jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Changes in body composition after glucocorticoid therapy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in body composition after glucocorticoid treatment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Consecutive SLE patients were recruited for serial measurements (baseline, months 2 and 6) of bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition [bone mineral content (BMC), fat and lean mass] by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan after high-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy. Factors correlated with changes in body composition were evaluated. 29 SLE patients were studied (age 39.7 ± 11.5 years; 83% women with 29% postmenopausal; SLE duration 80.1 ± 80 months). Fourteen patients (48%) were glucocorticoid-naive. The mean maximum daily dosage of prednisolone was 32.9 ± 6.5 mg and the cumulative prednisolone dosage in 6 months was 2.7 ± 0.7 g. At 6 months, a significant drop in BMC of the trunk (−5.0 ± 2.2%; P = 0.04) and whole body (−1.2 ± 0.4%; P = 0.002) compared with baseline was observed, and so was the BMD of the hip (−1.7 ± 0.6%; P = 0.006) and whole body (−0.7 ± 0.3%; P = 0.01). A significant increase in the fat mass of the trunk (+14.5 ± 4.1%; P = 0.001) and limbs (+10.0 ± 3.2%; P = 0.004), but a non-significant drop in lean mass of the trunk (−3.3 ± 1.8%; P = 0.08) and limbs (−0.8 ± 2.4%; P = 0.75) also occurred. The changes in whole body BMC correlated significantly with age (ρ = −0.51; P = 0.02) and changes in total fat mass (ρ = 0.44; P = 0.02) but not with lean mass (ρ = −0.21; P = 0.27), gender, body mass index, smoking, prednisolone dosages or changes in BMD. In SLE patients, high-dose glucocorticoids lead to an early and rapid drop in bone mass, which is more serious in older patients and correlates with an increase in body fat.
Dehydroepiandrosterone in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease (CLD) in many developed countries and results in a serious public health problem worldwide. NAFLD includes a wide spectrum of liver diseases, ranging from simple fatty liver, which is usually a benign and nonprogressive condition, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which may progress to liver cirrhosis (LC), hepatic failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the absence of significant alcohol consumption (Ludwig et al., 1980, Matteoni et al. 1999). About a third of people with NAFLD will develop NASH, and about 20% of people with NASH will go on to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, with its accompanying risk of liver failure and even HCC (Yasui et al. 2011). In Japan, current best estimates make the prevalence of NAFLD approximately 20% and of NASH 2% to 3% in the general population. Pathophysiology of primary NASH still hasn’t been completely clarified. According to the “two-hits” model of NASH pathogenesis proposed by Day and James (Day & James. 1999), excessive triglyceride accumulation is the most likely first step. The second step may relate to an increase in oxidative stress (Sumida et al. 2011a), which, in turn, triggers liver cell necrosis and activation of hepatic stellate cells, both leading to fibrosis and ultimately to the development of LC. Although the number of NASH cases in women is known to be higher than in men over 50 years of age, the mechanisms remain unknown (Hashimoto & Tokushige, 2011). According to our study produced by Japan Study Group of NAFLD (JSG-NAFLD) including nine hepatology centers in Japan (Sumida et al., 2011b), NASH patients with significant or advanced fibrosis (Brunt stage 2-4) was more prevalent in females than in males (Fig.1). Although plausible mechanisms have been proposed, including estrogen deficiency after menopause, iron accumulation generating hydroxylradicals via Fenton reaction (Sumida et al., 2009), and so on, precise mechanisms have not been clarified. Although several factors have been associated with more advanced NAFLD, the biological basis of the histological diversity of severity of NAFLD [i.e., why some patients develop simple fatty liver and others develop NASH with advanced fibrosis] remains unknown. More advanced NAFLD is characterized by insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and advanced fibrosis.
Community organization and armed group behaviour: Evidence from Colombia

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

This paper investigates how armed groups affect the organization of local communities during armed conflict in Colombia. We estimate the effect of communities' exposure to armed groups with an econometric specification that takes into account individual and municipality-year fixed effects and an instrumental variable approach that exploits variations in the presence of armed groups in rural communities induced by the peace negotiations with members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army. Our results show that the presence of armed groups in each community between survey rounds is accompanied by a reduction in the participation of individuals in local organizations in communities with a strong institutional set-up before the arrival of the armed group. We observe the opposite effect in communities with weaker pre-existing institutions. These results are consistent with a theoretical model in which armed groups capture local organizations for strategic war purposes.
Additional file 1 of Use of digital periodontal data to compare periodontal treatment outcomes in a practice-based research network (PBRN): a proof of concept

