Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On dental trauma in children and adolescents. Incidence, risk, treatment, time and costs.

BACKGROUND Dental trauma occur in childhood and adolescence with consequences in time and costs for both patient and family. The scientific knowledge of these matters is scarce. For some individuals, dental trauma will result in long, time-consuming and costly treatments in childhood which will continue into adulthood. AIM The thesis aimed to increase the knowledge of incidence, risk, treatment, time and costs spent on dental traumas to primary and permanent teeth in children and adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHOD The material for the studies emanated from the county of Västmanland, Sweden, and the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, and from a Swedish nation-wide material (Folksam). The material was collected from accident reports, dental files, dental trauma forms, questionnaires and telephone interviews. Descriptive, prospective and analytical methods were used. A classification of uncomplicated and complicated dental traumas was presented. RESULTS The incidence of dental trauma to boys was higher, compared to girls, in the county of Västmanland in almost all age groups. For both sexes, the first years in life and the first years in school were the most accident prone periods with incidence twice as high as the average incidence for all children and adolescents in the county. Every third trauma was complicated with injuries to the pulp or periodontal ligaments. Every second patient with a dental trauma to permanent teeth suffered from multiple dental trauma episodes (MDTE) during a period of 12 years. In almost every second patient with MDTE, at least one of the affected teeth had sustained repeated trauma episodes. The risk of sustaining MDTE increased when the first trauma episode occurred in the age interval of 6-10, compared to 11-18 year olds. During a 12-year period, treatment times for complicated traumas were 2.0 and 2.7 times higher for primary and permanent teeth, respectively, compared to corresponding values for uncomplicated traumas. On average, direct time (treatment time) represented 11% and 16% of the total time, while the direct costs (health care service, transport, loss of personal property and medicine) represented 60% and 72% of the total costs of traumas to primary and permanent teeth, respectively, during a 2-year period for cases of a nation-wide material. CONCLUSION Dental traumas are frequent and some individuals are injured several times. Besides treatment time, efforts from the family are substantial in time and costs. Parameters such as degree of severity, access to treatment and place of injury are of major importance to both patient and family and should be considered when calculating time and costs of dental trauma in children and adolescents.
The Service Sector and Female Market Work: Europe vs the US

Aggregate market hours differ dramatically across OECD countries. However, disaggregated by sex differences in market hours do not necessarily match aggregate market hour differences. Continental Europe has seen a smaller rise in formal female employment compared with the United States or Scandinavia. Additionally, Continental Europe has a substantially smaller service sector. These facts coincide with job requirements shifting from physical strength to intellectual abilities. This paper gives empirical evidence on why women predominately work in the service sector. Given the empirical evidence, a model where technical change favoring women, by increasing the service sector, drives female employment is developed. The key is households can produce a substitute for market services and women are, on average, less productive in sectors requiring more brawn, giving them a comparative advantage with respect to staying home and working in the service sector. Therefore, an economy that does not facilitate the movement of women into the labor market, by imposing high taxes, causes service production to remain at home. This reduces the demand for market services, which feeds back into low total hours worked by women (and the total economy). Subsidies to female employment can circumvent the high tax effect, but will lead to welfare loses.
Hair iodine for human iodine status assessment.

