in expectation), while emphasizing the strong correlation between events. We further explore the intrinsic geometric structure and general theoretical properties of this rounding scheme. First we will apply the geometric rounding algorithm(GRA) to solve a maximization problem, the winner determination problem(WDP) in a singleminded combinatorial auction. Its approximation ratio depends only on the maximal cardinality of the preferred bundles of players. The algorithm also provides a similar bound for the multi-unit WDP by integrating the rounding scheme with a bin packing technique. We then develop a probabilistic analysis of the geometric rounding for minimization problems. The application of this analysis yields the first nontrivial approximation algorithm for the hub location problem. It also generates simple approximation algorithms for the set cover and non-metric uncapacitated facility location problems(UFLP). ∗This research is supported by the Boeing Company. Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Email: {dongdong, yinyu-ye, zzwang}@stanford.edu †Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. Email: {smhe, zhang}@se.cuhk. edu.hk
Comparative and Evolutionary Analysis of the Interleukin 17 Gene Family in Invertebrates

Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine and plays critical roles in the immune response to pathogens and in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Despite its important functions, the origin and evolution of IL-17 in animal phyla have not been characterized. As determined in this study, the distribution of the IL-17 family among 10 invertebrate species and 7 vertebrate species suggests that the IL-17 gene may have originated from Nematoda but is absent from Saccoglossus kowalevskii (Hemichordata) and Insecta. Moreover, the gene number, protein length and domain number of IL-17 differ widely. A comparison of IL-17-containing domains and conserved motifs indicated somewhat low amino acid sequence similarity but high conservation at the motif level, although some motifs were lost in certain species. The third disulfide bond for the cystine knot fold is formed by two cysteine residues in invertebrates, but these have been replaced by two serine residues in Chordata and vertebrates. One third of invertebrate IL-17 proteins were found to have no predicted signal peptide. Furthermore, an analysis of phylogenetic trees and exon–intron structures indicated that the IL-17 family lacks conservation and displays high divergence. These results suggest that invertebrate IL-17 proteins have undergone complex differentiation and that their members may have developed novel functions during evolution.
Complex hyperbolic manifolds homotopy equivalent to a Riemann surface

We construct isometric actions of fundamental groups of closed Riemann surfaces on the complex hyperbolic plane, which realize all possible values of Toledo’s invariant τ . For integer values of τ these actions are discrete embeddings. The quotient complex hyperbolic surfaces are disc bundles over closed Riemann surfaces, whose topological type is described in terms of τ . We relate our geometric construction to arithmetic constructions and discuss integrality properties of τ .