Field: Health Professions (Health Sciences)

Additional file 1: Table S1. Collected data of the first visit of the patients regarding tooth mobility. Table S2. Collected data of the last visit of the patients regarding tooth mobility. Table S3. Average Bleeding on probing (BOP) of each tooth.
School Dropout among Girls: Reasons and Measures in Community Secondary Schools in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

Dropout has been identified as one of the major issues in schools, affecting the youth's future. Despite all initiatives to ensure education for all, dropout remains persistent and a challenge towards achieving education for all in Tanzania. This study investigated measures of reducing dropout among girls in community secondary schools in Temeke municipality. Specifically, the study focused on the reasons for girls’ dropout and measures to be employed to manage it. The study adopted a mixed method design targeting community secondary schools in Temeke municipality. A sample size of 169 respondents, including heads of schools, teachers, students, parents, education officers, and ward education officers, was drawn using both purposive and probability sampling techniques. Questionnaire, interview, observation and focus group discussion methods were used to collect primary data, while documentary review was used to collect secondary data. The study discovered that distance from school, family low income, inadequate sanitary pad punishment, economic factors, and poverty and family problems such as family conflicts are the main causes of secondary school dropout for girls in the named municipality. The strategies that have been used to minimize girls’ dropout are education for self-awareness, making connections with at-risk students, alternative schooling, family teacher engagement and strengthening laws. The study recommends some ways of reducing secondary school dropout to include policy innovation to allow stakeholders flexibility in addressing challenges related to dropout. The government should ensure the presence of enough teachers and adequate teaching and learning materials to improve infrastructure, especially toilets for girls.
The electronic structure of HO2+

Field: Chemistry (Physical Sciences)

Bending and stretching potential energy curves of twelve electronic states of HO2 + are calculated using the MRD-CI formalism. The basis set is of double-zeta plus polarization quality augmented with s- and p-type bond and Rydberg functions. The HO2 vertical ionization energies are reported and compared with the approximate HO2 + vertical excitation spectra. The first excited ionic state 1 1 A′(2a″)-1 is found to lie some 0·3 eV above the X 3 A″(7a′)-1 ground cationic state. The electronic structure and relevant features of the electronic states are discussed. The dissociation energies of the O-OH and OO-H bonds in the ground state of the ion and the neutral molecule are calculated and the O2 proton affinity is estimated.
Studies on the Constituents of Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica. VIII. : On the Terpenoid Constiuents of the Red Shoots

Field: Chemistry (Physical Sciences)

The benzene-soluble part of the methanol extract of the red shoots of Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica was treated by alumina column chromatography and following substances were isolated : Nonacosane, 2-nonacosanone, 1-tetracosanol, β-sitosterol, taraxerol, betulin 3-acetate, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid. The crude nonacosane was examined through gas chromatography and it was found to be contaminated with a small amount of pentacosane, hexacosane, heptacosane, octacosane, triacontane, and hentriacontane. Betulin 3-acetate, mp 263°, was newly found as one of the natural products, and identified with the partially hydrolized product of betulin diacetate. The isomeric substance, betulin 28-acetate, mp 218.5°, a new compound, was synthesized by partial acetylation of betulin, which was obtained from the bark of Betula platyphylla var. japonica.
New Sulfonated Polystyrene and Styrene–Ethylene/Butylene–Styrene Block Copolymers for Applications in Electrodialysis

Field: Materials Science (Physical Sciences)

In this study we prepared blends of polystyrene (PS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) with poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer. After sulfonation, blends were used to fabricate ion-exchange membranes by solvent-casting and subsequent thermal treatment to obtain homogeneous packing densities. The morphology and structure of the blends were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the thermal transitions and stability of all the blends were characterized using calorimetric techniques and compared with those of the individual polymers. Analyses of the physical properties (i.e., ionic conductivity, ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, etc.) showed that the performance of the PS-containing membranes is, in general, higher than that of the HIPS containing one. Furthermore, the highest sulfonation degree was also found for the PS/SEBS membranes. The capabilities of the membranes were tested by investigating the extraction of Na(+) by electrodyalisis. Comparison of the percentage of extracted ions indicates that the incorporation of SEBS results in a significant improvement with respect to membranes made of individual polymers.
Sea freshening may drive the ecological impacts of emerging and existing invasive non‐native species

Field: Environmental Science (Physical Sciences)

