Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative analysis of nutritional parameters as predictors of outcome in male and female ESRD patients.

BACKGROUND Many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are malnourished and cross-sectional studies show that markers of malnutrition may predict death. Serum albumin (S-albumin), the commonest nutritional marker, has been criticized because it is so closely related to the effects of inflammation and other non-nutritional factors. Consequently, we need other nutritional markers that can predict outcome. However, males and females differ as regards body composition and it is not known how this may influence the predictive power of different nutritional markers. METHODS In 206 ESRD patients (126 males) aged 52+/-1 years, we evaluated the relationship between survival and five estimates of nutritional status (S-albumin, subjective global assessment (SGA), lean body mass (LBM), body fat mass (FM) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and handgrip strength (HGS)) close to start of renal replacement therapy (RRT). The patients were also classified as regards the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and inflammation (CRP> or = 10 mg/l). Mortality was monitored over mean follow-up period of 37+/-2 months. RESULTS In the whole patient group, the presence of CVD, DM, inflammation, and malnutrition (SGA >1) close to start of RRT all predicted poor outcome. However, whereas inflammation strongly predicted (P<0.0001) poor outcome in males, no such effect was observed in females. Also, differences were found between males and females regarding the predictive value of the five different nutritional estimates. Whereas HGS, SGA, and S-albumin independently predicted poor outcome in males, only SGA predicted outcome (independently of age, CVD, and DM) in females. CONCLUSIONS Mild to moderate malnutrition, as assessed by SGA, was present in 39% of the patients and predicted outcome independently of age and co-morbidity in both males and females. However, the predictive power of various other nutritional markers differed markedly between male and female patients. Whereas a low HGS was an excellent independent outcome predictor in males, no predictive power of this parameter was found in females. S-albumin is more closely related to co-morbidity and inflammation than nutritional status in patients close to start of RRT. We conclude that sex is an important factor that must be taken into account in studies on nutrition and nutritional interventions in ESRD patients.
Changes in the inspiratory pattern contribute to modulate the sympathetic activity in sino‐aortic denervated rats

What is the central question of this study? Sino‐aortic denervated (SAD) rats present normal levels of sympathetic activity and mean arterial pressure. However, neural mechanisms regulating the sympathetic activity in the absence of arterial baroreceptors remain unclear. Considering that respiration modulates the sympathetic activity, we hypothesize that changes in the respiratory network contribute to keep the sympathetic outflow in the normal range after removal of arterial baroreceptors. What is the main finding and its importance? Despite longer inspiration observed in SAD rats, the respiratory–sympathetic coupling is working within a normal range of variation. These findings suggest that in the absence of arterial baroreceptors the respiratory modulation of sympathetic activity is maintained within the normal range.
The Impact of Childhood Anxiety on Processes of Attentional Executive Control in the Presence of Emotional Face Distractors

Anxiety interferes with executive control of attention (ECA), especially in the context of emotional information. Previous research suggests that temperamental differences in self-regulation might modulate these effects. The present research examined the association between trait anxiety and temperamental self-regulation on ECA processes, in the context of positive and threatening distractors in a sample of primary school children. We designed a computerized Emotional letter discrimination task that required both inhibitory and set shifting processes. Emotional faces distractors were displayed one at a time during a primary letter discrimination task. To assess inhibition, our task contained compatible trials (the target letter was flanked by distractor letter that had the same identity as the target) and incompatible trials (the target letter was flanked by distractor letter that had the opposite identity). The results showed that higher levels of anxiety were associated with increased reaction times to discriminate target letters during incompatible trials in the presence of happy distractors. In addition, lower levels of temperamental self-regulation were related to increased reaction times in the presence of angry distractors during incompatible trials. These findings provide empirical evidence for an association between increased child anxiety and lower self-regulation on the executive control of attention in the context of emotional distracting information.
General relativistic hydrodynamics with special relativistic Riemann solvers

In this paper we continue investigations of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of stratified jets. We first general- ize our previous analytical results by taking into consideration relativistic motion and relativistic equation of states for the three components namely the inner beam, the sheet or envelope and the ambient medium, and derive the dispersion relation for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The ultrarelativistic limit of pa- per I as well as the nonrelativistic limit for both the equations of state and the jet bulk speed can be deduced. Exploring a wider range of parameters, we find evidence for two main types of instability modes, with mode crossing and interaction between modes. These two modes correspond to the excitation of sound waves in the beam and in the envelope which can both act as a resonant wave guide. As a result, the addition of an inner beam inside a jet can strongly enhance the linear growth of its Kelvin- Helmholtz instability. The stratified jet scenario appears quite relevant to give account for the complex morphology and ve- locity fields now observed in a few jets such as in M87, where various layers with respect to the jet axis are clearly visible.
Dynamic Diaschisis: Anatomically Remote and Context-Sensitive Human Brain Lesions

