Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Hospitalization on the Nutritional Status of Cancer Patients

This study was undertaken to examine the influence of hospitalization on the nutritional status of cancer patients. We examined 126 patients consecutively admitted to the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan. At admission, all patients underwent standard evaluations, including actual weight, percentage weight loss, arm circumference, triceps skinfold, serum proteins, serum albumin, total iron binding capacity, cholinesterase and peripheral lymphocytes. Finally, from all patients a 24-h dietary recall was obtained, in order to calculate calorie and protein intake. All the patients underwent another evaluation after 1 week of hospitalization; after 2 weeks only 37 of them were evaluated again, since some were operated, some were treated with radio-chemotherapy, some were discharged or had died. Results showed that after one week of hospitalization some variables were significantly altered, such as arm circumference in male patients, serum proteins, cholinesterase, total iron binding capacity, peripheral lymphocytes, calorie and protein intake. A significant weight loss was seen after 2 weeks. The reduced calorie and protein assumption was correlated with depletion of some of the nutritional variables (body weight, arm circumference in males, total iron binding capacity, serum albumin, cholinesterase, lymphocytes). Our data show that hospitalization plays an important role in deterioration of nutritional status in our patient population, and this problem is generally overlooked by the clinicians primarily involved in the care of cancer patients.
Tight Bounds for Stochastic Convex Programs

Variable and row aggregation as a technique of simplifying a mathematical program is utilized to develop bounds for two-stage stochastic convex programs with random right-hand sides. If one is able to utilize the problem structure along with only first moment information, a tighter bound than the usual mean model bound based on Jensen's inequality may be obtained. Moreover, it is possible to construct examples for which the mean model bound will be arbitrarily poor. Consequently, one can tighten Jensen's bound for stochastic programs when the distribution has a compact support. This bound may be improved further by partitioning the support using conditional first moments. With regard to first moment upper bounds, the Gassmann-Ziemba inequality is used for the stochastic convex program to seek a model which can be solved using standard convex programming techniques. Moreover, it allows one to easily construct upper bounds using the solution of the lower bounding problem. Finally, the results are extended to multistage stochastic convex programming problems.
Insights into TREM 2 biology by network analysis of human brain gene expression data

Rare variants in TREM2 cause susceptibility to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Here we use microarraybased expression data generated from 101 neuropathologically normal individuals and covering 10 brain regions, including the hippocampus, to understand TREM2 biology in human brain. Using network analysis, we detect a highly preserved TREM2-containing module in human brain, show that it relates to microglia, and demonstrate that TREM2 is a hub gene in 5 brain regions, including the hippocampus, suggesting that it can drive module function. Using enrichment analysis we show significant overrepresentation of genes implicated in the adaptive and innate immune system. Inspection of genes with the highest connectivity to TREM2 suggests that it plays a key role in mediating changes in the microglial cytoskeleton necessary not only for phagocytosis, but also migration. Most importantly, we show that the TREM2-containing module is significantly enriched for genes genetically implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and motor neuron disease, implying that these diseases share common pathways centered on microglia and that among the genes identified are possible new disease-relevant
Calibration and validation of a non-point source pollution model

Surface runoff and sediment transport in ̄uence soil quality and the quality of receiving waters. Simulation models are useful tools to describe drainage behavior and sediment yield to develop management strategies for agricultural waters. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) and modi®ed versions comparing measured and predicted surface runoff and sediment yield at the drainage outlet. The study was carried out using 52 rainfall-runoff events from two small watersheds in Bavaria, 22 for calibration and 30 for validation. Evaluation of model outputs was based on graphical displays contrasting measured and predicted values for each rainfall-runoff event, and standard statistics such as coef®cient of ef®ciency. A comparison between three different surface runoff methods Q1 (uncalibrated curve number (CN) method), Q2 (calibrated CN method), and Q3 (Lutz method) showed that the uncalibrated CN method underestimated measured surface runoff considerable, while the Lutz method outperformed the calibrated CN method and was better than the uncalibrated CN method. The modi®cations made to sediment yield calculations encompassed: (i) replacement of the Universal Soil Loss Equation LS factor algorithm by one based on stream power theory (variant S2), and (ii) linkage of channel erosion by individual categories of particlesize to runoff velocity (variant S3). The sediment yield predictions by S2 and S3 outperformed the predictions of S1 (USLE). Calculations based on S3 gave the best agreement when compared to measured sediment yield values at the drainage outlet. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Frequency-dependent attenuation analysis of ground-penetrating radar data

