Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
C – reactive protein in saliva of non-smoking patients with periodontitis (a pilot study)

Introduction: C-reactive Protein (CRP) as an inflammatory biomarker can be easily determined in saliva, but the values of salivary CRP in periodontitis are not well-studied. The aim of this study was to analyze and determine the values of salivary CRP in non-smokers with periodontitis stage 3 or 4 before and after supragingival and subgingival full-mouth periodontal therapy.Methods: Standard periodontal parameters and saliva samples were collected in 12 non-smoking patients. Patients in the test group (n = 6) underwent supragingival and subgingival full-mouth periodontal therapy, and the control group (n = 6) received only supragingival full-mouth therapy. Both groups received the same oral hygiene instructions in addition to therapy. After 3 months, re-registration of periodontal parameters and re-sampling of saliva for analysis of salivary CRP were done for both groups.Results: Statistical analysis revealed large differences in the values of clinical periodontal parameters and CRP levels in the test group after therapy. Values of salivary CRP in the test and control groups were lower 3 months the therapy; however, the results were not statistically significant. The correlation of clinical periodontal parameters and salivary CRP varied in both groups.Conclusion: Our pilot study reveals decreased concentrations of salivary C-reactive protein in non-smoking patients following non-surgical periodontal therapy. Further studies are needed to prove the reliability of salivary CRP as a biomarker for periodontitis.
Determinants of Smallholder Livestock Farmers’ Household Resilience to Food Insecurity in South Africa

This study identified factors affecting livestock farmers’ agricultural drought resilience to food insecurity in Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Data of 217 smallholder livestock farmers were used in a principal component analysis to estimate the agricultural drought resilience index. The structural equation approach was then applied to assess smallholder livestock farmers’ resilience to food insecurity. The study found that most smallholder livestock farmers (81%) were not resilient to agricultural drought. Assets (β = 0.150), social safety nets (β = 0.001), and adaptive capacity (β = 0.171) indicators positively impacted households’ resilience to food insecurity with 5% significance. Climate change indicators negatively impacted households’ resilience to food insecurity. Two variables were included under climate change, focusing on drought, namely drought occurrence (β = −0.118) and drought intensity (β = −0.021), which had a negative impact on household resilience to food insecurity with 10% significance. The study suggests that smallholder livestock farmers need assistance from the government and various stakeholders to minimize vulnerability and boost their resilience to food insecurity.
Characterization of mango (Mangifera indica L.) genotypes based on physio-chemical quality attributes

Evaluation of fruit crops has been successfully utilized for studying the performance of varieties under different agro climatic regions time to time. In the present study cultivars were characterized on the basis of their physico-biochemical attributes. â€œMallikaâ€ and â€œNeelgoaâ€ were found superior in terms of fruit weight (321.87 g), size (12.55 cm, 8.13 cm), pulp weight (257.91 g) and pulp stone ratio (7.71) respectively. â€œMallikaâ€ excelled in terms of sugar (20.82), while â€œAmrapaliâ€ in carotenoids (8.38 mg/100 g). Among them, Mallika (22.41â—¦B) possessed the high-est amount of total soluble solids while lowest amount in Langra (16.90 â—¦B) whereas maximum titrable. The study shows the potential of Amrapali in terms of its quality, being late can meet the demand for later period when no other cultivar is available.
A nitrogen stress-inducible small RNA regulates CO2 fixation in Nostoc

Abstract In the absence of fixed nitrogen, some filamentous cyanobacteria differentiate heterocysts, specialized cells devoted to fixing atmospheric nitrogen (N2). This differentiation process is controlled by the global nitrogen regulator NtcA and involves extensive metabolic reprogramming, including shutdown of photosynthetic CO2 fixation in heterocysts, to provide a microaerobic environment suitable for N2 fixation. Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are major post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in bacteria. In cyanobacteria, responding to nitrogen deficiency involves transcribing several nitrogen-regulated sRNAs. Here, we describe the participation of nitrogen stress-inducible RNA 4 (NsiR4) in post-transcriptionally regulating the expression of two genes involved in CO2 fixation via the Calvin cycle: glpX, which encodes bifunctional sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase/fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (SBPase), and pgk, which encodes phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK). Using a heterologous reporter assay in Escherichia coli, we show that NsiR4 interacts with the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of glpX and pgk mRNAs. Overexpressing NsiR4 in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 resulted in a reduced amount of SBPase protein and reduced PGK activity, as well as reduced levels of both glpX and pgk mRNAs, further supporting that NsiR4 negatively regulates these two enzymes. In addition, using a gfp fusion to the nsiR4 promoter, we show stronger expression of NsiR4 in heterocysts than in vegetative cells, which could contribute to the heterocyst-specific shutdown of Calvin cycle flux. Post-transcriptional regulation of two Calvin cycle enzymes by NsiR4, a nitrogen-regulated sRNA, represents an additional link between nitrogen control and CO2 assimilation.
Diverse Applications of Sociological Imagination: A Qualitative Study of Service-Learning Mentoring

