Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orthodontic bracket designs and their impact on microbial profile and periodontal disease: A clinical trial

Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the undisturbed plaque formation on teeth bonded with Preadjusted (Captain Ortho, Libral Traders, Mumbai, India) and Begg Brackets (Captain Ortho, Libral Traders, Mumbai, India) with nonbonded control sites via a de novo plaque growth over a period of 7 days. Materials and Methods: A clinical trial with the split-mouth design was set up enrolling 10 dental students. Within each subject sites with (Preadjusted) (P-site), Begg brackets (B-site) and control sites were followed. Plaque index and gingival index were recorded on days 3 and 7. Supra-gingival and sub-gingival plaque samples were taken from the brackets and the teeth on days 3 and 7, and were sent for aerobic and anaerobic culturing. The total number of bacterial colony forming units (CFU) was assessed for each sample using a colony counter. Tukeys and Dunnett test then statistically analyzed data. Results: The mean plaque index and gingival index increased on P-site and B-site on the third and 7th day. The shift from aerobic to anaerobic species was observed earlier in P-sites than in B-sites. The CFU were significantly higher for all sites on day 7 when compared with day 3. The aerobe/anaerobe CFU ratio was significantly lower in P-sites than in B-sites and then control showing an increase in the number of anaerobic species on the 3rd and 7th day (P < 0.05). Based on observed means, the mean difference was significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present data suggest that Preadjusted brackets accumulated more plaque than Begg brackets. Bracket design can have a significant impact on bacterial load and on periodontal parameters.
World experience of state regulation of entrepreneurship

The article analyses tendencies of state regulation of entrepreneurship in EU countries, USA and Japan and identifies state regulation of entrepreneurship as a system, which consists of certain elements, unity and interaction of which determine its efficiency and functionality. Analysis, systematisation and generalisation of experience of state regulation of entrepreneurship in these countries allow making a conclusion that the existing differences in the role of the state in economy are not connected with the degree of state regulation, but are connected with the means used for its realisation. General tendencies of development of relations between the state and entrepreneurial sector allowed identification of main elements of the system of state regulation of entrepreneurship, which include: forecasting, planning and programming socio-economic development; anti-monopoly competitive policy; tax and investment policy; innovation policy and stimulation of R and D (Research and Development). The prospect of further studies is identification of specific features of the system of state regulation of entrepreneurship in the modern Ukrainian economy.
Small bowel perforation: an unusual cause

An 80-year-old lady with abdominal pain had a perforated terminal ileum at laparotomy 2 weeks after treatment for Campylobacter jejuni infective colitis. Histology of the excised bowel revealed transmucosal inflammation but no dysplasia or malignancy. Cases of bowel perforation secondary to Campylobacter are more common in children and HIV-positive individuals.
Crystal structure of I-DmoI in complex with its target DNA provides new insights into meganuclease engineering

Homing endonucleases, also known as meganucleases, are sequence-specific enzymes with large DNA recognition sites. These enzymes can be used to induce efficient homologous gene targeting in cells and plants, opening perspectives for genome engineering with applications in a wide series of fields, ranging from biotechnology to gene therapy. Here, we report the crystal structures at 2.0 and 2.1 Å resolution of the I-DmoI meganuclease in complex with its substrate DNA before and after cleavage, providing snapshots of the catalytic process. Our study suggests that I-DmoI requires only 2 cations instead of 3 for DNA cleavage. The structure sheds light onto the basis of DNA binding, indicating key residues responsible for nonpalindromic target DNA recognition. In silico and in vivo analysis of the I-DmoI DNA cleavage specificity suggests that despite the relatively few protein-base contacts, I-DmoI is highly specific when compared with other meganucleases. Our data open the door toward the generation of custom endonucleases for targeted genome engineering using the monomeric I-DmoI scaffold.
Dynamic and resilient protocol for mutual authentication of nodes in wireless sensor networks

Authentication is significant not only to data transmission operations but also network organizational functions in wireless sensor networks. Recently data authentication has been the focus of the research community in wireless sensor networks. Wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes are inherently resource constrained: they have restricted communication bandwidth, storage capacity, and processing speed. By considering all the limitations, we propose a dynamic and resilient mutual node authentication (DNA) scheme that promotes secure data exchange and authenticate the integrity of sensor nodes. Analysis and simulation results indicate that the proposed mechanism is simple, efficient and secure.
Mandatory or Not Mandatory Reporting? Insights From Italian Bank Foundations

