Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender Matter in Isotretinoin Therapy for Acne Vulgaris? A Retrospective Study

Introduction: Gender differences have been recently highlighted for several aspects of acne vulgaris such as epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical course, quality of life and treatment outcome. In particular a shorter but more severe clinical course has been reported in males than in females; nevertheless, usually men have their quality of life less affected. Aim: To determine if the response and the adverse events to 1 cycle of oral isotretinoin therapy can be influenced by gender. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on consecutive patients affected by acne vulgaris and treated with oral isotretinoin. Global acne grading system (GAGS), acne-related quality of life (AQoL) and isotretinoin-related adverse events were considered as outcome measures and were evaluated before (T0), every month during administration and 4 weeks after the withdrawal (T1) of oral isotretinoin therapy. Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for quantitative parameters and Fisher exact test for qualitative ones. Results: Forty-nine acneic patients were retrospectively selected (33 males 67.3% and 16 females -32.7%; median age: 19 years). Patients had received a median dosage of isotretinoin of 0.4 mg/kg/die for a median period of 5 months; no differences in outcome measures among genders were reported. Limitations: The study is retrospective and the sample is small and not homogenously distributed among genders, as males are double in number than females. Conclusions: In our study population gender didn't influence neither the clinical and the quality of life outcome measures nor the occurrence of adverse events to oral isotretinoin therapy for acne.
Salt-related suppression of bud break in Populus trichocarpa: Cost of inclusion, ion-specific or osmotic effects?

Salt-laden winter storms cause bud failure or delayed bud break of coastal deciduous trees. In five experiments detached shoots of different genotypes of trees and shrubs were set to break buds in solutions of variable composition and concentration containing NaCl, KCl, K 2 SO 4 , CaCl 2 , Na 2 SO 4 , PEG and glycinebetaine to evaluate the effect of: 1) specific-ion stress, 2) osmotic stress and 3) osmotic adjustment on leaf expansion at bud break of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). Ion-specific toxicity, osmotic effect or osmotic adjustments were not shown to affect leaf expansion growth. In solutions up to 80 mM neither sodium nor chloride was more detrimental than potassium or sulphate. Glycinebetaine did not alleviate salt stress but suppressed growth to the same degree as NaCl at 10 and 50 mM isoosmotic concentrations. Genotypes varied in vigour but all responded similarly to elevated concentrations of solutes. Leaf growth at bud break was found to decrease with rising solute concentration at constant osmotic potential of the external solution. The cost of inclusion of solute from the external solution was a likely explanation of the observed suppression of leaf growth.
Short-Term Distributional Effects of Structural Reforms: Selected Simulations in a DGSE Framework

This paper examines the short-term distributional effects of a number of tax and labour market reforms in the euro area, drawing on simulations using a micro-founded dynamic general equilibrium model. A heterogeneous household sector with two groups of consumers is considered. The first group maximises intertemporal utility over an infinite horizon in the presence of habit persistence. The second group is liquidity constrained and has no access to financial markets for intertemporal income transfers. It thus spends its disposable income entirely on current consumption. Although the examined reforms are estimated to boost aggregate consumption and output immediately after implementation, they have sizeable distributional effects. In particular, liquidity-constrained households may incur transitional losses after a cut in the benefit replacement ratio. Lowering employment and/or price adjustment costs could markedly reduce these short-term costs. A suitable compensation scheme could also reduce the uneven distribution of transitional losses, but at the expense of lower aggregate gains in the long run. Effets redistributifs de court terme de reformes structurelles : Simulations dans le cadre d'un modele dynamique d'equilibre general Cet article examine les effets redistributifs de court terme d’un certain nombre de reformes dans les domaines de la fiscalite et du marche du travail dans la zone euro, a partir de simulations realisees a l’aide d’un modele dynamique d’equilibre general. Le secteur des menages est heterogene et compose de deux groupes de consommateurs. Le premier groupe maximise sa fonction d’utilite intertemporelle sur un horizon infini en presence de persistance dans son comportement de consommation. Le second groupe est contraint en matiere de liquidite et n’a pas acces aux marches financiers pour optimiser sa consommation dans le temps. Il depense en consequence tout son revenu disponible en consommation courante. Les reformes considerees sont estimees augmenter la consommation et la production au niveau agrege immediatement apres leur mise en oeuvre, mais ont des effets redistributifs importants. En particulier, les menages contraints au niveau de leur liquidite peuvent souffrir de pertes durant la periode de transition apres une diminution du taux de remplacement. Diminuer les couts d’ajustement lies a l’emploi ou aux prix pourrait reduire de maniere significative ces couts de court terme. Un programme de compensation adequate pourrait aussi lisser une distribution inegale des pertes durant la periode de transition, mais au prix d’une diminution des gains de long terme au niveau agrege.
Exotics in leptonic machines

