Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) on ocular pulse amplitude in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Purpose To evaluate the effect of intravitreal (IVT) bevacizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on global choroidal hemodynamics, as measured by ocular pulse amplitude (OPA). Methods This was a two-center prospective study (Sheba Medical Center, Israel, and University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium). AMD patients who required IVT bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL; first or repeated) were examined three times: at days 0 (prior to injection), 7 (±3), and 28 (±7) postinjection. At each visit, OPAs of both eyes were measured using the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (DCT). A paired t-test between preoperative and postoperative OPA was conducted. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the influence of various measured parameters on DCT–OPA. Results A total of 38 neovascular AMD patients were recruited, and 30 patients were included in the final analysis (18 females and 12 males; age 78.8 ± 5.82 years [mean ± standard deviation]). A good correlation was found throughout the study between the DCT–intraocular pressure (IOP) and Goldmann IOP and between DCT–IOP and DCT–OPA. No change in OPA of bevacizumab-treated eyes was found between the visits (2.24 ± 0.73, 2.2 ± 0.86, and 2.23 ± 0.73 mm Hg at visits 1, 2, and 3, respectively; paired t-test: P = 0.77 between visits 1 and 2, P = 0.98 between visits 1 and 3). No correlations were found between DCT–OPA and age, heart rate, systemic blood pressure, axial length, keratometry readings, and central corneal thickness. Conclusions OPA, an indirect measure of global choroidal hemodynamics, remains unchanged following IVT off-label bevacizumab. This finding adds to the growing evidence regarding the safety profile of bevacizumab in AMD treatment.
A 12-month clinical evaluation of pit-and-fissure sealants placed with and without etch-and-rinse and self-etch adhesive systems in newly-erupted teeth

Objectives The objective of this one-year clinical study was to investigate the effect of two adhesive systems (Adper Single Bond, a two-step etch-and-rinse and Clearfil SE Bond, a two-step self-etch system) on pit-and-fissure sealant retention in newly-erupted teeth. This study compared the success of the sealants in mesial and distopalatal grooves with and without these two adhesive systems. Material and Methods In a clinical trial, 35 children aged 6-8 years undergoing sealant placement were recruited. This one-year clinical study scored 70 mesial and 70 distopalatal sealants of newly-erupted permanent maxillary first molar, with a split-mouth design. All children received sealant alone in one permanent maxillary molar tooth. Children were randomized into two groups. One group received Self-Etch (SE) bond plus sealant and the other group received Single Bond plus sealant in another permanent maxillary molar tooth. Clinical evaluation at 3, 6 and 12 months was performed and the retention was studied in terms of the success and failure. Results The success rate of sealant in the distopalatal groove, using SEB at 3, 6 and 12 months was 93.3% (95% CI: 68.0, 99.8), 73.3% (95% CI: 44.9, 92.2) and 66.7% (95% CI: 38.4, 88.2), respectively. It was greater than that of the distopalatal groove in SB group with a success rate of 62.5% (95% CI: 35.4, 84.8), 31.3% (95% CI: 11.8, 58.7) and 31.3% (95% CI: 11.8, 58.7), at the three evaluation periods. The success rate of sealant in the mesial groove using SEB was 86.6% (95% CI: 59.5, 98.3), 53.3% (95% CI: 26.6, 78.7) and 53.3% (95% CI: 26.6, 78.7), while this was 100% (95% CI: 79.4, 100.0), 81.3% (95% CI: 54.4, 96.0) and 81.3% (95% CI: 54.4, 96.0) using SB, at 3, 6 and 12-month evaluation periods. Conclusions These results support the use of these two bonding agents in pit-and-fissure sealants under both isolated and contaminated conditions. Further, SE bond seemed to be less sensitive to moisture contamination.
Strategic Human Resource Management at Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises in Serbia

The modern human resource management (HRM) literature and the actual management practice both emphasize the strategic approach to company’s most important assets, its human resources. The human resource management activities are nowadays linked to company’s mission, vision and strategy, and its success is measured through numerous organizational measures. Many authors agree that there is a significant difference in the HRM practice of small and medium sized organizations and those large ones. As management practice depend on context, it is important to understand the internal and external challenges of companies in different countries and to adopt the adequate techniques in achieving the HRM’s double aim: the companies’ success and the employees’ satisfaction. The aim of this work is to present the strategy formulation process, the role of HR in it, to determine the type of linkage between HR and strategic management function and its influence on the success of small and medium-sized Serbian companies in light of the Cranet1 2008/10 survey data. The paper will present the existence of the organizations’ mission statement, business strategy and HR strategy, as well as the existence of HR department and the presence of HR manager at the Board of Directors and its involvement in the formulation of the organization’s business strategy. We will present the interviewees’ ranking of their productivity and profitability and the correlation between the role of HR in strategy formulation and the productivity and profitability. For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods and nonparametric test will be used and the data will be presented graphically.
The structure of agency and communion dimensions in interpersonal communicative interaction

