Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration of C1 and C2 Metabolism in Trees

C1 metabolism in plants is known to be involved in photorespiration, nitrogen and amino acid metabolism, as well as methylation and biosynthesis of metabolites and biopolymers. Although the flux of carbon through the C1 pathway is thought to be large, its intermediates are difficult to measure and relatively little is known about this potentially ubiquitous pathway. In this study, we evaluated the C1 pathway and its integration with the central metabolism using aqueous solutions of 13C-labeled C1 and C2 intermediates delivered to branches of the tropical species Inga edulis via the transpiration stream. Delivery of [13C]methanol and [13C]formaldehyde rapidly stimulated leaf emissions of [13C]methanol, [13C]formaldehyde, [13C]formic acid, and 13CO2, confirming the existence of the C1 pathway and rapid interconversion between methanol and formaldehyde. However, while [13C]formate solutions stimulated emissions of 13CO2, emissions of [13C]methanol or [13C]formaldehyde were not detected, suggesting that once oxidation to formate occurs it is rapidly oxidized to CO2 within chloroplasts. 13C-labeling of isoprene, a known photosynthetic product, was linearly related to 13CO2 across C1 and C2 ([13C2]acetate and [2-13C]glycine) substrates, consistent with reassimilation of C1, respiratory, and photorespiratory CO2. Moreover, [13C]methanol and [13C]formaldehyde induced a quantitative labeling of both carbon atoms of acetic acid emissions, possibly through the rapid turnover of the chloroplastic acetyl-CoA pool via glycolate oxidation. The results support a role of the C1 pathway to provide an alternative carbon source for glycine methylation in photorespiration, enhance CO2 concentrations within chloroplasts, and produce key C2 intermediates (e.g., acetyl-CoA) central to anabolic and catabolic metabolism.
State Evolution for General Approximate Message Passing Algorithms, with Applications to Spatial Coupling

We consider a class of approximated message passing (AMP) algorithms and characterize their high-dimensional behavior in terms of a suitable state evolution recursion. Our proof applies to Gaussian matrices with independent but not necessarily identically distributed entries. It covers --in particular-- the analysis of generalized AMP, introduced by Rangan, and of AMP reconstruction in compressed sensing with spatially coupled sensing matrices. The proof technique builds on the one of [BM11], while simplifying and generalizing several steps.
Does Financial Liberalization Influence Saving, Investment and Economic Growth? Evidence from 25 Emerging Market Economies, 1973-1996

This paper aims at investigating the relationship between financial liberalization on the one hand and saving, investment and economic growth on the other hand, using a new dataset for measuring financial liberalization for a sample of 25 developing economies over the period 1973-1996. We find no evidence that financial liberalization affects domestic saving and total investment (although there are some signs to believe that liberalization may actually reduce rather than increase domestic saving), whereas it is positively associated with private investment, as well as with per capita GDP growth. We find a negative relationship between financial liberalization and public investment. These results suggest that financial liberalization leads to a substitution from public to private investment, which may contribute to higher economic growth.
Treatment with monoclonal antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins.

BACKGROUND New therapies are needed to manage the increasing incidence, severity, and high rate of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection. METHODS We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of two neutralizing, fully human monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins A (CDA1) and B (CDB1). The antibodies were administered together as a single infusion, each at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, in patients with symptomatic C. difficile infection who were receiving either metronidazole or vancomycin. The primary outcome was laboratory-documented recurrence of infection during the 84 days after the administration of monoclonal antibodies or placebo. RESULTS Among the 200 patients who were enrolled (101 in the antibody group and 99 in the placebo group), the rate of recurrence of C. difficile infection was lower among patients treated with monoclonal antibodies (7% vs. 25%; 95% confidence interval, 7 to 29; P<0.001). The recurrence rates among patients with the epidemic BI/NAP1/027 strain were 8% for the antibody group and 32% for the placebo group (P=0.06); among patients with more than one previous episode of C. difficile infection, recurrence rates were 7% and 38%, respectively (P=0.006). The mean duration of the initial hospitalization for inpatients did not differ significantly between the antibody and placebo groups (9.5 and 9.4 days, respectively). At least one serious adverse event was reported by 18 patients in the antibody group and by 28 patients in the placebo group (P=0.09). CONCLUSIONS The addition of monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins to antibiotic agents significantly reduced the recurrence of C. difficile infection. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00350298.)
Use of Web-based library resources by medical students in community and ambulatory settings.

