Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of trainers of retarded care centers about tooth avulsion

Dental trauma has always been a common problem in dental health while mentally challenged children are more susceptible to it. This interventional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge of trainers of mentally challenged children care centers about the management of dental trauma, and participants voluntarily took part in the study. A questionnaire containing demographic questions, and 12 questions related to the knowledge of trainers about the emergency management of avulsed teeth were designed. Each correct answer gave one score, and eventually, teachers who had correctly answered between 0 to 6 questions were considered to have limited real knowledge about the issue (from 7 to 9 medium, and from 10 to 12). In the second phase, an educational intervention was done to enhance the knowledge of trainers by distributing brochures in care centers. Finally, data were analyzed by Chi-square test. In this study, almost all participants were females (97%). Results illustrated that more experienced trainers and elder ones were relatively more knowledgeable than their younger and less experienced co-workers. Also, teachers working in private care centers had more knowledge than those working in the public sector. However, the knowledge about the management of dental traumas was unsatisfactory at first, yet it was hugely promoted after the educational intervention was carried out, which indicated the importance of conducting other educational interventions for the improvement of the management of dental traumas.
Drifting through Basic Subprocesses of Reading: A Hierarchical Diffusion Model Analysis of Age Effects on Visual Word Recognition

Reading is one of the most popular leisure activities and it is routinely performed by most individuals even in old age. Successful reading enables older people to master and actively participate in everyday life and maintain functional independence. Yet, reading comprises a multitude of subprocesses and it is undoubtedly one of the most complex accomplishments of the human brain. Not surprisingly, findings of age-related effects on word recognition and reading have been partly contradictory and are often confined to only one of four central reading subprocesses, i.e., sublexical, orthographic, phonological and lexico-semantic processing. The aim of the present study was therefore to systematically investigate the impact of age on each of these subprocesses. A total of 1,807 participants (young, N = 384; old, N = 1,423) performed four decision tasks specifically designed to tap one of the subprocesses. To account for the behavioral heterogeneity in older adults, this subsample was split into high and low performing readers. Data were analyzed using a hierarchical diffusion modeling approach, which provides more information than standard response time/accuracy analyses. Taking into account incorrect and correct response times, their distributions and accuracy data, hierarchical diffusion modeling allowed us to differentiate between age-related changes in decision threshold, non-decision time and the speed of information uptake. We observed longer non-decision times for older adults and a more conservative decision threshold. More importantly, high-performing older readers outperformed younger adults at the speed of information uptake in orthographic and lexico-semantic processing, whereas a general age-disadvantage was observed at the sublexical and phonological levels. Low-performing older readers were slowest in information uptake in all four subprocesses. Discussing these results in terms of computational models of word recognition, we propose age-related disadvantages for older readers to be caused by inefficiencies in temporal sampling and activation and/or inhibition processes.
Postural sway and Rhythmic Electroencephalography analysis of cortical activation during eight balance training tasks

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) of the electroencephalography (EEG) in common sensorimotor balance training tasks of varying difficulty. Sensorimotor balance exercises including alteration of vision, base of support or surface compliance are used to improve postural control. These exercises are presumed to induce supraspinal adaptation, however, there were no studies that investigated the power changes of the cortical activity in these static balance tasks. Our objective was to provide evidence in the cortical involvement with the static balance tasks frequently used in sensorimotor training. Material/Methods Postural sway and EEG changes of alpha, beta and sigma wave bands were measured in seventeen participants during eight balance tasks of varying difficulty with eyes open and closed, feet in tandem or apart and on foam or a firm surface. Results The power of beta and sigma bands increased significantly at the parietal and central area of the brain in tasks with eyes open together with one sensory factor (base of support or surface compliance) or two sensory factors (base of support and surface compliance) altered, and in task with three sensory factors (vision, base of support and surface compliance) altered from the control task. Conclusions This study demonstrated the cortical involvement in the sensorimotor balance tasks, suggesting that these exercises may induce cortical adaptation for postural control. The results support subcortical control with increased task difficulty and the increase in cortical processing when task became extremely challenging.
A Novel Estimation Algorithm Based on Data and Low-Order Models for Virtual Unmodeled Dynamics

In this paper, the challenging issue of estimating virtual unmodeled dynamics is addressed. A novel estimation algorithm based on historical data and the output of low-order approximation models for virtual un-modeled dynamics is presented. In particular, the virtual un-modeled dynamics are decomposed into known and unknown parts, where only the unknown part is to be estimated. The method effectively avoids the need to use the unknown control input directly, and enables the estimation of the un-modeled dynamics with a relatively simple algorithm. Moreover, it is shown that the proposed algorithm overcomes the difficulty in obtaining the control solutions caused by the fact that the controller input is embedded in un-modeled dynamics. Finally, simulation studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Estimating Returns to Schooling When Schooling is Misreported