Functional neuroimaging was used to investigate how lesions to the Broca's area impair neuronal responses in remote undamaged cortical regions. Four patients with speech output problems, but relatively preserved comprehension, were scanned while viewing words relative to consonant letter strings. In normal subjects, this results in left lateralized activation in the posterior inferior frontal, middle temporal, and posterior inferior temporal cortices. Each patient activated normally in the middle temporal region but abnormally in the damaged posterior inferior frontal cortex and the undamaged posterior inferior temporal cortex. In the damaged frontal region, activity was insensitive to the presence of words but in the undamaged posterior inferior temporal region, activity decreased in the presence of words rather than increasing as it did in the normal individuals. The reversal of responses in the left posterior inferior temporal region illustrate the context-sensitive nature of the abnormality and that failure to activate the left posterior temporal region could not simply be accounted for by insufficient demands on the underlying function. We propose that, in normal individuals, visual word presentation changes the effective connectivity among reading areas and, in patients, posterior temporal responses are abnormal when they depend upon inputs from the damaged inferior frontal cortex. Our results serve to introduce the concept of dynamic diaschisis; the anatomically remote and context-sensitive effects of focal brain lesions. Dynamic diaschisis reveals abnormalities of functional integration that may have profound implications for neuropsychological inference, functional anatomy and, vicariously, cognitive rehabilitation.
Questioning consensus in social representation theory

This paper challenges the notion that consensus defined as 'agreement in opinion' is at the heart of the theory of social representations. We suggest that the problem of consensus is a highly complex aspect of social life requiring appraisal. Consensus refers neither to mere agreement nor to the mere sharedness of attitudes, opinions and values by a social group. While these are the most common interpretations circulating in the literature, they fail to apprehend the different levels of analysis required to understand the social construction of symbolic realities. In this paper we criticise the most common notions of consensus and propose an alternative view. There is space in the theory of social representations to develop a more refined approach to the issue. We make use of this space in order to construct our argument that consensus in social representations exists at several levels. We propose the idea of a representational field simultaneously characterised by consensus, inconsistency and ambivalence. The issue of power within this heterogenous representational field is discussed.
PR ] 6 J an 2 00 6 Navigation on a Poisson point process

On a locally finite point set, a navigation defines a path through the point set from a point to an other. The set of paths leading to a given point defines a tree, the navigation tree. In this article, we analyze the properties of the navigation tree when the point set is a Poisson point process on R . We examine the distribution of stable functionals, the local weak convergence of the navigation tree, the asymptotic average of a functional along a path, the shape of the navigation tree and its topological ends. We illustrate our work in the small world graphs, and new results are established. This work is motivated by applications in computational geometry and in self-organizing networks.
A Mathematical Model Captures the Structure of Subjective Affect

Although it is possible to observe when another person is having an emotional moment, we also derive information about the affective states of others from what they tell us they are feeling. In an effort to distill the complexity of affective experience, psychologists routinely focus on a simplified subset of subjective rating scales (i.e., dimensions) that capture considerable variability in reported affect: reported valence (i.e., how good or bad? ) and reported arousal (e.g., how strong is the emotion you are feeling? ). Still, existing theoretical approaches address the basic organization and measurement of these affective dimensions differently. Some approaches organize affect around the dimensions of bipolar valence and arousal (e.g., the circumplex model), whereas alternative approaches organize affect around the dimensions of unipolar positivity and unipolar negativity (e.g., the bivariate evaluative model). In this report, we (a) replicate the data structure observed when collected according to the two approaches described above, and reinterpret these data to suggest that the relationship between each pair of affective dimensions is conditional on valence ambiguity, and (b) formalize this structure with a mathematical model depicting a valence ambiguity dimension that decreases in range as arousal decreases (a triangle). This model captures variability in affective ratings better than alternative approaches, increasing variance explained from ~60% to over 90% without adding parameters.
Extremely high velocity gas from the massive young stellar objects in IRAS 17233-3606

