Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Cephalometric Comparison of Twin Block and Bionator Appliances in Treatment of Class II Malocclusion

Background Class II malocclusion is one of the most common orthodontic problems. In cases of class II malocclusion with mandibular deficiency, functional appliances often are used with the intent of stimulating mandibular growth. Bionator and twin block are two of the more popular functional appliances. The aim of this study was to compare the treatment outcomes of these two appliances using cephalometric radiographs. Material and Methods Cephalometric radiographs of 33 patients who had class II division I malocclusion, before and after treatment were digitalized. The mean changes in twin block and bionator groups were compared using independent t test. Results Twin block and bionator showed no statistically significant differences in cephalometric parameters except for ANB, NA-Pog, Basal and Ar-Go-Me angles. Conclusions There were no statistically significant differences in dentoalveolar and mandibular position between twin block and bionator (p>0.1). Twin block was more efficient in inhibition of forward movement of maxilla (p<0.1). Key words:Functional, Class II malocclusion, Cephalometrics, Twin block, Bionator, Treatment.
The interactive effects of variety, autonomy, and feedback on attitudes and performance

Job dimensions of autonomy, variety, and feedback were objectively manipulated to evaluate their effect on perceptions of job characteristics and on job outcomes. Except for feedback level, manipulations and perceptions independently predicted satisfaction, and one significant two-way interaction emerged. In a high variety task, increased autonomy led to increased satisfaction, while in a low variety task, increased autonomy had a negligible effect on satisfaction. For performance, objective variety and autonomy also interacted, indicating that in a low variety task, autonomy had little impact, while in a high variety task, increased autonomy contributed 16 per cent to performance. In addition, autonomy and feedback interacted with one another, with increased feedback in a high autonomy task again contributing 16 per cent to performance, while increased feedback in a low autonomy task had little impact on performance. Findings are discussed from both the Job Characteristics Model and control theory perspectives.
Cost-effectiveness of using recombinant human TSH prior to radioiodine ablation for thyroid cancer, compared with treating patients in a hypothyroid state: the German perspective.

OBJECTIVE This investigation evaluated the cost-effectiveness of radioiodine remnant ablation following preparation with recombinant human TSH (rhTSH), compared with the standard preparation, whereby patients are rendered hypothyroid. DESIGN The economic evaluation relates to patients with well differentiated thyroid cancer who have undergone thyroidectomy, but have no metastases. The evaluation takes a societal perspective, considering costs and benefits to all parties. The benefits were expressed in units of quality-adjusted life years (QALY), so differences in life expectancy were captured with consideration of quality of life. METHODS A lifetime Markov model with Monte Carlo simulation of 100,000 patients was used to assess cost per QALY gained. The clinical inputs were sourced from a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial comparing remnant ablation success after rhTSH-preparation with hypothyroid preparation. The model applied German unit costs, however, the structure is generalisable to other jurisdictions. The additional cost of rhTSH procurement and administration is considered relative to the clinical benefits and cost offsets. These included avoidance of hypothyroidism, increased work productivity, earlier discharge from radioprotection and a theoretical reduction in the risk of secondary malignancy. The latter two benefits relate to faster radioiodine clearance after rhTSH preparation. RESULTS The additional benefits of rhTSH (0.0495 QALY) are obtained with an incremental societal cost of 47 euro, equating to an incremental cost per QALYof 958 euro. Sensitivity analyses had only a modest impact upon cost-effectiveness, with all one-way sensitivity results remaining under 15,000 euro/QALY. CONCLUSIONS The use of rhTSH prior to radioiodine ablation represents good value-for-money with the benefits to patient and society obtained at modest net cost.
Organisational Values in Higher Education: Perceptions and Preferences of Staff

Abstract In this paper, staff members’ perceptions about the organisational culture are measured. The questions addressed are: what are their opinions about the current and preferred organisational culture? Are there differences between the current and preferred situation? Do the perceptions differ per department? The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument was sent to staff involved in 18 different departments within Dutch universities of applied science. The results demonstrated that both a flexibility‐ and control‐oriented culture were moderately experienced in practice. In addition, significant differences were found between the current and preferred situation as well as a significant variation over departments for the current situation. Staff members in general, prefer a flexibility‐oriented culture to a control‐oriented culture. These findings imply that the organisational culture in many departments is not yet fully in line with the staff members’ preferences.
Does “Science” Make You Moral? The Effects of Priming Science on Moral Judgments and Behavior

