Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managing metabolic complications of peritoneal dialysis.

AIMS The purposes of this paper are: to report our experience employing a comprehensive, multifaceted treatment program to improve the metabolic disturbances of dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and weight gain observed in our peritoneal dialysis patients, and by post-hoc analysis to demonstrate how the routine clinical lipid profile can be manipulated arithmetically to estimate levels of atherogenic low-density lipids and thereby achieve a more sophisticated clinical analysis of dyslipidemia and its response to therapy. METHODS Data are reported for 56 patients who were stable on peritoneal dialysis for at least 6 months and who had metabolic data available prior to beginning peritoneal dialysis. Metabolic complications of peritoneal dialysis were treated by a comprehensive strategy involving diet, glycemic control and lipid-lowering medications with an emphasis on weight control and exercise. From the measured lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG)), levels of atherogenic low-density lipids (low-density lipoprotein (LDL), non-HDL, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and intermediate-low-density lipoprotein (IDL) were calculated. RESULTS Before initiation of peritoneal dialysis therapy, the most common lipid abnormalities were low levels of HDL (59%) and elevated levels of triglyceride (41%) with infrequent elevations of total cholesterol (9%) and low-density lipoprotein (23%). After initiation of peritoneal dialysis therapy, all lipid levels, except HDL, increased significantly, and hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and obesity, singly or in combination, occurred in 84% of patients. With treatment, elevated lipid levels decreased significantly with reversal of the adverse cardiovascular risk profile of lipids that developed during peritoneal dialysis therapy, and HDL levels increased significantly. On peritoneal dialysis therapy, all diabetic patients required insulin, and glycemic control was achieved in most patients (79%). Excessive weight gain (10-24% body weight) occurred in 20% of peritoneal dialysis patients. Diabetic patients had a higher incidence of being overweight and obese. Post-hoc analysis revealed that levels of VLDL and IDL frequently were elevated both before (57-61%) and during (68-84%) peritoneal dialysis and that target levels of these atherogenic low-density lipoproteins infrequently (22-26%) were achieved. CONCLUSIONS The metabolic complications of peritoneal dialysis are responsive to a comprehensive treatment strategy. Controlling weight gain on peritoneal dialysis therapy maybe a difficult challenge for some patients, particularly those who are diabetic. Patients with renal failure and on dialysis, especially peritoneal dialysis, frequently have elevated levels of the atherogenic lipoproteins fragments VLDL and IDL. Future clinical trials should focus on the efficacy and safety of aggressive therapy to achieve target levels of these atherogenic lipids.
Long‐term follow‐up of absence seizures

The prognosis of absence seizures was evaluated in 83 patients by univariate and multivariate analysis. The mean follow-up period was 9.5 years. Normal intelligence quotient (IQ) was found to be a significant prognostic factor by both methods of analysis, but multivariate analysis showed that normal IQ, no hyperventilation-induced spikes and waves, male sex, and normal neurologic findings were significant prognostic factors associated with cessation of all types of seizures. More than 90% of patients with three or more significant factors stopped having seizures. A multiple logistic regression model describes the population and can be used for estimating the outcome of patients with absence seizures.
Apportionment of the terminals from single preganglionic axons to target neurones in the rabbit ciliary ganglion.

We have studied the apportionment of terminals from single preganglionic axons to target neurones in the ciliary ganglion of adult rabbits. Both electrical recording and intra‐axonal injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) showed that each preganglionic axon innervates only a small fraction of the ganglion cell population (about 10‐20 of the approximately 400 ganglion cells). Examination of ganglia in whole mounts showed that neurones whose cell bodies were enveloped by HRP‐labelled boutons from a single axon were often surrounded by other neurones which received no contacts from the labelled fibre. Electron microscopical examination of labelled presynaptic terminals on individual ganglion cells confirmed that the boutons of single axons were sharply confined to particular target cells. This suggests that individual target neurones (or portions of them) are the unit of innervation during the development of these synaptic connexions. Comparison of the amplitudes of synaptic responses in singly and multiply innervated ganglion cells indicated that, on average, an individual axon made a weaker synaptic connexion with a multiply innervated neurone than with neurone that received only one input. Moreover, neurones innervated by several different axons tended to have fewer synapses on their somata than neurones innervated by only one or two preganglionic axons. Individual post‐synaptic profiles were often contacted exclusively by labelled terminals when examined in the electron microscope. Since many of these neurones are multiply innervated, this observation suggests some regional separation of the several inputs contacting the same cell. For several reasons, however, this inference must be regarded as tentative. Taken together, these findings provide a possible explanation of the correlation between the dendritic geometry of ganglion cells and the number of different axons that innervate them (Purves & Hume, 1981). The several axons that initially innervate ganglion cells without dendrites evidently compete during early life until only a single input remains. On ganglion cells with dendrites, however, the number of inputs that persists is proportional to dendritic complexity. The present results suggest that the diminished competition between axons innervating neurones with dendrites may result from some degree of terminal segregation on dendritic arborizations.
Spanish and Hispanic Bilingualism

