Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DENTITION AND MALNUTRITION RISK IN COMMUNITYDWELLING OLDER ADULTS

Background and Objective: Older adults are at risk for both impaired oral health and suboptimal nutritional status. The objective of this study was to explore the relationships between malnutrition risk and missing teeth in community-dwelling older adults. Design: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from the electronic health records of 107 patients aged 65 and older who attended an urban northeast US dental school clinic between June 1, 2015 and July 15, 2016. Odontograms and radiographs were used to identify teeth numbers and locations; malnutrition risk was calculated using the Self-Mini Nutritional Assessment (Self-MNA). Relationships between numbers of teeth and malnutrition risk were assessed using bivariate logistic regression. Results: Participants (N=107) were 72.6 years (SD=5.6) of age; 50.5% were female. Mean Self-MNA score was 12.3 (SD=2.0) reflective of normal nutrition status; 20.6% were at risk for malnutrition, 4.7% were malnourished. Greater than 87% were partially or completely edentulous. Those with 10-19 teeth had lower Self-MNA scores (mean=11.6, SD=2.5) than those with 0-9 teeth (mean=12.7, SD=1.3) or 20 or more teeth (mean=12.6, SD=1.8) and had an increased risk for malnutrition (OR=2.5, p=0.076). Conclusion: The majority of this sample of older adults were partially edentulous and of normal nutritional status. Those with 10-19 teeth were more likely to be at risk for malnutrition. Further studies are needed to examine relationships between tooth loss and malnutrition risk and the impact of impaired dentition on the eating experience in a larger sample and to inform clinical practice.
Using narratives to understand the motivational factors and experience of being a self-initiated academic expatriate in South Africa

Orientation: A growing movement of foreign nationals is settling in South Africa. Given this, there is a need to understand not only those factors influencing foreign nationals to settle in South Africa but also their lived experiences as a basis for individual career development. Research purpose: To investigate the expatriation motivational factors and experiences of selfinitiated academic expatriates in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Calls have been made within the careers literature for more empirical focus on understanding career development using some of the neglected sample groups. Research approach, design and method: The interpretive paradigm was adopted to understand the main purpose of the study. Guided by study objectives, unstructured interviews were conducted using a sample of foreign academics working in South Africa ( n = 25). Main findings: Individual stories and narratives highlighted that academics relocated for the following reasons: (1) individual preference, (2) economic meltdown and (3) political conditions. Furthermore, the lived experiences of the expatriates reflected discrimination within the workplace and the community of residences in South Africa. Practical and managerial implications: Research findings indicate that the human resources (HR) function can come up with interventions that positively influence the lived experience and career development of foreign academics working in South Africa. Contribution: The expatriate experience framed in this study provides a picture of the career development processes of neglected sample groups in the extant literature. Such an understanding is key in advancing literature and proposing interventions. All this is important given the global trend on labour and skills movement added to the role South Africa plays in the international arena.
Discovery of a Molecular Collision Front in Interacting Galaxies NGC 4567/4568 with ALMA

We present results of $^{12}$CO(J = 1-0) imaging observations of NGC 4567/4568, a galaxy pair in a close encounter, with Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array. For the first time, we find clear evidence of a molecular collision front whose velocity dispersion is 16.8$\pm$1.4 km s$^{-1}$ at the overlapping region owing to high spatial and velocity resolution. By integrating over the velocity width that corresponds to the molecular collision front, we find a long filamentary structure with a size of 1800 pc $\times$ 350 pc at the collision front. This filamentary molecular structure spatially coincides with a dark-lane seen in R-band image. We find four molecular clouds in the filament, each with a radius of 30 pc and mass of 10$^{6} M_{\odot}$; the radii matching a typical value for giant molecular clouds and the masses corresponding to those between giant molecular clouds and giant molecular associations. All four clouds are gravitationally bound. The molecular filamentary structure and its physical conditions are similar to the structure expected via numerical simulation. The filament could be a progenitor of super star clusters.
The determinants of dividend smoothing among listed companies at the Nairobi securities exchange