Abstract Aim The spread of invasive non‐native species (INNS) will pose major threats to global biodiversity over the coming decades. However, predicting how key effects of climate change will influence the abilities of INNS to establish and exert ecological impact is a major challenge. One overlooked aspect of global change is the expected freshening of certain marine systems, which may interact with INNS and lead to drastic effects on community structure and stability. Location Baltic Sea, Europe. Methods Here, using three predatory amphipod crustaceans, we experimentally assessed how salinity reduction may affect the impacts of the emerging INNS, Pontogammarus maeoticus , relative to an existing INNS, Gammarus tigrinus and a trophically analogous native, Gammarus salinus . We quantified per capita impacts of the three species via the comparative functional response method (prey consumption over a range of prey densities) under a predicted seawater freshening scenario. We then combined amphipod functional responses with their life history traits to compare population‐level relative impact potential (RIP) on prey of the three amphipod species across salinities. Results Freshening substantially altered the predicted relative ecological impacts of both the INNS compared with the native. First, the functional responses of invasive P. maeoticus and G. tigrinus increased under freshening, while that of the native G. salinus decreased. Second, RIP became consistently higher for both the INNS compared to the native with increased freshening. Main conclusions Our methods thus reveal potential for climate change via seawater freshening to drive large shifts in dominance and ecological impacts of INNS compared with natives. With the number of INNS introductions unlikely to saturate in the near future, we highlight the need to assess the impacts of potential future INNS, alongside established non‐natives and native species, in combination with abiotic changes associated with climate change.
Selective spin transmission through a driven quantum system: A new prescription

Field: Physics and Astronomy (Physical Sciences)

Several proposals are available to get selective spin transmission through different nano-junctions and in all the cases the regulation is done either by applying a magnetic field or by tuning spin–orbit (SO) coupling. In the present work, we explore a separate scheme where the spin-dependent transport is regulated externally by irradiating a quantum ring that bridges the contact electrodes. This is a new proposal of generating spin selective transmission through a nano-junction, to the best of our knowledge. A high degree of spin polarization along with its phase alteration can be achieved by suitably adjusting the irradiation, circumventing the regulation of magnetic field and/or SO coupling. The effect of irradiation is included through the well-known Floquet-Bloch ansatz, where all the spin-dependent transport phenomena are worked out using Green’s function formalism following the Landauer–Büttiker prescription within a tight-binding framework. Precise dependencies of light irradiation, SO coupling, magnetic flux threaded by the ring, interface sensitivity, system temperature, and impurities on spin polarization are critically investigated. Our analysis may give a new platform for spin selective electron transmission and make it applicable to other complex nano-structured materials also. We strongly believe that the present proposal can be examined in a suitable laboratory.
Great Companies:Looking for Success Secrets in All the Wrong Places

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance (Social Sciences)

Many management books ransack lists of thriving companies and claim to have discovered these companies' secrets to success. However, any group of companies (bad, good, or great) will inevitably have some characteristics in common. Finding such traits only confirms that we have looked for them and tells us nothing about whether these characteristics are responsible for past successes or are reliable predictors of future success. Nor do these traits tell us whether these companies' stocks will be profitable investments. We illustrate this concept by considering the companies praised in the best-selling books Good to Great and In Search of Excellence and then comparing them to Fortune's Most Admired companies. TOPICS: Fundamental equity analysis, portfolio theory, portfolio construction
An Inquiry into the Number of Traffic Tickets Issued and Implications for African Americans Motorists

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of race and gender disparities in police traffic stops as they relate to the number of tickets issued, number of consent searches, and number of arrests of traffic violators in the southern region of Texas, Harris County. The research will further shed light on how implicit bias affects police discretion and provide implications for police officers. This research will bring attention to the sanction disparity and examine the relationship between race and gender in motorist outcomes at the conclusion of traffic stops. The data for this research was conducted from secondary data obtained from Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) annual reporting and the Houston Police Department. The sample consisted of 21 Texas Law Enforcement Agencies in the Houston metropolis area of the state of Texas, Harris County. This included Law Enforcement Agencies from college/university police departments, Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables Offices, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and Independent School District Police Officers. To specifically focus on implicit bias and Police discretion, an exhausted review of the literature was conducted. Further analysis examined implicit bias specified in the study as it relates to the use of discretion by police officers when contacting African American men and women in the southern region of Texas Harris County. The Standard Multiple Regression procedures including the multiple correlation procedure were used to test the aforementioned hypotheses. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level or better. One of the most surprising findings of the current study was the significantly predictable relationship between racial variables (number of African Americans, number of Asians, number of Hispanics and other racial group violators) and the number of arrests given by officers associated with Texas Law Enforcement Agencies. The five racial variables were found to be significant linearly related to the number of tickets issued by officers of Texas Law Enforcement agencies
“Vivir de un modo más agradable en un mundo cada vez más lleno de sorpresas desagradables”: la relectura de <i>How to Cook a Wolf</i> de M. F. K. Fisher durante el confinamiento de 2020