BACKGROUND Today, human iodine deficiency is, after iron, the most common nutritional deficiency in developed European and underdeveloped third world countries. A current biological indicator of iodine status is urinary iodine, which reflects very recent iodine exposure; a long-term indicator of iodine status remains to be identified. METHODS We analyzed hair iodine in a prospective, observational, cross-sectional, and exploratory study involving 870 apparently healthy Croatians (270 men and 600 women). Hair iodine was analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS The hair iodine median was 0.499 μg/g, and was 0.482 and 0.508 μg/g for men and women respectively, suggesting no sex-related difference. We studied hair iodine uptake by analyzing the logistic sigmoid saturation curve of the median derivatives to assess iodine deficiency, adequacy, and excess. We estimated overt iodine deficiency to occur when hair iodine concentration was below 0.1-0.15 μg/g. Then there was a saturation range interval of about 0.1-2.0 μg/g where the deposition of iodine in the hair was linearly increasing (R(2)=0.994). Eventually, the sigmoid curve became saturated at about 2.0 μg/g and upward, suggesting excessive iodine exposure. CONCLUSION Hair appears to be a valuable and robust biological indicator tissue for assessing long-term iodine status. We propose that an adequate iodine status corresponds with hair iodine uptake saturation of 0.565-0.739 μg/g (55-65%).
Effects of selective antagonism of β-adrenoceptor sub-types on motility to noradrenalin in rat colon

Noradrenalin as well as dopamine and adrenalin are involved in regulation of gastrointestinal function including colonic motility and ion transport. Stress is able to enhance colonic motility but the mediated adrenoceptors are not well addressed. In the present study, contraction of isolated longitudinal strips (2×10 mm) in rat distal colon (DC) was measured. Motility of the colon was studied by using strain gauge recording and expression of β adrenoceptors in rat colon was examined by immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and Western blot. The results indicate that DC manifested automatic rhythm motility, which was greatly enhanced in cold-restrained stress (CRS) rats, from 352±58 to 549±28 mg·min. Addition of NE dose-dependently inhibited colonic motility in both normal (IC50 2.7×10 -6 M) and stress condition (IC50 was 3.1×10 -6 M), from 120.45±30.21 mg·min in normal group to 89.32+23.17 mg·min in the stress group. The suppressive roles were notably reduced by pretreatment with β1 or β3 adrenoceptor antagonist, atenolol (1×10-5 mol/L) or cyanopindolol (7.5×10-7 mol/L). The immunofluorescence activity of β-adrenoceptor was widely distributed in the distal colon. An obvious difference of the distribution of the β-adrenoceptors in the smooth muscle layer was observed in different segments of rat distal colon, and protein content of β3-, but not β1 and β2-adreoceptor increased significantly in CRS rats. There was variation of β-adreoceptors in the location and segment. β3 and β1-adreoceptor involved in NE-induced inhibition on colonic motility, which may play an important role in the formative process of stress-related colon diseases.
Homoplasy and mutation model at microsatellite loci and their consequences for population genetics analysis

Homoplasy has recently attracted the attention of population geneticists, as a consequence of the popularity of highly variable stepwise mutating markers such as microsatellites. Microsatellite alleles generally refer to DNA fragments of different size (electromorphs). Electromorphs are identical in state (i.e. have identical size), but are not necessarily identical by descent due to convergent mutation(s). Homoplasy occurring at microsatellites is thus referred to as size homoplasy. Using new analytical developments and computer simulations, we first evaluate the effect of the mutation rate, the mutation model, the effective population size and the time of divergence between populations on size homoplasy at the within and between population levels. We then review the few experimental studies that used various molecular techniques to detect size homoplasious events at some microsatellite loci. The relationship between this molecularly accessible size homoplasy size and the actual amount of size homoplasy is not trivial, the former being considerably influenced by the molecular structure of microsatellite core sequences. In a third section, we show that homoplasy at microsatellite electromorphs does not represent a significant problem for many types of population genetics analyses realized by molecular ecologists, the large amount of variability at microsatellite loci often compensating for their homoplasious evolution. The situations where size homoplasy may be more problematic involve high mutation rates and large population sizes together with strong allele size constraints.
The Relationship among Internationalization Motivations , Strategic Factors , Entry Modes , Organizational Controls and Operational Performances – A Study of Taiwanese Enterprises in Mainland China

