Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards more general constitutive relations for metamaterials: A checklist for consistent formulations

When the period of unit-cells constituting metamaterials is no longer much smaller than the wavelength but only smaller, local material laws fail to describe the propagation of light in such composite media when considered at the effective level. Instead, nonlocal material laws are required. They have to be derived by approximating a general response function of the electric field in the metamaterial at the effective level that is accurate but cannot be handled practically. But how to perform this approximation is not obvious at all. Indeed many approximations can be perceived and one should be able to decide as quick as possible which of these possible material laws are mathematically and physically meaningful at all. Here, at the example of a second order Pade approximation of the general response function of the electric field, we present a checklist each possible constitutive relation has to pass in order to be physically and mathematically liable. As will be shown, only one out of these nine Pade approximations passes the checklist. The work is meant to be a guideline applicable to decide which constitutive relation makes actually sense at all. It is an essential ingredient for future research on composite media as any possible constitutive relation to be discussed should pass it.
Involvement of SA, ET and JA signaling pathways in susceptibility of tomato for Fusarium oxysporum

Phytohormones such as salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET) and jasmonic acid (JA) play key roles in plant defense following pathogen attack. Involvement of these hormones in plant susceptibility following Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) infection has mostly been studied in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, Fo causes vascular wilt disease in a broad range of crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Surprisingly little is known about the involvement of these phytohormones in tomato toward Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) susceptibility. Here we investigate their involvement by analyzing the expression of ET and SA marker genes, following Fol infection and using bioassays on tomato mutants affected in either hormone production or -perception. Fol inoculation triggered expression of SA and ET marker genes showing activation of these pathways. NahG tomato in which SA is degraded, was hyper-susceptible to Fol infection and exerted stronger disease symptoms than wild-type. In contrast ACD and Never ripe (Nr) mutants in which respectively ET biosynthesis or -perception is impaired, showed decreased disease symptom development and a reduced fungal colonization upon infection. Susceptibility of the def1 tomato mutant, which is deficient in JA biosynthesis, was unaltered, while a prosystemin over-expressing line, showed slightly more disease symptoms concomitantly with increased fungal colonization. The latter is surprising as prosystemin indirectly regulates JA biosynthesis. Our results show that SA is a negative and ET a positive regulator of susceptibility. The SA and ET signaling pathways appear to act synergistically as an intact ET pathway is required for induction of the SA reporter gene and vice versa.
University of Southern Denmark Bringing Different States in How Welfare State Institutions can possibly influence socio-cultural dimensions of migrant incorporation

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Extraction, Physicochemical Characteristics and Fatty Acids Profile of Kernel Oil from Mangifera indica L. Cultivated in Sudan

Aims: This study was aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties and fatty acids composition of Mangifera indica L. seed kernel oil; in addition to investigating the effect of solvent type and extraction duration on extracts properties. Study Design: Extraction of Mangifera indica L. seed kernel oil in different trials under the same conditions using two different solvents for different time of extraction, and determining their physicochemical properties and fatty acids constituents. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Applied and Industrial chemistry International University of Africa (IUA), Khartoum, Sudan, between July and November 2019. Methodology: The oil from Mangifera indica L. seed kernel was extracted using n-hexane and petroleum ether in a soxhlet apparatus for 4 and 7 h. the physicochemical properties of the Original Research Article Erwa et al.; CSIJ, 28(4): 1-7, 2019; Article no.CSIJ. 53172 2 extracted oils were determined using standard official methods. Fatty acid profile of n-hexane extract was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) after methylation. Results: n-Hexane exhibits better extraction efficiency (11.40±0.66% for 7 h) than petroleum ether (10.80±0.44% for 7 h). The density and refractive index of the oil were 0.89±0.01 g/cm and 1.46 ± 0.01 at 28oC respectively. The physicochemical properties of n-Hexane and petroleum ether extracts were acid value (3.35±0.54 and 2.52±0.13 mg KOH/g oil), peroxide value (4.32±0.65 and 5.11±1.03 meq O2/kg), saponification value (201.05±0.95 and 198.66±1.04 mg KOH/g oil), ester value (197.59±0.67 and 192.54±0.20 mg KOH/g oil) respectively. The statistical analysis of obtained data revealed no significant difference, at 95% confidence interval, between the standard deviation and the mean of two data sets of physicochemical properties of Mangifera indica L. seed kernel oils extracted with the two solvents used. GC/MS analysis revealed a total of 18 fatty acids were identified in which the majors are stearic acid (39.79%), oleic acid (36.77%), palmitic acid (10.34%), linoleic acid (6.02%) and eicosanoic acid (3.83%). Conclusion: The results suggest that mango seed kernel contains stable oil which can be potentially extracted by n-hexane; however, the solvent type has no significant effect on the physicochemical properties of the extracted oil and has the potential usefulness to be used in soap
Increment cores of the National Forest Inventory from Romania

