Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of a Malthusian Economy: India in the Aftermath of the 1918 Influenza

The 1918 influenza epidemic struck India when the subcontinent was mired in its long-term Malthusian equilibrium of low population growth and stable per-capita consumption. Its terrible death toll left survivors with additional agricultural land, which we show they rapidly put to agricultural use with no decrease in yields. We explore the extent to which this increased per-capita wealth gave rise, over the ensuing decades, to heightened investments in both child quantity as well as child quality. Consistent with most Malthusian unified growth theories, we find that individuals in heavily affected districts had more children in the aftermath of the influenza. Contrary to these theories, we also find that these children were taller and better educated. Our results suggest that the preference for child quality existed even in societies that appeared Malthusian both to contemporary observers and modern historians. ∗This version: February 2016. We thank Sunny Lee, Andrew Mollerus, Fatima Aqeel, Ting Wang, and Naureen Rashid for excellent research assistance. We are very grateful to Shameel Ahmad, Prashant Bharadwaj, Guilhem Cassan, Latika Chaudhury, Arvinda Guntupalli, and Takashi Kurosaki for their generosity in sharing data.
Intergenerational transmission of child abuse: rates, research, and clinical implications.

OBJECTIVE The author reviews current wisdom concerning the rates and mechanisms of intrafamilial components of intergenerational transmission of child abuse and illustrates the unreliability of basic data and of assumptions made by reviewers and partisan advocates, most of whom underestimate the importance of intrafamilial factors in child abuse. METHOD The information in the report was derived from original research plus a recently prepared compilation of 60 studies, mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom. RESULTS The crude rates of intergenerational transmission of child abuse according to the studies reviewed are as follows: one-third of child victims grow up to continue a pattern of seriously inept, neglectful, or abusive rearing as parents. One-third do not. The other one-third remain vulnerable to the effects of social stress on the likelihood of their becoming abusive parents. Intrafamilial factors appear to be the cause of personally directed, as opposed to culturally condoned, child abuse. Broad social factors, and some medical and psychiatric conditions, lower or raise thresholds in which family and personal vulnerabilities and propensities operate. CONCLUSIONS There is no justification for any extremist advocacy in apportioning responsibility between the "sins of the parents" and the failings of society. The contention that clinical research on abuse is inferior to, and must give way to, large-scale or statistically balanced self-report and questionnaire surveys is plausible, popular, convincing, and wrong.
Leibniz as Jurist

and Keywords This chapter discusses Leibniz’s contribution to legal theory and the significance of his legal engagements for his intellectual development. It opens by presenting Leibniz’s legal career, listing the sequence of legal offices he assumed and the series of often related writings addressing legal matters. It presents Leibniz’s early legal works, where a new approach to legal scholarship and decision-making is proposed that merges positive and natural law and enriches the law with methods and knowledge from logic, mathematics, physics, and philosophy. This new synthesis provides the basis of his proposed reform of legal education. Leibniz’s relation to Roman law is then considered, focusing on the role of Roman tradition in his approach to law and justice. The last two sections address Leibniz’s logic of deontic modalities and his view of legal reasoning as being both dialectical and presumptive.
Oxygen: Implications for Wound Healing.

BACKGROUND Oxygen is vital for healing wounds. It is intricately involved in numerous biological processes including cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and protein synthesis, which are required for restoration of tissue function and integrity. Adequate wound tissue oxygenation can trigger healing responses and favorably influence the outcomes of other treatment modalities. THE PROBLEM Chronic ischemic wounds fail to heal appropriately secondary to extreme hypoxia that leads to cellular demise. Wound tissue hypoxia is typically greater at the center of the wound. Accordingly, oxygen requirements of the regenerating tissue will vary. BASIC/CLINICAL SCIENCE ADVANCES As oxygen levels decrease within the wound, cell response mechanisms (hypoxia inducible factor [HIF]) trigger the transcription of genes that promote cell survival and angiogenesis. HIF stabilizers are currently being tested to determine wound healing potential. Clinically, topical oxygen therapy (TOT) has been proved as an effective therapeutic modality for chronic wounds. TOT is reputed to have several advantages over hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Namely, TOT has a lower risk of oxygen toxicity, it is less expensive and is relatively easy to apply to target areas. CLINICAL CARE RELEVANCE Wound tissue oxygen is necessary for appropriate wound healing; however, the relative complexity of the healing process requires a multifaceted approach for successful healing outcomes. A key component of this multifaceted approach should be specific oxygen dosing as a function of tissue hypoxia. CONCLUSION New treatment approaches that exploit cell hypoxia sensing and response mechanisms and that enable the precise application of oxygen therapy to hypoxic areas of regenerating tissue are very promising.
The Family of SMF Metal Ion Transporters in Yeast Cells*

