Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Induced by Reduced Aortic Compliance

Aim: It was the aim of this study to investigate the long- term effects of reduced aortic compliance on cardiovascular hemodynamics and cardiac remodeling. Method: Sixteen swine, divided into 2 groups, a control and a banding group, were instrumented for pressure and flow measurement in the ascending aorta. Teflon prosthesis was wrapped around the aortic arch in order to limit wall compliance in the banding group. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded throughout a 60-day period. After sacrifice, the mean cell surface of the left ventricle was documented. Results: Banding decreased aortic compliance by 49 ± 9, 44 ± 16 and 42 ± 7% on the 2nd, 30th and 60th postoperative day, respectively (p < 0.05), while systolic pressure increased by 41 ± 11, 30 ± 11 and 35 ± 12% (p < 0.05), and pulse pressure by 86 ± 27, 76 ± 21 and 88 ± 23%, respectively (p < 0.01). Aortic characteristic impedance increased significantly in the banding group. Diastolic pressure, cardiac output and peripheral resistance remained unaltered. The mean left ventricular cell surface area increased significantly in the banding group. Conclusions: Acute reduction in aortic compliance results in a significant increase in characteristic and input impedance, a significant decrease in systemic arterial compliance and a subsequent increase in systolic and pulse pressures leading to left ventricular hypertrophy.
Rainfall-induced carbon dioxide pulses result from sequential resuscitation of phylogenetically clustered microbial groups

The pulse of carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from the first rainfall after the dry summer in Mediterranean ecosystems is so large that it is well documented at the landscape scale, with the CO2 released in a few days comparable in magnitude to the annual net carbon exchange of many terrestrial ecosystems. Although the origin of this CO2 is debated, we show that the pulse of CO2 is produced by a three-step resuscitation of the indigenous microbial community. Specific phylogenetic groups of microorganisms activate and contribute to the CO2 pulse at different times after a simulation of the first rainfall following the severe summer drought. Differential resuscitation was evident within 1 h of wet-up, with three primary response strategies apparent according to patterns of relative ribosomal quantity. Most bacteria could be classified as rapid responders (within 1 h of wet-up), intermediate responders (between 3 and 24 h after wet-up), or delayed responders (24–72 h after wet-up). Relative ribosomal quantities of rapid responders were as high in the prewet dry soils as at any other time, suggesting that specific groups of organisms may be poised to respond to the wet-up event, in that they preserve their capacity to synthesize proteins rapidly. Microbial response patterns displayed phylogenetic clustering and were primarily conserved at the subphylum level, suggesting that resuscitation strategies after wet-up of dry soil may be a phylogenetically conserved ecological trait.
Equilibria in Epidemic Containment Games

The spread of epidemics and malware is commonly modeled by diffusion processes on networks. Protective interventions such as vaccinations or installing anti-virus software are used to contain their spread. Typically, each node in the network has to decide its own strategy of securing itself, and its benefit depends on which other nodes are secure, making this a natural game-theoretic setting. There has been a lot of work on network security game models, but most of the focus has been either on simplified epidemic models or homogeneous network structure. We develop a new formulation for an epidemic containment game, which relies on the characterization of the SIS model in terms of the spectral radius of the network. We show in this model that pure Nash equilibria (NE) always exist, and can be found by a best response strategy. We analyze the complexity of finding NE, and derive rigorous bounds on their costs and the Price of Anarchy or PoA (the ratio of the cost of the worst NE to the optimum social cost) in general graphs as well as in random graph models. In particular, for arbitrary power-law graphs with exponent $\beta>2$, we show that the PoA is bounded by $O(T^{2(\beta-1)})$, where $T=\gamma/\alpha$ is the ratio of the recovery rate to the transmission rate in the SIS model. We prove that this bound is tight up to a constant factor for the Chung-Lu random power-law graph model. We study the characteristics of Nash equilibria empirically in different real communication and infrastructure networks, and find that our analytical results can help explain some of the empirical observations.
Secretion of Clostridium difficile Toxins A and B Requires the Holin-like Protein TcdE

The pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile, the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, is mainly associated with the production and activities of two major toxins. In many bacteria, toxins are released into the extracellular environment via the general secretion pathways. C. difficile toxins A and B have no export signature and their secretion is not explainable by cell lysis, suggesting that they might be secreted by an unusual mechanism. The TcdE protein encoded within the C. difficile pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) has predicted structural features similar to those of bacteriophage holin proteins. During many types of phage infection, host lysis is driven by an endolysin that crosses the cytoplasmic membrane through a pore formed by holin oligomerization. We demonstrated that TcdE has a holin-like activity by functionally complementing a λ phage deprived of its holin. Similar to λ holin, TcdE expressed in Escherichia coli and C. difficile formed oligomers in the cytoplamic membrane. A C. difficile tcdE mutant strain grew at the same rate as the wild-type strain, but accumulated a dramatically reduced amount of toxin proteins in the medium. However, the complemented tcdE mutant released the toxins efficiently. There was no difference in the abundance of tcdA and tcdB transcripts or of several cytoplasmic proteins in the mutant and the wild-type strains. In addition, TcdE did not overtly affect membrane integrity of C. difficile in the presence of TcdA/TcdB. Thus, TcdE acts as a holin-like protein to facilitate the release of C. difficile toxins to the extracellular environment, but, unlike the phage holins, does not cause the non-specific release of cytosolic contents. TcdE appears to be the first example of a bacterial protein that releases toxins into the environment by a phage-like system.
Violence in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND Although most psychiatric patients are not violent, serious mental illness is associated with increased risk of violent behavior. Most of the evidence available pertains to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. METHODS MEDLINE data base was searched for articles published between 1966 and November 2012 using the combination of key words 'schizophrenia' or 'bipolar disorder' with 'aggression' or 'violence'. For the treatment searches, generic names were used in combination with key words 'schizophrenia' or 'bipolar disorder' and 'aggression' No language constraint was applied. Only articles dealing with adults were included. The lists of references were searched manually to find additional articles. RESULTS There were statistically significant increases of risk of violence in schizophrenia and in bipolar disorder in comparison with general population. The evidence suggests that the risk of violence is greater in bipolar disorder than in schizophrenia. Most of the violence in bipolar disorder occurs during the manic phase. The risk of violence in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is increased by comorbid substance use disorder. Violence among adults with schizophrenia may follow at least two distinct pathways-one associated with antisocial conduct, and another associated with the acute psychopathology of schizophrenia. Clozapine is the most effective treatment of aggressive behavior in schizophrenia. Emerging evidence suggests that olanzapine may be the second line of treatment. Treatment adherence is of key importance. Non-pharmacological methods of treatment of aggression in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are increasingly important. Cognitive behavioral approaches appear to be effective in cases where pharmacotherapy alone does not suffice. CONCLUSIONS Violent behavior of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is a public health problem. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches should be used to treat not only violent behavior, but also contributing comorbidities such as substance abuse and personality disorders. Treatment adherence is very important for successful management of violent behavior.
Hepatic Deficiency of COP9 Signalosome Subunit 8 Induces Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Impairment and Bim-Mediated Apoptosis in Murine Livers

The COP9 signalosome (CSN), an evolutionally highly conserved protein complex composed of 8 unique subunits (CSN1 through CSN8) in higher eukaryotes, is purported to modulate protein degradation mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) but this has not been demonstrated in a critical mitotic parenchymal organ of vertebrates. Hepatocyte-specific knockout of the Cops8 gene (HS-Csn8KO) was shown to cause massive hepatocyte apoptosis and liver malfunction but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that Csn8/CSN exerts profound impacts on hepatic UPS function and is critical to the stability of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim. Significant decreases in CIS (cytokine-inducible Src homology 2 domain-containing protein), a Bim receptor of a cullin2-based ubiquitin ligase, were found to co-exist with a marked increase of Bim proteins. Csn8 deficiency also significantly decreased 19S proteasome subunit Rpt5 and markedly increased high molecular weight neddylated and ubiquitinated proteins. The use of a surrogate UPS substrate further reveals severe impairment of UPS-mediated proteolysis in HS-Csn8KO livers. Inclusion body-like materials were accumulated in Csn8 deficient hepatocytes. In addition to Bim, massive hepatocyte apoptosis in HS-Csn8KO livers is also associated with elevated expression of other members of the Bcl2 family, including pro-apoptotic Bax as well as anti-apoptotic Bcl2 and Bcl-XL. Increased interaction between Bcl2 and Bim, but not between Bcl2 and Bax, was detected. Hence, it is concluded that hepatic CSN8 deficiency impairs the UPS in the liver and the resultant Bim upregulation likely plays an important role in triggering hepatocyte apoptosis via sequestering Bcl2 away from Bax.
When 3 + 1 > 4: Gift Structure and Reciprocity in the Field

Do higher wages elicit reciprocity and lead to increased productivity? In a field experiment with 266 employees, we find that paying higher wages, per se, does not have a discernible effect on productivity in a context with no future employment opportunities. However, structuring a portion of the wage as a clear and unexpected gift—by offering an unconditional raise after the employee has accepted the contract—leads to higher productivity for the duration of the job. Gifts are roughly as efficient as hiring more workers. This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
From Russia with Love: The Impact of Relocated Firms on Incumbent Survival