Background Previous work has noted that science stands as an ideological force insofar as the answers it offers to a variety of fundamental questions and concerns; as such, those who pursue scientific inquiry have been shown to be concerned with the moral and social ramifications of their scientific endeavors. No studies to date have directly investigated the links between exposure to science and moral or prosocial behaviors. Methodology/Principal Findings Across four studies, both naturalistic measures of science exposure and experimental primes of science led to increased adherence to moral norms and more morally normative behaviors across domains. Study 1 (n = 36) tested the natural correlation between exposure to science and likelihood of enforcing moral norms. Studies 2 (n = 49), 3 (n = 52), and 4 (n = 43) manipulated thoughts about science and examined the causal impact of such thoughts on imagined and actual moral behavior. Across studies, thinking about science had a moralizing effect on a broad array of domains, including interpersonal violations (Studies 1, 2), prosocial intentions (Study 3), and economic exploitation (Study 4). Conclusions/Significance These studies demonstrated the morally normative effects of lay notions of science. Thinking about science leads individuals to endorse more stringent moral norms and exhibit more morally normative behavior. These studies are the first of their kind to systematically and empirically test the relationship between science and morality. The present findings speak to this question and elucidate the value-laden outcomes of the notion of science.
Self-esteem and social anxiety following brain injury

Empirical studies and theoretical models discussing psychological and psychosocial wellbeing following brain injury have increasingly suggested the importance of rehabilitation interventions which take into account the psychological resources of the individual, as opposed to focusing solely on cognitive or physical impairment. The first paper systematically reviewed 27 quantitative studies to identify predictors or correlates of self-esteem following acquired brain injury (ABI) in adulthood. Various psychological variables are associated with low self-esteem, including greater changes in perceived identity and self-concept, poorer adjustment and higher levels of perceived loss. Higher self-esteem appears to be related to greater physical and functional impairment. The relationship between self-esteem and cognitive impairment is unclear. Low self-esteem is also strongly related to depression and poorer psychological outcomes following ABI. The second paper describes a research project exploring social anxiety following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite the impact of TBI on physical, cognitive and social outcomes, no research to date has explored the role of psychological factors influencing the development of social anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to investigate demographic, clinical and psychological factors associated with social anxiety in a sample of 85 people who had experienced TBI. Psychological variables (self-esteem, locus of control, self-efficacy) provide a significant contribution to the amount of explained variance in social anxiety (above that explained by demographic and clinical variables). Moreover, perceived stigma independently predicted social anxiety. The findings support the importance of psychological variables in the development of social anxiety, and the significant role of stigma highlights the need for both individualised and societal interventions. The third paper offers a critical appraisal of the research project, identifying key strengths and limitations in addition to discussing reflections on the process of conducting the study. The results and implications of the study are discussed, with particular focus on social models of disability.
Evaluation of larvicides for the control of Simulium damnosum s.l. (Diptera: Simuliidae) in West Africa.

The Onchocerciasis Control Program of the World Health Organization is carrying out an extensive screening program in a search for new larvicides to be used for control of Simulium damnosum s.l. Emphasis has been given to finding a pyrethroid and a carbamate to supplement the organophosphates currently in use. These chemicals with differing modes of action, together with Bacillus thuringiensis H-14, are being used in an attempt to cope with the development and spread of resistance to the organophosphates temephos and chlorphoxim.
Aging Well With Friends and Family

Aging encourages people to enhance their friend and family relationships. In general, the elderly tend to have more heterogeneity in relationships as they grow older. They depend on these relationships for instrumental, financial and emotional support. As a result, older adults who have many friends and have close ties with their families are more socially and psychologically well-adjusted than those who are alienated from their networks.
Peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university

This paper reviews the literature about peer and self‐assessment in university courses from the point of view of their use, and the suitability of their use, in the first year of university study. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part argues that although first‐year students are involved in many of the studies that report on the use of peer and self‐assessment in higher education, the proportion of these studies that do so is somewhat less than in other year levels. In addition, relatively little of this work directly and explicitly discusses the suitability of peer and self‐assessment for students and courses at this year level. The second part of the paper provides an introductory exploration of the relationship between peer and self‐assessment, and specific features of first‐year assessment, learning and teaching. Three issues relating directly to the suitability of peer and self‐assessment in the first year are explored. In the third part, the paper briefly discusses the desirability of implementing peer and self‐assessment, in general, before seeking to extend this specifically to the first year. The paper concludes by recommending that greater use can and should be made of peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university study.
A Culture Gap Between the Generations? Social Influences on Youth Cultural Style

ABSTRACT This article examines the connection between adolescents ‘tastes and those of significant individuals in their social environment. The analysis is based on Dutch teenagers' responses to a questionnaire about their own and others’ preferences in the areas of music, reading material, film, television, art, culture and recreation. Four cultural styles were distinguished. These cultural styles were characterized respectively by elite, informational, romantic and ‘virile’ interests. The cultural style of the respondent tended to correspond closely to that of his or her best friend. At the same time, the adolescents reported no conflict between their own tastes and those of their fathers and mothers. There was no evidence of a ‘parent-peer’ conflict in which youth distance themselves from their parents and focus exclusively on their friends.
Antigens of worms and eggs showed a differentiated detection of specific IgG according to the time of Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice.

