Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coffee Consumption Decreases Risks for Hepatic Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: A Meta-Analysis

Background and Aim Previous studies have demonstrated that coffee consumption may be inversely correlated with hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, the reported results have been inconsistent. To summarize previous evidences quantitatively, a meta-analysis was performed. Methods The Medline, Web of Science, and Embase databases (from inception to June 2015) were searched to identify relevant trials that evaluated the effects of coffee consumption on hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. Odds ratios (ORs) of advanced hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis for low or moderate, high, and any coffee consumption versus no consumption were pooled. Two cups per day was used as the cut-off level between low or moderate and high consumption. Results Sixteen studies were included, involving 3034 coffee consumers and 132076 people who do not consume coffee. The pooled results of the meta-analysis indicated that coffee consumers were less likely to develop cirrhosis compared with those who do not consume coffee, with a summary OR of 0.61 (95%CI: 0.45–0.84). For low or moderate coffee consumption versus no consumption, the pooled OR of hepatic cirrhosis was 0.66 (95%CI: 0.47–0.92). High coffee consumption could also significantly reduce the risk for hepatic cirrhosis when compared with no coffee consumption (OR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.42–0.68). The effect of coffee consumption on hepatic fibrosis was summarized as well. The pooled OR of advanced hepatic fibrosis for coffee consumption versus no consumption was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.58–0.92). The protective effect of coffee on hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis was also identified in subgroup meta-analyses of patients with alcoholic liver disease and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Conclusion Coffee consumption can significantly reduce the risk for hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Prevalence, correlates, disability, and comorbidity of DSM-IV drug abuse and dependence in the United States: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions.

BACKGROUND Current and comprehensive information on the epidemiology of DSM-IV 12-month and lifetime drug use disorders in the United States has not been available. OBJECTIVES To present detailed information on drug abuse and dependence prevalence, correlates, and comorbidity with other Axis I and II disorders. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Face-to-face interviews using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in a large representative sample of US adults (N=43093). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Twelve-month and lifetime prevalence of drug abuse and dependence and the associated correlates, treatment rates, disability, and comorbidity with other Axis I and II disorders. RESULTS Prevalences of 12-month and lifetime drug abuse (1.4% and 7.7%, respectively) exceeded rates of drug dependence (0.6% and 2.6%, respectively). Rates of abuse and dependence were generally greater among men, Native Americans, respondents aged 18 to 44 years, those of lower socioeconomic status, those residing in the West, and those who were never married or widowed, separated, or divorced (all P<.05). Associations of drug use disorders with other substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder were diminished but remained strong when we controlled for psychiatric disorders. Dependence associations with most mood disorders and generalized anxiety disorder also remained significant. Lifetime treatment- or help-seeking behavior was uncommon (8.1%, abuse; 37.9%, dependence) and was not associated with sociodemographic characteristics but was associated with psychiatric comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS Most individuals with drug use disorders have never been treated, and treatment disparities exist among those at high risk, despite substantial disability and comorbidity. Comorbidity of drug use disorders with other substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder, as well as dependence with mood disorders and generalized anxiety disorder, appears to be due in part to unique factors underlying each pair of these disorders studied. The persistence of low treatment rates despite the availability of effective treatments indicates the need for vigorous educational efforts for the public and professionals.
Structural reranking models for named entity recognition

We present a method for incorporating global features in named entity recognizers using reranking techniques and the combination of two state-of-the-art NER learning algorithms: conditional random fields (CRFs) and support vector machines (SVMs). The reranker employs two kinds of features: flat and structured features. The former are generated by a polynomial kernel encoding entity features whereas tree kernels are used to model dependencies amongst tagged candidate examples. The experiments on two standard corpora in two languages, i.e. the Italian EVALITA 2009 and the English CoNLL 2003 datasets, show a large improvement on CRFs in F-measure, i.e., from 80.34% to 84.33% and from 84.86% to 87.99%, respectively. Our analysis reveals that (i) both kernels provide a comparable improvement over the CRFs baseline; and (ii) their combination improves CRFs much more than the sum of the individual contributions, suggesting an interesting synergy.
Early intervention for relapse in schizophrenia: results of a 12-month randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy

