Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction of Pathological Skin-Picking Via Expressive Writing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Expressive writing (EW: a personal form of writing about emotional distress, without regard to writing conventions) can improve physical and mental health. The present study investigated whether EW can reduce pathological skin-picking. In addition, the effects of two modalities of writing were contrasted with each other: computer vs. paper/pencil. Method A total of 132 females with self-reported pathological skin-picking participated in a two-week intervention. They either carried out six EW sessions or wrote about six abstract paintings (control condition), using either paper/pencil or a computer. Before and after each session, participants rated their affective state and the urge to pick their skin via a smartphone application. Questionnaires for assessing skin-picking severity were completed before and after the two-week intervention. Results The urge for skin-picking decreased directly after a writing session. The reduction was more pronounced in participants of the EW group, who also experienced reduced tension and increased feelings of relief at the end of a writing session. EW also reduced the severity of focused skin-picking after the two-week intervention. The writing modality had no differential effect on skin-picking symptoms. Conclusions This study identified beneficial effects of EW on pathological skin-picking. A future study could investigate EW as a potential tool in the context of (online) psychotherapy for skin-picking disorder.
Stochastic minimization

Abstract. Stochastic methods for minimizing a convex integral functional, as initiated by Robbins and Monro in the early 1950s, rely on the evaluation of a gradient (or subgradient if the function is not smooth) and moving in the corresponding direction. In contrast, we use a variational technique resulting in an implicit stochastic minimization method, which has recently appeared in several diverse contexts. Such an approach is desirable whenever the underlying space does not have a differentiable structure and moreover it exhibits better stability properties which makes it preferable even in linear spaces. Our results are formulated in locally compact Hadamard spaces, but they are new even in Euclidean space, the main novelty being more general growth conditions on the functional. We verify that the assumptions of our convergence theorem are satisfied in a few classical minimization problems.
Shear wave elastography: usefulness in chronic kidney disease

Purpose Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized as a major worldwide health problem. For all CKD, intra-renal fibrosis is a final common pathway that can be correlated with disease severity. Tissue stiffness can be measured non-invasively using shear wave elastography. This study evaluates the use of Young’s modulus derived by SWE as a biomarker that can distinguish normal from diseased kidneys. Also, Young’s modulus was correlated with Doppler findings and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Material and methods This prospective study was performed in 2 phases, in which initially 50 CKD patients and 50 controls were studied to arrive at a median Young’s modulus value in both the groups. In the later phase, a cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 58 diabetic and 56 non-diabetic patients with SWE and renal Doppler, and the findings were correlated in various stages of CKD. Results Using Young’s modulus, the renal cortex elasticity of CKD patients was shown to be considerably reduced as compared to normal kidneys. There was significant correlation between Young’s modulus, eGFR, and renal resistive index. Young’s modulus values did not show significant differences between diabetic and non-diabetic groups, revealing its inability to arrive at the aetiopathogenesis of CKD. Conclusions Correlation of renal tissue Young’s modulus with eGFR suggests that SWE may be used as an indicator of renal tissue injuries in CKD patients. SWE can never replace the gold standard biopsy, but it can be used for staging of CKD. Even though SWE cannot predict the aetiopathogenesis of CKD, it may be a low-cost way to provide additional diagnostic information in CKD.
A Study on the Utilization of Coconut Shell as Coarse Aggregate in Concrete

Natural resources such as river sand and coarse aggregate are depleting at an alarming level in developing countries like India. The possibility of utilizing recycled coconut shell aggregates in concrete as coarse aggregate is examined in the present study. An optimum percentage replacement of coarse aggregate with coconut shell aggregate is determined from the study. Coarse aggregate made from coconut shells were used in proportions of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 35% to replace coarse aggregate in conventional concrete. A constant water to cement ratio of 0.5 was used throughout the study. Tests were carried out to determine the compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength using cube, cylinder and beam specimens respectively. Together, 24 cubes, 21 cylinders and 21 beam samples were tested. It was observed that when coconut shells aggregates in proportions of 15% was used in conventional concrete, compressive strengths comparable to that of conventional concrete can be obtained. Keywords— Coconut Shell, Coarse Aggregate, Sustainable Development, Concrete
Physical and mechanical properties of thermally modified short-rotation wood in a closed system