PURPOSE The purpose was to evaluate the use of Web-based library resources by third-year medical students. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/RESOURCES Third-year medical students (147) in a twelve-week multidisciplinary primary care rotation in community and ambulatory settings. METHODOLOGY Individual user surveys and log file analysis of Website were used. RESULTS/OUTCOMES Twenty resource topics were compiled into a Website to provide students with access to electronic library resources from any community-based clerkship location. These resource topics, covering subjects such as hypertension and back pain, linked to curriculum training problems, full-text journal articles, MEDLINE searches, electronic book chapters, and relevant Websites. More than half of the students (69%) accessed the Website on a daily or weekly basis. Over 80% thought the Website was a valuable addition to their clerkship. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Web-based information resources can provide curriculum support to students for whom access to the library is difficult and time consuming.
Mycoplasma hominis in pregnancy

One hundred and seventyone antenatal patients were examined for the presence of `large colony' mycoplasmas in the vagina, and for complement-fixing antibody to Mycoplasma hominis. In 25 patients the findings before and after delivery were compared. In patients from whom M. hominis was grown, antibody was twice as common after delivery, and the development of antibody was sometimes associated with pyrexia and signs of genital tract infection.
Dialogic organization development: the theory and practice of transformational change

Reviewed by Judith H. Katz For the sake of full disclosure, Robert Marshak has been a friend and colleague for over 20 years. He and I worked closely on developing and facilitating the “Dealing with Covert Processes Workshop” training program from its inception. Gervase Bushe and I both sit on the editorial board of the OD Practitioner. So it was with both delight and some trepidation that I agreed to review their new book. I am glad I did. Clocking in at almost 700 pages, this compendium of OD exposition can feel daunting. What Bushe and Marshak have compiled, however, is nothing short of groundbreaking and a critical contribution to the evolution of OD theory and practice. The book is intended for OD graduate and certificate programs, but from my point of view it should be recommended reading for all OD practitioners. Building on their earlier work (Bushe & Marshak, 2009; Marshak & Bushe, 2009) the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the developing theory of Dialogic OD: its antecedents; eight key premises that underlie its theoretical base; and three main underlying change processes they believe must be present for any Dialogic OD methodology. They then provide an overview of the theories of practice and the application of those change methodologies in implementing and using the Dialogic OD approach. The book includes perspectives and experiences from OD practitioners and scholars from around the globe. So you may be asking, what exactly is Dialogic OD, and how does it differ from what we traditionally think about as OD? Bushe and Marshak answer the question by contrasting the emerging Dialogic OD mindset with the traditional approach, which they define as Diagnostic OD. Both approaches share a common foundation in the humanistic and democratic values of OD, focused on promoting participative processes while developing and enhancing organizations and their broader social systems. Where they differ is in the basic paradigms they hold about systems and the change process itself. Rooted in Lewin’s model of unfreezing, changing, and refreezing, the Diagnostic approach begins from a basis of action research to create a common understanding of the existing situation and the forces that are maintaining the current state. This understanding becomes the basis for developing an action plan with the participation of individuals/groups from that system for a top-down planned change intervention. A key goal is to ensure that the system is in alignment and focused on creating organizational health. Dialogic OD questions some of the basic premises of this approach: » How can we apply a theory of unfreeze, change, refreeze in organizations that are in constant change? » Are we focused on developing organizations, or transforming them? » What do today’s organizations really need?
Child Neuropsychology: A Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence

Diurnal cortisol rhythm and cognitive functioning in toddlers: The Generation R Study Nathalie S. Saridjan a b , Jens Henrichs a c , Jacqueline J. Schenk c , Vincent W. V. Jaddoe a d e , Albert Hofman e , Clemens Kirschbaum f , Frank C. Verhulst b & Henning Tiemeier b e a The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands b Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , Erasmus MCSophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands c Department of Developmental Psychology , Tilburg University , Tilburg , the Netherlands d Department of Pediatrics , Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands e Department of Epidemiology , Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands f Department of Psychology , Technical University of Dresden , Dresden , Germany Published online: 08 Feb 2013.
Olfactory and Gustatory Functions after Anterior Palatoplasty in Patients with Primary Snoring

