Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars "

Since April 2005 a regularly updated stellar neutron cross section compilation is available on-line at http://nuclear-astrophysics.fzk. de/kadonis. This online-database is called the " Karlsruhe Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars " project and is based on the previous Bao et al. compilation from the year 2000. The present version KADoNiS v0.2 (January 2007) includes recommended cross sections for 280 isotopes between 1 H and 210 Po and 75 semi-empirical estimates for isotopes without experimental information. Concerning stellar (n, γ) cross sections of the 32 stable, proton-rich isotopes produced by the p process experimental information is only available for 20 isotopes, but 9 of them have rather large uncertainties of ≥9%. The first part of a systematic study of stellar (n, γ) cross sections of the p-156 Dy, and 174 Hf is presented. In another application KADoNiS v0.2 was used for an modification of a reaction library of Basel university. With this modified library p-process network calculations were carried out and compared to previous results.
Knee rehabilitation.

Knee rehabilitation is nearly as complex as the knee itself. The general and specific and specific programs and exercises presented are to be used eclectically. Rehabilitation must not be of a cookbook nature but rather individualized to fit the needs of the patient. The emphasis of rehabilitation must be dictated by the demands the individual places upon the knee. Rehabilitation must degenerate into function!
Contribution of Bordetella bronchiseptica Filamentous Hemagglutinin and Pertactin to Respiratory Disease in Swine

ABSTRACT Bordetella bronchiseptica is pervasive in swine populations and plays multiple roles in respiratory disease. Most studies addressing virulence factors of B. bronchiseptica are based on isolates derived from hosts other than pigs. Two well-studied virulence factors implicated in the adhesion process are filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (PRN). We hypothesized that both FHA and PRN would serve critical roles in the adhesion process and be necessary for colonization of the swine respiratory tract. To investigate the role of FHA and PRN in Bordetella pathogenesis in swine, we constructed mutants containing an in-frame deletion of the FHA or the PRN structural gene in a virulent B. bronchiseptica swine isolate. Both mutants were compared to the wild-type swine isolate for their ability to colonize and cause disease in swine. Colonization of the FHA mutant was lower than that of the wild type at all respiratory tract sites and time points examined and caused limited to no disease. In contrast, the PRN mutant caused similar disease severity relative to the wild type; however, colonization of the PRN mutant was reduced relative to the wild type during early and late infection and induced higher anti-Bordetella antibody titers. Together, our results indicate that despite inducing different pathologies and antibody responses, both FHA and PRN are necessary for optimal colonization of the swine respiratory tract.
Identification of genetic association of multiple rare variants using collapsing methods

Next‐generation sequencing technology allows investigation of both common and rare variants in humans. Exomes are sequenced on the population level or in families to further study the genetics of human diseases. Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17) provided exomic data from the 1000 Genomes Project and simulated phenotypes. These data enabled evaluations of existing and newly developed statistical methods for rare variant sequence analysis for which standard statistical methods fail because of the rareness of the alleles. Various alternative approaches have been proposed that overcome the rareness problem by combining multiple rare variants within a gene. These approaches are termed collapsing methods, and our GAW17 group focused on studying the performance of existing and novel collapsing methods using rare variants. All tested methods performed similarly, as measured by type I error and power. Inflated type I error fractions were consistently observed and might be caused by gametic phase disequilibrium between causal and noncausal rare variants in this relatively small sample as well as by population stratification. Incorporating prior knowledge, such as appropriate covariates and information on functionality of SNPs, increased the power of detecting associated genes. Overall, collapsing rare variants can increase the power of identifying disease‐associated genes. However, studying genetic associations of rare variants remains a challenging task that requires further development and improvement in data collection, management, analysis, and computation. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S101–S106, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The performance of football club managers: skill or luck?

