Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GENETIC ANALYSES OF DENTAL ANOMALIES AND DENTAL CARIES IN MULTIETHNIC POPULATIONS

Tooth development is a long and complex process of several stages that starts between the sixth and eighth weeks in utero. Disruption during any of these stages can result in dental anomalies and/or increased risk of oral diseases such as dental caries. Previous studies indicate that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of dental anomalies of size, shape, number, position, and of oral diseases including dental caries. Furthermore, previous studies have also shown that some dental anomalies are associated with each other in the same patient, suggesting that they may share common etiologic components. This study evaluated the relationships between several structural dental anomalies and dental caries across the multi-ethnic cohort from The Pittsburgh Orofacial Cleft study (POFC; N= 3579), performed genome-wide association scans (GWAS) in POFC, including the multivariate approach of GWAS for the associated dental anomalies and dental caries, and performed GWAS for each of the included dental anomalies in POFC. Finally, we performed GWAS of dental caries in two cohorts; (POFC; N= 3579), and a cohort from The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA1, N=1763), along with subsequent meta-analysis. We found intercorrelations between four subsets of dental phenotypes: Agenesis, Impaction and Rotation (AIR); Hypoplasia, Displacement and Rotation (HDR); Displacement, Rotation and Mammalons (DRM); and Dental caries, Agenesis and Hypoplasia (DAH). This was the first study to investigative genetic associations for multivariate patterns of correlated dental anomalies and dental caries, and we were able to identify suggestive association signals (P < 1 X 10E-05) near genes with biological roles during tooth development; ADAMTS9 and PRICKLE2 were associated with AIR; GLIS3, WDR72, and ROR2 were associated with HDR and DRM; ROBO2 was associated with DRM, BMP7 was associated with HDR; and ROBO1, SMAD2 and MSX2 were associated with DAH. We were also able to identify risk loci associated with each of the structural dental anomalies separately. This is one of the largest multi-ethnic GWAS study of dental caries that helped in discovering several novel loci containing genes with plausible biological roles in tooth development and/or oral dental caries; such as REL gene (P = 3.91E-09) and were also able to confirm some of the previously identified genes (MPPED2, P = 2.36E−6; NEED9, P = 7.60E-06) that has been associated with dental caries. Further studies are needed to replicate the results of this study in an independent cohort, which is strongly recommended. In addition, studies are needed to investigate the biological roles of these nominated genes, in human and animal models to fully understand their relevance to tooth development process and dental caries.
Pollen Diversity in the Atmosphere of Karacabey (Bursa), Turkey

Pollen grains are known as important bio-allergens for sensitive individuals because of their presence in the air we breathe. Therefore, it is important to know the pollen load, major pollen types and sesonal variations of them for each populated region. The aim of this study was to determine the pollen types, densities and the pollen seasons of main pollen producers in Karacabey area. Pollen quantities and diversity studies were carried out by the gravimetric method in Karacabey (Bursa) atmosphere for two years, between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. During sampling, the slides were changed weekly and examined by light microscopy. Annually 14226 pollen grains (15281 in 2015 and 13171 in 2016) belonging to 59 plant taxa (32 woody and 27 herbaceous taxa) were identified and pollen grains of woody taxa represented 72.63% (77.00% in 2015 and 68.27% in 2016) and herbaceous taxa represented 26.69% (22.30% in 2015 and 31.09% in 2016) of the annual pollen index (API) which was concordant and evaluated as a reflection of the dominant flora and maquis vegetation of the area. Types of pollen identified belonged to Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Pinus, Poaceae, Quercus, Platanus, Ambrosia, Olea, Plantago, Amaranthaceae, Salix, and Fraxinus which were classified as dominant pollen types for the region and the the total amount for them was 88.21% of the annual pollen index. In this regard, April-May and August-September can be thought of as a risky period for sensitive individuals living in or visiting the region. One of the most exciting findings of this study was the high dominance of highly allergenic Ambrosia pollen in the atmosphere.
Detection of inadequate labelling and contamination as causes of allergic reactions to food

Discrepancies between food content and label can lead to adverse reaction in people with hypersensitivity to particular food ingredients. Over a period of more than 10 years, 171 cases of adverse reaction to food have been registered. In all cases the offending foods were compound products where the ingredients were either hidden to the consumer as a cause of inadequate labelling (73 cases) or because the food was contaminated with the ingredient (64 cases). In 34 of the cases, the ingredient was inadvertently consumed. The largest number of cases is caused by milk, followed by tree nuts, peanuts and egg. However, the most severe reactions were caused by peanuts and soy, followed by hazelnuts and milk. Soy has caused severe anaphylactic reactions leading to death in peanut allergic individuals consuming meatballs, hamburgers and kebab containing high amounts of soy protein. The presence of the offending ingredient was confirmed by analysis of the food item by immunological and DNA-based methods. In some of the cases we were able not only to detect the causative protein, but also to estimate the dose causing the allergic reaction. The doses range from less than 1 mg, causing emergency treatment, to several hundreds of mg causing stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. A dose equivalent to 60 mg of casein in a sausage caused fatal anaphylaxis in a 15-year-old girl and a dose equivalent to 5.6 mg of peanut protein caused fatal anaphylaxis in a 22-year-old man.
Digital Sorting of Optical Vortices in Perturbed Singular Beams