Exotic states with quark content different from conventional baryons and mesons are of high interest in the hadron spectroscopy field. Over the last decade, more than a dozen of XY Z particles good candidates for exotic states were discovered experimentally, of which leptonic machines play an extremely important role. The X(3872) is the first exotic state which was discovered by Belle in 2003, and by now still remains quite puzzling for its nature. Following the X(3872), there are also quite mysterious 1−− Y -family observed by BABAR and Belle. Recently, the BESIII experiment takes more than 5 fb−1 data above 4 GeV, which also enable us to study the XY Z particles efficiently. In 2013, BESIII Collaboration discovered the charged charmoniumlike states Zc(3900), which is a convincing exotic state with at least four quarks inside. In addition, BESIII also has studied X(3823), X(3872), and Y (4260) in an unique way. In this talk, I’ll review the recent progress on exotic states with leptonic machines.
Exploring Language Threshold Effect and Its Differential Manifestation in Different Measurement Tools

The language threshold effect on comprehending an L2 (second language) text was experimentally examined, using two types of measurement tool, multiple-choice & true/false questions and a recall task for L2 reading comprehension. Cognitive processes implicated in each measure were delineated to allow a finer analysis on the role of L1 reading competence and L2 proficiency in comprehending an L2 text. In order to observe how one aspect of L2 proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, is related to language threshold effect, thirty-two 9th grade Korean students in Korea were given a vocabulary knowledge acquisition activity in a treatment condition between a pretest and a posttest. The relative contributions that L1 reading competence and L2 proficiency made to L2 reading comprehension were analyzed before the treatment and after the treatment using multiple-regression analysis technique. The findings of this repeated measure design were consistent with previous correlational studies showing that the role of L1 reading competence became stronger as L2 proficiency operationalized via vocabulary knowledge improved. What is elaborated in the present study is the fact that cognitive processes, initiated by a recall task, are more sensitive to the weakening of language threshold effects.
A Low-Noise NbTiN Hot Electron Bolometer Mixer

Hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer elements, based on niobium titanium nitride (NbTiN) thin film technology, have been fabricated on crystalline quartz substrates over a 20 nm thick AlN buffer layer. The film was patterned by optical lithography, yielding bolometer elements that measure about 1 micrometer long and between 2 and 12 micrometers wide. These mixer chips were mounted in a fixed-tuned waveguide mixer block, and tested in the 600 and 800 GHz frequency range. The 3-dB output bandwidth of these mixers was determined to be about 2.5 GHz and we measured a receiver noise temperature of 270 K at 630 GHz using an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz. The receiver has excellent amplitude stability and the noise temperature measurements are highly repeatable. An 800 GHz receiver incorporating one of these mixer chips has recently been installed at the Sub-Millimeter Telescope in Arizona for field test and for astronomical observations.
Adenotonsillectomy in Children with Recurrent Acute Tonsillitis: Review and Implications for Practice Adenotonsillectomy in Recurrent Acute Tonsillitis