In the Italian nonprofit field, bank foundations face an increasing demand to account for their grant activity in forms that go beyond traditional financial statements. Consequently, bank foundations have developed specific reports in accordance with a 2001 Italian law that requires a mission report to be included within financial statements. This study investigates the peculiarities of social reporting documents in terms of standards used and formal characteristics, revealing different adoption levels. Contributing to an ongoing debate, the analysis of the reporting practices underlines how the due by law on social accounting could hamper the disclosure in nonprofit organizations.
Ecology, Policy and Politics: Human Well-Being and the Natural World

1. Human Well-Being and the Natural World. 2. Nature, Intrinsic Value and Human Well-Being. 3. Future Generations and the Harms We Do Ourselves. 4. The Constituency of Enviromental Policy. 5. Justifying Cost Benefit Analysis: Arguments from Welfare. 6. Pluralism, Liberalism and the Good Life. 7. Pluralism, incommensurability, judgement. 8. Authority, Democracy and the Environment. 9. Science, Policy and Environmental Value. 10. Market, Household and Politics.
Beyond the Fringe: Finland and the Choice of Currency

This paper seeks to explain why Finland, which is further from the main population and productive centres of Europe and arguably more different and more prone to asymmetric shocks than some countries that have chosen to stay out of Stage 3 of EMU, chose to participate. We argue that economically relatively marginal issues affected the choice. How the decision-making process is conducted can be as important as the balance of information on which the decision is based. We also use evidence after the event on how the economy reacts to show that some of the problems hypothesised beforehand have turned out rather more favourably than expected. In particular Finland has experienced a substantial positive asymmetric shock in the ICT sector where membership of EMU has had a very clear positive effect on the impact on the economy. Lastly we offer some limited evidence that membership of EMU itself forces some of the changes to institutions and behaviour that are required to cope with the new pressures.
L'environnement informationnel et la structure de propriété et de contrôle des sociétés cotées françaises.

Using a sample of 423 French listed firms for the 1999-2000 period, we document that analysts are more inclined to follow firms with a high discrepancy level between own- ership and control as well as those controlled through pyramiding. This result is consistent with the argument that minority shareholders ask for more analyst services in response to high expropriation likelihood levels. Besides, we show that increased ana- lyst coverage does not come along with better forecast quality in these firms. Potentially poor internal gov- ernance seems to distort the precision of the forecasts.
Who is adaptation for? Vulnerability and adaptation benefits in proposals approved by the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund

Since the Adaptation Fund (AF) became operational in 2007, there has been a vivid discussion about equity and efficiency in how resources (predicted to be scarce) are governed and allocated. One complicating factor is that allocation is often discussed between countries rather than between sub-national causes and groups, and while this approach follows from the UNFCCC context, it is problematic because it ignores the fact that vulnerability is a locally contextualized phenomenon. This paper empirically analyses the portrayal of vulnerability and adaptation benefits in project proposals approved by the AF, and thereby comments on the normative principles of equity and efficiency when allocating funds to developing countries and their vulnerable communities. It does this by evaluating actual decisions made by the AF, which has been operating for some time. We qualitatively analyse all proposals approved as of December 2012 by the Fund's Board. First, we compare the ways that ‘particular vulnerability’ is justified or not, especially in light of the minimal guidance available. Second, we compare project proponent's statements (or lack thereof) on economic, social, and environmental benefits arising from the suggested projects, and who they would accrue to. Lessons learned with regard to allocation will also be important for the development of the Green Climate Fund, considering that resources are likely to be scarce for some time in comparison with predicted funding needs.
A Heterologous Helper T-Cell Epitope Enhances the Immunogenicity of a Multiple-Antigenic-Peptide Vaccine Targeting the Cryptic Loop-Neutralizing Determinant of Bacillus anthracis Protective Antigen

ABSTRACT We previously showed that a multiple antigenic peptide (MAP) displaying amino acids (aa) 305 to 319 from the 2β2-2β3 loop of protective antigen (PA) can elicit high-titered antibody that neutralizes lethal toxin (LeTx) in vitro and that this loop-neutralizing determinant (LND) specificity is absent in PA-immune rabbits. Some immune rabbits were, however, nonresponders to the MAP. We hypothesized that the immunogen elicited suboptimal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted T-cell help and that introduction of a functional helper T-cell epitope would increase MHC-restricted responsiveness and the magnitude and affinity of the antibody responses. In the current study, we characterized the T- and B-cell responses to LND peptides in mice, then designed second-generation MAP immunogens for eliciting LND-specific immunity, and tested them in rabbits. The 305-319 sequence was devoid of helper T-cell epitopes in three strains of mice; however, a T-B peptide comprising aa 305 to 319, colinearly synthesized with the P30 helper epitope of tetanus toxin, elicited robust LeTx-neutralizing immunity in mice. T-B MAPs displaying B-cell epitopes 304 to 319 (MAP304) or 305 to 319 (MAP305) elicited high-titer, durable antibody responses in rabbits which exhibited potent neutralization of LeTx in vitro. All MAP304-immune rabbits demonstrated neutralization titers exceeding that of hyperimmune sera of rabbits immunized with PA in Freund's adjuvant, with peak neutralization titers 23-, 6-, and 3-fold higher than that of the PA antiserum. Overall, immunization with MAPs containing the P30 epitope elicited higher antibody and toxin neutralization titers and peptide-specific affinity than immunization with an LND MAP lacking a helper epitope. P30-containing MAP304 represents a promising LND-specific vaccine for anthrax.
Virtual Business Incubations: An Alternative Way to Develop and Service Peripheral Areas