In the early 1990s, it was established empirically that, in many materials, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) attenuation is approximately linear with frequency over the bandwidth of a typical pulse. Further, a frequency-independent Q* parameter characterizes the slope of the band-limited attenuation versus frequency curve. Here, I derive the band-limited Q* function from a first-order Taylor expansion of the attenuation coefficient. This approach provides a basis for computing Q* from any arbitrary dielectric permittivity model. For Cole-Cole relaxation, I find good correlation between the first-order Q* approximation and Q* computed from linear fits to the attenuation coefficient curve over two-octave bands. The correlation holds over the primary relaxation frequency. For some materials, this relaxation occurs between 10 and 200 MHz , a typical frequency range for many GPR applications. Frequency-dependent losses caused by scattering and by the commonly overlooked problem of frequency-dependent reflection .
Environmental drivers and plant species diversity in the Catalan and Andorran Pyrenees

In this paper, we analyse the spatial distribution of plant diversity in the Pyrenean area of Catalonia and Andorra, in parallel to the distribution of landscape descriptors that have been proven to be related to species distribution. We used a wide range of synthetic parameters that refer to physiography (area, main outcrops), bioclimate (length of the growing season, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration), and landscape structure (habitats richness and diversity). Plant diversity was mainly assessed through the data gathered in the Biodiversity Data Bank of Catalonia, which consists of over 300,000 records of 2,335 species of vascular plants. Spatial variation in all the aspects covered here was analysed separately for eight sectors in the study area, and along the altitudinal gradient. Among the abiotic factors, bioclimatic parameters stood out for their regular variation –increasing or decreasing– along the altitudinal gradient. Noticeable differences were found between sectors, and were related to their physiographic particularities or location within the Pyrenees. Along the altitudinal gradient we found consistent shifts in the distribution of functional, ecological and phytogeographic plant groups. As for species richness, all the Pyrenean sectors gave a roughly similar pattern in the altitudinal gradient, with the maximum values found at low-medium altitudes and a regular decreasing trend towards the summits, coinciding with a steep decrease in habitats richness. Differences between sectors in plant diversity mostly depended on the altitude span of each and of other mid-scale landscape singularities, and were more evident between axial Pyrenean and pre-Pyrenean sectors. However, these regional differences also respond to historical biogeography, which is the foundation for understanding the altitudinal distribution of plants through species migration, extinction, and diversification over major Quaternary climatic variation.
Fitting Personal Interpretation with the Semantic Web: lessons learned from Pliny

In this paper we expand Stefan Gradmann’s question at WWW2012 "Thinking in the graph: will Digital Humanists ever do so? " to consider whether humanists, more generally than just "digital" ones, might do thinking that is, at least to some useful degree, "in the graph" too. Drawing on the experience of the Pliny project, and recent work done within that project to explore how Pliny materials might connect with the semantic web, we explore ways in which structured "graph­like" thinking might be revealed in — to "peek out" from — parts of humanities research that is common to digital and non­digital humanists alike. Out of this, we propose a number of different ways that scholars might engage with the Semantic Web, and provide examples – arising from the building of a prototype extension to Pliny – of how these engagements could be dealt with. We also explore the challenge of ambiguity and incompleteness in scholarship, explain how 2D space operates in Pliny to cope, to some degree at least, with these issues, and consider the boundaries between the expressiveness of 2D space and the formal graph model of the Semantic Web. We end by proposing several possible avenues for future work that arise from our work so far.
The peg-in-hole: a VR-based haptic assessment for quantifying upper limb performance and skills

Assistive technologies (AT) have the potential to augment individual's life and to promote functional independence. However, in many cases, optimum use of an assistive technology device is restricted due to the difficulties in interacting with the user. Owing to inherent differences in the level of individuals' impairment, selection of a suitable interface for an assistive technology device is usually a difficult choice. Objective quantification of the individual's impairment is therefore a very important step in matching a suitable interface for use with assistive technology equipments. Similar need for such measures can be seen in rehabilitation where appropriate objective measures can inform the effectiveness of a therapy regime or help to compare different therapies and their usefulness. This paper presents the peg-in-hole haptic assessment designed for quantifying upper limb skills.
My experiences as an autistic child and review of selected literature

