Different household formation systems in Hungary at the end of the eighteenth century: variations on John Hajnal's thesis

Hajnals bahnbrechende Theorie über europäische Heiratsmuster und Haushaltsbildung wird an demographischen Daten aus dem vorindustriellen ländlichen Ungarn, hauptsächlich der Jahre 1777 und 1787, überprüft. Hajnals Thesen und Prämissen wie auch die seiner Kritiker werden wiedergegeben. Diesbezüglich werden die allgemeine demographische Situation Ungarns und seine regionalen Unterschiede analysiert und grafisch veranschaulicht. Die statistische Analyse von Variablen wie 'Anteil der unter 21jährigen Ehemänner', 'Anteil der Söhne und männlichen Erben' oder 'Anteil verheirateter Jungknechte unter den Einwanderern' usw. ergeben keine klare Übereinstimmung mit Hajnals Regeln der Haushaltsstrukturbildung und ihrer territorialen Verteilung. Damit kann Hajnals Theorie keine demographischen und gesellschaftlichen Prozesse erklären, aber zu weiterer Forschung anregen. (prf)'John Hajnal's pathbreaking paper about the European marriage patterns and his household formation theory provoked high interest between the researchers even far beyond the border of the historical demographic research. Examining them through the Hungarian sources we can say that both the declared factors and variables of household formation and their regional strength and territorial distribution cannot be interpreted unanimously and adequately with the rules established by John Hajnal. Maybe it is better not to think in universalistic regimes but, moreover, adapt a regional and temporal frame of reference. Such 'grand theories' as John Hajnal's household formation system model fulfil much more the role to provoke further research then the key to interpret the institutions arranging the structure and processes of population and society.' (author's abstract

Genetic distance from wolves affects family dogs’ reactions towards howls

Domestication dramatically changes behaviour, including communication, as seen in the case of dogs (Canis familiaris) and wolves (Canis lupus). We tested the hypothesis that domestication may affect an ancient, shared communication form of canids, the howling which seems to have higher individual variation in dogs: the perception and usage of howls may be affected by the genetic relatedness of the breeds to their last common ancestor with wolves (‘root distance’) and by other individual features like age, sex, and reproductive status. We exposed 68 purebred dogs to wolf howl playbacks and recorded their responses. We identified an interaction between root distance and age on the dogs’ vocal and behavioural responses: older dogs from more ancient breeds responded longer with howls and showed more stress behaviours. Our results suggest that domestication impacts vocal behaviour significantly: disintegrating howling, a central, species-specific communication form of canids and gradually eradicating it from dogs’ repertoire

Intelligent image-based in situ single-cell isolation

Quantifying heterogeneities within cell populations is important for many fields including cancer research and neurobiology; however, techniques to isolate individual cells are limited. Here, we describe a high-throughput, non-disruptive, and cost-effective isolation method that is capable of capturing individually targeted cells using widely available techniques. Using high-resolution microscopy, laser microcapture microscopy, image analysis, and machine learning, our technology enables scalable molecular genetic analysis of single cells, targetable by morphology or location within the sample.Peer reviewe

High-Density Real-Time PCR-Based in Vivo Toxicogenomic Screen to Predict Organ-Specific Toxicity

Toxicogenomics, based on the temporal effects of drugs on gene expression, is able to predict toxic effects earlier than traditional technologies by analyzing changes in genomic biomarkers that could precede subsequent protein translation and initiation of histological organ damage. In the present study our objective was to extend in vivo toxicogenomic screening from analyzing one or a few tissues to multiple organs, including heart, kidney, brain, liver and spleen. Nanocapillary quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was used in the study, due to its higher throughput, sensitivity and reproducibility, and larger dynamic range compared to DNA microarray technologies. Based on previous data, 56 gene markers were selected coding for proteins with different functions, such as proteins for acute phase response, inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic processes, heat-shock response, cell cycle/apoptosis regulation and enzymes which are involved in detoxification. Some of the marker genes are specific to certain organs, and some of them are general indicators of toxicity in multiple organs. Utility of the nanocapillary QRT-PCR platform was demonstrated by screening different references, as well as discovery of drug-like compounds for their gene expression profiles in different organs of treated mice in an acute experiment. For each compound, 896 QRT-PCR were done: four organs were used from each of the treated four animals to monitor the relative expression of 56 genes. Based on expression data of the discovery gene set of toxicology biomarkers the cardio- and nephrotoxicity of doxorubicin and sulfasalazin, the hepato- and nephrotoxicity of rotenone, dihydrocoumarin and aniline, and the liver toxicity of 2,4-diaminotoluene could be confirmed. The acute heart and kidney toxicity of the active metabolite SN-38 from its less toxic prodrug, irinotecan could be differentiated, and two novel gene markers for hormone replacement therapy were identified, namely fabp4 and pparg, which were down-regulated by estradiol treatment

Automatic deep learning-driven label-free image-guided patch clamp system

Patch clamp recording of neurons is a labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure. Here, we demonstrate a tool that fully automatically performs electrophysiological recordings in label-free tissue slices. The automation covers the detection of cells in label-free images, calibration of the micropipette movement, approach to the cell with the pipette, formation of the whole-cell configuration, and recording. The cell detection is based on deep learning. The model is trained on a new image database of neurons in unlabeled brain tissue slices. The pipette tip detection and approaching phase use image analysis techniques for precise movements. High-quality measurements are performed on hundreds of human and rodent neurons. We also demonstrate that further molecular and anatomical analysis can be performed on the recorded cells. The software has a diary module that automatically logs patch clamp events. Our tool can multiply the number of daily measurements to help brain research. Patch clamp recording of neurons is slow and labor-intensive. Here the authors present a method for automated deep learning driven label-free image guided patch clamp physiology to perform measurements on hundreds of human and rodent neurons.Peer reviewe

Raw data_Investigating emotional contagion in dog.xlsx

We conducted a playback study with dogs to investigate canine empathy. We tested 53 dogs and played back non-emotional sounds of the dogs' environment and contrasted these sounds with emotional sounds of humans and conspecifics. These emotional sounds contained a negatively and a positively valenced sound each. We measured the duration the subjects looked to their owners and whether they approached her or him. We also measured the duration the dogs looked to the loudspeaker that played back the stimulus and whether the dog approached it. We, furthermore, analysed ten behavioural indicators for negatively valenced states in dogs which we pooled together to develop an overall Relative Reactivity Score

Effects of once-weekly exenatide on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular effects of adding once-weekly treatment with exenatide to usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes are unknown. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes, with or without previous cardiovascular disease, to receive subcutaneous injections of extended-release exenatide at a dose of 2 mg or matching placebo once weekly. The primary composite outcome was the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. The coprimary hypotheses were that exenatide, administered once weekly, would be noninferior to placebo with respect to safety and superior to placebo with respect to efficacy. RESULTS: In all, 14,752 patients (of whom 10,782 [73.1%] had previous cardiovascular disease) were followed for a median of 3.2 years (interquartile range, 2.2 to 4.4). A primary composite outcome event occurred in 839 of 7356 patients (11.4%; 3.7 events per 100 person-years) in the exenatide group and in 905 of 7396 patients (12.2%; 4.0 events per 100 person-years) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 1.00), with the intention-to-treat analysis indicating that exenatide, administered once weekly, was noninferior to placebo with respect to safety (P<0.001 for noninferiority) but was not superior to placebo with respect to efficacy (P=0.06 for superiority). The rates of death from cardiovascular causes, fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal or nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, and hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome, and the incidence of acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and serious adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes with or without previous cardiovascular disease, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events did not differ significantly between patients who received exenatide and those who received placebo