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

M. F. K. Fisher’s food memoirs have been interpreted as works that possess literary status. Fisher’s 1942 book How to Cook a Wolf, a collection of essays about food rationing during World War II, became popular again during the 2020 lockdown because it provided a timely reflection on the domestic kitchen as a shelter in uncertain times. Thisarticle includes an overview of food writing as a genre and considers the relevance of Fisher’s book through the concepts of healthism and hypervigilant subject, which areinvolved in contemporary discourses on eating and the human body. My analysis aims to demonstrate that How to Cook a Wolf invites its readers to reconcile with their appetite and their corporeality and to chase the new perils away with the delight and soothing ability to eat amid periods of crisis.
Folklore in the design of final settling tanks

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

tices developed as an art out of neces sity. The need for pollution abatement techniques predated the knowledge of basic factors controlling the performance of the unit operations and processes that could be used for wastewater treatment. Under these conditions, pioneers in the field of waste treatment did the best they could. They developed sophisticated waste treatment techniques by trial and error and by introducing appropriate re finements as they acquired additional ex perience. To permit designs and operational pro cedures to be predicated on the successes of the past, early workers in wastewater management tried to identify parameters that might reasonably characterize process performance. Parameters were selected that intuitively or empirically could be expected to influence the behavior of treat ment processes. Furthermore, these pa rameters had to be readily measurable. By making the magnitudes of these parameters the same as those used in successfully per forming treatment processes, it was in tended that reasonable process design could be accomplished in the absence of a basic understanding of factors controlling process performance. Examples of such parameters that de veloped on an empirical or intuitive basis are widespread in the wastewater treat ment field. For example, the organic load ing intensity per unit volume of an aeration tank in the activated sludge process is a fundamentally unsound, but historically useful, parameter. Similarly, the hydraulic loading per unit area of trickling filters and the volatile suspended solids loading per unit volume of anaerobic digester capacity are only circuitously related to process per formance. Many other examples of such parameters are included in common waste treatment plant design criteria. These empirical parameters have served for many decades as bases for design and as guidelines for operational control of waste treatment facilities. They stand as tributes to pioneers who got a job done. Because the parameters do not necessarily reflect fundamental relationships between process loading and process performance, however, their use may lead to a lack of cost effectiveness in design and to a lack of precise operational control. Much of the research in water pollution control in past decades has been directed toward acquiring a fundamental under standing of the processes developed pre viously out of need. Such improved under standing has enabled new designs to be more cost effective, allowed increases in the capacity of existing treatment facilities at nominal cost, and permitted improved con trol of the performance of waste treatment facilities.
Revision of the lifestyles of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and implications for biological control strategies

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

A new classification of lifestyles of phytoseiid mites is proposed based on the findings and suggestions from many studies conducted in the fifteen years since the publication of the lifestyle system by McMurtry & Croft (1997). In this newly proposed classification, Type I (Specialized mite predators) is divided into three subtypes to highlight mite prey specificity: subtype I-a—Specialized predators of Tetranychus species (Tetranychidae); subtype I-b—Specialized predators of web-nest producing mites (Tetranychidae); subtype I-c—Specialized predators of tydeoids (Tydeoidea). Type II (Selective predators of tetranychid mites) remains essentially the same. Type III (Generalist predators) is a huge and diverse group of general feeders; predators in this category are now grouped into five subtypes based on the microhabitat occupied and morphology: subtype III-a—Generalist predators living on pubescent leaves; subtype III-b—Generalist predators living on glabrous leaves; III-c—Generalist predators living in confined spaces on dicotyledonous plants; III-d—Generalist predators living in confined spaces on monocotyledonous plants; III-e—Generalist predators from soil/litter habitats. Type IV (Pollen feeding generalist predators) also remains essentially the same. Two possible additional lifestyles include phytoseiids living on aquatic plants and phytoseiids able to pierce leaf cells. Behavioral and biological information is updated and implications for biological control strategies are discussed.