Background. The paper describes a randomized controlled trial of targeting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) during prodromal or early signs of relapse in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that CBT would result in reduced admission and relapse, reduced positive and negative symptoms, and improved social functioning. Method. A total of 144 participants with schizophrenia or a related disorder were randomized to receive either treatment as usual (TAU) (N=72) or CBT+TAU (N=72). Participants were prospectively followed up between entry and 12 months. Results. At 12 months, 11 (15·3%) participants in the CBT group were admitted to hospital compared to 19 (26·4%) of the TAU group (hazard ratio=0·53, P=0·10, 95% CI 0·25, 1·10). A total of 13 (18·1%) participants in CBT relapsed compared to 25 (34·7%) in TAU (hazard ratio=0·47, P<0·05, 95% CI 0·24, 0·92). In addition, the CBT group showed significantly greater improvement in positive symptoms, negative symptoms, global psychopathology, performance of independent functions and prosocial activities. Conclusions. The study provides evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness for targeting CBT on the appearance of early signs of relapse in schizophrenia. The results are discussed in context of the study's methodological limitations.
Discontinuous Galerkin scheme for turbulent flow simulations

Recent progress in applying the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) schemes for direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows is attributed to the improvement in the stability and robustness of conventional methods. In particular, significant advances have been made with regard to the development of DG discretiza-tion for elliptic equations, including schemes of symmetric interior penalty (Arnold et al. Another algo-rithmic contribution to enable DG for turbulence flow is its improved robustness. More suitable stabilization techniques of the DG scheme for turbulence simulation are probably the positivity-preserving (Zhang & Shu 2010, 2011) and the entropy-bounded (Lv & Ihme 2015) DG schemes, each ensuring generality and practical simplicity. Both methods have rigorous mathematical foundation to guarantee the scheme's robustness. Given the considerable progress made towards diffusion discretization and algorith-mic robustness, the DG scheme currently is better established for high-fidelity simulations of turbulence. The question that arises naturally is whether the high-order varia-tional scheme has advantages over classical finite difference (FD) and finite volume (FV) schemes. Carton de Wiart et al. (2014) compared the performance of the DG scheme to a non-dissipative FD scheme in predicting inviscid vortical flow. It was found that the benefit of the non-dissipative property of the FD scheme was offset by the dispersive error apparent for medium wavenumbers of the energy spectrum. In the context of LES, Gassner & Beck (2013) attempted to assess the performance of DG for highly underre-solved turbulent flows. They found that simulations without explicitly adding sub-grid scale (SGS) terms are comparable to results generated by low-order schemes with SGS models. In order to support model development, greater insight into the aspect of nu-merics of the DG discretization and behavior compared to classical non-dissipative FD and FV methods is required. The remainder of this report has the following structure. Section 2 introduces the DG discretization for Navier-Stokes equations. Algorithmic details about the FV solver, CharlesX, are introduced in Section 2. After test cases are described in Section 3, the accuracy in predicting characteristic turbulent quantities are compared and the effects of refinement strategy on solutions are discussed in Section 4. The report finishes with conclusions in Section 5.
Personality and learning: An investigation into students’ personality development as an outcome of the Lebanese education system

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the Big Five personality traits of students attending the Public secondary schools of Mount-Lebanon and the Suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and to shed light on the most important outcome of the Lebanese education system: student’s personality development. The study is conducted using a quantitative questionnaire about the Big Five personality traits, that are (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness), which is asked for a random sample of 500 students. The most noteworthy findings were: the ratio of the students’ personality traits of Conscientiousness and Extraversion are more dominant as compared to the remaining three Big Five personality traits; the Conscientiousness personality trait is the most dominant, whereas Neuroticism is the least dominant personality trait; and there was a significant difference between male and female students in two big personality traits (Conscientiousness and Agreeableness).
Predation versus Cooperation in Mutual Fund Families

In this paper, we investigate how mutual funds react to the distress of another fund in the same fund family. We test three alternative hypotheses: (1) funds help the distressed fund, (2) funds front-run the distressed fund improving their relative performance in the fund family and, (3) the family coordinates and benefits from frontrunning the distressed fund. Our results suggest that fund managers front-run their distressed siblings and that this is the outcome of a coordinated strategy. First, we find that funds in the same family exhibit higher risk-adjusted returns when one of the funds in the family is in distress. Second, distressed funds have lower returns for a given outflow when they have a high portfolio overlap with their siblings. Third, consistent with a coordinated strategy on the family level we find that the higher risk-adjusted returns are clustered among the most important funds of the family.
Wess-Zumino sigma models with non-Kahlerian geometry

