Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Long-Duration (118-day) Backpacking Trip (2669 km) Normalizes Lipids Without Medication: A Case Study

Abstract Objective. —To evaluate the effects of a long-distance backpacking trip on body composition, weight, blood lipids, and lipoproteins. Methods. —Single-subject (male, aged 49 years) study of an experienced backpacker who hiked 118 days on the Appalachian Trail. Outcome measures that were assessed pre-hike and post-hike included body fat (%) by hydrostatic weighing and skinfold assessment, height and weight, body mass index (BMI), circumference measurements (umbilicus, anterior suprailiac, maximum hip, greater trochanter, minimum waist, umbilicus/anterior suprailiac ratio), and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic at rest and peak). Dietary analyses (total kilocalories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, dietary fiber) were conducted pre-hike, on days 54 through 56, and on days 98 through 100. Blood lipids and lipoproteins (triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein) were measured pre-hike, on day 89, and post-hike. Results. —Pre-post differences showed decreases in body weight, from 85.3 kg to 73.9 kg (−11.4 [−13.4%]); percent body fat, hydrostatic weighing, from 25.18 to 14.31 (−10.87 [−43.2%]); percent body fat, skinfolds (7-site), from 23.79 to 11.61 (12.18 [−51.2%]); and BMI, from 29.37 to 25.46 (−3.91 [−13.3%]). Pre-post differences in blood lipid changes over the course of 118 days were as follows: triglycerides (mg·dL−1) fell from 319 to 79 (−240 [−75%]); total cholesterol (mg·dL−1) fell from 276 to 196 (−80 [−29%]); high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (mg·dL−1) rose from 46 to 63 (+17 [+37%]); low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (mg·dL−1) fell from 167 to 118 (−49 [−29%]); LDL/HDL ratio fell from 3.63 to 1.87 (−1.76 [−48%]); and total cholesterol/HDL ratio fell from 6.00 to 3.11 (−2.89 [−48%]). Conclusion. —The physical activity and diet associated with an extended backpacking adventure can considerably reduce and clinically normalize blood lipids and lipoproteins without medication and can very positively affect body composition and weight.
Echocardiographic and Electrocardiographic Diagnoses of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Predict Mortality Independently of Each Other in a Population of Elderly Men

Background—The increased risk associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) diagnosed echocardiographically (Echo-LVH) or electrocardiographically (ECG-LVH) is well known, but the clinically relevant question of how much additional prognostic information would be provided by echocardiographically assessing LVH if a subject’s ECG-LVH and hypertension status are known has not been addressed. Methods and Results—We investigated whether Echo-LVH and ECG-LVH predicted total and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity independently of each other and of other cardiovascular risk factors by using a population-based sample of 475 men investigated at age 70 with a median follow-up time of 5.2 years. Echocardiographic left ventricular mass index (LVMI) predicted total mortality (hazards ratio [HR] 1.44, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.92, for a 1-SD increase in LVMI) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.52 to 3.73) independently of ECG-LVH and other cardiovascular risk factors. ECG-LVH, defined as Cornell product >244 &mgr;V · s, predicted total mortality (HR 2.89, 95% CI 1.41 to 5.96) independently of LVMI and other cardiovascular risk factors. Thus, Echo-LVH and ECG-LVH provided complementary prognostic information, especially in hypertensive subjects. Conclusions—Echo-LVH and ECG-LVH predict mortality independently of each other and of other cardiovascular risk factors, implying that Echo-LVH and ECG-LVH in part carry different prognostic information. Therefore, to fully assess the increased risk associated with these conditions, both ECG and echocardiography should be performed.
Engaging Ethically: A Discourse Ethics Perspective on Social Shareholder Engagement

