Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of clindamycin hydrochloride in refractory periodontitis: 24-month results.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of clindamycin hydrochloride in the treatment of adult refractory periodontitis. Thirty patients with a history of unsuccessful treatment with scaling, periodontal surgery, and the use of tetracyclines were entered into the study. Upon entry, the suspected refractory patients were scaled several times and then monitored for the presence of active disease by probing attachment level measurements performed in duplicate. Active disease was defined as a 3.0 mm or greater loss in attachment from the baseline examination or the occurrence of a periodontal abscess. When active disease was detected, patients were treated with scaling and clindamycin 150 mg qid for 7 days. Patients served as their own controls. Twenty four patients demonstrated further attachment loss following scaling alone and were treated with clindamycin hydrochloride. Scaling and clindamycin treatment decreased the incidence of active disease from an annual rate of 8.0% to 0.5% of sites per patient (P less than .001). The mean time required to detect the first active site increased from 4.9 +/- 3.7 months following scaling alone to 16.7 +/- 7.6 months following scaling and clindamycin (P less than 001). Active sites lost an average of 3.1 mm of probing attachment following scaling alone but "gained" back 2.0 mm at 6 months and 1.5 mm at 24 months post-antibiotic and scaling treatment. Bleeding on probing was significantly reduced (P less than .05) from 31.8% of sites pre-clindamycin treatment to 12.3% at 12 months and 17.9% of sites at 24 months post-clindamycin treatment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Foot measurements from 2D digital images

Foot measurements play an important role in the design of comfortable footwear products. This study proposed a non-invasive and efficient means to obtain foot measurements from 2D digital foot images. The hardware of the proposed image-based measuring system was easy to set up and the developed measuring system was tested for 9 foot measurements with ten male subjects who were also manually measured. The comparison between foot measurements from the image-based and the traditionally manual measured systems showed that there were no significant differences between two systems on 8 out of 9 foot measurements. The errors on foot measurements from the image-based system were also analyzed and discussed. The proposed image-based system under further improvements may be applied into the online sales of shoes, especially customized shoes.
Different effects of Sec61α, Sec62 and Sec63 depletion on transport of polypeptides into the endoplasmic reticulum of mammalian cells

Co-translational transport of polypeptides into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) involves the Sec61 channel and additional components such as the ER lumenal Hsp70 BiP and its membrane-resident co-chaperone Sec63p in yeast. We investigated whether silencing the SEC61A1 gene in human cells affects co- and post-translational transport of presecretory proteins into the ER and post-translational membrane integration of tail-anchored proteins. Although silencing the SEC61A1 gene in HeLa cells inhibited co- and post-translational transport of signal-peptide-containing precursor proteins into the ER of semi-permeabilized cells, silencing the SEC61A1 gene did not affect transport of various types of tail-anchored protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated, with a similar knockdown approach, a precursor-specific involvement of mammalian Sec63 in the initial phase of co-translational protein transport into the ER. By contrast, silencing the SEC62 gene inhibited only post-translational transport of a signal-peptide-containing precursor protein.
MaGIC: a program to generate targeted marker sets for genome-wide association studies.

High-throughput genotyping technologies such as DNA pooling and DNA microarrays mean that whole-genome screens are now practical for complex disease gene discovery using association studies. Because it is currently impractical to use all available markers, a subset is typically selected on the basis of required saturation density. Restricting markers to those within annotated genomic features of interest (e.g., genes or exons) or within feature-rich regions, reduces workload and cost while retaining much information. We have designed a program (MaGIC) that exploits genome assembly data to create lists of markers correlated with other genomic features. Marker lists are generated at a user-defined spacing and can target features with a user-defined density. Maps are in base pairs or linkage disequilibrium units (LDUs) as derived from the International HapMap data, which is useful for association studies and fine-mapping. Markers may be selected on the basis of heterozygosity and source database, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers may additionally be selected on the basis of validation status. The import function means the method can be used for any genomic features such as housekeeping genes, long interspersed elements (LINES), or Alu repeats in humans, and is also functional for other species with equivalent data. The program and source code is freely available at http://cogent.iop. kcl.ac. uk/MaGIC.cogx.
Different Dreams, Same Bed: Collecting, Using, and Interpreting Employment Statistics in Sub-Saharan Africa -- the Case of Uganda

