Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Locomotion on a slope in leaf-cutter ants: metabolic energy use, behavioural adaptations and the implications for route selection on hilly terrain

SUMMARY The metabolic cost of the negotiation of obstacles, and the influence that this has on route selection, are important determinants of an animal's locomotor behaviour. We determined the gross metabolic cost of locomotion on slopes of different gradients, ranging from –90 to +90 deg, in leaf-cutter ants (Acromyrmex octospinosus) in a closed-circuit respirometry system. Ants were able to select their preferred speed for each gradient. The gross metabolic energy expenditure per unit distance travelled on the slope (Cpath) was calculated from the rate of CO2 production and the speed of locomotion. These data were used to predict the optimal slopes for minimising the vertical cost of locomotion and vertical journey time. The gross rate of CO2 production was approximately constant (1.7 ml g–1 h–1) and was not significantly affected by slope. Ants moderated their speed with slope (P<0.05), travelling the fastest during level locomotion (2.0±0.1 cm s–1, N=20) and increasingly slowly with increased gradient (both on an incline and a decline). Cpath varied significantly with slope, being lowest during level locomotion (646.0±51.2 J kg–1 m–1) and increasing with increasing gradient. These results suggest that ants adapt their locomotor behaviour to keep metabolic rate constant despite changing mechanical demands. It is predicted that when undertaking a journey involving vertical displacement that ants will select routes with a gradient of between 51 and 57 deg during ascent and with a gradient of between –45 and –51 deg during descent, in order to minimise both vertical journey time and vertical cost of locomotion.
Psychiatric disorders with onset in the preschool years: I. Stability of diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE To examine the stability of psychiatric disorders with onset in preschool years. METHOD Five hundred ten children aged 2 through 5 years enrolled initially, with 344 participating in a third wave of data collection 42 through 48 months later. The test batteries used for diagnoses varied by child's age, but they included the Child Behavior Checklist, developmental evaluation, Rochester Adaptive Behavior Inventory and a play session (under age 7 years), and a structured interview (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, for parent and child) (ages 7 and older). Consensus DSM-III-R diagnoses were assigned using best-estimate procedures. RESULTS Intraclass correlations were 0.497 for emotional disorders, 0.718 for disruptive disorders, 0.457 for other diagnoses, and 0.544 for disruptive disorders comorbid with another disorder, indicating moderate stability for all groups of disorders. More than 50% of the children who were aged 2 through 3 years at wave 1 continued to have some psychiatric disorder at wave 2 or 3. Rates were higher for children aged 4 through 5 initially; approximately two thirds were cases subsequently. Odds ratios indicate that having an emotional or disruptive disorder is a strong risk factor for later diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS While some preschool children in primary care "grow out of" their disorder, an equally large number do not; this finding supports the need for early detection and intervention.
Comparison of Different Muscle-Relaxant Anesthetics on Growth, Migration and Invasion of Gastric Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM Muscle relaxants, also known as neuromuscular blocking agents, can block nerve impulses to the muscles and are always used in surgery for general anesthesia. However, the effect of muscle-relaxant anesthetics on cell activity in gastric cancer is currently unknown. The present study aimed to examine and compare the role of three different muscle-relaxant anesthetics in gastric cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Gastric cancer cells (SGC7901 and BGC 823) were treated with a different dose of muscle-relaxant anesthetics, Rocuronium bromide (Rb), Vecuronium bromide (Vb) and Cisatracurium Besilate (CB). Using in vitro models, the effects on gastric cancer cell invasion, growth and migration of various anesthetics were subsequently investigated. RESULTS We found that Rb increased the growth, invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells SGC7901 and BGC823. However, Vb and CB, as relatively mitigative anesthetics, did not significantly affect gastric cancer cell malignant phenotype at their regular blood concentration. CONCLUSION Our results are important in selecting the type and dose of anesthetic used for surgery of gastric cancer patients. An understanding of the effect of muscle-relaxant anesthetics and their impact on tumor metastasis is critical, since it provides insight into the appropriate anesthetic strategy that could improve long-term survival in some patients with gastric cancer.
Marketplaces for data: an initial survey