The chapter provides a brief overview of shaping and measuring techniques of the vortex spectra (squared amplitudes and initial phases of vortex modes) including radial indices. The main physical mechanisms causing the formation of laser beams with a complex vortex composition, in particular, in biological media, are indicated, and the need for a digital analysis of vortex spectra is substantiated. It is the analysis of vortex spectra that allows us to find the orbital angular momentum and informational entropy (Shannon’s entropy) of perturbed laser beams in real time. In the main part of the chapter, we consider in detail a new approach for measuring vortex spectra without cuts and gluing of the wavefront, based on digital analyzing high-order intensity moments of complex beams and sorting the vortex beam in computer memory sells. It is shown that certain types of weak local inhomogeneities cause a vortex avalanche causing a sharp dips and bursts of the orbital angular momentum spectra and quick ups and downs of the informational entropy. An important object of analysis is also the vortex spectra of beams scattered by simple opaque obstacles such as a hole, a disk, and a sector aperture.
Correlation of sperm DNA integrity with other semen parameters and analyse the role of abnormal sperm DNA in evaluation of infertility

Semen analysis forms the base line investigation and its results are taken as a surrogate measure of male fecundity. Aim and Objective: To assess the prevalence of abnormal sperm DNA integrity index and to correlate it with the other semen parameters and analyse its role as an efficient tool in evaluation of infertility. Material and Methods: Samples were collected from men visiting for evaluation of infertility. Routine semen parameter was assessed as per WHO manual 5TH Edition and abnormal sperm DNA integrity index was calculated using Toludine blue method. Samples were grouped into men with normal semen parameter and men with abnormal semen parameters based on WHO 2010 criteria. Sperm DNA integrity index was then correlated with the routine semen parameters and also within the study groups. Results: Abnormal sperm DNA integrity index showed a significant negative correlation with sperm count, motility and morphology.
CREATIVE THINKING USING METAPHORIC LANGUAGE TO IMPROVE POETRY WRITING SKILLS

metaphoric language affect students in improving their poetry writing skills. By taking randomly 176 samples from a student population of 314, data were collected through 3 types of tests and were analyzed by a regression test. The results show that the ability to think creatively has an effect on improving the students' poetry writing skills by 72.9% while the ability to use metaphoric language has an effect of 7.30% on their poetry writing skills. The implications that these effects provide cognitive and practical benefits are also discussed. Keywords: Creative Thinking, Metaphoric Language, Poetry Writing Skills, Critical Thinking, Poetry
Influence of whitening toothpaste on color, roughness, and microhardness of composite resins

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate color stability (ΔE), surface roughness (Ra), and Knoop microhardness (KHN) of composite resins under simulated toothbrushing with whitening toothpastes and desensitizing toothpaste. Methodology: One hundred disks were made with composite resins: Filtek Z350 XT (3M/ESPE) and Grandio SO (VOCO) and divided into five subgroups: AS (Control I) - immersed in artificial saliva; CS (Control II) - immersed in coffee solution; LW - brushing with Colgate Luminous White; OD – brushing with Oral-B 3D White; and SP - brushing with Sensodyne Total Protection, as control. The LW, OD, and SP groups had the disks brushed daily with 120 cycles after immersion in coffee solution (10 min) for a period of 30 days. ΔE, Ra, and KHN were obtained at baseline and after the treatments. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's tests (P < 0.05). Student's t- test and Bonferroni test were performed to compare variables. Results: ANOVA revealed significant differences for ΔE, Ra, and KHN. ΔE: the highest ΔE mean values for Filtek were presented by SP group. For Grandio, the highest values were presented by SP and CS. Ra: Both composite resins presented similar behavior, with the highest mean values for groups AS and CS. KHN: The groups OD and SP made the most alteration on the surface, reducing the KHN values. Conclusions: Whitening toothpaste and immersion in coffee influenced on color stability, surface roughness, and microhardness of composite resins.
Sedentary Behavior Is Associated With Low Leisure-Time Physical Activity and High Body Fatness in Older Brazilian Adults

