Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mindestlohn noch längst nicht für alle: Zur Entlohnung anspruchsberechtigter Erwerbstätiger vor und nach der Mindestlohnreform aus der Perspektive Beschäftigter

Berechnungen auf Basis des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) zeigen, dass sich nach der Einfuhrung des Mindestlohns im Januar 2015 das Lohnwachstum der anspruchsberechtigten Beschaftigten mit niedrigen Lohnen deutlich beschleunigt hat: So lag das nominale Wachstum bei den vertraglichen Stundenlohnen im unteren Dezil, das heist im untersten Zehntel der Lohnverteilung, vor der Reform bei weniger als 2 Prozent im langfristigen zweijahrigen Mittel, wahrend es von 2014 bis 2016 bei ungefahr 15 Prozent lag. Dennoch lag auch im ersten Halbjahr 2016 der vertragliche Stundenlohn von rund 1,8 Millionen anspruchsberechtigten Beschaftigten noch immer unterhalb der gesetzlichen Grenze von 8,50 Euro brutto pro Stunde. Im Jahr 2015 waren es noch ungefahr 2,1 Millionen und im Jahr vor der Einfuhrung knapp 2,8 Millionen Beschaftigte. Die hier ausgewiesenen Werte fur 2015 und 2016 liegen damit hoher als die entsprechenden Zahlen aus Unternehmensbefragungen. Berucksichtigt man auch Erwerbstatige ohne Anspruch auf den Mindestlohn, wie Selbstandige, verdienten im Jahr 2016 sogar etwa 4,4 Millionen Menschen weniger als 8,50 Euro brutto pro Stunde. Trotz des uberproportionalen Lohnanstiegs im untersten Lohndezil ist es also nicht gelungen, fur alle anspruchsberechtigten Beschaftigten einen Bruttolohn von mindesten 8,50 Euro pro Stunde sicherzustellen. Vor allem bei der Gruppe der geringfugig Beschaftigten werden die Ziele des Mindestlohngesetzes vielfach nicht erreicht. Als Instrumente fur eine bessere Durchsetzung des Mindestlohngesetzes kommen haufigere Kontrollen, eine scharfere Sanktionierung, wirksamere Beschwerdemoglichkeiten fur die Beschaftigten sowie hohere Anforderungen bei den Dokumentationssystemen (insbesondere bei der Zeiterfassung) in Betracht.
The Nicotiana attenuata GLA1 lipase controls the accumulation of Phytophthora parasitica-induced oxylipins and defensive secondary metabolites.

Nicotiana attenuata plants silenced in the expression of GLYCEROLIPASE A1 (ir-gla1 plants) are compromised in the herbivore- and wound-induced accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA). However, these plants accumulate wild-type (WT) levels of JA and divinyl-ethers during Phytophthora parasitica infection. By profiling oxylipin-enriched fractions with targeted and untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry approaches, we demonstrate that the accumulation of 9-hydroxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9-OH-18:2) and additional C18 and C19 oxylipins is reduced by ca. 20-fold in P. parasitica-infected ir-gla1 leaves compared with WT. This reduced accumulation of oxylipins was accompanied by a reduced accumulation of unsaturated free fatty acids and specific lysolipid species. Untargeted metabolic profiling of total leaf extracts showed that 87 metabolites accumulated differentially in leaves of P. parasitica-infected ir-gla1 plants with glycerolipids, hydroxylated-diterpene glycosides and phenylpropanoid derivatives accounting together for ca. 20% of these 87 metabolites. Thus, P. parasitica-induced oxylipins may participate in the regulation of metabolic changes during infection. Together, the results demonstrate that GLA1 plays a distinct role in the production of oxylipins during biotic stress responses, supplying substrates for 9-OH-18:2 and additional C18 and C19 oxylipin formation during P. parasitica infection, whereas supplying substrates for the biogenesis of JA during herbivory and mechanical wounding.
Silence and the shaping of memory: How distracted listeners affect speakers' subsequent recall of a computer game experience

