Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Primary school pupils’ views of characteristics of good primary school teachers: an exploratory, open approach for investigating pupils’ perceptions

This article reports on results of a study on pupils’ perceptions on teacher quality in primary education. Pupils’ perceptions of desired characteristics of good teachers in primary education were compared to results of research into teacher quality from different perspectives: (1) perception studies of ideal teaching-and-learning environments; (2) school effectiveness studies of desired teacher behaviour; (3) teachers’ professional knowledge; and (4) teachers’ professional identity. Pupils’ perceptions were investigated by having them complete an open teacher-spider questionnaire, in which they reported important characteristics for good teachers. The results showed that the perceptions of pupils about teacher quality were extensive. In total, 143 different characteristics in 11 varying categories were reported. The emphasis was on the personality of the teachers (fitting both the professional identity perspective on teacher quality and the results of perception studies). Second and third, didactic skills and guidance, and authority were often mentioned. Small differences were found for pupils who were taught by male teachers and pupils who were taught by female teachers. There were also differences found between preferences of younger and older pupils.
Television viewing and obesity among pre-school children: The role of parents

Abstract Western societies are confronted with a growing number of overweight and obese (pre-school) children. Past studies have pointed to excessive television viewing as one of the causes of this phenomenon. The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of parental mediation and modeling on TV use and obesity among pre-school children. A survey conducted among 608 parents of two-and-a-half to six year olds shows that obese children watch significantly more television, show more affinity towards television and more often have a TV set in their bedroom than normal weight and overweight children. For girls, parental restrictions on television viewing are negatively associated with their BMI. For boys, no similar relationship can be found. This study suggests that taking into account possible differences in television viewing behavior between pre-school boys and girls and paying attention to a wide range of television viewing variables can be fruitful for further research.
The Influence of Family Socioeconomic Status on the Post–High School Outcomes of Youth With Disabilities

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2, this study considers (a) the extent to which the socioeconomic status (SES) of youth with disabilities predicted their likelihood of high school graduation, postsecondary education enrollment, and employment; (b) the extent to which other individual and family factors mediated the SES–outcome relationships; and (c) other factors that significantly explained outcome variations for youth with disabilities. Results show that SES had a statistically significant but relatively small effect on outcomes, to a sizable extent the effect of SES was mediated by other factors, and many of the covariates in the analyses (e.g., disability type and severity, gender, race/ethnicity) had their own significant relationships with outcomes that contribute to our understanding of variations in them.
Interstitial 6q duplication in an adult male without growth delay or severe mental retardation.

We report on a 28 year-old male with peculiar facies, distal joint contractures and other multiple congenital anomalies. Cytogenetic analysis by G banding revealed a distal tandem interstitial duplication of the long arm of chromosome q6, dup. (6)(6q24.2-->q26). This chromosome abnormality was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization with total chromosome 6 painting. This is probably the second documented case of 6q duplication without growth retardation or severe psychomotor retardation. The clinical findings in our patient are similar to that of whistling face syndrome (WFS) and, in fact, he was diagnosed with WFS as a child. The literature were reviewed and the phenotypic features of this patient were compared with those previously reported for both duplication 6q and whistling face syndromes. There is a significant overlap between the phenotypes of these two syndromes. Careful evaluation of the terminal end of the 6q in cases suggestive of WFS might be warranted.
Folate, Vitamin B6, and B12 Intakes in Relation to Risk of Stroke Among Men

Background and Purpose— Folate, vitamin B6, and B12 deficiency are related to elevated blood homocysteine level. However, the effects of intakes of these vitamins on risk of stroke are still uncertain. This study examines intakes of folate, vitamin B6, and B12 in relation to risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Methods— We enrolled 43 732 men, aged 40 to 75 years, who were free of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at baseline. Participants were followed from 1986 to 2000. Dietary information was assessed every 4 years using a detailed and validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The main outcome measures were incident ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Results— A total of 725 incident strokes, including 455 ischemic, 125 hemorrhagic, and 145 unknown types of stroke, were documented during the 14-year follow-up. After adjustment for major lifestyle and dietary factors, intake of folate was associated with a significantly lower risk of ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke. The multivariate relative risk of ischemic stroke was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.52 to 0.96; P for trend=0.05) for men in the highest quintile of intake compared with those who in the lowest quintile. Intake of vitamin B12, but not B6, was also inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke. Conclusions— Our findings suggest that increased folate intake is associated with decreased risk of ischemic stroke in men.
A Healthy Dietary Pattern Reduces Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Diet and nutrients play an important role in cancer development and progress; a healthy dietary pattern has been found to be associated with several types of cancer. However, the association between a healthy eating pattern and lung cancer risk is still unclear. Objective: Therefore, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate whether a healthy eating pattern might reduce lung cancer risk. Methods: We identified relevant studies from the PubMed and Embase databases up to October 2015, and the relative risks were extracted and combined by the fixed-effects model when no substantial heterogeneity was observed; otherwise, the random-effects model was employed. Subgroup and publication bias analyses were also performed. Results: Finally, eight observational studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk of lung cancer for the highest vs. lowest category of healthy dietary pattern was 0.81 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.75–0.86), and no significant heterogeneity was detected. The relative risks (RRs) for non-smokers, former smokers and current smokers were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.63–1.27), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62–0.89) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79–0.93), respectively. The results remained stable in subgroup analyses by other confounders and sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: The results of our meta-analysis suggest that a healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower lung cancer risk, and they provide more beneficial evidence for changing the diet pattern in the general population.
Organizational Role Stress: Impact of Manager and Peer Support