This chapter focuses on Spanish as a way of speaking deployed in multihngual social contexts by multilingual speakers (including bilingual contexts and bilingual speakers). Bilingual ways of speaking have always been common in both Spain and Latin America, placing Spanish speakers at aU points in history in multihnguahsm with Catalan, English, Euskara, Gahcian, Nahuad, Quechua,Yoruba, and many other European, African, and Indigenous American languages. As Spanish ways of speaking continue to spread at the present time, a concomitant expansion in the number of bihnguals seems assured. These spreads and expansions create the urgent need to develop a theoretically coherent understanding of Hispanic bilingualism. In this chapter we develop what we shall call a speaker-centered view of Hispanic bihnguahsm, a disaggregated view of Unguistic competence, and a translanguaging view of bihngual practices, all sheltered under what is generally known as a heteroglossic ideology. In the interest of a coherent theoretical grasp of bilingual Hispanic settings and bilingual Hispanic speakers, we propose that it is not profitable to view Spanish as a discrete language system that exists as a separately compartmentahzed grammar, mentally represented as distinct and apart from the other languages of the Hispanic bihngual. Such a stance is unprofitable because it insists on external categories generated by the national, political, educational, and ideological systems prevalent in the societies where Hispanic biUnguals hve, and because, in so doing, it ignores the bihngual speaker’s own perspective. The posture that we set aside has been usefully criticized as springing from a monoglossic ideology that looks at the bihngual through the conceptual biases of the monohngual. This is to be contrasted with the heteroglossic ideology embraced in our approach, under which the effort is made to achieve something akin to the anthropologist’s insider view, looking at bihnguahsm through the bihngual’s own eyes (Bailey 2007; Del VaUe 2000; Garcia 2009). In our speaker-centered, disaggregated, heteroglossic approach, Spanish is the name of one aspect of the complex hnguistic repertoire of multihngual Hispanic speakers. This position is rooted in hnguistic and sociohnguistic theories that recognize that the seemingly obvious carv­ ing out of inherendy distinct countable languages is not at all given or natural, representing instead the contingent adoption of a cultural and political categorization that is far from selfevident (Blommaert, 2010; Duchene and Heller 2007; Franceschini 2011; Heller 2007; Kemp 2009; Makoni and Pennycook 2007). The adoption of these enumerated language categories tends to distort the very nature of bihnguahsm, certainly for the speakers, and ultimately even for the societies where the bihnguals hve.
Product Level Accelerated Reliability Testing of Motor Drives With Input Power Interruptions

Motor drives utilizing power semiconductors play an important role in modern day electric motor control. Although the reliability of power semiconductors is widely studied, the product level reliability of motor drives has been studied markedly less even though their more complex control and measuring electronics often make them more vulnerable to environmental stresses. In order to advance product level accelerated reliability testing, customized test methods with multiple simultaneous or sequential stresses can be used. However, the knowledge of combined effects of different stresses is still largely unknown. In this research the reliability of a commercial motor drive was studied. Environmental conditions used included an 85 °C constant temperature test and an 85 °C test with 85% relative humidity. Additionally, input power interruptions were included to study the effect of sudden shortages of electricity. The results of the study showed that the mean time to failure for the devices tested with the input power interruptions was notably shorter than that for the test series without them. An especially clear effect of the input power interruptions was seen on the power MOSFETs of the motor drives. Moreover, the humidity was found to play an important role in the reliability of the motor drives.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Asset Pricing

In the modern world, where our lives are heavily dependent on energy consumption, almost all types of consumption involve emissions of carbon dioxide. In this paper, we propose the growth rate of carbon dioxide emissions as a new measure of consumption growth under the standard consumption-based asset pricing (CCAPM) framework. The growth rate of CO2 emissions contributes to the measurement of consumption growth by o ering a more comprehensive coverage of consumption, given its unique advantage of being able to incorporate the transportation and housing component of household consumption. Using the annual growth rate of per capita CO2 emissions as a proxy for the consumption growth under the CCAPM framework, we achieve an estimated relative risk aversion of 5.91, and an implied annual real risk-free rate of 2.18%. In addition, the CO2-based consumption growth captures the consumption risk very well that it explains the cross-sectional variation in excess returns of the US stock portfolios with a small insigni cant pricing error of 0.49 basis point per year.
Long-Term Effect of Insulin Treatment in Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes

Background: Although insulin treatment confers short-term benefit in cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD), few studies have compared its long-term effect on the clinical outcome. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term impact of insulin treatment on pulmonary function, nutritional status and hospital admissions in patients with CFRD. Methods: We reviewed pulmonary function, body mass index (BMI) and hospital admissions 5 years before and 3 years after insulin therapy in 42 adult CFRD patients. Results: Prior to treatment, over a period of 5 years, the annual rate of change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was –3.2%, forced vital capacity (FVC) –2.5%, and BMI –0.07%. At treatment of CFRD (baseline), the mean FEV1 was 51.6% predicted (range 24–96), FVC 66.4% (range 29–103) and BMI 19.5 (range 15.3–29.5). At 3 months following insulin treatment, there was a significant improvement in all parameters, which was maintained at 1 year for FEV1 (55.1%; p < 0.002), 2 years for FVC (72.1%; p < 0.01) and at 3 years for BMI (20.4%; p < 0.002). After 3 months, FEV1 declined at a rate similar to that before treatment (–3.2 vs. –3.1% per year; p = 0.77), such that the mean FEV1 after treatment returned to pretreatment baseline values at 34 months. There was no difference in the number of hospital admissions with insulin treatment. Conclusions: Insulin enhances the nutritional state and temporarily improves pulmonary function in CFRD patients, on average delaying the decline in FEV1 by 34 months.
Beyond socioemotional wealth: taking another step toward a theory of the family firm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how the concept of socioemotional wealth can be combined with other important concepts in the family firm literature to develop a theory of the family firm. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper based on a review of the paper of Martin and Gomez-Mejia in this issue as well as the family business literature in general. Findings Martin and Gomez-Mejia (this issue) present a theoretical model and propositions on the relationship between socioemotional and financial wealth that advances understanding of family firm decision-making. That paper provides an initial step toward a theory of the family firm that can explain why firms select the family form of organization to conduct economic activities, what determines their scale and scope and why heterogeneity is observed among family firms. This commentary takes another step toward such a theory by discussing how the combined consideration of goals, governance and resources could be used to address the above three questions. Originality/value The precepts of a new theory of the family firm is presented that incorporates the concepts of goals (socioemotional wealth), governance (family ownership and control) and resources (familiness) of family firms to explain why family firms exist and potentially thrive as well as to explain the heterogeneity among family firms.
Spontaneous Gonadotropin and Testosterone Concentration Profiles in Prepubertal and Pubertal Boys: Temporal Relationship between Luteinizing Hormone and Testosterone

ABSTRACT: To investigate the detailed pattern of change in circulating gonadotropin and testosterone concentrations around the onset of puberty and to determine the temporal relationship between the gonadotropin and testosterone secretion, plasma gonadotropin and testosterone were measured at 20-min intervals for 24 h in 21 normal short boys. The obtained plasma hormone concentrations were analyzed by Cluster pulse detection algorithm, cosinor analysis, and cross-correlation analysis. The 21 subjects were divided into the prepubertal (n = 16) and early pubertal (n = 5) groups. All subjects showed nocturnal LH and FSH pulses and had significant circadian LH and FSH rhythms. Except for six boys of prepubertal group, all subjects showed nocturnal testosterone pulses and had significant circadian testosterone rhythms. The acrophase (clocktime of maximal value) of circadian testosterone rhythm was 0308–0428 h. Cross-correlation analysis demonstrated significant positive cross-correlations between LH and testosterone that were maximum at a testosterone lag of 60–120 min. Further, to eliminate intrinsic autocorrelations within the LH and testosterone time series, we filtered the data before subjecting them to the cross-correlation analysis. As a result, significant positive cross-correlations were found at a testosterone lag of 40 min in 10 peripubertal boys. We conclude that testosterone concentration profiles are pulsatile and show marked circadian rhythm well before the onset of puberty. LH and testosterone time series are significantly coupled when testosterone lags LH by about 40 min. This time lag might correspond to the time for synthesizing and secreting testosterone in Leydig cells after binding of LH to the Leydig cell receptors.
Deciding who gets treatment for depression and anxiety: a study of consecutive GP attenders.