We propose a general method of moments technique to identify measurement error in self-reported and transcript-reported schooling using differences in wages, test scores, and other covariates to discern the relative verity of each measure. We also explore the implications of such reporting errors for both OLS and IV estimates of the returns to schooling. The results cast a new light on two common findings in the extensive literature on the returns to schooling: sheepskin effects' and the recent IV estimates, relying on natural experiments' to identify the payoff to schooling. First, respondents tend to self-report degree attainment much more accurately than they report educational attainment not corresponding with degree attainment. For instance, we estimate that more than 90 percent of those with associate's or bachelor's degrees accurately report degree attainment, while only slightly over half of those with 1 or 2 years of college credits accurately report their educational attainment. As a result, OLS estimates tend to understate returns per year of schooling and overstate degree effects. Second, because the measurement error in educational attainment is non-classical, IV estimates also tend to be biased, although the magnitude of the bias depends upon the nature of the measurement error in the region of educational attainment affected by the instrument.
Scaling of mechanical power output during burst escape flight in the Corvidae

SUMMARY Avian locomotor burst performance (e.g. acceleration, maneuverability) decreases with increasing body size and has significant implications for the survivorship, ecology and evolution of birds. However, the underlying mechanism of this scaling relationship has been elusive. The most cited mechanistic hypothesis posits that wingbeat frequency alone limits maximal muscular mass-specific power output. Because wingbeat frequency decreases with body size, it may explain the often-observed negative scaling of flight performance. To test this hypothesis we recorded in vivo muscular mechanical power from work-loop mechanics using surgically implanted sonomicrometry (measuring muscle length change) and strain gauges (measuring muscle force) in four species of Corvidae performing burst take-off and vertical escape flight. The scale relationships derived for the four species suggest that maximum muscle-mass-specific power scales slightly negatively with pectoralis muscle mass (M–0.18m, 95% CI: –0.42 to 0.05), but less than the scaling of wingbeat frequency (M–0.29m, 95% CI: –0.37 to –0.23). Mean muscle stress was independent of muscle mass (M–0.02m, 95% CI: –0.20 to 0.19), but total muscle strain (percent length change) scaled positively (M0.12m, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.18), which is consistent with previous results from ground birds (Order Galliformes). These empirical results lend minimal support to the power-limiting hypothesis, but also suggest that muscle function changes with size to partially compensate for detrimental effects of size on power output, even within closely related species. Nevertheless, additional data for other taxa are needed to substantiate these scaling patterns.
Ontogenetic changes in foraging behaviour and habitat use by the Oregon garter snake, Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus


Abstract Abstract. Foraging behaviour, stream habitat use and food habits of a population of the aquatic, Oregon garter snake were studied in the field during the spring and summer of 1987 and 1988. Continuous records of behaviour and habitat use were obtained for each snake. Adults foraged more actively and in a wider variety of stream habitats than juveniles or neonates. Adults also fed on a wider variety of prey types and sizes, especially concentrating on large, Pacific giant salamander, Dicamptodon tenebrosis , larvae and neotenes, in the mid-stream substrates. Juvenile and neonate snakes fed on relatively smaller prey that inhabited shallow stream margins. Consumption of relatively large prey by adults and smaller prey by juveniles indicated a shift in foraging 'strategy' from frequent feeding on small prey to infrequent feeding on large prey. These ontogenetic changes in foraging behaviour, habitat use and food habits of Oregon garter snakes are probably the result of a combination of proximate ecological, morphological and physiological constraints. Ultimately, these behavioural shifts may have a phylogenetic origin that reflects the strong advantage of single large meals versus many small meals for many modern snake lineages.
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase is overexpressed in prostate cancer and correlates with prolonged progression-free and overall survival times

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) has been identified to be associated with tumorigenesis and the malignant transformation of numerous types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression and prognostic significance of NNMT in prostate cancer (PCa). Immunohistochemical NNMT expression was examined in 26 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 18 cases of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and 120 cases of PCa. While rarely expressed in BPH (8/26 cases; 30.8%), NNMT was found to be significantly upregulated in HGPIN (15/18 cases; 83.3%) and PCa (77/120 cases; 64.2%). Clinicopathological analysis revealed that NNMT expression was negatively correlated with Gleason score (P<0.001). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that high NNMT expression was associated with prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times in patients with advanced PCa. Multivariate analysis showed that NNMT was an independent prognostic marker of PFS and OS in patients with advanced PCa. The results of the present study suggested that NNMT may contribute to the development of PCa and may potentially be a favorable prognostic marker for the survival of patients with advanced PCa.
Retrospective Paternal and Maternal Parenting Styles in Greece, Italy, and Sweden: Invariance, Validity, and Level Differences in the PSDQ

