LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Co-occurrence of IBS and symptoms of anxiety or depression, among Norwegian twins, is influenced by both heredity and intrauterine growth

BACKGROUND
Environmental and genetic factors contribute to variation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety and depression. Comorbidity between these disorders is high. A previous investigation of our population-based twin cohort revealed that low birth weight increased the risk for development of IBS, with environmental influences in utero as the most relevant contributing factor. We hypothesise that both intrauterine and genetic factors influence the co-occurrence of IBS and symptoms of anxiety and depression.


METHODS
A postal questionnaire sent to 12700 Norwegian twins born between 1967 and 1979 comprised a checklist of 31 illnesses and symptoms, including IBS and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The influence of genetic factors and intrauterine growth on comorbidity between these disorders were analysed in the full sample and compared to those based on only monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs discordant for IBS (95 pairs) in birth weight group < 2500 g and ≥ 2500 g.


RESULTS
In the co-twin analyses restricted growth (birth weight < 2500 g) was significantly associated with anxiety and depression (average birth weight difference of 181.0 g (p <0.0001) and 249.9 g (p < 0.0001), respectively). The analysis of the full sample revealed that IBS was significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety (adjusted OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.9, 3.3) and depression (adjusted OR = 2.3. 95% CI: 1.8, 3.0). Analyses of MZ pairs discordant for IBS indicated significant associations between IBS and symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.3, 10.5) and between IBS and symptoms of depression (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.7, 9.9) only in the birth weight group below 2500 g.


CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that genetic factors partly explain the association between IBS and symptoms of anxiety and depression. In the low range of birth weight (<2500 g), restricted fetal growth seems to be a common contributing factor to the co-occurrence between these disorders.
Globally nilpotent differential operators and the square Ising model

We recall various multiple integrals with one parameter, related to the isotropic square Ising model, and corresponding, respectively, to the n-particle contributions of the magnetic susceptibility, to the (lattice) form factors, to the two-point correlation functions and to their λ-extensions. The univariate analytic functions defined by these integrals are holonomic and even Gfunctions: they satisfy Fuchsian linear differential equations with polynomial coefficients and have some arithmetic properties. We recall the explicit forms, found in previous work, of these Fuchsian equations, as well as their Russiandoll and direct sum structures. These differential operators are selected Fuchsian linear differential operators, and their remarkable properties have a deep geometrical origin: they are all globally nilpotent, or, sometimes, even have zero p-curvature. We also display miscellaneous examples of globally nilpotent operators emerging from enumerative combinatorics problems for which no integral representation is yet known. Focusing on the factorized parts of all these operators, we find out that the global nilpotence of the factors (resp. p-curvature nullity) corresponds to a set of selected structures of algebraic geometry: elliptic curves, modular curves, curves of genus five, six, . . . , and even a remarkable weight-1 modular form emerging in the threeparticle contribution χ(3) of the magnetic susceptibility of the square Ising model. Noticeably, this associated weight-1 modular form is also seen in the factors of the differential operator for another n-fold integral of the Ising class, (3) H , for the staircase polygons counting, and in Apéry’s study of ζ(3). Gfunctions naturally occur as solutions of globally nilpotent operators. In the case where we do not have G-functions, but Hamburger functions (one irregular 1751-8113/09/125206+50$30.00 © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK 1 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 42 (2009) 125206 A Bostan et al singularity at 0 or ∞) that correspond to the confluence of singularities in the scaling limit, the p-curvature is also found to verify new structures associated with simple deformations of the nilpotent property. PACS numbers: 05.50.+q, 05.10.−a, 02.30.Hq, 02.30.Gp, 02.40.Xx Mathematics Subject Classification: 34M55, 47E05, 81Qxx, 32G34, 34Lxx, 34Mxx, 14Kxx
A Review of Operations Research in Mine Planning

Applications of operations research to mine planning date back to the 1960s. Since that time, optimization and simulation, in particular, have been applied to both surface and underground mine planning problems, including mine design, longand short-term production scheduling, equipment selection, and dispatching, inter alia. In this paper, we review several decades of such literature with a particular emphasis on more recent work, suggestions for emerging areas, and highlights of successful industry applications.
DNA damage-induced apoptosis suppressor (DDIAS), a novel target of NFATc1, is associated with cisplatin resistance in lung cancer.