Metal ions are vital for all organisms, and metal ion transporters play a crucial role in maintaining their homeostasis. The yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Smf transporters and their homologs in other organisms have a central role in the accumulation of metal ions and their distribution in different tissues and cellular organelles. In this work we generated null mutations in each individual SMF gene in yeast as well as in all combinations of the genes. Each null mutation exhibited sensitivity to metal ion chelators at different concentrations. The combination of null mutants ΔSMF1 + ΔSMF2and the triple null mutant Δ3SMF failed to grow on medium buffered at pH 8 and 7.5, respectively. Addition of 5 μmcopper or 25 μm manganese alleviated the growth arrest at the high pH or in the presence of the chelating agent. The transport of manganese was analyzed in the triple null mutant and in this mutant expressing each Smf protein. Although overexpression of Smf1p and Smf2p resulted in uptake that was higher than wild type cells, the expression of Smf3p gave no significant uptake above that of the triple mutant Δ3SMF. Western analysis with antibody against Smf3p indicated that this transporter does not reach the plasma membrane and may function at the Golgi or post-Golgi complexes. The iron uptake resulting from expression of Smf1p and Smf2p was analyzed in a mutant in which its iron transporters FET3and FET4 were inactivated. Overexpression of Smf1p gave rise to a significant iron uptake that was sensitive to the sodium concentrations in the medium. We conclude that the Smf proteins play a major role in copper and manganese homeostasis and, under certain circumstances, Smf1p may function in iron transport into the cells.
Airway wall thickness assessed using computed tomography and optical coherence tomography.

RATIONALE Computed tomography (CT) has been shown to reliably measure the airway wall dimensions of medium to large airways. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a promising new micron-scale resolution imaging technique that can image small airways 2 mm in diameter or less. OBJECTIVES To correlate OCT measurements of airway dimensions with measurements assessed using CT scans and lung function. METHODS Forty-four current and former smokers received spirometry, CT scans, and OCT imaging at the time of bronchoscopy. Specific bronchial segments were identified and measured using the OCT images and three-dimensional reconstructions of the bronchial tree using CT. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS There was a strong correlation between CT and OCT measurements of lumen and wall area (r = 0.84, P < 0.001, and r = 0.89, P < 0.001, respectively). Compared with CT, OCT measurements were lower for both lumen and wall area by 31 and 66%, respectively. The correlation between FEV(1)% predicted and CT and OCT measured wall area (as percentage of the total area) of fifth-generation airways was very strong (r = -0.79, r = -0.75), but the slope of the relationship was much steeper using OCT than using CT (y = -0.33x + 82, y = -0.1x + 78), indicating greater sensitivity of OCT in detecting changes in wall measurements that relate to FEV(1). CONCLUSIONS OCT can be used to measure airway wall dimensions. OCT may be more sensitive at detecting small airway wall changes that lead to FEV(1) changes in individuals with obstructive airway disease.
Continuous supercritical emulsions extraction: A new technology for biopolymer microparticles production

Supercritical emulsion extraction (SEE) was recently proposed for the production of biopolymer microparticles starting from oil‐in‐water emulsions. This technology can improve the product quality because of the fast and selective extraction of the dispersed oily phase by using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2). However, until now, SEE was proposed in batch configuration, sharing with the traditional processes an intrinsically discontinuous operation and problems of batches reproducibility and process yield. In this study, by using a countercurrent packed column, the SEE process was proposed in a continuous operating mode (SEE‐CM) for the production of poly‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles. The new process design takes advantage of the large contact area between the SC‐CO2 and emulsion allowing the production of PLGA microparticles with controlled and narrow size distributions in only few minutes. SEE‐CM operating parameters such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate ratios were analyzed and the process efficiency in terms of recovered material and its size distribution compared with SEE (batch mode operation) and conventional evaporation technology. PLGA microparticles showed a mean particle size between 1–3 µm (depending on the droplet sizes) with a SD that was always smaller than that associated with particles produced by discontinuous processes. Single and double emulsions were successfully treated and the microparticles physico‐chemical properties showed no morphological and structural differences between the SEE‐CM‐produced microparticles and the ones obtained by conventional evaporation technology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:676–686. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Morphological forms and viability of Campylobacter species studied by electron microscopy

Electron microscopic studies of Campylobacter revealed that different morphological forms predominate at different parts of a colony. At the periphery, cells were almost all spirals, while in the center of the colony cells were mainly coccus shaped. Unusual ring-shaped cells, "donuts", were observed in the raised, peripheral region of the colony. Donut or ring forms have not previously been reported for Campylobacter organisms. Our data indicate that young or actively growing cells are mainly spiral shaped. Older cells undergo a degenerative change to coccoid forms. The donut shape appears to be an intermediate stage between spirals and cocci. Comparisons of plate counts of actively growing and inactive cells confirmed that coccoid cells are probably nonviable.
Attenuated Apoptosis of B Cell Activating Factor–Expressing Cells in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