This article examines possibilities to develop the service sector in a peripheral area by using virtual business incubations instead of traditional, location-based business incubations. The articleintroduces typical characteristics of physical business incubations and compares them with features that are possible to be provided also virtually. Then, using the tourism branch in Finnish Lapland as a basis for a case study, the article shows that virtual implementation of business incubations is in some cases either better or even the only possible way to provide services typical for business incubations. Furthermore, the article discusses how the logic of virtual business incubations provides a win-win or a win-win-win situation than a win-lose situation for the businesses involved: the establishment of a virtual business incubation between competing firms is able to create value in a way resembling the situation in multifaceted coopetition (Brandenburger & Nalebuff, 1996) without typical economic-geographical zero-sum game of traditional business incubations. The article shows both practical and theoretical importance of virtual incubations in business and in business research.
Models of Sovereign Debt: Partial versus General Reputations

Some economists argue that as long as governments can earn the market rate of return by saving abroad, standard reputation models cannot support debt. The authors argue that these standard reputation models are partial in the sense that actions of agents in one arena affect reputation in that arena only. The authors develop a general model of reputation in which if a government is viewed as untrustworthy in one relationship this government will he viewed as untrustworthy in other relationships. They show that their general model of reputation can support large amounts of debt. Copyright 1998 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
Income Tax Evasion and the Tax Schedule: Some Experimental Results

A report of an experiment which replicates the income tax assessment procedure and is designed to test two predictions of tax evasion theory: that every individual will attempt some evasion if the expected gains are positive, and that a change in the marginal tax rate (average rate constant) will not influence the amount of evasion attempted. Both predictions are strongly rejected by the results, though a positive influence of true after-tax income on evasion, which is consistent with the basic model, is confirmed.
Energy Use in Sales and Distribution via E‐Commerce and Conventional Retail: A Case Study of the Japanese Book Sector

Energy use associated with sales and distribution via business‐to‐consumer (B2C) e‐commerce versus conventional retail is analyzed for the Japanese book sector. Results indicate that e‐commerce uses considerably more energy per book than conventional retail in dense urban areas, because of additional packaging. In suburban and rural areas, the energy consumption of the two systems is nearly equal because the relative efficiency of courier services compared to personal automobile transport balances out the impact of additional packaging. The main reason e‐commerce does not save energy, even in rural areas, is because of the multipurpose use of automobiles; e‐commerce does consume less energy in the case of single‐purpose shopping trips by automobile. Overall consumption at the national level is nearly the same: 5.6 mega‐joules (MJ) per book for e‐commerce and 5.2 MJ per book for traditional retail. Although this difference is smaller than the uncertainty in the result, the structure of energy use for the two systems is quite distinct, which suggests reprioritization of energy‐efficiency strategies. Important factors influencing the energy efficiency of B2C e‐commerce include packaging, loading factors of courier trucks, number of trips per delivery, and residential energy consumption.
Assessing the Effect of Publicly Assisted Brownfield Redevelopment on Surrounding Property Values

This study measures and compares the impact of publicly assisted brownfield redevelopment on nearby residential property values in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. It also examines the influence of land use, neighborhood characteristics, and other redevelopment factors on this impact. The research approach incorporates a hedonic method to quantify nearby property value effects at more than 100 brownfield projects, and stakeholder interviews are used to assess perceived impacts to real estate conditions. The results reveal that the spillover effect in terms of raising surrounding property values is significant in both quantity and geographic scope, as redevelopment led to a net increase of 11.4% in nearby housing prices in Milwaukee and 2.7% in Minneapolis. It also reveals that project size, value, and the amount of public funding have minor impacts on this effect; factors such as proximity to major roads, distance from rail, and higher incomes have greater positive impacts.
Are cigarette bans really good economic policy?