Dividend smoothing is when you keep your dividends relative to your Earnings per share. Not too high dividends and not too low. It may also imply setting a dividend price that does not necessarily conform to retained earnings. The dividend smoothing decision can affect the value of the firm by changing the firm’s expected earnings in the preceding years, its cost of capital or both. One of the most important objectives of determining factors leading to dividend smoothing of the firm is to ensure that we maximize shareholders wealth while we protect the value of the firm in terms of retained earnings. This project was on the determinants of dividend smoothing in the Kenyan firms with special reference to those listed in the NSE. This study sought to establish the determinants of dividend smoothing of the listed companies in Kenya. The study focused on the firms that have been paying out dividends in the last five years. Expectedly, the results of the study were sufficient to give an insight into the determinants of dividend smoothing among the listed companies in Kenya, which were: size of the firm, firms earning and profitability, firms agency conflict, ownership structure, taxes, information asymmetry and growth stage of the firm. The study employed univariate analysis and multiple regressions to measure the impact of the different factors on the company’s dividend payout. The data that was used was for the last five years that is; from 2008 to 2012 since the more recent the data the more it is likely to give the true representation in the industry.
CONSUMER DEMAND FOR MEAT IN KENYA: AN EXAMINATION OF THE LINEAR APPROXIMATE ALMOST IDEAL DEMAND SYSTEM

Per capita consumption of meat products has been rapidly increasing in Sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya. This paper examines a household demand system for five meat products in Kenya: beef with bones, boneless beef, mutton, chicken, and pork. The Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) model is used because of its flexibility and ease of application with household expenditure data. The LA/AIDS model is estimated using household consumption data obtained from Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey of 2013. Expectedly, the estimates of uncompensated and compensated own price elasticities of demand for all five meat products are negative but larger than –1. Although the estimates of uncompensated cross price elasticities are negative implying that these meat products are gross complements, the estimates of compensated cross price elasticities are found to be positive indicating a quite strong substitution between these meat products. Expenditure elasticities of demand for the meat products are positive implying normal goods. Mutton/goat is a necessity good (elasticity <1) among the Kenyan households.
Acute exposure to air pollution is associated with novel changes in blood levels of endothelin-1 and circulating angiogenic cells in young, healthy adults

Acute and chronic exposures to particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A hypothesized mechanism linking PM2.5 exposure and CVD is the induction of endothelial dysfunction - a key step to increased CVD risk. Although PM2.5 exposure is associated with endothelial dysfunction and the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) is upregulated in endothelial dysfunction, the effects of PM2.5 on ET-1 and whether or not ET-1 mediates the downstream effects of PM2.5 are unclear. In addition to examining associations between acute changes in ambient PM2.5 and circulating levels of ET-1, we also looked at whether changes in ET-1 were associated with changes in markers of vascular health and systemic injury. For example, endothelial function is maintained in part by circulating angiogenic cell (CAC)-mediated repair, and our recent studies show that CACs in humans and mice are decreased by ambient PM2.5 exposure. In the current study, we recruited young, healthy adults who were exposed to natural variations in PM2.5, and we analyzed associations between PM2.5 and circulating levels of ET-1, between ET-1 and CACs, and between ET-1 and other biomarkers of injury using linear regression analyses. Surprisingly, ET-1 levels were negatively associated with PM2.5 levels (β = −0.773, P = 0.0005), yet, in contrast, positively associated with two CACs: CAC-2 (CD31+/CD34+/CD45+) and CAC-4 (CD31+/CD34+/CD45+/CD133+). Interestingly, ET-1 levels were negatively associated with some biomarkers (platelet factor 4, β = −0.148, P = 0.0003; triglycerides, β = −0.095, P = 0.041) and positively with other biomarkers: albumin (β = 0.035, P = 0.006) and IL-lβ (β = 0.082, P = 0.012). These findings further reveal the insidious nature of PI2.5’s anti-angiogenic effect including a novel relationship between ET-1 and CACs in young adults exposed to acute elevations of air pollution.
Independent and shared effects of environmental features and space driving avian community beta diversity across a coastal gradient in southern Brazil

Beta diversity is defined as the variation in species composition among sites within a region of interest. This variation can be explained by different metacommunity paradigms, which are not mutually exclusive. While species sorting emphasizes the role of habitat features in affecting species composition, the neutral model suggests that constraints on dispersal are key assembly factors. We assessed the role of environmental features and spatial descriptors at multiple scales, in affecting avian beta diversity across a gradient of coastal habitats in southern Brazil. During the winter 2008 and summer 2009, we counted birds in 57 plots on a sandy beach and in coastal dunes and coastal grasslands (19 plots per habitat). We measured the structure of the herbaceous vegetation, the number of individual cactuses and shrubs, and the percentages of sand and water cover on each plot. We generated spatial filters by means of principal coordinates of neighbour matrices.We used variation partitioning based on redundancy analysis to decompose the fraction of beta diversity explained by environmental features and spatial descriptors at the scale of the entire gradient and within each habitat type. In both seasons, environmental variables explained 33% of beta diversity across the entire gradient. A third of this amount could also be explained by space, representing the fraction of species and environmental variables that were spatially structured. Pure environmental processes explained about 22% of beta diversity. Pure spatial control was weak at this larger scale. The opposite pattern was found within each habitat type, as there was no environmental control and neutral processes became dominant at this smaller scale. Our study thus presents a case where the strong environmental gradient filters out different species at the largest scale, whereas stochastic processes and spatial autocorrelation increase with loss of environmental heterogeneity within habitat types.
Current Spectrum of Intestinal Obstruction in a Teaching Hospital