Employment and earnings statistics are the key link between the size and structure of economic growth and the welfare of households, which is the ultimate goal of development policy, so it is important to monitor employment outcomes consistently. A cursory review of employment data for low-income Sub-Saharan African countries shows both large gaps and improbable variation within countries over time and among countries, suggesting that low quality data are routinely reported by national statistics offices. Unfortunately, policies are formed and projects developed and implemented on the basis of these statistics. Therefore, errors of measurement could be having profound implications on the strategic priorities and policies of a country. This paper explains the improbable results observed by using data from Uganda, where the labor module contains variation both within and across surveys, to show the sensitivity of employment outcomes to survey methodology. It finds that estimates of employment outcomes are unreliable if the questionnaire did not use screening questions, as labor force participation will be underestimated. Likewise, surveys that use a seven-day recall period underestimate or potentially misrepresent employment outcomes, owing to seasonality and multiple jobs. Common multivariate analysis applied on household survey data will be affected, as the errors in measurement in the dependent and independent variables will be correlated. Corrections to reduce measurement bias in existing data are tested with the survey data; none are found to be completely satisfactory. The paper concludes that there is a knowledge gap about employment outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa that will continue unless collection techniques improve.
THE IMPACT OF THE DISCLOSURE OF EXTRAORDINARY ACCOUNTING ITEMS ON RETURNS TO EQUITY

: This paper investigates empirically the impact on returns to equity of the disclosure of unexpected extraordinary accounting items, where unexpected extraordinary items are proxied by actual extraordinary items. The paper addresses some of the methodological limitations evident in previous studies. These limitations include the failure to identify the earliest information source, and the failure to identify the announcement month. The analysis in this study uses half-yearly reports instead of annual reports as used in previous studies, and identifies the month in which the interim results (and therefore the extraordinary items) are announced. Controls are provided for the contemporaneous announcement of operating profit and dividends, while interim reports with contemporaneously announced rights issues, bonus issues, share splits, or takeover offers, are excluded. However, one limitation which remains is the use of monthly returns. The use of daily data would provide a more sensitive test. Using cross-sectional regression analysis, no evidence was found of an association between announcements of unexpected extraordinary items and abnormal returns to equity.
A career in the allied health professions : borrowing from Bourdieu to navigate student choice, class and policy

This study is an exploration of student education and training choice-making in the Allied Health Professions (AHPs). Rejecting the dominant and ‘official’ government discourse, educational choice-making in the AHPs is constructed as a form of social practice, derived from individual agency, but also the effects of institutional and social structures. Engaging with the work of Pierre Bourdieu, in particular the application of his conceptual tools of habitus, capital and field, I have ‘borrowed’ from his unique methodological approach to engage a number of inter-related stages of exploration in a specific and unique case. At the macro level, I conduct a critical discourse analysis of a relevant policy text. This is followed by a meso-level examination of field-specific capital, as the basis for determining the position of each programme within the AHP education and training field. Finally, a micro-level analysis, using both questionnaire and semi-structured interview data is used to identify and explore how students’ personal stories reveal the way that the habitus guides and shapes individual accounts and experiences of choice-making within Watson et al.’s (2009) diagrammatic construction of a social field. Choice-making in the AHP education and training field was found to be a complex mix of institutional structures, processes and individual position-taking. In this milieu, economic and political motives underpinning a revised policy discourse do not necessarily support greater democratisation of participation. The effect of capital revealed the possibility for distinction, hierarchy and status as a reflection of the position of each programme and the valued placed upon them. Finally, the habitus, rather than generating static replies, was found to be capable of multiple and contingent responses. Along with other structural influences, social class, despite the emergence of its own fluidity, was nevertheless a major factor in shaping experiences and practical responses to AHP choice-making.
A Note on Dual-Curve Construction: Mr. Crab’s Bootstrap

Abstract Observe crabs in the sand of our beaches: they move forward, backward and then forward again. Before the crisis, the standard bootstrap of interest rate curves was a ‘Forward’-looking iterative algorithm where only information from previous knots was used to find discounts at subsequent dates. In this note we describe a new bootstrapping technique that involves various ‘Backward’ steps, which are reminiscent of a crab’s steps: this new methodology coherently considers now standard dual-curve framework. Two other major results emerge from the bootstrap methodology described: (i) discounts are independent from the chosen interpolation rule for all practical purposes; and (ii) convexity adjustments to Short-Term Interest Rate futures can be dealt with using a methodology in line with market practice.
Sporting Equality: Labour Market Versus Product Market Control— A Comment

* Professor, Department of Economics and Management, Paisley College of Technology, Paisley, Renfrewshire, PAI 2BE, Scotland. IN A recent issue’ of The Journal of Industrial Relations,’ Braham Dabscheck examined the efhciency of the rules of professional team sports in achieving equality of playing performance and concluded that a pooling of income would be more effective than restrictions in the labour market in reaching this objective. Further, referring to my earlier work2 he suggests that:
Sharpe Ratio Maximization and Expected Utility when Asset Prices have Jumps

