Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro Induction of Residual Caries Lesions in Dentin: Comparative Mineral Loss and Nano-Hardness Analysis

Artificially inducing dentinal lesions mimicking those remaining after selective excavation should allow to investigate the effects and limits of such selective excavation, for example regarding the mechanical properties of treated teeth or the remineralisation of sealed residual lesions. Such analyses might otherwise be limited by the variability of natural lesions or ethical and practical concerns. This study compared different demineralisation protocols for their suitability to induce lesions similar to natural residual caries. Twelve natural deep lesions were excavated until leathery dentin remained, and analysed for their mineral loss (ΔZ), lesion depth (LD), mineral loss ratio (R), the slope of the mineral gradient and their nano-hardness profile. Artificial lesions were induced using four different demineralisation protocols (acetic acid pH = 4.95; 0.1 M lactic acid gel pH = 5.0; 0.5 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid pH = 7.2; Streptococcus mutans biofilms) and their depths monitored over different demineralisation times. Lesions with depths most according to those of natural lesions were analysed using transversal microradiography. Lesions induced by acetic acid solution did not significantly differ with regards to LD, ΔZ, R and mineral profile. Seven dentin specimens were subsequently submitted to a moderately acidic (pH = 5.3) methylhydroxydiphosphonate-buffered acetate solution for 12 weeks. Natural and artificial residual lesions were similarly deep (mean ± SD: LD = 626 ± 212 and 563 ± 88 µm), demineralised (R = 19.5 ± 4.7 and 29.8 ± 4.1%), showed a flat and continuous mineral gradient (slope = 0.10 ± 0.05 and 0.13 ± 0.06 vol%/µm) and did not significantly differ regarding their nano-hardness profile. The described protocol induces lesions with mineral content and mechanical properties similar to natural residual lesions.
Emotional Appeals and Information Cues in Belgian Magazine Advertisements

An extensive analysis of the content of advertising stimuli over the last twenty years has been carried out on a representative sample of Belgian magazine advertisements, using an extensive analytical framework of different information cues and types of emotional appeals. The evolution of advertisement content over time and across product categories is studied, and a measure of ‘degree of overall similarity of strategy’ (DOSS) is proposed and calculated in the Belgian context. The relevance of this measure for advertising effectiveness is highlighted and suggestions for further research are proposed.
Experientially based physics instruction - using hands on experiments and computers

The undergraduate physics laboratory at Hogskolan Dalarna is equipped with computers at every lab-station (mostly PowerMac 7600) connected to a PASCO ScienceWorkshop interface. This type of "Microcomputer Based Laboratory" makes it possible to collect physical data in real-time and the data is immediately available for analysis and presentation. The almost instant feedback makes its feasible to introduce a new type of student experiments there the students passes through a "learning-cycle" in which the student co-operatively in a lab-team put forward a hypothesis and makes predictions of the outcome of an experiment, does the experiment and immediately receives feedback and the possibility to compare prediction and outcome. This learning-cycle strengthen learning and comprehension.
Neural market structure analysis: Novel topology‐sensitive methodology

Over the last decade various parametric approaches toward modelling segmented perception‐preference structures such as combined MDS and latent class procedures have been introduced. These methods, however, are not tailored for qualitative data describing consumers’ redundant and fuzzy perceptions of brand images. A completely different method is based on topology‐sensitive vector quantization (VQ) for consumers‐by‐brands‐by‐attributes data. It maps the segment‐specific perceptual structures into bubble‐pie‐bar charts with multiple brand positions demonstrating perceptual distinctiveness or similarity. Though the analysis proceeds without any distributional assumptions, it allows for significance testing. The application of exploratory and inferential data processing steps to the same database is statistically sound and particularly attractive for market structure analysts. A brief outline of the VQ method is followed by a sample study with travel market data, which proved to be particularly troublesome for conventional processing tools.
Plasma volume during stress in man: osmolality and red cell volume.

Our purpose was 1) to test the hypothesis that in man there is a range of plasma osmolality within which the red cell volume (RCV) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) remain essentially constant and 2) to determine the upper limit of this range. During a variety of stresses--submaximal and maximal exercise, heat and altitude exposure, +Gz acceleration, and tilting--changes in plasma osmolality between -1 and +13 mosmol/kg resulted in essentially no change in the regression of percent change in plasma volume (PV) calculated from a change in hematocrit (Hct) on that calculated from a change in Hct + hemoglobin (Hb), i.e., the RCV and MCV were constant. Factors that do not influence RCV are the level of metabolism, heat exposure at rest, and short-term orthostasis (heat-to-foot acceleration). Factors that may influence RCV are exposure to high altitude and long-term orthostasis (head-up tilting). Factors that definitely influence RCV are prior dehydration and extended (greater than 2 h) periods of stress. Thus, either the Hct or the Hct + Hb equations can be used to calculate percent changes in PV under short-term (less than 2 h) periods of stress when the change in plasma osmolality is less than 13 mosmol/kg.
Joint Audits – Benefit or Burden?