Data is becoming more and more of a commodity, so that it is not surprising that data has reached the status of tradable goods. An increasing number of data providers is recognizing this and is consequently setting up platforms for selling, buying, or trading data. We identify several categories and dimensions of data marketplaces and data vendors and provide a snapshot of the situation as of Summer 2012.
Dissecting the Specificity of Protein-Protein Interaction in Bacterial Two-Component Signaling: Orphans and Crosstalks

Predictive understanding of the myriads of signal transduction pathways in a cell is an outstanding challenge of systems biology. Such pathways are primarily mediated by specific but transient protein-protein interactions, which are difficult to study experimentally. In this study, we dissect the specificity of protein-protein interactions governing two-component signaling (TCS) systems ubiquitously used in bacteria. Exploiting the large number of sequenced bacterial genomes and an operon structure which packages many pairs of interacting TCS proteins together, we developed a computational approach to extract a molecular interaction code capturing the preferences of a small but critical number of directly interacting residue pairs. This code is found to reflect physical interaction mechanisms, with the strongest signal coming from charged amino acids. It is used to predict the specificity of TCS interaction: Our results compare favorably to most available experimental results, including the prediction of 7 (out of 8 known) interaction partners of orphan signaling proteins in Caulobacter crescentus. Surveying among the available bacterial genomes, our results suggest 15∼25% of the TCS proteins could participate in out-of-operon “crosstalks”. Additionally, we predict clusters of crosstalking candidates, expanding from the anecdotally known examples in model organisms. The tools and results presented here can be used to guide experimental studies towards a system-level understanding of two-component signaling.
Direct assessment of the mechanism for a raised serum bile acid level in chronic liver disease

Background: Impaired hepatic uptake is the major cause of raised serum bile acid levels in liver disease, but confirmation in humans by direct measurement is lacking. The synthetic γ-labelled bile acid 75Se-homocholic acid taurine (75SeHCAT) provides a tool for the direct measurement of hepatic bile acid handling. Objective: To determine the interrelationships among hepatic handling of 75SeHCAT, the kinetics of its disappearance from plasma and serum bile acid levels in patients with chronic liver disease. Design: We studied 12 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and 14 with cirrhosis arising from other causes. Fasting serum bile acid levels were measured enzymatically. After intravenous administration of 75SeHCAT, we determined plasma disappearance rates (initial K1, late K2) from serial blood samples and hepatic uptake and excretory rates directly from dynamic abdominal γ-camera scanning. Both scanning and sampling were carried out over a period of 90 min. Results: Serum bile acid concentrations correlated with K1 and with hepatic uptake (Rs=−0.53, P<0.01; Rs=−0.47, P<0.02, respectively) but neither with K2 nor with the excretory rate. K1 and uptake were reduced (P<0.05) in patients with high serum bile acid levels and in those with varices. Serum bile acid levels were higher in patients with varices (P<0.05), which might suggest that portosystemic shunting occurred. However, this is unlikely because the varices were not independent of liver function. Conclusion: Hepatic bile acid uptake and excretion are independent processes. Hepatic uptake is related to initial, whereas hepatic excretion is related to late, plasma disappearance. Impaired hepatic uptake is a major determinant of the rise in serum bile acid levels in chronic liver disease. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 1995, 7:955–961
The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among 559,890 first‐time volunteer blood donors in China reflects regional heterogeneity in HCV prevalence and changes in blood donor recruitment models

BACKGROUND: A decrease in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody (anti‐HCV) has been reported among voluntary blood donors in some regions of China. However, the prevalence of HCV among volunteer blood donors in other regions of China has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of HCV among 559,890 first‐time volunteer blood donors recruited during 2004 through 2007 at the Guangzhou Blood Center, China.
The Alive Study: A Longitudinal Study of HIV-1 Infection in Intravenous Drug Users: Description of Methods