Dendrochronological data provides insight in the tree development, and used in conjunction with forest inventory, can supply inputs for growth and yield modeling. However, accurate and precise measurements of a large number of incremental cores require significant resources. One possible source of valuable tree ring data are national forest inventories (NFI), which process a large amount of data annually. A NFI that places a significant effort on dendrochronological data is the Romanian NFI, which, to date, collected, measured, and cross-dated more than 50,000 incremental cores. This amount of incremental cores makes the Romania the holder of the largest dendrochronological NFI library. The present article presents the method of processing the incremental cores and makes available to the interested entities the tree ring data for the three main species from Romania, namely Norway spruce, European beech, and sessile oak. To ensure utility, the dataset is limited to pure (i.e., one species) even-aged stands (i.e., age difference ≤ 5 years), that were un-thinned (i.e., no active forest management). The data is stored as an ASCII file, and contains six fields: ecoregion, species, year, age, average ring width, and variance . To ensure privacy of information, the average ring width was estimated over a 5 years interval, for which the variance is also computed.
Effect of serum-containing and serum-free culture medium-mediated activation of matrix metalloproteinases on embryonic developmental competence

In this study, we examined whether serum-free and serum-containing media affect matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity with respect to embryonic development, and whether MMP expression is correlated with the development of in vitro fertilized eggs. When oocytes were cultured in serum-free medium (containing polyvinylpyrrolidone) and serum (foetal bovine serum)-containing medium, the generation of meiosis 2 (MII) oocytes was 76% and 87.5%, respectively (P < 0.05). After in vitro fertilization using mature oocytes, we observed 39.72% and 64.05% of cleaved oocytes in serum-free and serum-containing groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Our analysis revealed differential expression and activity of MMPs. The serum-containing group showed high MMP-9 activity during oocyte maturation and development of in vitro produced embryos, with particularly high activity in the inner cell mass zone of the embryos. Therefore, this study suggests that the presence or the absence of serum will affect the activity of MMPs, which can be used to measure the rate of embryonic development.
The effect of sodium fluoride on seeds germination and morphophysiological changes in the seedlings of the Antarctic species Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl.and the Subantarctic species Colobanthus apetalus (Labill.) Druce

The phytotoxic effects of fluoride and its derivatives on the seeds and seedlings of the Colobanthus apetalus and Colobanthus quitensis were studied. This is a first study to evaluate the influence of sodium fluoride (NaF) on the morphophysiological and biochemical processes on two Colobanthus species. The influence of various concentrations of NaF (9 mM, 19 mM, 29 mM) on the germination capacity and germination rate of seeds, seedlings growth and the proline content of plant tissues was analyzed under laboratory conditions (20/10°C, 12/12 h). The seeds of C. apetalus were collected from a greenhouse, whereas the seeds of C. quitensis were collected in Antarctica and in a greenhouse (Olsztyn, Poland). The tested concentrations of NaF did not suppress the germination of C. apetalus seeds, but the germination of C. quitensis seeds was inhibited. Sodium fluoride mainly inhibited root growth of C. apetalus and C. quitensis. In both analyzed species, the free proline content of seedlings increased significantly under exposure to NaF. The results of this study clearly indicate that C. apetalus and C. quitensis are highly resistant to NaF stress.
The impact of related party transactions on firm value

Purpose The purpose of this study is to address the impact of the related party transactions (RPTs) on firm value. The authors bring evidence from a usually ignored empirical setting: an African emerging market. Design/methodology/approach In particular, the authors focus on companies listed on the Egyptian stock market using a sample of EGX 30 from 2012 to 2017. Findings Unlike the literature, the authors find no significant relationship between RPTs and market value. Practical implications This research provides insights for policymakers and other interested parties concerning the perception of RPTs in Egypt. Originality/value The reported different findings of this study assure the intermediary role of the context and the local culture in the relationship between RPTs and firm value, in contrast to the negative view that is mostly reported in the literature.
HIV-Related Stigma Among Healthcare Providers in Different Healthcare Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kerman, Iran

