Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Types of removable prostheses requested by patients who were presented to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Dental Clinic

To determine the most frequent type of removable prostheses requested by patients who presented to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital outpatient clinic a descriptive retrospective study was carried out for all patients attending the Prosthodontic out patient clinic, who requested for removable prostheses from January 2004 - October 2008. The source of data was the clinic’s log book and patients’ case notes. Exclusion criteria are; request for obturators, mouth guard and palatal feeding plates for cleft lip and palate patients. Data of interest were: sex, age, edentulous space to be restored and reason for restoration. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences version 13.0 and presented as a simple frequency table. A total of 351 cases were seen during the study period. This was made up of 188 (53.6%) males and 163 (46.4%) females. The age ranges were < 20 years (1.4%), 21 - 40 years (68.9%), 41 - 60years (19.9%) and 61 - 80years (9.8%). Edentulous spaces restored in these patients were Kennedy’s class III (57.3%), Kennedy’s class IV (26.2%), Kennedy’s class I and II (0.9%), Kennedy’s class III with modifications (5.7%), Kennedy’s class II with modifications (1.4%), Kennedy’s class I with modifications (1.7%) and complete dentures (6.0%). The main reason for seeking replacement was aesthetics (89.2%). The most common removable prostheses requested by patients who attend the University of Benin outpatient clinic was Kennedy’s class III, with aesthetics being the main reason for restoration of edentulous space. Key words: Edentulous, Kennedy, aesthetics.
Cardiac responses to anoxia in the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii

SUMMARY In the absence of any previous study of the cardiac status of hagfishes during prolonged anoxia and because of their propensity for oxygen-depleted environments, the present study tested the hypothesis that the Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stoutii maintains cardiac performance during prolonged anoxia. Heart rate was halved from the routine value of 10.4±1.3 beats min–1 by the sixth hour of an anoxic period and then remained stable for a further 30 h. Cardiac stroke volume increased from routine (1.3±0.1 ml kg–1) to partially compensate the anoxic bradycardia, such that cardiac output decreased by only 33% from the routine value of 12.3±0.9 ml min–1 kg–1. Cardiac power output decreased by only 25% from the routine value of 0.26±0.02 mW g–1. During recovery from prolonged anoxia, cardiac output and heart rate increased to peak values within 1.5 h. Thus, the Pacific hagfish should be acknowledged as hypoxic tolerant in terms of its ability to maintain around 70% of their normoxic cardiac performance during prolonged anoxia. This is only the second fish species to be so classified.
Toward a model of children's information seeking behavior in using digital libraries

This paper presents an empirical model of Arabic-speaking children's interaction with the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL). The model is based on data collected from ten children ages 6--10 who interacted with the ICDL to find information for assigned and self-generated tasks. Two contexts influenced children's information seeking behavior: 1. the non-naturalistic laboratory environment where they used the ICDL as volunteers rather than as part of their everyday life or as a requirement for an assignment, and 2. the international and multicultural nature of the ICDL that provided access to an Arabic book collection, but did not support analytical searching in Arabic. The model presents 7 modes that characterized children's information seeking behavior and the range of moves associated with them. Underlying the behavior is the children's information need and their affective states that consisted of uncertainty and anxiety in the beginning and certainty and satisfaction upon completing the tasks.
The influence of drinking water on the δD and δ18O values of house sparrow plasma, blood and feathers

SUMMARY We investigated the relationships between the δdeuterium (δD) and the δ18oxygen (δ18O) of drinking water and the δD and δ18O of blood plasma, red blood cells and feathers in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) fed on diets with identical hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions and five isotopically distinct drinking water treatments. We expected and, with only one exception (18O in blood plasma), found linear relationships between the δD and δ18O values of drinking water and those of bird tissues. The slopes of these relationships, which estimate the percentage contributions of drinking water to the tissue isotopic signatures, were lower than those of previous studies. We found significant differences in the δD and δ18O values of feathers, red blood cells and plasma solids. In feathers and red blood cells, δD and δ18O values were linearly correlated. Our results have three implications for isotopic field studies: (1) if the isotopic composition of drinking water differs from that of food, its effect on tissue isotope values can confound the assignment of animals to a site of origin; (2) comparisons of the δD and δ18O values of different tissues must account for inter-tissue discrimination factors; and (3) δD/δ18O linear relationships are probably as prevalent in animal systems as they are in geohydrological systems. These relationships may prove to be useful tools in animal isotopic ecology.
A new aqueous dithranol gel for psoriasis: Comparison with placebo and calcipotriol ointment