Objective In this study, we investigated the chemical senses (namely, olfaction), the 4 basic tastes, and umami taste in patients who underwent anterior palatoplasty (AP) for primary snoring. Study Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Multicenter, tertiary care hospitals. Subjects and Methods The age range of the 28 participants was 22 to 47 years, and all had been diagnosed with primary snoring by polysomnography. Orthonasal and retronasal olfactory testing was performed using the respective “Sniffin’ Sticks. ” Tests for the 4 basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) and umami were performed before and 6 months after AP. Results The changes between the preoperative and postoperative results for the 4 basic tastes, which were applied to the anterior tongue region, were not significant. Retronasal olfactory function improved significantly 6 months after AP (P = .007). After AP, umami scores for the soft palate but not those of the anterior and posterior tongue decreased significantly (P = .001). Conclusion Patients scheduled for AP should be properly informed about potential postoperative taste and flavor changes. They should also be warned of a possible loss of appetite due to a postoperative decrease in the umami taste sensation of the soft palate.
Pharmacological Treatment of Postoperative Shivering: A Quantitative Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Shivering is a frequent complication in the postoperative period. The relative efficacy of interventions that are used for the treatment of postoperative shivering is not well understood. We performed a systematic search (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, hand searching, all languages, to August, 2000) for full reports of randomized comparisons of any pharmacological antishivering intervention (active) with placebo (control) in the postoperative period. Dichotomous data on absence of further shivering after treatment and adverse effects were extracted from original reports. Relative risk (RR) and number-needed-to-treat (NNT) were calculated with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a fixed effect model. Data from 20 trials (944 adults received an active intervention, 413 were controls) were analyzed. Antishivering efficacy depended on the active regimen and the length of follow-up. Efficacy with meperidine 25 mg, clonidine 150 &mgr;g, ketanserin 10 mg, and doxapram 100 mg was reported in at least three trials; all were significantly more effective than control. After 1 min, the NNT of meperidine 25 mg for no further shivering compared with placebo was 2.7 (RR, 6.8; 95% CI, 2.5–18.5). After 5 min, the NNT of meperidine 25 mg was 1.3 (RR, 9.6; 95% CI, 5.7–16), the NNT of clonidine 150 &mgr;g was 1.3 (RR, 6.8; 95% CI, 3.3–14.2), the NNT of doxapram 100 mg was 1.7 (RR 4.0; 95% CI, 2.4–6.5), and the NNT of ketanserin 10 mg was 2.3 (RR 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9–5.1). After 10 min, the NNT of meperidine 25 mg was 1.5 (RR 4.0; 95% CI, 2.5–6.2). After 15 min, the NNT of ketanserin 10 mg was 3.3 (RR 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2–1.9). Long-term outcome data were lacking. There were not enough data for alfentanil, fentanyl, morphine, nalbuphine, lidocaine, magnesium, metamizol, methylphenidate, nefopam, pentazocine, and tramadol to draw meaningful conclusions. Reporting of adverse drug reactions was sparse. Fewer than two shivering patients need to be treated with meperidine 25 mg, clonidine 150 &mgr;g, or doxapram 100 mg for one to stop shivering within 5 min who would have continued to shiver had they all received a placebo.
Extracellular nucleotides regulate CCL20 release from human primary airway epithelial cells, monocytes and monocyte‐derived dendritic cells

Extracellular nucleotides regulate ion transport and mucociliary clearance in human airway epithelial cells (HAECs) via the activation of P2 receptors, especially P2Y2. Therefore, P2Y2 receptor agonists represent potential pharmacotherapeutic agents to treat cystic fibrosis (CF). Nucleotides also modulate inflammatory properties of immune cells like dendritic cells (DCs), which play an important role in mucosal immunity. Using DNA‐microarray experiments, quantitative RT‐PCR and cytokine measurements, we show here that UTP up‐regulated ∼2‐ to 3‐fold the antimicrobial chemokine CCL20 expression and release in primary HAECs cultured on permeable supports at an air–liquid interface (ALI). Both P2Y2 (ATPγS, UTP, INS365) and P2Y6 (UDP, INS48823) agonists increased CCL20 release. UTP‐induced CCL20 release was insensitive to NF‐κB pathway inhibitors but sensitive to inhibitors of ERK1/2 and p38/MAPK pathways. Furthermore, UTP had no effect on interleukin‐(IL)‐8 release and reduced the release of both CCL20 and IL‐8 induced by TNF‐α and LPS. Accordingly, UTP reduced the capacity of basolateral supernatants of HAECs treated with TNF‐α or LPS to induce the chemoattraction of both CD4+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils. In addition, we show that, in monocyte‐derived DCs, ATPγS, and UDP but not UTP/INS365‐stimulated CCL20 release. Likewise, UDP but not ATPγS was also able to increase CCL20 release from monocytes. Pharmacological experiments suggested an involvement of P2Y11 or P2Y6 receptors through NF‐κB, ERK1/2, and p38/MAPK pathways. Altogether, our data demonstrate that nucleotides may modulate chemokine release and leukocyte recruitment in inflamed airways by acting on both epithelial and immune cells. Our results could be relevant for further clinical investigations in CF. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 716–727, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Click to connect: testing the internet dating use and outcomes model

