Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE USE OF APICAL TRANSLUCENT DENTINE OF THE LOWER CENTRAL INCISORS TO PREDICT AGE IN INDIVIDUAL OR KNOWN GENDER

Apical translucent dentine has been shown to provide accurate results for age estimation but its value in discriminating gender has received little attention. The objective of the current study was to determine the association between apical translucent dentine of the lower central incisors with age and gender. Sixty permanent lower central incisors were collected and were sectioned to a thickness of 5 mm. Apical translucent dentine was measured using callipers. This was followed by the creation of a series of scatter plots and regression line calculation for the association between apical translucent dentine and age. Regression analysis was done to determine the differences between male and female subjects’, both as a single and as an interaction term between gender and percentage length of apical translucent dentine. There was no significant difference in the mean age with respect to gender (mean difference -0.17, Pvalue=0.94). Significant correlations were observed between age and apical dentine translucence (I) (0.95, P-value <0.01). This significant correlation was maintained even after dividing by the root length (L) (0.99, P-value <0.01). In the final model all the variables were retained to give a prediction line described by the equation Age= 9.96 + 0.52 (I/L*100)-0.68 (gender). Apical translucent dentine was strongly correlated to age. The ratio between apical dentine translucence (I) and root length increased significantly by 0.52% for every additional year in the age of the participant sampled, which was significantly lower in females than males.
The News on Health Behavior: Coverage of Diet, Activity, and Tobacco in Local Newspapers

News media are an important and influential part of the social environment, calling attention to certain issues by the amount and nature of their coverage. To better understand howhealth behaviors are covered, we examined more than 80, 000 stories in 1, 354 newspaper issues from four midsize Missouri communities. Health behavior stories were rare. Of 1, 373 stories (1. 7%) that addressed diet, physical activity, or tobacco, few were prominently located in the paper, and only half had a primary prevention focus. A large majority had no local angle, local quotes, or call to action for individuals or the community, and only 10% were generated by local reporters. Because the local newspaper can be especially influential in smaller communities, strategies are needed to help reporters and editors in these settings provide more and better coverage of health behavior-related stories.
Feasibility of Snail Farming as a Model for Small Urban Farms to Expand into Niche Markets for Increased Profitability

Urban farmers everywhere are experiencing difficulty becoming profitable and sustaining their businesses. Sponsored by John Stoddard, owner of Higher Ground Farm in Boston, Massachusetts, this project aims to assess the feasibility of adding heliciculture, or snail farming, to his farm as a way to expand and increase profitability. Written in the context of Higher Ground Farm, this project also intends to serve as a more general model for urban farmers exploring heliciculture or other niche markets.
Broadband targeted UVB phototherapy for localized vitiligo: a retrospective study

Phototherapy with ultraviolet B (UVB) or PUVA has been used in the treatment of vitiligo for many years. The aim of this study was to analyze retrospectively the efficacy and safety of targeted broadband UVB phototherapy in patients with localized vitiligo. Thirty‐two patients (14 male, 18 female), aged 18–65 years, were treated with Daavlin T500x High Dose Targeted Phototherapy System. Patients were treated twice or thrice weekly, totaling 20 to 60 sessions. Out of 32 total patients, only four patients (12.5%) showed visible repigmentation. In two patients, repigmentation was more than 75%. Other two patients showed mild repigmentation (less than 25%). All the lesions responsive to treatment were facial lesions. Mild adverse events recorded in 3 of 32 patients. Although safety of targeted broadband UVB phototherapy in the treatment of localized vitiligo is good, its therapeutic effectiveness is limited and depends on the locations of vitiligo lesions.
IN VITRO INVESTIGATIONS TO EXPLORE THE TOXICITY OF FUNGICIDES FOR PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA

Various pesticides are used to protect different crops from pest attack but very little is known about the damaging effects of pesticide application on non-target, beneficial soil microflora. Present study was designed to explore the effect of fungicides on Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from rhizosphere of wheat and other cereals. Different PGPR strains were tested In vitro to check their resistance against commercial formulation of diverse fungicides, at dose recommended for field application. Results were taken on the basis of the number of viable bacterial cells through plate count, fungicide resistance pattern through disc diffusion method. Comet assay was used for the first time, to assess the genotoxicity of fungicides for PGPR. Results indicate that fungicides viz., Alert Plus, Darosal and Mancozeb do have the inhibitory effect while Benlate have stimulatory effect on growth though the effect varies from strain to strain. No tested fungicides cause the genotoxicity.
High Speed Multi-Hop Data Dissemination for Heterogeneous Transmission Ranges in VANETs