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among internationalization motivations, strategic factors, entry modes, organizational controls and performances of Taiwan’s enterprises in process of internationalization. The samples are 426 Taiwan multinational firms which invested in Mainland China with the response rate of 25.12%. In order to obtain competitiveness and profitability, Taiwanese businesses should pay more attention on product factor, cost factor and competitive factor in the foreign countries, and they should establish subsidiaries overseas and utilize the host country’s advantages to develop their business. It is suggested that Taiwanese business should send expatriates to overseas subsidiaries to manage and to carry out parent company’s strategies. It can help to promote the overall operational performances of Taiwanese enterprises.
Characterization of a conjugative staphylococcal mupirocin resistance plasmid

We studied conjugative plasmids encoding high-level mupirocin resistance. These plasmids were found in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from two geographic locations in the United States. Transfer genes on three mupirocin resistance plasmids with different restriction endonuclease profiles were indistinguishable by DNA hybridization from those on pG01, a conjugative aminoglycoside resistance plasmid representative of similar plasmids that are prevalent in the United States. One mupirocin resistance plasmid, pG0400 (34 kb), was smaller than pG01 (52 kb) because of the absence from pG0400 of DNA, found on pG01, that contained genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, and quaternary ammonium compounds flanked by directly repeated copies of the insertion sequence (IS)-like element IS431-IS257. The plasmids pG0400 and pG01 were otherwise indistinguishable except for the presence in pG0400 of a 4.5-kb HinDIII fragment encoding mupirocin resistance. The added mupirocin resistance gene was flanked by two directly repeated copies of IS431/257. The nucleotide sequence of DNA contiguous to the outside of the IS elements, as well as those of the elements themselves, was identical in both pG01 and pG0400, and there were no target site duplications flanking either copy of the element. We conclude that the mupirocin resistance gene was added to an existing conjugative plasmid in conjunction with the deletion of other resistance genes by recombination at IS elements. The construction of conjugative plasmids carrying a mupirocin resistance gene may be a model for the mobility of other resistance genes newly acquired by staphylococci.
Population-Level Network Structure over Time and Marijuana Use among Homeless Youth

Homeless youth report more marijuana use than stably housed youth; their marijuana use has been linked to the marijuana-using behaviors of their peers. This study was the first to examine the process of network influences in marijuana use with population-level (sociometric) social network data over time. Network data were collected from a population of homeless youth recruited from a drop-in center in Los Angeles every 6 months for 1 year (n = 237, 263, and 312). For each panel, a sociomatrix was generated based on youth nominating other youth in the sample. Degree centrality, betweenness, eigen vector centrality, and number of marijuana-using linkages represented network influence; logistic regression assessed associations with heavy marijuana use. Approximately 60% of the network membership changed between panels. Individuals with more network connections to other heavy marijuana users and youth with more connections to any other youth reported more heavy marijuana use. These results suggest that in transient, high-risk populations, social influence processes largely affect individual substance use patterns. Heavy marijuana use appears to be popular and important to the construction and reconstruction of these networks over time.
Depressive symptoms and the cost of health services in HMO patients aged 65 years and older. A 4-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether depressive symptoms in older adults contribute to increased cost of general medical services. DESIGN A 4-year prospective cohort study. SETTING Four primary care clinics of a large staff-model health maintenance organization (HMO) in Seattle, Wash. PATIENTS A total of 5012 Medicare enrollees older than 65 years were invited to participate in the study; 2558 subjects (51%) were successfully enrolled. Non-participants were somewhat older and had a higher level of chronic medical illness. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, which was administered as part of a mail survey at baseline, at 2 years, and at 4 years; and total cost of medical services from the perspective of the HMO. Data were obtained from the cost accounting system of the HMO. RESULTS In this cohort of older adults, depressive symptoms were common, persistent, and associated with a significant increase in the cost of general medical services. This increase was seen for every component of health care costs and was not accounted for by an increase in specialty mental health care. The increase in health care costs remained significant after adjusting for differences in age, sex, and chronic medical illness. CONCLUSIONS Depressive symptoms in older adults are associated with a significant increase in the cost of medical services, even after adjusting for the severity of chronic medical illness.
The Effects of Eprosartan, an Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor Antagonist, on Uric Acid Excretion in Patients with Mild to Moderate Essential Hypertension