A new aqueous dithranol gel has been developed to reduce irritation and staining by minimizing unwanted dithranol residue on the skin surface. Left-right paired comparisons were conducted vs placebo (phase I) in 12 inpatients and vs calcipotriol ointment (phase II) in 25 inpatients with symmetrical chronic plaque psoriasis to assess its efficacy and acceptability. In phase I, dithranol gel was significantly better than the placebo after 4 weeks treatment for each severity parameter, erythema, scale and palpability (P 0.022). Combined severity scores (maximum 9) fell from 6.3 to 1.1 with dithranol and to 4.1 with placebo. In phase II, calcipotriol produced significantly greater improvement after 3 weeks than dithranol gel, but there was no difference after 4 weeks by which time severity scores fell from 6.3 to 2.2 with dithranol and to 1.8 with calcipotriol. There was a greater reduction in psoriasis area (P=0.04) with calcipotriol but no overall difference in the patients' assessment of effectiveness for .
Helicobacter pylori infection according to ABO blood group among blood donors in Kosovo

Introduction: Numerous studies have reported a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among healthy and non-healthy persons in different places. The Aim of the study is to investigate the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among Kosovo’s Blood donor associated with ABO/Rhesus blood group. Methods: 671 blood donors are tested for H. pylori antibodies and results are classifi ed by way of donation, age, gender, blood groups and education level. Serum antibodies are analyzed by Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay test for H. pylori IgG with Biomerieux HPY-VIDAS. Results: The frequency of IgG antibody for H. pylori among healthy blood donors is 56.9%, there is not found any difference between voluntary and non-voluntary blood donors (57.4% respectively 56.3%)(OR=1.05; 95% CI 0.76 to 1.43; p=0.8). H pylori IgG antibodies positive are detected in 57.0 % ( 126 of 221) of women, compared with 56.9 % ( 256 of 450) of men(OR=0.99; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.38; p=0.96). Serpositive donors are older than seronegative ones (31.9 years, respectively 29.5 years, p=0.02). Mean value of IgG antibody of H. pylori is 3.61 with no signifi cant difference between males and females (3.72 respectively 3.44; p=0.2). The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection is similar among blood groups: O (57.4%), A (56.2%), B (59.6%), AB (51.4%), RhD positive (56.7%) and RhD negative (58.3%). Conclusions: The seropositivity of H. pylori is moderately higher in the non voluntary and familiar blood donors among the total Kosovo blood donors. There is not found a signifi cant relationship between infection with H. pylori and ABO/Rhesus blood group among blood donors. © 2011 All rights reserved
Beyond being there

A belief in the efficacy of imitating face-to-face communication is an unquestioned presupposition of most current work on supporting communications in electronic media. In this paper we highlight problems with this presupposition and present an alternative proposal for grounding and motivating research and development that frames the issue in terms of needs, media, and mechanisms. To help elaborate the proposal we sketch a series of example projects and respond to potential criticisms.
Finding usability problems through heuristic evaluation

Usability specialists were better than non-specialists at performing heuristic evaluation, and “double experts” with specific expertise in the kind of interface being evaluated performed even better. Major usability problems have a higher probability than minor problems of being found in a heuristic evaluation, but more minor problems are found in absolute numbers. Usability heuristics relating to exits and user errors were more difficult to apply than the rest, and additional measures should be taken to find problems relating to these heuristics. Usability problems that relate to missing interface elements that ought to be introduced were more difficult to find by heuristic evaluation in interfaces implemented as paper prototypes but were as easy as other problems to find in running systems.
Perceptions of Health Care Transition Care Coordination in Patients With Chronic Illness

With this study, we support the effectiveness of HCT CC by improved perceptions of chronic illness care quality. OBJECTIVES: Expert consensus jointly authored in 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American College of Physicians supports the use of health care transition (HCT) care coordination (CC). Although gaps in care are addressed in these practice-based implementation recommendations, such recommendations have never undergone rigorous assessment. We assessed the effectiveness of implementation on quality of chronic illness care and CC during HCT for adolescents and young adults. METHODS: Adolescents and young adults with special health care needs were enrolled in a randomized HCT CC intervention. Intervention participants received HCT CC as outlined in the 2011 clinical report. Perceptions of chronic illness care quality and CC were assessed at 0, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: Intervention participants had a Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care score at 12 months of 3.6 vs 3.3 compared with participants in the control group (P = .01). Intervention participants had higher average scores for patient activation (3.7 vs 3.4; P = .01), problem solving (3.8 vs 3.4; P = .02), and coordination/follow-up (3.0 vs 2.5; P < .01). The Client Perceptions of Coordination Questionnaire revealed that intervention participants had 2.5 times increased odds to endorse mostly or always receiving the services they thought they needed and had 2.4 times increased odds to have talked to their provider about future care (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Implementing recommended HCT CC practices improved patient or patient caregiver perception of quality of chronic illness care and CC especially among the most complex patients.
The essence of functional programming