Discrepancies in perceived parenting and parental roles across European countries could be due to the use of different assessment techniques or due to mean level differences in the authoritative, authoritarian, or permissive parenting styles. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ; Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 1995, 2001) in a sample of 225 Greek, 301 Italian, and 279 Swedish adolescents aged 16–19 years, who evaluated their father’s and mother’s parenting styles during their childhood. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multigroup CFA, and modified version of the correlated uniqueness model were used to evaluate the structure and invariance of the scale across countries. Measurement and structural invariance was found in the 8-item authoritative scale and 6-item authoritarian scale. A mixed ANOVA (Country × Style × Role) showed that Swedish mothers scored lower than Italian or Greek mothers, and that, in the three countries, mothers were perceived as more authoritative than were fathers.
Mining user behaviours: a study of check-in patterns in location based social networks

Understanding the patterns underlying human mobility is of an essential importance to applications like recommender systems. In this paper we investigate the behaviour of around 10,000 frequent users of Location Based Social Networks (LBSNs) making use of their full movement patterns. We analyse the metadata associated with the whereabouts of the users, with emphasis on the type of places and their evolution over time. We uncover patterns across different temporal scales for venue category usage. Then, focusing on individual users, we apply this knowledge in two tasks: 1) clustering users based on their behaviour and 2) predicting users' future movements. By this, we demonstrate both qualitatively and quantitatively that incorporating temporal regularities is beneficial for making better sense of user behaviour.
Chloroquine inhibits lysosomal enzyme pinocytosis and enhances lysosomal enzyme secretion by impairing receptor recycling

Adsorptive pinocytosis of acid hydrolases by fibroblasts depends on phosphomannosyl recognition markers on the enzymes and high-affinity pinocytosis receptors on the cell surface. In this study, beta- glucuronidase binding to the cell surface of attached fibroblasts was found to be saturable and inhibitable by mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P). Dissociation of cell-bound beta-glucuronidase occurred very slowly at neutral pH, but was greatly accelerated by lowering the pH below 6.0, or by exposure to Man-6-P. Comparison of the maximal cell surface binding and the observed rate of enzyme pinocytosis suggests that the pinocytosis receptors are replaced or reused about every 5 min. Enzyme pinocytosis was not affected by inhibition of new protein synthesis for several hours, suggesting a large pool of internal receptors and/or reuse of internalized receptors. Chloroquine treatment of normal human fibroblasts had three effects: (a) greatly enhanced secretion of newly synthesized acid hydrolases bearing the recognition marker for uptake, (b) depletion of enzyme-binding sites from the cell surface, and (c) inhibition of pinocytosis of exogenous enzyme. Only the third effect was seen in I-cell disease fibroblasts, which were also less sensitive than control cells to this effect. These observations are consistent with a model for transport of acid hydrolases that proposes that delivery of newly synthesized acid hydrolases to lysosomes requires the phosphomannosyl recognition marker on the enzymes, and intracellular receptors that segregate receptor-bound enzymes into vesicles for transport to lysosomes. This model explains how chloroquine, which raises intralysosomal pH, can disrupt both the intracellular pathway for newly synthesized acid hydrolases, and the one for uptake of exogenous enzyme by cell surface pinocytosis receptors.
Measurements of HNO 3 and N 2 O 5 using ion drift-chemical ionization mass spectrometry during the MILAGRO/MCMA-2006 campaign

An ion drift-chemical ionization mass spectrome- ter (ID-CIMS) was deployed in Mexico City between 7 and 31 March to measure gas-phase nitric acid (HNO3) and dini- trogen pentoxide (N2O5) during the Mexico City Metropoli- tan Area (MCMA)-2006 field campaign. The observation site was located at the Instituto Mexicano del Petr ´ oleo in the northern part of Mexico City urban area with major emis- sions of pollutants from residential, vehicular and industrial sources. Diurnally, HNO3 was less than 200 parts per trillion (ppt) during the night and early morning. The concentration of HNO3 increased steadily from around 09:00 a.m. central standard time (CST), reached a peak value of 0.5 to 3 parts per billion (ppb) in the early afternoon, and then declined sharply to less than half of the peak value near 05:00 p.m. CST. An inter-comparison between the ID-CIMS and an ion chromatograph/mass spectrometer (ICMS) showed a good agreement between the two HNO3 measurements (R 2 =0.75). The HNO3 mixing ratio was found to anti-correlate with submicron-sized aerosol nitrate, suggesting that the gas- particle partitioning process was a major factor in determin- ing the gaseous HNO3 concentration. Losses by irreversible
Body mass index and central adiposity are associated with sperm quality in men of subfertile couples.