The effects of antihypertensive agents, including angiotensin II receptor antagonists, on urine uric acid excretion may have important clinical consequences. Therefore, the effects of single and repeated doses of eprosartan on uric acid excretion were evaluated in 57 male patients with mild‐to‐moderate essential hypertension in a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, repeated dose, dose‐rising, two‐period, period‐balanced, crossover study conducted in two parts. In part 1 (n = 33), the effects of eprosartan dose regimens of of 50 mg, 100 mg, and 350 mg once daily and 150 mg every 12 hours on uric acid excretion were assessed. In part 2 (n = 24), the effects of eprosartan dose regimens of 600 mg, 800 mg, and 1,200 mg once daily on uric acid excretion were assessed. Eprosartan was well tolerated. There were no appreciable changes from predose values in fractional excretion of uric acid (FEua), urine uric acid excretion, urine uric acid to creatinine (Uua/Ucr) ratios, or serum uric acid concentrations after single or repeated doses of eprosartan. Mean Uua/Ucr ratios for eprosartan doses of 50 mg, 100 mg, or 350 mg daily or 150 mg every 12 hours were comparable to those for placebo. Mean FEua values and Uua/Ucr ratios for eprosartan doses of 600 mg, 800 mg, or 1,200 mg daily also were comparable to those for placebo. Single and repeated oral doses of eprosartan ranging from 50 mg to 1,200 mg daily had no effect on serum uric acid concentrations or urine uric acid excretion in patients with mild‐to‐moderate essential hypertension.
ELEVATED BLOOD MERCURY AND NEURO-OTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN CHILDREN OF THE ECUADORIAN GOLD MINES

The prevalence of mercury (Hg) intoxication was investigated in 114 Andean Saraguro and non-Saraguro (Mestizo) children living in remote gold-mining settlements in Nambija and Portovelo, Ecuador. Venous blood samples showed a mean total blood mercury (BHg) level of 18.2 µg/L (SD 15.5; range 2-89.) for 77 Saraguro and non-Saraguro children in the Nambija settlement, which was significantly higher than that of children in the Portovelo and reference groups. Comparison of groups showed mean B-Hg levels of 26.4 µg/L (range 4-89 µg/L) for 32 indigenous/Saraguro children; 12.3 µg/L (range 2-33 µg/L) for 45 non-Saraguro children; 4.9 µg/L (range 1-10 µg/L) for 37 children in Portovelo; and 2.4 µg/L (range 1-6 µg/L) for a reference group of 15 children. Fisher's post hoc analysis revealed significant differences among groups, except between the Portovelo and the reference groups. Neuro-otological symptoms and abnormalities were observed in Saraguro, non-Saraguro, and Portovelo children. Samples of soil collected at sites near the local school were found to contain Hg levels ranging from 0.1 to 38 ppm, cadmium (Cd) levels from 0.07 to 0.82 ppm and arsenic (As) levels from <1 to 3.9 ppm. In conclusion, the children of Nambija, particularly the Saraguro "Amer-Indians," exhibited elevated B-Hg levels from exposure to Hg used in the gold-mining process, and are at risk for neurological impairment. The children of Portovelo who reported neuro-otological symptoms but had low B-Hg levels (<10 µg/L) may be affected by exposure to sodium cyanide, which is used extensively in the local gold-mining operations.
Ferrospheres from Fly Ashes : Composition and Catalytic Properties in High-Temperature Oxidation of Methane