This paper explores the use monads to structure functionalprograms. No prior knowledge of monads or category theory isrequired. Monads increase the ease with which programs may be modified.They can mimic the effect of impure features such as exceptions,state, and continuations; and also provide effects not easilyachieved with such features. The types of a program reflect whicheffects occur. The first section is an extended example of the use of monads. Asimple interpreter is modified to support various extra features:error messages, state, output, and non-deterministic choice. Thesecond section describes the relation between monads and thecontinuation-passing style. The third section sketches how monadsare used in a compiler for Haskell that is written in Haskell.
Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Pediatric Asthma: A Systematic Review

This is an updated systematic review of allergen-specific immunotherapy for the treatment of pediatric asthma. CONTEXT: Treatment options for allergic asthma include allergen avoidance, pharmacotherapy, and allergen immunotherapy. OBJECTIVES: Summarize and update current evidence for the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in pediatric allergic asthma. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (January 1, 2005, through May 8, 2017), ClinicalTrials.gov, and the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System. We reevaluated trials from our 2013 systematic review. STUDY SELECTION: We included studies with children ≤18 years of age in which researchers reported on prespecified outcomes and had an intervention arm receiving aeroallergen SCIT or SLIT. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included for efficacy. RCTs and non-RCTs were included for safety outcomes. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers extracted data. We included 40 studies (17 SCIT trials, 11 SLIT trials, 8 non-RCTs for SCIT safety, and 4 non-RCTs for SLIT safety). RESULTS: We found moderate-strength evidence that SCIT reduces long-term asthma medication use. We found low-strength evidence that SCIT improves asthma-related quality of life and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. There was also low-strength evidence that SLIT improves medication use and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. There was insufficient evidence on asthma symptoms and health care use. LIMITATIONS: There were no trials in which researchers evaluated asthma symptoms using a validated tool. Study characteristics and outcomes were reported heterogeneously. CONCLUSIONS: In children with allergic asthma, SCIT may reduce long-term asthma medication use. Local and systemic allergic reactions are common, but anaphylaxis is reported rarely.
Tarantulas cling to smooth vertical surfaces by secreting silk from their feet

SUMMARY Like all spiders, tarantulas (family Theraphosidae) synthesize silk in specialized glands and extrude it from spinnerets on their abdomen. In one species of large tarantula, Aphonopelma seemanni, it has been suggested that silk can also be secreted from the tarsi but this claim was later refuted. We provide evidence of silk secretion directly from spigots (nozzles) on the tarsi of three distantly related tarantula species: the Chilean rose, Grammostola rosea; the Indian ornamental, Poecilotheria regalis; and the Mexican flame knee, Brachypelma auratum, suggesting tarsal silk secretion is widespread among tarantulas. We demonstrate that multiple strands of silk are produced as a footprint when the spider begins to slip down a smooth vertical surface. The nozzle-like setae on the tarsi responsible for silk deposition have shanks reinforced by cuticular thickenings, which serve to prevent the shanks' internal collapse while still maintaining their flexibility. This is important as the spigots occur on the ventral surface of the tarsus, projecting beyond the finely divided setae of the dry attachment pads. We also reveal the structure and disposition of the silk-secreting spigots on the abdominal spinnerets of the three tarantula species and find they are very similar to those from the earliest known proto-spider spinneret from the Devonian period, giving another indication that silk secretion in tarantulas is close to the ancestral condition.
Identifying user behavior in online social networks

Online social networks pose an interesting problem: how to best characterize the different classes of user behavior. Traditionally, user behavior characterization methods, based on user individual features, are not appropriate for online networking sites. In these environments, users interact with the site and with other users through a series of multiple interfaces that let them to upload and view content, choose friends, rank favorite content, subscribe to users and do many other interactions. Different interaction patterns can be observed for different groups of users. In this paper, we propose a methodology for characterizing and identifying user behaviors in online social networks. First, we crawled data from YouTube and used a clustering algorithm to group users that share similar behavioral pattern. Next, we have shown that attributes that stem from the user social interactions, in contrast to attributes relative to each individual user, are good discriminators and allow the identification of relevant user behaviors. Finally, we present and discuss experimental results of the use of proposed methodology. A set of useful profiles, derived from the analysis of the YouTube sample is presented. The identification of different classes of user behavior has the potential to improve, for instance, recommendation systems for advertisements in online social networks.
Humidity affects the extensibility of an orb-weaving spider's viscous thread droplets

