Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Satisfaction among early and mid-career dentists in a metropolitan dental hospital in China

A growing body of research has examined career satisfaction among dentists using a standardized instrument, dentist satisfaction survey (DSS). This project examined career satisfaction of early to mid-career dentists in China, a population whose career satisfaction, heretofore, has not been studied. This is an especially critical time to examine career satisfaction because of health care reform measures being implemented in China. A culturally sensitive Chinese-language version of the DSS (CDSS) was developed and electronically administered to 367 early and mid-career dentists in a tertiary dental hospital in Beijing, China. One hundred and seventy respondents completed the survey. The average total career score was 123, with a range of 82–157. Data analysis showed some significant differences in total career score and several subscales based on gender, working hours per week, and years in practice. A stepwise regression model revealed that two variables predicted total career score: working hours per week and gender. Stepwise regression also demonstrated that four subscales significantly predicted the overall professional satisfaction subscale score: respect, delivery of care, income and patient relations. Implications of these results are discussed in light of the health care delivery system and dentist career paths in China.
Bilingualism, gender, and friendship : constructing second language learners in a mainstream kindergarten.

BILINGUALISM, GENDER, AND FRIENDSHIP: CONSTRUCTING SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN A MAINSTREAM KINDERGARTEN FEBRUARY 1999 BARBARA L. HRUSKA, B.A., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST M.A., UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON Ed.D, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Associate Professor Jerri Willett This year-long ethnographic study focuses on six Spanish dominant, English as a second language learners in an English mainstream kindergarten classroom. The study is based on a theoretical framework which views language as the site of social meaning construction and power negotiations (Fairclough, 1989). Four broad research questions address the local meanings of bilingualism, gender, and friendship and how the ideologies, identities, and social relationships relevant to these socially constructed discourses impact language learners. Broad, mid, and micro level analyses are conducted using standard interpretive analytic procedures. Findings are presented regarding the meanings of the local discourses of bilingualism, gender, and friendship and their implications for the English as a second language learners in the study. Findings indicate
Speech production in broca's agrammatic aphasia: Syntactic tree pruning