This paper aims at defining the therapeutic role of (adeno)tonsillectomy in children affected by recurrent acute tonsillitis (RAT), and at drawing some practical implications based on the current evidence. A literature search was performed to find pertinent study accessible by means of a MEDLINE search (accessed via PubMed). 15 papers were selected for literature analysis. The evidence suggests that although significant, the effect of tonsillectomy in children with moderate to severe RAT is modest and limited to 12 months post-operatively. In the case of patients with mild symptoms, it seems that the benefits are not sufficient to balance the disadvantages of the procedure. This can be explained by the fact that the procedure is intrinsically characterised by pharyngeal pain and that the surgical removal of a palatine tonsil does not exclude the subsequent onset of successive episodes of pharyngitis. An analysis of the literature indicates that the efficacy of (adeno)tonsillectomy in treating pediatric RAT is generally limited and relatively transient.
Modelling spatially-dependent non-stationary extremes with application to hurricane-induced wave heights

In environmental applications it is found frequently that the extremes of a variable of interest are non-stationary, varying systematically in space, time or with the values of covariates. Multi-site datasets are common, and in such cases there is likely to be non-negligible inter-site dependence. We consider applications in which multi-site data are used to infer the marginal behaviour of the extremes at individual sites, while making proper adjustment for inter-site dependence. For reasons of statistical eciency, modern extreme value analyses often model exceedances of a high threshold. Choosing an appropriate threshold can be problematic, particularly if the extremes are non-stationary. We propose a method for setting covariate-dependent threshold using quantile regression. We consider how the quantile regression model and extreme value models tted to threshold exceedances should be parameterised, in order that they are compatible. These considerations also suggest a new technique for selecting the level of extreme value thresholds. We adjust estimates of uncertainty for spatial dependence using methodology proposed recently. These methods are illustrated using time series of storm peak signicant wave heights from 72 sites in the Gulf of Mexico.
The morphometric affinities of Apis cerana of the Hindu Kush and Himalayan regions of western Asia

A multivariate morphometric analysis of Apis cerana populations of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan and Pakistan and of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in India revealed two statistically distinct morphoclusters, a Hindu Kush/Kashmir group and a Himachal Pradesh group. High intercolonial variances at three localities are associated with regions of major climatic zone change, hence ecological instability. Apis cerana / honeybees / morphoclusters / western Asia
Study on Effect of Pectin Based Edible Coating on the Shelf Life of Sapota Fruits

pectin (3%), glycerol (2.5%), polyvinyl alcohol (1.25%) and citric acid (1%) and the sapota fruits were coated using the dipping method. The both control and coated fruits were stored at room temperature (30±3 o C). The physico- chemical parameters were measured in the regular interval of time i.e., 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11th day of the storage. The pectin coated sapota fruits showed reduced rate of change in weight loss, acidity, TSS, pH, colour, ascorbic acid and the firmness when compared to that of control fruits. The shelf life of coated sapota fruits were extended upto 11 days where as the control fruits were in the edible state upto 6 th day at room temperature storage.
Effect of Different Straw Volumes and Thawing Rates on Post-Thaw Quality and Fertilization Ability of Cryopreserved Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Sperm

Cryopreservation of sperm cells is an essential process applied for long-term conservation of aquatic genetic resources. The goal of this research was to determine effect different of straws volumes and thawing rates on the post-thaw quality and fertilization ability of cryopreserved common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) sperm. In this study, semen was cryopreserved according to conventional slow freezing protocol. For this aim, the cryosolution contained 75 mM NaCl, 70 mM KCl, 2 mM CaCl 2 , 1 mM MgSO 4 and 20 mM Tris (pH: 8) supplemented with 10% MeOH. Following equilibration at +4°C for 10 min, semen was packed into 0.25, 0.5 and 1.5 mL straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour (for 10 min at -120oC) and finally stored in liquid nitrogen (-196oC) tank. Thawing of cryopreserved semen process was performed at 30oC for 10, 20 and 30 seconds in a water bath. Fertilization was performed using ratio of 1x10 5 spermatozoa/egg. The highest fertility (68.4±2.5%) was determined with cryopreserved sperm packed in 1.5 mL straws that thawed at 30oC for 30 s. According to the results of this research, sperm cryopreserved with ionic extender containing 10% methanol and packed in 1.5 mL straws are suitable to achieve high fertilization of common carp eggs.
Attention Effects in a High-Frequency World