In a previous study, we reported that DNA damage induced apoptosis suppressor (DDIAS; hNoxin), a human homolog of mouse Noxin, functions as an anti-apoptotic protein in response to DNA repair. Here we reveal that DDIAS is a target gene of nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFATc1) and is associated with cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells. In the DDIAS promoter analysis, we found that NFATc1 activated the transcription of DDIAS through binding to NFAT consensus sequences in the DDIAS promoter. In addition, tissue array immunostaining revealed a correlation between DDIAS and NFATc1 expression in human lung tumors. NFATc1 knockdown or treatment with the NFAT inhibitor cyclosporine A induced apoptosis and led to growth inhibition of lung cancer cells, indicating the functional relevance of both the proteins. In contrast, DDIAS overexpression overcame this NFATc1 knockdown-induced growth inhibition, supporting the cancer-specific role of DDIAS as a target gene of NFATc1. NFATc1 or DDIAS inhibition clearly enhanced apoptosis induced by cisplatin in NCI-H1703 and A549 cells. Conversely, DDIAS overexpression rescued NCI-H1703 cells from cisplatin-mediated cell death and caspase-3/7 activation. These results suggest that NFATc1-induced DDIAS expression contributes to cisplatin resistance, and targeting DDIAS or NFATc1 impairs the mechanism regulating cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells. Taken together, DDIAS is a target of NFATc1 and is associated with cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells.
A double-blind randomized trial of 5% ascorbic acid vs. 4% hydroquinone in melasma.

BACKGROUND
Melasma is an acquired treatment-resistant hyperpigmentation of the skin.


METHODS
Sixteen women with idiopathic melasma were included in our trial. After randomization by another clinician, they were instructed to use, at night, 5% ascorbic acid cream on one side of the face and 4% hydroquinone cream on the other side, for 16 weeks. Sunscreen was applied daily throughout the period of observation. They were evaluated every month by colorimetry, digital photography, and regular color slides. Subjective evaluation by each patient was also taken into account.


RESULTS
The best subjective improvement was observed on the hydroquinone side with 93% good and excellent results, compared with 62.5% on the ascorbic acid side (P < 0.05); however, colorimetric measures showed no statistical differences. Side-effects were present in 68.7% (11/16) with hydroquinone vs. 6.2% (1/16) with ascorbic acid.


CONCLUSION
Although hydroquinone showed a better response, ascorbic acid may play a role in the therapy of melasma as it is almost devoid of side-effects; it could be used alone or in combination therapy.
Revisiting feminist activism at managerial universities

Purpose – In this paper the authors aim to examine the forms in which feminist activism is played out at contemporary managerial universities and pose the following question: what notions of feminist activism and feminist theory have to be revisited in order to sustain the target of gender equality and support its move further into the centre and the mainstream of managerial universities?Design/methodology/approach – Based on action research the authors document a workshop which they organised for different constituencies (administrators, researchers and feminist activists) working towards gender equality at an Austrian university and discuss its results in the context of feminist theory.Findings – The five voices collected at the workshop show that feminist theories are still the underlying guiding principles for feminist activism towards gender equality at managerial universities. As this is the first time that different generations of feminist activists have been present at managerial universities and ...
Hydro Muscle -a novel soft fluidic actuator

Hydro Muscles are linear actuators resembling ordinary biological muscles in terms of active dynamic output, passive material properties and appearance. The passive and dynamic characteristics of the latex based Hydro Muscle are addressed. The control tests of modular muscles are presented together with a muscle model relating sensed quantities with net force. Hydro Muscles are discussed in the context of conventional actuators. The hypothesis that Hydro Muscles have greater efficiency than McKibben Muscles is experimentally verified. Hydro Muscle peak efficiency with (without) back flow consideration was 88% (27%). Possible uses of Hydro Muscles are illustrated by relevant robotics projects at WPI. It is proposed that Hydro Muscles can also be an excellent educational tool for moderate-budget robotics classrooms and labs; the muscles are inexpensive (in the order of standard latex tubes of comparable size), made of off-the-shelf elements in less than 10 minutes, easily customizable, lightweight, biologically inspired, efficient, compliant soft linear actuators that are adept for power-augmentation. Moreover, a single source can actuate many muscles by utilizing control of flow and/or pressure. Still further, these muscles can utilize ordinary tap water and successfully operate within a safe range of pressures not overly exceeding standard water household pressure of about 0.59 MPa (85 psi).
DNA Analysis Indicates That Asian Elephants Are Native to Borneo and Are Therefore a High Priority for Conservation