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of a closed system thermal modification process on some physical and mechanical properties of eucalypt and teak short-rotation wood. We assessed untreated eucalypt and teak (EW and TW) and thermally modified eucalypt and teak wood (TMEW and TMTW). The process was carried out at 160°C for 45 min, and we performed some physical and mechanical tests. Thermal modification reduced the mechanical resistance and hygroscopicity and increased the dimensional stability of wood. The normal density (ρ12) of TMTW was reduced, but no significant effect was verified for TMEW, although it had an absolute reduction of 7%. For both conditions (untreated and thermally modified), teak was more resistant to failure (higher MOR in static bending), and no difference between the species was verified for MOE. Eucalypt wood was more resistant to compression parallel to the grain in both conditions.
CSCS LOW-CARBOHYDRATE KETOGENIC DIET FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION The concept of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) is not new (e.g., the Atkins Diet Revolution was first published in 1972), however, there has been a surge of public interest over the last decade in carbohydrate-restricting diets. One particular type of LCD, the ketogenic diet (KD), has shown promise for its purported ability to aid in weight management. Achieving and maintaining significant weight loss over the long-term remains a very elusive endeavor. Low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) have demonstrated promise in this regard and may hold certain advantages over traditional calorie-restricted dietary strategies.
eelings of shame , embarrassment and guilt and their neural orrelates : A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of the current literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of the experience of the negative moral emotions: shame, embarrassment and guilt. PsycINFO, PubMed and MEDLINE were used to identify existing studies. Twenty-one functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography studies were reviewed. Although studies differed considerably in methodology, their findings highlight both shared and distinct patterns of brain structure/function associated with these emotions. Shame was more likely to be associated with activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex and sensorimotor
The Presence of T Allele (rs35705950) of the MUC5B Gene Predicts Lower Baseline Forced Vital Capacity and Its Subsequent Decline in Patients with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an exposure-related interstitial lung disease with two phenotypes—fibrotic and non-fibrotic. Genetic predisposition is an important factor in the disease pathogenesis and fibrosis development. Several genes are supposed to be associated with the fibrosing cascade in the lungs. One of the best-recognized and most prevalent is the common MUC5B gene promoter region polymorphism variant rs35705950. The aim of our study was to establish the frequency of the minor allele of the MUC5B gene in the population of patients with HP and to find the relationship between the MUC5B promoter region polymorphism and the development of lung fibrosis, the severity of the disease course, and the response to the treatment in patients with HP. Eighty-six consecutive patients with HP were tested for the genetic variant rs35705950 of the MUC-5B gene. Demographic, radiological, and functional parameters were collected. The relationship between the presence of the T allele and lung fibrosis, pulmonary function test parameters, and the treatment response were analyzed. The minor allele frequency in the study group was 17%, with the distribution of the genotypes GG in 69.8% of subjects and GT/TT in 30.2%. Patients with the GT/TT phenotype had significantly lower baseline forced vital capacity (FVC) and significantly more frequently had a decline in FVC with time. The prevalence of lung fibrosis in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was not significantly increased in GT/TT variant carriers compared to GG ones. The patients with the T allele tended to respond worse to immunomodulatory treatment and more frequently received antifibrotic drugs. In conclusions: The frequency of MUC5B polymorphism in HP patients is high. The T allele may indicate a worse disease course, worse immunomodulatory treatment response, and earlier need for antifibrotic treatment.
Glacier mass loss induced the rapid growth of Linggo Co on the central Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Remote-sensing and GIS techniques in conjunction with field investigations show how glacier mass loss has led to the rapid growth of Linggo Co, a glacier-fed lake on the central Tibetan Plateau, which has expanded by 21.3% in area between 1974 and 2010, with a lake-level rise of ˜11.2m. The lake volume of Linggo Co increased at a rate of 0.02 × 106, 42.67 × 106 and 65.8 × I06m3a-1 during the periods 1974-92, 1992-99 and 1999-2010, respectively. Other nonglacier-fed lakes in the vicinity (i.e. Longwei Co, Amur Co and Darngo Co Ngion) shrank considerably from the early 1970s to 1992 and then expanded from 1992 to 2010. Despite being in the same climate region, Linggo Co and the non-glacier-fed lakes have differed in response to climate change. The glaciers in the catchment of Linggo Co retreated by 2.4% in area between 1974 and 2007, and their mean thickness decreased by 6.19 ± 1.91 m between 1974 and 2000, with an associated glacier meltwater runoff of (7.52 ± 2.32) × 108 m3. The results indicate that glacier mass loss had a significant impact on the growth of Linggo Co over the past 40 years.
Citizen Science Observation of a Gamma‐Ray Glow Associated With the Initiation of a Lightning Flash