Broca’s agrammatic aphasia entails a syntactic deficit both in sentence comprehension and in sentence production. This chapter describes the intriguing pattern of deficits in speech production, and shows that this type of inquiry interacts with linguistic theory as well as with knowledge about brain-language relations. The syntactic tree, a syntactic construct that has originally been suggested based on purely linguistic grounds, is shown to be a useful tool to describe the deficit in production in agrammatism, and the role of the impaired brain area in syntactic production. The general idea is that the selective pattern of impairment in Broca’s agrammatic aphasia and the dissociations witnessed within and between languages follow from the inaccessibility of high nodes of the syntactic tree to agrammatic speakers. This causes syntactic structures that relate to high nodes of the tree to be impaired in agrammatism, whereas lower structures are unimpaired. The relative order of various syntactic abilities on the tree can also serve to explain degrees of agrammatic severity, as well as the path of spontaneous recovery from agrammatism.
Differential sensitivity of 5'UTR-NS5A recombinants of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1-6 to protease and NS5A inhibitors.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy will benefit from the preclinical evaluation of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents in infectious culture systems that test the effects on different virus genotypes. We developed HCV recombinants comprising the 5' untranslated region-NS5A (5-5A) from genotypes 1-6 and 2a(JFH1) NS5B-3' untranslated region, and tested the effects of NS3 protease and NS5A inhibitors on these recombinants. METHODS The HCV 5-5A recombinants with previously identified mutations in the NS3-helicase (F1464L), NS4A (A1672S), and NS5B (D2979G) were adapted and improved, by incorporating additional recovered mutations that increased their propagation in Huh7.5 cells. Concentration-response profiles were determined for each DAA agent in replicate infected Huh7.5 cells. RESULTS Developed efficient 1a(H77), 1a(TN), 3a(S52), 4a(ED43), 5a(SA13), and 6a(HK6a) 5-5A recombinants did not require mutations after viral passage in the NS3 protease or NS5A domain-I regions targeted by the drugs. They were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by the NS3 protease inhibitors telaprevir, boceprevir, asunaprevir, simeprevir, vaniprevir, faldaprevir, and MK-5172 and by the NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir. The 1a(TN) 5-5A and JFH1-independent full-length viruses had similar levels of sensitivity to the DAA agents, validating the 5-5A recombinants as surrogates for full-length viruses in DAA testing. Compared with the 1a(TN) full-length virus, the 3a(S52) 5-5A recombinant was highly resistant to all protease inhibitors, and the 4a(ED43) recombinant was highly resistant to telaprevir and boceprevir, but most sensitive to other protease inhibitors. Compared with other protease inhibitors, MK-5172 had exceptional potency against all HCV genotypes. The NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir had the highest potency observed, but with genotype-dependent activity. CONCLUSIONS The mutations F1464L, A1672S, and D2979G permitted the development of efficient HCV recombinants comprising genotype-specific 5' untranslated region-NS5A (5-5A), which include the natural NS3 protease and NS5A domain-I drug targets. The robust replication of adapted 5-5A recombinants allowed for direct comparison of NS3 protease and NS5A inhibitors against HCV strains of genotypes 1-6.
Effects of AGN feedback on ΛCDM galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the eﬀects of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback on the formation andevolution of galaxies by using a combination of a cosmological N-body simulation ofthe concordance Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) paradigm and a semi-analytic modelof galaxy formation. This model is an improved version of the one described by Cora(2006), which now considers the growth of black holes (BHs) as driven by (i) gasaccretion during merger-driven starbursts and mergers with other BHs, (ii) accretionduring starbursts triggered by disc instabilities, and (iii) accretion of gas cooled fromquasi-hydrostatic hot gas haloes. It is assumed that feedback from AGN operatesin the later case. The model has been calibrated in order to reproduce observationalcorrelations between BH mass and mass, velocity dispersion, and absolute magnitudesofthe galaxybulge. AGN feedback hasa strongimpact on reducing oreven suppressinggas cooling, an eﬀect that becomes important at lower redshifts. This phenomenonhelpsto reproducethe observedgalaxyluminosityfunction(LF) inthe opticalandnearIR bands at z = 0, and the cosmic star formation rate and stellar mass functions over awide redshift range (0 . z . 5). It also allows to have a population of massive galaxiesalready in place at z & 1, which are mostly early-type and have older and redderstellar populations than lower mass galaxies, reproducing the observed bimodalityin the galaxy colour distribution, and the morphological fractions. The evolution ofthe optical QSO LF is also reproduced, provided that the presence of a signiﬁcantfraction of obscured QSOs is assumed. We explore the eﬀects of AGN feedback duringstarbursts ﬁnding that, in order to obtain a good agreement with observations, theseneed to be strong enough to expell the reheated gas away from the galaxy halo.We also test new, recent prescriptions for dynamical friction time-scales, and ﬁndthat they produce an earlier formation of elliptical galaxies, and a larger amount ofdisc instabilites, which compensate the change in the merger frequency such that theproperties of z = 0 galaxies remain almost unaﬀected. Key words: galaxies: evolution - galaxies: formation - galaxies: statistics - quasars:general
Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation in the Therapy of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung 1

Ten patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were entered into a chemotherapeutic treatment program consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin, and 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1 -nitrosourea. Two courses of combina tion chemotherapy were administered to each patient followed by a third course with the same doses of drugs used on Course 2 but with autologous bone marrow transplantation given 24 to 48 hr after drug infusion. No differences could be detected between Courses 2 and 3 in terms of the magnitude, timing, or degree of myelosuppression. Serial bone marrow biopsies documented a progressive decline in granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units in culture per mg bone marrow medullary core from 138 Â±179 (S.D.) prior to chemotherapy to 7 Â±11 after the marrow transplant recovery (p = 0.05). These data suggest that autologous bone marrow transplantation does not reduce the myelosuppression seen following the drugs used in this study at the dosages used. Autologous bone marrow transplantation may be useful only in the setting of marrow lethal therapy. Its usefulness in shortening recovery time from nonlethal therapy appears questionable.
Aripiprazole in the treatment of Huntington’s disease: a case series

Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the effects of aripiprazole, a new atypical antipsychotic drug that acts as a partial dopamine agonist on motor, behavioral and cognitive functions in patients with genetically confirmed Huntington’s disease (HD). Methods and results: Three HD patients were evaluated for Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale part I and II and Beck Depression Inventory at baseline, after two months and one-year treatment. Aripiprazole effectively controlled involuntary movements and psychiatric symptoms, with effects on cognitive functions. Conclusions: Our case reports suggest that aripiprazole is well tolerated, remarkably improving some of the motor and behavioral symptoms in patients affected by HD. Randomized, controlled, long-term studies are warranted.
Factors affecting plasma levels of lignocaine and prilocaine.

SUMMARY Plasma levels of local anaesthetics following their injection are affected by many factors. Serial plasma levels following injection of lignocaine and prilocaine at various rates in over 500 patients have been measured and this has allowed some of these factors to be assessed and quantified. The vascularity of the site of injection causes major differences in the maximum plasma level. Prilocaine consistently gives lower levels than lignocaine. Adrenaline causes a reduction in the plasma levels of both drugs and the optimal concentration is 1:200,000. Speed of injection is important when giving the drugs intravenously but not epidurally. The concentration of the injected solution does not affect the plasma levels. The weight and age of the patients (all adult females) were unrelated to the mayi'mnm plasma levels.
Wideband microstrip-fed monopole antenna having frequency band-notch function

A novel and compact ultra-wideband (UWB) microstrip-fed monopole antenna having frequency band notch function is presented. To increase the impedance bandwidth of an antenna, a narrow slit is used. By inserting a modified inverted U-slot on the proposed antenna, the frequency band notch characteristic is obtained. The designed antenna satisfies the voltage standing wave ratio requirement of less than 2.0 in the frequency band between 3 and 11 GHz while showing the band rejection performance in the frequency band of 5.0 to 5.9 GHz.
Ca2+ Puffs Originate from Preestablished Stable Clusters of Inositol Trisphosphate Receptors

Localized calcium signals called Ca2+ puffs arise at preestablished clusters of IP3Rs. No Assembly Required The second messenger inositol trisphosphate (IP3) acts on IP3 receptors (IP3Rs) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to elicit Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, enabling the generation of intracellular Ca2+ signals from extracellular messengers. The regulation of these Ca2+ signals depends on the clustered organization of IP3R. Using optical techniques capable of recording single-channel IP3R activity in intact mammalian cells, Smith et al. explored the dynamics of IP3-dependent Ca2+ signals and concluded that local Ca2+ signals (known as puffs) arise from preassembled clusters of IP3R rather than depending on rapid and dynamic clustering in response to the IP3 signal itself. Intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling crucially depends on the clustered organization of inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. These ligand-gated ion channels liberate Ca2+ to generate local signals known as Ca2+ puffs. We tested the hypothesis that IP3 itself elicits rapid clustering of IP3Rs by using flash photolysis of caged IP3 in conjunction with high-resolution Ca2+ imaging to monitor the activity and localization of individual IP3Rs within intact mammalian cells. Our results indicate that Ca2+ puffs arising with latencies as short as 100 to 200 ms after photorelease of IP3 already involve at least four IP3R channels, and that this number does not subsequently grow. Moreover, single active IP3Rs show limited mobility, and stochastic simulations suggest that aggregation of IP3Rs at puff sites by a diffusional trapping mechanism would require many seconds. We thus conclude that puff sites represent preestablished, stable clusters of IP3Rs and that functional IP3Rs are not readily diffusible within the ER membrane.
Sequential Action Control: Closed-Form Optimal Control for Nonlinear and Nonsmooth Systems