The present study focused on how distracted listening affects subsequent memory for narrated events. Undergraduate students experienced a computer game in the lab and talked about it with either a responsive or distracted friend. One month later, those who initially spoke with distracted listeners showed lower retention of information about the computer game, and their subsequent memories were also less consistent with their initial conversational recall. Differences in subsequent memory across initial listener condition appeared likely to be mediated by differences in the initial conversations elicited by responsive and unresponsive listeners. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the social shaping of memory and identity.
Closed form bistatic reverberation and target echoes with variable bathymetry and sound speed

Some existing closed-form expressions for target echo and reverberation, assuming classical mode-stripping and Lambert's law in isovelocity water, are extended to the case of uniform slope bathymetry combined with range-independent linear sound speed and bistatic geometry. The analytical, or extremely fast numerical, calculation of signal-to-reverberation-ratio provides insight useful for sonar design, and operational research. There are three types of path, each of which may be important at some range: Those that only interact with one boundary, those that always interact with both boundaries and those that sometimes interact with both. Each provides a separate closed-form contribution. The earlier finding, that with Lambert's law the reverberation tends to follow the same range trend as the target echo, is slightly modified by the addition of refraction. The stronger reverberation from the low sound speed side of the duct tends to fall off slightly less slowly than the target echo according to the strength of the refraction. Some graphical examples show that the very large parameter space can be handled very easily
Toward establishing minimum requirements for extracellular electron transfer in Geobacter sulfurreducens

Abstract The highly redundant pathways for extracellular electron transfer in Geobacter sulfurreducens must be simplified for this microorganism to serve as an effective chassis for applications such as the development of sensors and biocomputing. Five homologs of the periplasmic c‐type cytochromes, PpcA‐E, offer the possibility of multiple routes of electron transfer across the periplasm. The presence of a large number of outer membrane c‐type cytochromes allows G. sulfurreducens to adapt to disruption of an electron transfer pathway in the outer membrane. A strain in which genes for all five periplasmic cytochromes, PpcA‐E, were deleted did not reduce Fe(III). Introducing ppcA under the control of an IPTG‐inducible system in the quintuple deletion strain yielded a strain that reduced Fe(III) only in the presence of IPTG. A strain lacking known major outer membrane cytochromes, OmcB, OmcE, OmcS and OmcT, and putative functional homologs of OmcB, did not reduce Fe(III). Introduction of omcB in this septuple deletion strain restored the ability to reduce Fe(III). These results demonstrate that it is possible to trim redundancy from the extracellular electron transfer pathways in G. sulfurreducens in order to construct strains with defined extracellular electron transfer routes.
Rough and fuzzy geographical data integration

We show how fuzzy and rough data are transformed into a unified representation using the concept of rough fuzzy sets. We introduced a representation for rough fuzzy classifications that might be used when the classification process introduces uncertainty in the data due to vagueness and indiscernibility. We demonstrate the viability of our method by performing classification experiments using real data. The experiment uses data that have been classified using different classification schemes. To make them compatible we reclassify some data and use some additional knowledge that requires the use of rough fuzzy classifications.
Identifying maternal mortality through networking: results from coastal Kenya.

This paper presents the results of experience in identifying maternal deaths through "networking. " In a survey of child health in coastal Kenya, women of reproductive ages were asked about their knowledge of maternal deaths in the villages. Thirty-five maternal deaths were ultimately identified in the study area, which led to an estimate of maternal mortality of 6 to 7 per 1,000 live births. The leading causes of death were hemorrhage and anemia, followed by sepsis; and nulliparous women appeared to be at higher risks of dying. Special attention is given to the ethnomedical aspects of maternal mortality,which have important implications for strategies to reduce maternal mortality.
Flow and mixing in the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