Gamma‐ray glows are observational evidence of relativistic electron acceleration due to the electric field in thunderclouds. However, it is yet to be understood whether such relativistic electrons contribute to the initiation of lightning discharges. To tackle this question, we started the citizen science “Thundercloud Project,” where we map radiation measurements of glows from winter thunderclouds along Japan's sea coast area. We developed and deployed 58 compact gamma‐ray monitors at the end of 2021. On 30 December 2021, five monitors simultaneously detected a glow with its radiation distribution horizontally extending for 2 km. The glow terminated coinciding with a lightning flash at 04:08:34 JST, which was recorded by the two radio‐band lightning mapping systems, FALMA and DALMA. The initial discharges during the preliminary breakdown started above the glow, that is, in vicinity of the electron acceleration site. This result provides one example of possible connections between electron acceleration and lightning initiation.
Influence of Laparoscopic Surgery on Cellular Immunity in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Simple Summary Colorectal cancer (CRC) is mainly treated by surgical resection. However, surgery induces a state of immunosuppression and leads to attenuation of the cellular immunity that is so vital for successful defense against infections and malignant cells. Because this immunosuppression depends on the extent of the surgical trauma, it is hypothesized that minimally invasive surgical approaches such as laparoscopy have beneficial effects for cellular immunity, leading to fewer infectious complications as well as lower rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. Better short- and long-term oncologic outcomes are reported by clinical trials, and immunologic mechanisms might substantially contribute to these observations. Herein, the authors systematically compare minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery with open surgery in terms of their respective influences on certain aspects of cellular immunity. Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The main treatment options are laparoscopic (LS) and open surgery (OS), which might differ in their impact on the cellular immunity so indispensable for anti-infectious and antitumor defense. MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science (SCI-EXPANDED), the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ICTRP (WHO) were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing cellular immunity in CRC patients of any stage between minimally invasive and open surgical resections. A random effects-weighted inverse variance meta-analysis was performed for cell counts of natural killer (NK) cells, white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio. The RoB2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The meta-analysis was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021264324). A total of 14 trials including 974 participants were assessed. The LS groups showed more favorable outcomes in eight trials, with lower inflammation and less immunosuppression as indicated by higher innate and adaptive cell counts, higher NK cell activity, and higher HLA-DR expression rates compared to OS, with only one study reporting lower WBCs after OS. The meta-analysis yielded significantly higher NK cell counts at postoperative day (POD)4 (weighted mean difference (WMD) 30.80 cells/µL [19.68; 41.92], p < 0.00001) and POD6–8 (WMD 45.08 cells/µL [35.95; 54.21], p < 0.00001). Although further research is required, LS is possibly associated with less suppression of cellular immunity and lower inflammation, indicating better preservation of cellular immunity.
Lyapunov exponents of analytic cocycles with singularities

We derive large deviations type (LDT) estimates for linear cocycles over an ergodic multifrequency torus translation. These models are called quasi-periodic cocycles. We make the following assumptions on the model: the translation vector satisfies a generic Diophantine condition, and the fiber action is given by a matrix valued analytic function of several variables which is not identically singular. The LDT estimates obtained here depend on some uniform measurements on the cocycle. Our general results derived in [9] regarding the continuity properties of the Lyapunov exponents (LE) and of the Oseledets filtration and decompositions are then applicable, and we obtain local weak-Holder continuity of these quantities in the presence of gaps in the Lyapunov spectrum. The main new feature of this work is allowing a cocycle depending on several variables to have singularities, i.e. points of non invertibility. This requires a careful analysis of the set of zeros of certain analytic functions of several variables and of the singularities (i.e. negative infinity values) of pluri-subharmonic functions related to the iterates of the cocycle. A refinement of this method in the one variable case leads to a stronger LDT estimate and in turn to a stronger, nearly-Holder modulus of continuity of the LE, Oseledets filtration and Oseledets decomposition. This is a draft of a chapter in our forthcoming research monograph [9].
3 0 A pr 2 01 2 On new rational approximants to ζ ( 3 )