The primacy of shareholder demands in the traditional theory of the firm has typically excluded marginalised stakeholder voices. However, shareholders involved in social shareholder engagement (SSE) purport to bring these voices into corporate decision-making. In response to ethical concerns about the legitimacy of SSE, we use the lens of discourse ethics to provide a normative analysis at both action and constitutional levels. By specifying three normative questions, we extend the analysis of SSE to identify a political role for shareholders in pursuit of the common good. We demonstrate the desirability for SSE to promote regulatory/institutional change to guarantee marginalised stakeholders a voice in corporate decisions that affect them. The theory of SSE we propose thus calls into question the stark separation of the political and economic spheres and reveals an underlying tension, often overlooked, within the responsible investment literature.
The non-Newtonian rheology of dilute colloidal suspensions

The non-Newtonian rheology is calculated numerically to second order in the volume fraction in steady simple shear flows for Brownian hard spheres in the presence of hydrodynamic and excluded volume interactions. Previous analytical and numerical results for the low-shear structure and rheology are confirmed, demonstrating that the viscosity shear thins proportional to Pe, where Pe is the dimensionless shear rate or Péclet number, owing to the decreasing contribution of Brownian forces to the viscosity. In the large Pe limit, remnants of Brownian diffusion balance convection in a boundary-layer in the compressive region of the flow. In consequence, the viscosity shear thickens when this boundary-layer coincides with the near-contact lubrication regime of the hydrodynamic interaction. Wakes are formed at large Pe in the extensional zone downstream from the reference particle, leading to broken symmetry in the pair correlation function. As a result of this asymmetry and that in the boundary-layer, finite normal stress differences are obtained as well as positive departures in the generalized osmotic pressure from its equilibrium value. The first normal stress difference changes from positive to negative values as Pe is increased when the hard-sphere limit is approached. This unusual effect is caused by the hydrodynamic lubrication forces that maintain particles in close proximity well into the extensional quadrant of the flow. The study demonstrates that many of the non-Newtonian effects observed in concentrated suspensions by experiments and by Stokesian dynamics simulations are present also in dilute suspensions.
Adaptive Dynamic Projection-Based Partitioning for Parallel Delaunay Mesh Generation Algorithms

Meshes of high quality are an important ingredient for many applications in scientific computing. An accurate discretization of the problem geometry with elements of good aspect ratio is required by many numerical methods. In the finite element method, for example, interpolation error is related to the largest element angle in the mesh [1]. There is a critical need for algorithms that can generate meshes of provably high quality. For large-scale problems that require frequent remeshing (such as problems with evolving geometry), these algorithms must run in parallel on distributed memory machines.
Evaluation of an Enzymatic Method for Determining Serum Creatinine Assay

The enzymatic method for the determination of serum creatinine is accepted as one of the standard method in a clinical laboratory.The enzymatic method for the determination of serum creatinine was optimized for use with Merilyzer AutoQuant-400 auto analyzer and its performance characteristics were practically compared with Jaffe’s Kinetic.Effects of some interfering substances like Serum bilirubin and plasma glucose on the Jaffe’s kinetic method and the enzymatic method were compared. We measured creatinine in serum samples with the enzymatic method and the Jaffe’s kinetic method in samples divided four groups;Group I-Samples without bilirubin and glucose;Group II-Sample with high level of plasma glucose ; Group III-Samples with high level of bilirubin and Group IV-all the samples.There was an excellent agreement between the two methods in terms of correlation coefficient even in the samples with high levels of glucose or bilirubin.Enzymatic method is having better sensitivity, less interfering effects & having better choice in making decision of critical management of the renal failure patient.
Duodenal Pathology and Clinical-Immunological Implications in Common Variable Immunodeficiency Patients