This paper develops a performance management tool and considers its application to the football industry. Specifically, the resulting model evaluates the extent to which the performance of English Premier League football club managers can be attributed to skill or luck when measured separately from the characteristics of the team. We first use a specification that models managerial skill as a fixed effect and we then implement a bootstrapping approach to generate a simulated distribution of average points that could have taken place after the impact of the manager has been removed. The findings suggest that there are a considerable number of highly skilled managers but also several who perform below expectations. The paper proceeds to illustrate how the approach adopted could be used to determine the optimal time for a club to part company with its manager.
Treadmill Exercise Reduces Lipopolysaccharide-induced Apoptotic Neuronal Cell Death in the Hippocampus of the Young and Old Rats

Systemic inflammation exerts detrimental effects on the various organs, especially on the central nervous system (CNS), and leading to multiple organ failure. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a lipid-containing polysaccharide which is endotoxin and acts as important group-specific antigen. LPS induces immune activation, causes inflammation, and results in deterioration of cellular function. Hippocampal neurons are particularly susceptible to this LPS. Treadmill exercise is known to ameliorate neurologic impairment induced by various brain insults. In the present study, we investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on short-term and spatial memories in relation with apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampus following LPS-induced systemic inflammation. For the evaluation of age-dependent effect of treadmill exercise on these parameters, we used both young-aged and old-aged rats. In the present results, aging process impaired short-term and spatial memories through increase of apoptosis in the hippocampus. Treadmill exercise alleviated aging-induced impairment of short-term and spatial memories and suppressed aging-induced apoptosis in the old-aged rats. LPS-induced systemic inflammation disturbed short-term and spatial memories with increased apoptosis in both young-aged and old-aged rats. Treadmill exercise alleviated LPS-induced impairment of short-term and spatial memories and suppressed LPS-induced apoptosis in both young-aged and old-aged rats. Here in this study, we showed that treadmill exercise may inhibit LPS-induced neuronal apoptosis, thus facilitates recovery of memory function following systemic inflammation. Concerning that aging process disturbs memory function by enhancing of apoptotic neuronal cell death, these effects of treadmill exercise may be more important in the elderly. (Korean J Str Res 2011;19:97∼105)
Explaining Americans’ responses to dread epidemics: an illustration with Ebola in late 2014

Despite several surveys of Americans’ responses to Ebola as people were treated or died in the US in the late fall of 2014, little was published on factors that might affect these responses, despite their value for informing future management and communication regarding outbreaks of novel infectious diseases. This explanatory aim was the goal of a national quota online sample of Americans (n = 815) who reported their beliefs and attitudes about Ebola in early December, three weeks after the second US death. Responses were shaped particularly by risk judgments and concern, but also by available Ebola information (from news attention or residence in a state with Ebola experience), political cues (partisanship, ideology), and demographics. Judgments of personal risk and US/global risk were shaped by largely different factors; for example, knowledge of Ebola exposure routes exhibited negative and positive signs, respectively. News attention was associated with both positive (e.g. trust in US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention [CDC]; knowledge) and negative (e.g. US/global risk perception; concern about a US outbreak and family member infection) reactions. Findings suggest challenges for future health communication.
In search of the molecular mechanism by which small stress proteins counteract apoptosis during cellular differentiation

Many differentiation programs are accompanied by an increase in small heat shock proteins (sHsps) level. Most of the time transient, this accumulation takes place during the early phase of the process and is correlated with the growth arrest that precedes the differentiation. Important biochemical modifications of sHsps occur, such as changes in phosphorylation and oligomerization. The fact that these proteins are induced independently of the signal that triggers differentiation, of the differentiation type, and of the cell type strongly suggests their involvement in fundamental mechanisms of cellular differentiation. Moreover, impairment of sHsps accumulation leads to abortion of the differentiation program and, subsequently, to a massive commitment to cell death. Recent advances in this field of research are presented as well as the hypothesis that should be tested to unravel the mode of action of these proteins during cellular differentiation. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aromatic Rings Act as Hydrogen Bond Acceptors

Simple energy calculations show that there is a significant interaction between a hydrogen bond donor (like the > NH group) and the centre of a benzene ring, which acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor. This interaction, hvdrogen bond, which is about half as strong as a normal contributes approximately 3 kcal/mol (1 cal= 4184 J) of stabilizing enthalpy and is expected to play a significant role in molecular associations. It is of interest that the aromatic hydrogen bond arises from small partial charges centred on the ring carbon and hydrogen atoms: there is no need to consider delocalized electrons. Although some energy calculations have included such partial charges, their role in forming such a strong interaction was not appreciated until after aromatic hydrogen bonds had been observed in protein-drug complexes.
Characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O130:H11 and O178:H19 isolated from dairy cows

