Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No signs of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in primary Sjörgen's syndrome evaluated by 24 hour heart rate variability.

OBJECTIVE Autonomic neuropathy is associated with increased mortality. In patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), disturbances in the autonomic nervous system have been described using conventional cardiovascular reflex tests. Heart rate variability (HRV) measured from Holter recording has proved to be a reliable and sensitive method in assessing autonomic function and prognosis. We evaluated cardiovascular autonomic function based on HRV in patients with primary SS compared to the general population. METHODS We analyzed HRV from 24 h electrocardiography recordings in 28 patients with primary SS and 28 healthy age and sex-matched population-based controls. RESULTS There were no significant differences in time or frequency domains or nonlinear measures of HRV between the groups. CONCLUSION The prevalence of autonomic disturbances is not increased in patients with primary SS compared to the general population.
Salicylic Acid and a Chitin Elicitor Both Control Expression of the CAD1 Gene Involved in the Plant Immunity of Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis mutant cad1 (constitutively activated cell death 1) shows a phenotype that mimics hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death. The CAD1 gene, which encodes a protein containing a domain with significant homology to the MACPF (membrane attach complex and perforin) domain of complement components and perforin, is likely to control plant immunity negatively and has a W-box cis-element in its promoter region. We found that expression of the CAD1 gene and other W-box containing genes, such as NPR1 and PR2, was promoted by salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) as a SA agonist. The CAD1 gene was also stimulated by a purified chitin oligosaccharide elicitor (degree of polymerization = 8). This latter control was not under SA, because CAD1 expression was not suppressed in 35SnahG transgenic plants, which are unable to accumulate SA. These expression profiles were confirmed by promoter analysis using pCAD1::GUS transgenic plants. The CAD1 expression promoted by BTH and the chitin elicitor was not suppressed in the npr1 mutant, which is insensitive to SA signaling. These results indicate that the CAD1 gene is regulated by two distinct pathways involving SA and a chitin elicitor: viz., SA signaling mediated through an NPR1-independent pathway, and chitin elicitor signaling, through an SA-independent pathway. Three CAD1 homologs that have multiple W-box elements in their promoters were also found to be under the control of SA.
Reticulate evolution in the Crepidomanes minutum species complex (Hymenophyllaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Hybridization is an important mechanism of speciation in plants and often results in complexes that comprise multiple sexual diploids and their hybrid offspring. However, the intricacy of these systems has prevented a thorough understanding of many groups. The Crepidomanes minutum species complex (Hymenophyllaceae) is a widely distributed, morphologically variable fern species complex. Although prior reports of apogamy and polyploidy suggest hybridization, it has never been the focus of a phylogenetic study. METHODS Morphology, nuclear (gapCp), and chloroplast (rbcL) DNA sequences, cytology, field observation, and spore counts were used to infer phylogeny and trace hybrid origins. KEY RESULTS The C. minutum species complex is composed of at least three major clades: the African clade, clade 1 (East Asia and the Pacific), and clade 2 (Southeast Asia and the South Pacific). Clades 1 and 2 differ strikingly in morphological variation (uniform in clade 1 vs. highly variable in clade 2) and occurrence of hybrids (rare in clade 1 vs. frequent in clade 2). Apogamy and polyploidy were confirmed as likely mechanisms of hybrid stabilization in clade 2. Despite the large genetic distance between clades 1 and 2, several specimens were observed with gapCp sequences from both; diploid genome size and sexual reproduction indicate maintenance of genetic diversity via introgression or incomplete lineage sorting, rather than ongoing hybridization, in these specimens. CONCLUSIONS The C. minutum species complex is a reticulate network including multiple diploid lineages and their stabilized hybrid crosses. Additional sampling focused on reproductive mode and ploidy level is needed to delimit diploid species and hybrids.
Discussion of Debt or Demand: Which Holds Investment Back? Evidence from an Investment Tax Credit

We study how debt frictions and demand affect corporate investment using administrative data from a large temporary investment tax credit in Portugal. We obtain exogenous variation in demand for exporting firms from product-destinationlevel changes in foreign demand. We proxy debt frictions by an index of different debt-earnings ratios. We find that debt has a strong, non-linear effect on the likelihood that a firm invests in response to the tax credit. Firms in the lower two quartiles of our debt-earnings index have roughly equal predicted take-up probabilities. For firms in the third quartile predicted take-up drops by 50% while firms in the worst debt-earnings quartile have a predicted take-up rate close to zero. We show that the effect of demand is mediated by the size of a firm’s debt burden. While demand has a strong positive effect for the bottom debt quartiles, demand ceases to affect take-up in the highest debt quartile. These results highlight that the distribution of debt, rather than the absolute stock of debt, matters for understanding post-crisis investment dynamics. JEL D22, D95, G11, G32, H25
Laser radar measurements of the aerosol content of the atmosphere