Occupational stress research emphasizes the need to assess the management of work related stress. This paper investigated organizational role stress and the various facets of social support practices exercised through peer, supervisor, manager, family and friends. The sample includes 316 employees from a number of organizations in the Indian software industry. Factor analysis on the ten dimensions of role stress developed by Pareek (1983) was recognized as Heterogeneous Stress, Contingent Stress and Inertia Stress. Regression analysis revealed that social support influenced role stress factor. Results further suggest that both peer support and managers’ support directly influenced role stress factors. The results of this study highlight the need for congenial workplace support systems in the software industry. Implications and suggestions for future research and limitations of the study are also discussed. Keywords: Social support, role stress, software industry, occupational stress.
Understanding the Properties of the BitTorrent Overlay

In this paper, we conduct extensive simulations to understand the properties of the overlay generated by BitTorrent. We start by analyzing how the overlay properties impact the efficiency of BitTorrent. We focus on the average peer set size (i.e., average number of neighbors), the time for a peer to reach its maximum peer set size, and the diameter of the overlay. In particular, we show that the later a peer arrives in a torrent, the longer it takes to reach its maximum peer set size. Then, we evaluate the impact of the maximum peer set size, the maximum number of outgoing connections per peer, and the number of NATed peers on the overlay properties. We show that BitTorrent generates a robust overlay, but that this overlay is not a random graph. In particular, the connectivity of a peer to its neighbors depends on its arriving order in the torrent. We also show that a large number of NATed peers significantly compromise the robustness of the overlay to attacks. Finally, we evaluate the impact of peer exchange on the overlay properties, and we show that it generates a chain-like overlay with a large diameter, which will adversely impact the efficiency of large torrents.
Statistical functions describing two-hop amplify and forward relay systems under Ricean fading

Motivated by the importance of the Ricean Statistical model in describing communication channels, in this paper we study statistical behavior of dual-hop amplify-and-forward relay transmission over non-identical Ricean fading channels. Fixed gain (FG) amplification at the relay is assumed. Two most important statistical functions describing total received signal-to-noise ratio are derived: probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF). They are obtained in a form of rapidly converging infinite sum. The derived expressions are valid for different fading scenarios (different Ricean K factors and average SNRs), and coincide to previously published results for Rayleigh fading.
Compulsive Masturbation With Pramipexole for Antidepressant Augmentation in Major Depression: A Case Report.

To the Editors: P ramipexole is an amino-benzothiazole derivative agonist, with selective and specific affinity for dopamine (DA) receptors of the D2 subfamily, particularly the D3 receptor subtype, and without significant effects on adrenergic or serotonergic receptor sites. It is approved for the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS). In psychiatry, pramipexole has been studied in bipolar and unipolar depression because of its dopaminergic and neuroprotective effects. Case reports with patients experiencing PD raised concerns about the potential for compulsive behaviors to arise during the treatment with the drug. In this article, we describe a patient with refractory major depression who developed compulsive masturbation with pramipexole augmentation of the antidepressant treatment.
A fast parallel sparse solver for SPICE-based circuit simulators

The sparse solver is a serious bottleneck in SPICE-based circuit simulators. Although several existing researches have proposed some circuit simulation-oriented parallel solvers, there is still some room to improve the speed and scalability of these solvers. This paper proposes a fast parallel sparse solver based on a pivoting-reduction technique which takes full advantage of features of circuit simulation. Experimental results show that on average, the proposed solver is up to 50% faster than the state-of-the-art solver NICSLU, and up to 3.3× faster than KLU. Real DC simulation reveals that our solver is faster than NICSLU, PARDISO, and commercial solvers.
Fluvoxamine in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (dysmorphophobia)