Supersymmetry of the Wess–Zumino (N = 1, D = 4) multiplet allows field equations that determine a larger class of geometries than the familiar Kahler manifolds, in which covariantly holomorphic vectors rather than a scalar superpotential determine the forces. Indeed, relaxing the requirement that the field equations be derivable from an action leads to complex flat geometry. The Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism is used to show that if one requires that the field equations be derivable from an action, we once again recover the restriction to Kahler geometry, with forces derived from a scalar superpotential.
Propylene Glycol Toxicity in Adolescent with Refractory Myoclonic Status Epilepticus

Propylene glycol (PG) is a solvent commonly used in medications that, while benign at low doses, may cause toxicity in adults and children at high doses. We describe a case and the physiologic sequelae of propylene glycol toxicity manifested in a critically ill adolescent male with refractory myoclonic status epilepticus aggressively treated with multiple PG-containing medications (lorazepam, phenobarbital, and pentobarbital)—all within accepted dosing guidelines and a total daily PG exposure previously recognized to be safe. Hemodynamic measurements by bedside echocardiography during clinical toxicity are also reported. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for propylene glycol toxicity in patients treated with PG-containing medications even when the total PG exposure is lower than currently accepted limits.
Growth and activity of ANME clades with different sulfate and sulfide concentrations in the presence of methane

Extensive geochemical data showed that significant methane oxidation activity exists in marine sediments. The organisms responsible for this activity are anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) that occur in consortia with sulfate-reducing bacteria. A distinct zonation of different clades of ANME (ANME-1, ANME-2a/b, and ANME-2c) exists in marine sediments, which could be related to the localized concentrations of methane, sulfate, and sulfide. In order to test this hypothesis we performed long-term incubation of marine sediments under defined conditions with methane as a headspace gas: low or high sulfate (±4 and ±21 mM, respectively) in combination with low or high sulfide (±0.1 and ±4 mM, respectively) concentrations. Control incubations were also performed, with only methane, high sulfate, or high sulfide. Methane oxidation was monitored and growth of subtypes ANME-1, ANME-2a/b, and ANME-2c assessed using qPCR analysis. A preliminary archaeal community analysis was performed to gain insight into the ecological and taxonomic diversity. Almost all of the incubations with methane had methane oxidation activity, with the exception of the incubations with combined low sulfate and high sulfide concentrations. Sulfide inhibition occurred only with low sulfate concentrations, which could be due to the lower Gibbs free energy available as well as sulfide toxicity. ANME-2a/b appears to mainly grow in incubations which had high sulfate levels and methane oxidation activity, whereas ANME-1 did not show this distinction. ANME-2c only grew in incubations with only sulfate addition. These findings are consistent with previously published in situ profiling analysis of ANME subclusters in different marine sediments. Interestingly, since all ANME subtypes also grew in incubations with only methane or sulfate addition, ANME may also be able to perform anaerobic methane oxidation under substrate limited conditions or alternatively perform additional metabolic processes.
Estimation of Pyruvic acid in serum and saliva among healthy and potentially malignant disorder subjects – a stepping stone for cancer screening?

Background According to Warburg’s effect, the rate of glycolysis increases in cancerous cells. This will increase overall levels of pyruvic acid. The present on-going study was conducted to estimate the levels of pyruvic acid in saliva and serum in normal, oral PMD subjects. Material and Methods A total of 50 subjects in healthy, PMD of the oral cavity individuals were selected based on clinical and histological criteria. Collected saliva and serum samples were subjected to pyruvic acid level estimation using biochemical analysis. Results Of the 50 participants 25 (13: Males; 12: Females) & 25 (16: Males; 9: Females) were PMD group. Independent samples t test showed statistically significant difference in serum & salivary pyruvic acid level in between 2 groups (p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusions Estimation of pyruvic acid showed sequential increase in the level in PMD group compared to healthy. Hence the study results open new direction in cancer screening. Key words:Pyruvic acid, glycolysis, warburg’s effect.
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities

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Occurrence of metaxenia and false hybrids in Brassica juncea L. cv. Kikarashina × B. napus

Imported genetically modified (GM) canola (Brassica napus) is approved by Japanese law. Some GM canola varieties have been found around importation sites, and there is public concern that these may have any harmful effects on related species such as reduction of wild relatives. Because B. juncea is distributed throughout Japan and is known to be high crossability with B. napus, it is assumed to be a recipient of B. napus. However, there are few reports for introgression of cross-combination in B. juncea × B. napus. To assess crossability, we artificially pollinated B. juncea with B. napus. After harvesting a large number of progeny seeds, we observed false hybrids and metaxenia of seed coats. Seed coat color was classified into four categories and false hybrids were confirmed by morphological characteristics and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Furthermore, the occurrence of false hybrids was affected by varietal differences in B. napus, whereas that of metaxenia was related to hybridity. Therefore, we suggest that metaxenia can be used as a marker for hybrid identification in B. juncea L. cv. Kikarashina × B. napus. Our results suggest that hybrid productivity in B. juncea × B. napus should not be evaluated by only seed productivity, crossability ought to be assessed the detection of true hybrids.
Impact of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction on quality of life: a cross-sectional study comparing common chronic cardiac and medical disorders and a representative adult population.