This project expands discussions regarding critical ways that students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences intertwine with service-learning and social justice. Educators need to empower the next generation to explore their views, apply their skills, and engage with social issues. The research intersects with complex conversations about students’ perspectives regarding media representations, justice system responses, and views of at-risk youth. The project spanned four semesters of a sociology of media and crime course with service-learning mentoring. Qualitative reflection data drawn from 104 participating student mentors provided insights into how service-learners’ unique personal histories and sociological imaginations inform their views of youth, the mentoring experience, and social justice. The findings focus attention upon diversity within classrooms and expand the conversation about social justice praxis and service-learning pedagogy. Through reflexivity, the researchers consider their own social justice and service-learning practices, and add to the call for greater reflexivity within community-engaged sociology classrooms.
Modeling Car-Following Heterogeneities by Considering Leader–Follower Compositions and Driving Style Differences

To better understand the behavioral heterogeneities of human-operated vehicles, the paper proposes a method to distinguish car-following behaviors in specific leader–follower contexts. Using the Next-Generation Simulation dataset, the car-following data are first classified into four leader–follower compositions, namely, truck–car, car–car, car–truck, and truck–truck. Based on the classified data, we calibrate the parameters of a few well-known car-following models, including Full Velocity Difference model, Intelligent Driver Model, and Gazis–Herman–Rothery model. Principal component analysis and clustering analysis are then applied to the calibrated parameters to discover the behavioral patterns and to find the probabilistic distributions of the parameters for the classified car-following (CCF) models. Simulation results show that compared with the unified car-following models, the estimation errors of calibrated CCF models are reduced by 20.79% to 49.05%, which indicates that the proposed method provides a more accurate description of car-following heterogeneities. The proposed framework could help highway traffic operators better know the traffic users.
Identifying trend shifts in vegetation greenness in China from 1982 to 2015

Understanding vegetation evolution is critical for exploring changes in terrestrial ecosystems and identifying future challenges. However, analyses that simultaneously examine trend shifts in vegetation greenness at the national, regional, biome, and pixel scales in China are still rare. Using long‐term (1982–2015) satellite data and the breaks for additive season and trend (BFAST) technique, we identified breakpoints in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in China. The results showed that the annual mean NDVI gradually increased. A total of 68.8% of the vegetated area exhibited upward trends in NDVI, most of which was distributed in Southeast China and the Loess Plateau. Changes in NDVI trends occurred in 78.7% of the total vegetated areas, while hotspots were concentrated in Northwest and North China. A rapid increase in breakpoints was detected after 1999, mainly concentrated in North and Northwest China, and corresponding to the times and areas with the highest ecological engineering efforts. Positive shifts in NDVI trends were more common and generally distributed on the eastern side of the Hu Huanyong line, while browning (negative) shifts were mainly distributed on the western side and were gradually expanding, indicating a possible tendency toward environmental degradation. Although unstable vegetation areas that underwent land cover type changes had higher frequencies of breakpoints, the proportion of stable vegetation experiencing NDVI trend shifts was higher after 2000, probably because human intervention buffered external disturbances in unstable areas. Identifying hotspot areas of shifts in vegetation greenness can help setting priorities when taking measures for ecosystem conservation, thus provide scientific reference for sustainable land development.
Educational Approximations Between Preschool and Primary School: The Perspective of Kindergarten and Primary School Teachers

This article aims to understand how a group of preschool and primary school teachers view the process of educational transition between these two educational contexts, considering the consequences that these moments have on the children's school career and on their own personal and social experience, and that teachers play a key role as links between both. Methodologically, this research is based on the collection of information through a questionnaire survey, with open and closed questions, filled in by 20 preschool educators and 20 primary school teachers from the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results obtained allow us to conclude that there are specific differences in the way preschool teachers and primary school teachers look at educational transition, although both consider it as an important aspect of the children's educational path, highlighting the need for a closer relationship between both in the construction of a process that is intended to be continuous and smooth. Received: 8 April 2021 / Accepted: 5 June 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021
Inhibition of Fungal Plant Pathogens by Aqueous Extracts of Arum cyreniacum