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes among healthcare providers are an important barrier to accessing services among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the status and correlates of HIV-related stigma among healthcare providers in Kerman, Iran. Methods: Using a validated and pilot-tested stigma scale questionnaire, we measured HIV-related stigma among 400 healthcare providers recruited from three teaching hospitals (n=363), private sectors (n=28), and the only voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center (n=9) in Kerman city. Data were gathered using self-administered questionnaires at participants’ workplace during Fall 2016. To examine the correlates of stigmatizing attitudes, we constructed bivariable and multivariable linear regression models. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of stigma score was 25.95 ± 7.20 out of the possible 50, with higher scores reflecting more stigmatizing attitudes. Paramedics, nurses’ aides, and housekeeping staff had the highest, and VCT personnel had the lowest average stigma scores, respectively. Multivariable regression analyses showed that prior experience of working with PLHIV (β=-2.48; P=.03), exposure to HIV-related educational courses (β=-2.03; P=.02), and <10 years of work experience (β=-2.70; P<.001) were associated with lower stigma scores. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for health managers to provide training opportunities for healthcare providers, including programs that focus on improving HIV-related knowledge for healthcare providers. Enforcing policies that aim to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination among healthcare providers in Iran are urgently needed.
Generic business strategies in the Micro and Small Enterprise typology: an empirical investigation among Nairobi Manufacturing Micro and Small Enterprises

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) play a significant role in Sub-Saharan Africa national economies, however, few transition to formal medium or large size enterprises due to a wide array of challenges faced. The MSE typology sought to provide an array of business strategies MSEs could use to overcome these challenges and improve their performance. A central foundation of the typology is the generic nature of the strategies, that is general applicability across industry, organization type or size. The general objective of this study, therefore, was to determine the extent to which the business strategies within the typology are indeed generic. The study evaluated the generalization across two sub-sectors (Furniture manufacturing and agro-food processing) as well as across gender (taken as male and female). From the study, and using binary logistic regression only two of the twenty-eight variables were statistically significant, albeit mild discriminant, therefore supporting generalizability across sub-sectors. In addition, none of the variables served as statistically significant discriminants between male or female owners. Though limited in scope the generic nature of the defined strategies was established, providing support for the MSE typology meeting the generic requirement from typology theory.
Manager’s gender and professional credentials in the performance of Polish investment funds

Abstract Aim/purpose – This paper focuses on establishing whether investment fund performance is related to managerial characteristics, such as a manager’s gender and professional credentials. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation was conducted on a relatively large study sample covering 275 managers of 98 domestic equity funds operating in Poland in the period 2000-2017. The verification of the hypotheses was based on three groups of research tools, including tests for differences in the mean values and distributions of rates of return in two samples of funds, where a gender and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) were grouping variables, and regression models, where a gender or CFA were dummy factors implemented into asset pricing models. Findings – The obtained results show that there are no disproportions in the performance achieved by funds managed by men and funds (co-)managed by women or managers with or without CFAs. However, the findings related to the latter variable are ambiguous, in particular when regression methods are employed or basic measures of return are used. Research implications/limitations – In order to clarify the influence of some managerial characteristics on fund performance further research in this field is needed. Nevertheless, the results may be of interest to both individual investors and fund families. Originality/value/contribution – To our knowledge, it is the first paper to evaluate the performance of Polish investment funds in relation to managerial characteristics. Moreover, what contributes to the originality of the research is the application of a relatively extensive set of measures of return and the use of a proprietary database with unique variables describing a fund manager’s profile.
Local Antibacterial Implant Protection in Orthopedics and Trauma: What’s New?

Current prophylactic and hygienic measures notwithstanding, implant-related infection remains among leading reasons for failure in orthopaedics and trauma surgery, resulting in extremely high social and economic costs. Various antibacterial coating technologies have been proven safe and effective both in preclinical and in clinical settings and able to reduce post-surgical infections up to 90%, depending on the type of the coating and on the experimental setup. In spite of this findings, the widespread use of these technologies is still limited by several factors. After reviewing the latest evidence on currently available antibacterial coatings, an algorithm is proposed to calculate the impact of the delayed introduction of these technologies in the clinical practice. When applied to joint arthroplasties, our calculator shows that each year of delay to implement an antibacterial coating, able to reduce post-surgical infection by 80% at a final user’s cost price of €600, causes an estimated 35 200 new cases of periprosthetic joint infection in Europe and additional annual hospital costs of approximately €440 million. Faster and more affordable regulatory pathways for antibacterial coating technologies and an adequate reimbursement policy for their clinical use appear a feasible solution to mitigate the impact of implant-related infections and may benefit patients, healthcare systems, and related research.
The long run Dynamics of heterogeneous Product and Process Innovations for a Multi Product Monopolist

This paper introduces the dynamical framework which combines product and process innovations. The model contributes to the theoretical literature on innovations in two ways. First, it permits for the simultaneous dynamics of both types of innovations which is rarely considered in the literature. Second, the products being generated by the innovations are heterogeneous in their investment characteristics. This allows for the formation of the dynamic interdependency between both types of innovations. As a result the steady state levels of process innovations for each product are different and influence the dynamics of product innovations in turn.
Longitudinal study of physical activity in Spanish young adolescents: Weight status and gender differences