Two basic dimensions consistently reappear in models of interpersonal behaviour (Spitzberg, 1990). The terms agency and communion (Wiggins & Trapnell, 1996) could be used to denote these dimensions. Several multifaceted self-assessment instruments were used in this research to empirically investigate agency and communion dimensions in interpersonal communicative interaction, specifically the Social Skills Inventory - SSI, the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire - ICQ, the Communication Functions Questionnaire - CFQ, the Interpersonal Communication Skills Questionnaires - ICSQ, and the Interpersonal Communication Competence Inventory - ICCI. Structural patterns of agency and communion dimensions were analysed through the communication skill and trait variables that are associated with the two dimensions. Preliminary findings of gender differences in the structure of these dimensions are also presented, as well as a more elaborated model of the dimensional structure of interpersonal communicative competence. Research data are interpreted in the light of the most recent review of the state of interpersonal communication skills assessment (Spitzberg, in press). Finally, suggestions are made for relevant future research topics.
Health and Behavioral Survey of over 8000 Finnish Cats

A comprehensive feline health survey was conducted to reveal breed-specific inheritable diseases in Finnish pedigree cats for genetic research. Prevalence of 19 disease categories and 227 feline diseases were defined in a study population of 8175 cats belonging to 30 breeds. Dental and oral diseases, with a prevalence of 28%, and dental calculus and gingivitis (21 and 8%, respectively) were the most prevalent disease category and diseases among all cats and in most of the breeds. An exception was Korats, which were more often affected by the diseases of the respiratory tract (23%) and asthma (19%). Other prevalent disease categories affected various organ systems, such as the skin (12%), the urinary system (12%), the digestive tract (11%), eyes (10%), the musculoskeletal system (10%), and genitals of female cats (17%). Prevalent health or developmental issues included repetitive vomiting (4%), tail kink (4%), feline odontoclastic resorption lesion (4%), urinary tract infections (4%), as well as cesarean section (6%) and stillborn kittens (6%) among female cats. We found 57 breed-specific conditions by Fisher’s exact tests and logistic regression analyses, including 32 previously described and 19 new breed-specific diseases. The genetic defect has already been found in six of them: polycystic kidney disease, progressive retinal atrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and three types of tail malformations. Behavioral profiling revealed breed-specific traits, such as an increased human avoidance in British Short and Longhairs and a higher level of aggression in Turkish vans. Our epidemiological study reveals the overall health profile in Finnish pure and mixed breed cats and identifies many breed-specific conditions without molecular identity for genetic research.
Accelerated adiabatic quantum gates: Optimizing speed versus robustness

We develop new protocols for high-fidelity single qubit gates that exploit and extend theoretical ideas for accelerated adiabatic evolution. Our protocols are compatible with qubit architectures with highly isolated logical states, where traditional approaches are problematic; a prime example are superconducting fluxonium qubits. By using an accelerated adiabatic protocol we can enforce the desired adiabatic evolution while having gate times that are comparable to the inverse adiabatic energy gap (a scale that is ultimately set by the amount of power used in the control pulses). By modelling the effects of decoherence, we explore the tradeoff between speed and robustness that is inherent to shortcuts-to-adiabaticity approaches.
Nuclear molecular outflow in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3227

ALMA observations have revealed nuclear dusty molecular disks or tori with characteristic sizes 15−40 pc in the few Seyferts and low -luminosity AGN that have been studied so far. These structures are generally decoupled both morphologically and kinematically from the host galaxy disk. We present ALMA observations of the CO(2–1) and CO(3–2) molecular gas transitions and associated (sub-) millimeter continua of the nearby Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 3227 with angular resolutions 0.085 − 0.21″ (7–15 pc). On large scales, the cold molecular gas shows circular motions as well as streaming motions on scales of a few hundred parsecs that are associated with a large-scale bar. We fit the nuclear ALMA 1.3 mm emission with an unresolved component and an extended component. The 850 μm emission shows at least two extended components, one along the major axis of the nuclear disk, and the other along the axis of the ionization cone. The molecular gas in the central region (1″ ∼ 73 pc) shows several CO clumps with complex kinematics that appears to be dominated by noncircular motions. While we cannot conclusively demonstrate the presence of a warped nuclear disk, we also detected noncircular motions along the kinematic minor axis. They reach line-of-sight velocities of v − vsys = 150 − 200 km s−1. Assuming that the radial motions are in the plane of the galaxy, we interpret them as a nuclear molecular outflow due to molecular gas in the host galaxy that is entrained by the AGN wind. We derive molecular outflow rates of 5 M⊙ yr−1 and 0.6 M⊙ yr−1 at projected distances of up to 30 pc to the northeast and southwest of the AGN, respectively. At the AGN location we estimate a mass in molecular gas of 5 × 105 M⊙ and an equivalent average column density N(H2) = 2 − 3 × 1023 cm−2 in the inner 15 pc. The nuclear CO(2–1) and CO(3–2) molecular gas and submillimeter continuum emission of NGC 3227 do not resemble the classical compact torus. Rather, these emissions extend for several tens of parsecs and appear connected with the circumnuclear ring in the host galaxy disk, as found in other local AGN.
The Predictive Power of Head-and-Shoulders Price Patterns in the U.S. Stock Market