This paper examines whether there are perceived and observed net benefits from using two audit firms instead of one. The mandatory joint audit requirement was abolished in Denmark only in 2005, and thus provides a unique opportunity to study the consequences and implications of going from a joint audit regime to a single auditor/voluntary joint audit regime. The data used in this paper have been collected for the whole population of non-financial Danish companies listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange (CSE) in the five year period surrounding the abolishment in 2005. We find that a majority of firms perceive joint audits as a net burden. Furthermore, based on DeAngelo’s (1981) initial audit pricing model and legislators’ claim that joint audits are an unnecessary financial burden on companies, we predict and find discounts (of around 25%) in audit fees in companies that change to single audits, that is joint audits are also an observed burden. This seems to be mainly due to initial price cuts as a result of competition. However, the results indicate that efficiency gains may also be part of the explanation. Additional findings suggest that there is no difference in the auditors’ ability to constrain earnings management between joint and single audits. Thus, the audit fee discounts in single audits do not seem to be at the expense of lower audit quality.
MTA1 Expression Correlates Significantly with Histologic Grade in Salivary Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma

Background: Metastasis associated protein-1 (MTA1) has been a recently identified as a unique gene playing important role in tumorigenesis and progression of cancer cells. Objective:To evaluate MTA1 expression and its predictive value in determining histologic grade of salivary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). Patients and Methods: MTA1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tumor specimens blocks from 22 patients. Assessment of MTA1 immunostaining was achieved by counting the proportion of positively-stained tumor cells in 5 high power microscopic fields; and staining was analyzed in relation to clinicopathological variables. Results: MTA1 show nuclear and cytoplasmic expression in varying intensity in 95% of cases. No significant correlation was found between MTA1expression and age, gender, site of the tumor (p>0.05). However, statistically significant correlation was found between MTA1expression and clinical stage, nodal involvement (p=0.009 and 0.007; respectively). Regarding histologic grade, high MTA1 level was significantly associated with grade of tumors categorized by Auclair and Brandwein systems (<0.001 and 0.009; respectively). Conclusion:MTA1 expression significantly correlates with tumor grade and progression, and has a potential role in diagnosis and prediction of behavior in salivary MEC.
Non-nested Information Sets and the Term Structure of Interest Rates

If long maturity bonds are traded frequently and traders have non-nested information sets, speculative behavior in the sense of Harrison and Kreps (1978) arises. Using a term structure model displaying such speculative behavior, this paper proposes an empirically plausible re-interpretation of predictable excess returns that is not based on the value traders attach to a marginal increase of wealth in different states of the world. Applying the properties of orthogonal projections, it is demonstrated that individual traders can systematically predict excess returns even in a model with a constant price of risk if information sets are non-nested. The model is estimated using monthly data on US short to medium term Treasuries from 1964 to 2007. It provides a good fit of the data and demonstrates that it is feasible to estimate dynamic models with privately informed agents. We show that a three factor no-arbitrage factor model would find overwhelming but misleading evidence in favor of a time varying price of risk if the world is characterized by the model with nonnested information sets presented here. We further argue that the “hidden” factor that help predict excess returns as documented by Duffee (2008) is an intrinsic feature of models with imperfectly informed traders.
Comparison of the western blot assay with the neutralizing-antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for measuring antibody to verocytotoxin 1

A Western blot (immunoblot) assay (WBA) was developed to detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against Escherichia coli Verocytotoxin 1 (VT1) by using a chemiluminescence detection system. The assay was compared with a VT1-neutralizing-antibody (VT1-NAb) assay and an anti-VT1 IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When four human serum samples that were known to be positive by VT1-NAb assay and ELISA were titrated to the endpoint by the three assays, the WBA gave endpoint titers that were up to 8-fold higher than those by ELISA and up to 256-fold higher than those by the VT1-NAb assay. Of 32 serum samples that were known to be positive by VT1-NAb assay and ELISA, 31 (97%) were positive by WBA; the one sample with a discrepant result gave borderline results by the VT1-NAb assay and ELISA. Of 52 serum samples that were known to be negative by the VT1-NAb assay and ELISA, 50 (96%) were negative and 2 (4%) were positive by WBA. Of 44 serum samples that gave discrepant results by the VT1-NAb assay and ELISA, neither of the latter correlated with the results of WBA. In an investigation of 19 pairs of acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome, 10 pairs that were positive by the VT1-NAb assay were also WBA positive, while 9 pairs that were NAb negative were also WBA negative. The WBA is inherently more specific and sensitive than either the NAb assay or the ELISA and may be used as a "gold standard" to detect IgG antibodies to VT1. Like the NAb assay and the ELISA for detecting antibodies to VT1, the WBA has little to offer in the diagnostic setting but is expected to play an important role in seroepidemiological studies.
Protective role of metallothionein on DNA damage in rat kidney caused by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum.

