Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the dynamics and impacts of HR Climate and Meaningfulness of Work in public healthcare

iv Acknowledgements . v List of Figures . x List of Abbreviations . xi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Methodology . 4 Thesis Overview . 4 Chapter 2: Background Information . 6 Global Nursing Shortage . 6 Canadian Nursing Shortage . 6 The Crisis in British Columbia . 8 Vancouver Island Health . 8 Chapter 3: Review of the Literature . 10 Human Resource Management . 10 High Performance Work Systems . 11 High Performance Work Systems in Healthcare . 13 Theoretical Frameworks . 18 Limitations of Past Research . 21 Human Resource Climate . 23 Societal Culture . 26 Meaningfulness of Work . 29 Summary of the Literature . 35 Chapter 4: Conceptual Framework . 38 Development of the HR Climate Construct . 39 Chapter 5: Research Design . 45 Research Method . 45 Data Collection . 50 Setting . 51 Sample . 51 Data Analysis . 53 Instruments and Measures: Survey (Quantitative) . 55 Instrument and Measure: Interview (Qualitative) . 63 Ethical Considerations . 67 Quantitative Results . 68 HR Climate . 68 Employee Outcome Metrics . 70 Job Satisfaction. 71
Improved spatial targeting with directionally segmented deep brain stimulation leads for treating essential tremor

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the ventral intermediate nucleus of thalamus (Vim) is known to exert a therapeutic effect on postural and kinetic tremor in patients with essential tremor (ET). For DBS leads implanted near the caudal border of Vim, however, there is an increased likelihood that one will also induce paresthesia side-effects by stimulating neurons within the sensory pathway of the ventral caudal (Vc) nucleus of thalamus. The aim of this computational study was to (1) investigate the neuronal pathways modulated by therapeutic, sub-therapeutic and paresthesia-inducing DBS settings in three patients with ET and (2) determine how much better an outcome could have been achieved had these patients been implanted with a DBS lead containing directionally segmented electrodes (dDBS). Multi-compartment neuron models of the thalamocortical, cerebellothalamic and medial lemniscal pathways were first simulated in the context of patient-specific anatomies, lead placements and programming parameters from three ET patients who had been implanted with Medtronic 3389 DBS leads. The models showed that in these patients, complete suppression of tremor was associated most closely with activating an average of 62% of the cerebellothalamic afferent input into Vim (n = 10), while persistent paresthesias were associated with activating 35% of the medial lemniscal tract input into Vc thalamus (n = 12). The dDBS lead design demonstrated superior targeting of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway, especially in cases of misaligned DBS leads. Given the close proximity of Vim to Vc thalamus, the models suggest that dDBS will enable clinicians to more effectively sculpt current through and around thalamus in order to achieve a more consistent therapeutic effect without inducing side-effects.
Review: cranberry products may prevent urinary tract infection in women with recurrent infections

ED FROM Jepson R, Craig J. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;(1):CD001321. Correspondence to: Dr R Jepson, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK; ruth.jepson@stir.ac. uk Source of funding: Nuffield Trust. c Clinical impact ratings: Primary care 6/7; Infectious disease 6/7; Surgery/Urology 6/7 Cranberry products v placebo or no treatment (control) to prevent urinary tract infection (UTI) at 6–12 months Population Number of trials (n) Weighted event rates RRR (95% CI) NNT (CI) Cranberry Control All 4 (665) 12% 19% 34% (8 to 53) 16 (11 to 68) Women with recurrent UTI 2 (241) 22% 37% 39% (9 to 60) 7 (5 to 31) Elderly people 1 (376) 3.8% 7.4% 49% (222 to 79) Not significant
Tissue Engineering in Plastic Surgery: An Up-to-Date Review of the Current Literature