B cell activating factor (BAFF) is known to be a powerful regulator of B-cell differentiation and proliferation. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of apoptosis among BAFF-expressing cells in Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) salivary gland tissue. We performed double stainings of BAFF together with one of the markers, CD21, CD68, CD40, Fas, Bcl-2 or Bax, and monitored apoptosis among BAFF expressing cells by using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-digoxigenin nick-end labeling method. A significantly lower level of apoptosis among the BAFF-expressing cells was detected in salivary glands from patients with SS compared with controls (p = 0.03). Furthermore, no difference in the coexpression of Fas or CD40 together with BAFF was detected between patients and controls. Coexpression of the pro apoptotic molecule Bax together with BAFF was nonsignificantly decreased in patients with SS compared with controls. Our results suggest that a reduced level of apoptosis among BAFF-expressing cells might lead to longer-existing BAFF expression within these cells and thereby maintain signaling for tissue-infiltrating B cells to proliferate and mature.
A study on Mental Arithmetic Task based human stress level classification using Discrete Wavelet Transform

Several studies examined human stress identification using Mental Arithmetic Task (MAT). The identification and prediction of stress levels using existing data processing methodologies are incompetent to predict the stress levels either in real time or laboratory based experiments. The main objectives of the present work is to classify the stress levels using mental arithmetic task and appropriate signal processing methodology, (ii) to analyze the characteristics of Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal for different stress levels, and (iii) to derive the optimum features from a set of statistical features over different frequency bands. Ten healthy female subjects (20 to 25) years voluntarily participated and ECG signal was acquired. In this work, High Frequency (HF) and Low Frequency (LF) frequency band of ECG signal is directly analyzed similar frequency ranges of Heart Rate Viability (HRV) signals. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) have employed for identifying the stress relevant effect of ANS activity during different stress levels. Statistical features derived using DWT are mapped into four different states including three stress levels (normal, low stress, medium stress, and high stress) using K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier. Covariance feature gives the maximum mean classification rate of 96.3%, and 75.9% in LF and HF bands, respectively. In addition, the maximum average classification accuracy of 65.5% is achieved using mean feature in LF/HF+LF and HF/HF+LF ratios.
The evaluation of intra- and postoperative complications related to debulking surgery with bowel resection in patients with FIGO stage III–IV ovarian cancer

The surgical treatment of advanced ovarian cancer is based on the maximal debulking with widening the operation range to the infiltrated organs. The aims are as follows: (1) the assessment of the quantity and quality of intra- and postoperative complications in patients with advanced ovarian cancer in which partial bowel resection was performed and (2) the evaluation of intra- and postoperative complications related to surgery with bowel resection and anastomosis, compared to Hartmann's procedure. The analysis of debulking procedures with intestinal resection and postoperative period in 39 ovarian cancer patients, FIGO stage III–IV, was performed. During 39 operations, the most frequent type of resection was the sigmoidectomy or proctosigmoidectomy (29 patients). In the remaining patients, left- and right-side hemicolectomy or partial enterectomy was done. Twenty-four anastomosis and 15 Hartmann's procedures were performed. There were no differences between surgery with anastomosis and Hartmann's procedure in aspect of quantity of complications, blood loss, and the time of surgery. There were no statistically significant differences in overall survival and progression-free survival in both groups. We conclude that the percentage of complications related to debulking surgery with intestinal resection in advanced ovarian cancer patients might be accepted. The quantity of complications related to surgery with anastomosis and to Hartmann's procedure is similar. If possible, the surgery with anastomosis should be performed.
Prevalent But Moderate Variation Across Small Geographic Regions in Patient Nonadherence to Evidence-based Preventive Therapies in Older Adults After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background:Patient long-term adherence to &bgr;-blockers, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is alarmingly low. It is unclear how prevalent patient adherence may be across small geographic areas and whether this geographic prevalence may vary. Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study using Medicare service claims files from 2007 to 2009 with Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and above who were alive 30 days after the index AMI hospitalization between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 (N=85,017). The adjusted proportions of patients adherent to &bgr;-blockers, statins, and ACEIs/ARBs, respectively, in the 12 months after discharge across the 306 Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs) were measured and compared by control chart. The intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) and the additional prediction power from this small-area variation on individual patient adherence were assessed. Results:The adjusted proportion of patients adherent across HRRs ranged from 58% to 74% (median, 66%) for &bgr;-blockers, from 57% to 67% (median, 63%) for ACEIs/ARBs, and from 58% to 73% (median, 66%) for statins. The ICC was 0.053 (95% CI, 0.043–0.064) for &bgr;-blockers, 0.050 (95% CI, 0.039–0.061) for ACEIs/ARBs, and 0.041 (95% CI, 0.031–0.052) for statins. The adjusted proportion of patients adherent across HRRs increased the c-statistic by 0.01–0.02 (P < 0.0001). Conclusions:Nonadherence to evidence-based preventive therapies post-AMI among older adults was prevalent across small geographic regions. Moderate small-area variation in patient adherence exists.
Teenage asthma after severe early childhood wheezing: An 11‐year prospective follow‐up†