We use the pattern recognition algorithm of Lo et al. (2000) with some modifications to determine whether "head-and-shoulders" price patterns have predictive power for future stock returns. The modifications include the use of filters based on typical price patterns identified by a technical analyst. With data from the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 over the period 1990-1999 we find little or no support for the profitability of a stand-alone trading strategy. But we do find strong evidence that the pattern had power to predict excess returns. Risk-adjusted excess returns to a trading strategy conditioned on "head-and-shoulders" price patterns are 5-7 percent per year. Combining the strategy with the market portfolio produces a significant increase in excess return for a fixed level of risk exposure.
Convergence of gradient based pre-training in Denoising autoencoders

The success of deep architectures is at least in part attributed to the layer-by-layer unsupervised pre-training that initializes the network. Various papers have reported extensive empirical analysis focusing on the design and implementation of good pre-training procedures. However, an understanding pertaining to the consistency of parameter estimates, the convergence of learning procedures and the sample size estimates is still unavailable in the literature. In this work, we study pre-training in classical and distributed denoising autoencoders with these goals in mind. We show that the gradient converges at the rate of $\frac{1}{\sqrt{N}}$ and has a sub-linear dependence on the size of the autoencoder network. In a distributed setting where disjoint sections of the whole network are pre-trained synchronously, we show that the convergence improves by at least $\tau^{3/4}$, where $\tau$ corresponds to the size of the sections. We provide a broad set of experiments to empirically evaluate the suggested behavior.
Bounded Oscillation of Second-Order Half-Linear Neutral Delay Dynamic Equations

In this paper, we deal with the oscillation of bounded solutions of a class of second-order half-linear neutral delay dynamic equations with an oscillating coefficient on a time scale. We establish several oscillation criteria for all bounded solutions of the equations by employing a generalized Riccati technique and an integral averaging technique. The results obtained here extend and complement some known results concerning the equations in which the coefficients are of one sign. Examples are given to illustrate our main results. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 34N05, 39A10
Conflictual student–teacher relationship, emotional and behavioral problems, prosocial behavior, and their associations with bullies, victims, and bullies/victims

Abstract This study investigated the links between students' behavioral problems, student–teacher conflict, and students' involvement in bully, victim, and bully/victim roles in adolescence. The role of student–teacher conflict as moderator of the association between students' behavioral problems and their involvement in each bullying role was examined. Sample included 430 students from Italy (48.4% female; mean age 12.2 years; grades 6–8). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that conduct problems positively predicted engagement in each bullying role, while peer-relationship problems predicted involvement in a victim role. Additionally, students experiencing higher student–teacher conflict were more likely of being victims and bully/victims, but not bullies. Finally, student–teacher conflict emerged as a moderator of the association between peer-relationship problems and both bully and victim roles, and between hyperactivity/inattention and victim role. These findings highlights the importance of considering students’ characteristics in relation to student–teacher relationship quality when investigating the factors influencing students' involvement in bullying behaviors.
Risk factors and predictors of dementia and cognitive impairment

Since the first evidence of a decline in dementia incidence was reported in 2011, the focus on modifiable risk factors has increased. INTRODUCTION he world’s population is ageing. As a result, the prev egy has to T and incide as escalated. From the most ber of The possibility of risk factor intervention as a prevention strat been widely discussed; however, further evidence in relation wa en w llow trie Dan mo ted hin fac ress vel se le –2 mo crea –0.8 . 96] are n st age
Replacing the do-calculus with Bayes rule

The concept of causality has a controversial history. The question of whether it is possible to represent and address causal problems with probability theory, or if fundamentally new mathematics such as the do calculus is required has been hotly debated, e.g. Pearl (2001) states "the building blocks of our scientific and everyday knowledge are elementary facts such as "mud does not cause rain" and "symptoms do not cause disease" and those facts, strangely enough, cannot be expressed in the vocabulary of probability calculus". This has lead to a dichotomy between advocates of causal graphical modeling and the do calculus, and researchers applying Bayesian methods. In this paper we demonstrate that, while it is critical to explicitly model our assumptions on the impact of intervening in a system, provided we do so, estimating causal effects can be done entirely within the standard Bayesian paradigm. The invariance assumptions underlying causal graphical models can be encoded in ordinary Probabilistic graphical models, allowing causal estimation with Bayesian statistics, equivalent to the do calculus. Elucidating the connections between these approaches is a key step toward enabling the insights provided by each to be combined to solve real problems.
V405 Peg (RBS 1955): A Nearby, Low-Luminosity Cataclysmic Binary

