Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health-related quality of life in obese persons seeking treatment.

BACKGROUND The relationship between obesity and increased risks of morbidity and mortality is well established. Less is known about the impact of obesity on functional health status and subjective well-being. METHODS We examined health-related quality of life (HRQL), measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and clinical characteristics of 312 consecutive persons seeking outpatient treatment for obesity at a university-based weight management center. SF-36 scores were adjusted for sociodemographic factors and various comorbidities, including depression, to better estimate the effect of obesity on HRQL. Health-related quality of life of the obese patients was then compared with that of the general population and with a sample of patients who have other chronic medical conditions. RESULTS Compared with general population norms, participants who had a mean body-mass index (BMI) of 38.1 reported significantly lower scores (i.e., more impairment) on all eight quality-of-life domains, especially bodily pain and vitality. The morbidly obese (mean BMI, 48.7) reported significantly worse physical, social, and role functioning, worse perceived general health, and greater bodily pain than did either the mildly (mean BMI, 29.2) or moderately to severely obese (mean BMI, 34.5). The obese also reported significantly greater disability due to bodily pain than did patients with other chronic medical conditions. CONCLUSIONS Obesity profoundly affects quality of life. Bodily pain is a prevalent problem among obese persons seeking weight loss and may be an important consideration in the treatment of this population.
Effects of Supplementary Mineral Methionine Chelates (Zn, Cu, Mn) on the Performance and Eggshell Quality of Laying Hens

A layer experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementary methionine chelates (Cu, Zn and Mn), individual or in combination, on laying performance, eggshell quality, gizzard erosion, and IgG level of serum for 8 weeks. Five hundred 96-wk-old force molted ISA Brown layers were assigned to five dietary treatments. Basal diet was formulated to meet or exceed the nutrients requirements listed in NRC (1994). Five experimental diets were control, Zn-methionine chelate (Zn-Met) supplemented, Cu- methionine chelate (Cu-Met) supplemented, Zn-Mn-methionine chelate (Zn-Mn-Met) supplemented and Zn-Mn-Cu-Met supplemented diet. Each treated diet was supplemented with respective mineral(s) at the level of 100 ppm in the form of methionine chelate. Egg production was increased by Cu-Met supplementation but decreased by Zn-Met supplementation. Egg weight was significantly (p<0.05) lower in Cu-Met treatment than those of the control and Zn-Met treatment. Specific gravity of eggs and eggshell strength were highest and soft egg production was lowest in Cu-Met treatment. Gizzard erosion index was significantly increased by supplementation of Cu- Met, Zn-Mn-Met or Zn-Mn-Cu-Met. Zinc content in liver significantly increased by Zn-Met, but not by Zn-Mn-Cu-Met treatment. In conclusion, 100 ppm Cu in Cu-Met chelate improved laying performance and eggshell quality but also increased gizzard erosion index. Supplementation of Zn-Met or its combination with other mineral chelates had no beneficial effects on laying performance and eggshell quality. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 12 : 1804-1808)
Baby booms, busts, and population ageing in the developed world

The key challenge facing contemporary society is a process of population ageing rooted mainly in past fertility cycles. The goals of the study reported in this paper were (i) to analyse jointly the post-1930s baby boom and the baby bust that followed, (ii) to consider the specific ways this particular combination influenced the process of ageing in different societies, and (iii) to evaluate some possible implications for policy of different historical experiences. Demographic time series for 27 nations in the developed world were used. The main results confirm the importance of the boom and bust fertility cycle of the second half of the twentieth century for population ageing. Some countries will experience ageing processes driven mainly by the growth of elderly populations while others will age largely as a result of declines in working-age populations. These differences underscore the need to tailor policy priorities for specific patterns of ageing.
Is deep learning the new agent for map generalization?

ABSTRACT The automation of map generalization has been keeping researchers in cartography busy for years. Particularly great progress was made in the late 90s with the use of the multi-agent paradigm. Although the current use of automatic processes in some national mapping agencies is a great achievement, there are still many unsolved issues and research seems to stagnate in the recent years. With the success of deep learning in many fields of science, including geographic information science, this paper poses the controversial question of the title: is deep learning the new agent, i.e. the technique that will make generalization research bridge the gap to fully automated generalization processes? The paper neither responds a clear yes nor a clear no but discusses what issues could be tackled with deep learning and what the promising perspectives. Some preliminary experiments with building generalization or data enrichments are presented to support the discussion.
Aggregation and Dispersal Behavior of Marked and Released European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Adults