A summary of the results of laser radar observations of atmospheric aerosols is presented along with a description of the laser radar system devised during the study and of the data handling techniques utilized for the analysis of the data of the temporal and spatial distribution of atmospheric aerosols. Current research conducted by the group is directed toward the analysis of the frequency spectrum of laser radar echoes to obtain absolute measurements of the dust content of the atmosphere by resolving the molecular and aerosol contributions to the laser radar echoes.
Analyses of the relationship between a ‘number of reflux episodes’ exceeding 70 and the pH index in neurologically impaired children by evaluating esophageal combined pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance measurements

Abstract Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics associated with a number of reflux episodes (NoRE) of 70 by comparing the clinical and multichannel intraluminal impedance pH measurements (pH/MII) and pH index (pHI) in neurologically impaired (NI) children. Patients and methods: NI children (1–16 years of age) in whom pH/MII had been measured for GERD study were enrolled in this study. All children were divided into NoRE >70 or ≤70 and pHI >4.0 or ≤4.0, >5.0 or ≤5.0 or >7.0 or ≤7.0. In addition, the NI children with pHI >4.0, >5.0 and >7.0 were subdivided into NoRE >70 and ≤70 groups. The clinical and pH/MII measurements were compared between each of the two groups. The cutoff values of pHI and baseline impedance (BI) (Z6) were calculated to discriminate NoRE >70 and ≤70. Results: A total of 61 NI children were enrolled in this study. There was a significant difference in the acid-related parameters, the NoRE (nonacid) and BI between NoRE >70 and ≤70, acid-related parameters and BI between pHI >4.0 and ≤4.0, >5.0 and ≤5.0 and >7.0 and ≤7.0 groups. Furthermore, a significant difference was still observed in the BI between NoRE >70 and ≤70 groups among patients with pHI >4.0, >5.0 or >7.0. The cutoff values of pHI and BI (Z6) for discriminating NoRE >70 and ≤70 were 9.2 and 1049Ω, respectively. Conclusion: The present study indicates that NoRE 70 corresponds to GERD in which patients suffer severe acid exposure with pH of around 9% and esophageal mucosal damage with low BI value in NI children.
On the origin of the electron blocking effect by an n-type AlGaN electron blocking layer

In this work, the origin of electron blocking effect of n-type Al0.25Ga0. 75N electron blocking layer (EBL) for c+ InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes has been investigated through dual-wavelength emission method. It is found that the strong polarization induced electric field within the n-EBL reduces the thermal velocity and correspondingly the mean free path of the hot electrons. As a result, the electron capture efficiency of the multiple quantum wells is enhanced, which significantly reduces the electron overflow from the active region and increases the radiative recombination rate with holes.
Title A two-year surveillance of 2009 pandemic influenza A ( H 1 N 1 ) inGuangzhou , China : from pandemic to seasonal influenza ?

In this two-years surveillance of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) in Guangzhou, China, we reported here that the scale and duration of pH1N1 outbreaks, severe disease and fatality rates of pH1N1 patients were significantly lower or shorter in the second epidemic year (May 2010-April 2011) than those in the first epidemic year (May 2009-April 2010) (P,0.05), but similar to those of seasonal influenza (P.0.05). Similar to seasonal influenza, pre-existing chronic pulmonary diseases was a risk factor associated with fatal cases of pH1N1 influenza. Different from seasonal influenza, which occurred in spring/summer seasons annually, pH1N1 influenza mainly occurred in autumn/winter seasons in the first epidemic year, but prolonged to winter/spring season in the second epidemic year. The information suggests a tendency that the epidemics of pH1N1 influenza may probably further shift to spring/summer seasons and become a predominant subtype of seasonal influenza in coming years in Guangzhou, China. Citation: Li T, Fu C, Di B, Wu J, Yang Z, et al. (2011) A Two-Year Surveillance of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in Guangzhou, China: From Pandemic to Seasonal Influenza? PLoS ONE 6(11): e28027. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0028027 Editor: Paul Digard, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Received August 13, 2011; Accepted October 29, 2011; Published November 18, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Li et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This study was supported by Science and Information Technology of Guangzhou (grant number 2010YIC09), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (grant number 2009ZX10004-306 and 2009ZX10004-213). The funders had no role in study design,data collection and analysis, decision to publish,or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: caoky@mail.sysu. edu.cn (K-yC); wangming@gzcdc.org. cn (MW);
The Limits of Delignification in Kraft Cooking

