Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Awareness of biomedical waste management among dental professionals and auxiliary staff in Amritsar, India.

AIM The aim of this study was to determine awareness of biomedical waste (BMW) management policies and practices among dental professionals and auxiliary staff in a dental hospital/clinics in Amritsar, India, to inform the development of future policies for effective implementation of BMW rules. METHOD The study involved 160 staff members at the Amritsar hospital/clinics (80 dentists and 80 auxiliary staff) to whom a questionnaire was distributed regarding policies, practices and awareness relating to BMW. The questionnaire was first piloted. Completed questionnaires were returned anonymously. The resulting data were statistically tested using the chi-square test for differences between the dentists and auxiliary staff. RESULTS In respect of BMW management policies, there was a highly significant difference in the responses of the dentists, whose answers suggested far greater knowledge than that of the auxiliaries (P<0.001). Regarding BMW management practices, the dentists were significantly more aware (P<0.001) of the method of waste collection in the hospital and the disposal of various items into different colour-coded bags. As for employee education/awareness, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the dentists and the auxiliaries on the question regarding records of BMW maintained in the hospital and the other responses to questions on these topics had a highly significant (P<0.001) difference between the two groups in favour of the dentists. CONCLUSION The results of this study have demonstrated a lack of awareness of most aspects of BMW management among dental auxiliary staff in the dental hospital/clinics in Amritsar and a lack of awareness of some aspects among dentists who work in the hospital/clinics. The results provide the hospital authorities with data upon which they can develop a strategy for improving BMW management.
Cyclin D1 gene polymorphism as a risk factor for oral premalignant lesions.

BACKGROUND Deregulation of cell cycle plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Cyclin D1 gene (CCND1) is a key regulator of the G(1) phase of the cell cycle. METHODS In this case-control study of 115 oral premalignant lesion (OPL) patients and 230 controls, we genotyped the CCND1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the exon 4 splice site (G870A) and determined the association of this SNP with the risk of developing OPLs. RESULTS We found significant associations between the heterozygous variant allele (GA), the homozygous variant allele (AA) and OPL risk, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.91 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-3.48] and 2.38 (95% CI, 1.16-4.87), respectively. The OR for individuals with at least one variant allele was 2.04 (95% CI, 1.15-3.60). When further stratified analyses were performed, the increased risk was more evident in younger individuals (OR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.32-6.02), in men (OR = 2.97; 95%CI, 1.31-6.71) and in never smokers (OR = 2.92; 95% CI, 1.09-7.82). Finally, we found joint effects between the variant alleles and the smoking status. Using never smokers with the wild-type (GG) genotypes as the reference group, the ORs for never smokers with the variant genotypes (G/A + A/A), smokers with the G/G genotype and smokers with the G/A + A/A genotypes were 2.92 (1.09-7.82), 3.95 (1.36-11.5) and 7.01 (2.68-18.4), respectively. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the CCND1 G870A SNP may contribute to genetic susceptibility to OPLs and involve in oral cancer development.
Developing country-wide farm typologies: An analysis of Ethiopian smallholders’ income and food security

Ethiopia’s agricultural sector is highly diverse and subject to change due to different factors such as climate and population growth. Consequently, competition for available land, water, energy, and other inputs increases, posing pressure on the rural population’s livelihoods and food security. It is therefore imperative to analyze farmer’s production choices under these changing circumstances. The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology to establish country-wide farm typologies allowing for both a spatial and temporal analysis of the evolution of the agricultural sector, and in particular smallholders' food security and income in Ethiopia. First, household survey data is employed to categorize smallholder farming systems according to their agro-ecological zone, farm size, main activities and degree of intensification. Second, farming systems are extrapolated using a multinomial logit-regression. Resulting combinations of farming-system occurrence and their production activities are harmonized with national statistics and subsequently equipped with the potential to intensify. Compared with other typologies that commonly only focus on the distribution of farming systems, this study fills the typology with data, allowing for the analysis of income and food security over space and time. It is concluded that livestock-oriented systems are less profitable than crop-oriented systems and more prone to food-insecurity. Increased input intensification is one way to reduce pressure on cropland expansion caused by the expected increase in population, but has to go together with other methods to fully alleviate pressure on land and thereby poverty and food insecurity.
Small Schools in a Big World: Thinking About a Wicked Problem