Abstract To observe the aggregation and dispersal behavior of adult European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), males in search of mates, two populations were marked, each with a different dye. One population was continuously reared in the laboratory (>5 yr) and the other was collected annually from the field. From 1986 to 1988, marked adults were released in two release sets per year, with three to five releases per release set, coinciding with the spring and summer flights of European corn borer in central Iowa. Traps for recapture contained lures baited with 40 μg of synthetic 97:3 Z:E-11-tetradecenyl acetate. Traplines extended from 200 m to 48 km. Each trap was assigned a compass direction. Males from the laboratory-reared population dispersed similarly to males just 1 generation from the wild. European corn borer males and females dispersed 23–49 km and some were recovered 14 km from the release site within 100 min after release. Sampling of aggregation sites demonstrated that on the nights of release, many adults aggregated in adjacent dense vegetation and did not disperse until the following night. Upon dispersal, these adults seemingly moved many meters or kilometers before settling again. Recapture of marked adults at 200 m might have been influenced by open landscapes (short, vegetative-growth corn). Recapture at 800 m or beyond, however, was unaffected by open landscapes, and in 1988 a greater proportion of marked males was recaptured while the landscape was closed. (tall, mature-growth corn). In 1987, during the first flight of European corn borer, displacement to 800 m was southeasterly, south, or west, but during first flights in 1986 and 1988, displacement to 800 m was predominately northeasterly. During the second flight in midsummer, displacement to 800 m for all 3 yr of the study also was northeasterly. Recapture results from 1986 suggest that male movement >800 m is common. During the first release set (early summer), 37% of the males recaptured flew 800 m or more and 8% flew 3.2 km or more. During the second release set (late summer), 51% of the males recaptured flew 800 m or more and 11% flew 3.2 km or more. The recommendation for placement of nontransgenic corn (Zea mays L.) as refuge in the Corn Belt is a half mile or closer to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt)-corn if the refuge corn is not sprayed and a quarter mile or closer when the refuge corn is sprayed. Based on the dispersal results from this study, at least in Iowa, a half-mile proximity recommendation should be robust. Studies still should be conducted in other regions, especially where corn is commonly irrigated, to determine whether European corn borer adult movement patterns are similar.
HIV‐Related Hodgkin's disease with central nervous system involvement and association with Epstein‐Barr virus

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is a rare occurrence in the course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐related Hodgkin's disease (HD). We report the clinical course of a patient with HIV infection who developed systemic HD, mixed cellularity subtype, later complicated by leptomeningeal involvement. The patient died from his illness, and autopsy was performed. Examining the brain lesion, Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) presence was demonstrated in Reed‐Sternberg cells by immunohistochemistry using an EBER probe for EBV RNA. This is the second case report in the English literature of HD involving the CNS in an HIV‐positive individual, and the first demonstrating EBV presence. Extranodal presence of Hodgkin's disease in patients with HIV infection is probably related to immunosuppression, and physicians treating this illness should be alert to the potential of unusual sites of involvement. Am. J. Hematol. 72:216–219, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of the Tikhonov regularization technique to the equivalent magnetic currents near-field technique

The equivalent magnetic currents method can be used to characterize radiating structures and to obtain information about the current distribution on the radiating device under test (DUT). In order to do so, the system is assumed to be linear and inversion from near-field measurements can be carried out using numerical techniques such as the singular value decomposition. However this approach is very sensitive to modeling and measurement errors, which is a consequence of the ill-conditioned nature of the inversion process. Here, we propose to account for the ill-conditioning by using a Tikhonov regularization technique to perform the inversion. This technique requires a regularization parameter to be set to an appropriate value, and we show that a generalized cross-validation approach yields adequate determination of the regularization parameter directly from the measured data. The proposed method can be tailored to account for specific characteristics of the DUT. This point is illustrated by the estimation of the current distribution of a bidimensional radiating structure for which prior information about the orientation of radiating edges is incorporated into the inversion method.
A meta-analytical answer to the crisis of confidence of Psychology

Meta-analysis is a firmly established methodology and an integral part of the process of generating knowledge across the empirical sciences. Meta-analysis has also focused on methodology and has become a dominant critic of methodological shortcomings. We highlight several problematic issues on how we research in psychology: excess of heterogeneity in the results and difficulties for replication, publication bias, suboptimal methodological quality, and questionable practices of the researchers. These and other problems led to a “crisis of confidence” in psychology. We discuss how the meta-analytical perspective and its procedures can help to overcome the crisis. A more cooperative perspective, instead of a competitive one, can shift to consider replication as a more valuable contribution. Knowledge cannot be based in isolated studies. Given the nature of the object of study of psychology the natural unit to generate knowledge must be the estimated distribution of the effect sizes, not the dichotomous decision on statistical significance in specific studies. Some suggestions are offered on how to redirect researchers' research and practices, so that their personal interests and those of science as such are better aligned.
Hormone therapy in oophorectomized BRCA1/2 mutation carriers

