Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early childhood caries: overview and recent findings.

Early childhood caries is of epidemic proportions in some U.S. minority populations and in developing countries, yet a review of the literature reveals numerous conflicting reports and unanswered questions regarding the etiology and prevention of the disease. Better knowledge of the cause of early childhood caries and effective strategies to reduce its risk should produce enormous reductions in initial and long-term dental treatment costs, as well as the pain and suffering of affected children.
A Panel Analysis of the Stock Return–Dividend Yield Relation: Predicting Returns and Dividend Growth

We investigate dividend yield predictability for stock returns and dividend growth for eight countries over the period 1973–2010. We employ panel methods and report evidence of such predictive power over the full sample. An examination by decade reveals that the predictive ability for stock returns and dividend growth varies with time. Indeed, the strength of this predictability switches between returns and dividend growth. In the 1970s only returns were predicted, while in the 1980s only dividend growth was predicted. In the 1990s and 2000s, both variables were predicted, although the coefficient magnitude and strength of the statistical relationship changes.
AnchorClu: An Anchorperson Shot Detection Method Based on Clustering

Anchorperson shot detection is an effective way of news video structuring. According to some features of anchorperson shots, such as visually similar with each other, long duration, and large span, etc., an anchorperson shot detection method based on clustering called AnchorClu is proposed. After fast clustering of shots’ key frames, some clusters including the anchorperson cluster can be got. Then by some proper rules, the anchorperson cluster is selected out, and the anchorperson shots can also be extracted to help the analysis of news video structuring. Experiments prove the effectiveness of the method, which is fast and gets the average recall of 93% and the average precision of 98%.
The Equality Illusion: The Truth about Women and Men Today

In The Equality Illusion, 'the most influential young feminist in the country' (Guardian) and UK Feminista founder Kat Banyard argues passionately and articulately that feminism continues to be one of the most urgent and relevant social justice campaigns today. Women have made huge strides in equality over the last century. And yet: Women working full-time in the UK are paid on average 17 per cent less an hour than men 1 in 3 women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused because of her gender Of parliamentary seats across the globe only 15 per cent are held by women and fewer than 20 per cent of UK MPs are women 96 per cent of executive directors of the UK's top hundred companies are men Structuring the book around a normal day, Banyard sets out the major issues for twenty-first century feminism, from work and education to sex, relationships and having children. She draws on her own campaigning experience as well as academic research and dozens of her own interviews. The book also includes information on how to get involved in grassroots action.
Dual-Watermarking by QR-code Applications in Image Processing

Digital watermarking has recently emerged as a solution to the problem of providing guarantees about copyright protection of digital images. However, several problems related to the robustness of invisible watermarking techniques from malicious or non-malicious attacks still remain unsolved. Visible watermarking is an effective technique for preventing unauthorized use of an image, based on the insertion of a translucent mark, which provides immediate claim of ownership. Digital watermarking technology primarily joins the rightful owner of totem to the protected media. Once the media are suspected to be illegally used, an open algorithm can be used to extract the digital watermark, for the purpose of showing the media's ownership. A reversible visible watermarking scheme is proposed to satisfy the applications, in which the visible watermark is expected to combat copyright piracy but can be removed to recover the original image without loss. In this paper, we propose a reversible visible watermark method, which embeds QR code into gray-scale images to create a visible watermark. Not using complex calculations, this paper tries to simply change the pixel value to achieve the digital watermark. Furthermore, a reversible steganographic method is used to embed the watermarking information, which can be used to recover the original images, into the watermarking images.
Functional MRI of Challenging Food Choices: Forced Choice between Equally Liked High- and Low-Calorie Foods in the Absence of Hunger

We are continuously exposed to food and during the day we make many food choices. These choices play an important role in the regulation of food intake and thereby in weight management. Therefore, it is important to obtain more insight into the mechanisms that underlie these choices. While several food choice functional MRI (fMRI) studies have been conducted, the effect of energy content on neural responses during food choice has, to our knowledge, not been investigated before. Our objective was to examine brain responses during food choices between equally liked high- and low-calorie foods in the absence of hunger. During a 10-min fMRI scan 19 normal weight volunteers performed a forced-choice task. Food pairs were matched on individual liking but differed in perceived and actual caloric content (high-low). Food choice compared with non-food choice elicited stronger unilateral activation in the left insula, superior temporal sulcus, posterior cingulate gyrus and (pre)cuneus. This suggests that the food stimuli were more salient despite subject’s low motivation to eat. The right superior temporal sulcus (STS) was the only region that exhibited greater activation for high versus low calorie food choices between foods matched on liking. Together with previous studies, this suggests that STS activation during food evaluation and choice may reflect the food’s biological relevance independent of food preference. This novel finding warrants further research into the effects of hunger state and weight status on STS, which may provide a marker of biological relevance.
Multiple Membrane-Cytoplasmic Domain Contacts in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Mediate Regulation of Channel Gating*