We identify the impact of local firm concentration on incumbent performance in a historic setting that has quasi-experimental characteristics. When Germany was divided after World War II, many firms in the machine tool industry fled the Soviet-occupied zone to prevent expropriation. We show that the regional location decisions of these firms upon moving to western Germany were driven by non-economic factors and heuristics rather than existing industrial conditions. Relocating firms increased the likelihood of incumbent failure in destination regions, a pattern that differs sharply from new entrants. We further provide evidence that these effects are due to increased competition for local resources.
From Hasan to Herbert: Name‐Giving Patterns of Immigrant Parents between Acculturation and Ethnic Maintenance1

Names often indicate belonging to a certain ethnic group. When immigrant parents choose a first name for their child that is common in their host society, they show a high degree of acculturation. In contrast, selecting a name common only in the parents’ country of origin indicates ethnic maintenance. Using data from the German Socio‐economic Panel for Turkish, Southwest European, and former Yugoslav immigrants, the authors show that acculturation in terms of name giving depends on several factors: the cultural boundary between the country of origin and the host society, the parents’ sociostructural integration in terms of education and citizenship, interethnic networks, and religious affiliation.
E-Mail Tracking in Online Marketing - Methods, Detection, and Usage

E-Mail tracking uses personalized links and pictures for gathering in- formation on user behavior, for example, where, when, on what kind of device, and how often an e-mail has been read. This information can be very useful for marketing purposes. On the other hand, privacy and security requirements of customers could be violated by tracking. This paper examines how e-mail track- ing works, how it can be detected automatically, and to what extent it is used in German e-commerce. We develop a detection model and software tool in order to collect and analyze more than 600 newsletter e-mails from companies of sev- eral different industries. The results show that the usage of e-mail tracking in Germany is prevalent but also varies depending on the industry.
The Holtzman Inkblot Technique: a review.

After a brief description of the rationale, construction, and structure of the Holtzman Inkblot Technique, this study critically reviews 10 years (19591969) of research with this instrument. An impressive body of positive findings is in evidence, but many more studies are needed in most areas covered by this review. The various technical refinements and extensions of this instrument that have been produced should facilitate the appearance of much needed future research. The dearth of relevant studies renders an evaluative comparison with the Rorschach impossible at this time. Implications of certain issues raised by R. Schafer in 1948, M. D. Ainsworth in 19S4, and R. Holt in 1968 in relation to Rorschach validity studies are discussed in reference to research with the Holtzman technique. Although Holtzman recently provided summaries of research on the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (Holtzman, 1966, 1968), his presentations were not evaluative, not much information was given concerning the designs of the studies reviewed, and a number of studies were not included. The present review (a) presents a brief description of the rationale, construction, and structure of this instrument; (b) provides an evaluative review of the literature from 19S9 to 1969, inclusive; and (c) discusses the general character of this research in light of previous criticisms of Rorschach validity studies. It should be noted that this review attempts to be primarily informative and secondarily evaluative. It is hoped that the inclusion of more than the usual amount of descriptive material with respect to specific studies will facilitate the future appearance of much needed additional research that is indicated in several areas covered by this review. The authors of the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) have described their goal as one of developing "a new inkblot technique having scores of demonstrated psychometric value while still preserving the rich, qualitative
An Electrophysiological Method for Examining Lumbosacral Root Compression

Summary The propagation velocities and conduction times of nerve impulses responsible for muscle F-waves were measured in the proximal segments of 60 normal posterior tibial nerves and of 41 normal peroneal nerves. The results were compared with those of 25 patients having confirmed lumbosacral root compression due to disc degeneration. Using the peroneal nerve, 65 per cent of patients had a prolonged proximal conduction time; a similar abnormality was found in 56 per cent of patients when the posterior tibial nerve was studied. The yield of positive results rose to 85 per cent and 76 per cent respectively when the M- and F-latencies in given individuals were compared. It was also shown that in normal subjects the F-response has a longer latency, and slower conduction velocity than the H-reflex when both are obtained using the same stimulating and recording sites, in patients in whom the ankle jerks and H-reflexes are absent, the F-waves may still be recorded, indicating that the latter are mediated through motor fibers
Memory and Language in Middle Childhood in Individuals with a History of Specific Language Impairment