In multi-hop dissemination a timer-based and a probabilistic methods are the high performing methods in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs), due to simplicity, low overhead, and high efficiency. However, such approaches neglect the fact that vehicles transmission ranges are typically heterogeneous due to different transmission power values. In our previous work, we introduce new area-based methods for heterogeneous transmission ranges in vehicle networks, i.e. Area Defer Transmission (ADT), Area-based Probabilistic Transmission (APT), and an integration of area-based timer and probabilistic transmission methods. ADT proves it efficiency over distance-based methods, and the probabilistic version due to high delivery ratio, high propagation speed and reachability. The work is extended and we introduce an enhancement of ADT defer time formula. The enhancement gives vehicles with larger potential coverage area high opportunity to relay the message than the one with small potential coverage area or small communication range. The performance of the proposed enhancement is compared to ADT and evaluated using an actual road map with complex road scenarios and real movement traces. The simulation results show that the dissemination speed improves dramatically, with better saved-retransmission and delivery ratio.
Efficient 2-$mu$m Continuous-Wave Laser Oscillation of Tm$^3 + $:KLu(WO$_4$)$_2$

Monoclinic crystals of Tm-doped KLu(WO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> were grown with high crystalline quality for several dopant concentrations. The relevant spectroscopic properties for the <sup>3 </sup>F<sub>4</sub>rarr<sup>3</sup>H<sub>6</sub> laser transition (cross sections, lifetime) were measured at room temperature. Laser oscillation in the 2-mum range was obtained both with Ti:sapphire and diode laser pumping near 800 nm using different setups. The maximum output powers achieved were 1.4 and 4 W, respectively, and the corresponding slope efficiencies with respect to the absorbed power were 60% and 69%, respectively. The novel monoclinic double tungstate thulium host KLu(WO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> was directly compared to KGd(WO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> and exhibited superior performance. The two laser polarization configurations for Tm:KLu(WO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2 </sub>,E//N<sub>m</sub> and E//N<sub>p</sub>, were also compared under identical conditions with pumping by the polarized Ti:sapphire laser. Tuning was studied for both of them using an intracavity Lyot filter and the tuning range achieved was from 1800 to 1987 nm. In the case of no polarization selective cavity elements the diode-pumped Tm:KLu(WO<sub>4 </sub>)<sub>2</sub> laser naturally selected the E//N<sub>m</sub> polarization
Carbon dioxide for gut distension during digestive endoscopy: technique and practice survey.

AIM To assess the adoption of Carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation by endoscopists from various European countries, and its determinants. METHODS A survey was distributed to 580 endoscopists attending a live course on digestive endoscopy. RESULTS The response rate was 24.5%. Fewer than half the respondents (66/142, 46.5%) were aware of the fact that room air can be replaced by CO2 for gut distension during endoscopy, and 4.2% of respondents were actually using CO2 as the insufflation agent. Endoscopists aware of the possibility of CO2 insufflation mentioned technical difficulties in implementing the system and the absence of significant advantages of CO2 in comparison with room air as barriers to adoption in daily practice (84% and 49% of answers, respectively; two answers were permitted for this item). CONCLUSION Based on this survey, adoption of CO2 insufflation during endoscopy seems to remain relatively exceptional. A majority of endoscopists were not aware of this possibility, while others were not aware of recent technical developments that facilitate CO2 implementation in an endoscopy suite.
Impact of Two Plumes' Interaction on Submarine Melting of Tidewater Glaciers: A Laboratory Study

Idealized laboratory experiments investigate the glacier–ocean boundary dynamics near a vertical glacier in a two-layer stratified fluid. Discharge of meltwater runoff at the base of the glacier (subglacial discharge) enhances submarine melting. In the laboratory, the effect of multiple sources of subglacial discharge is simulated by introducing freshwater at freezing temperature from two point sources at the base of an ice block representing the glacier. The buoyant plumes of cold meltwater and subglacial discharge water entrain warm ambient water, rise vertically, and interact within a layer of depth H2 if the distance between the sources x0 is smaller than H2? /0.35, where ? is the entrainment constant. The plume water detaches from the glacier face at the interface between the two layers and/or at the free surface, as confirmed by previous numerical studies and field observations. A plume model is used to explain the observed nonmonotonic dependence of submarine melting on the sources’ separation. The distance between the two sources influences the entrainment of warm water in the plumes and consequently the amount of submarine melting and the final location of the meltwater within the water column. Two interacting plumes located very close together are observed to melt approximately half as much as two independent plumes. The inclusion, or parameterization, of the dynamics regulating multiple plumes’ interaction is therefore necessary for a correct estimate of submarine melting. Hence, the distribution and number of sources of subglacial discharge may play an important role in glacial melt rates and fjord stratification and circulation.
Soluble constituents of the ER lumen are required for GPI anchoring of a model protein.