Arum cyreniacum is an important member of the family of Araceae because of its bio-activities. Hence this work aimed to establish a link between Arum cyreniacum and its uses as bio-control against plant pathogenic fungi which had never hitherto been established. This work was carried out to evaluate the activity of the aqueous extracts of tubers, leaves, and flowers of Arum cyreniacum against three different types of pathogenic fungi, Fusarium solani, Rhizopus microspores and Aspergillus niger. The antifungal activity of the aqueous extracts of Arum cyreniacum was determined by poisoned food technique. The results showed that Arum cyreniacum had an inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner on Fusarium solani, Rhizopus microspores, while Aspergillus niger was resistant to all extracts. However, the great inhibition activity against tested fungi was associated with increasing concentrations of the aqueous extracts of Arum cyreniacum. Data in this work indicated that the use of Arum cyreniacum could be a valid alternative for bio-control of plant pathogenic fungi.
Managing market risk for financial performance: experience from micro finance institutionin Kenya

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate on managing market risk and financial performance, experience from microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach This study used positivism philosophy and used explanatory non-experimental research designs. The targeted population was all the 13 registered deposit-taking MFIs in Kenya and a census approach was used. The study used secondary data which was collected and analyzed from microfinance Institutions annual audited financial reports for the period between 2014 to 2018. This study was anchored on two theories, namely, resource-based value theory and extreme value theory. Findings The results indicated that interest rate and financial leverage risk had a positive significant effect on the financial performance of MFIs in Kenya. Foreign exchange risk was found to have a negative significant effect on the financial performance of MFIs. However, inflation rate risk was found to have no significant effect on the financial performance of MFIs. Research limitations/implications This study recommended that the chief executive officers of MFIs should use the mechanism of identifying market risk variables, especially Interest rate, financial leverage and foreign exchange risks to enable them to put the necessary measures to mitigate those risks and enhance the financial performance of MFIs in Kenya. Originality/value This study is unique as it touches the microfinance industry which has a steady fast growth in assisting accessibility of financial services to small and medium enterprises. Most of the previous study concentrated on other industry in the financial sector.
Airbnb Host Scaling, Seasonal Patterns, and Competition

This paper explores the scaling (size) effect in the seasonal patterns, a proxy for competitive threats, of Airbnb’s host providers, with the aim of understanding possible similarities and differences. This explorative study uses the city of Milan (Italy) as a case and daily occupancy data from Airbnb listings for four completed years (2015–2018). A mutual information-based technique was applied to assess possible synchronizations in the seasonal patterns. Empirical findings show progressive dissimilarities when moving from single to multiple listings, thus indicating a differentiation correlated to the presence of managed listings. There are fewer differences during the seasonal periods more centered around leisure clients and they are higher when considering business travelers. The evidence supports the scaling effect and its ability to reduce the competitive threat among different hosts.
Exploring the role of the Amazon effect on customer expectations: An analysis of user‐generated content in consumer electronics retailing

While Amazon's disruption of the retail market has been associated with significant changes in consumer behavior, empirical studies on how interacting with Amazon has changed customers' expectations toward other offline/online retailers remain scarce. Such Amazon-driven perceptions of service attributes are sometimes referred to as the ‘ Amazon effect ’ . After clarifying the meaning of the Amazon effect and reviewing the studies on consumer complaints online, this paper aims to identify key triggers for the Amazon effect from consumer comments on social media. Based on natural language processing techniques, a content and sentiment analysis of users' comments drawn from the Facebook pages of three leading consumer electronics retailers in Italy over a two-year span (2016 – 2018) was used to evaluate the dissatisfaction toward these retailers associated to Amazon-related service attributes. The findings show that there is a wide diffusion of consumer comments and service complaints related to the Amazon effect on consumer electronics retailers, especially regarding price, customer service, in-store staff, and post-purchase support. Compared with corresponding evaluations on the Italian Amazon website, the negative sentiments revealed in consumers' comments on Facebook suggest that the Amazon's service standards have raised consumer expectations and have made consumers less satisfied when they interact with other retailers. We argue the need for further research to better clarify Amazonification in terms of customer impatience and dissatisfaction in general, also going beyond price and logistics issues, which are usually considered as the main constitutive factors.
Distribution of carbon and nitrogen cycle microbes along permafrost peatland profile in Northeast China

