Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dental Caries Experience among Six Year Old Children of the Republic of Macedonia

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the dental caries among primary school children (first grades) in Eastern, Southeast and Vardar Region of the Republic of Macedonia and evaluate if the disease pattern is different between the regions. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in 2013 involving 301 six year old primary school children (born in 2007), who were randomly selected from seven central and 13 regional primary schools. The ethical clearance was taken from institutional ethical committee of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of St Cyril and St Meth and parental consent was obtained for each child. Participants’ dental status was evaluated using the 1997 World Health Organization caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing and filled primary teeth (DMFT) and Decayed, Missing or Filled permanent Teeth (DMFT) by two calibrated examiners. Data obtained during the survey were stored in a database (SPSS 13.00 and tested for possible statistically significant differences using the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total number of children in the sample was 301, comprising 152 (50.50%) females and 149 (49.50%) males. The results of this survey showed that the DMFT score of the six year-old children from all three regions was 5.59 ± 3.82, while in the Eastern region was 5.65 ± 3.68 for the primary dentition and 0.04 ± 0.28 for the permanent dentition. Average DMFT score of the six year-old children from the southeast region was 5,29 ± 4.30 for the primary dentition and 0.07 ± 0.3 for the permanent dentition, while for six year-old children group from the Vardar region it was 5.81 ± 3.5 for primary dentition and 0.17 ± 0.5 for the permanent dentition. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test by ranks gave a p-value of 0.4 > 0.05, indicating that there was no statistically significant difference between DMFT scores of six year-old children from different regions for primary teeth. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test by ranks gave a p-value of 0.03 < 0.05, indicating that there were statistically significant differences between DMFT scores of six year-old children from different regions for permanent teeth. Significant caries (SiC) index was 9.93 ± 2.0. The prevalence of caries-free children was 15.82%. The percentage of untreated caries or the ratio of DMFT/DMFT was 0.8581 (85.81%). Conclusions: Dental caries experience was seen to be high among six year old school children (first grades) in Eastern, Southeast and Vardar Region of the Republic of Macedonia.
Bone health of postpartum women: Unexpected high prevalence of a health problem in Saudi postpartum women

The aim was to see the effect of pregnancy on Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in the immediate postpartum period and 12 months thereafter. Eighty women delivered at KAUH (May 2009-Oct 2010) had BMD, bone profile, 25-OH vitamin D and (BTMs). Inclusion criteria: Singleton pregnancy without medical or pregnancy complications. Exclusion criteria: multiple pregnancies, history of diabetes thyroid or bone disease, and use of any medication that affect calcium metabolism. Biochemical tests were repeated for 27 women after one year. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 16. Eighty women had BMD before discharge. Sixty four women (80%) had low BMD; sixteen of these (25%) had osteoporosis. Although bone profiles were normal, Vitamin D levels were moderately or severely deficient in 35.37% of women. After adjustment for BMI and age there was no correlation between BMD and other variables. Multiple linear regressions showed that BMI was the predictor for BMD (P=0.0014). There was no significant difference between postpartum bone BTMs and bone profiles, and those after twelve months. Osteoporosis/ osteopenia is a significant health problem in this group of women. Further studies are needed to look into predisposing factors.
Resolution study of higher-order-mode-based beam position diagnostics using custom-built electronics in strongly coupled 3.9 GHz multi-cavity accelerating module

Beam-excited higher order modes (HOMs) can provide remote diagnostics information of the beam position and cavity misalignment. In this paper we report on recent studies on the resolution with specially selected series of modes with custom-built electronics. This constitutes the first report of measurements of these cavities in which we obtained a resolution of 20 micron in beam offset. Details of the setup of the electronics and HOM measurements are provided.
Maximizing the benefits of oyster reef restoration for finfish and their fisheries

Global declines in oyster reefs have resulted in reduced habitat heterogeneity, extent and quality for some coastal finfish, potentially reducing fish populations and catches. It is well established that habitat restoration results in higher finfish biomass and diversity where oyster reefs replace bare substrata. Therefore, restoring oyster reefs with a view to also improving fish stocks is often a key goal of oyster restoration. However, the principles of habitat quality, ecological connectivity and broader ecosystem management are poorly integrated within oyster reef restoration ecology, but such principles may be instructive in enhancing the benefits of projects on fish populations throughout estuarine seascapes. This manuscript presents a framework for projects seeking to restore both oyster reef habitat and finfish communities. Structurally and biologically complex oyster reefs, comprising both oysters and other invertebrates, are required to provide shelter, food and nursery services to fish. By carefully considering site selection at seascape scales (km to 10s of km), restoration can enhance the network of habitat available to fish and potentially increase the overall carrying capacity of the estuary. Managers of estuaries that now include restored oyster reefs should implement fisheries management plans and consider the effects of management actions broadly throughout catchments; failing to do so may jeopardize gains in fish yields. Management decisions must be adaptable, responding to key criteria in thorough monitoring programs. Integrating these ecological and coastal management concepts into oyster reef restoration will enhance outcomes for fishes and increase stakeholder engagement and cost‐effectiveness.
Alternative Measures of Competitive Balance in Sports Leagues