OF THE DISSERTATION Click to Connect: Testing the Internet Dating Use and Outcomes Model By AMANDA HEATHER MORENO Dissertation Director: Dr. Diana Sanchez Online dating is a popular method of meeting potential mates. The Internet Dating Use and Outcomes (IDUO) model attempts to delineate the personality and situational factors that lead up to the choice to try online dating, as well as to explain the factors that combine to form a self-perceived successful experience. Study 1 surveyed a sample of Internet users to test the IDUO model’s hypothesized relationships between “trigger events”, self-perceived time available for traditional dating methods, and attachment style and the choice to try online dating. Study 2 surveyed the users of an online dating website to test whether the ability to find similar others and increased amounts of communication predicted two aspects of success, and the means through which amount of communication related to success. In both studies, attachment styles within the sample of online daters demonstrated a different profile than expected in the general population, with a decreased number of securely attached individuals and an increased number of preoccupied and fearfully attached individuals.
POLITENESS IN INCREASING DEGREES OF IMPOSITION: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF POLITENESS IN POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS

This study examines politeness as a face-threat mitigating strategy in increasingly imposing questions. Brown and Levinson (BL decreased social distance will lead to decreased politeness; greater power of interviewee will lead to decreased politeness. I designed a series of political questions concerning the speaker's reaction to Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's protest of President Bush; both the question and the answers would be viewed as face-threatening acts (FTAs) that increased in imposition as they progressed. Generally, as degree of imposition increased politeness increased. The other social factors examined resulted in a variety of surprising results, which can be attributed to the interactions in the complex factors that contribute to evaluation of relative investment of the speaker. The study suggests that politeness may be better understood as being directly related to the investment of the speaker, where investment is determined by a combination of social and situational factors. i
New coding theorems for fixed-length source coding and Shannon's cipher system with a general source

This paper is concerned with new coding theorems for (a) fixed-length coding of a general source, and (b) coding of Shannon's cipher system with a general source, under the condition that the decoding error probability vanishes as the blocklength goes to infinity. The converse theorems consist of inequalities that include the limit inferior in probability. In addition, the converse theorems are valid for the class of stochastic encoders. The direct theorems are proved under the assumptions that are slightly stronger than the consequences of the converse theorems. We can obtain known coding theorems from the obtained results.
Aristotle’s Illusion in Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence for Normal Interdigit Tactile Perception

Sensory alterations, a common feature of such movement disorders as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dystonia, could emerge as epiphenomena of basal ganglia dysfunction. Recently, we found a selective reduction of tactile perception (Aristotle’s illusion, the illusory doubling sensation of one object when touched with crossed fingers) in the affected hand of patients with focal hand dystonia. This suggests that reduced tactile illusion might be a specific feature of this type of dystonia and could be due to abnormal somatosensory cortical activation. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether Aristotle’s illusion is reduced in the affected hand of patients with PD. We tested 15 PD patients, in whom motor symptoms were mainly localised to one side of the body, and 15 healthy controls. Three pairs of fingers were tested in crossed (evoking the illusion) or parallel position (not evoking the illusion). A sphere was placed in the contact point between the two fingers and the blindfolded participants had to say whether they felt one or two stimuli. Stimuli were applied on the affected and less or unaffected side of the PD patients. We found no difference in illusory perception between the PD patients and the controls, nor between the more affected and less/unaffected side, suggesting that Aristotle’s illusion is preserved in PD. The retained tactile illusion in PD and its reduction in focal hand dystonia suggest that the basal ganglia, which are dysfunctional in both PD and dystonia, may not be causally involved in this function. Instead, the level of activation between digits in the somatosensory cortex may be more directly involved. Finally, the similar percentage of illusion in the more affected and less or unaffected body sides indicates that the illusory perception is not influenced by the presence or amount of motor symptoms.