The position of small rural schools is precarious in much of rural Canada today. What is to be done about small schools in rural communities which are often experiencing population decline and aging, economic restructuring, and the loss of employment and services? We argue this issue is a classic "wicked" policy problem. Small schools activists have a worldview that is focused on maintaining infrastructure and even community survival, while school boards are mandated to focus on the efficient provision of educational services across wider geographies. Is it even possible to mitigate the predictable conflict and zero-sum games that arise with the decision to close small schools? That is the subject of this paper, which draws on poststructural and actor network theory. We suggest that wicked problems cannot be addressed satisfactorily through formulas and data-driven technical-rational processes. They can only be addressed through flexible, dialogical policy spaces that allow people who have radically different worldviews to create dynamic, bridging conversations. Fundamentally, we argue that what is required are new spaces and modes of governance that are sufficiently networked, open, and flexible to manage the complexity and the mutability of genuinely participatory democracy. De nos jours, la situation des petites ecoles rurales est precaire dans beaucoup de milieux ruraux au Canada. Que faire des petites ecoles dans les milieux ruraux souvent aux prises avec une population vieillissante et en declin, une restructuration economique, et une perte d’emplois et de services? Nous soutenons que cette situation est un probleme classique de politique « pernicieuse ». Les activistes des petites ecoles ont une vision du monde axee sur le maintien de l’infrastructure, voire la survie communautaire, alors que les conseils scolaires sont charges de miser sur la prestation efficace de services educationnels sur de plus grandes etendues. Est-il meme possible de mitiger le conflit previsible et les jeux a somme nulle qui decoulent de la decision de fermer de petites ecoles? Voila le sujet de cet article, qui puise dans la theorie post-structurale et la theorie du reseau d’acteurs. Nous proposons que les problemes pernicieux ne peuvent etre abordes de facon satisfaisante par les formules et les processus technico-rationnels axes sur les donnees. Ils ne peuvent etre resolus que par des politiques souples et dialogiques qui permettent aux gens avec des visions du monde radicalement differentes de creer des conversations dynamiques qui appuient le rapprochement. Dans le fond, nous militons en faveur de nouveaux espaces et de nouveaux modes de gouvernance qui sont suffisamment reseautes, ouverts et souples pour gerer la complexite et la mutabilite d’une democratie authentiquement participative.
Zebrafish limb development is triggered by a retinoic acid signal during gastrulation

Studies in mouse and zebrafish show that vertebrate forelimb development is initiated by retinoic acid (RA). An RA signal leads to transcription of tbx5 in forelimb precursors which is necessary and sufficient for limb development. However, the timing of the RA signaling event has remained controversial as have source tissue and tissue interactions. We have thus determined the contribution of RA to zebrafish pectoral fin development at different developmental stages. Specifically, an early gastrula stage RA signal triggers the process that leads to determination of tbx5‐expressing limb precursors, while a later somitogenesis stage RA signal maintains these precursors. Preceding the lack of tbx5‐expressing limb precursors in RA deficient zebrafish embryos, aldh1a2 and cyp26a1 expression domains are distorted along the gastrula margin suggesting that positional values in the ventrolateral mesodermal anlagen are affected. We propose that limb precursor determination requires RA dependent specification of lateral plate territories during gastrulation. Developmental Dynamics 240:1116–1126, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Equivalence of the General Covariance Union (GCU) and Minimum Enclosing Ellipsoid (MEE) Problems

In this paper we describe General Covariance Union (GCU) and show that solutions to GCU and the Minimum Enclosing Ellipsoid (MEE) problems are equivalent. This is a surprising result because GCU is defined over positive semidefinite (PSD) matrices with statistical interpretations while MEE involves PSD matrices with geometric interpretations. Their equivalence establishes an intersection between the seemingly disparate methodologies of covariance-based (e.g., Kalman) filtering and bounded region approaches to data fusion.
Local treatment of osteoporosis with alendronate‐loaded calcium phosphate cement

Background A new treatment strategy is to target specific areas of the skeletal system that are prone to clinically significant osteoporotic fractures. We term this strategy as the “local treatment of osteoporosis”. The study was performed to investigate the effect of alendronate‐loaded calcium phosphate cement (CPC) as a novel drug delivery system for local treatment of osteoorosis. Methods An in vitro study was performed using CPC fabricated with different concentrations of alendronate (ALE, 0, 2, 5, 10 weight percent (wt%)). The microstructure, setting time, infrared spectrum, biomechanics, drug release, and biocompatibility of the composite were measured in order to detect changes when mixing CPC with ALE. An in vivo study was also performed using 30 Sprague‐Dawley rats randomly divided into six groups: normal, Sham (ovariectomized (OVX) + Sham), CPC with 2% ALE, 5%ALE, and 10% ALE groups. At 4 months after the implantation of the composite, animals were sacrificed and the caudal vertebrae (levels 4–7) were harvested for micro‐CT examination and biomechanical testing. Results The setting time and strength of CPC was significantly faster and greater than the other groups. The ALE release was sustained over 21 days, and the composite showed good biocompatibility. In micro‐CT analysis, compared with the Sham group, there was a significant increase with regard to volumetric bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular number (Tb.N) in the treated groups (P <0.05). Trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp) showed a significant increase in the Sham group compared to other groups (P <0.01). However, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) showed no significant difference among the groups. In biomechanical testing, the maximum compression strength and stiffness of trabecular bone in the Sham group were lower than those in the experimental groups. Conclusions The ALE‐loaded CPC displayed satisfactory properties in vitro, which can reverse the OVX rat vertebral trabecular bone microarchitecture and biomechanical properties in vivo.
Analysis of a Supply Contract for Coordinating the Newsvendor with Price Dependent Demand ∗