How does limited attention affect stock prices following earnings announcements in today’s computer-driven financial markets? We examine the effects of limited attention using a dataset that separately identifies trades made by high-frequency traders (HFTs, or computers) versus non-high-frequency traders (human decision-makers). Using six attention proxies, we find pricing inefficiencies lower by 64% to 100% when HFTs trade following low-attention earnings announcements. An event study of an exogenous shock to algorithmic trading suggests that computerized trading causally reduces low-attention effects. Price efficiency improvements are more closely tied to HFT liquidity demand than supply, consistent with HFTs improving efficiency by processing and aggressively trading on the information in low-attention announcements.
Chemopreventive potential of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaf on DMBA/croton oil-induced mouse skin carcinogenesis

The present study was carried out to elucidate the chemopreventive potential of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis (MEDL) in a two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis model due to the interrelated inflammation, oxidative stress and tumor promotion pathways. MEDL was prepared in a dose range of 30 to 300 mg/kg body weight. A total of 48 imprinting control region (ICR) female mice (6 to 8 weeks old) were randomly assorted into six groups. To induce skin tumor formation, a single topical application of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at 100 μg/100 μl was applied to the shaved dorsal region of mice, followed by repetitive administration of 1% croton oil, twice weekly for 15 weeks. Topical application of MEDL, 30 min prior to the croton oil application significantly reduced the tumor incidence to 12.5% in 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated group as compared to 87.5% in carcinogen control. The latency period of tumor formation was increased from sixth week in the carcinogen control to ninth and fifteenth weeks in 100 and 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated groups, respectively. The tumor burden of MEDL-treated groups (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) were significantly lessen (5.67 ± 1.28, 5.00 ± 1.13, and 1.00 ± 0.13), as compared to carcinogen control (7.86 ± 2.37). The tumor volume was also significantly reduced from 9.00 ± 2.27 mm3 in carcinogen control to 3.70 ± 0.96, 2.39 ± 0.54 and 0.26 ± 0.03 mm3 in 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated groups, respectively. In conclusion, the MEDL exhibited anti-carcinogenic effect in a dose-dependent manner, indicating its chemopreventive potential, which worth further study.
CEO turnover after poor performance: turnaround or scapegoating?

This paper explores whether firms that dismiss their CEO following poor corporate performance exhibit better performance post-turnover or whether dismissal merely serves a scapegoating function. We match firms in the same industry, by size, and by Altman Z-score, and compare our turnover sample with the matched group of firms without CEO dismissal. A subset of our results suggests that, after some delay, the market reacts positively to CEO dismissals that occur following bad performance: underperforming firms that fire their CEO exhibit positive and significant abnormal returns whereas their counterparts that retain their CEO exhibit negative abnormal returns. However, the majority of our findings indicate that CEO turnovers do not translate into better operating performance or firm valuation (Tobin's q), thus lending credence to the scapegoating hypothesis.
Advances in systematic knowledge of Australian Loranthaceae and Viscaceae: a review

851 Barlow, Bryan A. (Australian National Herbarium, CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia) 1996. Advances in systematic knowledge of Australian Loranthaceae and Viscaceae: a review. Telopea 6(4): 851-862. Better understanding of taxonomy and relationships of Australian Loranthaceae and Viscaceae has contributed significantly to views on endemism and migration in these families and in the Australian flora generally.
Effects of Weekly Administration of Implant-type Recombinant Porcine Somatotropin on the Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Finishing Pigs