INTRODUCTION The correlation between the immunological assay and the antibody titer can offer a tool for the experimental analysis of different phases of the disease. METHODS Two simple immunological assays for Schistosoma mansoni in mice sera samples based on specific IgG detection for worms soluble antigens and eggs soluble antigens were standardized and evaluated in our laboratory. Fifty mice were used in negative and positive groups and the results obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) assays were compared with the number of worms counted and the IgG titers at different times of infection. RESULTS Data showed that ELISA using adult worm antigens (ELISA-SWAP) presented a satisfactory correlation between the absorbance value of IgG titers and the individual number of worms counted after perfusion technique (R²=0.62). In addition, ELISA-SWAP differentially detected positive samples with 30 and 60 days post infection (p=0.011 and 0.003, respectively), whereas ELISA using egg antigens (ELISA-SEA) detected samples after 140 days (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS These data show that the use of different antigens in immunological methods can be used as potential tools for the analysis of the chronological evolution of S. mansoni infection in murine schistosomiasis. Correlations with human schistosomiasis are discussed.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome with spinal cord involvement

Objective: To characterize a cohort of patients with the signs and symptoms of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), but with clinical and radiologic involvement of the spinal cord. Methods: We report 2 cases of PRES with spinal cord involvement and identified an additional 6 cases in the Medline database using various search terms related to “spinal PRES,” “spinal reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome,” and “spinal hypertensive encephalopathy. ” We analyzed the clinical and imaging characteristics of the 8 cases. Results: Average age was 31 years, with 5 male and 3 female patients. All patients had severe acute hypertension and a confluent, expansile central spinal cord T2 hyperintensity spanning at least 4 spinal segments, originating at the cervicomedullary junction. Of 8 patients, 7 had hypertensive retinopathy, a favorable clinical course with only antihypertensive treatment, and resolution of the spinal cord lesions on follow-up imaging. A total of 4 of 8 patients had symptoms referable to the spinal cord lesions and only 1 of 8 had a seizure. Conclusion: In light of the already wide definition of PRES, we propose a new syndrome named PRES with spinal cord involvement (PRES-SCI). Clinicians should suspect PRES-SCI when patients with PRES have neurologic signs referable to the spinal cord, extreme elevation in blood pressure, MRI lesions that extend to the cervicomedullary junction, or grade IV hypertensive retinopathy. These clinical scenarios should prompt a cervical spine MRI to help guide patient management decisions and prognostication. When clinicians evaluate longitudinally extensive spinal T2 hyperintensities, they should consider PRES-SCI, which, if diagnosed, would spare patients the morbidity of a standard myelitis workup and empiric treatment.
Toward a Materialist Metapsychology: Major Operating Principles of the Brain Provide a Blueprint for a Fundamentally Psychodynamic Infrastructure

In the next century, biology is likely to make deep contributions to the understanding of mental processes by delineating the biological basis for the various unconscious mental processes, for psychic determinism, for the role of unconscious mental processes in psychopathology, and for the therapeutic effect of psychoanalysis. Now, biology will not immediately enlighten these deep mysteries at their core. These issues represent, together with the nature of consciousness, the most difficult problems confronting all of biology—in fact, all of science. Nevertheless, one can begin to outline how biology might at least clarify some central psychoanalytic issues, at least at their margins. —Eric Kandel, Biology and the Future of Psychoanalysis
Functional Role of ATP Binding to Synapsin I In Synaptic Vesicle Trafficking and Release Dynamics

Synapsins (Syns) are synaptic vesicle (SV)-associated proteins involved in the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity, which display a highly conserved ATP binding site in the central C-domain, whose functional role is unknown. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrated that ATP binding to SynI is mediated by a conformational transition of a flexible loop that opens to make the binding site accessible; such transition, prevented in the K269Q mutant, is not significantly affected in the absence of Ca2+ or by the E373K mutation that abolishes Ca2+-binding. Indeed, the ATP binding to SynI also occurred under Ca2+-free conditions and increased its association with purified rat SVs regardless of the presence of Ca2+ and promoted SynI oligomerization. However, although under Ca2+-free conditions, SynI dimerization and SV clustering were enhanced, Ca2+ favored the formation of tetramers at the expense of dimers and did not affect SV clustering, indicating a role of Ca2+-dependent dimer/tetramer transitions in the regulation of ATP-dependent SV clustering. To elucidate the role of ATP/SynI binding in synaptic physiology, mouse SynI knock-out hippocampal neurons were transduced with either wild-type or K269Q mutant SynI and inhibitory transmission was studied by patch-clamp and electron microscopy. K269Q-SynI expressing inhibitory synapses showed increased synaptic strength due to an increase in the release probability, an increased vulnerability to synaptic depression and a dysregulation of SV trafficking, when compared with wild-type SynI-expressing terminals. The results suggest that the ATP-SynI binding plays predocking and postdocking roles in the modulation of SV clustering and plasticity of inhibitory synapses.
Sex Differences in the Relationship between Harsh Discipline and Conduct Problems

