Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictors of hormonal and metabolic disorders of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus comorbidity

Aim: These experiments studied adipokine and interleukin imbalances during the development and progression of metabolic disorders in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Ninety-five patients with stage II second degree AH (53 males and 42 females, mean age 54.7 ± 5.4 years) were observed. The cohort was separated into: group 1 (n = 48) patients with AH and group 2 (n = 47) patients with both AH and T2DM. Serum protein levels of omentin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), resistin, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, and IL-6 were measured. Lipid and carbohydrate metabolism rates were assessed. Results: Peak homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index values, as well as circulating insulin and CRP levels, were observed in group 2. Reduced adiponectin levels negatively correlated with HOMA-IR indices (r = -0.52, P < 0.05), triglycerides (r = -0.52, P < 0.05), glucose levels (r = -0.44, P < 0.05), body mass indices (r = -0.44, P < 0.05), and HbA1c levels (r = -0.57, P < 0.01). Group 2 patients demonstrated low omentin levels and high resistin and TNF-α levels. Negative correlations between IL-6 and both omentin and adiponectin (r = -0.46, P < 0.01; r = -0.42, P < 0.01, respectively) were observed. Conclusion: A novel pathogenic link was demonstrated between metabolic disorders, adipokines, and pro-inflammatory IL-6 levels as negative regulators of comorbid AH and T2DM.
Maximizing Reliability in WDM Networks Through Lightpath Routing

We study the reliability maximization problem in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks with random link failures. Reliability in these networks is defined as the probability that the logical network is connected, and it is determined by the underlying lightpath routing, network topologies, and the link failure probability. By introducing the notion of lexicographical ordering for lightpath routings, we characterize precise optimization criteria for maximum reliability in the low failure probability regime. Based on the optimization criteria, we develop lightpath routing algorithms that maximize the reliability, and logical topology augmentation algorithms for further improving reliability. We also study the reliability maximization problem in the high failure probability regime.
The Role of Canine Distemper Virus and Persistent Organic Pollutants in Mortality Patterns of Caspian Seals (Pusa caspica)

Persistent organic pollutants are a concern for species occupying high trophic levels since they can cause immunosuppression and impair reproduction. Mass mortalities due to canine distemper virus (CDV) occurred in Caspian seals (Pusa caspica), in spring of 1997, 2000 and 2001, but the potential role of organochlorine exposure in these epizootics remains undetermined. Here we integrate Caspian seal mortality data spanning 1971–2008, with data on age, body condition, pathology and blubber organochlorine concentration for carcases stranded between 1997 and 2002. We test the hypothesis that summed PCB and DDT concentrations contributed to CDV associated mortality during epizootics. We show that age is the primary factor explaining variation in blubber organochlorine concentrations, and that organochlorine burden, age, sex, and body condition do not account for CDV infection status (positive/negative) of animals dying in epizootics. Most animals (57%, n = 67) had PCB concentrations below proposed thresholds for toxic effects in marine mammals (17 µg/g lipid weight), and only 3 of 67 animals had predicted TEQ values exceeding levels seen to be associated with immune suppression in harbour seals (200 pg/g lipid weight). Mean organonchlorine levels were higher in CDV-negative animals indicating that organochlorines did not contribute significantly to CDV mortality in epizootics. Mortality monitoring in Azerbaijan 1971–2008 revealed bi-annual stranding peaks in late spring, following the annual moult and during autumn migrations northwards. Mortality peaks comparable to epizootic years were also recorded in the 1970s–1980s, consistent with previous undocumented CDV outbreaks. Gompertz growth curves show that Caspian seals achieve an asymptotic standard body length of 126–129 cm (n = 111). Males may continue to grow slowly throughout life. Mortality during epizootics may exceed the potential biological removal level (PBR) for the population, but the low frequency of epizootics suggest they are of secondary importance compared to anthropogenic sources of mortality such as fishing by-catch.
Embodied Construction Grammar in Simulation-Based Language Understanding

We present Embodied Construction Grammar, a formalism for linguistic analysis designed specifically for integration into a simulation-based model of language understanding. As in other construction grammars, linguistic constructions serve to map between phonological forms and conceptual representations. In the model we describe, however, conceptual representations are also constrained to be grounded in the body’s perceptual and motor systems, and more precisely to parameteri ze mental simulations using those systems. Understanding an utterance thus involves at least two distinct processes: analysis to determine which constructions the utterance instantiates, and simulation according to the parameters specified by those constructions. In this chapter, we outline a constru ction formalism that is both representationally adequate for these purposes and specified precisely enough for use in a computational architecture.
Bidirectional Energy Trading and Residential Load Scheduling with Electric Vehicles in the Smart Grid