Transfer of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor to proteins carrying a C‐terminal GPI‐directing signal sequence occurs after protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We describe the translocation and GPI modification of a model protein, preprominiPLAP, in ER microsomes depleted of lumenal content by high pH washing. In untreated microsomes preprominiPLAP was processed to prominiPLAP and GPI‐anchored miniPLAP. Both products were fully translocated, since they resisted proteinase K treatment of the microsomes, and both behaved as membrane proteins by the carbonate extraction criterion. Microsomes depleted of lumenal content were able to translocate and process preprominiPLAP to give protease‐protected prominiPLAP, but were unable to convert prominiPLAP to miniPLAP. Loss of GPI anchoring capacity occurred with a wash of pH > 9.5. If the alkaline wash was performed after formation of prominiPLAP conversion to miniPLAP was relatively unimpaired. The results indicate that constituents of the ER lumen, possibly chaperones interacting with the proprotein and/or the GPI anchor precursor, are required in the initial steps of GPI anchoring.
Gender Culture and Gender Gap in Employment

This paper analyzes to what extent gender culture affects gender gap in employment. Drawing on Italian data, we measure culture by building two indices: one based on individual attitudes, as done in the existing literature; one based on firms’ attitudes. Firms’ beliefs, which express their set of ideas, values and norms, though generally neglected, are as important as individuals’ attitudes to explain female labor market outcomes. Using an instrumental variable analysis, we show that our index of gender culture based on firms’ attitudes is significant in explaining gender gap in employment in Italian provinces. We show that the same holds when culture is measured with reference to individual attitudes.
Purification of trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Cicer arietinum (L.) and its insecticidal potential against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)

Trypsin inhibitors (TI) have crucial functions in plant defense against pests, and recent studies reveal their diversity in stress response. Disease and herbivore infestations are harmful to plant growth, but the response of TI in Cicer arietinum (L.) in Central India has been less studied. In the present study, we partially characterized the TI from Cicer arietinum (L.) seeds and evaluated its insecticidal potential against Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). A 20 kDa trypsin inhibitor was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatographies with Sephadex G-100 and diethylaminoethyl cellulose (DEAE-cellulose-52) ion-exchange column. TI assay categorized 17 cultivars in three groups: with high (more than 70%), intermediate (16-70%) and very low (0-15%) TI activity. Moreover, results from the TI activity coincided with herbivore attack studies carried out in J.N. K.V. V. fields earlier. Together, our results suggest that the presence of TI triggers a signal that leads the dynamics of stress response and, in turn, regulates pest resistance in plants. Feeding experiments conducted with 5th instar larvae suggested dose-dependent decrease for both the larval weight and the survival of the larva.
EVALUATING THE TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF SMALLHOLDER VEGETABLE FARMS IN DIVERSE AGROECOLOGICAL REGIONS OF NEPAL

Enhancing the efficiency of vegetable farms is crucial to increase the vegetable outputs for meeting the demand for growing population. This study evaluated the technical efficiency and explored factors determining the efficiencies of smallholder vegetable farms in diversified agro-ecological regions using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) with cross-section data collected in 2013. The results revealed that average technical efficiency was found to be 0.77 and the variance parameters were highly significant indicating that the inefficiency existed in vegetable farms. The inefficiency gap could improve by operating the farms at the frontier level. The input variables consisting of land, labor, animal power, fertilizer, compost, pesticide, and capital were proved to be the important factors in determining the level of outputs. Meanwhile, the major sources of the inefficiencies identified were: age of farmer, training to the farmers, and infrastructure development. The efficiency in vegetable production can be improved by allocating input resources at the optimum levels, encouraging younger farmers in vegetable production, increasing training and extension activities, enhancing market access to the farmers, and developing infrastructures with regard to vegetable production.
Computer Aided Time-Lapse Video Analysis of Hepatocyte Morphology during Adhesion to Cellulose Membranes

An investigation was performed to demonstrate that time-lapse cinematography and computer aided video analysis of cell morphology is suitable to study and compare the characteristics of hepatocytes during the adhesion process to membranes. We chose to compare ordinary cellulose Cuprophan membranes and membranes coated with collagen or fibronectin. Striking differences between uncoated cellulose and fibronectin or collagen coating were seen in the cell count per square millimeter and adhesion behaviour. On the investigated uncoated Cuprophan the hepatocytes were found to attach but not to spread whilst on collagen coated Cuprophan most of the cells spread spherically, and on fibronectin coated membranes most of the cells flattened spherically or polygonally. Time-lapse video microscopy seems to be a valuable technique for assessing the morphologic behaviour of cells in a detailed and quantitative manner in order to improve the hepatocyte culture technique in bioreactors for hybrid systems.
The potential for bacteria growth in deep sediment layers of the Japan Sea, Hole 798B-Leg 128