Research on sex differences in antisocial behaviour may shed light on the causes of childhood antisocial behaviour. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether there were sex differences in the amount of harsh discipline children received or in the effect of harsh discipline and whether this accounted for sex differences in later conduct problems. Our sample was a representative, longitudinal sample of 13 830 twins born in England and Wales between 1994 and 1996. Results showed that boys experienced more harsh discipline than girls and that the sex difference in harsh discipline accounted for 10 percent to 20 percent of the sex difference in conduct problems. We found no evidence that harsh discipline had a greater effect on boys vs. girls. We also found evidence of a bidirectional relationship between harsh discipline and child conduct problems. These findings were replicated within families, automatically controlling for between-families confounding factors.
How can distinct egg polymorphism be maintained in the rufescent prinia (Prinia rufescens)–plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) interaction—a modeling approach

Abstract In avian brood parasitism, both the host and the parasite are expected to develop various conflicting adaptations; hosts develop a defense against parasitism, such as an ability to recognize and reject parasitic eggs that look unlike their own, while parasites evolve egg mimicry to counter this host defense. Hosts may further evolve to generate various egg phenotypes that are not mimicked by parasites. Difference in egg phenotype critically affects the successful reproduction of hosts and parasites. Recent studies have shown that clear polymorphism in egg phenotype is observed in several host–parasite interactions, which suggests that egg polymorphism may be a more universal phenomenon than previously thought. We examined the mechanism for maintaining egg polymorphism in the rufescent prinia (Prinia rufescens) that is parasitized by the plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) from a theoretical viewpoint based on a mathematical model. The prinia has four distinct egg phenotypes: immaculate white, immaculate blue, white with spots, and blue with spots. Only two egg phenotypes, white with spots and blue with spots, are found in the cuckoo population. We show that the observed prinia and cuckoo phenotypes cannot be at an equilibrium and that egg polymorphism can be maintained either at stationary equilibrium or with dynamic, frequency oscillations, depending on the mutation rates of the background color and spottiness. Long‐term monitoring of the prinia–cuckoo interaction over a wide geographic range is needed to test the results of the model analyses.
Imatinib efficacy by tumor genotype in Korean patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST): The Korean GIST Study Group (KGSG) study

Abstract Purpose. To assess the efficacy of imatinib for different tumor genotypes in Korean patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Material and methods. Clinical data were collected from 370 consecutive patients with locally advanced unresectable, metastatic, or recurrent GIST treated with imatinib 400 mg/day between August 2001 and December 2007 at 20 Korean institutions. Tumor genotypes were determined for 290 patients by direct DNA sequencing of KIT exons 9, 11, 13, and 17, and PDGFRA exons 12, 14, and 18. Results. Of 290 patients assessed for genotype, 261 (90.0%) had mutations in KIT: 222 (76.6%) in exon 11, 35 (12.1%) in exon 9 and two each (0.7%) for exons 13 and 17. Four patients (1.4%) had mutations in the PDGFRA gene: one in exon 12, and three in exon 18. Twenty-five patients (8.6%) had no detectable mutations. The best responses of the 235 patients with measurable lesions were: 15 complete response (6.4%), 126 partial response (53.5%), 86 stable disease (36.6%), and eight progressive disease (3.4%). Patients with KIT exon 9 mutations, compared with patients with KIT exon 11 mutations, had a lower objective response rate (36.7% vs. 63.6%, p = 0.007) and a shorter progression-free survival (median 28.7 months vs. 49.4 months, p = 0.001). No statistical difference in overall survival was observed between these genotypes. Conclusion. This study confirms that imatinib efficacy is dependent on genotype in Korean GIST patients, consistent with results demonstrated by Western patients with GIST.
Gromov-Witten theory of product stacks

Let $\mathcal{X}_1$ and $\mathcal{X}_2$ be smooth proper Deligne-Mumford stacks with projective coarse moduli spaces. We prove a formula for orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of the product stack $\mathcal{X}_1\times \mathcal{X}_2$ in terms of Gromov-Witten invariants of the factors $\mathcal{X}_1$ and $\mathcal{X}_2$. As an application, we deduce a decomposition result for Gromov-Witten theory of trivial gerbes.