Intestinal Obstruction is a common surgical emergency and constitutes a major cause of morbidity and financial expenditure in hospitals around the world. This study aimed to provide the current spectrum of intestinal obstruction in a tertiary care hospital with a special view to identify any change in the aetiologic pattern. This prospective observational study was carried out in all four surgical units of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital from September 2010 to August 2011. The study included 250 adult patients with clinical and radiological evidence of complete intestinal obstruction. Out of 250 consecutive patients ranging between (13-90) years with a male to female ratio of 2.1:1, the maximum cases were within (31-40) years and (51-60) years of age group. In this study 175 cases (70%) were presented with small bowel and 75 cases (30%) with large bowel obstruction. The main causes of obstructions were bands and adhesions (44%) followed by volvulus (18%), external hernias (16%), neoplasm (12%), intussusceptions (3.2%), intestinal tuberculosis (2.8%) and miscellaneous (4%). Approximately, 86% patient with adhesive obstructions had previous laparotomy while 42% needed surgical exploration for failed conservative management. The overall mortality was 8%; mainly owing to strangulating obstruction and old age. Varying degrees of wound infections were the common post-operative complications. There was a significant change in the aetiologic pattern of intestinal obstruction. Post operative adhesions were the commonest cause of obstruction and appendicectomy was the most common previous operation causing adhesion. TAJ 2019; 32(1): 62-69
Subtidal Understorey Algal Community Structure in Kelp Beds around the Cape Peninsula (Western Cape, South Africa)

The subtidal understorey seaweed communities were studied along a coastal distance of 104 km around the Cape Peninsula, which is situated in an overlap region between two marine provinces and characterized by a considerable temperature gradient. Sampling was carried out at six sites (4 to 10 quadrats per site) around the Cape Peninsula. For each of the quadrats, biomass of each species, grazing, and environmental variables such as temperature, wave exposure and sand cover were determined. The data were analysed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). A total of 142 seaweed taxa were found at the six sites (21 Chlorophyta, 14 Phaeophyta and 107 Rhodophyta). The two sides of the Peninsula have a very different biomass-composition of Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta. The biomass of Rhodophyta in the Atlantic sites is much higher than in the Bay, and the biomass of Chlorophyta is higher in False Bay than on the west coast. A change in floristic composition of subtidal algal communities around the Cape Peninsula can be observed and is principally related to seawater temperature and wave exposure. Next to these physical factors, grazing is demonstrated to be important in determining species composition. A lower degree of wave exposure might result in a higher number of grazers in False Bay. The occurrence of a higher cover of encrusting corallines in the Bay is probably a consequence of the higher grazing pressure. Distinct community types can be recognized from TWINSPAN and CCA.
MOISTURE ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS OF CASTOR BEANS

The knowledge of equilibrium moisture content of agricultural products is of fundamental importance in the determination of water loss or gain at a given condition of temperature and relative humidity, relating directly with drying and storage processes. The relationship among moisture content and relative humidity of a certain product at a specific temperature can be expressed by mathematical equations, denominated sorption isotherms. They are important to define dehydration limits of the products, as well as to estimate alterations of moisture content due to variations of environment conditions. Also, they provide information that can be used to define adequate moisture content range during storage in order to prevent processes that deteriorate the products quality. That being stated, the aim of the present work was to obtain the adsorption isotherms of castor beans at several temperature and relative humidity conditions of air. The dynamic method was employed to obtain the equilibrium moisture content of castor beans. The air conditions were provided by a temperature controlled chamber, in which removable perforated trays were placed inside the equipment to allow air to pass through the samples. Mathematical models to represent the hygroscopic properties of agricultural products were fitted to the experimental data. It was concluded that the equilibrium moisture content of castor beans, obtained through adsorption, decreases with temperature increase at a certain relative humidity, as observed by most agricultural products. Based on statistical parameters, the Modified Halsey model is the best model to represent the hygroscopic properties of castor beans to describe this phenomenon.
The distribution of stars around the Milky Way's black hole III: Comparison with simulations