Context. Molecular outflows from high-mass young stellar objects provide an excellent way to study the star formation process, and investigate if they are scaled-up versions of their low-mass counterparts. Aims. We selected the nearby massive star forming region IRAS 17233−3606 in order to study the kinematics and physics along the molecular outflow(s) originating from this source. Methods. We observed IRAS 17233−3606 in CO, a typical tracer of gas associated with molecular outflow, with the Submillimeter Array in the (2−1) transition, and with the APEX telescope in the higher excitation (6–5) line. Additional infrared H2 observations were performed with the UKIRT telescope. The CO data were analysed using a LVG approach. Results. Our data resolve the previously detected molecular outflow into at least three different components, one of them with a high collimation factor (∼4), and characterised by emission at extremely high velocities (|v − vLSR| > 120 km s −1 ). The estimate of the kinematical outflow parameters are typical of massive YSOs, and in agreement with the measured bolometric luminosity of the source. The kinematic ages of the flows are in the range 10 2 −10 3 yr, and therefore point to young objects that still have not reached
The effect of menstrual cycle phase on exercise capacity measured by treadmill exercise test

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the menstrual phases on exercise capacity parameters measured by a treadmill exercise test in sedentary premenaupausal women. Exercise capacity expressed in terms of metabolic equivalents (MET) and exercise duration was measured by performing treadmill exercise tests in 30 women (mean age: 29 ± 5.8 years) with regular menstrual cycles at two points during their menstrual cycles: the late-follicular (LF) phase and the mid-luteal (ML) phase. The exercise duration was significantly higher (P < 0.05), and the exercise capacity (in MET) tended to be higher (P = 0.075) in the ML phase than in the LF phase. These results suggested that the menstrual phases in sedentary women can have an influence on exercise capacity. These changes may be attributed to the relative changes in the female steroid hormones between the LF and the ML phases.
Women's Issues in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) typically affects 3 times more women than men during the reproductive years. The author describes what is known about the effects of various reproductive exposures on MS course, including menarche, childbearing, and menopause. Then, the management of childbearing is reviewed. Topics include preconception counseling, prenatal care, discontinuation of MS therapies, and management of postpartum relapses. Overall, most women with MS can be encouraged to become pregnant and breastfeed their children, should they choose to do so.
Depression of Patients with Cancers

Object:To investigate mood status of patients with cancer Method:One hundred patients with cancers were assessed with BDI (Beck Depression Inventory), the Chinese Traditional Valuable Views and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire Sixty-two psychiatric inpatients with major depression were also assessed with BDI Results:Sixty-five cancer patients had depression according to the criteria of BDI, but their BDI score was lower than that of psychiatric inpatients diagnosed as major depression Depressed cancer patients (n=65) were less identified with Taoism, had lower score in positive coping than the non-depressed cancer patients (n=35) Logistic regression showed that poor daily function, higher psychoticism score of EPQ, more pain and working stress, and knowing truth of their disease had influence on depression Conclusion:Cancer patients frequently have depression but with less severity than psychiatric inpatients Psychomotor retardation is a feature of cancer patients with depression but not physical symptoms Daily function, psychoticism, pain, working stress and knowing the truths have influence on depression
Reconciling Forest Conservation and Logging in Indonesian Borneo

Combining protected areas with natural forest timber concessions may sustain larger forest landscapes than is possible via protected areas alone. However, the role of timber concessions in maintaining natural forest remains poorly characterized. An estimated 57% (303,525 km2) of Kalimantan's land area (532,100 km2) was covered by natural forest in 2000. About 14,212 km2 (4.7%) had been cleared by 2010. Forests in oil palm concessions had been reduced by 5,600 km2 (14.1%), while the figures for timber concessions are 1,336 km2 (1.5%), and for protected forests are 1,122 km2 (1.2%). These deforestation rates explain little about the relative performance of the different land use categories under equivalent conversion risks due to the confounding effects of location. An estimated 25% of lands allocated for timber harvesting in 2000 had their status changed to industrial plantation concessions in 2010. Based on a sample of 3,391 forest plots (1×1 km; 100 ha), and matching statistical analyses, 2000–2010 deforestation was on average 17.6 ha lower (95% C.I.: −22.3 ha–−12.9 ha) in timber concession plots than in oil palm concession plots. When location effects were accounted for, deforestation rates in timber concessions and protected areas were not significantly different (Mean difference: 0.35 ha; 95% C.I.: −0.002 ha–0.7 ha). Natural forest timber concessions in Kalimantan had similar ability as protected areas to maintain forest cover during 2000–2010, provided the former were not reclassified to industrial plantation concessions. Our study indicates the desirability of the Government of Indonesia designating its natural forest timber concessions as protected areas under the IUCN Protected Area Category VI to protect them from reclassification.
Heterogeneous incidence and propagation of spreading depolarizations

Spreading depolarizations are implicated in a diverse set of neurologic diseases. They are unusual forms of nervous system activity in that they propagate very slowly and approximately concentrically, apparently not respecting the anatomic, synaptic, functional, or vascular architecture of the brain. However, there is evidence that spreading depolarizations are not truly concentric, isotropic, or homogeneous, either in space or in time. Here we present evidence from KCl-induced spreading depolarizations, in mouse and rat, in vivo and in vitro, showing the great variability that these depolarizations can exhibit. This variability can help inform the mechanistic understanding of spreading depolarizations, and it has implications for their phenomenology in neurologic disease.
Kinetics of the cholesterol-sulfuric acid reaction: a fast kinetic method for serum cholesterol.