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cis-DDP) has been used as an anticancer agent but it also causes nephrotoxicity. To study the cis-DDP metabolism and its effects, the induction of metallothioneins and DNA damage caused by cis-DDP were observed. Cis-DDP or trans-DDP was administered to seven-week-old Wistar male rats as three daily injections of 8.0 mg/kg body wt. , intraperitoneally. Using the obtained kidneys, gel filtration assay, metal analysis, immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxy transferase-mediated deoxy uracil triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) method were carried out to examine localization of metallothioneins and DNA damage caused by cis-DDP. Platinum (Pt) contents, 26.05+/-12.01 microg/g body wt. and 51.29+/-4.59 microg/g body wt. (average+/-S.E.) were detected in the kidney of rats injected with both cis- and trans-DDP, respectively. Metallothionein was detected in the cortex of the kidney in rats administrated cis-DDP or trans-DDP. The mRNA was also detected in the same region. On the other hand cis-DDP showed induction of DNA damage on the cells in the outer stripe of the outer medulla but trans-DDP did not show any damage. The region-induced DNA damage differed from that induced by metallothioneins. Cis-DDP is suggested to be mainly trapped at the proximal tubules by metallothioneins, and the rest of cis-DDP induces DNA damage at the outer stripe of the outer medulla. Metallothioneins are considered to contribute to the protection against cis-DDP in the rat cortex.
Structural and Functional Regeneration of Muscle-Related Axons After Transection and Repair of the Rat Sciatic Nerve Using Nonvascularized Autologous Fascia as a Barrier Between Tibial and Peroneal Nerve Fascicles

Aberrant reinnervation of target organs caused by misdirected axonal growth at the repair site is a major reason for the poor functional outcome usually seen after peripheral nerve transection and repair. This study investigates whether the criss-crossing of regenerating rat sciatic nerve axons between tibial and peroneal nerve fascicles can be reduced by using non-vascularized autologous fascia as a barrier. The left sciatic nerve was transected and repaired at midthigh as follows: epineurialy sutures (Group A); fascicular repair of tibial and peroneal nerve fascicles (Group B); fascicular repair of tibial and peroneal nerve fascicles separating the two fascicles by non-vascularized autologous fascia (Group C). In the control Group D, only the left tibial fascicle was transected and repaired. Five months postoperatively, the outcome of regeneration was evaluated by histology, by retrograde tracing, and by assessment of the contraction force of the gastrocnemius and tibial anterior muscles. The tracing experiments showed that muscle reinnervation was less abnormal in Group C than in Groups A and B. However, muscle contraction force was not better in Group C than in Groups A and B. With respect to the peroneal nerve innervated muscle, the contraction force in Group C was significantly lower than in Group B. The histologic picture indicated that this inferior result in Group C was due to nerve compression caused by fibrotic scar tissue at the site of the fascia graft. Results of this study show that a non-vascularized autologous fascial graft used as a barrier between two sutured nerve fascicles in adjacency reduces criss-crossing of regenerating axons between the fascicles, but causes significant nerve compression.
E1A-responsive elements for repression of rat fibronectin gene transcription

The level of fibronectin (FN) gene transcription in resting rat 3Y1 cells is very high but decreases steeply after growth stimulation by serum or by the induction of E1A expression. To study the mechanism of this E1A-mediated down-regulation, the 5' flanking regions of the FN gene with various deletions and substitutions were fused to the Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and introduced into resting 3Y1 cells with E1A expression plasmids. The results indicate that the G10 stretch located from nucleotide position -239 to -230 and two GC boxes from position -105 to -95 and position -54 to -44 are the primary E1A-responsive elements for repression of the FN gene. Two GC boxes also contain a G10 stretch that is interrupted by the presence of an internal C residue. These sequences overlap with the Sp1 motif GGGCGG. Substitution of the sequence GGGG with ATCC or CTTA in these G-rich sequences, leaving the Sp1 motif intact, completely abolished the E1A sensitivity of the promoter. Analysis of the E1A domains by using various E1A deletion mutants indicated that the domain for binding to the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product (RB) is essential for efficient repression. These results suggest that the gene encoding a negative factor(s) binding to the three G-rich sequences in the FN promoter is repressed by RB in resting 3Y1 cells and derepressed by expression of E1A.
A Routing Approach for Constructing Braided Multipath to Alleviate Congestion in WSNs

