Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intake of fat, meat, and fiber in relation to risk of colon cancer in men.

Some evidence suggests that diets high in animal fat or red meat may increase the risk of colon cancer, whereas high intake of fiber or vegetables may be protective. Frequently, intake of red meat has been a stronger risk factor than total fat. Because data from prospective cohort studies are sparse, we examined fat, meat, fiber, and vegetable intake in relation to risk of colon cancer in a cohort of 47,949 U.S. male health professionals who were free of diagnosed cancer in 1986. At baseline, these men, 40 to 75 years of age, completed a validated food frequency questionnaire and provided detailed information on other lifestyle and health-related factors. Between 1986 and 1992, 205 new cases of colon cancer were diagnosed in these men. Intakes of total fat, saturated fat, and animal fat were not related to risk of colon cancer. However, an elevated risk of colon cancer was associated with red meat intake (relative risk, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.55 between high and low quintiles; P = 0.005 for trend). Men who ate beef, pork, or lamb as a main dish five or more times per week had a relative risk of 3.57 (95% confidence interval, 1.58-8.06; P = 0.01 for trend) compared to men eating these foods less than once per month. The association with red meat was not confounded appreciably by other dietary factors, physical activity, body mass, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, or aspirin use. Other sources of animal fat, including dairy products, poultry, and fish as well as vegetable fat, were slightly inversely related to risk of colon cancer. No clear association existed between fiber or vegetable intake and risk of colon cancer. These data support the hypothesis that intake of red meat is related to an elevated risk of colon cancer.
On information-Estimation relationships over binomial and negative binomial models

In recent years, a number of results have been developed which connect information measures and estimation measures under various models, including, predominantly, Gaussian and Poisson models. More recent results due to Gil Taborda and Pérez-Cruz relate the relative entropy to certain mismatched estimation errors in the context of binomial and negative binomial models, where, unlike in the case of Gaussian and Poisson models, the conditional mean estimates concern models of different orders than those of the original model. In this paper, a different set of results in simple forms are developed for binomial and negative binomial models, where the conditional mean estimates are produced through the original models. The new results are consistent with previous results for Gaussian and Poisson models.
Lie and Conditional Symmetries of a Class of Nonlinear (1 + 2)-Dimensional Boundary Value Problems

A new definition of conditional invariance for boundary value problems involving a wide range of boundary conditions (including initial value problems as a special case) is proposed. It is shown that other definitions worked out in order to find Lie symmetries of boundary value problems with standard boundary conditions, followed as particular cases from our definition. Simple examples of direct applicability to the nonlinear problems arising in applications are demonstrated. Moreover, the successful application of the definition for the Lie and conditional symmetry classification of a class of (1 + 2)-dimensional nonlinear boundary value problems governed by the nonlinear diffusion equation in a semi-infinite domain is realised. In particular, it is proven that there is a special exponent, k ≠ -2, for the power diffusivity uk when the problem in question with non-vanishing flux on the boundary admits additional Lie symmetry operators compared to the case k ≠ -2. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the symmetries derived, they are used for reducing the nonlinear problems with power diffusivity uk and a constant non-zero flux on the boundary (such problems are common in applications and describing a wide range of phenomena) to (1 + 1)-dimensional problems. The structure and properties of the problems obtained are briefly analysed. Finally, some results demonstrating how Lie invariance of the boundary value problem in question depends on the geometry of the domain are presented.
Haplotype Analysis of Interleukin-8 Gene Polymorphisms in Chronic and Aggressive Periodontitis

Objectives. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by connective tissue loss and alveolar bone destruction. Interleukin-8 (IL8) is important in the regulation of the immune response. The aim of this study was to analyze four polymorphisms in the IL8 gene in relation to chronic (CP) and aggressive (AgP) periodontitis. Methods. A total of 492 unrelated subjects were included in this case-control association study. Genomic DNA of 278 patients with CP, 58 patients with AgP, and 156 controls were genotyped, using the 5′ nuclease TaqMan assay, for IL8 (rs4073, rs2227307, rs2227306, and rs2227532) gene polymorphisms. Subgingival bacterial colonization was investigated by the DNA-microarray detection kit in a subgroup of subjects (N = 247). Results. Allele and genotype frequencies of all investigated IL8 polymorphisms were not significantly different between the subjects with CP and/or AgP and controls (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the A(−251)/T(+396)/T(+781) and T(−251)/G(+396)/C(+781) haplotypes were significantly less frequent in patients with CP (2.0% versus 5.1%, P < 0.02, OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15–0.78, resp., 2.0% versus 4.5%, P < 0.05, OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18–0.97) than in controls. Conclusions. Although none of the investigated SNPs in the IL8 gene was individually associated with periodontitis, some haplotypes can be protective against CP in the Czech population.
A morphological and bibliological analysis of the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 2003-2012

