Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Factors Relate to Job Satisfaction Among Rheumatologists?

Background:A severe shortage of practicing rheumatologists in the workforce is predicted over the next 2 decades. Identification of factors impacting job satisfaction will be needed to design interventional strategies for physician retention. Objective:To examine predictors of job satisfaction among rheumatologists. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among rheumatologists from the American College of Rheumatology directory with a portion of this designed to examine their job satisfaction. Questions regarding demographics, practice setting and job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, and personal accomplishment based from the Maslach Burnout Inventory were included. Also included was a rank item to prioritize perceived changes that would improve job satisfaction. The response rate was 30% (N = 285) and 236 were analyzed. Data were primarily analyzed by the independent samples &khgr;2 test. Results:Physician demographics: mean age: 51 years, 76% were male, 27% were full time academicians, and 24% in solo practice. Significant differences (P < 0.04) between the “high” satisfaction versus “very good” and “low” satisfaction groups includes increased age and solo practice, which were associated with “high” satisfaction. Lower job satisfaction rating correlated with items rating emotional exhaustion (rs = −0.43) and better satisfaction with personal accomplishment (rs = 0.41, P < 0.001 for both). Priority ranking revealed that “better reimbursement for patient care” and “less administrative/business effort” were the most frequently reported items cited to improve job satisfaction. Conclusions:Measures to improve job satisfaction may promote physician retention as a means of addressing the predicted workforce shortage.
Why Terminate? Exploring the End of Interlocal Contracts for Police Service in California Cities

With the recent growth in interlocal contracts for municipal service delivery, insufficient attention has been given to city governments that choose to terminate interlocal contracts. The termination of interlocal contracts deserves scrutiny because theory points to multiple possible explanations for service change. This research examines the termination of interlocal contracts for police service delivery by California cities between 2001 and 2010. Public documents from the nine cities that terminated interlocal contracts are analyzed to assess rationale for termination. The stated reasons for termination include problems related to community responsiveness, the contract relationship, local control, service cost, service levels, and staffing. Grounded theory is advanced through analysis of the nine cities. The research refines our understanding of how cities weigh the costs and benefits of in-house production versus production through interlocal contract. While contract failure is evident in some cities, termination may also be explained as a process of vertical integration and service expansion. The research refines theories about local government service delivery and informs the practice of interlocal contract management.
Female and underrepresented minority faculty in academic departments of family medicine: are women and minorities better off in family medicine?

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown that the percentage of women represented in senior academic positions at US medical schools is lower than the percentage of men in senior positions. Similarly, the percentage of minority faculty members represented in senior academic positions is lower than that of their majority counterparts. This study assessed whether these findings were also present in departments of family medicine and identified any factors related to the institution or department that favored academic success for women and minorities. METHODS Data regarding faculty workforce composition, including faculty rank and rank for women and underrepresented minorities, were extracted from a comprehensive survey of departments of family medicine at US allopathic medical schools. The data are based on faculty workforce in 1997 and include responses from 58 (51%) of all schools with a department of family medicine. RESULTS Faculty in departments of family medicine were more likely to be female (41% versus 25%) and an underrepresented minority (9% versus 4%), compared with all academic medicine disciplines. However, women in full-time positions were less likely than men, and minorities were less likely than nonminorities, to be either an associate or full professor. We could find no institutional or departmental characteristics that were associated with academic success for women or minority faculty members. CONCLUSIONS While women and underrepresented minorities are more common to the faculty workforce in family medicine, members of both of these groups are not well represented in senior faculty ranks.
Testis/sperm-specific histone 2B in the sperm of donors and subfertile patients: variability and relation to chromatin packaging.

BACKGROUND The compaction of human sperm chromatin is the result of replacement of approximately 85% of histones with protamines. Germ-line testis/sperm-specific histone 2B (TSH2B) has been detected in only approximately 30% of mature spermatozoa. Its level in the semen of subfertile patients varies; its function is unknown. We evaluated TSH2B in the sperm samples of 23 donors and 49 subfertile patients and assessed its association with chromatin compaction status. METHODS TSH2B level was measured using immunoblotting. Chromatin packaging quality was evaluated by staining with chromomycin A3 (CMA3) which marked spermatozoa with defective packaging. To assess both TSH2B and chromatin status in the same spermatozoon, CMA3 staining and TSH2B immunolocalization were performed sequentially. RESULTS A significant correlation (r = 0.55, P = 0.0027) was found between TSH2B level and percentage of CMA3-positive sperm in patient and donor semen samples. When individual spermatozoa were assessed for these parameters, 92% of TSH2B-containing cells were also CMA3 positive. Variation in the total sperm TSH2B level was less in donors than in patients. CONCLUSIONS CMA3 positive staining of TSH2B-containing individual spermatozoa and a significant correlation between the total TSH2B level and CMA3 percentage in semen samples suggest a structural role for TSH2B in sperm chromatin organization. Low variability of TSH2B level in donors implies a mechanism (however unknown) regulating this parameter.
Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to Healthcare Worker Gowns and Gloves During Care of Nursing Home Residents

