julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The German Hamlets: An Advanced Text Technological Application
2008-01-01

Although Shakespeare’s Hamlet is obviously not a unique hypertext, it is an interesting object to test advanced hypertextand text technologies. There is no original edition of Hamlet, which was authorized by Shakespeare during his lifetime. We only have different print editions, which all have a different status concerning their quality, overall length, content and story-line. The most important among these are the so called fi rst folio, the fi rst quattro and the second quattro edition of Hamlet. During the centuries editors tried to combine these early editions to the best edition possible. The famous Ardeneditons as well as the in the internet widespread Moby-editon are such compositions.
[An essay on the topicality and problem complex Ethics of the Reverence for Life]
2008-01-01

Albert Schweitzer developed an egalitarian biocentrism which follows the maxim "I am life that wants to live, in the midst of life that wants to live". Following Schweitzer's idea of the Reverence for Life obviously leads to ethical dilemmas - as for example in the case of animal experimentation. In many situations we cannot but kill or harm, even if we don't want to, and must live at the cost of other living beings. How can the Reverence for Life stand up to that? Overcoming ethical dilemmas often means agreeing to compromises, which often leave us behind in discomfort. This discomfort and its meaning for Schweitzer's ethical concept can be illustrated by means of an example. Imagine two biologists, both conducting animal experiments that seem ethically justified and necessary to them. Nevertheless they can hold very different positions concerning their action. In some respect Schweitzer's ideas may be problematic and fairly radical. But they are also interesting and topical in so far as they don't let us get away easily after the decision-making process in an ethical dilemma. His theory opens up for the idea of compensation and development of alternative methods arising from what he calls a unique solidarity between human and non-human animals.
Multilingual conceptual access to lexicon based on shared orthography
2008-01-01

In this paper we propose a model for conceptual access to multilingual lexicon based on shared orthography. Our proposal relies crucially on two facts: That both Chinese and Japanese conventionally use Chinese orthography in their respective writing systems, and that the Chinese orthography is anchored on a system of radical parts which encodes basic concepts. Each orthographic unit, called hanzi and kanji respectively, contains a radical which indicates the broad semantic class of the meaning of that unit. Our study utilizes the homomorphism between the Chinese hanzi and Japanese kanji systems to identify bilingual word correspondences. We use bilingual dictionaries, including WordNet, to verify semantic relation between the crosslingual pairs. These bilingual pairs are then mapped to an ontology constructed based on relations to the relation between the meaning of each character and the basic concept of their radical parts. The conceptual structure of the radical ontology is proposed as a model for simultaneous conceptual access to both languages. A study based on words containing characters composed of the "(mouth)" radical is given to illustrate the proposal and the actual model. The fact that this model works for two typologically very different languages and that the model contains generative lexicon like coersive links suggests that this model has the conceptual robustness to be applied to other languages.
El actuar moral sobre el libro I, capítulo III de la crítica de la razón práctica
2008-01-01

Kinetic studies of both liver and muscle phosphorylase a demonstrate that caffeine and glucose inhibit the binding of glucose 1-phosphate to the enzyme in a synergistic competitive and nonexclusive manner. Inhibition studies for numerous other caffeine analogs show that the muscle enzyme has a relaxed specificity for this negative effector. The liver enzyme is more discriminating by preferential binding of methylated oxypurines. Physiological concentrations of AMP and ATP, which affect the enzymic activity at a separate site, prevent glucose from effectively inhibiting the enzyme. The addition of the second synergistic ligand improves the binding of glucose. These data suggest that glucose homeostasis as regulated by phosphorylase may be dependent on a second ligand and that the role of glucose in this physiological process may have been overestimated. A structural rationalization of this synergistic response is discussed with reference to the crystal structure of the muscle enzyme.
WHO 2006 child growth standards: implications for the prevalence of stunting and underweight-for-age in a birth cohort of Gabonese children in comparison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 growth charts and the National Center for Health Statistics 1978 growth references
2008-01-02