ObjectiveBRCA1/2 mutation carriers have greatly elevated lifetime risks of breast, ovarian, and fallopian tube cancers. Bilateral prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy is recommended to prevent cancer in these women. As it is often performed before natural menopause, it may be accompanied by menopausal symptoms, impaired quality of life, and increased cardiovascular risk. MethodsIn this review, we describe the indications, timing, and implications of salpingo-oophorectomy for BRCA-positive women, with a special focus on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy (HT). Furthermore, retrospective and prospective trials of HT in BRCA mutation carriers undergoing prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy are debated. ResultsHormonal deprivation after prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy may negatively impact health and quality of life; most women experience menopausal symptoms shortly after surgical operation. Literature data suggest that HT generally reduces vasomotor symptoms related to surgical menopause, improving sexual functioning without affecting survival. ConclusionsDespite the limitations of retrospective and prospective observational studies, short-term HT seems to improve quality of life and does not seem to have an adverse effect on oncologic outcomes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers without a personal history of breast cancer. Therefore, randomized and larger trials are urgently needed.
Acoustic radiation force imaging sonoelastography for noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis.

AIM To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging as a noninvasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHODS We performed a prospective blind comparison of ARFI elastography, APRI index and FibroMax in a consecutive series of patients who underwent liver biopsy for CHC in University Hospital Bucharest. Histopathological staging of liver fibrosis according to the METAVIR scoring system served as the reference. A total of 74 patients underwent ARFI elastography, APRI index, FibroMax and successful liver biopsy. RESULTS The noninvasive tests had a good correlation with the liver biopsy results. The most powerful test in predicting fibrosis was ARFI elastography. The diagnostic accuracy of ARFI elastography, expressed as area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) had a validity of 90.2% (95% CI AUROC = 0.831-0.972, P < 0.001) for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F >or= 2). ARFI sonoelastography predicted even better F3 or F4 fibrosis (AUROC = 0.993, 95% CI = 0.979-1). CONCLUSION ARFI elastography had very good accuracy for the assessment of liver fibrosis and was superior to other noninvasive methods (APRI Index, FibroMax) for staging liver fibrosis.
Bayesian Inference of Subglacial Channel Structures From Water Pressure and Tracer‐Transit Time Data: A Numerical Study Based on a 2‐D Geostatistical Modeling Approach

Characterizing subglacial water flow is critical for understanding basal sliding and processes occurring under glaciers and ice sheets. Development of subglacial numerical models and acquisition of water pressure and tracer data have provided valuable insights into subglacial systems and their evolution. Despite these advances, numerical models, data conditioning, and uncertainty quantification are difficult, principally due to high number of unknown parameters and expensive forward computations. In this study, we aim to infer the properties of a subglacial drainage system in two dimensions using a framework that combines physical and geostatistical processes. The methodology is composed of three main components: (i) a channel generator to produce networks of the subglacial system, (ii) a physical model that computes water pressure and mass transport in steady state, and (iii) Bayesian inversion in which the outputs (pressure and tracer‐transit times) are compared with synthetic data, thus allowing for parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification. We evaluate the ability of this framework to infer the subglacial characteristics of a synthetic ice sheet produced by a physically complex deterministic model, under different recharge scenarios. Results show that our methodology captures expected physical characteristics for each meltwater supply condition, while the precise locations of channels remain difficult to constrain. The framework enables uncertainty quantification, and the results highlight its potential to infer properties of real subglacial systems using observed water pressure and tracer‐transit times.
Transcript abundance of the pig stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene has no effect on fatty acid composition in muscle and fat tissues, but its polymorphism within the putative microRNA target site is associated with daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio.

