julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of event-based mobilization of hydrophobic pollutants in rivers: Calibration of turbidity as a proxy for particle facilitated transport in field and laboratory
2014-05-21

Transport of many pollutants in rivers is coupled to mobilization of suspended particles which typically occurs during floods. Since the amount of total suspended solids (TSS) in rivers can be monitored by turbidity measurements this may be used as a proxy for the total concentration of particle associated pollutants such as PAHs, PCBs, etc. and several heavy metals. Online turbidity measurements (e.g. by optical backscattering sensors) would then also allow for an assessment of particle and pollutant flux dynamics if once calibrated against TSS and total pollutant concentrations for a given catchment. In this study, distinct flood and thus turbidity events were sampled at high temporal resolution in three contrasting sub-catchments of the River Neckar in Southwest Germany (Ammer, Goldersbach, Steinlach) as well as in the River Neckar itself and investigated for the total amount of PAHs and TSS in water; turbidity (NTU) and grain size distributions of suspended solids were determined as well. Laboratory experiments were performed with natural river bed sediments from different locations (Ammer) to investigate PAH concentrations, TSS and turbidity during sedimentation of suspended particles under controlled conditions (yielding smaller and smaller suspended particles and TSS with time). Laboratory and field results agreed very well and showed that turbidity and TSS were linearly correlated over an extended turbidity range up to 2000 NTU for the field samples and up to 8000 NTU in lab experiments. This also holds for total PAH concentrations which can be reasonably well predicted based on turbidity measurements and TSS vs. PAHs relationships - even for high turbidity values observed during flood events (>2000 NTU). Total PAH concentrations on suspended solids were independent of grain size of suspended particles. This implies that for the rivers investigated the sorption capacity of particles did not change significantly during the observed events.
Global Quantification of Left Ventricular Myocardial Perfusion at Dynamic CT: Feasibility in a Multicenter Patient Population
2014-05-21

Global quantitative assessment of left ventricular perfusion with stress dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging is feasible, and the findings correlate with the visual assessment of perfusion and the presence of coronary artery stenosis at coronary CT angiography. The potential clinical utility of this technique as a diagnostic tool for differentiating normal from globally reduced myocardial perfusion or as a prognostic marker merits further investigation.
Magnetoencephalographic signatures of right prefrontal cortex involvement in response inhibition
2014-05-21

Abstract The prefrontal cortex has a pivotal role in top‐down control of cognitive and sensory functions. In complex go‐nogo tasks, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is considered to be important for guiding the response inhibition. However, little is known about the temporal dynamics and neurophysiological nature of this activity. To address this issue, we recorded magnetoencephalographic brain activity in 20 women during a visual go‐nogo task. The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed an increase for the amplitude of the event‐related fields and an increase in induced alpha frequency band activity for nogo in comparison to go trials. The peak of this prefrontal activity preceded the mean reaction time of around 360 ms for go trials, and thus supports the proposed role of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in gating the response inhibition and further suggests that right prefrontal alpha band activity might be involved in this gating. However, the results in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were similar for both successful and unsuccessful response inhibition. In these conditions, we instead observed pre‐ and poststimulus differences in alpha band activity in occipital and central areas. Thus, successful response inhibition seemed to additionally depend on prestimulus anticipatory alpha desynchronization in sensory areas as it was reduced prior to unsuccessful response inhibition. In conclusion, we suggest a role for functional inhibition by alpha synchronization not only in sensory, but also in prefrontal areas. Hum Brain Mapp 35:5236–5248, 2014 . © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Shell mounds as environmental proxies on the southern coast of Brazil
2014-05-21

Despite the multiple constraints of using shell mounds for building relative-sea-level (RSL) curves, one of the premises behind this use is still valid in modern archaeological research. This refers to the sites being continuously built near bodies of water rich in fish species and mollusk beds. Studies that combine the evolution of settlement patterns with the geological evolution of coastal areas in Brazil reach analogous results: the distribution of shell mounds in time and space follows the landscape transformations induced by RSL variations through the Holocene. Although shell mounds are not precise indicators of RSL, they provide evidences of the paleo-geographical changes during the Holocene, of which RSL is one of the many control variables. By collecting and transporting mollusks to the shell mounds, humans inevitably carry sediments from the substrate where mollusks live, for example, the beaches and lagoons near the sites. In this work, the geoarchaeological study of three shell mounds located in the southern coast of Santa Catarina State, combined with mollusk taxa identification, show the direct association of shell mound content with the changing landscape. The predominance of Ostrea sp. versus Anomalocardia brasiliana, the presence of colluvial versus lagoonal sediments, and the occurrence of echinoid spines versus muddy aggregates with diatoms, gastropods, and glauconitic clay characterize the distinction between sites built before and after the maximum Holocene transgression, respectively. This attests the potential of geoarchaeological analyses in shell mounds as a complementary proxy for paleo-environmental reconstructions.
Quantum chemical meta‐workflows in MoSGrid
2014-05-21

