Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strong Imbalanced Turbulence

We consider stationary, forced, imbalanced, or cross helical MHD Alfvénic turbulence where the waves traveling in one direction have higher amplitudes than the opposite waves. This paper is dedicated to so-called strong turbulence, which cannot be treated perturbatively. Our main result is that the anisotropy of the weak waves is stronger than the anisotropy of strong waves. We propose that critical balance, which was originally conceived as a causality argument, has to be amended by what we call a propagation argument. This revised formulation of critical balance is able to handle the imbalanced case and reduces to the old formulation in the balanced case. We also provide a phenomenological model of energy cascading and discuss the possibility of self-similar solutions in a realistic setup of driven turbulence.
Physical activity mediates a healthier body weight in the presence of obesity

Take home message A behaviourally based lifestyle physical activity intervention in combination with dietary intervention appears as effective as a structured exercise regimen in promoting physical activity in previously sedentary overweight and obese persons, concomitantly improving their cardiometabolic health profile through a healthier body weight. These findings are encouraging because this approach removes many of the commonly reported barriers to sustained participation in structured exercise training programmes in a group of adults in need of its cardiometabolic health benefits. In the last decade, the numbers of overweight (body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) people have substantially increased in Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Western Samoa.1 The prevalence of obesity in the United States has grown from 12.0% in 1991 to 17.9% in 1998.2 Recent reports indicate that overweight and obese adults now comprise the majority of the American population with 54.9% persons reporting a BMI >25 kg/m2. These alarming trends have led to the declaration of a global obesity epidemic.3,4 Overweight and obesity have become so common that they are replacing the more traditional health problems of undernutrition and infectious diseases as significant causes of poor health world wide.3 Excess weight is associated with numerous diseases and conditions including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea, gallbladder disease, infertility, and some cancers.5 The direct and indirect costs of obesity are considerable, with the associated expenses representing 7% of the national health care budget in the United States, 7% in the Netherlands, 4% in France, and 2% in Australia.6 Clearly, overnutrition is a serious health hazard world wide with significant financial expense. Our genetic pool has not been altered dramatically over the past 10 years. Consequently, …
Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy for stages II and III colon cancer after complete resection: a clinical practice guideline.

BACKGROUND Updated practice guidelines on adjuvant chemotherapy for completely resected colon cancer are lacking. In 2008, Cancer Care Ontario's Program in Evidence-Based Care developed a guideline on adjuvant therapy for stages ii and iii colon cancer. With newer regimens being assessed in this patient population and older agents being either abandoned because of non-effectiveness or replaced by agents that are more efficacious, a full update of the original guideline was undertaken. METHODS Literature searches (January 1987 to August 2015) of medline, embase, and the Cochrane Library were conducted; in addition, abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, and the European Cancer Congress were reviewed (the latter for January 2007 to August 2015). A practice guideline was drafted that was then scrutinized by internal and external reviewers whose comments were incorporated into the final guideline. RESULTS Twenty-six unique reports of eighteen randomized controlled trials and thirteen unique reports of twelve meta-analyses or pooled analyses were included in the evidence base. The 5 recommendations developed included 3 for stage ii colon cancer and 2 for stage iii colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS Patients with completely resected stage iii colon cancer should be offered adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5fu)-based chemotherapy with or without oxaliplatin (based on definitive data for improvements in survival and disease-free survival). Patients with resected stage ii colon cancer without "high-risk" features should not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. For patients with "high-risk" features, 5fu-based chemotherapy with or without oxaliplatin should be offered, although no clinical trials have been conducted to conclusively demonstrate the same benefits seen in stage iii colon cancer.
Associations among Spirituality, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Depression in Pre-Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: An Exploratory Analysis in Thai Buddhist Patients