The perspective of the article is to explore kraft cooking at the limits of delignification, i.e. what degree of delignification is needed to obtain fibre liberation and what is the maximum degree of delignification possible in the kraft pulping stage. The reasons for the quite narrow boundaries for sufficient and maximum delignification are explained, and the differences between the behaviour of hardwood and softwood kraft pulping are clarified.
[Experiments on prosody perception with cochlear implants].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Prosody has a myriad of linguistic functions and involves specific aspects of speech, such as stress, intonation and pauses. The underlying acoustic quantities (amplitude envelope, pitch frequency, and temporal structure) can be processed and transmitted by cochlear implants (CI) only to a limited extent. At present, no adequate tests are available in the German-speaking world for evaluation of the perception of prosodic elements. Different experiments have been conducted to address several prosodic cues, and the results are to be used as a basis for appropriate tests. METHODS Various prosodic materials were used for the experiments. Discrimination was measured for minimal pairs differing in frequency and/or duration, accents in words and phrases, questions versus statements and phrasing. Measurements were performed in ten normal-hearing subjects and five with cochlear implants. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In all test modules, the subjects with normal hearing proved to have high discrimination rates of 96-100%. The test of word stresses was problematic because the results were influenced by different confounders. The other measurements did prove to be basically suitable for use in the subjects with implants. Early results revealed that the subjects with CI had few problems with prosodic cues based on the temporal structure, the outcome being similar to that of the subjects with normal hearing in these tests. In contrast, the performance of subjects with CI in perceiving prosodic cues based on amplitude variations and, especially, on alterations in pitch frequency was worse, even though some of them achieved very good results in these tests too. These preliminary tests can form the basis for development of a German-language prosody test battery with a limited number of subtests addressing different prosodic cues.
Studies on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25). III. Attempts to attenuate the LSD-reaction in man by pretreatment with neurohumoral blocking agents.

Interest in possible chemical transmission of impulses in the central nervous system has been increasing. The neurohumors involved include acetylcholine, 1,2 norepinephrine, 2-4 and serotonin. 4-6 These theories of central chemical synaptic transmission have led, in turn, to hypotheses which ascribe the psychosis induced by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) and other psychotomimetic drugs to derangements in central nervous system function because of competition with one or another of the neurohumors or, on the contrary, to accentuation of the effects of the neurohumors by the psychotomimetic agents. The greatest interest has centered on possible interactions of serotonin and LSD. Woolley and Shaw 5 and Gaddum 6 independently evolved a hypothesis which ascribes the LSD psychosis to competition between LSD and serotonin for receptor sites on or in neurons. This hypothesis, which might be termed the serotonin-deficiency theory, is based in part on the following evidence: Serotonin is found in brain, 6,7
Changes in the flagellar bundling time account for variations in swimming behavior of flagellated bacteria in viscous media

Significance Changes in the swimming speed and behavior of wild-type Escherichia coli in Newtonian fluids of varying viscosity are described. Individual cells exhibit both “run-and-tumble” and “slow random-walk” modes of motility. As the solution viscosity rises, variations in the flagellar bundling time account for changes in the swimming behavior of the cells. A unique contribution is the identification of the skewness of the speed distribution as a key parameter for characterizing different swimming behaviors. The skewness is shown to be solely a function of viscosity and independent of the cell’s metabolic activity. Using both numerical simulation and resistive force theory, we compute the flagellar bundling time as a function of viscosity and achieve good agreement with direct observations. Although the motility of the flagellated bacteria, Escherichia coli, has been widely studied, the effect of viscosity on swimming speed remains controversial. The swimming mode of wild-type E. coli is often idealized as a run-and-tumble sequence in which periods of swimming at a constant speed are randomly interrupted by a sudden change of direction at a very low speed. Using a tracking microscope, we follow cells for extended periods of time in Newtonian liquids of varying viscosity and find that the swimming behavior of a single cell can exhibit a variety of behaviors, including run and tumble and “slow random walk” in which the cells move at a relatively low speed. Although the characteristic swimming speed varies between individuals and in different polymer solutions, we find that the skewness of the speed distribution is solely a function of viscosity and can be used, in concert with the measured average swimming speed, to determine the effective running speed of each cell. We hypothesize that differences in the swimming behavior observed in solutions of different viscosity are due to changes in the flagellar bundling time, which increases as the viscosity rises, due to the lower rotation rate of the flagellar motor. A numerical simulation and the use of resistive force theory provide support for this hypothesis.
Predictors of onset of depression and anxiety in the year after diagnosis of breast cancer