Fifteen consecutive patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (BOD) were included in a 10-week open clinical trial of fluvoxamine. Treatment began at 100 mg/day fluvoxamine and was increased to a maximum of 300 mg/day or until intolerable side effects developed or a complete or nearly complete resolution of symptoms occurred. At baseline and at weeks 2, 6 and 10, patients completed the Hopkins Symptoms Check-List (HSCL-90) and a specific rating scale for HDD symptoms (BODSS), and clinicians completed a Clinical Global Improvement Scale. Twelve of the 15 patients completed the trial. Of the three patients who did not complete the study, one improved moderately during the placebo phase, one showed a marked worsening of the depressive symptoms during the wash-out phase and one showed adverse side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea, after the first week of treatment and was unable to continue the trial. After 10 weeks, of the 12 remaining patients, 10 were considered to be markedly improved, one minimally improved and one unchanged. Several outcome measures showed a significant improvement from baseline to week 10. Our findings suggest flint fluvoxamine may be effective in the treatment of BDD. Double-blind studies will be required to investigate these findings further.
Successful Faculty Peer Relationships at Evangelical Christian Colleges

While the concept of mentoring is used frequently in discussions about and within educational settings of all levels (primary, secondary, higher education), little is known based on empirical study about the nature of faculty members’ peer relationships. This qualitative study examined the characteristics of successful peer relationships among faculty members in evangelical Christian colleges and universities (CCCU member institutions). Of primary applied importance is whether these peer relationships could serve as a substitute for mentoring in faith-based institutions of higher education. Extended discussion and analysis of intensive interviews is provided. Implications and applications for faculty development programs in evangelical Christian colleges and universities are discussed along with limitations of the current study as well as possible future research.
Association between article citation rate and level of evidence in the companion animal literature.

BACKGROUND Level of evidence (LOE) hierarchies rank scientific articles according to the use of study design features intended to limit bias. Citation analysis of medical articles has shown that studies with high LOE ranking are preferentially cited. OBJECTIVES To determine whether clinical companion animal articles reporting study designs classified as high LOE are more frequently cited than those with designs classified as low LOE and to characterize other factors associated with 5-year citation rate. METHODS Literature survey of all original clinical articles published in 2004 in 5 peer-reviewed clinical veterinary journals. For each eligible article, details of scientific and nonscientific characteristics were collected, an LOE classification was assigned, and the 5-year citation rate following publication was determined. Linear regression was used to identify factors associated with citation rate. RESULTS Overall LOE was low with 188 of 209 eligible articles describing a study design classified as low LOE. An association was not identified between 5-year citation frequency and LOE classification or any specific feature of study methodology. Articles pertaining to infectious disease or published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine were associated with significantly greater subsequent citations. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Reports of veterinary studies designed to limit the influence of bias are not more widely referenced than articles reporting data obtained through less stringent methodologies. Medical subspecialty and publishing journal prestige can influence an article's subsequent citation rate.
A comparison of fluoroquinolones versus other antibiotics for treating enteric fever: meta-analysis

Objectives To review evidence supporting use of fluoroquinolones as first line agents over other antibiotics for treating typhoid and paratyphoid fever (enteric fever). Design Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group specialised register, CENTRAL (issue 4, 2007), Medline (1966-2007), Embase (1974-2007), LILACS (1982-2007), selected conferences, reference lists, and ongoing trial register (November 2007). Review methods Trials comparing fluoroquinolones with chloramphenicol, cephalosporins, or azithromycin in culture-proven enteric fever were included. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Trials recruiting over 60% children were analysed separately from trials on adults. Primary outcomes studied were clinical failure, microbiological failure, and relapse. Results Twenty trials were included. Trials were small and often of limited methodological quality. Only 10 trials concealed allocation and only three were blinded. In trials on adults, fluoroquinolones were not significantly different from chloramphenicol for clinical failure (594 participants) or microbiological failure (n=378), but reduced clinical relapse (odds ratio 0.14 (95% confidence interval 0.04 to 0.50), n=467, 6 trials). Azithromycin and fluoroquinolones were comparable (n=152, 2 trials). Compared with ceftriaxone, fluoroquinolones reduced clinical failure (0.08 (0.01 to 0.45), n=120, 3 trials) but not microbiological failure or relapse. Compared with cefixime, fluoroquinolones reduced clinical failure (0.05 (0.01 to 0.24), n=238, 2 trials) and relapse (0.18 (0.03 to 0.91), n=218, 2 trials). In trials on children infected with nalidixic acid resistant strains, older fluoroquinolones (ofloxacin) produced more clinical failures than azithromycin (2.67 (1.16 to 6.11), n=125, 1 trial), but there were no differences with newer fluoroquinolones (gatifloxacin, n=285, 1 trial). Fluoroquinolones and cefixime were not significantly different (n=82, 1 trial). Conclusions In adults, fluoroquinolones may be better than chloramphenicol for preventing clinical relapse. Data were limited for other comparisons, particularly for children.
Effects of Temperature, pH, and Iron/Clay and Liquid/Clay Ratios on Experimental Conversion of Dioctahedral Smectite to Berthierine, Chlorite, Vermiculite, or Saponite