BACKGROUND The incidence of overweight and obesity in men of reproductive ages is rising, which may affect fertility. Therefore, this study aims to assess the associations between BMI, central adiposity and sperm parameters in men of subfertile couples. METHODS Ejaculate volume (ml), sperm concentration (millions per ml), percentage of progressive motile and immotile spermatozoa and total motile sperm count (millions) were measured in 450 men of subfertile couples visiting a tertiary outpatient clinic for reproductive treatment and preconception counseling. RESULTS Overweight was negatively associated with the percentage of progressive motility type A [β -0.32 (SE 0.2), P=0.036] and positively associated with the percentage of immotility type C [β 0.21 (SE 0.07), P=0.002]. Obesity was negatively associated with ejaculate volume [β-0.23 (SE 0.1), P=0.02], sperm concentration [β -0.77 (SE 0.3), P=0.006] and total motile sperm count [β -0.91 (SE 0.3), P=0.007]. Waist circumference≥102 cm, a measure for central adiposity, was inversely associated with sperm concentration [β -0.69 (SE 0.2), P=0.001] and total motile sperm count [β-0.62 (SE 0.3), P=0.02]. All associations remained significant after adjustment for age, ethnicity, active and passive smoking, alcohol and medication use and folate status. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that in particular, sperm concentration and total motile sperm count in men of subfertile couples are detrimentally affected by a high BMI and central adiposity. The effect of weight loss on sperm quality and fertility needs further investigation.
Case-crossover design in air pollution epidemiology

The case-crossover design was developed to study the effects of transient, short-term exposures on the risk of acute events, such as myocardial infarction, in the early 1990s. This paper illustrates how the principles of case-crossover design are related to the principles of crossover and case-control designs and stipulates the possibilities of case-crossover design in air pollution epidemiology. In the case-crossover design, the study population consists of subjects who have experienced an episode of the health outcome of interest. Similar to a crossover study, each subject serves as his or her own control. As in a matched case-control study, the inference is based on a comparison of exposure distribution rather than the risk of disease. The case-crossover study is most suitable for studying relations with the following characteristics: 1) the individual exposure varies within short time intervals; 2) the disease has abrupt onset and short latency for detection; and 3) the induction period is short. Case-crossover design allows use of routinely monitored air pollution information and at the same time makes it possible to study individuals rather than days as the unit of observation. Case-crossover design is amenable for studying the effects of varying short-term air pollution exposure on health outcomes with an abrupt onset, such as myocardial infarction or asthma attack.
No compelling evidence for a bilingual advantage in switching or that frequent language switching reduces switch cost

ABSTRACT Participants completed three cued-switching tasks, responded to two category-fluency probes, two letter-fluency probes, and two probes to alternate between two targets. Correlations across the three cued-switching tasks were significant for both switching costs and mixing costs. The bilingual advantage hypothesis was tested both by forming language groups and treating bilingualism as a continuous variable. No bilingual advantages were observed. In verbal-fluency monolinguals generated more correct responses but the bilingual disadvantage on the category task was not reduced in the letter-fluency scores. The bilingual disadvantage was eliminated when the groups were matched on vocabulary size. The verbal-fluency measures obtained when participants alternated between targets weakly correlated with the switching-costs obtained in the cued-switching tasks.
Does racial and ethnic discrimination vary across minority groups? Evidence from three experiments

Job applicants find it easier to get an interview if they have an Anglo-Saxon name, according to new research from The Australian National University. The study, conducted by ANU economists Professor Alison Booth and Professor Andrew Leigh from the Research School of Social Sciences, in conjunction with researcher Elena Varganova, estimated discrimination by sending over 4000 fake CVs to employers in response to job advertisements in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Abstract We conducted several large-scale field experiments to measure labor market discrimination across different minority groups in Australia – a country where one quarter of the population was born overseas. To denote ethnicity, we used distinctively Anglo-Saxon, Indigenous, Italian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern names, and our goal was a comparison across multiple ethnic groups rather than focusing on a single minority as in most other studies. Our main experiment, an audit discrimination study, involved sending over 4000 fictional resumes to employers in response to job advertisements. In all cases, we applied for entry-level jobs and submitted a CV showing that the candidate had attended high school in Australia. We found economically and statistically significant differences in callback rates, suggesting that ethnic minority candidates would need to apply for more jobs in order to receive the same number of interviews. These differences vary systematically across groups, with Italians (a more established migrant group) suffering less discrimination than Chinese and Middle Easterners (who have typically arrived more recently). We also conducted two additional experiments to form a more nuanced picture of prejudice. These were a ‘Return to Sender’ experiment and an Implicit Association Test. The results from both experiments reveal societal prejudice against minority groups, although the ranking sometimes differs from that in the audit discrimination study.