This study reports on the sensitivity of sentence repetition as a marker of specific language impairment (SLI) in different subgroups of children in middle childhood and examines the role of memory and grammatical knowledge in the performance of children with and without language difficulties on this task. Eleven year old children, 197 with a history of SLI and 75 typically developing (TD) peers were administered sentence repetition, phonological short term memory (PSTM) and grammatical morphology tasks. Children with a history of SLI were divided into four subgroups: specific language impairment, non-specific language impairment, low cognition with resolved language and resolved. Performance on the sentence repetition task was significantly impaired in all four subgroups of children with a history of SLI when compared to their age peers. Regression analyses revealed grammatical knowledge was predictive of performance for TD children and children with a history of SLI. However, memory abilities were significantly predictive of sentence repetition task performance for children with a history of SLI only. Processes involved in sentence repetition are more taxing of PSTM for individuals with a history of SLI in middle childhood in a way that does not appear to be the case for TD children.
A review of Dientamoeba fragilis carriage in humans: Several reasons why this organism should be considered in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal illness

Dientamoeba fragilis is a protozoan that inhabits the human gut. It is approximately 100 years since Dientamoeba’s discovery and first description when it was described as a rare and harmless commensal. Since then it has struggled to gain recognition as a pathogen despite the evidence supporting its pathogenicity. Dientamoeba remains neglected, probably due to the misconceptions that it is uncommon and non-pathogenic. Usually, carriage of Dientamoeba is associated with symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Moreover, antimicrobial therapy followed by resolution of symptoms coincides with the eradication of Dientamoeba. This manuscript reviews the scientific literature relating to Dientamoeba’s prevalence and pathogenicity. While much of the evidence supporting its pathogenicity is only circumstantial, it is apparent that most researchers agree that Dientamoeba is pathogenic. Therefore, in symptomatic patients who harbor Dientamoeba and no other pathogen, Dientamoeba should be considered as the etiological agent and treated as such.
Expression and Function of Ccbe1 in the Chick Early Cardiogenic Regions Are Required for Correct Heart Development

During the course of a differential screen to identify transcripts specific for chick heart/hemangioblast precursor cells, we have identified Ccbe1 (Collagen and calcium-binding EGF-like domain 1). While the importance of Ccbe1 for the development of the lymphatic system is now well demonstrated, its role in cardiac formation remained unknown. Here we show by whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis that cCcbe1 mRNA is initially detected in early cardiac progenitors of the two bilateral cardiogenic fields (HH4), and at later stages on the second heart field (HH9-18). Furthermore, cCcbe1 is expressed in multipotent and highly proliferative cardiac progenitors. We characterized the role of cCcbe1 during early cardiogenesis by performing functional studies. Upon morpholino-induced cCcbe1 knockdown, the chick embryos displayed heart malformations, which include aberrant fusion of the heart fields, leading to incomplete terminal differentiation of the cardiomyocytes. cCcbe1 overexpression also resulted in severe heart defects, including cardia bifida. Altogether, our data demonstrate that although cardiac progenitors cells are specified in cCcbe1 morphants, the migration and proliferation of cardiac precursors cells are impaired, suggesting that cCcbe1 is a key gene during early heart development.
In Vitro Studies on the Trafficking of Dendritic Cells Through Endothelial Cells and Extra-Cellular Matrix

Dendritic cells (DC) are antigen presenting cells (APC) with the unique ability to initiate an immune response. Immature DC are localized in peripheral tissues where they exert a sentinel function for incoming antigens (Ag). After Ag capture and exposure to inflammatory stimuli DC undergo maturation and migrate to regional lymph nodes where the presentation of antigenic peptides to T lymphocytes takes place. Thus their correct functioning as APC involves localization in tissues and trafficking via the lymph or blood to lymphoid organs. In the present study we have investigated the ability of DC to interact in vitro with human vascular endothelial cells (EC) and extracellular matrix (ECM). DC are differentiated from monocytes by in vitro exposure to GM-CSF and IL-13 for 7 days. In adhesion assays a considerable proportion of DC binds to resting EC monolayers and this adhesion is inhibited by anti-CD11a and CD11b, but not anti-CD11c mAbs. Binding to a natural ECM, derived from cultured EC involves VLA-4 and VLA-5 integrins. In a transmigration assay, 10 % of input cells are able to cross the EC monolayer in the absence of exogenous stimuli. The amount of DC transmigrated through a monolayer of EC was increased of 2-3 fold by C-C chemokines RANTES, MIP1α, and MIP-1β. Most importantly, in view of the trafficking pattern of these cells, a significant proportion of DC can migrate in a reverse transmigration assay, i.e. across the endothelial basement membrane and subsequently, across endothelial cells. Upon exposure to immune or inflammatory signals peripheral DC undergo maturation and migration to lymphoid organs. Functional maturation is associated with loss of responsiveness to chemokines present at sites of inflammation (e.g. MIP1α, MIP1β and RANTES) and acquisition of a receptor repertoire which renders these cells responsive to signals which guide their localization in lymphoid organs (e.g. MIP3β). A better understanding of the molecular basis of DC trafficking may provide molecular and conceptual tools to direct and modulate DC localization as a strategy to upregulate and orient specific immunity.