Electric vehicles (EVs) will play an important role in the future smart grid because of their capabilities of storing electrical energy in their batteries during off-peak hours and supplying the stored energy to the power grid during peak hours. In this paper, we consider a power system with an aggregator and multiple customers with EVs and propose novel electricity load scheduling algorithms which, unlike previous works, jointly consider the load scheduling for appliances and the energy trading using EVs. Specifically, we allow customers to determine how much energy to purchase from or to sell to the aggregator while taking into consideration the load demands of their residential appliances and the associated electricity bill. We propose two different approaches: a collaborative and a non-collaborative approach. In the collaborative approach, we develop an optimal distributed load scheduling algorithm that maximizes the social welfare of the power system. In the non-collaborative approach, we model the energy scheduling problem as a non-cooperative game among self-interested customers, where each customer determines its own load scheduling and energy trading to maximize its own profit. In order to resolve the unfairness between heavy and light customers in the non-collaborative approach, we propose a tiered billing scheme that can control the electricity rates for customers according to their different energy consumption levels. In both approaches, we also consider the uncertainty in the load demands, with which customers' actual energy consumption may vary from the scheduled energy consumption. To study the impact of the uncertainty, we use the worst-case-uncertainty approach and develop distributed load scheduling algorithms that provide the guaranteed minimum performances in uncertain environments. Subsequently, we show when energy trading leads to an increase in the social welfare and we determine what are the customers' incentives to participate in the energy trading in various usage scenarios including practical environments with uncertain load demands.
Risk Preferences Around the World

We present results from a large-scale international survey on risk preferences conducted in 53 countries. In all countries, we find, on average, an attitude of risk aversion in gains and of risk seeking in losses. The degree of risk aversion shows significant cross-country differences. Moreover, risk attitudes in our sample depend not only on economic conditions but also on cultural factors, as measured by the Hofstede dimensions individualism and uncertainty avoidance. The data may also serve as an interesting starting point for further research on cultural differences in behavioral economics. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1287/mnsc.2013. 1869 . This paper was accepted by Peter Wakker, decision analysis.
Relationship between time-integrated C-reactive protein levels and radiologic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE An elevated acute-phase response is associated with increased radiologic damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but development of damage in previously normal joints ("new joint involvement") has not previously been investigated. This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that when there is suppression of disease activity as judged by the C-reactive protein level, new joint involvement is reduced to a greater extent than is progression in already damaged joints ("damaged joint progression"). METHODS Three hundred fifty-nine patients with active RA were studied as part of a 5-year randomized, prospective, open-label study of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy. Time-averaged CRP was calculated from samples obtained every 6 months, and patients were divided into groups with CRP values of <6, 6-<12, 12-<25, and > or =25 mg/liter. Radiographs of the hands and feet were scored by the Larsen method; a damaged joint was defined as one with a score of > or =2. RESULTS The rank correlation between time-integrated CRP and increase in Larsen score was 0.50; the correlation increased to 0.59 for patients entering the study with disease duration of < or =2 years. The percentage of new joint involvement over 5 years varied markedly with time-integrated CRP, from 7.3% in the CRP <6 mg/liter group to 39.1% in the CRP > or =25 mg/liter group (5.4-fold increase). The percentage of damaged joint progression increased from 26.1% in the CRP <6 mg/liter group to 41.6% in the CRP > or =25 mg/liter group (1.6-fold increase). CONCLUSION The results of this study provide further confirmation that high CRP levels over time are associated with greater radiologic progression. Although radiologic progression still occurred in both previously normal and damaged joints despite the presence of normal CRP levels, this consisted of proportionately less new joint involvement compared with damaged joint progression. These findings support the idea that disease-suppressive therapy should be instituted at an early stage in patients with RA, before erosive damage has occurred.
Sizing ERP Implementation Projects: An Activity-Based Approach

ERP implementation projects affect large parts of an implementing organization and lead to changes in the way an organization performs its tasks. The costs needed for the effort to implement these systems are hard to estimate. Research indicates that the size of an ERP project can be a useful measurement for predicting the effort required to complete an ERP implementation project. However, such a metric does not yet exist. Therefore research should be carried out to find a set of variables which can define the size of an ERP project. This paper describes a first step in such a project. It shows 21 logical clusters of ERP implementation project activities based on 405 ERP implementation project activities retrieved from literature. Logical clusters of ERP project activities can be used in further research to find variables for defining the size of an ERP project.
Prevalence of hazardous drinking among nursing students.