The role of factors related to early wheezing and their associations with subsequent development of asthma are controversial. We reevaluated 81 children who had been prospectively followed up since hospitalization for wheezing at less than 2 years of age. The baseline data on characteristics of the children, family‐related factors, and viral causes of wheezing were collected on entry into the study. At the median age of 12.3 years, current symptoms suggestive of asthma and allergy were recorded. As part of the clinical examination, an outdoor exercise challenge test and skin prick tests to common inhalant allergens were performed. Asthma, as indicated by current inhaled anti‐inflammatory medication or repeated wheezing and positive result in the challenge test, was present in 32 (40%) children, and 90% of them were sensitized to at least one allergen. Early asthma‐predictive factors were atopic dermatitis (odds ratio (OR), 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2–10.1) and the presence of specific IgE to inhalant allergens (OR, 11.3; 95% CI, 1.9–67.6). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) identification during wheezing in infancy was relatively rare (20%) among later asthmatics compared with other or no viral identification (52%) or rhinovirus identification (58%). Since the prevalence of childhood asthma in our area is 4.0–5.0%, we conclude that the increased risk of asthma persists until the teenage years after hospitalization for wheezing in infancy. The risk was about 5‐fold after respiratory syncytial virus‐induced wheezing, and more than 10‐fold after rhinovirus‐induced wheezing in the present study. Pediatr Pulmonol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High-Resolution Profiling and Analysis of Viral and Host Small RNAs during Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) contributes its own set of microRNAs (miRNAs) during lytic infection of cells, likely fine-tuning conditions important for viral replication. To enhance our understanding of this component of the HCMV-host transcriptome, we have conducted deep-sequencing analysis of small RNAs (smRNA-seq) from infected human fibroblast cells. We found that HCMV-encoded miRNAs accumulate to ∼20% of the total smRNA population at late stages of infection, and our analysis led to improvements in viral miRNA annotations and identification of two novel HCMV miRNAs, miR-US22 and miR-US33as. Both of these miRNAs were capable of functionally repressing synthetic targets in transient transfection experiments. Additionally, through cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) of Argonaute (Ago)-bound RNAs from infected cells, followed by high-throughput sequencing, we have obtained direct evidence for incorporation of all HCMV miRNAs into the endogenous host silencing machinery. Surprisingly, three HCMV miRNA precursors exhibited differential incorporation of their mature miRNA arms between Ago2 and Ago1 complexes. Host miRNA abundances were also affected by HCMV infection, with significant upregulation observed for an miRNA cluster containing miR-96, miR-182, and miR-183. In addition to miRNAs, we also identified novel forms of virus-derived smRNAs, revealing greater complexity within the smRNA population during HCMV infection.
Dietary constraints on encephalization in primates.

Encephalization, and its relationship to potential selective forces, have been a focus of many studies of primate adaptation. It has been argued that gut size may constrain brain mass because these two types of "expensive tissue" (among others) compete in their metabolic requirements (Aiello and Wheeler [1995] Curr. Anthropol. 36:199-221). Following from the inverse correlation of gut size with diet quality, the expensive tissue hypothesis predicts that differences in diet quality are positively correlated with differences in brain mass, once the correlation of each variable with body mass is taken into account. We tested this prediction using both nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic methods. The results of both methods are consistent with predictions made by the expensive tissue hypothesis. We also discuss several examples of independent contrasts that are consistent with the hypothesis (e.g., Colobinae vs. Cercopithecinae), as well as some that are not (e.g., Tarsius vs. anthropoidea). Overall, the results indicate that improved diet quality, by allowing reduction in relative gut mass, is one mechanism involved in increased encephalization.
Spectral analysis and discrimination by zero-crossings

We advance a coherent development of zero-crossing-based methods and theory appropriate for fast signal analysis. Quite a few ideas pertaining to zero-crossing counts found in the literature can be expressed and interpreted with the help of this more general setup. A central issue addressed in some detail is the fruitful connection which exists between zero-crossing counts and linear filtering. This connection is explored and interpreted with the help of a certain zero-crossing spectral representation, and is then applied in spectral analysis, detection, and discrimination. Zero-crossing counts in filtered time series are called higher order crossings. The theme of this work is that higher order crossings analysis provides a useful descriptive as well as an analytical tool that can in many respects match spectral analysis. To a great extent these two types of analysis are, in fact, equivalent, but each emphasizes a different point of view. Advantages offered by higher order crossings are great simplicity and a drastic data reduction.