Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of smear layer removal by EDTAC and sodium hypochlorite with ultrasonic agitation.

AIM To evaluate smear layer removal by different irrigating solutions under ultrasonic agitation. METHODOLOGY Twenty recently extracted mandibular incisors with a single root canal were divided into four equal groups. Three groups were instrumented using the modified double-flared technique, the fourth remained unprepared. Each group was irrigated with either distilled water, 1.0% sodium hypochlorite alone or associated with 15% EDTAC between each file size. The final group was not instrumented but irrigated with 1.0% sodium hypochlorite and 15% EDTAC. A size 15 file energised by ultrasound was used with small amplitude filing movements against the canal walls in all groups. The teeth were split longitudinally and the roots measured to provide three sections of the same size (cervical, middle and apical). Samples were examined under the scanning electron microscope and assessed for the amount of smear layer by three independent and calibrated examiners. The scoring system ranged from 1 (no smear layer) to 4 (all areas covered by smear layer). Due to the non-parametric nature of the data, Friedman's test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Canal walls were covered with smear layer in the group irrigated with 1% sodium hypochlorite alone and the group irrigated with distilled water. Canals irrigated with 1.0% sodium hypochlorite associated with 15% EDTAC had less smear layer throughout the canal (P < 0.001). There were no statistical differences for the amount of smear layer found on the cervical, middle and apical thirds when each group was analysed separately. CONCLUSIONS Under ultrasonic agitation, sodium hypochlorite associated with EDTAC removed the smear layer from root canal walls, whereas irrigation with distilled water or 1.0% sodium hypochlorite alone did not remove smear layer.
Performance Analysis and Scaling Law of MRC/MRT Relaying With CSI Error in Multi-Pair Massive MIMO Systems

This paper provides a comprehensive scaling law and performance analysis for multi-user massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) relay networks, where the relay is equipped with a massive antenna array and uses maximal-ratio combining/maximal-ratio transmission (MRC/MRT) for low-complexity processing. Imperfect channel state information (CSI) is considered for both source-relay and relay-destination channels. First, a sum-rate lower bound is derived, which manifests the effect of system parameters, including the numbers of relay antennas and users, the CSI quality, and the transmit powers of the sources and the relay. Via a general scaling model on the parameters with respect to the relay antenna number, the asymptotic scaling law of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) is obtained, which shows quantitatively the tradeoff of the network parameters. In addition, a sufficient condition on the parameter scalings for the SINR to be asymptotically deterministic is given, which covers existing results on such analysis as special cases. Then, the scenario where the SINR increases linearly with the relay antenna number is studied. The sufficient and necessary condition on the parameter scaling for this scenario is proved. It is shown that in this case, the interference power is not asymptotically deterministic, and then, the average bit error rate is analyzed.
Relationship of Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Human Umbilical Vein Serum to Gestational Age in Normal Pregnancies

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is expressed in placental syncitium and fetal organs and acts as a mitogen, motogen, and morphogen in vitro, suggesting a role in fetal growth and development. We aimed to examine the correlates of serum HGF in human cord blood. HGF was measured by ELISA using recombinant human HGF and mouse MAb to recombinant human HGF (Immunology Institute, Tokyo). Umbilical vein blood was collected prospectively at 148 deliveries including 94 normal pregnancies and 54 pregnancies complicated by medical conditions, primarily diabetes mellitus and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Growth parameters, gestation, pregnancy history, and perinatal events were recorded. Sera from 54 adolescents and 32 adult controls were also analyzed. Cord HGF [0.97 (0.66-1.33) ng/mL] [median (25-75 percentile)] was higher than HGF levels in adolescent sera [0.28 (0.21-0.35) ng/mL, p< 0.0001] and adult control sera [0.23 (0.14-0.31) ng/mL, p < 0.0001]. Cord HGF correlated with gestational age (r = 0.42,p = 0.0001) in normal pregnancies, with term babies (n = 69) having higher cord HGF than babies less than 37 wk of gestation(n = 25) [1.11 (0.78-1.45), 0.78 (0.46-1.03) ng/mL, p = 0.0007]. However, there was no relationship between gestation and cord HGF in complicated pregnancies. Cord HGF did not differ at term between appropriate for gestational age babies and small for gestational age babies. There were no independent correlations between cord HGF and birth weight, birth length and placental weight. We provide evidence for the first time that cord HGF levels are high and relate to gestation in normal pregnancies. HGF may have a significant role in fetal development during pregnancy.
Prevalence of blaTEM , blaSHV and blaCTX-M genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from Northeast India.