There are numerous studies of quality of life (QOL) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; however, there are a few studies of spirituality and its association with QOL. Previous studies were done focusing on Western cultures; thus, the study of CKD patients in Eastern cultures would reveal interesting insights. This study was conducted to explore the spirituality, QOL, and depression of Thai CKD patients, and the associations between spirituality, QOL, and depression. This cross-sectional descriptive study using structured questionnaires was approved by the Khon Kaen University Ethics Committee in Human Research, Thailand. A total of 63 pre-dialysis CKD stage V patients who visited the kidney diseases clinic as appointed at the outpatient department in a community hospital in northeastern Thailand were recruited. The patients were asked for consent and then interviewed. Spirituality was assessed by using the WHOQOL Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB) and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp). The 9-item Thai Health Status Assessment Instrument (9-THAI) was used to assess QOL. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to evaluate the depression. The study patients had high WHOQOL-SRPB and FACIT-Sp spirituality scores (median = 18.0, and 44.0, respectively). The 9-THAI QOL scores were within the normal range of the Thai general, healthy population (physical health score [PHS]; median = 48.0, mental health score [MHS]; median = 32.0). Based on BDI-II scores, most patients were in the minimal depression group (63.5%). The Spearman rho correlation coefficients (rs) of PHS and WHOQOL-SRPB and FACIT-Sp were moderate with 0.34 for both spirituality measures. Similarly, also the mental health scores (MHS) correlated moderately with WHOQOL-SRPB (rs = 0.46) and FACIT-Sp (rs = 0.37). Depressive symptoms (BDI-II) strongly negatively correlated with WHOQOL-SRPB (rs = −0.58) and FACIT-Sp (rs = −0.55). Overall results were consistent with previous studies in Western contexts. Understanding spirituality would lead to the better management of depression and improving patient survival. These significant associations suggest that further research is needed on how provider knowledge of patient spirituality could affect the outcomes for patients both in terms of depression and patient survival.
VERIDICAL AND FALSE MEMORIES IN HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS AND IN DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER'S TYPE

Five groups of participants (young, healthy old, healthy old-old, very mild Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type, Mild Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type) studied and were tested on six 12-item lists of words selected from the DRM (Deese, 1959; Roediger & McDermott, 1995) materials. These lists of words strongly converged semantically on a nonpresented critical word. The results indicated that both veridical recall and recognition performance decreased both as a function of age of the participants and as a function of dementia severity. However, the recall and recognition of the highly related nonpresented items actually increased as a function of age, and only slightly decreased as a function of DAT. When false memory was considered as a proportion of veridical memory, there was a clear increase as a function of both age of the participants and as a function of disease severity. The results are discussed in terms of (a) age and DAT-related changes in attention and memory performance, and (b) the underlying mec.
Selective interactions among the multiple connexin proteins expressed in the vertebrate lens: the second extracellular domain is a determinant of compatibility between connexins

Gap junctions are collections of intercellular channels composed of structural proteins called connexins (Cx). We have examined the functional interactions of the three rodent connexins present in the lens, Cx43, Cx46, and Cx50, by expressing them in paired Xenopus oocytes. Homotypic channels containing Cx43, Cx46, or Cx50 all developed high conductance. heterotypic channels composed of Cx46 paired with either Cx43 or Cx50 were also well coupled, whereas Cx50 did not form functional channels with Cx43. We also examined the functional response of homotypic and heterotypic channels to transjunctional voltage and cytoplasmic acidification. We show that all lens connexins exhibited sensitivity to cytoplasmic acidification as well as to voltage, and that voltage-dependent closure of heterotypic channels for a given connexin was dramatically influenced by its partner connexins in the adjacent cell. Based on the observation that Cx43 can discriminate between Cx46 and Cx50, we investigated the molecular determinants that specify compatibility by constructing chimeric connexins from portions of Cx46 and Cx50 and testing them for their ability to form channels with Cx43. When the second extracellular (E2) domain in Cx46 was replaced with the E2 of Cx50, the resulting chimera could no longer form heterotypic channels with Cx43. A reciprocal chimera, where the E2 of Cx46 was inserted into Cx50, acquired the ability to functionally interact with Cx43. Together, these results demonstrate that formation of intercellular channels is a selective process dependent on the identity of the connexins expressed in adjacent cells, and that the second extracellular domain is a determinant of heterotypic compatibility between connexins.
Habitat Complexity and Behaviour: Personality, Habitat Selection and Territoriality