Consider a one-supplier one-retailer supply chain facing stochastic price-dependent demand. This paper addresses two problems: (1) how to coordinate the decentralized supply chain; (2) how to determine the combined pricing and inventory decision. We propose a novel supplier-retailer contract to coordinate the supply chain facing price-dependent demand. In this supply chain, the retailer places a one-time order and the supplier produces and delivers the order to the retailer prior to the selling season. Before the retailer places any order, the supplier announces the contract specifications which specifies the returns policy and wholesale price. The new contract is determined by the supplier through proper setting of wholesale and buy-back prices. It has certain appealing features: its contract parameters and executions are independent of the stochastic demand distribution, it is symmetric in the sense that both the supplier and retailer’s profits are linearly correlated and it has certain advantages in implementation. With this contract the retailer needs to solve the newsvendor problem with pricing. We identify a class of demand distributions, which can result in well-behaved profit functions and unifies most of the existent results in the literature of newsvendor pricing problems. This research is supported in part by RGC grant (CUHK 4417/99E and NSFC/RGC CUHK10). 1Chinese University of Hong Kong, ShaTin, N.T. , Hong Kong. Tel: 852-2609-8310, fax: 85226035505, email: lyao@se.cuhk. edu.hk and yhchen@se.cuhk. edu.hk. 2University of Texas at Dallas, Texas and Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Down‐regulation of serum gonadotropins but not estrogen replacement improves cognition in aged‐ovariectomized 3xTg AD female mice

Development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to the de‐regulation of estrogen and gonadotropins such as luteinizing hormone (LH). In this study, we found increases in AD pathology in the hippocampi of aged female 3xTg AD mice after ovariectomy that were unable to be reduced by estrogen therapy or down‐regulation of serum LH levels. Despite the lack of effect of these treatments on AD pathology, down‐regulation of serum LH but not estrogen improved factors associated with neuronal plasticity such as spatial memory, inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase‐3 beta, expression of beta‐catenin, and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor transcription. Contrasting previous studies in younger mice, estrogen replacement was not able to rescue behavioral deficits, reduced glycogen synthase kinase‐3 beta inhibition and increased hippocampal phosphorylation of tau. Of critical importance, serum LH was negatively correlated with brain LH in regions associated with spatial memory, and increases in brain LH correlated with cognitive improvement. This paralleled changes in human female AD brains which showed a significant reduction in brain LH mRNA compared to healthy age‐ and PMI‐matched controls. Taken together, these findings should promote further research into the LH‐dependent mechanisms associated with AD cognitive deficits as well as the effects of estrogen within the aged brain.
Evaluating a Training Program for Parental Educators

This paper describes and evaluates a training program for parental educators to teach parenting classes for families with children 1 to 5 years of age. Six staff and parent volunteers from a family resource center participated. Evaluations of the training program showed improved knowledge and increased comfort in teaching parenting classes. Two graduates of the training program led a 10-week series of parenting classes. Parents in their class series (n = 9) significantly reduced their reported use of verbal and corporal punishment, increased their nurturing, and improved their perceptions of their children's behavior. These results were similar to those from a series of similar classes for 15 parents led by a university instructor. Results are discussed in terms of research needs for training qualified parental educators.
A 57-dB image band rejection CMOS G/sub m/-C polyphase filter with automatic frequency tuning for Bluetooth

A 7th order polyphase G/sub m/-C IF filter with automatic frequency tuning, implemented in a 0.35/spl mu/m CMOS process, is presented. The filter has a center frequency of 3MHz and a passband of 1MHz. The image band rejection is higher than 57dB, the stop band attenuation is at least 40dB. The in-band spurious free dynamic range is around 53dB. On-chip automatic frequency tuning provides more than 240% center frequency range (i.e., 1.6MHz-3.9MHz) of the filter. The filter is well suited for employment in the Bluetooth short-range radio.
EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION OF HOUSE FINCHES WITH MYCOPLASMA GALLISEPTICUM