To identify risk factors for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and for progression to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among intravenous drug users, we established a cohort in Baltimore Maryland in 1988–1989. Intravenous drug users were recruited by extensive community outreach to undergo interview and confidential HIV testing in a special study site. During 13 months of recruitment, 2,921 intravenous drug users were enrolled of whome 24 percent were HIV seropositive; 90 percent returned to receive test results. Methodological issues for enhancing recruitment and retention of drug users are discussed.
Faster Approximate(d) Text-to-Pattern L1 Distance

The problem of finding \emph{distance} between \emph{pattern} of length $m$ and \emph{text} of length $n$ is a typical way of generalizing pattern matching to incorporate dissimilarity score. For both Hamming and $L_1$ distances only a super linear upper bound $\widetilde{O}(n\sqrt{m})$ are known, which prompts the question of relaxing the problem: either by asking for $1 \pm \varepsilon$ approximate distance (every distance is reported up to a multiplicative factor), or $k$-approximated distance (distances exceeding $k$ are reported as $\infty$). We focus on $L_1$ distance, for which we show new algorithms achieving complexities respectively $\widetilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-1} n)$ and $\widetilde{O}((m+k\sqrt{m}) \cdot n/m)$. This is a significant improvement upon previous algorithms with runtime $\widetilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-2} n)$ of Lipsky and Porat (Algorithmica 2011) and $\widetilde{O}(n\sqrt{k})$ of Amir, Lipsky, Porat and Umanski (CPM 2005). We also provide a series of reductions, showing that if our upper bound for approximate $L_1$ distance is tight, then so is our upper bound for $k$-approximated $L_1$ distance, and if the latter is tight then so is $k$-approximated Hamming distance upper bound due to the result of Gawrychowski and Uzna\'nski (arXiv 2017).
The relationship among neuregulin 1-stimulated phosphorylation of AKT, psychosis proneness, and habituation of arousal in nonclinical individuals.

BACKGROUND Previous studies reported an association between weak habituation of skin conductance orienting response and psychosis proneness. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among neuregulin 1 (NRG1)-stimulated AKT phosphorylation (a putative marker of psychosis), orienting response habituation, delusional ideas, anxiety, and depression in nonclinical individuals. METHODS One hundred twenty individuals participated in the skin conductance measurements. Weak and strong habituators were compared on measures of NRG1-stimulated AKT phosphorylation in B lymphoblasts, delusional ideas, anxiety, and depression. The predictors of delusional ideas were determined by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS Weak habituators displayed higher levels of delusional ideas/anxiety and a lower ratio of phosphorylated AKT as compared with strong habituators. There were 3 significant predictors of delusional ideas: decreased habituation, NRG1-induced AKT phosphorylation, and anxiety. Age, gender, education, IQ, and depression did not predict delusional ideas. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that decreased habituation of arousal, NRG1-induced AKT phosphorylation, and anxiety are related to delusional ideation in the general population.
Increased mammographic breast density in acromegaly: quantitative and qualitative assessment.

CONTEXT Mammographic density is a strong independent risk factor for breast cancer, whose prevalence in acromegaly is still controversial. OBJECTIVE To compare breast density in premenopausal acromegalic patients and controls and to determine whether density correlated with disease duration, GH, and IGF1 levels. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective study involving 30 patients and 60 controls matched for age and body mass index. INTERVENTIONS A quantitative computer-aided mammographic density estimation (MDEST) and a qualitative blind evaluation by two experienced radiologists using the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) was performed. Totally, 60 (acromegaly) and 120 (controls) craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique mammograms were evaluated in both patients and controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Breast density. RESULTS Patients showed a significantly (P<0.01) increased mammographic breast density with both methods (MDEST: 0.33 ± 0.21% and BI-RADS category: 2.81 ± 0.78) in comparison with controls (MDEST: 0.26 ± 0.19% and BI-RADS category: 2.35 ± 0.61). The agreement between the two methods and inter-observer agreement between the two radiologists were excellent (k=0.63 and k=0.85). In patients grouped according to disease activity (17 controlled and 13 uncontrolled) and medical therapy (15 treated and 15 untreated), no differences were found. All these groups had significantly increased mammographic breast density compared with controls (P<0.01). A positive correlation was found between mammographic breast density, IGF1 values and disease duration (r=0.29 and r=0.39), whereas it was not found with GH (r=-0.02). CONCLUSIONS Mammographic breast density in premenopausal acromegalic patients is significantly higher than controls and positively correlated with IGF1 and disease duration.
The Paradox of Voting and Congressional Rules for Voting on Amendments