Structurally complex habitats support high species diversity and promote ecosystem health and stability, however anthropogenic activity is causing natural forms of complexity to rapidly diminish. At the population level, reductions in complexity negatively affect densities of territorial species, as increased visual distance increases the territory size of individuals. Individual behaviour, including aggression, activity and boldness, is also altered by complexity, due to plastic behavioural responses to complexity, habitat selection by particular personality types, or both processes occurring simultaneously. This thesis explores the behavioural effects of habitat complexity in four chapters. The first chapter, a laboratory experiment based on the ideal free distribution, observes how convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) trade-off the higher foraging success obtainable in open habitats with the greater safety provided in complex habitats under overt predation threat. Dominants always preferred the complex habitat, forming ideal despotic distributions, while subordinates altered their habitat use in response to predation. The second chapter also employs the ideal free distribution to assess how convict cichlids within a dominance hierarchy trade-off between food monopolization and safety in the absence of a predator. Dominants again formed ideal despotic distributions in the complex habitat, while dominants with lower energetic states more strongly preferred the complex habitat. For both laboratory experiments, personality did not predict habitat preference. The third chapter, a field study with juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), tested whether stream restorations that increase habitat complexity will also select for particular personality traits, and we again found that complexity did not favour any particular personality types. A broader range perspective regarding the effects of habitat complexity on behaviour was addressed in the fourth chapter via a meta-analysis on a wide range of territorial and non-territorial taxa. Territoriality modified the effects of complexity on behaviour, likely due to the strong reliance of territorial species on visual cues. Taken together, all four chapters demonstrate the high context dependency of the effects of complexity on behaviour. Nevertheless, whether or not an individual is territorial emerged as an important predictor of how habitat complexity is likely to affect its behaviour.
Expression of Myelin Proteolipid Protein and Basic Protein in Normal and Dysmyelinating Mutant Mice

Abstract: Expression of myelin proteins was studied in the brains of 21‐day‐old normal mice and three dysmyelinating mutants—jimpy, quaking, and shiverer. Total brain polyribosomes and poly(A)+ mRNA were translated in two cell‐free systems and the levels of synthesis of the myelin basic proteins (MBPs) and proteolipid protein (PLP) were determined. Synthesis of the MBPs in quaking homozygotes was at or above normal levels but PLP synthesis was significantly reduced to approximately 15% of control values, indicating independent effects on the expression of these proteins in this mutant. Immunoblot analysis of 21‐day‐old quaking brain homogenates showed a reduction in the steady‐state levels of MBPs and PLP, suggesting a failure of newly synthesized MBPs to be incorporated into a stable membrane structure such as myelin. In the shiverer mutant very little synthesis of MBPs was observed, whereas greater synthesis of PLP occurred (approximately 50% of control). Almost no MBP, and low levels of PLP, were detected in the immunoblots, suggesting the possibility of a partial failure of PLP to be assembled into myelin in shiverer. In the jimpy mutant, low levels of MBP synthesis were observed in vitro (approximately 26% of controls) and very little synthesis of PLP was evident. The immunoblots of 21‐day jimpy brain homogenates revealed no appreciable steady‐state levels of PLP or MBP, again indicating that most newly synthesized MBPs were not incorporated into a stable membrane structure in this mutant. In sum, the data show that in the three cases examined, the mutation appears to affect the expression of the MBPs and PLP independently. Furthermore, regardless of their absolute levels of synthesis these proteins may or may not be assembled into myelin.
Reoperation for Coronary Atherosclerosis: Changing Practice in 2509 Consecutive Patients

We analyzed trends in clinical, angiographic, and operative variables and documented long-term survival in 2509 consecutive patients who underwent reoperation for myocardial revascularization at The Cleveland Clinic during a 20-year period (1967 to 1987). The patients were grouped into four cohorts by year of surgery. This analysis showed that vein graft atherosclerosis has become the leading indication for reoperation, and patient age and interval between operations continue to increase. Mortality rates ranged from 2% to 5% and, despite increasing comorbidity, more extensive coronary atherosclerosis, and worse left ventricular function, the hospital mortality rate was 2.9% from 1985 to 1987. Perioperative new Q-wave myocardial infarction occurred in 7% to 8% of patients from 1967 to 1984 but decreased to 4% in the 1985 to 1987 period (p = 0.04). Internal thoracic artery graft usage in reoperations increased from 27% in the 1967 to 1978 period to 67% in the 1985 to 1987 period. Advanced age and presence of left main coronary artery disease adversely influenced late survival more consistently than other factors. Patients operated on in 1967 to 1978 had fewer risk factors, which explains their higher survival rate compared with more recent cohorts. Factors associated with improved 10-years actuarial survival included age younger than 65 years, mild angina, no major comorbidity, no left main coronary artery disease, good left ventricular performance, and an internal thoracic artery graft.
Corrigendum: Tumor necrosis factor alpha maintains denervation-induced homeostatic synaptic plasticity of mouse dentate granule cells