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life sciences toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. This field has enjoyed tremendous growth in the past 10 years fuelled by its potential role in regenerating new tissues and naturally healing injured or diseased organs. Stem cells due to their pluripotentiality and unlimited capacity for self-renewal, may allow significant advances for distinct reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. This review aims at outlining the principles of tissue engineering, focusing on the use of adult-derived stem cells as applied to the research and practice of plastic surgery. Review categories have been divided into tissue engineering of the skin and connective tissue, bone marrow, cartilage, adipose tissue, and breast tissue. An analytical review of the current literature on stem cell technology on the above mentioned areas is presented. There have been reports of side effects and unsuccessful treatments. The key to the progress of tissue engineering is an understanding between basic scientists, biochemical engineers, clinicians, and industry. Although there has been an ongoing research pointing to the enormous potential of using stem cells in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, at this stage, stem cell therapy is still a hope that has not been fully studied and approved. More long-term studies are needed and many questions remain to be answered.
A Modified Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory for Chronic Training and Baseline Profiles of Participants in the Activity Counseling Trial

An earlier study reported on the development of a scale to measure feeling states during acute bouts of exercise: the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory (EFI-A). The present study reports on the psychometric properties of a revised scale to assess responses to habitual or chronic physical activity: the EFI-C. The EFI-C was administered during baseline testing to 830 sedentary men and women patients with a mean age of 51.5 years. Factor analytic procedures revealed that the EFI-C consisted of two factors, one assessing pleasant feeling states and a second that taps the unpleasant experience of physical exhaustion. Both subscales have excellent internal consistency reliability coefficients (0.90) and are reasonably stable over time, having test–retest coefficients in excess of 0.70. The scales correlated in expected directions with related constructs and in preliminary analyses showed an anticipated pattern of sensitivity to physical activity interventions. Mean scores for various demographic groups are reported. Future research should examine whether the EFI-C is a predictor of adherence to physical activity and its potential role in mediating the positive mental health effects of physical activity.
Factors Affecting Continuous Usage Intention of Mobile Banking in Tema and Kumasi

This paper examines the antecedents of continuous usage intention of Mobile Banking of customers of banks in Tema and Kumasi, Ghana. In addition, the study ascertains whether antecedents of IS acceptance and those of IS continuous usage intention can coexist to jointly predict continuous usage of Mobile Banking. The study further enhances the understanding of personality traits as antecedents of continuous usage intention of Mobile Banking. A research model is designed and developed by integrating some dimensions of TAM and ECM and two personality traits namely, Perceived Enjoyment and Perceived Innovativeness. Data was collected from 295Mobile Banking users of banks based in Tema and Kumasi. Structural Equation Modeling technique was used to test and assess the validity of the hypothesized relationships in the model. The results indicate that Satisfaction, Perceived Enjoyment and Perceived Usefulness positively predict customers’ Continuous Usage Intention of Mobile Banking. However, Perceived Ease of Use and Personal Innovativeness did not have significant effect on Mobile Banking Continuous Usage Intention. Premised on these findings, this study suggests that banks need to improve Mobile Banking to ensure users can enjoy and have good experience in the course of performing task related to banking services. Furthermore, the paper recommends future studies to separate antecedents of acceptance from antecedents of continuous usage intention in investigating factors that influence Mobile Banking Continuous Usage Intention.
The DTL/SDTL alignment of the J-PARC LINAC

The required alignment accuracy in the J-PARC linac is 0.1 mm in transverse direction. In the DTL/SDTL section, the fine alignment was carried out by using an optical alignment telescope along with the cavity installation. The displacement of the DTL by the unit tank connection was monitored by a laser tracker to obtain the tolerable displacement between unit tanks. The heights of cavities and magnets were compensated form the local settlement of the linac tunnel.
No Genetic Linkage Detected for Schizophrenia to Xq27–q28

The hypothesis that at least a subgroup of familial cases of schizophrenia could be due to a genetic defect on the X chromosome is supported by the observation of an excess of X-chromosome aneuploidies (XXX and XXY) among populations of patients with psychosis. The distal long arm, Xq27–q28, is a candidate region where linkage has been claimed to manic-depressive disorder and a fragile site has been associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The present study excluded linkage to a large part of this region using four polymorphic probes and multipoint lod-score analysis in 10 families with multiple members with schizophrenia.
Polymerase-1 and transcript release factor ( CAVIN 1 ) and cancer : where we are and what is next