Introduction Did you ever wonder what an autistic child is thinking? I was a partially autistic child and I will try to provide you with some insight. I am now 36 years old and work as a consultant, designing livestock facilities for feedlots, ranches, and meat plants throughout the U.S. and abroad. I have also authored articles in both national and international livestock publications (Grandin, 1979, 1980a). At the present time I am doing research on animal behavior and neurophysiology and working on my doctorate in animal science at the University of Illinois. In this paper I will describe my experiences and relate them to research findings. My firsthand experience with autism provided me with some clues which helped guide me through the vast library of scientific research and find some leads for research and therapy which could possibly benefit autistic children. Brief Case History At the age of 1/2 to 3 I had many of the standard autistic behaviors such as fixation on spinning objects, refusing to be touched or held, preferring to be alone, destructive behavior, temper tantrums, inability to speak, sensitivity to sudden noises, appearance of deafness, and an intense interest in odors. I was the first child in a family of four and my mother took me to a neurologist to be examined because I did not act like the little girls next door. The EEG and hearing test were normal at age 3. On the Rimland checklist (1971) I had many of the symptoms and would have scored +9 at age 1/2. The checklist was filled out by my mother in 1974. A score of +20 is classical autism or Kanner's syndrome. Only about 10 percent of children described as autistic fit in the closely defined Kanner's syndrome. There are metabolic differences between Kanner's syndrome and other types of autism (Rimland 1980). At the age of 3 to 3/2 my behavior greatly improved, but I did not learn to speak until 3/2. At the age of 3 to 4 my behavior was more normal until I became tired. When I became tired, bouts of impulsive behavior would return. Throughout elementary school I had bouts of temper tantrums and I was hyperactive and refused to sit still. My third-grade teacher noticed that I would flinch when she touched me. At the age of 9
Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Psychiatric Disorders

Objective: To report on recent advances in both structural and functional brain imaging studies in psychiatry and to highlight their importance for the field. Method: We reviewed recently published articles dealing with such advances and abstracted them into a selective review of the field. Results: Some of the more important trends include integration of genetic information into research studies, use of novel quantitative image measurement techniques, studies of new subject populations, the use of pharmacologic probes in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, the incorporation of elements of virtual reality into fMRI task stimuli, and the methodological innovation of hyperscanning. Conclusions: A whole series of new approaches and techniques are resulting in rapid advances in neuroimaging in psychiatry. Several of these show the potential for clinical translation.
Physiologic basis of blood loss during Eimeria tenella infection.

Eimeria tenella-induced hemorrhage resulted in total blood losses of up to 10% of the body weight. Although packed cell volume was reduced 50%, neither plasma volume nor blood volume was significantly decreased, except briefly. The retention of lost blood in the ceca varied with the strain of E. tenella. Chicks infected with laboratory strain (L.S.) 24 passed most of the blood into the feces, whereas those infected with L.S. 49 retained most of the blood within the ceca.
Development of a new resilience scale: the resilience in midlife scale (RIM scale)

Resilience, the ability to maintain or regain positive levels of functioning despite adversity, is one of several strengths that can assist people in positive life adaptation. Midlife (35 - 60 years) is a period when individuals need to adapt to several major changes and challenges. However, no scale exists to measure resilience specifically in the midlife population. Therefore, this study develops a new scale to measure resilience in midlife. The RIM scale consists of 25 items, each self-rated on a 5-point scale (0-4), with higher scores reflecting greater resilience. The scale was administered to a sample of 130 men and women, aged 35 - 60 years, from the normal population. The reliability, validity and factor analytic structure of the scale were evaluated, and reference scores established. The RIM scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties and factor analysis yielded five factors. The RIM scale has potential utility in clinical and research settings.
Similarities and Differences in Attitudes Toward Long‐Term Care Between Japanese Americans and Caucasian Americans

The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes toward the use of long‐term care between older Japanese Americans (n = 1,244) and older Caucasian Americans (n = 1,354). When presented with a hypothetical situation in which they have dementia, 39% of older Japanese Americans and 42% of older Caucasians intended to be cared for at home, whereas 53% versus 38%, respectively, intended to use nursing home care (P < .001). If the hypothetical situation was hip fracture, 81% of older Japanese Americans and 72% of older Caucasians intended to be cared for at home, with 13% of both groups intending to use nursing home care (P = NS). The subjects' perceptions of what their families, friends, ministers, and communities would want them to choose differed, with more uncertainty among Caucasians (P < .001). For provision of home care, Japanese Americans were more likely to rely on loved ones than Caucasians, who were more likely to rely on paid providers. Multivariate logistic regression showed ethnicity to be independently related to intention to use nursing home care in the dementia scenario, controlling for demographic variables. Being married lowered the odds of intending to use nursing homes in any situation. We conclude that Caucasian Americans intend to use paid home health care at higher rates than Japanese Americans if they become disabled by dementia. Japanese Americans demonstrated more certainty about the influences of others on their opinions, suggesting a more stable cultural norm in this population, and intended to use more nursing home care in the event of permanent debility (dementia).
Including motivational interviewing skills in the PharmD curriculum.