Abstract Objectives To assess the proportion of children being stunted and underweight-for-age at 3, 9 and 15 months in Lambaréné, Gabon, using the WHO child growth standards released in 2006 as compared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 1978 child growth charts/references. Design and setting Prospective birth cohort in Lambaréné, Gabon. Subjects Two hundred and eighty-nine children from birth to 15 months of age. Methods Weight and length were recorded at 3, 9 and 15 months. Corresponding Z scores for stunting and underweight-for-age were calculated for the three different standards/references. Children with a height-for-age or weight-for-age below –2 sd of the corresponding reference median ( Z score ≤−2) were classified as stunted or underweight-for-age, respectively. Results With the new WHO 2006 standards a higher proportion (4·0 %) of 3-month-old infants were underweight compared with the CDC (1·0 %) or the NCHS (0·7 %) child growth charts/references. In contrast to the NCHS references or the CDC charts, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months. The proportion of children being stunted was highest (above 20 %) with the WHO 2006 standards at all three ages. Again, in contrast to the old standards, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months. Conclusions The present results show considerably different growth faltering patterns for Gabonese children depending on the growth charts used to assess the prevalence of stunting and underweight. Shifting to the new WHO child growth standards may have important implications for child health programmes.
INTEGRAL observation of the accreting pulsar 1E1145.1-6141
2008-01-02

We analyze 1050 ks of INTEGRAL data of the high mass X-ray binary pulsar 1E 1145.1-6141 to study its properties over a long time baseline, from June 2003 to June 2004, with wide spectral coverage. We study three high luminosity episodes, two of them at the system apoastron, three brightening with lower intensity, two at the periastron, and one extended period of intermediate luminosity spanning one orbital cycle. We perform timing analysis to determine the pulse period and pulse profiles at different energy ranges. We also analyze the broad band phase average spectrum of different luminosity states and perform phase resolved spectroscopy for the first flare. From the timing analysis, we find a pulse period of ~297 s around MJD 53000 with a significant scatter around the mean value. From the spectral analysis we find that the source emission can be described by an absorbed bremsstrahlung model in which the electron temperature varies between ~25 and ~37 keV, without any correlation to luminosity, and the intrinsic absorbing column is constantly of the order of 10^23 cm^-2. Phase resolved spectral analysis evidences a different temperature of the plasma in the ascending and descending edges of the pulse during the first flare. This justifies the pulse maximum shift by ~0.4 phase units between 20 and 100 keV observed in the pulse profiles. The comparison with the previous period measurements reveals that the source is currently spinning-down, in contrast to the long term secular trend observed so far indicating that at least a temporary accretion disk is formed. The study of the spectral property variations with respect to time and spin phase suggests the presence of two emitting components at different temperatures whose relative intensity varies with time.
Propafenone for the Prevention of Atrial Tachyarrhythmias After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized, Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial
2008-01-02

We studied the efficacy of propafenone in preventing atrial tachyarrhythmias after cardiac surgery, and the possible relationships between CYP2D6 polymorphism and the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and tolerability of propafenone. One hundred and sixty patients were randomized (double blind) to receive propafenone (n= 78) or placebo (n= 82) for 1 week after cardiac surgery. The patients who were assigned to the propafenone group received 1 mg/kg infused in 1 h, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 4 mg/kg/24 h until the following morning, and subsequently 450 mg/day orally until the sixth postoperative day. Thirty-seven patients completed the trial in the propafenone group and 45 in the placebo group. The frequency of occurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia was lower in the propafenone group than in the placebo group (29.7% vs. 53.3%, P< 0.05; relative risk, 0.56). Plasma propafenone concentrations were markedly influenced by CYP2D6 genotype-derived phenotype.
The DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and demand of dopaminergic medication in Parkinson's disease
2008-01-03