The most commonly used measures of competitive balance in sports leagues do not capture season-to-season changes in relative standings. This article describes an alternative measure of competitive balance, the Competitive Balance Ratio (CBR), that reflects team specific variation in winning percentage over time and league-specific variation. Based on estimation of a model of the determination of annual attendance in professional baseball during the past 100 years, variation in the CBR explains more of the observed variation in attendance than other alternatives measures of competitive balance, suggesting that CBR is a useful metric.
Cosmic ray transport and anisotropies to high energies

Abstract. A model is introduced, in which the irregularity spectrum of the Galactic magnetic field beyond the dissipation length scale is first a Kolmogorov spectrum k-5/3 at small scales λ = 2 π/k with k the wave-number, then a saturation spectrum k-1, and finally a shock-dominated spectrum k-2 mostly in the halo/wind outside the Cosmic Ray disk. In an isotropic approximation such a model is consistent with the Interstellar Medium (ISM) data. With this model we discuss the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) spectrum, as well as the extragalactic Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs), their chemical abundances and anisotropies. UHECRs may include a proton component from many radio galaxies integrated over vast distances, visible already below 3 EeV.
A General Approach to Speci city in Default Reasoning

We present an approach addressing the notion of speci city, or of preferring a more speci c default sentence over a less speci c one, in commonsense reasoning. Historically, approaches have either been too weak to provide a full account of defeasible reasoning while accounting for speci city, or else have been too strong and fail to enforce speci city. Our approach is to use the techniques of a weak system, as exempli ed by System Z, to isolate minimal sets of con icting defaults. From the speci city information intrinsic in these sets, a default theory in a target language is speci ed. In this paper we primarily deal with theories expressed (ultimately) in Default Logic. However other approaches would do just as well, as we illustrate by also considering Autoepistemic Logic and variants of Default Logic. In our approach, the problems of weak systems, such as lack of adequate property inheritance and (occasional) unwanted speci city relations, are avoided. Also, di culties inherent with stronger systems, in particular, lack of speci city are addressed. This work di ers from previous work in specifying priorities in Default Logic, in that we obtain a theory expressed in Default Logic, rather than ordered sets of rules requiring a modi cation to Default Logic.
Polarization-dependent pulse compression in an argon-filled cell through filamentation

Pulse compression through filamentation in an argon-filled cell was experimentally demonstrated by using circularly and linearly polarized pulses. A 53 fs circularly polarized pulse was successfully compressed to 15 fs. By using circularly polarized pulse input, the broadened spectrum was much wider and the incident energy in the gas cell can be increased by more than 3/2 times. Much shorter pulse could be compressed by using circularly polarized pulse input.
Comparison of Airborne and Ground Spray Deposits with Hollow Cone Nozzle, Low Drift Nozzle and Drift Retardant

Information is lacking on spray techniques to reduce off-target loss on the ground and via spray drift from the treated area in nursery applications. Airborne deposits at three elevations on sampling towers and on the ground at several distances from the sprayer were investigated with the three spray treatments in an open field without crops. Tests were conducted with an air blast sprayer equipped with conventional hollow cone nozzles (HC), low drift nozzles (AI), and conventional hollow cone nozzles with a drift retardant (HCDR) in an open field without crops. To compare field test results, wind tunnel experiments were conducted to assess spray deposits on the floor beyond 0.4 m downwind distance from the nozzles and airborne deposits at 2.1 m downwind from the spray discharge point with the three spray techniques. Droplet size distributions across spray patterns were measured with a laser particle/droplet image analysis system. There was no significant difference in airborne deposits for the three elevations at both 15 and 30 m downwind from the sprayer between AI and HC methods except for 3.05 m elevation at the 15 m distance although the average airborne deposits with AI were lower than that with HC. The downwind spray deposits on the ground at 15 and 30 m from the sprayer with AI were higher than that with HC and HCDR. Compared with conventional hollow cone nozzles, drift reduction from air induction nozzles or the spray mixture with drift retardant was significant in wind tunnel tests but was not significant in field tests.
Who wants to live forever ? An analysis of the maximum lifespan in the US