BACKGROUND Most research has focused on recognition by GPs of the common mental disorders: depression and anxiety. However, less is known about the factors that determine whether patients with those disorders that are recognised receive any active treatment. AIM To investigate factors associated with receiving active treatment among consecutive attenders identified by GPs as having a common mental disorder. SETTING Data were collected as part of a cluster randomised controlled trial in 30 general practices in the south of Bristol, UK, on the impact of mental health guidelines in primary care. METHOD We studied 439 consecutive general practice attenders aged 16-64 years who were given a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or chronic mixed anxiety and depression by their GP. The main outcome measure was the provision of any active treatment, whether pharmacological or psychological, for these disorders. Patient, GP, and practice level data, including sociodemographic, clinical, and administrative data were explored as predictors in a logistic regression model. Huber White variance estimates were used to account for hierarchical clustering. RESULTS Of those patients identified as having a common mental disorder by the GP, 54% were offered active treatment. Higher symptom score, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06 to 1.13; P<0.001) and being male (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.09; P = 0.006), were both associated with an increased likelihood of being offered active treatment. Patients with anxiety (OR = 0.24; 95% = CI 0.14 to 0.41; P<0.001), or chronic mixed anxiety/depression (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.73; P = 0.003) were less likely to be offered active treatment than those considered to have depression. CONCLUSION When deciding to offer active treatment for common mental disorders, GPs appear to be influenced by the severity of symptoms rather than their 'understandability' in relation to recent life stresses or the social context of distress. Further research is needed to investigate why men are more likely and those with an anxiety disorder less likely, to be offered active treatment.
Foreign competition and disintermediation: no threat to the German banking system?

The German financial system is characterized by low degrees of penetration by foreign commercial banks and of (bank) disintermediation compared to, for instance, the United States. This could be attributed to the fact that universal banking in Germany creates implicit barriers to entry. Yet, regulatory and informational differences which are unrelated to universal banking could be responsible for the observed difference. This paper provides a stylized theoretical model of the banking industry, which suggests that market segmentation and limited market entry can be due to a number of factors, including information costs. Preliminary empirical evidence does not provide clear evidence for the hypothesis that universal banking is the reason for the observed differences in financial systems.
Molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial diabetes (MIDD)

Mitochondria provide cells with most of the energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondria are complex organelles encoded both by nuclear and mtDNA. Only a few mitochondrial components are encoded by mtDNA, most of the mt‐proteins are nuclear DNA encoded. Remarkably, the majority of the known mutations leading to a mitochondrial disease have been identified in mtDNA rather than in nuclear DNA. In general, the idea is that these pathogenic mutations in mtDNA affect energy supply leading to a disease state. Remarkably, different mtDNA mutations can associate with distinct disease states, a situation that is difficult to reconcile with the idea that a reduced ATP production is the sole pathogenic factor. This review deals with emerging insight into the mechanism by which the A3243G mutation in the mitochondrial tRNA (Leu, UUR) gene associates with diabetes as major clinical expression. A decrease in glucose‐induced insulin secretion by pancreatic beta‐cells and a premature aging of these cells seem to be the main process by which this mutation causes diabetes. The underlying mechanisms and variability in clinical presentation are discussed.
Reliability of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Determining Muscle Oxygen Saturation During Exercise

Abstract Near-infrared spectroscopy is currently used to assess changes in the oxygen saturation of the muscle during exercise. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of near-infrared spectroscopy in determining muscle oxygen saturation (StO2) in the vastus lateralis during cycling and the gastrocnemius during running for exercise intensities at lactate threshold and maximal effort. Test-retest reliability was determined from an intraclass correlation coefficient obtained from a one-way analysis of variance. Reliability of muscle StO2 for the gastrocnemius at lactate threshold was R = . 87, and R= . 88 at maximal effort. Reliability of muscle StO2 for the vastus lateralis at lactate threshold was R= . 94 and R = . 99 at maximal effort.
Correlation Between Cannabidiol-Induced Reduction of Infarct Volume and Inflammatory Factors Expression in Ischemic Stroke Model

Introduction: Recent studies demonstrated that cannabidiol had neuroprotective property. There is some evidence about effective role of cannabidiol in reduction of ischemic damages. It has been reported that infarct size is influenced by various factors after MCAO, including inflammatory factors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cannabidiol on infarction volume and correlation of infarct size with tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) expression. Methods: Using stereotaxic surgery, guide cannula was implanted in the right lateral ventricle. Cannabidiol (50, 100, and 200 ng/rat) was injected through ntracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) route for 5 consecutive days . Then, the rats underwent 60 minutes of right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After 24 h reperfusion, the infarct volume in total, cortex, piriform cortex-amygdala (Pir-Amy), and striatum areas of hemisphere were assessed. The expression of inflammatory factors such as TNFR1 and NF-κB in these regions were also studied. Results: The present results indicate that in the MCAO-induced cerebral ischemia, administration of cannabidiol (100 and 200 ng/rat) causes a significant reduction in infarction volume in comparison with the vehicle group. Also, there were significant correlations between decrease of regional infarct volume and TNFR1/NF-κB expression. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that cannabidiol reduced cerebral infarction possibly through diminishing TNFR1/NF-κB-induced neurotoxicity in transient focal cerebral ischemia.