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that the TaqIA polymorphism of the D2 dopamine receptor gene ( DRD 2) is associated with response to dopaminergic and antidopaminergic treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia, respectively. We tested whether the TaqIA genotype in PD is responsible for demand of dopaminergic medication, measured in total dopaminergic load per year of disease, in a large scale association study based on the gene bank of the German Competence Network on Parkinson's disease. Regression analysis yielded no significant differences between the TaqIA genotypes. We conclude that the DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism alone has no pivotal role for interindividual variability of dopaminergic requirement in PD. We propose a practicable system of measuring dopaminergic treatment for future pharmacogenetic studies in PD. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Platelets: Inflammatory Firebugs of Vascular Walls
2008-01-04

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Platelets can “inflame” the vascular wall by various mechanisms and thereby initiate and support the development of atherosclerosis. Platelet interaction with leukocytes, endothelial cells, and circulating progenitor cells triggers autocrine and paracrine activation processes, leading to inflammatory and atherogenic cascades at the vascular wall. This review highlights the molecular key components and pathways used by platelets to trigger and accelerate inflammation at the vascular wall and, thereby, atherosclerosis.
Huntingtin-associated protein-1 is a modifier of the age-at-onset of Huntington's disease
2008-01-04

A polyglutamine repeat expansion of more than 36 units in a protein called huntingtin (htt) is the only known cause of Huntington's disease (HD). The expanded repeat length is inversely correlated with the age-at-onset (AAO), however, the onset age among HD patients with CAG repeats below 60 units varies considerably. In addition to environmental factors, genetic factors different from the expanded CAG repeat length can modify the AAO of HD. We hypothezised that htt interacting proteins might contribute to this variation in the AAO and investigated human htt-associated protein-1 (HAP1) using genetic and functional assays. We identified six polymorphisms in the HAP1 gene including one that substitutes methionine (M441) for threonine (T441) at amino acid 441. Analyzing 980 European HD patients, we found that patients homozygous for the M441 genotype show an 8-year delay in the AAO. Functional assays demonstrated that human M441-HAP1 interacts with mutant htt more tightly than does human T441-HAP1, reduces soluble htt degraded products and protects against htt-mediated toxicity. We thus provide genetic and functional evidence that the M441-HAP1 polymorphism modifies the AAO of HD.
Ureaplasma urealyticum Meningitis in an Adult Patient
2008-01-04

ABSTRACT A 38-year-old patient developed meningitis after a complicated kidney transplantation and organ rejection. Ureaplasma urealyticum was identified as the etiological agent by molecular and microbiological analyses of the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient was successfully treated with doxycycline and chloramphenicol. This is the first report of Ureaplasma urealyticum meningitis in an adult.
The Streptomyces coelicolor GlnR regulon: identification of new GlnR targets and evidence for a central role of GlnR in nitrogen metabolism in actinomycetes
2008-01-07

Summary Streptomyces coelicolor GlnR is a global regulator that controls genes involved in nitrogen metabolism. By genomic screening 10 new GlnR targets were identified, including enzymes for ammonium assimilation ( glnII , gdhA ), nitrite reduction ( nirB ), urea cleavage ( ureA ) and a number of biochemically uncharacterized proteins ( SCO0255 , SCO0888 , SCO2195 , SCO2400 , SCO2404 , SCO7155 ). For the GlnR regulon, a GlnR binding site which comprises the sequence gTnAc‐n 6 ‐GaAAc‐n 6 ‐GtnAC‐n 6 ‐GAAAc‐n 6 has been found. Reverse transcription analysis of S. coelicolor and the S. coelicolor glnR mutant revealed that GlnR activates or represses the expression of its target genes. Furthermore, glnR expression itself was shown to be nitrogen‐dependent. Physiological studies of S. coelicolor and the S. coelicolor glnR mutant with ammonium and nitrate as the sole nitrogen source revealed that GlnR is not only involved in ammonium assimilation but also in ammonium supply. blast analysis demonstrated that GlnR‐homologous proteins are present in different actinomycetes containing the glnA gene with the conserved GlnR binding site. By DNA binding studies, it was furthermore demonstrated that S. coelicolor GlnR is able to interact with these glnA upstream regions. We therefore suggest that GlnR‐mediated regulation is not restricted to Streptomyces but constitutes a regulon conserved in many actinomycetes.
Sensitivity of tumor cells to proteasome inhibitors is associated with expression levels and composition of proteasome subunits
2008-01-07