AIMS To estimate the frequency of alcohol consumption among nursing students and describe their behaviour patterns in relation to excessive consumption. BACKGROUND Most alcohol-related problems appear in individuals who indulge in hazardous consumption, with hazardous drinkers constituting a priority in the field of preventive activities. According to previous studies, there is a high proportion of hazardous drinkers among university students. DESIGN Descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS Over the course of the 2012-2013 academic year, we assessed 1060 nursing degree students, ascertaining their socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and alcohol consumption by means of the Systematic Alcohol Consumption Interview (Interrogatorio Sistematizado de Consumos Alcohólicos/ISCA) and Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test (AUDIT). RESULTS Hazardous alcohol consumption was observed in 43·4% of students. Moreover, 14·9% of men and 18·7% of women met criteria for hazardous drinkers, without any statistically significant difference between the sexes. The frequency of hazardous drinkers was significantly higher among participants aged under 21 years, those living outside the family nucleus and smokers. CONCLUSION A considerable proportion of students show evidence of hazardous alcohol consumption and, while there are no sex-related differences, the proportion of hazardous drinkers tends to be higher among the youngest subjects, smokers and persons living outside the family nucleus. Alcohol-prevention activities should envisage greater protection of university settings, particularly where future health professionals are involved.
Cardiac autonomic tone and its relation to nonsustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background: In contrast to postinfarct patients, little is known about cardiac autonomic tone and its relation to spontaneous ventricular tachyarrhythmias in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Both heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) are indices of autonomic innervation of the heart.
Cited Articles Citing Articles E-mail Alerts Capsaicin Inhibits in Vitro and in Vivo Angiogenesis

Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), a natural product of Capsicum species, is known to induce excitation of nociceptive terminals involved in pain perception. Recent studies have also shown that capsaicin not only has chemopreventive properties against certain carcinogens and mutagens but also exerts anticancer activity. Here, we demonstrated the antiangiogenic activity of capsaicin using in vitro and in vivo assay systems. In vitro, capsaicin inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced proliferation, DNA synthesis, chemotactic motil-ity, and capillary-like tube formation of primary cultured human endo-thelial cells. Capsaicin inhibited both VEGF-induced vessel sprouting in rat aortic ring assay and VEGF-induced vessel formation in the mouse Matrigel plug assay. Moreover, capsaicin was able to suppress tumor-induced angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. Capsaicin caused G 1 arrest in endothelial cells. This effect correlated with the down-regulation of the expression of cyclin D1 that led to inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 4-mediated phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein. Signaling experiments show that capsaicin inhibits VEGF-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p125 FAK , and AKT activation , but its molecular target is distinct from the VEGF receptor KDR/ Flk-1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that capsaicin is a novel inhibitor of angiogenesis and suggest that it may be valuable to develop pharmaceutical drugs for treatment of angiogenesis-dependent human diseases such as tumors.
The Misgav Ladach method – a step forward in operative technique in obstetrics

Abstract Aim: To investigate the advantage of performing cesarean section using the Misgav-Ladach method and to justify its use in everyday practice. Methods: In a prospective study we analyzed over a two year period (2000–01) cesarean sections carried out using the Misgav-Ladach method at our clinic. We compared both 550 cases of Misgav-Ladach (ML) and 100 cases of Pfannenstiel (PH) cesarean section. In the group that had undergone the Misgav-Ladach method we sutured the uterus in one layer and left the peritoneum non-sutured, and in the group who had undergone Pfennenstiel we sutured the uterus in two layers and also sutured the visceral and parietal peritoneum. In every case we analyzed: maternal age, gestational age, duration of operation, consumption of suture material, duration of hospitalization, and surgical complications. Results: Incidence of postoperative febrile morbidity was 5.45%, in the Misgav-Ladach group compared with 13.2% in the Pfannenstiel group (p < 0.05). Local infection of the wound in the Misgav-Ladach group was found in 4.54% and in the Pfannenstiel group in 9% (p < 0.05). Mean time of extraction of the newborn in the Misgav-Ladach group was 1.25 minutes, and in the Pfannenstiel group 4.10 minutes (P<0.05). Mean duration of operation in the Misgav-Ladach group was 10.98 min, and in the Pfannenstiel group 25 min (p < 0.05). Mean duration of hospitalization in the Misgav-Ladach group was 4.75 days, and in the Pfannenstiel group 6.32 days (p > 0.05). Mean consumption of suture material in the group Misgav-Ladach was 3.10 sutures per operation, and in the Pfannenstiel group was 9.5 sutures. Conclusion: Our study shows that the Misgav-Ladach method of cesarean section enables fast recovery and shorter hospitalization, and reduces the length of the operation, the incidence of surgical complication and the consumption of surgical materials.
Altered T Helper 17 Responses in Children with Food Allergy