Past research indicates there are marked declines in physical activity (PA) during adolescence. Recent studies are offering new insights. This longitudinal study investigates changes in intensities of PA (moderate-to-vigorous vs. light), by gender and weight-status, in a sample of Spanish adolescents. Students, on average 13.9 years-old (N=833 at baseline), were followed- up a year and two years later (N=474 provided data at the three time points). Self-reported PA was recorded. Analyses revealed that PA prevalence is low, although, overtime, slight increments were observed. Girls showed higher increments in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); boys showed higher increments in light physical activity (LPA). Investigating by weight-status, normal-weight boys showed increments over time in LPA; no changes observed for normal-weight girls. Overweight/obese girls increased their total PA (TPA) and MVPA; overweight/obese boys increased their LPA. Underweight boys and girls decreased their TPA. Interventions targeting specific intensities of PA may be beneficial for different groups based on their gender and weight status.
The “Evil Pleasure”: Abusive Supervision and Third-Party Observers’ Malicious Reactions Toward Victims

We investigated how abusive supervision influences interactions between third-party observers and abused victims and hypothesized when and why third parties react maliciously toward victims of abusive supervision. Drawing on the theory of rivalry, we predicted that third-party observers would experience an “evil pleasure” (schadenfreude) when they perceive a high level of rivalry with the victims of abusive supervision and that the experienced schadenfreude then would motivate third parties to engage in interpersonal destructive behaviors (i.e., undermining, incivility, and interpersonal deviance) toward the victims. We further proposed that such malicious reactions would be attenuated if groups have a high level of cooperative goals. Results based on one experimental study and two time-lagged field studies lend support to our propositions.
The effect of bisphenol A on pro-opiomelanocortin and circadian clock gene expression in POMC-expressing hypothalamic neuronal models

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to obesity. However, the direct effect of BPA on hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons, which regulate energy homeostasis, remains unexplored. We describe here the effect of BPA on immortalized POMC-expressing cell models, mHypoA-POMC/GFP-2 and mHypoE-43/5. BPA increased the mRNA levels of Pomc at 1 and 4 hours. BPA altered the expression of Bmal1, Per2 and Rev-Erb circadian clock genes. BPA increased the expression of inflammatory markers Nfb, Il6 and Iba, and steroid receptors Esrrg and Pparg. BPA decreased the expression of steroid receptors Esr2 and Gpr30. Pre-treatment with GnRH, PS1145, and T0070907 abrogated BPA-mediated Pomc induction. BPA increased Pomc mRNA levels in the mHypoA-Bmal1KO cell line. BPA treatment for 20 minutes increased relative MSH secretion. Bisphenol S did not alter Pomc expression. In conclusion, BPA may have direct effects on hypothalamic POMC neurons, with implications for understanding the role of BPA in the arcuate nucleus.
Characterization of the Oral Microbiome in Orthodontic Patients

Author(s): Viloria, Edward | Advisor(s): Lux, Renate | Abstract: There are approximately 700 bacterial species present in the oral cavity that exist in a complex, delicately balanced ecosystem. Orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances has been shown to disrupt this balance leading to an increased risk of white spot lesions, caries and periodontal disease. With the advent of clear aligners, orthodontic patients are now able to remove their appliances and perform oral hygiene more efficiently. Previous studies have examined the effects of fixed and removable orthodontic appliances on periodontal health with varying results. We examined patients at the UCLA Orthodontics Clinic with fixed appliances (n=12) and clear aligners (n=12) through the first six months of treatment. Periodontal status was evaluated using the Turesky et al. Modified Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (PI) and the L�e and Silness Gingival Index (GI). Plaque was collected from anterior teeth, posterior teeth and from the inner surface of the clear aligner trays. DNA from the plaque samples was extracted and subjected to next generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. There was a significant increase in PI and GI in the fixed appliance group over the first six months of treatment. In the clear aligner group, there was no significant increase in PI, but there was a significant, yet transient increase in GI that eventually returned to baseline levels. Distinct, patient-specific shifts in the microbial communities were observed in both groups upon starting treatment. The microbial community inside the clear aligners is unique and less diverse than those found on teeth, but the overall composition of tooth-associated biofilm was similar between both groups. Patients treated with fixed appliances experienced significantly more plaque accumulation on the surfaces of the teeth compared to patients treated with clear aligners. This increase in plaque accumulation in the fixed appliance group was associated with a significant increase in gingival inflammation, which was localized to the posterior teeth. The inner surfaces of the clear aligner trays harbor a unique microbial community that is less diverse than those found in tooth-associated biofilms.