Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examination of stability of the computer tomography algorithms in case of the incomplete information for the objects with non-transparent elements

Abstract. The presented paper is a continuation of research devoted to the investigation of efficiency of some reconstructive computer tomography algorithms with the incomplete input data set. The new issues discussed in this elaboration are the results concerning the stability of these algorithms applied for examining the objects with non-transparent elements. In paper [14] the effectiveness of the considered algorithms has been also investigated, however the problem of stability was omitted. In the current paper we return to this problem.
COMPARİSON OF BONE TURNOVER MARKERS BETWEEN MALE SMOKER AND NON-SMOKER

Osteoporosis (OP) is the most frequently seen metabolic bone disease. World Health Organization (WHO) defines OP as a “systemic skeletal disorder characterized by an increase in bone fragility and bone fractures as a result of decreased bone mass and deterioration of bony microarchitectural structure of the bone tissue”. Another significant factor causing osteoporosis, alongside with health issues like age, diet, genetics, and hormonal factors, is smoking. Smoking has long been defined as a changeable risk factor in life style for both bone loss and fractures. Recently, studies on the relationship between smoking and low bone mineral density and osteoporotic fractures have been on the rise. Smoking is a significant risk factor for osteoporosis independent of other risk factors like age, gender, weight, and menopausal condition. It has been stated that the rate of smoking reached significant levels today. According to the Acta Medica Mediterranea, 2016, 32: 317
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON RESOURCE USE BY MALE LITTLE BROWN SKINKS, SCINCELLA LATERALIS

The aggressive behaviors of adult male Little Brown Skinks, Scincella lateralis, and their effects on access to an important resource (a single retreat) were the subject of a study consisting of 10 laboratory trials in which the behavioral interactions between a pair of individuals was recorded. Analysis of these interactions made it possible to identify a dominant and a subordinate male in each trial; the male with the greater bulk was dominant in 9 of the 10 trials. Aggressive behaviors recorded include lunging, chasing, and biting; the dominant male performed lunging significantly more often than the subordinate male and was the only individual to exhibit chasing. The most common behavior recorded was avoidance which was shown almost exclusively by the subordinate male. Both dominant and subordinate males exhibited tail twitching which we hypothesize to be a sign of agitation. The two males spent significantly more time on opposite sides of the observation chamber than on the same side and almost never occupied the single retreat simultaneously because the subordinate male repeatedly moved to avoid the dominant male. The implications of these results on spacing patterns and resource use of Scincella lateralis in the wild are discussed.
Fault-Tolerant Sliding Mode Control of a Quadrotor UAV with Delayed Feedback

A quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) controller distributes the pitch, roll and yaw commands to individual propellers. This paper explores fault-tolerant control of a quadrotor UAV using delayed feedback and Divided State Feedback Control (DSFC). Initially, a Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) for the quadrotor UAV is designed to obtain sustained performance in the presence of actuator faults. The SMC performance deteriorates considerably in the presence of delayed sensory feedback from the UAV. A DSFC is then used to restore effectiveness of the device controller. The proposed control structure delivers improved stabilization, robustness and transient response in the presence of actuator faults. Computer simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of our hybrid control scheme. 
The Relevance and Pricing of Non-income Tax Relief