High levels of diapycnal mixing and geothermal heating near midocean ridges contribute to the buoyancy fluxes that are required to close the global circulation. In topographically confined areas, such as the deep median valleys of slow-spreading ridges, these fluxes strongly influence the local hydrography and dynamics. Data from a segment-scale hydrographic survey of the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and from an array of current meters deployed there during an entire year are analyzed in order to characterize the dominant hydrographic patterns and dynamical processes. Comparison with historic hydrographic data indicates that the temporal variability during the last few decades has been small compared to the observed segment-scale gradients. The rift valley circulation is characterized by inflow from the eastern ridge flank and persistent unidirectional alongsegment flow into a cul-de-sac. Therefore, most of the water flowing along the rift valley upwells within the segment with a mean vertical velocity . 1025 ms 21. The observed streamwise hydrographic gradients indicate that diapycnal mixing dominates the rift valley buoyancy fluxes by more than an order of magnitude, in spite of the presence of a large hydrothermal vent field supplying several gigawatts of heat to the water column. Hydrographic budgets in the rift valley yield diffusivity values of order 5 3 1023 m2 s 21, consistent with estimates derived from statically unstable overturns, the largest of which were observed downstream of topographic obstacles in the path of the along-segment flow. This suggests vertical shear associated with cross-sill flows as the dominant contributor to the mechanical mixing in the rift valley.
Correlation between serum galectin‐9 levels and liver fibrosis

Chronic liver diseases progress from chronic inflammation to fibrosis to tumorigenesis. Galectin‐9, a β‐galactoside‐specific animal lectin, is indicated to contribute to all three steps of progression. The aim of this study was to determine which of the three steps was most dominant in elevating the serum galectin‐9 concentration and to test the possibility of galectin‐9 as a serum biomarker.
The Cerebral and Cardiovascular Effects of Cisatracurium and Atracurium in Neurosurgical Patients

Drugs for neurosurgical patients should not increase intracranial pressure (ICP) or change cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and cerebral blood flow.This double-blind, cross-over study compares the effects of a single (3 x effective dose producing 95% twitch depression) intravenous bolus dose of cisatracurium 0.15 mg/kg with atracurium 0.75 mg/kg on mean red blood cell flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (CBFV; transcranial Doppler), ICP (intraventricular or intraparenchymal monitor), mean arterial pressure (MAP), CPP (MAP - ICP), and heart rate (HR) every minute during a 15-min study period. Included in the study were 14 sedated and ventilated adult neurosurgical patients. After the cisatracurium bolus, ICP, CPP, CBFV, MAP, and HR did not change, and no histamine related events were observed. After the atracurium bolus, ICP, CPP, CBFV, and MAP decreased. The lowest values of ICP (-16% of baseline), CPP (-5%), CBFV (-8%), and MAP (-7%) were recorded 2-4 min after the atracurium bolus injection. After this transient decrease, MAP and CPP returned to baseline, whereas CBFV and ICP transiently exceeded baseline values. The highest values of CBFV (5%) and ICP (17%) were recorded 9-12 min after the atracurium bolus injection. Five patients showed a typical histamine response after atracurium, with a decrease in MAP and flushing. Excluding these five patients eliminated statistical significance in ICP, CPP, CBFV, and MAP differences. In conclusion, cisatracurium demonstrated fewer cerebral and cardiovascular hemodynamic side effects in sedated adult neurosurgical patients. Implications: This double-blind study in sedated and mechanically ventilated adult neurosurgical patients demonstrates that an intravenous bolus dose of the neuromuscular blocker cisatracurium results in less cerebral (intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity) and cardiovascular (blood pressure) hemodynamic side effects, compared with an equipotent dose of atracurium.
Cholecystokinin-A and cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor mRNA expression in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas of the rat and man. A polymerase chain reaction study.