Summary Quantum chemical workflows can be built up within the science gateway Molecular Simulation Grid. Complex workflows required by the end users are dissected into smaller workflows that can be combined freely to larger meta‐workflows. General quantum chemical workflows are described here as well as the real use case of a spectroscopic analysis resulting in an end‐user desired meta‐workflow. All workflow features are implemented via Web Services Parallel Grid Runtime and Developer Environment and submitted to UNICORE. The workflows are stored in the Molecular Simulation Grid repository and ported to the SHIWA repository. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.
Labelling and Tracking of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Preclinical Studies and Large Animal Models of Degenerative Diseases
2014-05-21

Success of stem cell therapies were reported in different medical disciplines, including haematology, rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery, traumatology, and others. Currently, more than 4000 clinical trials using stem cells have been completed or are underway, among which 378 investigated or are at present investigating mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). The majority of clinical trials using stem- or progenitor- cells, including hematopoietic stem cells and MSCs, target the immune system. However, therapies based on MSCs are increasingly implemented to treat symptoms in which failure of the resident stem cells in situ, or malfunction of tissues or structures are not associated with immune cells or inflammation, but instead are associated with mechanical or metabolic stress, ageing, developmental or acquired malformations, and other causes. To proceed further in the development of stem cell therapies as a safe and effective treatment for surgical and other medical specialities, the behaviour of MSCs implanted in preclinical models and their impact on the site of application need to be explored in detail. Depending on the pre-clinical model employed, tracking of labelled stem cells in live animals makes an enormous difference for exploration of the mechanisms and kinetics involved in MSC-mediated tissue regeneration. Here we review (pre-)clinically applicable key methods to label human MSCs for short and long-term observations in small and large animal models.
Genome-Wide Quantitative Analysis of Histone H3 Lysine 4 Trimethylation in Wild House Mouse Liver: Environmental Change Causes Epigenetic Plasticity
2014-05-21

In mammals, exposure to toxic or disease-causing environments can change epigenetic marks that are inherited independently of the intrauterine environment. Such inheritance of molecular phenotypes may be adaptive. However, studies demonstrating molecular evidence for epigenetic inheritance have so far relied on extreme treatments, and are confined to inbred animals. We therefore investigated whether epigenomic changes could be detected after a non-drastic change in the environment of an outbred organism. We kept two populations of wild-caught house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) for several generations in semi-natural enclosures on either standard diet and light cycle, or on an energy-enriched diet with longer daylight to simulate summer. As epigenetic marker for active chromatin we quantified genome-wide histone-3 lysine-4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) from liver samples by chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing as well as by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The treatment caused a significant increase of H3K4me3 at metabolic genes such as lipid and cholesterol regulators, monooxygenases, and a bile acid transporter. In addition, genes involved in immune processes, cell cycle, and transcription and translation processes were also differently marked. When we transferred young mice of both populations to cages and bred them under standard conditions, most of the H3K4me3 differences were lost. The few loci with stable H3K4me3 changes did not cluster in metabolic functional categories. This is, to our knowledge, the first quantitative study of an epigenetic marker in an outbred mammalian organism. We demonstrate genome-wide epigenetic plasticity in response to a realistic environmental stimulus. In contrast to disease models, the bulk of the epigenomic changes we observed were not heritable.
Emerging varieties of incorporated capitalism. Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence
2014-05-22

The economic success of state-led forms of capitalism in Russia, China and some other autocracies is one of the most challenging developments for existing typologies of comparative political economy research. For the OECD-World complex theories and models assess the interrelation of polity and economy (e.g., Hall/Soskice), while well defined and systematic approaches for autocracies are seldomly found. Most of the existing work are rather idiosyncratic case studies. We argue that by climbing up the ladder of abstraction (Sartori), we gain analytical leverage and comparability between cases and regions. That's why we've developped an idealtype called “incorporated capitalism.” By looking at state-capitalist developments in China, Singapore, Saudi-Arabia or Russia, there is strong empirical evidence for a variety of “incorporated capitalism”: bureaucratic market economies and patrimonial market economies. Why are those types of capitalism so successful? In order to answer this question correctly, we have to consider other questions first: 1) Which are the specific patterns of interaction between polity and economy? 2) What are the unique governance mechanisms in those incorporated capitalisms? Using mainly qualitative methods we will empirically proof our theoretical findings in order to decode the special complementarities of the bureaucratic and patrimonial market economy in those four real types mentioned above.
Improved Diagnosis of Pulmonary Emphysema Using In Vivo Dark-Field Radiography
2014-05-22