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a unique ATP-binding cassette (ABC) ion channel mutated in patients with cystic fibrosis. The most common mutation, deletion of phenylalanine 508 (ΔF508) and many other disease-associated mutations occur in the nucleotide binding domains (NBD) and the cytoplasmic loops (CL) of the membrane-spanning domains (MSD). A recently constructed computational model of the CFTR three-dimensional structure, supported by experimental data (Serohijos, A. W., Hegedus, T., Aleksandrov, A. A., He, L., Cui, L., Dokholyan, N. V., and Riordan, J. R. (2008) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 105, 3256–3261) revealed that several of these mutations including ΔF508 disrupted interfaces between these domains. Here we have used cysteine cross-linking experiments to verify all NBD/CL interfaces predicted by the structural model and observed that their cross-linking has a variety of different effects on channel gating. The interdomain contacts comprise aromatic clusters important for stabilization of the interfaces and also involve the Q-loops and X-loops that are in close proximity to the ATP binding sites. Cross-linking of all domain-swapping contacts between NBDs and MSD cytoplasmic loops in opposite halves of the protein rapidly and reversibly arrest single channel gating while those in the same halves have lesser impact. These results reinforce the idea that mediation of regulatory signals between cytoplasmic- and membrane-integrated domains of the CFTR channel apparently relies on an array of precise but highly dynamic interdomain structural joints.
Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen Disrupts Genome Integrity and Activates a DNA Damage Response via Bub1 Binding

ABSTRACT Simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (LT) is a multifunctional protein that is important for viral replication and oncogenic transformation. Previously, infection of monkey or human cells with SV40 was shown to lead to the induction of DNA damage response signaling, which is required for efficient viral replication. However, it was not clear if LT is sufficient to induce the damage response and, if so, what the genetic requirements and functional consequences might be. Here, we show that the expression of LT alone, without a replication origin, can induce key DNA damage response markers including the accumulation of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 in nuclear foci. Other DNA damage-signaling components downstream of ATM/ATR kinases were induced, including chk1 and chk2. LT also bound the Claspin mediator protein, which normally facilitates the ATR activation of chk1 and monitors cellular replication origins. Stimulation of the damage response by LT depends mainly on binding to Bub1 rather than to the retinoblastoma protein. LT has long been known to stabilize p53 despite functionally inactivating it. We show that the activation of a DNA damage response by LT via Bub1 appears to play a major role in p53 stabilization by promoting the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15. Accompanying the DNA damage response, LT induces tetraploidy, which is also dependent on Bub1 binding. Taken together, our data suggest that LT, via Bub1 binding, breaches genome integrity mechanisms, leading to DNA damage responses, p53 stabilization, and tetraploidy.
Endogenous Non-Tradable Earnings and Households’ Demand for Risky Assets

Using French survey data, we explore empirically whether earnings uncertainty and borrowing constraints decrease households demand for risky assets, consistent with theoretical predictions. A major empirical problem is the potential endogeneity bias of income risk, as more risk averse households may simultaneously choose safer occupations and invest less in risky assets. Even if we control for households risk preferences, we find that households respond by increasing their stockholdings in response to earnings uncertainty but not to liquidity constraints. We show that these empirical findings are consistent with an occupational risk return trade-off, whereby less risk averse households choose riskier occupations and hold riskier portfolios. Keywords; portfolio choice, uninsurable earnings, occupational choice, risk aversion, temperance
The Persistence of Memory, or How the X-Ray Spectrum of SNR 0509–67.5 Reveals the Brightness of Its Parent Type Ia Supernova

We examine the dynamics and X-ray spectrum of the young Type Ia supernova remnant 0509–67.5 in the context of the recent results obtained from the optical spectroscopy of its light echo. Our goal is to estimate the kinetic energy of the supernova explosion using Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant, thus placing the birth event of 0509–67.5 in the sequence of dim-to-bright Type Ia supernovae. We base our analysis on a standard grid of one-dimensional delayed detonation explosion models, together with hydrodynamic and X-ray spectral calculations of the supernova remnant evolution. From the remnant dynamics and the properties of the O, Si, S, and Fe emission in its X-ray spectrum we conclude that 0509–67.5 originated ~400 yr ago from a bright, highly energetic Type Ia explosion similar to SN 1991T. Our best model has a kinetic energy of 1.4 × 1051 erg and synthesizes 0.97 M☉ of 56Ni. These results are in excellent agreement with the age estimate and spectroscopy from the light echo. We have thus established the first connection between a Type Ia supernova and its supernova remnant based on a detailed quantitative analysis of both objects.
Design methodologies for soft switched inverters