SUMMARY The prey-capture threads found in most spider orb webs rely on viscous droplets for their stickiness. Each droplet is formed of a central mass of viscoelastic glycoprotein glue surrounded by an aqueous covering, both of which incorporate hydrophilic components. We found that the extensibility of droplets on Larinioides cornutus threads increased as humidity increased. However, the deflection of the droplets' supporting axial lines did not change, indicating that atmospheric water uptake increases glycoprotein plasticity, but not glycoprotein adhesion. The extensibility of droplets, along with that of the thread's supporting axial fibers, is responsible for summing the adhesion of multiple thread droplets. Therefore, daily changes in humidity have the potential to significantly alter the performance of viscous threads and orb webs.
Ethnobotanical Studies of Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

The objective of this study was to show the different ways medicinal herbs are used by the indigenous people in Port Harcourt metropolis (07 °3′ E, 04° 51′ N) in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria. One hundred and fifty structured questionnaires were administered, including oral interviews to herbal practitioners and users located at different parts of the city. Also, three popularly known herbal companies—Emiola naturalist care, Yem-Kem international herbal center, and Abiola medical herbal center—were included as they are healthcare providers, especially the medium income group. The results showed that a total of 83 plant species were recorded and classified according to their family, botanical, common, and local names. Also, the plant part used, mode of preparation, and type of ailment cured were included. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves followed by barks, roots, and fruits and with malaria fever as the most treated ailment. Deforestation, agricultural expansion, and fire were noted as the most important factors threatening the availability of these plants. The authors are of the opinion that paying special attention to the medicinal plants found in the area through conservation may help to amplify their role in the healthcare system, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection.
Evidence that potential fish predators elicit the production of carapace vibrations by the American lobster

SUMMARY American lobsters (Homarus americanus) will on rare occasions produce sounds by vibrating their dorsal carapace. Although this behavior can be elicited in the laboratory by handling lobsters, the stimulus that triggers the production of sounds in the lobster's natural habitat is not known. We investigated the influence of two fish that are known to prey on lobsters, cod (Gadus morhua) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis), on the production of sounds by American lobsters. In addition, we examined the response of the same fish to the sounds the lobsters produced. Although solitary lobsters spontaneously produced sounds at a low rate of 1.2±0.23 sound events per 30 min, the presence of a single cod or striped bass led to an increase in the rate of sound production (cod: 51.1±13.1 events per 30 min; striped bass: 17.0±7.0 events per 30 min). Most (74.6±6.6%) of the 292 sound events recorded occurred when a fish came within 0.5 m of a lobster, but a fish did not have to come into contact with a lobster to elicit sounds. Immediately following the production of a sound by a lobster, fish turned and swam away significantly faster than when they encountered a lobster that did not make a sound. Moreover, after striped bass (but not cod) experienced a number of these sound events, they subsequently tended to avoid swimming close to the lobsters. These data, taken together, suggest that sound production by American lobsters may serve to deter potential fish predators.
Avoiding monotony: improving the diversity of recommendation lists

The primary premise upon which top-N recommender systems operate is that similar users are likely to have similar tastes with regard to their product choices. For this reason, recommender algorithms depend deeply on similarity metrics to build the recommendation lists for end-users. However, it has been noted that the products offered on recommendation lists are often too similar to each other and attention has been paid towards the goal of improving diversity to avoid monotonous recommendations. Noting that the retrieval of a set of items matching a user query is a common problem across many applications of information retrieval, we model the competing goals of maximizing the diversity of the retrieved list while maintaining adequate similarity to the user query as a binary optimization problem. We explore a solution strategy to this optimization problem by relaxing it to a trust-region problem.This leads to a parameterized eigenvalue problem whose solution is finally quantized to the required binary solution. We apply this approach to the top-N prediction problem, evaluate the system performance on the Movielens dataset and compare it with a standard item-based top-N algorithm. A new evaluation metric ItemNovelty is proposed in this work. Improvements on both diversity and accuracy are obtained compared to the benchmark algorithm.
Quality of Life in the Elderly: a Contribution to its Understanding

A review of the research literature reveals that there is extensive interest in the meaning of quality of life of elderly people, particularly those in residential facilities. Determining how best to uphold the quality of life of elderly people is a challenge for practictioner and researcher alike. This study attempts to clarify some of the important quality of life issues by asking a range of elderly people to look closely at aspects of their routines. The responses of those people living in nursing homes, hostels, retirement villages and in the family home were compared and the results indicated that satisfaction with perceived quality of life differed according to where people lived. Where one lives appears to influence not what one regards at most important in life, but rather how satisfied one is with it. Implications are drawn from the data for professionals and researchers working in the field.