*Correspondence: Andreas Vlachos, Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany e-mail: a.vlachos@med.uni-frankfurt.de Neurons which lose part of their input respond with a compensatory increase in excitatory synaptic strength. This observation is of particular interest in the context of neurological diseases, which are accompanied by the loss of neurons and subsequent denervation of connected brain regions. However, while the cellular and molecular mechanisms of pharmacologically induced homeostatic synaptic plasticity have been identified to a certain degree, denervation-induced homeostatic synaptic plasticity remains not well understood. Here, we employed the entorhinal denervation in vitro model to study the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) on changes in excitatory synaptic strength of mouse dentate granule cells following partial deafferentation. Our experiments disclose that TNFα is required for the maintenance of a compensatory increase in excitatory synaptic strength at 3–4 days post lesion (dpl), but not for the induction of synaptic scaling at 1–2 dpl. Furthermore, laser capture microdissection combined with quantitative PCR demonstrates an increase in TNFα-mRNA levels in the denervated zone, which is consistent with our previous finding on a local, i.e., layer-specific increase in excitatory synaptic strength at 3–4 dpl. Immunostainings for the glial fibrillary acidic protein and TNFα suggest that astrocytes are a source of TNFα in our experimental setting. We conclude that TNFαsignaling is a major regulatory system that aims at maintaining the homeostatic synaptic response of denervated neurons.
Innovative technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis

This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of technology-based intervention studies for children with autism spectrum disorders. We conducted a systematic review of research that used a pre–post design to assess innovative technology interventions, including computer programs, virtual reality, and robotics. The selected studies provided interventions via a desktop computer, interactive DVD, shared active surface, and virtual reality. None employed robotics. The results provide evidence for the overall effectiveness of technology-based training. The overall mean effect size for posttests of controlled studies of children with autism spectrum disorders who received technology-based interventions was significantly different from zero and approached the medium magnitude, d = 0.47 (confidence interval: 0.08–0.86). The influence of age and IQ was not significant. Differences in training procedures are discussed in the light of the negative correlation that was found between the intervention durations and the studies’ effect sizes. The results of this meta-analysis provide support for the continuing development, evaluation, and clinical usage of technology-based intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Entrainment into sheared convective boundary layers as predicted by different large eddy simulation codes

Entrainment is a complex physical process that is a driving mechanism of convective boundary-layer (CBL) development. There is no consensus in the boundarylayer research community regarding the role played by wind shears in the entrainment dynamics. Previous numerical studies of sheared CBLs primarily focused on the turbulence regimes associated with quasi-stationary CBL evolution. In these studies, convective entrainment and its influence on CBL growth dynamics were not regarded as main research issues. In the present study, the emphasis is specifically laid on the characteristics of entrainment related to the CBL growth. Some previously suggested theories (e.g., Hunt and Durbin 1999), pointed to possible attenuation of vertical turbulent transport across the sheared entrainment layer that could lead to the reduction of entrainment. On the other hand, most numerical studies conducted to date (e.g., Fedorovich et al. 2001b; Pino et al. 2003) have found overall enhancement of entrainment and CBL growth with surface and/or elevated wind shear, yet others (e.g, Conzemius and Fedorovich 2002) have not. Because of these different results, this comparison exercise seeks to explore any differences in the predicted entrainment in sheared CBLs that may be code-dependent, and with this goal in mind, we have brought together several numerical codes built on the large-eddy simulation (LES) methodology in an attempt to investigate basic features of entrainment dynamics in sheared CBLs as reproduced by LES codes of different architecture, with different numerical algorithms, of different spatial and temporal resolution, and employing different subgridturbulence and surface-layer parameterizations.
The influence of long‐term Aloe vera ingestion on age‐related disease in male Fischer 344 rats

The effects of long‐term Aloe vera ingestion on age‐related diseases were investigated using male specific pathogen‐free (SPF) Fischer 344 rats. Experimental animals were divided into four groups: Group A, the control rats fed a semi‐synthetic diet without Aloe vera; Group B, rats fed a diet containing 1% freeze‐dried Aloe vera filet; Group C, rats fed a diet containing 1% charcoal‐processed, freeze‐dried Aloe vera filet; and Group D, rats fed the control diet and given whole leaf charcoal‐processed Aloe vera (0.02%) in the drinking water. This study demonstrates that life‐long Aloe vera ingestion produced neither harmful effects nor deleterious changes. In addition, Aloe vera ingestion appeared to be associated with some beneficial effects on age‐related diseases. Groups B exhibited significantly less occurrence of multiple causes of death, and a slightly lower incidence of fatal chronic nephropathy compared with Group A rats. Groups B and C rats showed the trend, slightly lower incidences of thrombosis in the cardiac atrium than Group A rats. Therefore, these findings suggest that life‐long Aloe vera ingestion does not cause any obvious harmful and deleterious side effects, and could also be beneficial for the prevention of age‐related pathology. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.