Sediment whole-round cores from between 0.15 and 425 meters below seafloor (mbsf) were obtained, using special techniques to prevent external contamination and maintain anaerobic conditions, to determine the potential for bacterial growth. Samples were taken from the centers of whole-round cores and handled under strict aseptic conditions to prevent contamination and then incubated anaerobically with 1 g/dm3 yeast extract at 15° C. Bacteria were present in all samples prior to incubation and their numbers decreased logarithmically with depth from 9.3 × 108/gat0.15 mbsf to 1.7 × 107/gat425 mbsf. Direct evidence of in-situ growth, as shown by dividing cells, was found in the upper sediments but not below 10 mbsf. Growth was stimulated in all samples except at 9.75 mbsf. Numbers of bacteria increased with time, showing typical growth curves. The frequency of dividing and divided cells (FDDC) increased, and FDDC values were maximal in the midlogarithmic growth phase, as were bacterial productivity estimates calculated from 3H-thymidine incorporation. The absence of growth at 9.75 mbsf may indicate that these bacteria were changing to dormant forms and were under considerable metabolic stress, resulting in substrate accelerated death when a carbon source was added. Bacteria in deep sediments, below 9.75 mbsf, appeared to be largely dormant but were able to grow quickly (within 12 to 96 hr) when incubated with a growth substrate. Extrapolation of the logarithmic growth phase to zero time gave estimates of bacterial viabilities between 0.02% and 35%. These were probably unrealistically high, and considerably higher than those found by other workers using selective media. There was no evidence for contamination of these deep sediment layers by the more active surface sediments during coring. The bacterial distributions and their subsequent growth were consistent with a more comprehensive study of bacterial populations and activity at the same site by Cragg and others. Together, these data demonstrate that bacterial populations can remain viable for very long periods of time, presumably by slowly metabolizing increasingly recalcitrant organic compounds, but can rapidly grow when a suitable growth substrate is supplied.
New approaches to invasive fungal infections

Invasive fungal infections are typically difficult to prevent, diagnose, and treat; consequently, fungal infection-related mortality has become high, particularly among patients with prolonged neutropenia and severe graft-versus-host disease. However, much recent progress has been made in understanding the immune response to fungi and the epidemiology of infection, and new diagnostic tests and antifungal drugs have become available. This review will describe these most recent developments with the goal of evaluating new approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat invasive fungal infections.
Prolonged private equity holding periods: European evidence

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Private equity firms’ average portfolio company holding periods have significantly lengthened over the last years, especially after the financial crisis of 2008. Recent studies on private equity exits have mainly focused on exit strategies and exit route decisions, and shed only some light on the exit timing decisions. I focus on the determinants of the private equity holding periods and provide evidence on the potential reasons behind the foregoing change. To my best knowledge, this study is the first one to address the lack of understanding behind the determinants of the prolonged private equity holding periods. DATA AND METHODOLOGY The sample used in this thesis is collected from VentureXpert, Zephyr and Orbis and covers the years from 2000 to 2015. I obtain data on 2,328 European private equity buyout deals of which 1,585 (68%) are identified as deals with a known exit date and 743 (32%) as current holdings. Univariate analysis is used to study the length of the private equity holding periods. To analyze the potential determinants of the prolonged private equity holding periods, I utilize a logistic regression model and Cox’s proportional hazard model which is able to handle time-varying covariates. Multinomial logistic regressions and OLS are used as a robustness check. KEY FINDINGS I find strong evidence that the private equity holding periods have significantly lengthened from the pre-crisis average of 4.7 years to 5.8 years after the financial crisis, despite the exit route. Additionally, only 42% of the post-crisis exits were made in less than five years, compared to 61% for the pre-crisis period. I find a time-varying combination of the operational development, private equity firm’s experience and capital market conditions to be the main determinants of the exit timing decisions. Strong revenue growth increases the likelihood of an exit within five years from the initial investment. Holding periods are likely to be longer when more new buyout funds are raised, and new buyout market entrants have on average around 3 to 6 months longer holding periods. Furthermore, a one standard deviation tightening in the availability of credit decreases the likelihood of an exit within five years by 7.5% to 12.6%, and a 100 bps increase in BAA yield spread post-crisis results to a 7 to 10 months longer holding period on average. When IPO markets turn from “cold” to “hot” the likelihood of an exit within five years from the initial investment increases by around 31.5 percentage points, translating to around 5 to 10 months shorter holding periods on average.
Learning Rediscovered

Infants can learn more and earlier than we thought. A new result in this week's issue [Saffran et al. (p. 1926)] reports that a surprisingly brief exposure to nonsense syllables can fuel the absorption of a sophisticated understanding of their use. Bates and Elman discuss these results in the context of the ongoing debate about whether and how language is a learned ability.