Writers on parliamentary law frequently begin their essays by citing with approval Hatsell's famous observation that “… it is more material that there should be a rule to go by than what that rule is …. ” So generally is this notion accepted that it probably ought to be regarded as a fundamental premise of parliamentary law. Indeed the whole structure of this branch of law rests on the assumption that form is more important than content. Its literature consists almost entirely of the compilation of precedents, and, furthermore, parliamentarians have seldom been concerned to justify the decisions they compile. This indifference to rationalization clearly follows from Hatsell's premise: if one believes that form alone is important, one appropriately concentrates on the form of rules, largely ignoring questions of whether or not their substance is efficient, or fair, or reasonable.
Mindfulness-induced selflessness: a MEG neurophenomenological study

Contemporary philosophical and neurocognitive studies of the self have dissociated two distinct types of self-awareness: a “narrative” self-awareness (NS) weaving together episodic memory, future planning and self-evaluation into a coherent self-narrative and identity, and a “minimal” self-awareness (MS) focused on present momentary experience and closely tied to the sense of agency and ownership. Long-term Buddhist meditation practice aims at realization of a “selfless” mode of awareness (SL), where identification with a static sense of self is replaced by identification with the phenomenon of experiencing itself. NS-mediating mechanisms have been explored by neuroimaging, mainly fMRI, implicating prefrontal midline structures, but MS processes are not well characterized and SL even less so. To this end we tested 12 long-term mindfulness meditators using a neurophenomenological study design, incorporating both magnetoencephalogram (MEG) recordings and first person descriptions. We found that (1) NS attenuation involves extensive frontal, and medial prefrontal gamma band (60–80 Hz) power decreases, consistent with fMRI and intracranial EEG findings; (2) MS attenuation is related to beta-band (13–25 Hz) power decreases in a network that includes ventral medial prefrontal, medial posterior and lateral parietal regions; and (3) the experience of selflessness is linked to attenuation of beta-band activity in the right inferior parietal lobule. These results highlight the role of dissociable frequency-dependent networks in supporting different modes of self-processing, and the utility of combining phenomenology, mindfulness training and electrophysiological neuroimaging for characterizing self-awareness.
Interactive Visualizations for Search Processes

Search processes exert influence on everyday life they support information search and help us to understand complex topics. To facilitate these processes we introduce three different interactive visualization algorithms which allow the comparison of subsequent searches during a search process. Specifically, the visualizations help us to identify the expected search results. Furthermore they show us common search results during the adaptation of the search keywords. On the one hand the visual representation of the search process gives an overview, on the other hand it enables the recognition of similar search results as well as subject areas within the result set. Our design builds upon the visualization techniques Circle Packing, Force-Directed Graph and Chord Diagram to show hierarchies and dependencies in result sets based on the evaluation of different query facets and the related data types. Our work is the topic of the author’s master thesis at the Chair of Media Computer Science at the University of Passau. Its current state is presented.
Mean Platelet Volume and Immature Platelet Fraction in Autoimmune Disorders