A systematic investigation the relationship between the composition, morphology, structural characteristics of iron-containing phases, and catalytic properties of narrow fractions of ferrospheres separated from four known types of fly ashes has been performed. It has been established that the major component compositions of all the studied narrow fractions of ferrospheres and magnetic concentrates obtained from 14 heat and electric power plants in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan are described by two general linear regression equations [SiO2] = 65.71 – 0.71·[Fe2O3] and [Al2O3] = 24.92 – 0.26·[Fe2O3] with correlation coefficients of –0.99 and –0.97, respectively. In the general dependence of the Fs composition, there are two regions different in the properties of the melt from which the ferrospheres are formed. In a wide range of variations in the iron concentration СFe = 25–55 wt %, the behavior of the melt is determined by the properties of the FeO–SiO2–Al2O3–CaO system. For higher iron concentrations СFe > 55 wt % and low contents of Al2O3 and SiO2 (< 1 wt %), the behavior of the melt is determined by the properties of the FeO–CaO system. The first composition region is characterized by the formation of aluminum magnesium ferrite spinel. The content of the ferrospinel increases with increasing iron concentration, and the unit cell parameter of the ferrospinel changes in the range 8.344–8.3897 Å. The activity of the Fs in the reaction of deep oxidation of methane is determined by the ferrospinel concentration and the content of the amorphous phase in narrow fractions of Fs. The high content of the amorphous phase leads to a blocking of the catalytically active ferrospinel and to a decrease in the activity of the ferrospheres. The FeO–CaO system is characterized by the formation of CaO-promoted ferrite spinel, which has the unit cell parameter exceeding the corresponding parameter of stoichiometric magnetite, and by the formation of defect α-Fe2O3 with the surface enriched in CaO. The drastic change observed in the catalytic properties of ferrospheres in this system is explained World of Coal Ash (WOCA) Conference May 9-12, 2011, in Denver, CO, USA http://www.flyash. info/
Trends in the evolution of edaphic specialists with an example of parallel evolution in the Lasthenia californica complex

Adaptation to unusual soil conditions is a common phenomenon in plants, and closely related taxa are frequently distinguished by their edaphic tolerances. The biology of edaphic endemics further suggests that parallel evolution of edaphic adaptations is not unusual, and that such adaptations may often have effects on gene flow between derivative populations and their progenitors. These observations imply that the study of edaphic divergence is fertile ground for understanding the role of natural selection in adaptation and perhaps in speciation as well. Our work on the Lasthenia californica complex provides a case in point. Two races occupy distinct edaphic habitats throughout the range of the complex: race A occupies ionically extreme habitats, while race C occurs in ionically more moderate but drier sites. Phylogenetic data reveal that neither race is monophyletic, and further suggest that race C populations have originated multiple times from race A. Physiological data indicate consistent differences between the races in sodium tolerance, with race A having 20-fold greater sodium uptake rates than race C. Populations of each race also differ in Ca2+/Mg2+ uptake, with race A having 2-fold higher uptake rates. Preliminary data further suggest that reproductive isolation is stronger between populations of different races than between populations of the same race. Taken together, these findings point to the development of parallel changes in reproductive compatibility accompanying parallel evolution of edaphic races in the L. californica complex. While this example represents one of the better documented cases of parallel adaptation in plants, our characterization of edaphic specialists suggests that these will likely provide further cases that will reveal the importance of edaphic adaptation in plant speciation. “Recurrent evolution of taxa not only is possible, but may not be unusual in complexes that have undergone ecological diversification. ” D.A. Levin (2001)
Fixed Asset Revaluation: Decision Making

: This study aims to determine the effect of leverage, liquidity, fixed asset intensity, and size of the company against the decision to revaluate fixed assets. The research was conducted at a manufacturing company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2012 until 2016 as many as 550 units of analysis and the sample is collected by using purposive sampling technique which the samples were chosen selectively. By using logistic regression, the result of this research is fixed asset intensity and firm size have positive effect to revaluation decision. Liquidity and leverage have no effect on the decision to revalue fixed assets. The conclusions of this study are companies that have high fixed assets and companies with a large percentage of sales are more likely to revalue fixed assets.