AbstractIn deep geological repositories for high-level nuclear wastes, interactions between steel canisters and clay-rich materials may lead to mineralogical transformations with a loss of the confining properties of the clays. Experiments simulating the conversion of smectite to Fe-rich clay phases in contact with Fe metal have been carried out to evaluate such a possibility by taking into account the effects of a series of critical parameters, including temperature, pH, and Fe/clay (Fe/C) and liquid/clay (L/C) ratios. The mineralogical and chemical transformations observed in these experiments have been compared with data from the literature, and subsequently used to propose a conceptual model for the main mineralogical transformations which can be expected in clay formations surrounding high-level nuclear waste repositories. In the presence of Fe metal and under low oxygen fugacity (<-40) the main mineralogical sequences are as follows: (1)up to 150°C, under neutral pH, and L/C > 5: dioctahedral smectite (di-sm) → 7 Å Fe-rich phase (berthierine, odinite-cronstedtite) for large Fe/C ratios (>0.5), or di-sm → Fe-rich di-sm + Fe-rich trioctahedral smectite (tri-sm) for small Fe/C ratios (0.1)(2)up to 150°C, under alkaline pH (10–12), and L/C > 5: di-sm → Fe di-sm (±palygorskite) for a small Fe/C ratio (0.1)(3)at 300°C, Fe/C = 0.1, and L/C > 5: di-sm → Fe-rich saponite → trioctahedral chlorite + feldspar + zeolite (near-neutral pH); di-sm → Fe-rich vermiculite + mordenite (pH 10–12). Low temperatures (<150°C) and large L/C and Fe/C ratios seem to favor the crystallization of the serpentine group minerals instead of Fe-rich trioctahedral smectites or chlorites, the latter being favored by higher temperatures. The role of L/C and Fe/C ratios and the competition between them at different temperatures is a crucial point in understanding the transformation of smectite in contact with Fe metal.
Long-Term Hearing Outcomes After Ossiculoplasty in Comparison to Short-Term Outcomes

Objectives: To investigate long-term hearing outcomes after ossiculoplasty. Study Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: One hundred ninety-nine patients who underwent ossiculoplasty between 1989 and 2001 by the same surgeon and were followed for more than 5 years. Methods: Postoperative hearing outcomes were considered successful if the postoperative air-bone gap was within 20 dB. The outcomes after 6 months and 5 years were analyzed. Results: The overall rate of successful outcomes was 61.3% after 6 months and 54.3% after 5 years. There was a significant difference between 6 months and 5 years (p < 0.05). The significant deterioration of long-term hearing outcomes was found in malleus-present ears, ears with cholesteatoma/atelectasis, adults, and ears treated by one-stage operation. The reasons for long-term unsuccessful outcomes were adhesion or retraction of the ear drum in 13 ears (54.2%). Conclusion: The hearing outcomes after ossiculoplasty showed significant deterioration on long-term follow-up. Innovative approaches to the management of cholesteatoma/atelectasis are necessary to improve and stabilize long-term hearing outcomes.
Generalized Wiener filtering with fractional power spectrograms

In the recent years, many studies have focused on the single-sensor separation of independent waveforms using so-called soft-masking strategies, where the short term Fourier transform of the mixture is multiplied element-wise by a ratio of spectrogram models. When the signals are wide-sense stationary, this strategy is theoretically justified as an optimal Wiener filtering: the power spectrograms of the sources are supposed to add up to yield the power spectrogram of the mixture. However, experience shows that using fractional spectrograms instead, such as the amplitude, yields good performance in practice, because they experimentally better fit the additivity assumption. To the best of our knowledge, no probabilistic interpretation of this filtering procedure was available to date. In this paper, we show that assuming the additivity of fractional spectrograms for the purpose of building soft-masks can be understood as separating locally stationary α-stable harmonizable processes, α-harmonizable in short, thus justifying the procedure theoretically.
Review: Research Toward Safer Resection of the Cirrhotic Liver

Despite recent advances in hepatic surgery, resection of the cirrhotic liver continues to be fraught with high morbidity and mortality rates. As a result, for many patients requiring resection of HCC the postoperative course is complicated and the probability of cure is diminished by coexisting cirrhosis. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of the cirrhotic liver which make it poorly tolerant of resection and the most common complications that follow such surgery. The main purpose of this paper is to review recent attempts to identify interventions that might be beneficial to cirrhotic patients undergoing resection. These interventions include assessment of liver reserve, advances in surgical technique, and improvement in liver function and regeneration.