Accounting standard setters are deliberating requirements for firms to disclose information on government assistance they receive, including non-income tax relief programs. We contribute evidence to these discussions by highlighting that non-income tax relief awards include economically important information about future firm performance and expected returns. We posit that relief deals provide a signal about local jurisdictions’ (private) information about firms’ future performance expectations. We find that firms with the most non-income tax relief have significantly higher future performance (e.g., sales and operating income as a percentage of lagged assets are 5.2 and 1.0 percent higher, respectively) than those with the least. However, market prices appear to significantly underweight the information in these awards. Specifically, the spread in future abnormal returns between the portfolio of firms with the most and least non-income tax relief is approximately 5.3 percent. Consistent with limited public access to information about nonincome taxes, we find that increased voluntary financial statement disclosure about non-income taxes improves the pricing of non-income tax relief. Overall, our findings suggest that non-income tax relief awards reflect local jurisdictions’ ability to uncover economically important information about future firm performance and expected returns.
Overexpression of Mesothelin in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with difficulty in early diagnosis does not respond well to conventional treatments and has not occurred significant improvement in the overall 5-year survival rates. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a tumor differentiation antigen expressed in several solid neoplasms and a limited number of healthy tissues. Its selective expression on malignant cells makes it an interesting candidate for investigation as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and as a therapeutic target. In this study, we detected the expression of MSLN in PDAC and analyzed the correlation between the expression of MSLN and clinicopathological data, so as to provide more theoretical basis for the role of MSLN in the diagnosis and treatment of PDAC. Patients and methods: Cancer and para-cancer tissues of 24 cases with PDAC were assessed by standardized immunohistochemical (IHC) detection with two kinds of anti-MSLN antibodies (EPR4509 and EPR19025-42) to detect their positive expression rates and study the correlation between the expression of MSLN and the clinicopathological data. Results: The two anti-MSLN antibodies of cancer tissues showed positive expression with tan yellow or tan brown granules diffusely distributed on the cell membrane in 22 of 24 cases with PDAC (positive rate of 91.67%), and the positive expression of the two antibodies EPR4509 and EPR19025-42 was completely consistent in all tissue samples. No expression of the two anti-MSLN antibodies was found in para-cancer tissues and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=40.615, p=0.000, p<0.05) when compared with PDAC tissues. There was no significant correlation between MSLN expression and clinicopathological data, such as gender, tumor size, location, pathological stage, differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis (p>0.05). Conclusion: MSLN was highly expressed in PDAC tissues, but not in paracancerous tissues. There was no significant correlation between MSLN expression and clinicopathological factors. The overexpression of MSLN may have promising prospects in diagnosis, targeted therapy and immunotherapy of PDAC.
Medication-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Review

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare, severe debilitating condition from unknown causes. It is characterized by nonhealing exposed bone in a patient with a history of antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agents in the absence of radiation exposure to the head and neck region. The first case of MRONJ was reported in the early 2000s. Diagnostic criteria for MRONJ was developed by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) based on pharmacological history as well as clinical and radiographic features. Antiresorptive medications such as bisphosphonate and denosumab are currently considered the treatment of choice in patients with osteoclastic bone disease. These reduce bone turnover and improve bone density, thereby improving bone quality. These agents have also been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures due to their potent effect in suppressing osteoclastic activity by slowing the remodeling process and increasing bone density, thereby improving quality of life for most of the patients. Despite the great benefits of bisphosphonates and other antiresorptive medications, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) due to the effects of these medications in the presence of a local risk factor is a significant drawback. Moreover, antiangiogenic drugs play a major role in developing bone necrosis. They are prescribed in cancer cases to prevent metastasis through the blood and lymph nodes. These drugs interfere with the formation of new blood vessels, resulting in ischemia and eventually ONJ. This risk can be managed by evaluating the route and the duration of administration as such a risk can be considered dose-time dependent. As a preventive measure, dental screening before initiating any type of ONJ-related medications can significantly lower the risk of ONJ. Treatment goals can be achieved through pain and infection control, in addition to the management of bone necrosis and resorption. The aim of this review is to identify all causative agents and summarize the preventive measures, diagnostic criteria, and treatment strategies related to MRONJ.
Sensory Neurons Contacting the Cerebrospinal Fluid Require the Reissner Fiber to Detect Spinal Curvature In Vivo

Recent evidence indicate active roles for the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on body axis development and morphogenesis of the spine implying CSF-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) in the spinal cord. CSF-cNs project a ciliated apical extension into the central canal that is enriched in the channel PKD2L1 and enables the detection of spinal curvature in a directional manner. Dorsolateral CSF-cNs ipsilaterally respond to lateral bending while ventral CSF-cNs respond to longitudinal bending. Historically, the implication of the Reissner fiber (RF), a long extracellular thread in the CSF, to CSF-cN sensory functions has remained a subject of debate. Here, we reveal using electron microscopy in zebrafish larvae that the RF is in close vicinity with cilia and microvilli of ventral and dorsolateral CSF-cNs. We investigate in vivo the role of cilia and the Reissner fiber in the mechanosensory functions of CSF-cNs by combining calcium imaging with patch-clamp recordings. We show that disruption of cilia motility affects CSF-cN sensory responses to passive and active curvature of the spinal cord without affecting the Pkd2l1 channel activity. Since ciliary defects alter the formation of the Reissner fiber, we investigated whether the Reissner fiber contributes to CSF-cN mechanosensitivity in vivo. Using a hypomorphic mutation in the scospondin gene that forbids the aggregation of SCO-spondin into a fiber, we demonstrate in vivo that the Reissner fiber per se is critical for CSF-cN mechanosensory function. Our study uncovers that neurons contacting the cerebrospinal fluid functionally interact with the Reissner fiber to detect spinal curvature in the vertebrate spinal cord. eToC The role of the Reissner fiber, a long extracellular thread running in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), has been since its discovery in 1860 a subject of debate. Orts-Del’Immagine et al. report that the Reissner fiber plays a critical role in the detection of spinal curvature by sensory neurons contacting the CSF. Highlights Since its discovery, the role of the Reissner fiber has long been a subject of debate Mechanoreception in CSF-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) in vivo requires the Reissner fiber CSF-cN apical extension is in close vicinity of the Reissner fiber CSF-cNs and the Reissner fiber form in vivo a sensory organ detecting spinal curvature
Financial incentives to retirement in Belgium: what policy lessons?