This paper presents a new model-based algorithm that computes predictive optimal controls online and in a closed loop for traditionally challenging nonlinear systems. Examples demonstrate the same algorithm controlling hybrid impulsive, underactuated, and constrained systems using only high-level models and trajectory goals. Rather than iteratively optimizing finite horizon control sequences to minimize an objective, this paper derives a closed-form expression for individual control actions, i.e., control values that can be applied for short duration, that optimally improve a tracking objective over a long time horizon. Under mild assumptions, actions become linear feedback laws near equilibria that permit stability analysis and performance-based parameter selection. Globally, optimal actions are guaranteed existence and uniqueness. By sequencing these actions online, in receding horizon fashion, the proposed controller provides a min-max constrained response to a state that avoids the overhead typically required to impose control constraints. Benchmark examples show that the approach can avoid local minima and outperform nonlinear optimal controllers and recent case-specific methods in terms of tracking performance and at speeds that are orders of magnitude faster than traditionally achievable ones.
Around the Finite-Dimensional Spectral Theorem

The goal of this article is to describe an intuitive and natural approach to the spectral theorem and to the singular value decomposition of linear transformations. We are not proving anything new; we are only arranging definitions and proofs in an order that is meant to reveal clearly the relationships among the fundamental facts of the subject. Discussing the presentation of these facts is very much in order, especially in view of the ever-increasing number of students studying linear algebra. We start with a direct geometric proof of the singular value decomposition. The proof uses nothing besides the notion of an orthogonal sum of subspaces and is essentially the same as the proof in [3, Thm. 2.3-1] or [7, Thm. 3.1. 1]; see also [5], [6, Problem 10, Sec. 7.3] and, for the real case, [2]. The history of this proof is discussed in [7, Sec. 3.0]. It is natural to start in this way since a linear transformation of one space into another is a more primitive notion than a transformation of a space into itself. Besides, the intrinsic importance of the singular value decomposition has been emphasized more and more in the last couple of decades; see [3], [6], [7], [8]. In our presentation we go even further, taking the singular value decomposition as the basis of the whole development. We use it to define the adjoint, and we derive from it the polar decomposition and the various standard forms of the spectral theorem. The idea of such an approach goes back at least to the work of L. Autonne in 1915 [1]. In [5] it is also used, although in a way rather different from ours. Besides our claim of being intuitive and natural, we point out two advantages of our presentation:(i) the real and complex cases are treated together all the way up to the point where the actual results begin to differ, (ii) the arguments work without change for compact operators on Hilbert space. As for the language of this article, we talk throughout in terms of abstract inner product spaces. We denote the inner product of two vectors by (x Iy), the norm by lix I. It is reasonable to use this language since we are talking about exactly that part of elementary linear algebra that makes use of the inner product. But it may create the impression that this is a highbrow approach, which is not so: Everything we say can be rewritten without change in terms of R' or Cn and their natural inner product. In such a form our presentation may be appropriate for an introductory course. Whichever way they are written down, it is of course essential to understand what the results mean in terms of normal forms or diagonalizations of matrices. This is briefly discussed in the last remark after Theorem 1.
EXPLORING AND IDENTIFYING THE CONSTRUCTS OF A QUALITY CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER (ATC)