OBJECTIVES:Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an immunological disorder characterized by defective antibody production. An increased prevalence of celiac disease has been suggested in patients with this disorder. This study aimed to assess duodenal pathology and its clinical implications in these patients.METHODS:A total of 32 consecutive CVID patients with anemia or GI symptoms were enrolled. Patients underwent upper endoscopy, and biopsy specimens were taken in the descending duodenum for histological assessment. A blood sample was obtained to determine immunoglobulin and Hb levels and to evaluate the CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. Body mass index was calculated for all patients.RESULTS:Histological assessment of duodenal specimens revealed the presence of villous atrophy in 10 (31.2%) patients, a feature of nodular lymphoid hyperplasia in five (15.6%), and mild duodenitis in two (6.3%), whereas normal histology was observed in the remaining 15 (46.9%) patients. Patients with villous atrophy had anemia more frequently than those without, whereas the frequency of persistent diarrhea did not differ between these two groups. Moreover, both CD4 levels and body mass index were significantly lower in patients with atrophy than in controls.CONCLUSIONS:Duodenal villous atrophy is very frequent in symptomatic CVID patients, with relevant clinical and immunological implications. Specifically, this histological alteration is significantly associated with anemia, malnutrition, and low blood CD4+ lymphocyte levels.
Association between trabecular bone score and risk factors for fractures in Korean female patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract Objective: To identify the association between trabecular bone score (TBS) and other known risk factors for fractures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: One hundred female RA patients aged ≥50 years were enrolled. The following risk factors for fracture were selected: prevalent vertebral fracture (VF), bone mineral density (BMD), TBS, and 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture by FRAX® (MOF-FRAX scores). The associations between risk factors were identified, and accuracy of TBS, BMD, and FRAX scores to detect the prevalent VF, the strongest risk factor for future fracture, were assessed. Results: Twenty-six patients were revealed to have moderate to severe VFs. There was a modest negative correlation between MOF-FRAX score and TBS (r = −0.367, p < 0.01), while there was no correlation between MOF-FRAX score and L-spine BMD (r = −0.050, p = 0.62). The areas under curves (AUCs) were 0.818, 0.683, and 0.518 for the MOF-FRAX score, TBS, and L-spine BMD, respectively. Among patients with glucocorticoids (GC) use (n = 57), AUCs were 0.762, 0.758, and 0.448 for their MOF-FRAX score, TBS, and L-spine BMD, respectively. Conclusions: TBS showed better correlation with MOF-FRAX score than BMD, and it was superior to BMD in identifying prevalent VFs in RA patients, especially who are in use of GCs.
Study of the dairy characters of lactating Murrah buffaloes on the basis of body parts measurements

Aim: The aim of the study was to correlate the milk yield of Murrah buffaloes with certain body parts measurements. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 lactating Murrah buffaloes were selected from Buffalo Farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Hisar and were randomly selected in a range from first to fifth parity. Traits studied were 305 days milk yield (MY), body weight (BW), body length (BL), muzzle width (MW), height at wither (HW), abdominal girth (AG), chest girth (CG), body depth fore, body depth rear, hip bone distance (HBD), pin bone distance (PBD), skin thickness (STK), and tail length (TL). Data were collected and statically analyzed by Pearson’s correlation method. Result: The result of this study showed that Murrah buffaloes had the average 2604.8±39.5 kg for MY, 556.1±4.9 kg for BW, and 152.2±0.8 cm for BL. This study showed that buffaloes had positive significant (p<0.05) correlation between MY and BW (0.26). Highly significant (p<0.01) correlation was observed between MY and AG (0.64), MW (0.42). Significant (p<0.01) negative correlation was observed between MY and STK (−0.79). Different body part measurements (BW, BL, HW, AG, CG, MW, TL, BD, PBD, HBD, STK) were significantly correlated with each other. Conclusion: This study can be helpful as a selection tool to enhance and evaluate the production potential by setting standards of Murrah buffalo breed. BW, abdominal growth, muzzle thickness, and STK were found key factors while selecting a dairy Murrah buffalo.
Critical Role of TLR2 and MyD88 for Functional Response of Macrophages to a Group IIA-Secreted Phospholipase A2 from Snake Venom