Questions related to the existence and specification of a limit to human lifespan lead to heated discussions in several scientific fields such as biology, demography, medicine, or actuarial sciences. In the present paper, we contribute to this discussion from a statistical point of view. To this end, we use mortality data of US females obtained from the International Database on Longevity as well as the Human Mortality Database. The employment of data on old-age mortality typically raises two mature issues: sparse information on the old ages and censored observations. To tackle these challenges we use enhanced methods from extreme value theory and an adequate combination of both databases. Up to the present paper, this censoring issue has been ignored in previous investigations on the maximum human lifespan. We address this accordingly by combining subsampling and cross-validation techniques with recent results on censored extreme value theory. Finally, we obtain estimates for the maximum human lifespan of US females in the age range between 125.8 and 128.7 years.
Two sides to colon cancer: mice mimic human anatomical region disparity in colon cancer development and progression

Aim: Strong evidence reveals important differences between cancers in the proximal vs. distal colon. Animal models of metastatic colon cancer are available but with varying degrees of reproducibility and several important limitations. We explored whether there were regional differences in the location of murine colon cancers and assessed the utility of murine models to explore the biological basis for such differences. Methods: We re-analyzed data from our previous studies to assess the regional distribution of murine colon cancer. In survival surgery experiments, we injected HT-29 human colon cancer cells into the wall of the cecum or distal colon of Nu(NCr)-Foxn1nu or NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgTim1Wji/SzJ mice and compared the development of primary tumors and metastases. Results: Within 7–17 weeks after intramural cecal injection of HT-29 cells, eight mice failed to develop solid primary tumors or metastases. In contrast, within four weeks after cell injection into the distal colon, 13 mice developed metastases - 12 mice developed subcutaneous metastases; of these, four developed liver metastases and one developed both liver and lung metastases. One mouse developed liver metastases only. Histological examination confirmed these lesions were adenocarcinomas. Conclusion: Our findings reveal the preferential growth of murine colon neoplasia and invasive human orthotopic xenografts in the distal mouse colon. The new approach of injecting cells into the distal colon wall results in a pattern of colon cancer development that closely mimics the progression of metastatic colon cancer in humans. This novel model of colon neoplasia has great potential for exploring anatomical differences in colon cancer and testing novel therapeutics.
Pathogen and chemical transport in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer: 1. Revised conceptualization of groundwater flow

The Biscayne aquifer is a highly transmissive karst limestone that serves as the sole source of drinking water to over two million residents in south Florida. The aquifer is characterized by eogenetic karst, where the most transmissive void space can be an interconnected, touching‐vug, biogenically influenced porosity of biogenic origin. Public supply wells in the aquifer are in close proximity to lakes established by surface mining. The mining of the limestone has occurred to the same depths as the production wells, which has raised concerns about pathogen and chemical transport from these surface water bodies. Hydraulic and forced gradient tracer tests were conducted to augment geologic and geophysical studies and to develop a hydrogeologic conceptual model of groundwater flow and chemical transport in the Biscayne aquifer. Geologic and geophysical data indicate multiple, areally extensive subhorizontal preferential flow zones of vuggy limestone separated by rock with a matrix pore system. The hydraulic response from an aquifer test suggests that the Biscayne aquifer behaves as a dual‐porosity medium; however, the results of the tracer test showed rapid transport similar to other types of karst. The tracer test and concurrent temperature logging revealed that only one of the touching‐vug flow zones dominates transport near the production wells. On the basis of the rising limb of the breakthrough curve, the dispersivity is estimated to be less than 3% of the tracer travel distance, which suggests that the fastest flow paths in the formation are likely to yield limited dilution of chemical constituents.
A restricted interaction account (RIA) of spoken word production: The best of both worlds

Theories of spoken word production generally assume that mapping from conceptual representations (e.g., [furry, feline, domestic]) to phonemes (e.g., /k/, /æ/, /t/) involves both a meaning-based process and a sound-based process. A central question in this framework is how these two processes interact with one another. Two theories that occupy extreme positions on the continuum of interactivity are reviewed: a highly discrete position (e.g., Levelt, Roelofs, & Meyer, 1999), in which the two processes occur virtually independently; and a highly interactive position (e.g., Dell et al., 1997) in which the two processes exert considerable mutual influence over one another. Critical examination of the empirical data reveals that neither position can account for the full range of findings. An alternative position, the restricted interaction account (RIA), is described. By combining aspects of both highly discrete and highly interactive accounts, RIA can account for the existing empirical data, as well as for more recent challenges to interactive accounts.
Predictors of Academic Procrastination in Asian International College Students

This study examined the relationships among acculturative stress, coping styles, self-efficacy, English language proficiency, and various demographic characteristics as predictors of procrastination behavior in Asian International students (N = 255) studying in the United States. Results of multiple logistic regression indicated that a collective coping style, avoidant coping style, academic self-efficacy, and English language proficiency were the significant predictors of academic procrastination in non-Indian Asian international students. Implications for college student affairs professionals and researchers are addressed.
Derivative-Enhanced Variable Fidelity Surrogate Modeling for Aerodynamic Functions