In recent years many versatile applications have been developed on wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that consist of various types of sensors. Thus, the issues of the WSN technology have become hot topics for WSN research. One of the hot topics is congestion alleviation for WSNs. A Topology-Aware Resource Adaptation (TARA) approach was developed to alleviate the congestion in intersection hot spot. The TARA approach reacts to the congestion by creating a detour path after the congestion was detected. Therefore, the congestion is resolved slowly due to accumulated data packets. In order to resolve the congestion in the WSN quickly, a braided multipath routing (BMR) approach was proposed, in this paper, to alleviate network congestion. The BMR approach can create braided multiple paths before congestion occurs. Thereafter, as congestion is detected the traffic can be rerouted to another braided path. Simulation study was conducted to evaluate the BMR approach. The simulation results show that the BMR approach alleviates congestion in WSNs quickly and provides better protection ability by using less extra nodes and links than other approaches.
Market Valuation of Corporate CO₂ Emissions, Disclosure and Emissions Trading

In this research, we investigated (1) whether corporate CO2 emissions have a negative impact on market value, (2) whether disclosure of CO2-related information alleviates the negative impact on market value, and (3) whether participation in emissions trading schemes alleviates the negative impact on market value. Using data on greenhouse gas emissions under the Global Warming Measures Law, CO2-related disclosure (companies answering to the CDP questionnaire), and emission trading (companies participating in JVETS), we performed a regression analysis based on the Ohlson model (2001). The results of the analysis are as follows. (1) CO2 emissions have a significant negative impact on the market value, given net assets, earnings before extraordinary items, and earnings forecasts. (2) CO2-related disclosure alleviates the negative impact on the market value. (3) Participation in emissions trading schemes alleviates the negative impact on the market value but insignificant at the standard level. (4) As a result of additional analysis, we find, for companies participating in emissions trading schemes, CO2 emissions do not have a significant negative impact on market value. Overall, our results indicate that corporate CO2 emission information, disclosure of CO2-related information, and the data of participation in emissions trading schemes are incorporated in investors’ decision-making.
Sparse representation using contextual information for hyperspectral image classification

This paper analyzes the classification of hyperspectral images with the sparse representation algorithm in the presence of a minimal reconstruction error. Incorporating the contextual information into the sparse recovery process can improve the classification performance. However, previous sparse algorithms using contextual information only assume that all neighbors around a test sample make equal contributions to the classification. One disadvantage is that these neighbors located in the edge may belong to the different classes, because they are extracted by a fixed square window. Assuming equal contributions may ease the discrimination of the obtained sparse representations. In this paper, we propose a least square based sparse representation algorithm, which uses the weight vector obtained by the least square method from the neighbors to help improve the sparse representations. Through projecting the weight vector into the corresponding sparse representations, the obtained sparse representations can build a relationship between the neighbors through different weights. Comparative experimental results are shown to demonstrate the validity of our proposed algorithm.
Model Knowledge Management Di Perguruan Tinggi

Business conditions change quickly, pushing companies to change the way they compete. The Era of knowledge-based economy provides challenges for collaboration, innovation, adaptation, technological mastery and market, as well as intellectual assets management company. Relying on existing core competencies does not guarantee the company able to create competitive advantages. To face the challenges of existing companies must be able to manage the knowledge that having through the application of Knowledge Management (KM). Similarly with colleges based on human capital, the need to manage organizations that encourage the formation of cultural knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, and knowledge utilization through the application of Knowledge Management. With Knowledge Management, recognition quality of a lecturer is not based only on seniority but on the extent to which lecturers are acts as a general user, specialist, solution communities, as well as professional.
Test sequences generation from LUSTRE descriptions: GATEL

We describe a test sequence generation method from LUSTRE descriptions and its companion tool, GATEL. The LUSTRE language is declarative and describes synchronous data-flow computations. It is used for reactive control/command systems, mainly for electrical power production applications. Such critical applications require a high level of reliability. While this language benefits from powerful verification tools, there is still a demand for adequate testing techniques. The method and the tool described can be applied during unit and integration testing, according to a structural (glass box) or functional (black box) test selection strategy. The test generation tool uses some interpretation of the language constructs as boolean and integer interval constraints. Test sequence generation is automated using constraint logic programming techniques. The method and the tool are illustrated on an example extracted from an industrial case study.