New (infinitely many) rational approximants to ζ(3) proving its irrationality are given. The recurrence relations for the numerator and denominator of these approximants as well as their continued fraction expansions are obtained. A comparison of our approximants with Apéry’s approximants to ζ(3) is shown. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 42C05, 11B37, 11J72, 11M06; Secondary 30B70, 11A55, 11J70, 33C47
The degree of primitive reflexes integration as a diagnostic tool to assess the neurological maturity of healthy preschool and early school age children

Wyniki. Badania pokazały, że wraz z wiekiem następuje samoistna integracja odruchów, która jest pełniejsza u dzieci w wieku szkolnym niż w grupie dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym. Najsłabiej zintegrowanymi odruchami wśród badanych dzieci są asymetryczny toniczny odruch szyjny (ATOS) oraz toniczny odruch błędnikowy (TOB). Odruch TOB oraz symetryczny toniczny odruch szyjny (STOS) w postaciach zgięciowych są natomiast najlepiej zintegrowanymi odruchami u respondentów. Największa różnica między grupami występuje w integracji TOB w postaci zgięciowej, której pełną postać osiągnęło 95% dzieci w wieku szkolnym i 65% dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym. Całkowity brak integracji odruchów ATOS lewostronnego i TOB wyprostnego zaobserwowano odpowiednio u 8% dzieci z grupy przedszkolnej i 3–4% dzieci z grupy szkolnej.
Review of Plasma Processing for Polymers and Bio-Materials Using a Commercial Frequency (50/60 Hz)-Generated Discharge

This manuscript introduces the properties and diverse applications of plasma generated using commercial frequencies of 50/60 Hz. Commercial frequency (CF) derived plasma exhibits characteristics similar to DC discharge but with an electrical polarity and a non-continuous discharge. Due to the low-frequency nature, the reactor configurations usually are capacitively coupled plasma type. The advantages of this method include its simple power structure, low-reaction temperature, and low substrate damage. The electrical polarity can prevent charge buildup on the substrates and deposited films, thereby reducing substrate damage. The simple, low-cost, and easy-to-operate power structure makes it suitable for laboratory-scale usage. Additionally, the various applications, including plasma-enhanced vapor deposition, sputtering, dielectric barrier discharge, and surface modification, and their outcomes in the CF-derived plasma processes are summarized. The conclusion drawn is that the CF-derived plasma process is useful for laboratory-scale utilization due to its simplicity, and the results of the plasma process are also outstanding.
Association between Menopause, Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Metabolic Syndrome

(1) Background: We aimed to explore the associations between menopause, postmenopausal hormone therapy, and metabolic syndrome in a large community-based group of Asian women. (2) Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which we enrolled women aged 30 to 70 years with sufficient information about menopausal status from the Taiwan Biobank. The definition for metabolic syndrome used in this study aligns with the Bureau of Health Promotion’s (Taiwan) proposed definition. (3) Results: A total of 17,460 women were recruited. The postmenopausal group had a higher metabolic syndrome prevalence (30% vs. 14%) and 1.17 times higher odds ratio (OR) than the premenopausal group (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02 to 1.33). Regarding the types of menopause, surgical menopause was associated with metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.20 to 1.63); however, natural menopause was not associated with metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, postmenopausal hormone therapy was associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome in the women with natural menopause (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.70 to 0.89), but not in those with surgical menopause. (4) Conclusions: Our results suggest that menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome, while postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women with natural menopause.
Effective Boundary Conditions and Numerical Method for Flow
 Characteristics of Aeroengine Compressor at High Mach Flight

Flow characteristics inside the compressor are of great importance for aeroengine performance under the high adverse pressure gradient. To meet the need for quick performance estimation, the numerical simulation is a meaningful investigation method to predict the similarity flow characteristics of aeroengine compressor at high Mach flight. Thus, this paper aims to satisfy the accuracy of compressor flow field at high altitude based on the similarity criterion. The accuracy for solution results by the application of the similarity criterion and the derivation of compressor boundary conditions is verified with the experimental data. Then, the parametric definitions of air intake are put forward to get the inlet boundary conditions of compressor. The comparative simulation results are conducted between similarity and prototype flow fields at design boundary conditions. The results show that among the most important dimensionless criterion is Mach number at high-speed flow, so the same equivalent mass flow and equivalent speed are recommended. In addition, the flow characteristics of the compressor at high altitude and high Mach number have a good similarity. Consequently, it can extend to further study compressor performance of aeroengine at different flight altitudes and Mach numbers.