Background Depression and anxiety are common after diagnosis of breast cancer. We examined to what extent these are recurrences of previous disorder and, controlling for this, whether shame, self-blame and low social support after diagnosis predicted onset of depression and anxiety subsequently. Method Women with primary breast cancer who had been treated surgically self-reported shame, self-blame, social support and emotional distress post-operatively. Psychiatric interview 12 months later identified those with adult lifetime episodes of major depression (MD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) before diagnosis and onset over the subsequent year. Statistical analysis examined predictors of each disorder in that year. Results Of the patients, two-thirds with episodes of MD and 40% with episodes of GAD during the year after diagnosis were experiencing recurrence of previous disorder. Although low social support, self-blame and shame were each associated with both MD and GAD after diagnosis, they did not mediate the relationship of disorder after diagnosis with previous disorder. Low social support, but not shame or self-blame, predicted recurrence after controlling for previous disorder. Conclusions Anxiety and depression during the first year after diagnosis of breast cancer are often the recurrence of previous disorder. In predicting disorder following diagnosis, self-blame and shame are merely markers of previous disorder. Low social support is an independent predictor and therefore may have a causal role.
Effects of neuromuscular‐blocking drugs in rats in vivo: Direct measurements in the diaphragm and tibialis anterior muscle

Background: Effects of neuromuscular‐blocking drugs are often investigated in rodents using both the diaphragm in vitro and the tibialis anterior muscle in vivo. Differences in the properties of these muscles cannot be neglected. We evaluated the neuromuscular effects of drugs on the rat diaphragm in vivo in comparison with the tibialis anterior muscle, directly measuring twitch tension with a force transducer.
Strict Control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication by a Genetic Switch: Tet for Tat

ABSTRACT Live-attenuated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants have shown great promise as AIDS vaccines, but continued replication can lead to the selection of faster-replicating variants that are pathogenic. We therefore designed HIV-1 genomes that replicate exclusively upon addition of the nontoxic effector doxycycline (dox). This was achieved by replacement of the viral TAR-Tat system for transcriptional activation by the Escherichia coli-derived Tet system for inducible gene expression. These designer “HIV-rtTA” viruses replicate in a strictly dox-dependent manner both in a T-cell line and in primary blood cells, and the rate of replication can be fine-tuned by simple variation of the dox concentration. These HIV-rtTA viruses provide a tool to perform genetics, e.g., selection and optimization experiments, with the E. coli-derived Tet reagents in a eukaryotic background. Furthermore, such viruses may represent improved vaccine candidates because their replication can be turned on and off at will.
Activated B cells express increased levels of costimulatory molecules in young autoimmune NZB and (NZB x NZW)F(1) mice.

Polyclonal B cell activation is a hallmark of autoimmune disease in NZB and (NZB x NZW)F(1) (NZB/W) mice. However, the mechanism by which this activated cell subset facilitates disease development is unknown. We recently showed that resting B cells from these mice demonstrate enhanced expression of costimulatory molecules in response to CD40 crosslinking (Jongstra-Bilen et al., J. Immunol. 159,5810-5820, 1997). This led us to question whether activated B cells expressed costimulatory molecules in vivo. Using flow cytometry we found that NZB and NZB/W mice have an increased proportion of splenic B cells expressing B7.1 and elevated levels of B7.2 and ICAM-1. These B cells isolate within the low-density activated population and possess the phenotypic characteristics of marginal zone B cells. The levels of B7.1 on the activated B cell population are similar to those induced by CD40 stimulation raising the possibility that activated B cells in NZB and NZB/W mice provide costimulatory signals to self-reactive T cells leading to loss of tolerance.
Tubule formation and functional differentiation by human epithelial respiratory cells cultured in a three-dimensional collagen matrix.

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