Microorganisms play critical roles in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles. However, our understanding of the distribution of C‐ and N‐cycling microbial communities along the permafrost peatland profile was limited. We characterized changes in the abundances of bacteria, fungi, archaea, methanogen, methanotroph, ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria along a soil profile in the permafrost peatland of the Great Hing'an Mountains, China. Maximum values of bacteria, fungi, archaea, methanotroph, and nirK‐type denitrifying bacteria abundances were found for the 0–40 cm layer and minimum values for the 100–150 cm layer. Bacteria, fungi, archaea, methanotroph, and nirK‐type denitrifying bacteria gradually decreased in terms of abundance with increasing soil depths. Methanogen, ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria, and nirS‐type denitrifying bacteria all showed the highest abundances in the 40–80 cm layer. Abundances of bacteria, fungi, archaea, methanogen, methanotroph, and nirK‐type denitrifying bacteria were all significantly negatively correlated with pH and C:N values, but significantly positively correlated with TC, TN, and TP levels. In the context of climate change, microbial distribution characteristics in the active, transition, and frozen layers in permafrost peatlands will change, and then affect C and N cycles. Results in this study highlighted the importance of sampling deeper soil depths in the study of microbial distribution and C/N cycles in peatland ecosystems.
Classification of the Children with ADHD and Healthy Children Based on the Directed Phase Transfer Entropy of EEG Signals

Purpose: The present study was conducted to investigate and classify two groups of healthy children and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by Effective Connectivity (EC) measure. Since early detection of ADHD can make the treatment process more effective, it is important to diagnose it using new methods. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, Effective Connectivity Matrices (ECMs) were constructed based on Electroencephalography (EEG) signals of 61 children with ADHD and 60 healthy children of the same age. ECMs of each individual were obtained by the directed Phase Transfer Entropy (dPTE) between each pair of electrodes. ECMs were calculated in five frequency bands including, delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. Based on ECM, an Effective Connectivity Vector (ECV) was constructed as a feature vector for the classification process. Furthermore, ECV of different frequency bands was pooled in one global ECV (gECV). Multilayer Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used in the steps of classification and feature selection by the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Results: The highest classification accuracy with the selected features of ECV was related to theta frequency band with 89.7%. After that, the delta frequency band had the highest accuracy with 89.2%. The results of ANN classification and GA on the gECV reported 89.1% of accuracy. Conclusion: Our findings show that the dPTE measure, which determines effective connectivity between the brain regions, can be used to classify between ADHD and healthy groups. The results of the classification have improved compared to some studies that used the functional connectivity measures.
A revision of Vernicomacanthus Miles with comments on the characters of stem‐group chondrichthyans

The ‘acanthodian’ fishes provide key anatomical insights into the deepest branches of the chondrichthyan stem group. We review the anatomy of the acanthodian Vernicomacanthus uncinatus from the Lochkovian (Lower Devonian, 419.2–410.8 Ma) of Scotland based on eight articulated fossils, one of which is newly described. Broadly, the anatomy of V. uncinatus fits with that of contemporaneous acanthodians such as Climatius and Parexus, with a head covered by robust tesserae, an enlarged postorbital scale, an armoured shoulder girdle, and many pairs of ventrolateral spines. However, it departs from this anatomy in key respects. Its pectoral fin spines are obliquely ridged and posteriorly denticulated, similarly to Carboniferous gyracanth stem‐group chondrichthyans. Its scales consist of multiple anteroposteriorly aligned odontodes, similarly to many Palaeozoic ‘sharks’. And its endoskeletal shoulder girdle may have a posterolateral angle, previously observed only in shark‐like chondrichthyans. We propose that the differences between V. uncinatus and its congeneric, V. waynensis, which include potentially phylogenetically significant characters of the shoulder girdle and spines, are sufficient to erect a new genus for V. waynensis: Dobunnacanthus gen. nov. The scales of Vernicomacanthus are identical to those of the ‘shark’ scale genus Altholepis, suggesting that some such scales may instead belong to taxa with acanthodian‐like gross anatomies. Based on these scales we highlight potential patterns in chondrichthyan scale evolution, in particular the axial addition of odontodes. Anatomical similarities between Vernicomacanthus and gyracanths, highlighted by previous authors, may indicate the existence of a grade including these and similar acanthodian‐grade taxa placed relatively crownwards in the chondrichthyan stem‐group.
The Role of Work Motivation and Work Environment in Improving Job Satisfaction

This study aims is to analyze the effect of work motivation on the satisfaction of management lecturers and analyze the effect of the work environment on the satisfaction of management lecturers at a private university in the city of Makassar. This type of research is explanatory research. The sample of this research is management lecturers at private universities in Makassar city, Data use purposive random sampling total 105 respondent. The research period was carried out in February 2020-May 2020. The method of analysis in this study was multiple regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that motivation has a significant effect on job satisfaction. This study proves that both theoretically and previous empirical studies explain that increasing work motivation will increase the job satisfaction of lecturers at private universities in the city of Makassar. According to empirical studies, motivation from a financial perspective can encourage someone to do work. This factor has a more significant influence than the influence of motivation on lecturer job satisfaction. The universities and study programs must improve indicators in the work environment to create comfortable working conditions so that it will increase the job satisfaction of private university lecturers in the city of Makassar.