The distribution of stars around a massive black hole (MBH) has been addressed in stellar dynamics for the last four decades by a number of authors. Because of its proximity, the centre of the Milky Way is the only observational test case where the stellar distribution can be accurately tested. Past observational work indicated that the brightest giants in the Galactic Centre (GC) may show a density deficit around the central black hole, not a cusp-like distribution, while we theoretically expect the presence of a stellar cusp. We here present a solution to this long-standing problem. We performed direct-summation $N-$body simulations of star clusters around massive black holes and compared the results of our simulations with new observational data of the GC's nuclear cluster. We find that after a Hubble time, the distribution of bright stars as well as the diffuse light follow power-law distributions in projection with slopes of $\Gamma \approx 0.3$ in our simulations. This is in excellent agreement with what is seen in star counts and in the distribution of the diffuse stellar light extracted from adaptive-optics (AO) assisted near-infrared observations of the GC. Our simulations also confirm that there exists a missing giant star population within a projected radius of a few arcsec around Sgr A*. Such a depletion of giant stars in the innermost 0.1 pc could be explained by a previously present gaseous disc and collisions, which means that a stellar cusp would also be present at the innermost radii, but in the form of degenerate compact cores.
Investment in Innovations as Value Driver: Review of Empirical Studies and Analysis of Impact on ValueCreation in Emerging Markets

Within the perspective of discussion over various aspects of strategic value creation this paper investigates the degree and direction of the influence investment in innovation has on value creation in emerging markets. An analysis of empirical studies in the area is presented as well as the results of numerical testing of the formulated hypothesis. Our analysis confirms the validity of the hypothesis about “locomotive” nature of investment in innovations in emerging markets.
Ocular Surface Reconstruction Using Circumferentially-trephined Autologous Oral Mucosal Graft Transplantation in Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

Purpose To investigate the effects of transplantation of a circumferentially-trephined autologous oral mucosal graft using a vacuum trephine on ocular surface reconstruction in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency. Methods Patients with a limbal stem cell deficiency who underwent transplantation of autologous oral mucosal graft performed by a particular surgeon in Seoul National University Hospital were included. The medical records of these five patients were retrospectively reviewed. The lower labial mucosal graft inside the inferior lip was trephined to a depth of 250 µm using a donor vacuum trephine with a 9-mm diameter. Outside markings were made using a 14-mm intraoperative keratometer. The oral mucosal graft was dissected under a microscope using a Beaver mini-blade as either a ring or a crescent-shaped strip with a 5-mm width. The mucosal graft was transplanted onto the limbus in the limbal-deficient eye. Best-corrected visual acuity and corneal status were measured during the follow-up period. Results Four patients were diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and one was diagnosed with atopy-associated immune keratitis. The mean follow-up period was 10.4 ± 2.9 months. After 4 months, visual acuity improved in all patients, and the mean improvement in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 0.526 ± 0.470 (range, 0.15 to 1.10). Corneal surface erosion and neovascularization decreased in four patients, and stromal opacity decreased in two patients. The engraftments maintained ocular surface stabilization in four of the five patients at the last follow-up. Conclusions Transplantation of circumferential autologous oral mucosal grafts may be effective for the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency.
Escherichia coli Uses Separate Enzymes to Produce H2S and Reactive Sulfane Sulfur From L-cysteine

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been proposed to have various physiological functions, and it may function through reactive sulfane sulfur. Since the two sulfur forms often coexist, they are normally considered interchangeable. Here, we characterized the production of H2S and reactive sulfane sulfur in Escherichia coli MG1655 and found that they are not readily interchangeable. They are primarily produced from L-cysteine via different enzymes. L-Cysteine desulfhydrases consumed L-cysteine and directly generated H2S. The produced H2S was mainly lost through evaporation into the gas phase, as E. coli does not have enzymes that easily oxidize H2S to reactive sulfane sulfur. L-Cysteine desulfhydrases were also responsible for the degradation of exogenous L-cysteine, which is toxic at high levels. Conversely, L-cysteine aminotransferase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase sequentially metabolized endogenous L-cysteine to produce cellular reactive sulfane sulfur; however, it was not a major route of H2S production during normal growth or during the metabolism of exogenous L-cysteine by the resting cells. Noticeably, the 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase mutant contained less reactive sulfane sulfur and displayed a greater sensitivity to H2O2 than did the wild type. Thence, reactive sulfane sulfur is likely a common cellular component, involved in protein sulfhydration and protecting cells from oxidative stress.