A detailed design methodology is presented for soft switched inverters. The actively clamped resonant DC link inverter and the resonant pole inverter are taken as illustrative design examples with a detailed enumeration of component design rules, switching loss calculations, and system optimization. The soft-switched circuits are then compared with the conventional hard-switched voltage-sourced inverter under identical load conditions. <<ETX>>
Change Visualization through a Texture-Based Analysis Approach for Disaster Applications

A fast detection and visualization of change in crisis areas is an important condition for planning and coordination of help. The availability of new satellites with high temporal resolution (e.g. RapidEye) and/or high spatial resolution (e.g. Quickbird) provides the basis for a better visualization of multitemporal change. For automated change detection, a large number of algorithms has been proposed and developed. This article describes the results of four texture based change detection approaches that were applied to satellite images of the Darfur crisis region. In our methodology we calculate firstly different texture characteristics (“energy”, “correlation”, “contrast” and “inverse distance moment”), for a whole image at two (or more) different times. The second step is to test the capability of known change detection methods (image-differencing, image-ratioing, regression analysis and principal component analysis) to visualize the change of settlement areas through these texture characteristics and texture images, respectively. The comparison of different texture characteristics with different change detection methods shows that best results can be obtained using a selective bitemporal principal component analysis with the texture feature “energy”.
The Influence of Bulge Profile Shapes on Claims for a Scale-free Hubble Sequence for Spiral Galaxies

We investigate recent claims that the Hubble sequence of spiral galaxies is scale-free. Fundamental to this investigation is the fact that within the photometric data of 86 spiral galaxies from de Jong & van der Kruit—from which these claims were made—a trend exists between morphological type and bulge profile shape. While late-type spiral bulges are described by an exponential luminosity profile, the early-type spiral bulges are better described by an r1/2 or r1/4 law. Taking the scale lengths from the best-fitting surface brightness profile models (i.e., either using exponential, r1/2, or r1/4 law profile parameters), we show that in all six passbands used (BVRIHK), the early-type spiral galaxies have a larger re/h ratio than late-type spiral galaxies. In contrast to this, fitting an exponential profile to the bulges of all spiral galaxies results in the mean re/h ratio for the early-type spiral galaxies actually being smaller than the mean re/h ratio for the late-type spiral galaxies (at the 3 σ significance level using K-band data).
Daily variation and appetitive conditioning‐induced plasticity of auditory cortex receptive fields

Long‐term modification of cortical receptive field maps follows learning of sensory discriminations and conditioned associations. In the process of determining whether appetitive – as opposed to aversive – conditioning is effective in causing such plastic changes, it was discovered that multineuron receptive fields, when measured in rats under ketamine‐sedation, vary substantially over the course of a week, even in the absence of classical conditioning and electrode movement. Specifically, a simple correlation analysis showed that iso‐intensity frequency response curves of multiunit clusters and local field potentials recorded from auditory cortex are nonstationary over 7 days. Nevertheless, significant plastic changes in receptive fields, due to conditioned pairing of a pure tone and electrical stimulation of brain reward centres, are detectable above and beyond these spontaneous daily variations. This finding is based on a novel statistical plasticity criterion which compares receptive fields recorded for three days before and three days after conditioning. Based on a more traditional criterion (i.e. one day before and after conditioning), the prevalence of learning‐induced changes caused by appetitive conditioning appears to be comparable to that described in previous studies involving aversive conditioning.
Properties of dust in early-type galaxies

We report optical extinction properties of dust for a sample of 26 early-type galaxies based on the analysis of their multicolour CCD observations. The wavelength dependence of dust extinction for these galaxies is determined and the extinction curves are found to run parallel to the Galactic extinction curve, which implies that the properties of dust i n the extragalactic environment are quite similar to those of the Milky Way. For the sample galaxies, value of the parameter RV, the ratio of total extinction in V band to selective extinction in B & V bands, lies in the range 2.03 - 3.46 with an average of 3.02, compared to its canonical value of 3.1 for the Milky Way. A dependence of RV on dust morphology of the host galaxy is also noticed in the sense that galaxies with a well defined d ust lane show tendency to have smaller RV values compared to the galaxies with disturbed dust morphology. The dust content of these galaxies estimated using total optical extinc tion is found to lie in the range 10 4 to 10 6 M⊙, an order of magnitude smaller than those derived from IRAS fl ux densities, indicating that a significant fraction of dust intermixed with stars rem ains undetected by the optical method. We examine the relationship between dust mass derived from IRAS flux and the X-ray luminos ity of the host galaxies.The issue of the origin of dust in early-type galaxies is also discussed.
Long-Run Restrictions and Survey Forecasts of Output, Consumption and Investment