The paper analyzes the role of the Belgian social s ecurity system in retirement behavior of elderly. To address this issue, we rely on a rich a dministrative dataset. The data contain personal, family and labor market characteristics o n 50-64 years-old wage earners and their spouses on the income year of 2001. It enables us to construct accurate measures of fin anc al incentives generated by the social security system. Using these incentive measures as predictors of retirement choice, we investigate the impact of various reform scenarios that change these derived measures. The results show tha t financial incentives do affect retirement probability of old-age male and female workers but in a different way. We also found that there would be a significant impact on retirement b ehavior from changing the financial incentives.
DETERMINANTS CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EMISSIONS ON THE GAMBIA ECONOMY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This study investigates the socio-economic variables that are responsible for the production of carbon dioxide emissions in The Gambia. This study, in particular, looked at the relationship between CO2 emissions and gross domestic product per capita, population density and trade balance. The study employed the Vector Error Correction Model to determine the dynamic relationship between CO2 emissions and the variables such as GDP per capita, population density and trade balance. The findings of our study revealed that there is a long run relationship between CO2 emissions and the variables. In other words, GDP per capita and population density positively impacts on the growth of CO2 emissions in The Gambia, while the influence of trade balance was negatively associated. Therefore, the institutions responsible for the reduction of carbon emissions in The Gambia, should be more proactive in the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in switching to less polluting energy mix.
Key electoral institutions and rules influencing proportionality and partisan bias in Spanish politics

The current paper focuses on the Spanish electoral rules governing political competition for the central “Congreso de los Diputados”. It is well-documented that the system as a whole has traditionally favoured one or the other of the two main political parties (PP and PSOE) at the expense of proportionality and the remaining political parties. This paper focuses on some key Spanish electoral rules and investigates how much the observed biases could be altered by introducing some alternative rules taken from the Swedish electoral system, ceteris paribus. Measures of disproportionality are made through the Loosemore–Hanby index and the Gallagher index. The electoral raw data used for our estimations comes from the 2011, 2015 and 2016 last three Spanish general elections. The basic contribution of the paper is an empirical one as it provides a new example that institutions matter for results. Keywords: Institutions, Institutional changes, Spanish electoral rules, Adapted Swedish electoral rules, Proportionality, Partisan bias, Quantitative estimations. JEL: H0, C1.
A Comprehensive Exploration in Physical Education Classes

Resa M. Chandler (tmchandler@wcu.edu) and Amy J. Stringer are assistant professors in the School of Teaching and Learning at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. “I ncreased screen time” and “decreasing physical activity” are both commonly expressed phrases iterated when physical educators and their advocates make a case for physical education (PE) in the United States (U.S.). Often this argument is used when there is a threat to reduce PE time in local school districts, and PE is found once again on the chopping block, forced to defend its place in the U.S. educational system. The Surgeon General’s 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) per day (Strong et al., 2005) is the gold standard for today’s youth, a recommendation known for its ability to positively influence overall health. A PE class is one avenue to attain this 60-minute goal both in actuality and in providing the skills and knowledge base for children to explore PA outside of the school setting. Sixty minutes of PA may at times seem ominous to a child. Also, the quality of this general notion of “activity” is wildly vague with no standard for intensity or skilled movement. It is not uncommon for school administrators to encourage students to walk around the parking lot after lunch just to say that they were doing their part in contributing to the requirement. As physical educators we can do better than laps around the perimeter of the school parking lot! One option for enhancing PA with children is participating in high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of workout may be a great way to increase the vigorous portion of daily PA in a PE class and actually enhance some aspects of participants’ health-related fitness. The State of Physical Activity in School-aged Children in the United States
An Examination of the Extent of Innovation Discontinuance, the Motivations of Farmers Who Discontinue an Innovation, and Implications for Extension