OBJECTIVE To estimate the frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission to gowns and gloves worn by healthcare workers (HCWs) interacting with nursing home residents to better inform infection prevention policies in this setting DESIGN Observational study SETTING Participants were recruited from 13 community-based nursing homes in Maryland and Michigan PARTICIPANTS Residents and HCWs from these nursing homes METHODS Residents were cultured for MRSA at the anterior nares and perianal or perineal skin. HCWs wore gowns and gloves during usual care activities. At the end of each activity, a research coordinator swabbed the HCW’s gown and gloves. RESULTS A total of 403 residents were enrolled; 113 were MRSA colonized. Glove contamination was higher than gown contamination (24% vs 14% of 954 interactions; P<.01). Transmission varied greatly by type of care from 0% to 24% for gowns and from 8% to 37% for gloves. We identified high-risk care activities: dressing, transferring, providing hygiene, changing linens, and toileting the resident (OR >1.0; P<.05). We also identified low-risk care activities: giving medications and performing glucose monitoring (OR<1.0; P<.05). Residents with chronic skin breakdown had significantly higher rates of gown and glove contamination. CONCLUSIONS MRSA transmission from MRSA-positive residents to HCW gown and gloves is substantial; high-contact activities of daily living confer the highest risk. These activities do not involve overt contact with body fluids, skin breakdown, or mucous membranes, which suggests the need to modify current standards of care involving the use of gowns and gloves in the nursing home setting. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(9):1050–1057
Memories of intimate partner violence and the process of change.

BACKGROUND One in 4 U.S. women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) during their lives. Despite the magnitude of this problem, little is known about the natural history of relationships involving IPV and how women exit them. METHODS Narrative interviews were conducted using open-ended qualitative narrative techniques with a convenience sample of 7 women who had ended a relationship of ≥6 months' duration involving IPV at least 6 months ago. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Qualitative narrative analysis was conducted to identify IPV relationship phases and themes. RESULTS From the analysis, 5 narrative phases and 2 topics emerged. The chronological presentation order of the phases was The Good Guy, Red Flags, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Mobilizing Resources, and Action. Material from the Moving On topic culminated these phases, and material from the Transition Points topic punctuated them. CONCLUSIONS The phases that emerged were reminiscent of stages of change suggested by Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model of Change, but these women's narratives were overall less linear, with substantial between-phase overlap. The Red Flags phase emerged as particularly significant to the women in hindsight and may represent a potential opportunity for therapeutic intervention.
Understanding conduct disorder: The ways in which mothers attempt to make sense of their children’s behaviour

‘Disruptive behaviour disorders’ are the most common reason for referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Current treatment guidelines focus on parent-training programmes. Difficulties are often reported when engaging families, with parental attributions and attitudes towards help-seeking proposed as influential factors. Previous research has tended to privilege pre-existing frameworks; this study utilised qualitative methods to add to the current understanding of the ways in which parents make sense of their children’s behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six mothers, recruited through CAMHS. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed four master themes: ‘Understanding the Emotional Child’, ‘The Emotional Parent’, ‘Getting Help’ and ‘The Journey’. Participants used a variety of explanations in order to make sense of their children’s behaviour, including the impact of loss and trauma. Help-seeking was associated with feelings of shame, and services were often viewed as inconsistent and stigmatising. In contrast, positive experiences were those which were characterised as being non-judgemental, normalising and took into account the wider family context, including mothers’ own emotional needs. These findings were discussed in relation to existing research and implications for clinical practice.
Endometrial cancer and fertility

Purpose of review Endometrial cancer can affect reproductive-age women who may desire fertility preservation. This article discusses the current, available data about conservative management of endometrial cancer in young women. Recent findings Reproductive-age women with well differentiated endometrial carcinoma have an overall favorable prognosis provided that the tumor is identified at an early, noninvasive stage; however, advanced disease can be present. This article discusses current modalities to evaluate and clinically stage endometrial cancer including hysteroscopy, dilation and curettage, pelvic ultrasound, abdominopelvic computed tomography scan, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, tumor marker CA125 level, and surgical exploration with laparoscopy or laparotomy. Thorough evaluation is critical as 10 to 29% of young women with endometrial cancer have a synchronous ovarian malignancy. Detailed counseling about the risks and benefits of conservative management, and expectations for fertility after treatment, surveillance, and definitive surgical management is essential. Multiple effective protocols exist for conservative treatment of endometrial cancer, and the initial response rates are as high as 57 to 75%. Successful pregnancies have occurred after conservative management, spontaneously, and with assisted reproductive technologies. Summary There are no standard recommendations for selection of appropriate women, treatment protocols, or long-term surveillance for conservative management of clinical stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma, and larger prospective clinical studies are warranted.
Evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons – Bridging the gap

The evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons is an enigmatic subject that inspires much debate. Non‐bilaterian metazoans, both with and without neurons and their closest relatives already contain many components of the molecular toolkits for synapse functions. The origin of these components and their assembly into ancient synaptic signaling machineries are particularly important in light of recent findings on the phylogeny of non‐bilaterian metazoans. The evolution of synapses and neurons are often discussed only from a metazoan perspective leaving a considerable gap in our understanding. By taking an integrative approach we highlight the need to consider different, but extremely relevant phyla and to include the closest unicellular relatives of metazoans, the ichthyosporeans, filastereans and choanoflagellates, to fully understand the evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons. This approach allows for a detailed understanding of when and how the first pre‐ and postsynaptic signaling machineries evolved.
Analysis of Indoor Concentrations of Benzene Using an Air-Quality Model

Abstract We performed measurements to determine indoor benzene levels in 26 residential houses in Kuwait, located in zones of different activity levels. Pumped (or active) sampling was conducted via use of 12 sampling tubes over a period of 24 hr for both indoor and outdoor concentrations simultaneously. Time-average indoor concentration varied linearly with time-average outdoor concentration in accordance with a mass-balance-based indoor air-quality model in which source and sink terms were incorporated. We used regression analysis to determine benzene adsorption rates, which appear in the removal and source terms of the model. The removal rate parameter varied between 0.12/hr and 2.16/hr, whereas source term parameter varied between 0.60 mg/hr and 76.07 mg/hr. Houses were then divided into three groups according to their benzene source strengths (i.e., < 1.0 mg/hr, 1–10 mg/hr, and 10–50 mg/hr). Qualitatively, these levels depended on the characteristics of occupants (e.g., smoking and gas cooker use, number of cars, and parking area) and location of the building.
Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine

• Was Russia successful in its operations to annex Crimea and foment an insurgency in Eastern Ukraine? • What did Russia hope to accomplish by its actions? • Is it possible to infer military and political objectives from the operations? • Are these reproducible events, a possible model of operations, or were the circumstances and conditions unique? • What can we glean from the potential desire of Moscow to replicate a similar course of events elsewhere? • Did the combat, social-mobilization, and information-warfare aspects of these operations appear planned or improvised? • What lessons about Russia’s strategy and doctrine can we take away from the Ukrainian experience?
Retail price responses to changes in wholesale prices in the US beef industry: differences among quality grades and primal cuts

ABSTRACT This study examines the transmission of wholesale prices to retail prices for differentiated beef products. Specifically, we study vertical price movement for products differentiated by quality grades and primal cuts in the US beef industry. Our study considers two quality grades– United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Choice and USDA Select, and three primal cuts– chuck, round and sirloin. Using threshold-based autoregressive and error correction models, and non-linear impulse response functions, we explore if characteristics of price adjustment differ by quality attributes of the products. Results show that there exists the ‘rocket and feather’ effect in the adjustment of retail prices of most beef grades and cuts in response to changes in wholesale prices, and such asymmetric adjustment effect is more pronounced for higher quality grade (Choice) than lower quality grade (Select). Evidence of similar price adjustment is found from the high-quality cut (sirloin). Our results underscore the differences in price adjustment by product quality in the US beef industry.
Gear-Part-Flying Mechanism for planetary exploration spacecraft landing