This study investigates the quarterly relationship between the quantity of cigarettes sold, real disposable income per capita, and the relative price level of cigarettes in Canada. Careful attention is paid to the nonstationarity of the data and the dynamic specification of the model. It is concluded that cigarette demand is extremely insensitive to price and income changes. This is evidence of the large consumer surplus smokers enjoy and the large revenue increasing potential of a cigarette tax increase policy, as opposed to cigarette bans.
Evaluating the extent of inter-organizational learning and change in local authorities through the english beacon council scheme

This article examines the English Beacon Council Scheme, established by central government to reward excellence in service delivery and to disseminate good practice across local government. Using data from a national survey (N = 314) and seventy-two interviews from twelve case studies, this article examines three research questions. First, how much learning takes place at or through Beacon Council events? Second, to what extent has this learning led to implementation of service and corporate changes in local authorities? Third, what are the enablers and barriers of inter-organizational learning and change from the Beacon Council Scheme? The article demonstrates that the Beacon Council Scheme is relatively successful in sharing good practice but there is uncertainty over where the Scheme fits into the local government modernization agenda. Lessons learnt from sharing good practice in the Beacon Council Scheme may be applicable to other areas of the public sector, in the UK and beyond.
Potential biomarkers for predicting hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke

ABSTRACT Reperfusion therapy contributes to better clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke but carries a more significant risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) compared to supportive care. Once HT occurs, the outcome is usually poor and this causes a dilemma in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Consequently, early prediction of HT would be extremely helpful for guiding precise treatment of ischemic stroke. In this review, we focus on summarizing biomarkers of HT and elucidating possible mechanisms so as to identify potential biomarkers for predicting HT.
Pricing Eurodollar Futures Options with the Heath—Jarrow—Morton Model

This article uses the algorithm developed by Ritchken and Sankarasubramanian (1995) to make comparisons among the Heath—Jarrow—Morton (HJM) models (Heath, Jarrow, & Morton, 1992) with different volatility structures in pricing the Eurodollar futures options. We show that the differences among the HJM models as well as the difference between the HJM models and Black's model can be insignificant when the volatility of the forward rate is relatively small. Moreover, our findings imply that the difference between the American‐style and European‐style options is insignificant for options with a life of less than 1 year. However, the difference can be significant for options with a 1‐year maturity, the difference depending on the exercise price. Finally, our tests indicate that the difference between the forward price and the futures price is insignificant if the volatility parameter is low enough and when the volatility of the spot rate is proportional to the spot rate. A higher volatility parameter can lead to a significant difference between the forward price and the futures price, although its impact on the price of the options will still be trivial. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 21: 655–680, 2001
Labour productivity and unit labour costs in manufacturing: the UK and its competitors

In this note, I present and discuss comparisons of productivity and unit labour costs between the UK and a number of industrial countries. Initially results are discussed for the UK and its four largest industrial competitors: France, Germany, Japan and the United States, collectively the G5 countries. Later the comparisons are extended to eight other countries. Both growth rates and levels of productivity and unit labour costs are considered, comparisons of levels being far more difficult to make.
Lower Limb Alignment in Children: Reference Values Based on a Full-Length Standing Radiograph

Background: A full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph of the entire lower extremity has become the standard imaging modality for assessing lower limb alignment. Although reference values of frontal plane deformity parameters based on adult subjects have been established, such values may not be applicable to the pediatric population. The purpose of our study was to establish the reference values of frontal plane alignment and joint orientation angles in children based on a standing full-length radiograph. Methods: A database at a single institution was searched for patients who were aged between 1 and 18 years at the time of undergoing a standing full-length radiograph of the lower extremities. Radiographic analysis of lower extremities without any abnormalities was performed by a single observer. Mechanical axis deviation, lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), tibiofemoral angle, joint line convergence angle, and mechanical axis station were calculated at yearly intervals. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and simple regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the patients' age and the magnitude of LDFA and MPTA. Results: A total of 354 unaffected lower extremities in 253 children were analyzed. Between the ages of 1 and 2 years, the tendency for varus alignment of the lower limb was related to the varus orientation of the distal femur with a mean LDFA of 95 degrees (95% confidence interval [CI], 93-97 degrees). By the age of 3 years, the limb alignment changed to valgus related to a combination of decreasing varus orientation of the distal femur and a mild increase in valgus orientation of the proximal tibia with the mean MPTA changing from 89 degrees (95% CI, 88-90 degrees) to 91 degrees (95% CI, 90-92 degrees). After the age of 7 years, all joint orientation angles were noted to be within the range of reference values that are available for the adult population. Despite changes in limb alignment with growth, the mean mechanical axis of the lower extremity remained within the central half of the knee joint in children older than 1 year of age. Conclusions: The change in alignment of the lower limb from 1 to 4 years of life from varus to valgus is primarily related to a progressive decrease in varus orientation of the distal femur. In children younger than 7 years old, age-specific reference values for joint orientation angles of the lower extremity should be used instead of values derived from adult subjects. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic level II.