Sedentary behavior (SB) has emerged as a new health risk factor, including risk of premature death. This study examined the association between SB and measures of physical activity and body fatness in older Brazilian adults. Self-report measures of SB (ie, sitting time [ST]), leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and body fatness (body mass index [BMI]) were collected from 355 older adults aged 60 years and older by trained interviewers. Statistical procedures were conducted using SPSS software with significance set at P < . 05. Overall, the median ST was 3 hours per day. Mean values of LTPA and BMI for the entire sample were 90.0 (197.4) min/week and 26.5 (4.9) kg/m2, respectively. Partial correlations controlling for age revealed that ST was negatively associated with LTPA (pr = −.15 [−.25; −.04]; P = .006) and positively associated with BMI (pr = .25 [.14; .35]; P < .001). Age, BMI, and LTPA emerged as independent predictors of ST, explaining a small but significant variance in ST (R2 = .12; P = .02). Furthermore, t test revealed a significant difference in LTPA and BMI between groups of different amounts of sitting. The findings suggest that prolonged ST may have a negative impact on LTPA and BMI in older Brazilian adults.
Use of E-Resources by the Faculty Members: a Case Study

This paper is an attempt to study the issues like use of electronic information resources, its impact on the collection of print and electronic sources its awareness among the users, and the places where the users are accessing these resources. A survey was conducted in the academic year 2010-11 at the Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri (M.S). A total number of 108 faculty members were selected and their response was obtained with the help of questionnaire. The findings show that users were using e-resources; the awareness about eresources encourages users to use such resources to the maximum; and the users are using Department and home more for accessing the information. The impact of e-resources was visible from the decrease in number of printed documents in comparison to the increase in number of electronic resources. The use of e-resources has increased manifold. The printed material is being quickly replaced by the electronic resources.
Effect of a nanocomposite containing ostrich eggshell on calvarium healing in the rabbit: a pathologic study

The aim of the current study was to determine effect of a nanocomposite containing ostrich eggshell (NCOE) on the calvarium healing in the rabbit. Fresh ostrich eggshell was ground (300-500 μm), treated in phosphate-containing solutions and sterilized by gamma irradiation. Fifteen New Zealand white adult male rabbits were used. Four full-thickness skull defects were created in the calvarium. The first defect kept unfilled (control). The second defect was filled with autograft bone. The third defect was filled using NCOE. The fourth defect was filled with mixture of the autograft+NCOE bone. At 30, 60 and 90 days after surgery animals were euthanized and tissue specimens were collected and stained with hematoxylin eosin and trichrome staining method. Microsections were examined to assess the extent and intensity of inflammation, calvarium formation status and foreign body reaction. According to the results, filling defect significantly increased in NCOE-treated rabbits compared to the control group at 30 and 60 days post-surgery (P<0.05). There a statistically significant difference between experimental groups compared to the control group at 30 and 60 days post-surgery (P<0.05) while no statistically significant differences were observed among autograft, NCOE, autograft+NCOE (P>0.05). Also, absorb material significantly decreased in NCOE and autograft+NCOE groups compared to the control group at 60 days post-surgery (P<0.05). The filling defect significantly increased in autograft, NCOE and NCOE+autograft groups compared to the control group at 90 days post-surgery (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on inflammation and absorb material among the groups at 90 days post-surgery (P>0.05). These results suggested NCOE+autograft has improved the rate of calvarium healing in rabbits.
Taxable Income, Future Profitability, and Stock Returns

Prior research suggests that investors behave &#8216;as if&#8217; taxable income contains information about future performance by providing evidence of a positive association between taxable income and stock returns. We draw on the fundamental analysis literature and provide direct evidence on this assertion by examining whether taxable income predicts future pretax performance. We find that taxable income positively predicts future pretax cash flows, pretax book income, and &#8216;Street&#8217; pretax earnings, suggesting that taxable income provides incremental information to book income regarding performance. Moreover, we find a positive association between taxable income and analysts&#8217; pretax forecasts, consistent with analysts utilizing the information in taxable income when forming earnings expectations. We do not find an association between taxable income and future analyst forecast errors, implying analysts do not overreact or underreact to taxable income's performance signal. Overall, we find that taxable income provides a signal of fundamental value and corroborate the implications of prior research.
Exercises using leisure resources to reduce arm lymphedema

The aim of this study was to evaluate a form of programmed exercises in the recumbent position using leisure resources. Ten female patients aged between 42 and 72 years old (mean age of 66 years) referred for an evaluation of lymphedema were enrolled in this study. Inclusion criteria were a history of treatment for cancer leading to arm edema evidenced as a difference in volume greater than 200 mL compared to the contralateral limb. Women with active infections, skin lesions or active disease were excluded from the study. Four types of exercises were selected including using a ball, a bat for arm lifting movements, flexion and extension movements of the arm and flexion and extension movements with the arm supported on a foam wedge. These exercises were performed as four 15-minute stints over one hour. All participants were supervised during activities and warned to perform few movements (maximum 10 per minute) in the supine position and to use a compression arm sleeve. Changes in volume were calculated using plethysmography before the start and after completing the exercises. The paired t-test was used for statistical analysis with an alpha error of 5% being considered acceptable (p-value < 0.05). For the group as a whole, the change in volume of the lymphedematous arms was insignificant; for seven patients the volume increased and for three it diminished. The types of exercises used in this study did not reduce the volume of lymphedematous arms.
Exploring the Potential of Twitter to Understand Traffic Events and Their Locations in Greater Mumbai, India