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are isolated from human patients with bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis (HC), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In the last years, the infections with non-O157 serotypes are increasing their frequency of association with human disease. STEC produce Shiga toxin (Stx) and other virulence factors that could contribute to human pathogenesis. Cattle are the main reservoir and the transmission to humans is through the consumption of undercooked meat, non-pasteurized dairy products, and vegetables or water contaminated with feces. We have previously determined that O130:H11 and O178:H19 serotypes were the most prevalent in dairy cows from Argentina. In the present study, 37 and 25 STEC isolates from dairy cows belonging to O130:H11 and O178:H19 serotypes, respectively, were characterized regarding to their cytotoxicity on Vero cells, stx subtypes, presence of sab and typing by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). All strains demonstrated a cytotoxic effect, and in O130:H11 isolates, stx2EDL933 was the predominant subtype. In O178:H19 isolates the main stx2 subtype was stx2vha. The sab gene was detected in 65 and 24% of the isolates belonging to O130:H11 and O178:H19, respectively. Only one MLVA profile was identified among the O130:H11 isolates meanwhile 10 MLVA profiles were detected among the O178:H19 isolates which were grouped in two main clusters. In conclusion, our data show that O130:H11 and O178:H19 STEC isolates encode virulence factors associated with severe human disease and both serotypes should be considered for routinely testing. Our subtyping experiments showed that isolates could be distinguished based on the stx2 subtype and the presence/absence of sab gene, and for isolates belonging to O178:H19, also when the MLVA type was considered. However, MLVA subtyping of O130:H11 isolates will require the development of more specific markers.
Effects of nanoparticle charging on streamer development in transformer oil-based nanofluids

Transformer oil-based nanofluids with conductive nanoparticle suspensions defy conventional wisdom as past experimental work showed that such nanofluids have substantially higher positive voltage breakdown levels with slower positive streamer velocities than that of pure transformer oil. This paradoxical superior electrical breakdown performance compared to that of pure oil is due to the electron charging of the nanoparticles to convert fast electrons from field ionization to slow negatively charged nanoparticle charge carriers with effective mobility reduction by a factor of about 1×105. The charging dynamics of a nanoparticle in transformer oil with both infinite and finite conductivities shows that this electron trapping is the cause of the decrease in positive streamer velocity, resulting in higher electrical breakdown strength. Analysis derives the electric field in the vicinity of the nanoparticles, electron trajectories on electric field lines that charge nanoparticles, and expressions for the char.
Functional Asymmetries in ON and OFF Ganglion Cells of Primate Retina

Functional asymmetries in the ON and OFF pathways of the primate visual system were examined using simultaneous multi-electrode recordings from dozens of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in vitro. Light responses of RGCs were characterized using white noise stimulation. Two distinct functional types of cells frequently encountered, one ON and one OFF, had non-opponent spectral sensitivity, relatively high response gain, transient light responses, and large receptive fields (RFs) that tiled the region of retina recorded, suggesting that they belonged to the same morphological cell class, most likely parasol. Three principal functional asymmetries were observed. (1) Receptive fields of ON cells were 20% larger in diameter than those of OFF cells, resulting in higher full-field sensitivity. (2) ON cells had faster response kinetics than OFF cells, with a 10–20% shorter time to peak, trough and zero crossing in the biphasic temporal impulse response. (3) ON cells had more nearly linear light responses and were capable of signaling decrements, whereas OFF cells had more strongly rectifying responses that provided little information about increments. These findings suggest specific mechanistic asymmetries in retinal ON and OFF circuits and differences in visual performance on the basis of the activity of ON and OFF parasol cells.
Education et valeurs de classe dans la sociologie américaine

Jean Claude Combessie : Erziehung und Klassenwerte in der amerikanischen Soziologie. ; In dieser Studie bemuht man sich, die verschiedenen Niveaus der Verwendung des Wertbegriffs in den amerikanischen Untersuchungen zu unterstreichen, wenn sie den ungleichen Erfolg der aus verschiedenen Klassen herkommenden Schuler zu erklaren versuchen. Die Erklarungssysteme werden analysiert und, so weit wie moglich, dem Zusammenhang und Realismusgrad nach angeordnet.
Insulin/IGF-I rescues immortalized brown adipocytes from apoptosis down-regulating Bcl-xS expression, in a PI 3-kinase- and map kinase-dependent manner.