*Corresponding author: Jin-Yih Low Email: jylow85@gmail.com Tel: +64-3-479-5792 Abstract Polymerase I and transcript release factor (PTRF, also known as CAVIN1) is a unique molecule that has been ascribed with two very different functions; RNA transcription termination and caveolae formation. The role of CAVIN1 in cancer has recently gained researchers’ attention and to-date, studies have shown that CAVIN1 may play a role in various malignancies, including prostate, breast and lung, where the expression of CAVIN1 is often detected to be dysregulated. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the underlying molecular and epigenetic signaling that may be associated with the dysregulation of CAVIN1. Here, we summarize the role of CAVIN1 in cancer and discuss possible future research directions in this area. The findings suggest that targeting CAVIN1 may be a potential therapeutic target for several cancers.
Abnormalities of gyration, heterotopias, tuberous sclerosis, focal cortical dysplasia, microdysgenesis, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour and dysgenesis of the archicortex in epilepsy. Clinical, EEG and neuroimaging features in 100 adult patients.

Cerebral cortical dysgenesis (CD) is a heterogeneous disorder of cortical development and organization commonly associated with epilepsy, with a variety of subtypes. We reviewed the clinical, EEG and neuroimaging features in 100 adult patients with CD. There were 39 men and 61 women with a median age of 27 years (range 15-63 years). All patients were referred because of medically refractory epilepsy. Median age at seizure onset was 10 years (range 3 weeks to 39 years); in 30 patients, onset was in adulthood. The epilepsy was classified as generalized in 16 patients and localization-related in 84. Of the latter, the epileptic syndromes in decreasing frequency were frontal (32%), temporal (31%), parietal (14%) and occipital (7%). Only 15% of patients had a history of status epilepticus. Prenatal/perinatal problems were reported in 32 patients but these were severe in only four: exposure to drugs (three) and infection (one) during the first trimester. Delayed developmental milestones were seen in 10%, mental retardation in 9%, additional congenital abnormalities in 4% and neurological deficits in 14% of patients. Diagnosis of CD was based on neuroimaging in 70, pathology in four and both methods in the remaining 26. The following subcategories were identified: agyria/diffuse macrogyria (four patients), focal macrogyria (16), focal polymicrogyria (one), focal macrogyria/polymicrogyria associated with a cleft (11), minor gyral abnormalities (seven), subependymal grey matter heterotopia (20), bilateral subcortical laminar grey matter heterotopia (eight), tuberous sclerosis (five), focal cortical dysplasia/microdysgenesis (seven) and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours (DNT) (21). Sixty-eight percent of patients had normal CT and 19 out of 36 patients had normal previous conventional MRI. MRI-based hippocampal volume measurements in 47 patients revealed ratios (smaller: larger hippocampus) of < 0.90 in 16, 0.90-0.94 in 14 and > or = 0.95 in 17 patients. EEGs were normal in only five patients. Alpha rhythm was preserved in 78 patients, including one patient with bilateral posterior macrogyria. Localized polymorphic slow activity was present in 43 patients. Five of 68 patients with focal/unilateral CD had only bilateral independent/synchronous spiking and 14 out of 32 with diffuse/bilateral CD only focal/unilateral spiking. In 60 patients with nondiffuse CD or with abnormal gyration or DNT, the epileptiform abnormalities were less extensive than coextensive with the lesion in 28, more extensive than and overlapped the lesion in 18 and remote from the lesion in five; nine patients did not have epileptiform abnormalities. There was poor correlation between the epileptic syndromes and EEG abnormalities and the location/extent of CD as defined by MRI and pathology. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Aripiprazole in the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes in patients with bipolar I disorder: a 3-week placebo-controlled study