The cataclysmic binary V405 Peg, originally discovered as ROSAT Bright Source (RBS) 1955 (= 1 RXS J230949.6 + 213523), shows a strong contribution from a late-type secondary star in its optical spectrum. This led Schwope et al. to suggest that it is among the nearest cataclysmic binaries. Here we present extensive optical observations of V405 Peg. Time-series spectroscopy shows the orbital period, Porb, to be 0.1776469(7) days (= 4.2635 hr), or 5.629 cycles day-1. We classify the secondary star as M3–M4.5, and estimate its contribution to the light. Astrometry with the MDM 2.4 m telescope gives a parallax πabs = 7.2 ± 1.1 mas, and a relative proper motion of 58 ± 1 mas yr-1. We employ a Bayesian technique to form a best estimate of the distance from the parallax and other indicators; this yields d = 149(+26,-20) pc. The semiamplitude of the secondary stars’s radial velocity is K2 = 92 ± 3 km s-1, indicating a fairly low orbital inclination if the masses are typical. Extensive time-series observations in the I band show the system varying between a minimum brightness level of I = 14.14 mag and states of enhanced activity about 0.2 mag brighter. During the low state, the light curve is dominated by ellipsoidal modulation of the secondary star at a period consistent with the spectroscopic value. In the high state, we detect an additional photometric modulation with ∼0.1 mag amplitude, which occurs in the range 220–280 minutes. The frequency of this modulation appears to be stable for a month or so, but no single period was consistently detected from one observing season to the next. The occurrence of low states can be reconciled with a magnetic cataclysmic variable. While the additional signal could point to an asynchronously rotating white dwarf, our data do not show this signal to be truly coherent. We estimate the system luminosity by combining optical measurements with the archival X-ray spectrum. The implied mass accretion rate is orders of magnitudes below the predictions for the standard angular momentum loss above the period gap. The system may possibly belong to a largely undiscovered population of hibernating cataclysmic variable stars.
Western and heritage cultural internalizations predict EFL students’ language motivation and confidence

ABSTRACT Internalizing Western culture can facilitate English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ motivation to learn and confidence to use English. However, the role of heritage cultural internalization and the interactive impact of Western and heritage cultural internalizations on English learning are unclear. We surveyed 172 EFL students from Macao and found that those who internalized Western culture to a greater extent indeed held more a positive view towards English learning and were more autonomous learners, which in turn predicted their confidence in using English. However, for those who internalized Western culture to a lesser extent, internalizing Chinese culture was also linked to positive attitudes and English use confidence. These findings suggest that a strong heritage cultural orientation is also important for EFL learners’ English language development, especially among those do not embrace Western culture. This research suggests that language researchers and teachers should pay attention to learners’ orientations towards not only the target culture but also their heritage culture.
Venture Capital Meets Contract Theory: Risky Claims or Formal Control?

This Paper develops a theory of the joint allocation of control and cash-flow rights in venture capital deals. I argue that when the need for investor support calls for very high-powered outside claims, entrepreneurs should optimally retain control in order to avoid undue interference. Hence, I predict that risky claims should be negatively correlated to control rights, both along the life of a start-up and across deals. This challenges the idea that control should always be attached to more equity-like claims, and is in line with contractual terms used in venture capital, in corporate venturing and in partnerships between biotech start-ups and large corporations. The Paper also rationalizes the evidence, documented in Gompers (1999) and Kaplan and Stromberg (2000), that venture capital contracts include contingencies triggering both a reduction in VC control and the conversion of VC's preferred stock into common stock.
Using Firm-Level Leverage as an Investment Strategy: Using Firm-Level Leverage as an Investment Strategy

We use an investment strategy based on firm level c apital structures. Investing in low leverage firms yields abnormal returns of 4.43 perc ent per annum. If an investor holds a portfolio of low leverage and low market to book ratio firms abnormal returns increase to 16.18 percent per annum. A portfolio of low leverage and low market risk yields abnormal returns of 6.67 percent and a portf olio of small firms with low leverage earns 5.37 percent per annum. We use the F ama-Macbeth (1973) methodology with modifications. We confirm that por tf lios based on low leverage earn higher returns in longer investment horizons. Our results are robust to other risk factors and the risk class of the firm. JEL: G11, G17, G32