Abstract BACKGROUND. Sensitivity of tumor cells to induction of apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors varies greatly. This study was undertaken to investigate the sensitivity of neoplastic B cells and solid tumor cells to proteasome inhibition with respect to constitutive expression levels of proteasome subunits. METHODS. Twelve neoplastic B‐cell lines and 12 solid tumor cell lines were assessed for their expression levels of proteasome subunits by using quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction analysis and were assessed for their sensitivity to the proteasome inhibitors PS‐341 and lactacystin by using a flow cytometry assay that detected activated caspases. RESULTS. The neoplastic B‐cell lines were categorized into 3 groups representing refractory cell lines, cell lines with moderate sensitivity, and cell lines with high sensitivity. Correlating expression levels of proteasome subunits with sensitivity to proteasome inhibition indicated that refractory B cells exhibited lower expression levels of the standard subunit β2 and of the immunoproteasome subunit LMP2 compared with sensitive B cell lines. Compared with neoplastic B cells solid tumor cells were less sensitive. They expressed the immunoproteasome subunits LMP2, LMP7 and MECL‐1 and the standard subunit β2 clearly below the median of the expression level of the sensitive B cell lines. IFN‐γ pretreatment enhanced sensitivity to PS‐341 in 50% of the tumor cell lines, potentially related to the induction of immunoproteasomes. CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study indicated that sensitivity to proteasome inhibition is correlated with expression levels of proteasome subunits, which determine the enzymatic activity of the proteasome. Combining PS‐341 with IFN‐γ may enhance its clinical efficacy. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Algebraically Solvable Problems: Describing Polynomials as Equivalent to Explicit Solutions
2008-01-07

The main result of this paper is a coefficient formula that sharpens and generalizes Alon and Tarsi's Combinatorial Nullstellensatz. On its own, it is a result about polynomials, providing some information about the polynomial map when only incomplete information about the polynomial is given.In a very general working frame, the grid points which do not vanish under an algebraic solution – a certain describing polynomial – correspond to the explicit solutions of a problem. As a consequence of the coefficient formula, we prove that the existence of an algebraic solution is equivalent to the existence of a nontrivial solution to a problem. By a problem, we mean everything that "owns" both, a set , which may be called the set of solutions; and a subset , the set of trivial solutions.We give several examples of how to find algebraic solutions, and how to apply our coefficient formula. These examples are mainly from graph theory and combinatorial number theory, but we also prove several versions of Chevalley and Warning's Theorem, including a generalization of Olson's Theorem, as examples and useful corollaries.We obtain a permanent formula by applying our coefficient formula to the matrix polynomial, which is a generalization of the graph polynomial. This formula is an integrative generalization and sharpening of:1. Ryser's permanent formula.2. Alon's Permanent Lemma.3. Alon and Tarsi's Theorem about orientations and colorings of graphs.Furthermore, in combination with the Vigneron-Ellingham-Goddyn property of planar -regular graphs, the formula contains as very special cases:4. Scheim's formula for the number of edge -colorings of such graphs.5. Ellingham and Goddyn's partial answer to the list coloring conjecture.
Assessment of left ventricular volumes and mass with fast 3D cine steady‐state free precession k‐t space broad‐use linear acquisition speed‐up technique (k‐t BLAST)
2008-01-08