In this paper a derivative-enhanced variable-fidelity surrogate model approach is developed based on a cokriging formulation. In this approach the absolute values of a high-fidelity function as well as the trends obtained by low-fidelity function values are utilized to develop an accurate surrogate model. Derivative information of arbitrary fidelity levels can be also utilized to develop a more accurate surrogate model. The efficiencies of the developed approaches are investigated by analytic function-fitting, aerodynamic data modeling and two-dimensional airfoil-drag-minimization problems. In the aerodynamic problems low-fidelity levels are defined by a different physical model or coarser computational mesh. The numerical examples show that the developed surrogate-model approach is shown to be useful for efficient aerodynamic data modeling and accurate uncertainty analysis with low computational cost. An efficient aerodynamic shape optimization is also realized with the variable fidelity Kriging model. F.
Potential use of bentonite-paste tailings mixtures as engineering barrier material for hazardous waste containment facilities : Experimental results

This study investigates the feasibility of using bentonite-paste tailings (BPT) as a barrier (liner, cover) material for hazardous waste containment facilities. Improvements of the hydraulic properties are realized by using compaction to densify the paste tailings in the first stage and mixing an additivelike natural bentonite to paste tailings to further reduce the voids that control hydraulic conductivity in the second stage. A significant decrease in hydraulic conductivity is observed with these transformations. Additional investigations are conducted to evaluate the freeze-thaw and wet-drying performance of BPT. The results show that negligible to acceptable changes in hydraulic conductivity occur. The results place this recycled BPT material as a promising candidate for barrier design while reducing the amount of waste to be managed and the cost of surface tailings management.
Hydroxyapatite supported antibacterial Ag3PO4 nanoparticles

High surface area hydroxyapatites have been explored as biocompatible supports for antibacterial applications. Porosimetry, XRD, XPS and XAS reveal that Ag-doped mesoporous hydroxyapatite promotes the genesis of potent Ag3PO4 nanoparticles, effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Who Supports the ECB? Evidence from Eurobarometer Survey Data

This paper contributes empirically to the long-debated issue of the legitimacy of the European Central Bank (ECB) with regard to European polities. Using micro-level data from the Eurobarometer survey, we shed light on the socio-demographic determinants of public-opinion support for the ECB. We find that people with higher level of education and income and centre to right-wing political orientation tend to support the ECB, as well as people with optimistic expectations on the economic situation. By contrast, the unemployed tend to distrust the ECB. The policy relevance of such results is important for ECB's communication strategy with the general public.
Evaluation of Thyroid Dysfunction in Egyptian Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Cirrhotic Patients Complicated with Portal Hypertension

Introduction: Alterations in thyroid hormones regulation and metabolism are observed in cirrhotic patients with decreased serum (T3). Objectives: to investigate the relation of these hormonal alterations to esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and degree of liver dysfunction in Egyptian cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. Material and methods: study included 124 cirrhotic patients and 62 controls, patients were stratified into: group I (62 patients) with esophageal varices and group II (62 patients) with portal hypertensive gastropathy without varices, each group was classified according to presence or absence of bleeding into subgroup A and B respectively. Grading of esophageal varices and PHG was done. Serum free T3 (FT3), free T4 and TSH levels were measured using Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results: Cirrhotic patients had significantly lower levels of FT3 than controls (p<0.001). Levels were not significantly differ between bleeders and non bleeders. FT3 was significantly lower in advanced Child's classes and in patients with higher variceal and PHG grades. FT3 was significantly negatively correlated to oesophageal varices, PHG grades and INR. Conclusion: FT3 level was significantly negatively correlated to the degree of hepatic dysfunction, grades of esophageal varices and PHG indicating that FT3 may be used as a non invasive predictor for esophageal varices and PHG grading as well as degree of liver dysfunction in cirrhotic patients with or without bleeding; however, more studies need to be done on a wider scale of patients for confirmation of sensitivity and specificity of adding FT3 to other traditional predictors for varices as splenic size, P.V diameter and platelet count.
Immigrant Household Investment Behavior and Country of Origin: A Study of Immigrants to the United States

Previous literature concerning immigrant financial market participation has typically treated the immigrant population as a homogeneous collective. However, the immigrant population in the United States is incredibly diverse, particularly in regards to country of origin. Using panel data, we test the hypothesis that differing information costs generate differences in U.S. immigrant asset market participation rates. We find significant variations (by country of origin) in the immigrant rates of holding stock, mutual funds, U.S. Savings Bonds, and other fixed income securities do exist. Our results provide support for the theory that information costs drive these differences. (JEL: G11)Keywords: Household investment decision making; immigrants ©2010. All rights reserved. Work in progress. All errors are our own. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.