This article presents a bibliological and morphological analysis of the research articles in the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring (IJEBCM). The findings highlight the most frequently referenced journals and books and the demographic of the authors. They also determine that the articles are more likely to be about coaching than mentoring, that research is more likely to be grounded in a business context, and that articles are relatively consistent in their form in regards to word count, number of references, and readability, while the number of articles per issue has been increasing over time.
Looting: The Economic Underworld of Bankruptcy for Profit

During the 1980s, a number of unusual financial crises occurred. In Chile, for example, the financial sector collapsed, leaving the government with responsibility for extensive foreign debts. In the United States, large numbers of government-insured savings and loans became insolvent - and the government picked up the tab. In Dallas, Texas, real estate prices and construction continued to boom even after vacancies had skyrocketed, and the suffered a dramatic collapse. Also in the United States, the junk bond market, which fueled the takeover wave, had a similar boom and bust. In this paper, we use simple theory and direct evidence to highlight a common thread that runs through these four episodes. The theory suggests that this common thread may be relevant to other cases in which countries took on excessive foreign debt, governments had to bail out insolvent financial institutions, real estate prices increased dramatically and then fell, or new financial markets experienced a boom and bust. We describe the evidence, however, only for the cases of financial crisis in Chile, the thrift crisis in the United States, Dallas real estate and thrifts, and junk bonds. Our theoretical analysis shows that an economic underground can come to life if firms have an incentive to go broke for profit at society's expense (to loot) instead of to go for broke (to gamble on success). Bankruptcy for profit will occur if poor accounting, lax regulation, or low penalties for abuse give owners an incentive to pay themselves more than their firms are worth and then default on their debt obligations.
Assessing the Impact of American Indian Peer Recovery Support on Substance Use and Health

ABSTRACT Peer Recovery Support (PRS) is emerging as a key intervention for communities and individuals as they address high rates of substance abuse and limited recovery resources. American Indian populations were among the first people to use concepts of PRS through abstinence-based revitalization movements and ceremonies. The present study examined the impact of PRS on substance use, emotional and psychological problems, and social connections among urban and reservation American Indian peers involved in a 3-year PRS program. A total of 224 individuals, 110 male and 114 female completed baseline GPRA. Of these, 65 peers completed baseline and 6-month follow-up GPRAs. Involvement in PRS decreased substance use significantly among peers. Peer attendance at voluntary self-help groups and support from family and friends increased as a result of PRS.
The contributions of boundary dissolution and trust in the romantic partner to young mothers’ parenting representations

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study was to explore the contributions of both boundary dissolution (i.e. guilt-psychological control, blurring boundaries, parentification, and triangulation) as experienced in childhood, and trust in the romantic partner to young mothers’ parental caregiving representations. The findings, based on a sample of 80 young Israeli first-time mothers, indicated negative correlations between types of dissolution and their representations. Trust in the romantic partner made a distinct contribution to the formation of mothers’ representations above and beyond mothers’ boundary dissolution. These results are suggestive of the important role of young mothers’ relational history with their own mothers as well as their relationship with their romantic partner in shaping their parenting representations.
The role of self-disgust in non-suicidal self-injury among individuals with personality disorder

AIMS: There is growing evidence of a strong association between self-disgust and non- suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of self- disgust, alongside possible overlapping affect-states (shame, anger), in predicting lifetime NSSI among individuals with Personality Disorder (PD) features. This research also aimed to examine the psychometric structure of an existing self-disgust scale in this sample. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted incorporating self-report questionnaires to screen for PD and to assess self-disgust, anger, shame, sexual abuse, lifetime NSSI and functions of NSSI. One hundred and eighty-eight individuals who screened positive for PD were recruited as well as 133 subjects who screened negative for PD. RESULT: Logistic regression analysis highlighted self-disgust as the single independent predictor of lifetime NSSI. Multiple regression analyses identified self-disgust as a predictor of the ‘self-punishment’, ‘anti-suicide’ and ‘communicating distress’ functions of NSSI. A principal component analysis of the self-disgust scale suggested that physical self-disgust explained over 50% of the variance out of the overall variability in the sample that screened positive for PD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that self-disgust may be a significant risk factor for NSSI among individuals who screen positive for PD and indicate that self-disgust may specifically be connected with the impulse to attack and punish the self through self-injury. The effectiveness of interventions for NSSI among individuals with PD symptoms may be enhanced by examining whether self-disgust contributes to and/or maintains self-injurious behaviour. Treatment may also benefit from taking into consideration the strong visceral experiences related to self-disgust.
Shaping synaptic learning by the duration of the postsynaptic action potential