Mean platelet volume (MPV), measured using automated blood analysers, has been appraised as a potential biomarker in cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. The test, a useful tool in differentiation of thrombocytopenic states, has now been carried out for autoimmune disorders, but data are yet scarce. Controversial results have been obtained in systemic and organ-specific autoimmune disorders. Another test, the immature platelet fraction (IPF) reflects the amount of young, reticulated platelets. IPF is calculated by automated hematology analysis or flow cytometry, and it is usually high in patients with rapid platelet destruction. For both MPV and IPF, standardization of cutoff is a major need. In this review, we focus the current applicability of MPV and IPF as biomarkers in patients with autoimmune diseases.
Reversible Deformation of Transfusion Tracheids in Taxus baccata Is Associated with a Reversible Decrease in Leaf Hydraulic Conductance1[OPEN]

The reversible collapse of leaf transfusion tracheids of Taxus baccata under desiccation is related to reversible declines in leaf hydraulic conductance, suggesting a circuit breaker-like function that protects the xylem from excessive tensions. Declines in leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) with increasing water stress have been attributed to cavitation of the leaf xylem. However, in the leaves of conifers, the reversible collapse of transfusion tracheids may provide an alternative explanation. Using Taxus baccata, a conifer species without resin, we developed a modified rehydration technique that allows the separation of declines in Kleaf into two components: one reversible and one irreversible upon relaxation of water potential to −1 MPa. We surveyed leaves at a range of water potentials for evidence of cavitation using cryo-scanning electron microscopy and quantified dehydration-induced structural changes in transfusion tracheids by cryo-fluorescence microscopy. Irreversible declines in Kleaf did not occur until leaf water potentials were more negative than −3 MPa. Declines in Kleaf between −2 and −3 MPa were reversible and accompanied by the collapse of transfusion tracheids, as evidenced by cryo-fluorescence microscopy. Based on cryo-scanning electron microscopy, cavitation of either transfusion or xylem tracheids did not contribute to declines in Kleaf in the reversible range. Moreover, the deformation of transfusion tracheids was quickly reversible, thus acting as a circuit breaker regulating the flux of water through the leaf vasculature. As transfusion tissue is present in all gymnosperms, the reversible collapse of transfusion tracheids may be a general mechanism in this group for the protection of leaf xylem from excessive loads generated in the living leaf tissue.
Quantum Two Provers Interactive Proof Systems

In this thesis we analyze quantum two prover one round interactive proof systems, in which noninteracting provers can share unlimited entanglement. The maximum acceptance probability is characterized as a superoperator norm. We get some partial results and in particular we analyze the ”rank one” case. For solving it we give a bound on the trace norm of a product of matrices which, to the best of our knowledge, is new.
Undocumented Mexicans in the United States.

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Mexican immigration to the United States: determinants and trends 3. Undocumented Mexican immigrants: numbers, geographic distribution, and social consequences 4. Alternative ways of surveying the undocumented and some results 5. How the Los Angeles County parents data were obtained 6. The validity of data on legal status 7. A comparison of the social characteristics of undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and US natives of Mexican origin 8. A comparison of the economic characteristics of undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and US natives of Mexican origin 9. Characteristics of one individual compared to characteristics of another family member 10. A multivariate analysis of the impact of legal status on the hourly wage, hours worked per year, and annual earnings 11. Policy options and their likely consequences Notes Index.
The Effect of Cobalt-Sublattice Disorder on Spin Polarisation in Co2FexMn1−xSi Heusler Alloys

In this work we present a theoretical study of the effect of disorder on spin polarisation at the Fermi level, and the disorder formation energies for Co2FexMn1−xSi (CFMS) alloys. The electronic calculations are based on density functional theory with a Hubbard U term. Chemical disorders studied consist of swapping Co with Fe/Mn and Co with Si; in all cases we found these are detrimental for spin polarisation, i.e., the spin polarisation not only decreases in magnitude, but also can change sign depending on the particular disorder. Formation energy calculation shows that Co–Si disorder has higher energies of formation in CFMS compared to Co2MnSi and Co2FeSi, with maximum values occurring for x in the range 0.5–0.75. Cross-sectional structural studies of reference Co2MnSi, Co2Fe0.5Mn0.5Si, and Co2FeSi by Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy are in qualitative agreement with total energy calculations of the disordered structures.