For planetary exploration, spacecrafts need to land softly. Conventional methods in previous missions have problems such as high rebound, impossibility of reuse, increase of the equipped mass, and expensive cost. To solve these problems, the author proposes a novel landing mechanism called Gear-Part-Flying Mechanism (GPFM). The main components of GPFM are the body, the head, and the gear. Here, the body corresponds to a spacecraft. GPFM realizes soft landing by converting the body's mechanical energy to the mechanical energy of the head and gear. The energy conversion is obtained effectively by the separation of the body and the head at the optimal timing. In comparison with the previous landing methods, the advantages of GPFM are as follows: (i) GPFM is reusable. (ii) GPFM is effective to suppress the body's rebound. (iii) GPFM is effective for both weight and cost saving of landing mechanisms. In this paper, the soft landing performance of GPFM is discussed. First of all, for simulation analysis, the model of GPFM is obtained assuming that it is a single-axis falling-type problem. The values of parameters are determined based on the 1/6 G similarity rule. This paper evaluates the robustness of GPFM against the variations of some parameters such as the ground stiffness, the body mass, the equipped mass, and the separation delay. For evaluation, this paper focuses on the maximum rebound height of the body. Simulation results reveal that GPFM has well robustness against the uncertainties of the ground stiffness, the body mass, and the equipped mass. However, the delay of separation causes a significant degradation of its performance.
Effect of fialuridine on replication of mitochondrial DNA in CEM cells and in human hepatoblastoma cells in culture

Fialuridine (FIAU) is a nucleoside analog with potent activity against hepatitis B virus in vitro and in vivo. In this report, the effect of FIAU on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication in vitro was investigated. CEM cells, a cell line derived from human T cells, were incubated for 6 days in up to 20 microM FIAU. Total cellular DNA was isolated, normalized for the number of cells, and slot hybridized to a probe specific for mtDNA sequences. Treatment of CEM cells with FIAU did not result in a dose-dependent decrease in the amount of mtDNA. In contrast, dideoxycytidine (ddC) inhibited mtDNA replication by 50% at a concentration of approximately 0.1 microM. After 6 days of incubation, both compounds displayed a 50% toxic dose at a concentration of approximately 2 microM in CEM cells and approximately 34 microM in human hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2). In further experiments, CEM cells were incubated for 15 days in up to 2.5 microM FIAU, and again, no inhibition of mtDNA was observed. Over a 6-day incubation, FIAU, at concentrations of up to 200 microM, also failed to inhibit mtDNA replication in either HepG2 or HepG2 cells which constitutively replicate duck hepatitis B virus. In contrast, ddC inhibited mtDNA replication in these cells with a 50% inhibitory concentration of approximately 0.2 microM over a 6-day incubation. Treatment of cells with either FIAU or ddC resulted in a dose-dependent increase in lactate levels in the cell medium, indicating that any effect of FIAU on mitochondrial function may not be related to inhibition of mtDNA replication on the basis of the in vitro data. Alternative explanations for mitochondrial toxicity are considered.
MR imaging of the temporal stem: anatomic dissection tractography of the uncinate fasciculus, inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, and Meyer's loop of the optic radiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The MR anatomy of the uncinate fasciculus, inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, and Meyer's loop of the optic radiation, which traverse the temporal stem, is not well known. The purpose of this investigation was to study these structures in the anterior temporal lobe and the external and extreme capsules and to correlate the dissected anatomy with the cross-sectional MR anatomy. METHODS Progressive dissection was guided by three-dimensional MR renderings and cross-sectional images. Dissected segments of the tracts and the temporal stem were traced and projected onto reformatted images. The method of dissection tractography is detailed in a companion article. RESULTS The temporal stem extends posteriorly from the level of the amygdala to the level of the lateral geniculate body. The uncinate and inferior occipitofrontal fasciculi pass from the temporal lobe into the extreme and external capsules via the temporal stem. Meyer's loop extends to the level of the amygdala, adjacent to the uncinate fasciculus and anterior commissure. These anatomic features were demonstrated on correlative cross-sectional MR images and compared with clinical examples. CONCLUSION This study clarified the MR anatomy of the uncinate and inferior occipitofrontal fasciculi and Meyer's loop in the temporal stem and in the external and extreme capsules, helping to explain patterns of tumor spread. The inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus is an important yet previously neglected tract. These results provide a solid anatomic foundation for diffusion tractography of the normal temporal stem and its tracts, as well as their abnormalities in brain disorders such as epilepsy, postoperative complications, trauma, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer disease.
Buy Locally? Big-Box Stores and Time-Inconsistent Preferences

The widespread closure of Mom-and-Pop shops, or small, locally owned stores, in the United States and elsewhere is a well-recognized phenomenon. These closures are generally met with dissatisfaction from the local community. These stores, however, often close due to a lack of patronage on the part of the same consumers who are upset by their closure. This behavior and subsequent disappointment are puzzling. I show that this phenomenon can be explained using a hyperbolic discounting, or time-inconsistency, framework. I develop a theoretical model to show that time-inconsistent consumers are less likely to patronize local businesses than time-consistent consumers. The sophistication effect, however, makes consumers more likely to shop at the local store than if they were naive. Further, I show that local stores are more likely to close in a community with a larger proportion of naive time-inconsistent consumers and that these closures cause a loss in welfare.