The snake venom MT-III is a group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) enzyme with functional and structural similarities with mammalian pro-inflammatory sPLA2s of the same group. Previously, we demonstrated that MT-III directly activates the innate inflammatory response of macrophages, including release of inflammatory mediators and formation of lipid droplets (LDs). However, the mechanisms coordinating these processes remain unclear. In the present study, by using TLR2−/− or MyD88−/− or C57BL/6 (WT) male mice, we report that TLR2 and MyD88 signaling have a critical role in MT-III-induced inflammatory response in macrophages. MT-III caused a marked release of PGE2, PGD2, PGJ2, IL-1β and IL-10 and increased the number of LDs in WT macrophages. In MT-III-stimulated TLR2−/− macrophages, formation of LDs and release of eicosanoids and cytokines were abrogated. In MyD88−/− macrophages, MT-III-induced release of PGE2, IL-1β and IL-10 was abrogated, but release of PGD2 and PGJ2 was maintained. In addition, COX-2 protein expression seen in MT-III-stimulated WT macrophages was abolished in both TLR2−/− and MyD88−/− cells, while perilipin 2 expression was abolished only in MyD88−/− cells. We further demonstrated a reduction of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and a release of the TLR2 agonists palmitic and oleic acid from MT-III-stimulated WT macrophages compared with WT control cells, thus suggesting these fatty acids as major messengers for MT-III-induced engagement of TLR2/MyD88 signaling. Collectively, our findings identify for the first time a TLR2 and MyD88-dependent mechanism that underlies group IIA sPLA2-induced inflammatory response in macrophages.
State‐Trait Anger Expression Inventory

In 1872, Darwin (1965) observed that anger (rage) was a powerful emotion that motivated “animals of all kinds, and their progenitors before them, when attacked or threatened by an enemy, to fight and protect themselves” (p. 74). Anger is reflected in facial expressions (e.g., reddened face, clenched teeth), muscular tension, and accelerated heart rate, and it differs from rage “only in degree, and there is no marked distinction in their characteristics” (Darwin, 1965, p. 244). Keywords: anger; aggression; hostility; STAXI; emotion; personality; anger expression; anger control
Interpersonal aspects of response: constructing and interpreting teacher written feedback.

As a pedagogical genre, teacher written feedback is designed to carry a heavy informational load, offering commentary on the form and content of a text to encourage students to develop their writing and consolidate their learning. The information offers the assistance of an expert, guiding the learner through the “zone of proximal development” (Vygotsky, 1978) and providing opportunities for students to see how others respond to their work and to learn from these responses. Feedback plays a pedagogical role by pointing forward to other texts students will write, assisting students to work out the text's potential and to comprehend the writing context, and providing a sense of audience and an understanding of the expectations of the communities they are writing for. The substantial comments that many teachers write on student papers thus do more than simply justify a grade. They provide a reader reaction and offer targeted instruction. Often, however, written feedback has been seen as purely informational, a means of channeling reactions and advice to facilitate improvements. Response is therefore discussed as if it were an objective, impersonal, and purely didactic discourse – simply an interaction between a teacher and a text. But, although the information in feedback is a key factor in learning to write, it is effective only if it engages with the writer and gives him or her a sense that it is a response to a person rather than to a script.
Linear Kernels on Graphs Excluding Topological Minors

We show that problems which have finite integer index and satisfy a requirement we call treewidth-bounding admit linear kernels on the class of $H$-topological-minor free graphs, for an arbitrary fixed graph $H$. This builds on earlier results by Fomin et al.\ on linear kernels for $H$-minor-free graphs and by Bodlaender et al.\ on graphs of bounded genus. Our framework encompasses several problems, the prominent ones being Chordal Vertex Deletion, Feedback Vertex Set and Edge Dominating Set.
Radiotherapy plus cetuximab for squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND We conducted a multinational, randomized study to compare radiotherapy alone with radiotherapy plus cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, in the treatment of locoregionally advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. METHODS Patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer were randomly assigned to treatment with high-dose radiotherapy alone (213 patients) or high-dose radiotherapy plus weekly cetuximab (211 patients) at an initial dose of 400 mg per square meter of body-surface area, followed by 250 mg per square meter weekly for the duration of radiotherapy. The primary end point was the duration of control of locoregional disease; secondary end points were overall survival, progression-free survival, the response rate, and safety. RESULTS The median duration of locoregional control was 24.4 months among patients treated with cetuximab plus radiotherapy and 14.9 months among those given radiotherapy alone (hazard ratio for locoregional progression or death, 0.68; P=0.005). With a median follow-up of 54.0 months, the median duration of overall survival was 49.0 months among patients treated with combined therapy and 29.3 months among those treated with radiotherapy alone (hazard ratio for death, 0.74; P=0.03). Radiotherapy plus cetuximab significantly prolonged progression-free survival (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.70; P=0.006). With the exception of acneiform rash and infusion reactions, the incidence of grade 3 or greater toxic effects, including mucositis, did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Treatment of locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer with concomitant high-dose radiotherapy plus cetuximab improves locoregional control and reduces mortality without increasing the common toxic effects associated with radiotherapy to the head and neck. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00004227.)
Prototype positron emission tomography insert with electro-optical signal transmission for simultaneous operation with MRI