We studied the kinetics of the reaction between cholesterol and sulfuric acid in acetic acid-acetic anhydride medium. Results have been used to establish near-optimal conditions for the fast kinetic determination of cholesterol in serum. The reaction rate measured during the first 20 s of the reaction is proportional to cholesterol concentration. There is good agreement (<2% deviation) between pseudo-first-order rate constants for cholesterol standards and sera. Recoveries of standard cholesterol added to sera range from 99% to 104% (average, 100.7%). Values for serum cholesterol by this kinetic determination tend to be somewhat lower than equilibrium values reported by local hospital laboratories. Whether bilirubin interferes depends on reaction conditions; under optimal conditions, each milligram of bilirubin is kinetically equivalent to about 1 mg of apparent cholesterol. Kinetic data are included to show how results are degraded by operating under nonoptimal conditions, and considerations involved in changing experimental conditions are discussed.
Inter-Dependent Mechanisms Behind Cognitive Dysfunction, Vascular Biology and Alzheimer's Dementia in Down Syndrome: Multi-Faceted Roles of APP

People with Down syndrome (DS) virtually all develop intellectual disability (ID) of varying degree of severity, and also have a high risk of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). ID prior to the onset of dementia, and its relationship to the onset of dementia in DS is a complex phenomenon influenced by many factors, and scarcely understood. Unraveling the causative factors and modulators of these processes remains a challenge, with potential to be informative for both ID and AD, for the development of early biomarkers and/or therapeutic approaches. We review the potential relative and inter-connected roles of the chromosome 21 gene for amyloid precursor protein (APP), in both pathological conditions. Rare non-DS people with duplication of APP (dupAPP) get familial early onset AD (FEOAD) with virtually 100% penetrance and prominent cerebrovascular pathology, but don't suffer from ID before dementia onset. All of these features appear to be radically different in DS. On the other hand, rare individuals with partial trisomy 21 (T21) (with APP, but not DS-critical region in trisomy) have been described having ID. Likewise, partial T21 DS (without APP trisomy) show a range of ID, but no AD pathology. We review the multi-faceted roles of APP that might affect cognitive functioning. Given the fact that both Aβ secretion and synaptic maturation/plasticity are dependent on neuronal activity, we explore how this conflicting inter-dependency might affect cognitive pathogenesis in a dynamic way in DS, throughout the lifespan of an individual.
Climate disruption and parasite–host dynamics: patterns and processes associated with warming and the frequency of extreme climatic events

Abstract Levels of parasitism and the dynamics of helminth systems is subject to the impact of environmental conditions such that we may expect long term increases in temperature will increase the force of infection and the parasite's basic reproduction number, R0. We postulate that an increase in the force of infection will only lead to an increase in mean intensity of adults when adult parasite mortality is not determined by acquired immunity. Preliminary examination of long term trends of parasites of rabbits and grouse confirm these predictions. Parasite development rate increases with temperature and while laboratory studies indicate this is linear some recent studies indicate that this may be non-linear and would have an important impact on R0. Warming would also reduce the selective pressure for the development of arrestment and this would increase R0 so that in systems like the grouse and Trichostrongylus tenuis this would increase the instability and lead to larger disease outbreaks. Extreme climatic events that act across populations appear important in synchronizing transmission and disease outbreaks, so it is speculated that climate disruption will lead to increased frequency and intensity of disease outbreaks in parasite populations not regulated by acquired immunity.
REDUCING SECOND ORDER SYSTEMS BY AN INTEGRATED STATE SPACE AND BACK CONVERSION PROCEDURE

Abstract The Arnoldi algorithm is modified to match the first Markov parameter and some of the first moments in order reduction of large scale systems while preserving the properties of the standard Arnoldi algorithm: an upper Hessenberg matrix as a coefficient of X r , the identity matrix as a coefficient of x r and a multiple of the first unit vector as the input vector. These properties are then used for the reduction of large scale second order models by first reducing in state space and then converting into second order form by introducing a numerical algorithm.