AIM This study was carried out to determine the presence of blaTEM , blaSHV and blaCTX-M genes in extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) at a tertiary care referral hospital in Northeast India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 270 E. coli and 219 K. pneumoniae isolates were recovered during the period between August 2009 and July 2010. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was performed to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern. Screening and phenotypic confirmatory test for ESBL production were performed using standard disc diffusion methods. Each of the initial ESBL screening test isolate was investigated for the presence of blaTEM , blaSHV and blaCTX-M genes via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using gene-specific primers. RESULTS Phenotypic confirmatory test able to detect ESBL production in 73.58% of E. coli and 67.24% of K. pneumoniae. However, PCR amplification showed the presence of one or more ESBL genes in each of the initial ESBL screening positive isolate. Among three ESBL genotypes, the most prevalent genotype was found to be blaCTX-M in E. coli (88.67%) and blaTEM in K. pneumoniae (77.58%) ESBL producing isolates. Majority of ESBL producing isolates possess more than one ESBL genes. CONCLUSION This study constituted a primer report on high prevalence of blaTEM and blaCTX-M genes in ESBL producing isolates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae and denotes the need of more extensive studies on these antibiotic genes to determine the magnitude of the problem of antibiotic resistance exiting in this locality.
Salesperson Selection, Training, and Development: Trends, Implications, and Research Opportunities

Building on the forces of change in selling identified in the introductory paper of this Special Issue of JPSSM, we identify and explicate trends, managerial implications, and research opportunities in two important domains of the selling field: training and development (TD) and selection. Part One focuses on TD of salespeople, and argues why a fresh perspective on salesperson TD is essential. Then, taking a knowledge, skills, and ability (KSA) approach, a framework for future TD content is proposed around three levels of KSAs: task-related KSAs, growth-related KSAs, and meta-KSAs. Part Two, on selection, focuses on several important predictors of salesperson success: cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, and biodata. Then, assessment methods are reviewed. Finally, we summarize with a discussion of emerging trends and research opportunities. The focus of the discussion is on both enhancing salesperson performance and affording scholars new research opportunities.
Test of general relativity and measurement of the lense-thirring effect with two earth satellites

The Lense-Thirring effect, a tiny perturbation of the orbit of a particle caused by the spin of the attracting body, was accurately measured with the use of the data of two laser-ranged satellites, LAGEOS and LAGEOS II, and the Earth gravitational model EGM-96. The parameter &mgr;, which measures the strength of the Lense-Thirring effect, was found to be 1.1 +/- 0.2; general relativity predicts &mgr; identical with 1. This result represents an accurate test and measurement of one of the fundamental predictions of general relativity, that the spin of a body changes the geometry of the universe by generating space-time curvature.
Effects of Phonological and Orthographic Shifts on Children’s Processing of Written Morphology: A Time-Course Study

We report two experiments that investigated whether phonological and/or orthographic shifts in a base word interfere with morphological processing by French 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and adults (as a control group) along the time course of visual word recognition. In both experiments, prime-target pairs shared four possible relationships: morphological without modification (nuageux-NUAGE), morphological with phonological modification (bergerie-BERGER), morphological with phonological and orthographic modifications (soigneux-SOIN), and orthographic control (fourmi-FOUR). In Experiment 1 (60-ms prime duration), priming effects were only significant in the morphological condition without modification in children but in the three morphological conditions in adults. In Experiment 2 (250-ms prime duration) priming effects were significant in all three morphological conditions in each group, independently of form shifts. These results indicate that allomorphic variation does allow for the lexical activation of base words only in the later stages of word recognition in children, whereas this activation is automatic in adults.
Mitochondrial protection restores renal function in swine atherosclerotic renovascular disease.

AIMS The mechanisms responsible for renal injury in atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD) are incompletely understood, and few therapeutic options are available to reverse it. We hypothesized that chronic renal damage involves mitochondrial injury, and that mitochondrial protection would reduce renal fibrosis and dysfunction in ARVD pigs. METHODS AND RESULTS Domestic pigs were studied after 10 weeks of ARVD or sham, treated for the last 4 weeks with daily subcutaneous injections (5 days/week) of vehicle or Bendavia (0.1 mg/kg), a tetrapeptide that preserves cardiolipin content in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Single-kidney haemodynamics and function were studied using fast-computer tomography, oxygenation using blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging, microvascular architecture, oxidative stress, and fibrosis ex vivo. Cardiolipin content was assessed using mass spectrometry and staining. Renal endothelial function was studied in vivo and ex vivo. In addition, swine renal artery endothelial cells incubated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide were also treated with Bendavia. Stenotic-kidney renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreased in ARVD + Vehicle compared with normal (318.8 ± 61.0 vs. 553.8 ± 82.8 mL/min and 48.0 ± 4.0 vs. 84.0 ± 3.8 mL/min, respectively) associated with loss of cardiolipin, intra-renal microvascular rarefaction, and hypoxia. Bendavia restored cardiolipin content in ARVD and improved vascular density, oxygenation, RBF (535.1 ± 24.9 mL/min), and GFR (86.6 ± 11.2 mL/min). Oxidative stress and fibrosis were ameliorated, and renovascular endothelial function normalized both in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSION Preservation of mitochondrial cardiolipin attenuated swine stenotic-kidney microvascular loss and injury, and improved renal oxygenation, haemodynamics, and function. These observations implicate mitochondrial damage in renal deterioration in chronic experimental ARVD, and position the mitochondria as a central therapeutic target.
High-Density Lipoprotein and the Risk of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism

Background— High-density lipoprotein (HDL) protects against arterial atherothrombosis, but it is unknown whether it protects against recurrent venous thromboembolism. Methods and Results— We studied 772 patients after a first spontaneous venous thromboembolism (average follow-up 48 months) and recorded the end point of symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism, which developed in 100 of the 772 patients. The relationship between plasma lipoprotein parameters and recurrence was evaluated. Plasma apolipoproteins AI and B were measured by immunoassays for all subjects. Compared with those without recurrence, patients with recurrence had lower mean (±SD) levels of apolipoprotein AI (1.12±0.22 versus 1.23±0.27 mg/mL, P<0.001) but similar apolipoprotein B levels. The relative risk of recurrence was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.80 to 0.94) for each increase of 0.1 mg/mL in plasma apolipoprotein AI. Compared with patients with apolipoprotein AI levels in the lowest tertile (<1.07 mg/mL), the relative risk of recurrence was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.27 to 0.77) for the highest-tertile patients (apolipoprotein AI >1.30 mg/mL) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.22) for midtertile patients (apolipoprotein AI of 1.07 to 1.30 mg/mL). Using nuclear magnetic resonance, we determined the levels of 10 major lipoprotein subclasses and HDL cholesterol for 71 patients with recurrence and 142 matched patients without recurrence. We found a strong trend for association between recurrence and low levels of HDL particles and HDL cholesterol. Conclusions— Patients with high levels of apolipoprotein AI and HDL have a decreased risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism.
Elevated pCO2 enhances bacterioplankton removal of organic carbon

Factors that affect the removal of organic carbon by heterotrophic bacterioplankton can impact the rate and magnitude of organic carbon loss in the ocean through the conversion of a portion of consumed organic carbon to CO2. Through enhanced rates of consumption, surface bacterioplankton communities can also reduce the amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) available for export from the surface ocean. The present study investigated the direct effects of elevated pCO2 on bacterioplankton removal of several forms of DOC ranging from glucose to complex phytoplankton exudate and lysate, and naturally occurring DOC. Elevated pCO2 (1000–1500 ppm) enhanced both the rate and magnitude of organic carbon removal by bacterioplankton communities compared to low (pre-industrial and ambient) pCO2 (250 –~400 ppm). The increased removal was largely due to enhanced respiration, rather than enhanced production of bacterioplankton biomass. The results suggest that elevated pCO2 can increase DOC consumption and decrease bacterioplankton growth efficiency, ultimately decreasing the amount of DOC available for vertical export and increasing the production of CO2 in the surface ocean.
Phaco-emulsification versus manual small-incision cataract surgery in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES To compare the results of phaco-emulsification cataract surgery and manual small-incision cataract surgery. METHODS Consecutive patients aged >50 years undergoing surgery for age-related cataract were recruited into a randomised prospective clinical trial. Randomisation was done using opaque sequentially numbered envelopes opened by the surgeon immediately prior to surgery. The patients were seen after 1 day, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks. Outcome measures. The primary outcome measure was the uncorrected visual acuity at week 8. The secondary outcome measures were the uncorrected visual acuity on day 1, the best corrected visual acuity at week 8, the refraction at week 8, and the intra- and postoperative complications. RESULTS One hundred patients were recruited into each arm of the study. There was no difference in the incidence of intra-ocular complications (p=0.19). There was no difference in the day 1 visual acuities (p=0.28). However, both the uncorrected and the corrected week 8 visual acuities were better in the eyes that had phaco-emulsification (p=0.02 and p=0.03), and there was less astigmatism (p=0.001) at week 8 in the eyes that had phaco-emulsification. CONCLUSIONS While manual small-incision surgery has been recommended as an acceptable alternative to phaco-emulsification in middle- and low-income countries, we have found that the results of phaco-emulsification are better. Where appropriate, consideration should be given to encouraging a transition to phaco-emulsification in our Vision 2020 programmes in Africa.
Music as emotional self-regulation throughout adulthood