Serum deprivation of immortalized brown adipocyte cell line resulted in growth arrest in G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle and apoptosis, as detected either by DNA laddering or by increase in the percentage of hypodiploid cells. Furthermore, apoptosis is concurrent with a dramatic increase in the expression of the proapoptotic protein Bcl-xS, the expression of Bcl-xL remaining almost undetectable. Insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) rescued serum-deprived brown adipocytes from apoptosis, decreasing the number of hypodiploid cells and increasing the number of cells undergoing cell cycle progression throughout S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Moreover, insulin down-regulated Bcl-xS expression without inducing the expression of Bcl-xL. Both phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are necessary for insulin/IGF-I full survival effect, since the use of specific inhibitors of PI 3-kinase activity (wortmannin or LY294002, at the dose that inhibits PI 3-kinase activity induced by insulin) or MAPK kinase activity inhibitor (PD098059, at the dose that inhibits insulin-induced phosphorylation of MAPK) totally blocked the antiapoptotic effect induced by insulin/IGF-I, respectively. In conclusion, insulin survival effect on immortalized brown adipocytes is associated with inhibition of the Bcl-xS content without changing Bcl-xL, in a PI 3-kinase- and MAP kinase-dependent manner.
Genetic, autoimmune, and clinical characteristics of childhood- and adult-onset type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether there are any differences in genetic, autoimmune, or clinical features between type 1 diabetes presenting in childhood and that diagnosed later. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 352 individuals (252 children and adolescents <20 years of age and 100 adults > or =20 years of age) manifesting clinical signs of type 1 diabetes over a period of 7.5 years at a university hospital in northern Finland with a primary catchment area population of approximately 300,000. The patients were analyzed for susceptible and protective HLA-DQB1 alleles (*02, *0302, *0301, *0602, *0603, and *0604), islet cell antibodies (ICA), insulin autoantibodies, and antibodies to GAD and IA-2 (IA-2A). Their clinical symptoms and signs were recorded at diagnosis. RESULTS The adult patients carried the high-risk DQB1*02/0302 genotype less frequently than the children and more often had protective genotypes. They also had a decreased frequency of all 4 single autoantibody specificities and of multiple (> or =3) autoantibodies. The proportion of patients testing negative for all autoantibodies was lower among the children than among the adults. IA-2A were associated with the DQB1*0302/x genotype in both the children and adults, and the same held true for ICA among the adults. The adults were characterized by a higher proportion of males, a longer duration of symptoms, and a lower frequency of infections during the preceding 3 months. In addition, they had a higher relative body weight on admission and milder signs of metabolic decompensation (higher pH, base excess, and bicarbonate concentrations) and a lower glycated hemoglobin level at diagnosis than the children. CONCLUSIONS Clinical manifestation of type 1 diabetes before the age of 20 years is associated with a strong HLA-defined genetic disease susceptibility, an intensive humoral immune response to various beta-cell antigens, a higher frequency of preceding infections, and a shorter duration of symptoms and more severe metabolic decompensation at diagnosis. Taken together, these observations suggest that the age at clinical onset of type 1 diabetes is determined by the intensity of the beta-cell-destructive process, which is modulated by both genetic and environmental factors.
Social support as a moderator of the aftereffects of stress in female psychiatric inpatients.

This study was designed to assess the impact of social support on poststressor cognitive impairment, with the goal of providing a laboratory test of the buffering hypothesis of social support. High or low support was operationahzed as the warm or the neutral behavior of an interviewer, which preceded the experimental stressor, high or low task load Subjects were 32 nonpsychotic female psychiatric inpatients The predicted interaction was found on a poststressor anagram task. The performance of low-task-load subjects was not markedly affected by the interview condition, whereas high-task-load subjects performed significantly better in the warm interview condition. Heart rate data also supported the hypothesized buffering role of support. The buffering hypothesis suggests that social support moderates or buffers the impact of stressful events on mental and physical health. The relationship is most frequently assumed to be interactive, with the buffering value of support maximized during stressful times. The presence or absence of support is thought to have a limited effect during periods of low stress (Cohen & McKay, 1984). For example, Nuckolls, Cassel, and Kaplan (1972) found that neither stressful life events nor psychosocial assets measured early in pregnancy was significantly related to subsequent delivery complications. When both variables were considered conjointly, however, women with high life-change scores and high psychosocial assets had only one third the number of complications of those with high life-change scores and low psychosocial assets. Those with low lifechange scores were not differentiated by psychosocial assets. These data are consistent with a number of other naturalistic studies that suggest that better mental and physical health is associated with higher levels of support (Brown, Bhrolchain, & Hams, 1975; DeAraujo, van Arsdel, Holmes, & Dudley, 1973; Lin, Simeone, Ensel, & Kuo, 1979).