The simultaneous acquisition of PET and MRI data shows promise to provide powerful capabilities to study disease processes in human subjects, guide the development of novel treatments, and monitor therapy response and disease progression. A brain-size PET detector ring insert for an MRI system is being developed that, if successful, can be inserted into any existing MRI system to enable simultaneous PET and MRI images of the brain to be acquired without mutual interference. The PET insert uses electro-optical coupling to relay all the signals from the PET detectors out of the MRI system using analog modulated lasers coupled to fiber optics. Because the fibers use light instead of electrical signals, the PET detector can be electrically decoupled from the MRI making it partially transmissive to the RF field of the MRI. The SiPM devices and low power lasers were powered using non-magnetic MRI compatible batteries. Also, the number of laser-fiber channels in the system was reduced using techniques adapted from the field of compressed sensing. Using the fact that incoming PET data is sparse in time and space, electronic circuits implementing constant weight codes uniquely encode the detector signals in order to reduce the number of electro-optical readout channels by 8-fold. Two out of a total of sixteen electro-optical detector modules have been built and tested with the entire RF-shielded detector gantry for the PET ring insert. The two detectors have been tested outside and inside of a 3T MRI system to study mutual interference effects and simultaneous performance with MRI. Preliminary results show that the PET insert is feasible for high resolution simultaneous PET/MRI imaging for applications in the brain.
Single-sex teaching and achievement in science

The primary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of a full year of single-sex (SS) teaching of science. The secondary aims were to locate any differentiation by set and gender, and to relate these to more proximal variables. Participants were 13 year olds. Higher set girls gave evidence of clear benefits overall, and higher set boys also, except in biology. Lower set pupils performed at or below expectations. Analyses of additional questionnaire and interview data pointed to further reasons for avoiding the making of unqualified generalizations about SS teaching. Pupil preferences for SS teaching were relevant, as were gender differences in attitudes to biology and physics. Qualitative data suggested higher set girls benefited from more learning-related classroom interaction and less interference and exploitation of girls by boys in SS classes. Lower set pupils complained that SS teaching deprived them of social interaction with the other sex. The concluding suggestion was that SS teaching offers affordances of benefits when mixed-sex teaching has specifiable disadvantages.
Birth dimensions and risk of depression in adulthood: cohort study of Danish men born in 1953

Background Two British cohort studies have reported birth weight to be associated with self-reported depression in adulthood, even after adjustment for socio-economic factors. Aims To examine the relationship between birth dimensions and discharge from a psychiatric ward with a depression diagnosis in adulthood. Method A cohort of 10 753 male singletons born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1953 and for whom birth certificates had been traced in 1965 were followed from 1969 until 2002, with record linkage for date of first admission to a psychiatric ward that led to a discharge diagnosis of depression. Results A total of 190 men, corresponding to 1.8% of the cohort, had a discharge diagnosis of depression. The Cox's regression analyses failed to show any association between birth dimensions (birth weight and ponderal index) and risk of psychiatric ward diagnosis of depression in adult life, before or after adjustment for social indicators at birth. Conclusions This study does not support the existence of a relation between birth dimensions and psychiatric ward admission for depression in adult men.