This study compares the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a partial dopamine agonist, aripiprazole, with placebo in the treatment of patients with bipolar I disorder experiencing an acute manic or mixed episode. In total, 272 hospitalized patients were randomized to aripiprazole 30mg/day or placebo in this 3-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Dosing could be reduced to 15mg/day for tolerability and, subsequently, increased to 30mg/day based on clinical response. Primary efficacy measure was mean change from baseline to endpoint in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score; response was defined as 50% decrease from baseline YMRS score. Aripiprazole-treated patients demonstrated significantly greater improvement from baseline to endpoint in mean YMRS total scores compared with placebo-treated patients as early as Day 4 and sustained through Week 3. A significantly higher response rate was observed in aripiprazole-treated patients (53% vs. 32% at endpoint). Aripiprazole produced significantly greater improvements from baseline on other efficacy assessments compared with placebo, including Clinical Global Impression – Bipolar Version Severity and Improvement scores. The 30mg/day dose was maintained by 85% of aripiprazole-treated patients. Incidence of discontinuations due to adverse events was similar for aripiprazole (8.8%) and placebo (7.5%). Aripiprazole treatment resulted in no significant difference from placebo in change in mean body weight and was not associated with elevated serum prolactin or QTc prolongation. In conclusion, aripiprazole demonstrated superior efficacy to placebo in the treatment of patients with bipolar I disorder presenting with acute manic or mixed episodes, and exhibited a favourable safety and tolerability profile.
Influence of Length and Diameter of Implants Associated With Distal Extension Removable Partial Dentures

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the length and diameter of the implant incorporated under the saddle of a distal-extension removable partial denture, acting as support. Materials and Methods:Six hemi-mandibular models were made with the presence of left inferior cuspid and first bicuspid, with the following differences: model A, without removable partial denture; model B, removable partial denture only; model C, removable partial denture and implant of 3.75 × x mm; model D, removable partial denture and implant of 3.75 × x3 mm; model E, removable partial denture and implant of 5 × x mm; and model F, removable partial denture and implant of 5 × x3 mm. These models were designed with the aid of AutoCAD 2000 (Autodesk, Inc., San Rafael, CA) and processed for finite element analysis by ANSYS 5.4 (Swanson Analysis Systems, Houston, PA). The loads applied were 50 N vertical on each cuspid point. Results:It was noted that the presence of the removable partial denture overloaded the supporting tooth and other structures. The introduction of the implant reduced tensions, mainly at the extremities of the edentulous edge. Both the length and diameter tended to reduce tensions as their dimensions increased. Conclusions:Increasing the length of the implant had a great influence on the decrease of displacement and von Mises tension values. Increasing the diameter of the implant had a great influence on the decrease of von Mises tension values, but did not influence the displacement values. According to the results of this study, it is a good choice to use the greater and larger implant possible in the association between implant and distal extension removable partial denture.
The Role of Tinzaparin in Oncology

Current guidelines recommend low-molecular-weight heparin treatment in patients with cancer with established venous thromboembolism (VTE). The aim of this article was to study the pharmacological properties and effectiveness of tinzaparin in patients with cancer as well as its potential anticancer properties. A search of PubMed and ScienceDirect databases up to March 2016 was carried out to identify published studies that detect the properties and use of tinzaparin in oncology. Protamine sulfate partially (60% to 65%) neutralized tinzaparin’s anti-Xa activity. No dose adjustment of tinzaparin is needed even in patients with severe renal impairment and Creatinine Clearance ≥20 mL/min. Tinzaparin demonstrated a statistically significant decline in VTE recurrence at 1 year post the index thromboembolic event. A statistically significant reduction in minor bleeding rates was also described, whereas major bleeding events did not decrease in patients with cancer treated with tinzaparin versus those who received vitamin K antagonists. Tinzaparin treatment in patients suffering from deep vein thrombosis reduced the incidence of postthrombotic syndrome and venous ulcers. Tinzaparin’s ability to prevent both metastatic dissemination of cancer cells and tumor angiogenesis has been delineated in preclinical research. Current data show that tinzaparin is safe and efficacious either for short-term or for long-term treatment of VTE in patients with cancer. Clinical trials are needed in order to examine the utility of tinzaparin in primary prevention of VTE and validate its potential anticancer advantages exhibited in preclinical research.
Rapid NKT Cell Responses Are Self-Terminating during the Course of Microbial Infection1