We consider the extent to which long-horizon survey forecasts of consumption, investment and output growth are consistent with theory-based steady-state values, and whether imposing these restrictions on long-horizon forecasts will enhance their accuracy. The restrictions that we impose are consistent with a two-sector model in which the variables grow at different rates in steady state. The restrictions are imposed by an exponential-tilting of simple auxiliary forecast densities. We show that imposing the consumption–output restriction yields modest improvements in the long-horizon output growth forecasts, and larger improvements in the forecasts of the cointegrating combination of consumption and output: the transformation of the data on which accuracy is assessed plays an important role.
EFFECTS OF FAST AND SLOW SOLAR WIND ON THE ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM (ENA) SPECTRA MEASURED BY THE INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER (IBEX) AT THE HELIOSPHERIC POLES

We study the energy dependence of ∼0.5–6 keV energetic neutral atom (ENA) spectra in the southern heliospheric polar region obtained during five six-month sky maps measured by IBEX-Hi. We calculate the spectral slopes in the south pole in four different energy bands, namely, ∼0.7–1.1 keV, ∼1.1–1.7 keV, ∼1.7–2.7 keV, and ∼2.7–4.3 keV. We show (1) a persistent flattening of the ENA spectrum between ∼1 and 2 keV, (2) significantly different modes (2.31, 1.58, 0.97, and 1.44) for the distributions of the slopes in the four different energy bands, and (3) a general decrease with increasing energy in the widths (FWHM) and mode fluctuations (their spread) of the slope distributions. We also compare the averaged ENA spectra measured at the south pole and at mid-latitudes. We conclude that the flattening between ∼1 and 2 keV in the polar spectrum (spectral break) is produced by an enhancement of ENAs created by charge exchange between interstellar neutrals and pick-up ions in the fast solar wind.
Volcanism, tectonism, sedimentation, and the paleoanthropological record in the Ethiopian Rift System

The Ethiopian Rift System consists of basins that are in different stages of evolution. Some of the rift-related basins in southwestern Ethiopia are half-grabens that have not evolved to symmetrical rifts since the initiation of rifting here in the middle Miocene. These basins contain fossiliferous Pliocene–Pleistocene volcaniclastic sediments and volcanic rocks and have been occupied by early hominid populations. The Afar and the Main Ethiopian Rifts are symmetrical, with both margins fully developed. Several paleoanthropological localities, ranging in age from the Quaternary to the Pliocene, were discovered within these rift basins. The discovery of Australopithecus afarensis (the “Lucy” species) at Hadar and Ardipithecus ramidus and Australopithecus garhi in the Middle Awash makes the region the most prolific early hominid area in the world. Many of the known Pliocene–Pleistocene paleoanthropological localities that have given us information about our ancestors are concentrated in the East African Rift System. This is not a coincidence, because the volcanic and tectonic activities that were responsible for the formation of the rift basins and coeval sedimentation created ideal environments for the proliferation of life and the preservation of faunal and floral remains. Volcanic and tectonic activities created plateaus and mountains; most of the sediments in the basins were derived from these topographic highs located within and outside the rift valleys. Volcaniclastic sediments and volcanic ash were responsible for the quick burial and preservation of fossils during diagenesis. Diagenetic processes involving silicification, calcification, zeolitization, feldspathization, clay formation, and pedogenesis all played roles in fossil preservation in the volcaniclastic sediments. Volcanic rocks interbedded with the fossiliferous sediments also provide temporal information about geologic processes, faunal evolution, paleoenvironment, and early hominid behavior and lithic technology.
Co-Occurrence Patterns of Common and Rare Leaf-Litter Frogs, Epiphytic Ferns and Dung Beetles across a Gradient of Human Disturbance

Indicator taxa are commonly used to identify priority areas for conservation or to measure biological responses to environmental change. Despite their widespread use, there is no general consensus about the ability of indicator taxa to predict wider trends in biodiversity. Many studies have focused on large-scale patterns of species co-occurrence to identify areas of high biodiversity, threat or endemism, but there is much less information about patterns of species co-occurrence at local scales. In this study, we assess fine-scale co-occurrence patterns of three indicator taxa (epiphytic ferns, leaf litter frogs and dung beetles) across a remotely sensed gradient of human disturbance in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We measure the relative contribution of rare and common species to patterns of total richness in each taxon and determine the ability of common and rare species to act as surrogate measures of human disturbance and each other. We find that the species richness of indicator taxa changed across the human disturbance gradient but that the response differed among taxa, and between rare and common species. Although we find several patterns of co-occurrence, these patterns differed between common and rare species. Despite showing complex patterns of species co-occurrence, our results suggest that species or taxa can act as reliable indicators of each other but that this relationship must be established and not assumed.