Most previous studies treated spikes as all-or-none events, and considered their duration and magnitude as negligible. Action potential (AP) duration varies across neuron types, but its consequences on synaptic plasticity remain largely unexplored. Here we study the effects of AP-duration on spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP) by negatively shifting the temporal window, potentiating synapses with presy-naptic EPSPs occurring both before and during a postsynaptic AP. With this interpretation, we demonstrate that AP-duration controls the shape of weight distribution and the temporal fluctuations of the weights after the distribution reaches a steady-state.
A multidimensional approach to factors influencing playing level and position in a school-based soccer programme

ABSTRACT Objectives: To examine the factors influencing selection into playing levels and playing positions in a school-based soccer programme. Methods: Anthropometry, maturation, physical capacity, technical ability and motor competence were assessed in 216 soccer players (aged 10–16 years) who participated in a school-based soccer programme. Team coaches selected players into playing levels, playing positions and provided subjective ratings of player ability. Results: Multivariate analyses of covariance showed significant large and moderate differences between playing levels (F = 5.336, P < 0.001, η2 = .30) and playing positions (F = 1.974, P = 0.002, η2 = .14) respectively, for a combination of maturation, anthropometry, physical capacity, technical ability and motor competence, when adjusted for chronological age. Discriminant analysis revealed 64.8% of cases could be correctly classified into playing level with a combination of sprint speed, agility, aerobic fitness, technical ability and motor competence. Large differences in subjective coach ratings were found between positions for players in the highest playing level (F = 2.598, P = 0.001, η2 = .16). Conclusions: These findings contribute new evidence to highlight how individual characteristics influence the selection process in recreational youth soccer, which have important implications for talent development pathways in schools, clubs and academies.
Powerful jets from black hole X-ray binaries in low/hard X-ray states

Four persistent (Cygnus X-1, GX 339−4, GRS 1758−258 and 1E 1740.7−2942) and three transient (GS 2023+38, GRO J0422+32 and GS 1354−64) black hole X-ray binary systems have been extensively observed at radio wavelengths during extended periods in the low/hard X-ray state, which is characterized in X-rays by a hard power-law spectrum and strong variability. All seven systems show a persistent flat or inverted (in the sense that α≳0, where S∝να) radio spectrum in this state, markedly different from the optically thin radio spectra exhibited by most X-ray transients within days of outburst. Furthermore, in none of the systems is a high-frequency cut-off to this spectral component detected, and there is evidence that it extends to near-infrared or optical regimes. Luminous persistent hard X-ray states in the black hole system GRS 1915+105 produce a comparable spectrum. This spectral component is considered to arise in synchrotron emission from a conical, partially self-absorbed jet, of the same genre as those originally considered for active galactic nuclei. Whatever the physical origin of the low/hard X-ray states, these self-similar outflows are an ever-present feature. The power in the jet component is likely to be a significant (5 per cent) and approximately fixed fraction of the total accretion luminosity. The correlation between hard X-ray and synchrotron emission in all the sources implies that the jets are intimately related to the Comptonization process, and do not have very large bulk Lorentz factors, unless the hard X-ray emission is also beamed by the same factor.
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of RLY5016, a polymeric potassium binder, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with chronic heart failure (the PEARL-HF) trial

Aims To evaluate efficacy and safety of RLY5016 (a non-absorbed, orally administered, potassium [K+]-binding polymer) on serum K+ levels in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) receiving standard therapy and spironolactone. Methods and results One hundred and five patients with HF and a history of hyperkalaemia resulting in discontinuation of a renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor/blocker and/or beta-adrenergic blocking agent or chronic kidney disease (CKD) with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min were randomized to double-blind treatment with 30 g/day RLY5016 or placebo for 4 weeks. Spironolactone, initiated at 25 mg/day, was increased to 50 mg/day on Day 15 if K+ was ≤5.1 mEq/L. Endpoints included the change from baseline in serum K+ at the end of treatment (primary); the proportion of patients with hyperkalaemia (K+ >5.5 mEq/L); and the proportion titrated to spironolactone 50 mg/day. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs) and clinical laboratory tests. RLY5016 (n= 55) and placebo (n= 49) patients had similar baseline characteristics. At the end of treatment, compared with placebo, RLY5016 had significantly lowered serum K+ levels with a difference between groups of −0.45 mEq/L (P < 0.001); a lower incidence of hyperkalaemia (7.3% RLY5016 vs. 24.5% placebo, P= 0.015); and a higher proportion of patients on spironolactone 50 mg/day (91% RLY5016 vs. 74% placebo, P= 0.019). In patients with CKD (n= 66), the difference in K+ between groups was −0.52 mEq/L (P= 0.031), and the incidence of hyperkalaemia was 6.7% RLY5016 vs. 38.5% placebo (P= 0.041). Adverse events were mainly gastrointestinal, and mild or moderate in severity. Adverse events resulting in study withdrawal were similar (7% RLY5016, 6% placebo). There were no drug-related serious AEs. Hypokalaemia (K+ <3.5 mEq/L) occurred in 6% of RLY5016 patients vs. 0% of placebo patients (P= 0.094). Conclusion RLY5016 prevented hyperkalaemia and was relatively well tolerated in patients with HF receiving standard therapy and spironolactone (25–50 mg/day) (ClinicalTrials.gov registry identifier: NCT00868439).
QUANTIFYING THE STRATEGIC OPTION VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS

We develop an integrated real options and industrial organization framework to quantify the strategic option value of technology investments. Strategic investments (e.g., R&D, capacity expansion or strategic acquisitions) are difficult to analyze based on standard approaches. Yet, it is these decisions that determine a firm’s competitive success in a changing technological and competitive landscape. How much is a strategic option (e.g., Microsoft’s growth opportunities) worth? How does one analyze strategic options in a dynamic, competitive environment? We describe basic principles for analyzing competitive strategies under uncertainty based on an integration of real options with game theory. We analyze multi-stage investment decisions facing a firm under uncertainty, both under a proprietary setting and when facing exogenous or endogenous competition (both in the last stage of commercialization as well as in the innovation or R&D stage). Competitive strategies may differ, e.g., depending on the type of investment (proprietary or shared) and the nature of competitive reactions (strategic substitutes or complements). The benefits of cooperation (via joint R&D ventures) vs. direct R&D competition (innovation races) are also discussed. Finally, we analyze multiperiod option games with endogenous volatility and discuss various other extensions.
Pathways from paranoid conviction to distress: exploring the mediator role of Fears of Compassion in a sample of people with psychosis

Abstract Fears of Compassion (FOC) relate to experiencing defensive emotions and avoidance reactions when receiving and giving compassion. Three different flows have been identified: giving compassion to others, receiving compassion, and self-compassion. This study sought to explore: FOC within a sample of patients with psychosis; the associations between FOC and paranoia; and the mediator role of FOC in the relationship between paranoid conviction and distress. Seventy-two patients with psychosis (74% diagnosed with schizophrenia), mostly male (85%), with a mean age of 33.46 (SD = 9.43), were recruited and assessed with measures of paranoia (conviction and distress) and FOC. Participants presented significantly higher levels of FOC than non-clinical samples and lower levels than depressed patients. Different flows of FOC were associated with each other and with paranoia-related measures. A mediation effect of FOC from others and fears of self-compassion was found. Results support the relevance of including FOC in formulation and treatment protocols for psychosis.
Network Model of Spontaneous Activity Exhibiting Synchronous Transitions Between Up and Down States

Both in vivo and in vitro recordings indicate that neuronal membrane potentials can make spontaneous transitions between distinct up and down states. At the network level, populations of neurons have been observed to make these transitions synchronously. Although synaptic activity and intrinsic neuron properties play an important role, the precise nature of the processes responsible for these phenomena is not known. Using a computational model, we explore the interplay between intrinsic neuronal properties and synaptic fluctuations. Model neurons of the integrate-and-fire type were extended by adding a nonlinear membrane current. Networks of these neurons exhibit large amplitude synchronous spontaneous fluctuations that make the neurons jump between up and down states, thereby producing bimodal membrane potential distributions. The effect of sensory stimulation on network responses depends on whether the stimulus is applied during an up state or deeply inside a down state. External noise can be varied to modulate the network continuously between two extreme regimes in which it remains permanently in either the up or the down state.
Role of Vitamin D in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common form of neurodegeneration in the elderly population. Clinically, it is characterized by tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural imbalance. A significant association between low serum vitamin D and PD has been demonstrated, suggesting that elevated vitamin D levels might provide protection against PD. Genetic studies have helped identify a number of proteins linking vitamin D to PD pathology, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6), chromosome 22, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 gene (PARP-1), neurotrophic factor (NTF), and Sp1 transcription factor. Vitamin D has also been implicated in PD through its effects on L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (L-VSCC), nerve growth factor (NGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), prostaglandins (PGs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). A growing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial for PD patients. Among the different forms of vitamin D, calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) is best indicated for PD, because it is a highly active vitamin D3 metabolite with an appropriate receptor in the central nervous system (CNS).