The origin of Borneo's elephants is controversial. Two competing hypotheses argue that they are either indigenous, tracing back to the Pleistocene, or were introduced, descending from elephants imported in the 16th-18th centuries. Taxonomically, they have either been classified as a unique subspecies or placed under the Indian or Sumatran subspecies. If shown to be a unique indigenous population, this would extend the natural species range of the Asian elephant by 1300 km, and therefore Borneo elephants would have much greater conservation importance than if they were a feral population. We compared DNA of Borneo elephants to that of elephants from across the range of the Asian elephant, using a fragment of mitochondrial DNA, including part of the hypervariable d-loop, and five autosomal microsatellite loci. We find that Borneo's elephants are genetically distinct, with molecular divergence indicative of a Pleistocene colonisation of Borneo and subsequent isolation. We reject the hypothesis that Borneo's elephants were introduced. The genetic divergence of Borneo elephants warrants their recognition as a separate evolutionary significant unit. Thus, interbreeding Borneo elephants with those from other populations would be contraindicated in ex situ conservation, and their genetic distinctiveness makes them one of the highest priority populations for Asian elephant conservation.
Gravity as an emergent phenomenon: A conceptual description

I describe several broad features of a programme to understand gravity as an emergent, long wavelength, phenomenon (like elasticity) and discuss one concrete framework for realizing this paradigm in the backdrop of several recent results.
Impact of preoperative atrial fibrillation on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes of mechanical mitral valve replacement for rheumatic mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVES
The prognostic significance of preoperative atrial fibrillation on mitral valve replacement remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the presence of preoperative atrial fibrillation on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes of mitral valve replacement for rheumatic valve disease.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed on a total of 793 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement with or without tricuspid valve repair in our hospital. The patients selected were divided into two groups according to preoperative rhythm status. Patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation were assigned to the AF group, while patients in preoperative sinus rhythm were assigned to the SR group. Postoperative follow-up was performed by outpatient visits, as well as by telephone and written correspondence. Data gathered included survivorship, postoperative complications, left ventricular function and tricuspid regurgitation.


RESULTS
For patients with atrial fibrillation vs those in sinus rhythm, there was no difference in postoperative mortality and morbidity. Follow-up was a mean of 8.6 ± 2.4 years. For patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation, 10-year survival from a Kaplan-Meier curve was 88.7%, compared with 96.6% in patients with preoperative sinus rhythm (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis identified low left ventricular ejection fraction, older age, large left atrium and preoperative atrial fibrillation as significant adverse predictors for overall survival. Freedom from thromboembolism complications at 13 years was lower for patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation without maze procedure and left atrial appendage ligation, compared with that for patients with preoperative sinus rhythm without maze procedure and left atrial appendage ligation, and patients with concomitant maze procedure and left atrial appendage ligation (76.3 vs 94.8 vs 94.0%, respectively; P = 0.001). On echocardiography, the proportion of patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation was 38.7% (atrial fibrillation patients) vs 25.4% (patients in sinus rhythm; P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction measured 5 years after surgery increased by an average of 1.2% in the AF group, while it increased by 5.3% in the SR group (P = 0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative atrial fibrillation is a risk factor for long-term mortality, thromboembolism complications and tricuspid regurgitation, and it also has an adverse effect on the degree of improvement when considering left ventricular function.
Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants to heavy metals stress

Heavy metals are essential and important for plants growth, and play as key components of many vital compounds. However, when they increase in concentration, heavy metals show symptoms such as growth delay and inhibition of biochemical reactions. The current study focused on the impact of five heavy metals (lead, chromium, nickel, cadmium, zinc) on growth and performance of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Nebraska) plants before and after liming (CaCO3 + MgCO3) as soil correction treatment for the sake of remediation for heavy metal pollution in soil. Chemical analysis of carbohydrates showed significant increases in the contents of reducing sugars in response to lead, cadmium and nickel stress, which were decreased by liming treatments. The contents of total soluble sugars also increased in all heavy metal-treated plants but zinc. All heavy metals significantly lowered the leaf contents of the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids). The sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoreseis (SDS-PAGE) of proteins indicated variations in the profile of electrophoretic protein bands in heavy metal-stressed common bean plants before and after liming. The results indicate that the investigated heavy metals were absorbed from the soil solution and then accumulated in the tissues of common bean plants in variable concentrations. The highest accumulation were lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) then cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) while the magnitude of limiting the retarding rate of absorption and accumulation was: Pb > Ni > Cr > Zn > Cd, respectively.
Analgesic use, pain and daytime sedation in people with and without dementia in aged care facilities: a cross-sectional, multisite, epidemiological study protocol

INTRODUCTION
People living with dementia may experience and express pain in different ways to people without dementia. People with dementia are typically prescribed fewer analgesics than people without dementia indicating a potential difference in how pain is identified and treated in these populations. The objectives of this study are to (1) investigate the prevalence of analgesic load, pain and daytime sedation in people with and without dementia in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs), and (2) investigate the clinical and diagnostic associations between analgesic load, pain and daytime sedation in people with and without dementia in Australian RACFs.