Detecting traffic events and their locations is important for an effective transportation management system and better urban policy making. Traffic events are related to traffic accidents, congestion, parking issues, to name a few. Currently, traffic events are detected through static sensors e.g., CCTV camera, loop detectors. However they have limited spatial coverage and high maintenance cost, especially in developing regions. On the other hand, with Web 2.0 and ubiquitous mobile platforms, people can act as social sensors sharing different traffic events along with their locations. We investigated whether Twitter – a social media platform can be useful to understand urban traffic events from tweets in India. However, such tweets are informal and noisy and containing vernacular geographical information making the location retrieval task challenging. So far most authors have used geotagged tweets to identify traffic events which accounted for only 0.1%-3% or sometimes less than that. Recently Twitter has removed precise geotagging, further decreasing the utility of such approaches. To address these issues, this research explored how ungeotagged tweets could be used to understand traffic events in India. We developed a novel framework that does not only categorize traffic related tweets but also extracts the locations of the traffic events from the tweet content in Greater Mumbai. The results show that an SVM based model performs best detecting traffic related tweets. While extracting location information, a hybrid georeferencing model consists of a supervised learning algorithm and a number of spatial rules outperforms other models. The results suggest people in India, especially in Greater Mumbai often share traffic information along with location mentions, which can be used to complement existing physical transport infrastructure in a cost-effective manner to manage transport services in the urban environment.
A Comparison of the Arbitrary Set Fifty Percent Pass Mark Standard and Grade Point Average Attainment for Pharmacy Students at the University of Zambia: Implications for High-stakes decisions in Assessments

In many higher learning institutions and Health Professions Education (HPE) programmes in particular, there exists varying standard setting methods for assessment, certification and graduation of students’ academic performance. In Zambia, the historic arbitrary set 50% pass-fail standard is predominant in most health professions’ training programmes. Scientific validation of this practice, however, remains scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the academic performance on the historic arbitrary set 50% pass-fail standard to the Grade Point Average (GPA) score attainment for pharmacy students examined between 2013 and 2017 at the University of Zambia. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 445 randomly selected final examination results for undergraduate pharmacy students examined between 2013 and 2017 at the University of Zambia. The data was analysed using Stata 13 and GraphPad Prism 5. For all the statistical tests conducted, normality of the data was checked using the Shapiro-Wilk test. There was statistically significant difference between the historic arbitrary set 50% pass-fail standard and the course-specific examination composite score attainment in all the courses (P<0.0001). Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between the examinees’ GPA score attained and the acceptable GPA score of 3.0 (Median GPA 1.75; IQR: 0.75-2.25 and 1.67; IQR: 1.0-2.0) for the fourth and fifth-year examinees respectively). The comparison of the academic performance on the arbitrary 50% pass-fail standard and GPA score attainment for pharmacy students revealed that despite students demonstrating ability to attain high course-specific composite scores using the arbitrary set 50% pass-fail standard, the attained median GPA score was statistically significantly less than the minimum acceptable GPA score of 3.0. While the 50% pass-fail standards’ precision to detect academic performance maybe questioned, the findings suggests that the incorporation of a credit point and GPA system for making assessment decisions to rate students, certification and graduation requirements in Health Professions Education may offer better precision and prediction to detect academic performance and competency attainment.
Post-stroke seizures: a clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment

Cerebrovascular disease is the most commonly identified cause of acquired epilepsy. Differentiating between early and late post-stroke seizures is relevant from an epidemiological and clinical perspective, as they carry different risk of seizure recurrence. The occurrence of a single late post-stroke seizure is associated with high risk of seizure recurrence, and therefore enables to diagnose post-stroke epilepsy. Some clinical and stroke characteristics are associated with an increased risk of post-stroke seizures; they might prove useful in the future, when preventative measures will be available. Currently, there is no robust evidence to support the use of neuroprotective drugs for primary prevention of post-stroke seizures. There is also insufficient evidence to recommend the use of a specific antiepileptic drug for the treatment of post-stroke epilepsy. Thrombolysis with t-PA might increase the risk of early seizures without affecting the risk of post-stroke epilepsy; further studies are however required to further investigate this association.