BACKGROUND Heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are increasingly common disorders, with outcomes worse than many cancers. Evidence-based therapies, such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers, improve prognosis and symptoms, and reduce healthcare expenditure. However, despite the high prevalence and malignant prognosis, few studies have reported the impact of heart failure and LVSD on overall quality of life and, more crucially, have not researched the elderly or those in the community. METHODS All patients attending the Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening (ECHOES) study of the prevalence of heart failure and LVSD in the community were assessed by clinical history and examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiography, and also completed the SF36 health status questionnaire. Quality of life in patients found to have heart failure, LVSD, and other cardiac and medical conditions are compared with the randomly selected general population sample. Data are generalisable to the UK. RESULTS 6162 people in the community were screened in the ECHOES study, of whom 5961 (97%) completed the SF36. The health perceptions of 3850 people aged 45 years or older selected randomly from the population were compared with those of 426 patients diagnosed as having definite heart failure. Those with heart failure had significant impairment of all the measured aspects of physical and mental health, in addition to declines in physical functioning. Significantly worse impairment was found in those with more severe heart failure by NYHA class: indeed, NYHA functional class was closely correlated to SF36 score. Patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction and patients rendered asymptomatic by treatment had similar scores to the random population sample. Those with heart failure reported more severe physical impairment of quality of life than people giving a history of chronic lung disease or arthritis, with less impact on mental health than patients reporting depression. CONCLUSIONS Patients with heart failure have statistically significant impairment of all aspects of quality of life, not simply physical functioning. The physical (role and functioning) health burden was significantly greater than that suffered in other serious common chronic disorders, whether cardiac or other systems. Optimising treatment to improve NYHA class appears to improve perceptions of quality of life for patients with heart failure. Given the dramatic decline in quality of life with heart failure, this end-point should be a much more important target for healthcare interventions, especially treatments such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers that are shown to improve quality of life.
Mean Staircase of the Riemann Zeros: a comment on the Lambert W function and an algebraic aspect

In this note we discuss explicitly the structure of two simple set of zeros which are associated with the mean staircase emerging from the zeta function and we specify a solution using the Lambert W function. The argument of it may then be set equal to a special $N \times N$ classical matrix (for every $N$) related to the Hamiltonian of the Mehta-Dyson model. In this way we specify a function of an hermitean operator whose eigenvalues are the "trivial zeros" on the critical line. The first set of trivial zeros is defined by the relations $\tmop{Im} (\zeta ({1/2} + i \cdot t)) = 0 \wedge \tmop{Re} (\zeta ({1/2} + i \cdot t)) \neq 0$ and viceversa for the second set. (To distinguish from the usual trivial zeros $s = \rho + i \cdot t = - 2 n$, $n \geqslant 1$ integer)
Data-Collection Capacity of IEEE 802.11-like Sensor Networks

Data-collection is an important application of sensor networks. This paper considers the scenario in which data generated from all sensors are to be forwarded to a single "data center" for processing. Although there have been many studies on this many-to-one communication scenario, it has generally been assumed that the data-collection capacity is upper-bounded by the link capacity L. We show that when the IEEE 802.11 protocol is used, the data-collection capacity has a tighter analytical upper-bound of 3L/4, and simulated throughput of 0.601L. In deriving our results, we introduce the notion of "canonical networks", which is a class of regularly-structured networks whose capacities can be analyzed more easily than unstructured networks. We argue that the capacities of canonical networks serve as a good benchmark for general networks in that the maximum possible capacity of any given network is unlikely to exceed the upper-bound capacity established for canonical networks.
Personal and Behavioral Peculiarities of Gifted Children: The Search for Invariant Characteristics of Giftedness

In this article the author makes an attempt to generalize and systematize, with the help of comparative and classification approaches, the data from the actual and actively developing in the modern social sciences field of experimental research of giftedness, which is aimed at searching for the basic characteristics of giftedness and creating a typical psychological portrait of a gifted child. The results of research of personal and behavioral peculiarities of gifted children both in comparison with peers and within a group of gifted children