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of weekly administration of implant type recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on the performance and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of 120 crossbred (Landrace× Yorkshire×Duroc) pigs were employed for 11 weeks in a growth trial in experiment. A rpST designed to implant every 7 d was used. Forty pigs, each weighing 75 kg, were allocated into three rpST treatments; control (CONT), implant of rpST from 75 kg (TRT1) or 90 kg (TRT2) of body weight. The CONT pig and pigs in TRT2 from 75 kg to 90 kg were treated without rpST but with placebo. In rpST- treated pigs, each 100 mg and 125 mg of the equivalent rpST was implanted from live weight of 75 kg to 90 kg and from 90 kg to market weight, respectively. Half of the pigs from each treatment were marketed at live weight of 110 kg and the rest at 130 kg. All pigs were allowed ad libitum access to a commercial feed containing 0.94% and 0.88% of lysine from 75 to 110 kg, 110 to 130 kg of body weights, respectively. rpST had no effect on daily gain, while feed efficiency was improved by 7 to 13% (p<0.05) in the rpST-treated groups compared with the CONT. Compared with the CONT, backfat thickness was decreased by 12% (p<0.05) in TRT1 at 110 kg of market weight, and by 23 to 32% (p<0.05) in the rpST-treated groups at 130 kg of market weight, respectively. Lean muscle rate tended to be higher in TRT1 at both 110 kg and 130 kg of market weight, and carcass fat percentage in the rpST-treated groups was decreased by 33 to 46% (p<0.05) compared with the CONT. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 4 : 557-561)
The "Topographic Image Map Fossa di Vulcano 1: 5000" - A Digital Mapping Approach based on High Resolution Stereo Camera-Airborne Imagery

As part of the Camera Experiment for the Mars 96 Mission, a digital photogrammetric-cartographic production line has been developed. This contribution outlines the application of this mapping approach for the generation of the "Topographic Image Map Fossa di Vulcano 1: 5,000". The map is based on multi-spectral and stereo imagery of the "High Resolution Stereo Camera - Airborne" (HRSC-A), which provides high resolution orthoimages and digital elevation models at the same time. Efficient acquisition of digital topographic data covering large areas, as frequently required in natural hazard areas, is made possible without need for ground control points through direct sensor orientation. Automated photogrammetric processing based on digital image matching and multiple stereo is used for preparing the image data for map production. Automatic generation of contour lines as well as mosaicking and radiometric adjustment of the orthoimages represent the final step of the photogrammetric processing line. Aiming at cartographic demands for an easy readable representation, colour processing techniques are applied to prepare the imagery for the subsequent addition of cartographic elements. The map is produced as a topographic image map with the primary cartographic information presented in image format and supplemented by topographical information and all necessary specifications and marginal annotations. The digital production comprises all cartographic processing steps such as compilation and nomenclature of the map content and the reproduction of the whole map frame. Cartographic research activities concentrate on the combination of "carto"-graphical elements with the imagery.
Large Scale Hierarchical K-Means Based Image Retrieval With MapReduce

Abstract : Image retrieval remains one of the most heavily researched areas in Computer Vision. Image retrieval methods have been used in autonomous vehicle localization research, object recognition applications, and commercially in projects such as Google Glass. Current methods for image retrieval become problematic when implemented on image datasets that can easily reach billions of images. In order to process these growing datasets, we distribute the necessary computation for image retrieval among a cluster of machines using Apache Hadoop. While there are many techniques for image retrieval, we focus on systems that use Hierarchical K-Means Trees. Successful image retrieval systems based on Hierarchical K-Means Trees have been built using the tree as a Visual Vocabulary to build an Inverted File Index and implementing a Bag of Words retrieval approach, or by building the tree as a Full Representation of every image in the database and implementing a K-Nearest Neighbor voting scheme for retrieval. Both approaches involve different levels of approximation, and each has strengths and weaknesses that must be weighed in accordance with the needs of the application. Both approaches are implemented with MapReduce, for the first time, and compared in terms of image retrieval precision, index creation run-time, and image retrieval throughput. Experiments that include up to 2 million images running on 20 virtual machines are shown.