NKT cells play a protective role in immune responses against infectious pathogens. However, when the NKT cell response to infection is initiated and terminated is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that NKT cells become activated, proliferate, and exert their effector function before MHC-restricted T cells during infection with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin in mice. After a cell expansion phase, NKT cells underwent cell death, which contracts their numbers back to baseline. Surprisingly, despite ongoing infection, the remaining NKT cells were profoundly unresponsive to TCR stimulation, while MHC-restricted T cells were vigorously proliferating and producing IFN-γ. Similarly, we show that NKT cells became unresponsive in uninfected mice after receiving a single exposure to a TLR agonist LPS, suggesting that NKT cell unresponsiveness may be a major mechanism of terminating their response in many infectious conditions. This characterization of the NKT cell response in antimicrobial immunity indicates that rapid NKT cell activation contributes to the innate phase of the response to the infectious pathogen, but then, the NKT cell response is shut down by two mechanisms; apoptotic contraction and marked unresponsiveness to TCR stimulation, as a synchronized hand off to MHC-restricted T cells occurs.
The Sales Advantage: How to Get It, Keep It, and Sell More Than Ever

Global markets, increased technology, information overload, corporate mergers, and complex products and services have combined to make the buying/selling process more complicated than ever. Salespeople must understand and balance these factors to survive amid a broad spectrum of competition. Moreover, a lot of what the typical old-time salesperson did as recently as ten years ago is now done by e-commerce. The new sales professional has to capture and maintain customers by taking a consultative approach and learning to unearth the four pieces of information critical to buyers, none of which e-commerce alone can yield. The Sales Advantage will enable any salesperson to develop long-term customer relationships and help make those customers more successful—a key competitive advantage.
Imatinib-Resistant CML Cells Have Low ENT Activity But Maintain Sensitivity to Gemcitabine

Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenus leukemia (CML) is widely treated with imatinib mesylate (imatinib), a potent inhibitor of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. However, resistance to this compound remains a concern. Current treatment approaches include combinations of imatinib with nucleoside analogs such as gemcitabine, which requires equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) for uptake, to overcome this resistance. Here we report that imatinib treatment decreased ENT1-dependent activity and mRNA expression. Although, imatinib-resistant cells showed decreased levels of both ENT1 and ENT2 activity and expression, these cells remained sensitive to gemcitabine, suggesting that nucleoside analogs can be used as adjunctive therapy.
Influence of Age at Implantation and of Residual Hearing on Speech Outcome Measures after Cochlear Implantation: Binary Partitioning Analysis

The goal of this study was to evaluate speech understanding outcomes in prelingually deaf children who use a cochlear implant device. Specifically, we discuss investigations on 2 prognostic variables — age at implantation and degree of residual hearing — and use a novel method: binary partitioning analysis. Our outcome measures are standard speech perception evaluations, including the Word Intelligibility by Picture Identification (WIPI) test, the Phonetically Balanced–Kindergarten (PBK) test, and the Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure (GASP). Regarding age at implantation, we definitely showed that growth rates of speech understanding do relate to age at implantation, but not in a simple fashion. We used binary partitioning in an attempt to find the age at implantation that best separates the performances of children with younger versus older ages at implantation. We found that there is no one “critical age”; much appears to depend on the nature and difficulty (eg, whether open- or closed-set) of the test used. Regarding residual hearing, binary partitioning analysis was unable to show that the amount of residual hearing (as shown by preimplantation audiometric data) has any significant bearing on speech outcome measures in congenitally or prelingually deaf children.
Inhibition of influenza C virus replication by actinomycin D, alpha-amanitin, and UV irradiation

Actinomycin D and alpha-amanitin caused similar reductions in the yields of influenza A/WSN and influenza C/JBH/1/66 viruses in a chicken kidney cell culture system. Irradiation of host cells with UV light before virus infection also produced a similar reduction in yields of the two viruses. The results indicate a close similarity between the replication processes of influenza C and other orthomyxoviruses.