BACKGROUND Gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) are thought to exert trophic effects on the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Two types of receptors have been cloned, CCK-A and CCK-B/ gastrin. We have examined the occurrence of CCK-A and CCK-B receptor mRNA in the brain, digestive tract, pancreas, and kidney of the rat and man by Northern blot and reverse transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). METHODS Total RNA was isolated from rat tissues and reverse transcribed into cDNA. cDNA from brain, kidney, and pancreas of the rat and man and from human whole stomach were commercially available. Northern blot and a PCR technique based on Taq polymerase-antibody interaction and using CCK-A and CCK-B receptor-specific primers, followed by Southern blot analysis, were the methods used. RESULTS By means of Northern blots, CCK-A receptor mRNA was detected in rat fundus mucosa and pancreas but not in the remaining GI tract or brain. By means of RT-PCR, CCK-A receptor mRNA was demonstrated in the brain and the mucosa of the fundus, antrum, duodenum, and colon, kidney, pancreas and pancreatic islets. CCK-B receptor mRNA was detected by Northern blot analysis in the brain and the fundus mucosa but not in the rest of the digestive tract and not in the pancreas, pancreatic islets, or kidney. By RT-PCR, expression of CCK-B receptor mRNA could also be detected in antrum mucosa. In man, CCK-A receptor mRNA was detected in the brain, stomach, pancreas, and kidney, whereas CCK-B receptor mRNA was found in the brain, stomach, and pancreas but not in the kidney. Cloning and DNA-sequence analysis of the PCR-amplified rat and human CCK-A and CCK-B receptor DNA fragments, which cover the protein-encoding regions of the intracellular loop C3, showed complete sequence homology as compared with published rat and human sequences. CONCLUSIONS It appears unlikely that CCK will have effects in the ileum, at least not effects mediated by CCK-A receptors. It also appears unlikely that physiologic concentrations of gastrin in the circulation will promote growth (or exert other effects) in the pancreas, duodenum, ileum, and colon, since CCK-B receptor mRNA is not expressed or is poorly expressed in these tissues.
Safety and efficacy of splenectomy in over 65‐yrs‐old patients with immune thrombocytopenia

Few studies specifically focus on elderly splenectomized immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients. Older patients with ITP and excellent health are often excluded from surgery splenectomy. We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of splenectomy in elderly and non‐elderly ITP patients and to examine the effect of age on therapeutic response.
Stimulus Alignment and Age in the Selection of Bigger Rectangles

90 children (28 3-yr.-olds, 32 5-yr.-olds, and 30 8-yr.-olds) were presented pairs of quadrangles with the bases or the centers aligned and asked to select the bigger ones. 3- and 8-yr. -olds selected larger ones under both aligned conditions, while 5-yr. -olds selected the taller ones more often under the base- than under the center-aligned conditions. 5-yr. -olds selected the larger ones less often than 3- and 8-yr. -olds under the base-aligned condition. These results were discussed in relation to the attention given to height.
Determination of free thyroxine in serum by low-temperature equilibrium dialysis.

Equilibrium dialysis of thyroxine (T4) in diluted serum at low temperature gives consistent and reproducible values for the dialyzable fraction (DF) of this hormone. The quantity of serum required for the determination is minimized by dilution, which is technically advantageous. Variations caused by temperature, dialysis time, dilution of serum, buffer system, and stability of 125I-T4 could be controlled by parallel use of a normal reference serum in each experiment. The reference serum was assigned a DF value of 0.04%, which was corrected by a factor derived from the ratio of assigned DF to the observed DF calculated from the experimental data for this reference serum. This correction factor permits the observed DF results for concurrent unknown samples to be related to the values for the DF of the normal reference serum. The free thyroxine concentration is calculated from the product of the DF and the total serum thyroxine concentration as determined by competitive binding analysis. The method is convenient for use in clinical laboratories, and data for free thyroxine obtained from patients with metabolic thyroid disorders are diagnostically discriminatory.
High preoperative plasma TIMP‐1 is prognostic for early relapse in primary breast carcinoma

TIMP‐1 is a natural inhibitor of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases. In addition to its capacity to inhibit matrix degradation, TIMP‐1 has been shown to promote cell growth and inhibit apoptosis. The expression of TIMP‐1 in tumor tissue, as well as in circulating blood, has therefore been shown to associate with worsened survival in several malignancies. In our study, a prospective series of 213 patients with primary breast carcinoma was assessed. Circulating pre‐ and postoperative TIMP‐1 levels were assayed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay analysis. It was shown that high preoperative plasma TIMP‐1 was a powerful predictor of systemic early relapse in breast carcinoma, with HR 8.1 (95% CI 1.8–37.6) (p = 0.007) as a log‐transformed continuous variable in Cox regression univariate analysis. It was shown to be independent of, and superior to, nodal status as a prognostic variable in multivariate analysis, and not associated with any known prognostic clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed that the patients belonging to the highest quartile of circulating TIMP‐1 levels had a worsened recurrence‐free survival of 79% compared to 94% RFS among patients in the lower quartiles (p = 0.016). The postoperative levels of circulating plasma TIMP‐1 were not found to be prognostic for relapse. In conclusion, preoperative plasma TIMP‐1 was found to be a powerful prognostic factor for early systemic relapse in primary breast carcinoma. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Abrogation of Gap Junctional Communication in ES Cells Results in a Disruption of Primitive Endoderm Formation in Embryoid Bodies