Fatty acid composition in porcine intramuscular fat affects the dietetic value and technological properties of meat. The stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene is a strong positional and functional candidate for fatty acid composition. Our sequence analysis in 4 breeds (Duroc, Pietrain, Polish Landrace, and Polish Large White) revealed a novel SNP in the 5'-flanking sequence and 9 novel SNP and 2 novel indels in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). Transcript level of the SCD in subcutaneous fat was significantly greater than in muscle tissue (n=83; P<0.001) and the interbreed comparison revealed a greater transcript level in the fat tissue of Polish Landrace (P<0.01). We found no association between the abundance of the SCD transcript and fatty acid composition in any of the tissues. We performed an association analysis between 4 SNP (c.-353C>T, c.-233T>C, c.*164A>G, and c.*928G>C), 1 indel (c.*2574_2576delGTC), and production traits in Polish Large White (n=185) and synthetic line 990 (n=243). The most pronounced associations were observed for the c. *928G>C polymorphism, which occurs within a predicted target site for 2 microRNA (ssc-miR-185 and ssc-miR-491). In line 990, this polymorphism was significantly associated with daily BW gain (P<0.04 under the general model) and feed conversion ratio (P<0.0004) but not with fatness traits. The same tendency, but not significant, was observed in the Polish Large White breed. When both breeds were analyzed together, these associations were again highly significant (daily BW gain P<0.003; feed conversion ratio P<0.0001). We conclude that c. *928G>C is a promising marker for both porcine traits.
The Toda Lattice

This motivates the following definition. Definition 1.2. A conserved quantity in a Hamiltonian system is a smooth function f ∈ C∞(M) such that {f,H} = 0. Remark 1.3. If you’re familiar with the Lagrangian model of classical mechanics, you can derive the above setup from a Lagrangian field theory on the real line R, i.e. from classical Lagrangian mechanics. There’s a classical procedure for doing so known as the Legendre transform. Definition 1.4. A classical Hamiltonian system is completely integrable if there exist a family of m conserved quantities f1, . , fm, where dim(M) = 2m, such that
Epigenetics and Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review of the Current Evidence

Epigenetic mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the genetic regulation of pathways related to inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review studies investigating the association between DNA methylation and histone modifications with circulatory inflammation markers in blood. Five bibliographic databases were screened until 21 November of 2017. We included studies conducted on humans that examined the association between epigenetic marks (DNA methylation and/or histone modifications) and a comprehensive list of inflammatory markers. Of the 3,759 identified references, 24 articles were included, involving, 17,399 individuals. There was suggestive evidence for global hypomethylation but better-quality studies in the future have to confirm this. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) (n=7) reported most of the identified differentially methylated genes to be hypomethylated in inflammatory processes. Candidate genes studies reported 18 differentially methylated genes related to several circulatory inflammation markers. There was no overlap in the methylated sites investigated in candidate gene studies and EWAS, except for TMEM49, which was found to be hypomethylated with higher inflammatory markers in both types of studies. The relation between histone modifications and inflammatory markers was assessed by one study only. This review supports an association between epigenetic marks and inflammation, suggesting hypomethylation of the genome. Important gaps in the quality of studies were reported such as inadequate sample size, lack of adjustment for relevant confounders, and failure to replicate the findings. While most of the studies have been focused on C-reactive protein, further efforts should investigate other inflammatory markers.
A Sheaf Model of Contradictions and Disagreements. A (very) Preliminary Report

We introduce a new formal model -- based on the mathematical construct of sheaves -- for representing contradictory information in textual sources. This model has the advantage of letting us (a) identify the causes of the inconsistency; (b) measure how strong it is; (c) and do something about it, e.g. suggest ways to reconcile inconsistent advice. This model naturally represents the distinction between contradictions and disagreements. It is based on the idea of representing natural language sentences as formulas with parameters sitting on lattices, creating partial orders based on predicates shared by theories, and building sheaves on these partial orders with products of lattices as stalks. Degrees of disagreement are measured by the existence of global and local sections. Limitations of the sheaf approach and connections to recent work in natural language processing, as well as the topics of contextuality in physics, data fusion, topological data analysis and epistemology are also discussed.
Network coded non-binary LDGM codes based on lattices for a multi-access relay system

In this paper, we propose a novel network coded non-binary low-density generator matrix (LDGM) code structure for a multi-access relay system, where multiple sources transmit lattice signals to a destination with the help of a relay. Specifically, we first develop a network coded non-binary LDGM code structure by jointly considering lattice-signal transmissions at the sources and the relay. Then we derive the achievable computation rate (ACR) for the proposed system and on that basis optimize the key parameters in the proposed structure to maximize the ACR. Furthermore, we optimize the network coded non-binary LDGM codes based on lattices to approach the ACR. Simulation results show that the optimal setting of the parameters is consistent with that obtained from our analysis and the proposed code structure outperforms the designed reference scheme.