Background: While a central role for the T helper (Th) 1/Th2 axis in food allergy has been established, the Th17 response in food-allergic humans has not been addressed. Methods: Th17 responses in 18 peanut-allergic children, who were also allergic to at least one additional food allergen, were assessed relative to 15 age-matched healthy controls. To account for the atopy background in the allergic children, 7 atopic, but not food-allergic, individuals and their age-matched controls were included in this study. PBMCs were analyzed by flow cytometry ex vivo or were stimulated in vitro with peanut allergens, gliadin, or tetanus toxoid followed by analysis of proliferation and cytokine production in antigen-responsive cells. Results: We observed a significantly lower interleukin (IL) 17 production in CD4+ T cells of food-allergic individuals ex vivo (p < 0.02). In vitro, we found that IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells in response to all antigens tested was significantly impaired in food-allergic subjects compared to healthy controls (Ara: p < 0.005; gliadin: p < 0.004; TT: p < 0.03). No significant differences were observed between atopic and nonatopic individuals with no food allergy. Conclusion: Our results thus reveal a systemic, non-allergen-specific defect in Th17 responses to antigen stimulation in food allergic individuals, suggesting a role for Th17 cells in the control of food allergy and implicating IL-17 as a potential biomarker for tolerance to food antigens.
the trade-off between exploitation and exploration Should I stay or should I go ? How the human brain manages

References s http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/362/1481/933.full. html#related-url Article cited in: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/362/1481/933.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 41 articles, 10 of which can be accessed free Email alerting service here right-hand corner of the article or click Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article sign up in the box at the top
Finite quantum dissipation: the challenge of obtaining specific heat

We consider a free particle coupled with finite strength to a bath and investigate the evaluation of its specific heat. A harmonic oscillator bath of Drude type with cutoff frequency ωD is employed to model an ohmic friction force with dissipation strength γ. Two scenarios for obtaining specific heat are presented. The first one uses the measurement of the kinetic energy of the free particle, while the second one is based on the reduced partition function. Both descriptions yield results which are consistent with the Third Law of thermodynamics. Nevertheless, the two methods produce different results that disagree even in their leading quantum corrections at high temperatures. We also consider the regime where the cutoff frequency is smaller than the friction strength, i.e. ωD< γ. There, we encounter puzzling results at low temperatures where the specific heat based on the thermodynamic prescription becomes negative. This anomaly is rooted in an ill-defined density of states of the damped free particle, which assumes unphysical negative values when γ/ωD> 1.
Nicotine Persistently Activates Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons via Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing α4 and α6 Subunits

Nicotine is reinforcing because it activates dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain's mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry. This increase in activity can occur for a period of several minutes up to an hour and is thought to be a critical component of nicotine dependence. However, nicotine concentrations that are routinely self-administered by smokers are predicted to desensitize high-affinity α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in seconds. Thus, how physiologically relevant nicotine concentrations persistently activate VTA DAergic neurons is unknown. Here we show that nicotine can directly and robustly increase the firing frequency of VTA DAergic neurons for several minutes. In mouse midbrain slices, 300 nM nicotine elicited a persistent inward current in VTA DAergic neurons that was blocked by α-conotoxin MII[H9A;L15A], a selective antagonist of nAChRs containing the α6 subunit. α-conotoxin MII[H9A;L15A] also significantly reduced the long-lasting increase in DAergic neuronal activity produced by low concentrations of nicotine. In addition, nicotine failed to significantly activate VTA DAergic neurons in mice that did not express either α4 or α6 nAChR subunits. Conversely, selective activation of nAChRs containing the α4 subunit in knock-in mice expressing a hypersensitive version of these receptors yielded a biphasic response to nicotine consisting of an acute desensitizing increase in firing frequency followed by a sustained increase that lasted several minutes and was sensitive to α-conotoxin MII[H9A;L15A]. These data indicate that nicotine persistently activates VTA DAergic neurons via nAChRs containing α4 and α6 subunits.