We analyze portfolio strategies which are locally optimal, meaning that they maximize the Sharpe ratio in a general continuous time jump-diffusion framework. These portfolios are characterized explicitly and compared to utility based strategies. In the presence of jumps, maximizing the Sharpe ratio is shown to be generally inconsistent with maximizing expected utility, but this is shown to depend strongly on market completeness and whether event risk is priced.
ENERGY USE, INCOME AND CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS: DIRECT AND MULTI-HORIZON CAUSALITY IN CANADA

This paper explores the causal relationship between energy, emissions and income in Canada for the period 1960- 2005. This study explores these relationships using the Toda Yamamoto approach in a multivariate framework including labour and capital as auxiliary variables. We also test the hypothesis of indirect or multi-horizon Granger non-causality between these variables, since causal effects may occur more than one-period-ahead, as is assumed by the standard Granger non-causality test. We find that there is bi-directional direct causality between income and energy use in Canada, and no other channels of causality between the three variables. However, indirect Granger non- causality testing shows that there is bi-directional causality between all variables in the system. This result is contrary to other results in the literature, and has different implications for energy and environmental policy.
Perception of Rhythmic and Sequential Pitch Patterns by Normally Hearing Adults and Adult Cochlear Implant Users

Objective: This study compares the musical perception of 17 adult recipients of the Nucleus cochlear implant using two different format extraction processing strategies (F0F1F2 and MPEAK). Design: Over a 12 mo period, participants were alternately switched between two strategies every 3 mo. Performance was evaluated using three measures of rhythmic and sequential pitch perception. Results: Three individuals performed significantly better with the MPEAK strategy on one particular rhythm task, 11 participants performed better with the MPEAK strategy on another rhythm task, and no significant differences were found between the two strategies on a sequential pitch pattern task. Conclusions: Neither strategy seems clearly superior for perception of either sequential pitch or rhythmic patterns.
The Formation and Utility of Sub-Angstrom to Nanometer-Sized Electron Probes in the Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope at the University of Illinois

Abstract We evaluate the probe forming capability of a JEOL 2200FS transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration (Cs) probe corrector. The achievement of a real space sub-Angstrom (0.1 nm) probe for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging is demonstrated by acquisition and modeling of high-angle annular dark-field STEM images. We show that by optimizing the illumination system, large probe currents and large collection angles for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be combined to yield EELS fine structure data spatially resolved to the atomic scale. We demonstrate the probe forming flexibility provided by the additional lenses in the probe corrector in several ways, including the formation of nanometer-sized parallel beams for nanoarea electron diffraction, and the formation of focused probes for convergent beam electron diffraction with a range of convergence angles. The different probes that can be formed using the probe corrected STEM opens up new applications for electron microscopy and diffraction.
Genome of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus: Characterization by Use of Cloned Proviral DNA

Reticuloendotheliosis virus is an avian type C retrovirus that is capable of transforming fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells both in vivo and in vitro. This virus is highly related to the three other members of the reticuloendotheliosis virus group, including spleen necrosis virus, but it is apparently unrelated to the avian leukosis-sarcoma virus family. Previous studies have shown that it consists of a replication-competent helper virus (designated REV-A) and a defective component (designated REV) that is responsible for transformation. In this study we used restriction endonuclease mapping and heteroduplex analysis to characterize the proviral DNAs of REV-A and REV. Both producer and nonproducer transformed chicken spleen cells were used as sources of REV proviral DNA; this genome was mapped in detail, and fragments of it were cloned in λgtWES·λB. The infected canine thymus line Cf2Th(REV-A) was used as a source of REV-A proviral DNA. The restriction maps and heteroduplexes of the REV and REV-A genomes showed that (proceeding from 5′ to 3′) (i) REV contains a large fraction of the REV-A gag gene (assuming a gene order of gag-pol-env and gene sizes similar to those of other type C viruses), for the two genomes are very similar over a distance of 2.1 kilobases beginning at their 5′ termini; (ii) most or all of REV-A pol is deleted in REV; (iii) REV contains a 1.1 kilobase segment derived from the 3′ end of REV-A pol or the 5′ end of env or both; (iv) this env region in REV is followed by a 1.9-kilobase segment which is unrelated to REV-A; and (v) the helper-unrelated segment of REV extends essentially all of the way to the beginning of the 3′ long terminal repeat. Therefore, like avian myeloblastosis virus but unlike the other avian acute leukemia viruses and most mammalian and avian sarcoma viruses, REV appears to be an env gene recombinant. We also found that the REV-specific segment is derived from avian DNA, for a cloned REV fragment was able to hybridize with the DNA from an uninfected chicken. Therefore, like the other acute transforming viruses, REV appears to be the product of recombination between a replication-competent virus and host DNA. Two other defective genomes in virus-producing chicken cells were also cloned and characterized. One was very similar to REV in its presumptive gag and env segments, but instead of a host-derived insertion it contained additional env sequences. The second was similar (but not identical) to the first in its gag and env regions and appeared to contain an additional 1-kilobase inversion of REV-A sequences.
Reservation Wages, Expected Wages and the Duration of Unemployment: Evidence from British Panel Data