METHODS/ANALYSIS
This will be a cross-sectional study of 300 permanent residents of up to 10 low-level and high-level RACFs in South Australia with and without dementia. Trained study nurses will administer validated and dementia-specific assessments of self-reported and clinician-observed pain, sedation and other clinical and humanistic outcomes. Medicine-use data will be extracted directly from each resident's medication administration chart. Binary and multinominal logistic regression will be used to compute unadjusted and adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for factors associated with pain, analgesic load and daytime sedation. These factors will include dementia severity, behavioural and psychological symptoms, quality of life, resident satisfaction, attitudes towards medicines, activities of daily living and nutritional status.


ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
Institutional ethics approval has been granted. The findings will be disseminated through public lectures, professional and scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed journal articles. The findings of this study will allow for a better understanding of the prevalence and factors associated with analgesic use, pain and other outcomes in residential care. The findings of this study will be used to inform the development and implementation of strategies to improve the quality of life of people with dementia.
Decentralized Navigation of Groups of Wheeled Mobile Robots With Limited Communication

In this paper, we consider a group of wheeled mobile robots, where each robot has very limited information on other robots in the group. We propose a simple bio-inspired decentralized navigation law, which guarantees that all robots will eventually move in the same direction and with the same speed.
Bulk compressive properties of the heel fat pad during walking: a pilot investigation in plantar heel pain.

BACKGROUND
Altered mechanical properties of the heel pad have been implicated in the development of plantar heel pain. However, the in vivo properties of the heel pad during gait remain largely unexplored in this cohort. The aim of the current study was to characterise the bulk compressive properties of the heel pad in individuals with and without plantar heel pain while walking.


METHODS
The sagittal thickness and axial compressive strain of the heel pad were estimated in vivo from dynamic lateral foot radiographs acquired from nine subjects with unilateral plantar heel pain and an equivalent number of matched controls, while walking at their preferred speed. Compressive stress was derived from simultaneously acquired plantar pressure data. Principal viscoelastic parameters of the heel pad, including peak strain, secant modulus and energy dissipation (hysteresis), were estimated from subsequent stress-strain curves.


FINDINGS
There was no significant difference in loaded and unloaded heel pad thickness, peak stress, peak strain, or secant and tangent modulus in subjects with and without heel pain. However, the fat pad of symptomatic feet had a significantly lower energy dissipation ratio (0.55+/-0.17 vs. 0.69+/-0.08) when compared to asymptomatic feet (P<.05).


INTERPRETATION
Plantar heel pain is characterised by reduced energy dissipation ratio of the heel pad when measured in vivo and under physiologically relevant strain rates.
Paying for Safety: Preferences for Mortality Risk Reductions on Alpine Roads

This paper presents a choice experiment, which values reductions in mortality risk on Alpine roads. These roads are on one hand threatened by common road hazards, on the other hand they are also endangered by natural hazards such as avalanches and rockfalls. Drawing on choice data from frequently exposed and barely exposed respondents, we are not only able to estimate the VSL but to explore how the respondents differ in their individual willingness-to-pay depending on personal characteristics. To address heterogeneity in preferences for risk reduction, we use a non-linear conditional logit model with interaction effects. The best estimate of the VSL in the context of fatal accidents on Alpine roads is in the range of €4.9–5.4 million with distinct differences between the urban and the mountain sample groups. We find the VSL to be significantly altered by socio-economic factors but only marginally altered by the type of hazard.
Validation of the Consumption Screen for Problem Gambling (CSPG)

A 3 item screen for problem gambling was developed based on a conceptual analogue of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption (Bush et al. in Arch Intern Med 158:1789–1795, 1998); a brief screen that measures consumption rather than harm. Data were collected from an email panel survey of 588 men and 810 women (n = 1,398) across all states in Australia. Respondents indicated their consumption of gambling products using the 3 items of the new Consumption Screen for Problem Gambling (CSPG). Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analysis was used to analyze the performance of the new items relative to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (Ferris and Wynne in The Canadian problem gambling index: Final report, 2001). Results show a 98% probability that the CSPG score for a randomly chosen positive case of problem gambling will exceed the score for a randomly chosen negative case. In addition, a score of 4+ on the CSPG identified all 14 cases of Problem Gambling correctly, while only 7.3% of non-problem gamblers had scores of 4+ (sensitivity = 100%; specificity = 92.7%). Lastly, only 3.0% of respondents without any gambling problems had CSPG scores of 4+. The current study suggests that the CSPG, a brief consumption-based measure for gambling products, can quickly and accurately identify people who are likely to be experiencing gambling problems.