Emotional self-regulation is acknowledged as one of the most important reasons for musical engagement at all ages. Yet there is little knowledge on how this self-regulatory use of music develops across the life span. A qualitative study was conducted to initially explore central processes and strategies of the emotional self-regulation during adulthood. The data were collected through group interviews and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Participants were 21 interviewees with an age range of 21—70 years. The results clarified conceptual features of music-related emotional self-regulation in adulthood and revealed two main trends. First, the basic nature of regulation, including various regulatory goals and strategies, remained highly similar throughout adulthood. Second, however, several changes were also evident, and they could be further categorized into three types: change by age, event-related fluctuations, and retirement transition. The study provided knowledge about the role of music-related emotional experiences as a functional and meaningful part of human behavior and psychosocial development during adulthood.
Cognitive Styles and the Adult Learner

This research investigated relational and analytic cognitive styles among adult learners. It was hypothesized that in any selected population of adults, both polar analytic and polar rela tional, as well as mixed and conflicted, cognitive styles will be found; that relational cognitors will prefer a more informal learn ing environment and analytic cognitors will not; and that cogni tive style will be related to life style preference. The instrument used was found to be an effective gauge of cognitive style, and data on both styles were in fact collected. Predictions about learning environment preference were given reasonable support. Life style preference was not conclusively demonstrated, but enough evidence was collected to suggest the usefulness of further investigation.
Focus-on-Form and Corrective Feedback in Communicative Language Teaching

The developing oral English of approximately 100 second language learners (four intact classes) was examined in this study. The learners were native speakers of French (aged 10–12 years) who had received a 5-month intensive ESL course in either grade 5 or grade 6 in elementary schools in Quebec. A large corpus of classroom observation data was also analyzed. Substantial between-class differences were found in the accuracy with which students used such English structures as progressive -ing and adjective–noun order in noun phrases. There was some evidence that these differences (which were not correlated with performance on listening comprehension tests) were due to differences in teachers' form-focused instruction. These findings are discussed in terms of current competing views of the role of form-focused instruction in second language learning.
Routine stenting after ureteroscopy for distal ureteral calculi is unnecessary: results of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Insertion of a ureteral stent is routinely done after ureteroscopy. Recently, several authors have questioned routine stenting after ureteroscopy for distal ureteral stones. We report our results of a randomized study comparing ureteroscopy with and without placement of stents for distal ureteral stones. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 48 patients undergoing ureteroscopy for distal ureteral stones were randomized to a stented group (N = 26) or a nonstented group (N = 22). Ureteroscopy was carried out with Wolf 8.5F semirigid endoscope, and the Swiss Lithoclast was used as the source of energy. Any stent was removed at 3 weeks. Patients were assessed for success, operative time, postoperative pain score, analgesic requirement, stent-related symptoms, and risk of ureteral stricture formation. Baseline variables were not significantly different in the two groups. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the two treatment groups with regard to need for ureteral dilation, use of intracorporeal lithotripsy, or occurrence of intraoperative and postoperative complications. A successful outcome was achieved in 100% of both groups. The mean pain score on day 0 was 5.23 +/- 0.95 of 10 in the stented group and 4.82 +/- 0.96 in the nonstented group; this difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, the analgesic requirement in the two treatment groups was not significantly different. However, patients with stents had significantly more pain (including flank pain with voiding: P = 0.01), urgency (P = 0.04) and dysuria (P <0.01). Radiologic follow-up was available for 83.33% of the patients at the 3-month visit. None of the patients had evidence of ureteral stricture or residual stone fragments. CONCLUSION In select patients undergoing ureteroscopy for distal ureteral stones, stents can be safely omitted. Patients without stents have significantly fewer lower-urinary symptoms of pain, urgency, and dysuria and are not at risk of increased complications. Avoiding stents may be particularly cost effective in developing countries.
Inequality in health and the class position of women ‐ the Norwegian experience

The paper examines whether different ways of classifying women in the socioeconomic hierarchy make a difference with regard to health. Among sociologists there has been much dispute on how to classify women in the class structure. The insights from this debate, however, have attracted negligible attention in contemporary research on social inequalities in health. Four ways of classifying women are identified and operationalized: the conventional, the individual the cross-class, and the pre-war generational approach. Using a nation-wide representative data set, their associations with a dichotomous measure of self-reported health are investigated. Logistic regression analyses show that only one approach yields significant results (p<0.05): the conventional. In this model, health is inversely associated with socioeconomic status. Possible interpretations of these results are discussed. The findings imply that the conclusions drawn in Norwegian studies of social inequalities in health and in use of health services must be questioned and should be reconsidered.