Abstract Purpose To compare left ventricular (LV) volume and mass assessment using two‐dimensional (2D) cine steady‐state free precession (SSFP) and k‐t space broad‐use linear acquisition speed‐up technique (k‐t BLAST) accelerated 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods On a commercially available 1.5T MR scanner, 2D cine SSFP, six‐ and eight‐fold accelerated 3D k‐t BLAST were performed to evaluate LV volumes and mass in 17 volunteers. After semiautomatic segmentation of the different MR data sets, the resulting volumes and mass were compared according to the mean difference, 95% confidence interval, standard deviation (SD), Pearson's correlation coefficient, Bland‐Altman analysis, and the Pitman‐Morgan test. Results Data acquisition was successful in all subjects. The number of required breathholds was reduced from a maximal of five for the 2D cine SSFP sequence to two for 3D k‐t BLAST sequences. Comparing LV volumes, there was excellent agreement between 2D and 3D cine 8× k‐t BLAST SSFP volumes (mean difference ± 2SD end‐diastolic volume [EDV] = 5 ± 8 mL, end‐systolic volume [ESV] = 1 ±12 mL, and stroke volume [SV] = 3 ± 8 mL), and mass (–1.8 ± 9 g). Conclusion k‐t BLAST–accelerated 3D sequences allow accurate assessment of LV volumes and mass compared to 2D cine SSFP. This method may reduce costs and increase patient comfort due to shortened data acquisition time and reduced number of breathholds. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A systemic and cognitive view on collaborative knowledge building with wikis
2008-01-09

Wikis provide new opportunities for learning and for collaborative knowledge building as well as for understanding these processes. This article presents a theoretical framework for describing how learning and collaborative knowledge building take place. In order to understand these processes, three aspects need to be considered: the social processes facilitated by a wiki, the cognitive processes of the users, and how both processes influence each other mutually. For this purpose, the model presented in this article borrows from the systemic approach of Luhmann as well as from Piaget's theory of equilibration and combines these approaches. The model analyzes processes which take place in the social system of a wiki as well as in the cognitive systems of the users. The model also describes learning activities as processes of externalization and internalization. Individual learning happens through internal processes of assimilation and accommodation, whereas changes in a wiki are due to activities of external assimilation and accommodation which in turn lead to collaborative knowledge building. This article provides empirical examples for these equilibration activities by analyzing Wikipedia articles. Equilibration activities are described as being caused by subjectively perceived incongruities between an individuals' knowledge and the information provided by a wiki. Incongruities of medium level cause cognitive conflicts which in turn activate the described processes of equilibration and facilitate individual learning and collaborative knowledge building.
Probiotic lactobacilli and VSL#3 induce enterocyte β-defensin 2
2008-01-09

Summary Recent evidence suggests that probiotic bacteria may stabilize gut barrier function via induction of anti-microbial peptides such as defensins. This study aimed to elucidate the induction mechanism of the human beta defensin-2 (hBD-2) gene by different probiotic lactobacillus strains. The expression of hBD-2 mRNA peaked at 6 h of incubation upon treatment of Caco-2 cells and increased with higher dosage of various probiotic bacteria. Deletion of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and activator protein-1 (AP-1) binding sites on the hBD-2 promoter resulted in a complete abrogation of promoter activation by probiotics. As revealed by the use of specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors the hBD-2 induction was dependent on the MAPK extracellular regulated kinase (ERK 1/2), p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), although to varying degrees. Several Lactobacillus strains and VSL#3, a probiotic cocktail of four lactobacilli, three bifidum and one streptococcus species, induced the secretion of the hBD-2 peptide into the culture media as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thus, the present study suggests that lactobacilli and the VSL#3 bacterial mixture strengthen intestinal barrier functions through the up-regulation of hBD-2 via induction of proinflammatory pathways including NF-κB and AP-1 as well as MAPKs.
Improved Landau gauge fixing and the suppression of finite-volume effects of the lattice gluon propagator
2008-01-09

For the gluon propagator of pure lattice gauge theory in the Landau gauge we investigate the effect of Gribov copies and finite-volume effects. Concerning gauge fixing, we enlarge the accessible gauge orbits by adding nonperiodic gauge transformations and systematically employ the simulated annealing algorithm. Strategies to keep all sectors under control within reasonable CPU time are discussed. We demonstrate that the finite-volume effects in the infrared regime become ameliorated. Reaching a physical volume of about , we find that the propagator, calculated with the indicated improvements, becomes flat in the region of smallest momenta. There are first signs in four dimensions of a decrease towards vanishing momentum.