In this paper we analyse the role of wage expectations in an empirical model of incomplete spells of unemployment and reservation wages. To be specific, we model the duration of unemployment, reservation wages and expected wages simultaneously for a sample of individuals who are not in work, where wage expectations are identified via an exogenous policy shock based upon the introduction of Working Family Tax Credits (WFTC) in the UK. The results from the empirical analysis, which is based on the British Household Panel Survey, suggest that WFTC eligibility served to increase expected wages and that expected wages are positively associated with reservation wages. In addition, incorporating wage expectations into the econometric framework was found to influence the magnitude of the key elasticities: namely the elasticity of unemployment duration with respect to the reservation wage and the elasticity of the reservation wage with respect to unemployment duration.
Panel Estimates of Male-Female Earnings Functions

This paper applies single and simultaneous equation fixed-effects (FE) and random-effects (RE) panel data estimation techniques to obtain male and female earnings function parameters. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), the paper finds that earnings appreciation with experience and depreciation with labor market intermittency are comparable for men and women. Further, skill atrophy rates increase not decrease once one controls for heterogeneity and endogeneity. Finally the unexplained male-female wage differential declines from 40 percent to 20 percent when one adjusts for heterogeneity. Adjusting for endogeneity depends very much on the choice of instruments. However, when adjusting for endogeneity the gender earnings gap falls and approaches zero percent. These results hold for two separate subsamples so that the estimates appear robust independent of sample selectivity.
Trade and regional growth in Spain: panel cointegration in a small sample

In this article, we test for the existence of a relationship between per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and trade, for 15 Spanish Autonomous Communities between 1988 and 2004, using a panel cointegration methodology. In particular, we implement several panel unit root tests (Maddala and Wu, 1999; Levin et al., 2002; Im et al., 2003) and panel cointegration tests (Pedroni, 1999, 2004), with a special attention to their behaviour in a small sample. We also develop a Seemingly Unrelated Regression Estimation (SURE) residual based test, in order to explicitly take into account the cross regional correlation pattern. Appropriate confidence intervals are estimated with a sieve bootstrap designed for our small time sample, preserving the dependence structure among cross sectional units. Our cointegration tests reject the existence of a significant relationship between GDP per capita and exports. However, we do find some evidence of a significant relationship between GDP per capita and imports or with total trade.
Non-extractable proanthocyanidins from grapes are a source of bioavailable (epi)catechin and derived metabolites in rats

The non-extractable fraction of many fruit and vegetables contains putatively bioactive polyphenolic compounds that, in most cases, have not been well characterised structurally. Non-extractable proanthocyanidins (NEPA) of a polymeric nature are part of the dietary fibre fraction of food. Using liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionisation chamber and a triple quadrupole mass analyser for tandem analysis (HPLC–ESI–QqQ–MS/MS) techniques, we examine the phenolic metabolites present in urine and faeces from rats 24 h after ingestion of an NEPA-rich fraction. We show that NEPA are partially depolymerised during their transit along the intestinal tract, as evidenced by the presence of (epi)catechin (EC) monomers and dimers in faeces and phase II conjugates of EC in urine. Moreover, NEPA are further metabolised by the intestinal microbiota into smaller metabolites including phenolic acids that are present in urine as both free phenolics and conjugates with glucuronate or sulphate moieties. For the first time, we report evidence that NEPA behave in vivo as a source of phenolics that are released progressively and deliver phenolic species that come into contact with the intestinal walls and are bioavailable for at least 24 h after ingestion.
Hybrid Control of Multiagent Systems With Contingent Temporal Tasks and Prescribed Formation Constraints

In this paper, we present a distributed hybrid control strategy for multiagent systems with contingent temporal tasks and prescribed formation constraints. Each agent is assigned a local task given as a linear temporal logic formula. In addition, two commonly seen kinds of cooperative robotic tasks, namely, service and formation, are requested and exchanged among the agents in real time. The service request is a short-term task provided by one agent to another. On the other hand, the formation request is a relative deployment requirement with predefined transient response imposed by an associated performance function. The proposed hybrid control strategy consists of four major components: 1) the contingent requests handling module; 2) the real-time events monitoring module; 3) the local discrete plan synthesis module; and 4) the continuous control switching module, and it is shown that all local tasks and contingent service/formation requests are fulfilled. Finally, a simulated paradigm demonstrates the proposed control strategy.