To the Editor. In their recent article, Goggin et al1 described an exceptional multidisciplinary collaboration allowing third- and fourth-year pharmacy students enrolled in an elective course to develop effective patient-centered counseling skills. This was accomplished through interactive and individualized motivational interviewing training. As pharmacists interface more and more with patients, there is a clearly growing need for “well-designed courses that specifically focus on the development of brief and effective patient-centered counseling skills. ”1 A general or elective communications course is not enough. The authors' model should be modified and incorporated into the core curriculum for all pharmacy students because it fosters confident and skilled students, as well as emphasizes the importance of stage of change and patients' confidence in succeeding. A pharmacist's communication skills are essential to improve the use of medications by patients and ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes; however, current Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards2 allow faculty members and students to determine their own experiences. This results in all students having disparate opportunities to develop fully their individual counseling skills. Survey results of faculty members who were teaching communication skills in colleges and schools of pharmacy across the United States found there is a need for better structuring and assessment of communication skill building and experiences; and only 65.2% of the respondents reported covering motivational interviewing concepts in their communication course.3 Furthermore, not only does the current inconsistent instruction of communication techniques need to be addressed, but the deficit of directive, patient-centered counseling styles must be confronted as well. A good start to enhancing and standardizing pharmacist communication skills would be for the ACPE standards to call for incorporating this type of motivational interviewing model into all schools. This would result in consistent and comprehensive training for students. The motivational interviewing course designed by Goggin and colleagues serves as a model for all colleges and schools of pharmacy to improve students' patient-centered counseling skills and cultivate patient self-efficacy. Nicole D'Antonio, PharmD University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, St. Margaret
Affection for People as a Function of Affection for Dogs

Ratings of affection for dogs were used to select 3 groups of 16 Ss each, a Low Affection group, a Moderate Affection group, and a High Affection group. Ss took the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) test, and a 2 (Sex) × 3 (Level of Affection) analysis of variance was carried out on the scores for each of the 6 FIRO-B scales. On the Expressed Affection scale the Low Affection group scored significantly lower than the Moderate Affection group. The men of the Low Affection group also obtained the lowest scores on the Wanted Affection scale. It was concluded that low expressed affection for dogs accompanies low affection for people and, in the case of men, low desire for such affection. Some support for this conclusion was also found for people reporting low affection for cats.
Salvinia : an Aquatic Fern with Potential Use in Phytoremediation

Salvinia exhibit capacity for removing contaminants such as heavy metals, inorganic nutrients, explosives from wastewaters. Properties such as high productivity, high sorption capacity and high metal removal potential establish Salvinia as an aquatic fern with immense potential for use in phytoremediation technologies. Realizing capabilities of Salvinia, its role for mass scale use in phytoremediation technology needs to be highlighted.
Involvement of IL‐31 on scratching behavior in NC/Nga mice with atopic‐like dermatitis

Abstract: Pruritus is an important symptom in atopic dermatitis (AD), but the major pruritogen have not been identified. NC/Nga mice, spontaneously develop an eczematous AD‐like skin lesion when kept under conventional conditions, but not under specific pathogen‐free (SPF) conditions, have been thought to be an animal model for AD. In this study, to determine whether newly identified cytokine, IL‐31, may be involved in pruritus of AD, we examined the IL‐31 expression in spontaneous dermatitis model which showed itch‐associated long‐lasting (over 1.5 s duration) scratching behavior and compared with that of hapten‐induced contact dermatitis model without itch‐associated long‐lasting scratching behavior, using NC/Nga mice. In NC/Nga mice cohabited with NC/Nga mice which developed severe dermatitis for 2 weeks (conventional NC/Nga mice), the numbers of long‐lasting scratching counts were significantly increased. Yet in 2,4,6‐trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB)‐sensitized and challenged mice (TNCB‐applied NC/Nga mice), no significant increase in long‐lasting scratching counts was observed. In conventional NC/Nga mice with long‐lasting scratching behavior, expression of IL‐31 mRNA was increased, while in TNCB‐applied NC/Nga mice without long‐lasting scratching behavior, the expression of IL‐31 mRNA were unchanged. There was a good correlation between the scratching counts and expression of IL‐31 mRNA in conventional NC/Nga mice, but not so in TNCB‐applied NC/Nga mice. These results suggest that IL‐31 causes the itch‐associated scratching behavior in conventional NC/Nga mice, an experimental animal model for AD.