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been suggested to be involved in early embryonic development but the actual functional role remained elusive. Connexin (Cx) 43 and Cx45 are co‐expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells, form gap junctions and are considered to exhibit adhesive function and/or to contribute to the establishment of defined communication compartments. Here, we describe the generation of Cx43/Cx45‐double deficient mouse ES cells to achieve almost complete breakdown of GJIC. Cre‐loxP induced deletion of both, Cx43 and Cx45, results in a block of differentiation in embryoid bodies (EBs) without affecting pluripotency marker expression and proliferation in ES cells. We demonstrate that GJIC‐incompetent ES cells fail to form primitive endoderm in EB cultures, representing the inductive key step of further differentiation events. Lentiviral overexpression of either Cx43 or Cx45 in Cx43/45 mutants rescued the observed phenotype, confirming the specificity and indicating a partially redundant function of both connexins. Upon differentiation GJIC‐incompetent ES cells exhibit a strikingly altered subcellular localization pattern of the transcription factor NFATc3. Control EBs exhibit significantly more activated NFATc3 in cellular nuclei than mutant EBs suggesting that Cx‐mediated communication is needed for synchronized NFAT activation to induce orchestrated primitive endoderm formation. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of NFATc3 activation by Cyclosporin A, a well‐described inhibitor of calcineurin, phenocopies the loss of GJIC in control cells. Stem Cells 2017;35:859–871
Trade, SBTC and Skill Premia – A Cross-Country and Cross-Gender Analysis

A recent study by Autor et al. (2008) has pointed out that the skill premia has risen in the US since the 60s. Several other authors have highlighted these trends across different OECD countries (e.g., Katz and Murphy, 1992; Machin, 1996; Goldin and Katz, 1999; Chay and Lee, 2000, Conte and Vivarelli, 2007). A common consensus points to the on-going growth of the demand for high-skilled workers, of which the Skill-Biased Technical Change (SBTC) and International Trade (IT) are the often cited sources.
Immunologic Studies in Patients With Premature Ovarian Failure

Tests for a range of autoantibodies, and counts of lymphocytes, B cells, T cells, and T cell subsets were performed in 45 Chinese patients with premature ovarian failure and 45 age-matched normal control subjects. Eight patients (18%) were positive for at least one autoantibody. Only one patient was positive for antiovarian antibody. Patients with autoantibodies had a significantly higher percentage of circulating B cells. The lymphocyte, T cell, CD4+, and CD8+ counts in patients with premature ovarian failure were significantly higher than those in the control group, but the CD4:CD8 ratio was significantly lower in women with premature ovarian failure. There was a significant negative correlation between plasma estradiol levels and CD8+ counts, and a significant positive correlation between plasma estradiol levels and CD4:CD8 ratios. The changes in lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations in premature ovarian failure may be due to estrogen deficiency.
Factors influencing the spread of beta hemolytic streptococcal infections within the family group.

From this study the following conclusions can be drawn about the spread of streptococcal disease: Approximately one-half to one-fourth of sibling contacts will develop streptococcal infection. Less than 1 in 20 of the parents will develop streptococcal infection from a sick child. Although in larger families there were more secondary attacks than in smaller families, the number of such attacks was roughly proportional to the number exposed, and the secondary attack rate in individuals was no higher than in smaller families. Although the age of the primary case bore little relation to the attack rate in siblings, the age of the exposed children did seem related. Those under 2 years of age and those over 10 were least frequently attacked while the 3-and 4-year-ld children seemed most susceptible. Cases of otitis media in the primary case seemed to be associated with a higher attack rate in siblings than any other clinical manifestation of disease. Delay in treatment of the primary case beyond 2 days was associated with a rapidly increasing attack rate in sibling contacts. Of the types of Group A streptococci which caused disease in the period studied, type 3 was associated with a much higher attack rate in siblings than other types. Approximately half of the "secondary" cases occurred simultaneously, prior to, or more than 5 days after the onset of illness in the case which the physician was called to treat.