EXPLORING AND IDENTIFYING THE CONSTRUCTS OF A QUALITY CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER (ATC) by Scot Anthony Raab December 2007 The sequential exploratory design used in this research identified constructs defining quality certified athletic trainers (ATC). The first portion was a qualitative study utilizing a Delphi technique to establish a grounded theory. Thirteen ATC's with at least 5 years experience (M: n = 8 ; F: n = 5) participated in the initial development o f the Quality Affirmation Theory (QAT). The QAT depicts 5 sub-constructs that are essential in the establishment o f three higher order constructs that are requisite to being a quality ATC. Development o f the QAT established adjective descriptors o f quality ATCs used in the second portion o f the study. The QAT descriptors were quantitative assessed using the Quality Athletic Trainer Questionnaire (QATQ). The QATQ is comprised o f the Quality Athletic Trainer Scale (QATS) and the Quality Athletic Trainer Dilemmas (QATD). The QATS is a semantic differential contrasting adjectives. The QATD presented typical day scenarios in athletic training. The QATQ attempted to support the organization o f the 5 sub-constructs depicted in the QAT and if age, sex, years o f experience, and education level o f ATCs could predict participant agreement with the adjectives. Participants (N=301) were stratified across the NATA. Item level factor analysis revealed an indeterminate structure o f the scores. Sub-construct factor analysis and internal consistency demonstrated a cohesive measure o f the construct quality. The independent variables did not predict summative scores o f the QATQ indicating that
GTP-binding properties of the membrane-bound form of porcine liver annexin VI.

Annexin VI (AnxVI) of molecular mass 68-70 kDa belongs to a multigenic family of ubiquitous Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding proteins. In this report, we describe the GTP-binding properties of porcine liver AnxVI, determined with a fluorescent GTP analogue, 2'-(or 3')-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)guanosine 5'-triphosphate (TNP-GTP). The optimal binding of TNP-GTP to AnxVI was observed in the presence of Ca2+ and asolectin liposomes, as evidenced by a 5.5-fold increase of TNP-GTP fluorescence and a concomitant blue shift (by 17 nm) of its maximal emission wavelength. Titration of AnxVI with TNP-GTP resulted in the determination of the dissociation constant (Kd) and binding stoichiometry that amounted to 1.3 microM and 1:1 TNP-GTP/AnxVI, mole/mole, respectively. In addition, the intrinsic fluorescence of the membrane-bound form of AnxVI was quenched by TNP-GTP and this was accompanied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from AnxVI Trp residues to TNP-GTP. This indicates that the GTP-binding site within the AnxVI molecule is probably located in the vicinity of a Trp-containing domain of the protein. By controlled proteolysis of human recombinant AnxVI, followed by purification of the proteolytic fragments by affinity chromatography on GTP-agarose, we isolated a 35 kDa fragment corresponding to the N-terminal half of AnxVI containing Trp192. On the basis of these results, we suggest that AnxVI is a GTP-binding protein and the binding of the nucleotide may have a regulatory impact on the interaction of annexin with membranes, e.g. formation of ion channels by the protein.
Effect of peripapillary retinoschisis on retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurement in glaucomatous eyes

Background/aims To investigate the effect of peripapillary retinoschisis on the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness measurement by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucomatous eyes. Methods We included 19 glaucomatous eyes of 19 subjects with peripapillary retinoschisis defined as the splitting of the peripapillary RNFL with schisis cavities (retinoschisis group) and 38 age-matched, refractive error-matched and visual field mean deviation-matched glaucomatous eyes from 38 subjects without peripapillary retinoschisis (control group) that had undergone RNFL thickness measurements by using OCT. RNFL thickness was compared between the two groups. For the retinoschisis group, the RNFL thicknesses prior to peripapillary retinoschisis formation, at the time of peripapillary retinoschisis, and after peripapillary retinoschisis resolution were compared. Results The average RNFL was greater in the eyes in the retinoschisis group (median, 81.6 µm) than in those in the control group (median, 69.7 µm, p=0.009). In the retinoschisis group, the average RNFL thickness at the time of peripapillary retinoschisis was greater than that prior to peripapillary retinoschisis formation (p=0.013) or after peripapillary retinoschisis resolution (p=0.001). The RNFL thickness was not different prior to peripapillary retinoschisis formation and after peripapillary retinoschisis resolution (p>0.05). Conclusions Transient increase in RNFL thickness as determined by OCT was observed in glaucomatous eyes with peripapillary retinoschisis. Caution is warranted when interpreting the RNFL thickness measurement in eyes with peripapillary retinoschisis.