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) has caused an endemic upper respiratory and ocular infection in the eastern house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) after the epidemic first described in 1994. The disease has been studied by a number of investigators at a population level and reports describe experimental infection in group-housed MG-free house finches. Because detailed observation and evaluation of individual birds in group housed passerines is problematic, we studied individually housed house finches that were experimentally inoculated with the finch strain of MG in a controlled environment. To accomplish this, a study was conducted spanning the period of November 2001–April 2002 with 20 MG-free (confirmed by the rapid plate agglutination assay and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay) eastern house finches captured in the Cayuga Basin area of central New York (USA) in the summer of 2001. After a period of acclimatization and observation (12 wk), 20 finches were inoculated with a 0.05-ml aliquot of MG (3.24×105 colony-forming units/ml) via bilateral conjunctival sac instillations. Two additional finches acted as controls and were inoculated in the same manner with preservative-free sterile saline solution. After inoculation, all finches except the controls exhibited clinical signs of conjunctivitis within 2–6 days. The progression of the disease was evaluated by several methods, including PCR, behavioral observations, and physical examination including eye scoring, body weight, and body condition index. Over a period of 21 wk, MG-infected finches developed signs of disease and recovered (80%), developed signs of disease and progressed to become chronically infected (15%), or died (5%). We hypothesize that the high survival rate and recovery of these finches after infection was associated with the use of controlled environmental conditions, acclimatization, a high plane of nutrition, and low stocking (housing) density, all of which are factors documented to be important in the outcome of MG infections in domestic poultry and other species.
US Public Diplomacy: A Theoretical Treatise

ABSTRACT This article challenges the dominant framework that drives US public diplomacy initiatives and insists that, short of major structural changes, US public diplomacy lacks ethical legitimacy. Based on a review of past US public diplomacy practices, the article finds that these efforts were mainly characterized by a one-way flow of information and an emphasis on image management. Using the theories of hegemony, American exceptionalism, Orientalism, and cultural imperialism, the author lays a theoretical framework for analyzing public diplomacy. The author suggests that, for public diplomacy to move beyond propaganda, it needs to incorporate two-way communication and symmetry.
Typology of Main Message Strategies for Television Commercials

Abstract A number of classification schemes have been developed to aid researchers, practitioners, and educators in identifying various types of message strategies employed in the advertising of consumer goods. These classification schemes range from simple dichotomies to very elaborate typologies. None of these classification schemes was found to be useful when we tried to categorize commercials for a research project relating to advertising effectiveness. Difficulties encountered when attempting to use the existing classification schemes led to the development of a new typology which seems to meet the criteria for a “good” classification scheme. This article discusses the weaknesses found in the existing schemes, describes this new typology, and provides the results of an empirical test of its classification ability.
Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprH in polymyxin and gentamicin resistance: isolation of an OprH-deficient mutant by gene replacement techniques

The cloned oprH gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was mutated by inserting a 1.4-kbp fragment that encodes tetracycline resistance. This mutated gene was then incorporated into the P. aeruginosa chromosome by homologous recombination. Growth of the resultant oprH::tet mutant in Mg(2+)-deficient medium had little effect on susceptibility to polymyxin B, gentamicin, or EDTA unless the mutant was complemented by the cloned oprH gene in plasmid pGB25. In contrast, growth of the parent strain on Mg(2+)-deficient medium resulted in resistance to all three agents. These data support the hypothesis that overexpression of OprH under Mg(2+)-deficient growth conditions is conditionally required for resistance to these three agents.
Searching for Hidden-Web Databases

Recently, there has been increased interest in the retrieval and integration of hidden-Web data with a view to leverage high-quality information available in online databases. Although previous works have addressed many aspects of the actual integration, including matching form schemata and automatically filling out forms, the problem of locating relevant data sources has been largely overlooked. Given the dynamic nature of the Web, where data sources areconstantlychanging, itiscrucialtoautomaticallydiscoverthese resources. However, considering the number of documents on the Web (Google already indexes over 8 billion documents), automatically finding tens, hundreds or even thousands of forms that are relevant to the integration task is really like looking for a few needles in a haystack. Besides, since the vocabulary and structure of forms for a given domain are unknown until the forms are actually found, it is hard to define exactly what to look for. We propose a new crawling strategy to automatically locate hidden-Web databases which aims to achieve a balance between the two conflicting requirements of this problem: the need to perform a broad search while at the same time avoiding the need to crawl a large number of irrelevant pages. The proposed strategy does that by focusing the crawl on a given topic; by judiciously choosing links to follow within a topic that are more likely to lead to pages that contain forms; and by employing appropriate stopping criteria. We describe the algorithms underlying this strategy and an experimental evaluation which shows that our approach is both effective and efficient, leading to larger numbers of forms retrieved as a function of the number of pages visited than other crawlers.