Farmers in Illinois are gradually shifting from production of bulk commodities to more specialized agricultural products. Value-enhanced grain production is an agricultural innovation, requiring new types and sources of information, different handling and storage practices, accessing new markets, paying greater attention to quality and identity-preservation, and negotiating contracts. Social scientists and extension educators have viewed agricultural innovations from the perspective of the traditional adoption-diffusion paradigm, with its emphasis on promoting adoption. One gap in this paradigm is its difficulty understanding “de-adoption,” or the discontinuation of an innovation. This paper addresses questions related to the extent of discontinuation and the reasons behind it. The research concentrates, in one area of Illinois, on 785 farmers who reported on their adoption of value-enhanced grain over a four-year period. The objectives are to determine the extent of farmers’ continuation and discontinuation, and to examine the reasons why 140 producers discontinued production of value-enhanced corn and soybeans. Results illustrate an increase in producers adopting value-enhanced grains, and they are dedicating larger acreages to them. However, 18 percent discontinued the innovation during the time period studied. Income was a major reason, but not the whole explanation. The reasons farmers cited suggest ways in which extension staff might be involved in this particular innovation, and the difficulties attendant upon their greater involvement. Given some of the trends underway in agriculture, and the pressure facing extension, extension crop specialists may find it difficult adapting to the value-enhanced grain production trends.
AUTOMATED MOLA TRACK REGISTRATION IN MOC AND VIKING IMAGES AND IT'S APPLICATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW 3-D CONTROL POINTS ON MARS

In 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) started observations of the Martian surface using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC). We examine here the potential of MOLA laser altimeter profiles for the creation of a 3-D control point network of the Martian surface. For the Science Phasing Orbits (SPO) 1 stage, we show that the difference in elevations between crossover points of MOLA tracks within 1km planimetric distance appear to lie within 25m. This result suggests that MOLA has very high positional accuracy both horizontally and a few metres vertical accuracy. We have also performed a comparison of MOLA heights with the old USGS DTM, which was based on the 6.1mb pressure level determined from Mariner 9 UV spectrometer measurements and radio occultation measurements and the 3D control network determined by Wu(1984). The result of this comparison indicates that the old 3D control network is likely to be in error by as much as a few kilometres. In order to try to improve the global 3D control network, we need to try to register the MOLA altimeter tracks with common features in MOC wide angle and Viking images. An automatic registration technique has been developed which uses specific features based on the visible edges of surface features such as impact craters and small mountains. Morphological features are difficult to extract from MOC and VO images and are often confused by shadows. This is especially the case with VO images which were taken under a variety of different solar illumination conditions. We applied a hierarchical and heuristic edge searching method to match to the rising point of MOLA tracks. In the next step, the generation of Ground Control Points which could form such 3D control networks will be shown using some sample image resolutions from VO images to demonstrate its future potential with the HRSC instrument on the ESA Mars Express mission which is due for launch in 2003.
FACTORS MOTIVATING THE CHOICE OF MATHEMATICS AS A CAREER AMONG MEXICAN FEMALE STUDENTS

In this paper we present a report of an ongoing research focused on identifying the factors that motivated Mexican female students to choose mathematics as a career. The main body of data for the research was generated through semi-structured interviews. The preliminary results show that three are the main factors that motivated women in the sample to choose mathematics as a career: (1) to be aware of the fact that they are good at mathematics, (2) the influence of their mathematics teachers, and (3) the influence of their relatives. We suggest that these three factors promote the constitution of a mathematical identity, which in turn favors the choice of mathematics as a career.
Effects of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) On Achievement and Retention of Students with Hearing Impairment in Computer Studies

The study investigated the effects of computer-assisted instructional strategy on achievement and retention of students with hearing impairment. Four research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. The quasi-experimental design was used in the study. A sample of 25 SS 2 computer studies students with hearing impairment from Onitsha and Awka Education Zones was used in the study. The instrument for data collection was Computer Studies Achievement Test (CSAT) validated by two lecturers in Science Education Department from NnamdiAzikiwe University, Awka and one experienced computer studies teacher in the school of students with hearing impairment. The reliability of CSAT was established using Kudder-Richardson formula 20 for CSAT to be 0.84. The data obtained was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed indicated that there is significant difference between the mean achievement and retention scores of students with hearing impairment taught computer studies using computerassisted instructional strategy and those taught with sign language in favour of computer-assisted instructional strategy. There was also significant influence of gender on the achievement and retention scores of students with hearing impairment taught computer studies using computer-assisted instructional strategy and those taught with sign language. The study recommended that seminars and workshop should be organized for computer studies teachers in order to help them become acquainted with the use of computer-assisted instructional strategy and effectively adopt them in the teaching and learning process of students with hearing impairment.