In a murine model, x-ray dark-field radiography is technically feasible in vivo and represents a substantial improvement over conventional transmission-based x-ray imaging for the diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema.
Static frequency tuning accounts for changes in neural synchrony evoked by transient communication signals
2014-05-22

Although communication signals often vary continuously on the underlying signal parameter, they are perceived as distinct categories. We here report the opposite case where an electrocommunication signal is encoded in four distinct regimes, although the behavior described to date does not show distinct categories. In particular, we studied the encoding of chirps by P-unit afferents in the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. These fish generate an electric organ discharge that oscillates at a certain individual-specific frequency. The interaction of two fish in communication contexts leads to the emergence of a beating amplitude modulation (AM) at the frequency difference between the two individual signals. This frequency difference represents the social context of the encounter. Chirps are transient increases of the fish's frequency leading to transient changes in the frequency of the AM. We stimulated the cells with the same chirp on different, naturally occurring backgrounds beats. The P-units responded either by synchronization or desynchronization depending on the background. Although the duration of a chirp is often shorter than a full cycle of the AM it elicits, the distinct responses of the P-units to the chirp can be predicted solely from the frequency of the AM based on the static frequency tuning of the cells.
Knockout of PARG110 confers resistance to cGMP-induced toxicity in mammalian photoreceptors
2014-05-22

Hereditary retinal degeneration (RD) relates to a heterogeneous group of blinding human diseases in which the light sensitive neurons of the retina, the photoreceptors, die. RD is currently untreatable and the underlying cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. However, the activity of the enzyme poly-ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1) and excessive generation of poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) polymers in photoreceptor nuclei have been shown to be causally involved in RD. The activity of PARP1 is to a large extent governed by its functional antagonist, poly-ADP-glycohydrolase (PARG), which thus also may have a role in RD. To investigate this, we analyzed PARG expression in the retina of wild-type (wt) mice and in the rd1 mouse model for human RD, and detected increased PARG protein in a subset of degenerating rd1 photoreceptors. Knockout (KO) animals lacking the 110 kDa nuclear PARG isoform were furthermore analyzed, and their retinal morphology and function were indistinguishable from wild-type animals. Organotypic wt retinal explants can be experimentally treated to induce rd1-like photoreceptor death, but PARG110 KO retinal explants were unexpectedly highly resistant to such treatment. The resistance was associated with decreased PAR accumulation and low PARP activity, indicating that PARG110 may positively regulate PARP1, an event that therefore is absent in PARG110 KO tissue. Our study demonstrates a causal involvement of PARG110 in the process of photoreceptor degeneration. Contrasting its anticipated role as a functional antagonist, absence of PARG110 correlated with low PARP activity, suggesting that PARG110 and PARP1 act in a positive feedback loop, which is especially active under pathologic conditions. This in turn highlights both PARG110 and PARP1 as potential targets for neuroprotective treatments for RD.
Four New Flavonol Glycosides from the Leaves of Brugmansia suaveolens
2014-05-22

Four new flavonol glycosides were isolated from the leaves of Brugmansia suaveolens: kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1'''→2'')-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1'''→2'')-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside-7-O-į-D-gluco-pyranoside (2), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-[6'''-O-(E-caffeoyl)]-glucopyranosyl-(1'''→2'')-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), and kaempferol 3-O-β-D-[2'''-O-(E-caffeoyl)]-glucopyranosyl-(1'''→2'')-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4). The structure elucidation was performed by MS, 1D and 2D NMR analyses.
Evidence for a New Resonance from Polarized Neutron-Proton Scattering
2014-05-23

Exclusive and kinematically complete high-statistics measurements of quasifree polarized (n) over right arrowp scattering have been performed in the energy region of the narrow resonancelike structure d* with I(J(P)) = 0(3(+)),M approximate to 2380 MeV, and Gamma approximate to 70 MeV observed recently in the double-pionic fusion channels pn -&gt; d pi(0)pi(0) and pn -&gt; d pi(+)pi(-). The experiment was carried out with the WASA detector setup at COSY having a polarized deuteron beam impinged on the hydrogen pellet target and utilizing the quasifree process (d) over right arrowp -&gt; np + p(spectator). This allowed the np analyzing power, A(y), to be measured over a broad angular range. The obtained A(y) angular distributions deviate systematically from the current SAID SP07 NN partial-wave solution. Incorporating the new A(y) data into the SAID analysis produces a pole in the D-3(3) - (3)G(3) waves in support of the d* resonance hypothesis.
AQP4 autoantibody assay performance in clinical laboratory service
2014-05-23

Aquaporin-4-transfected CBAs, particularly M1-FACS, perform optimally in aiding NMOSD serologic diagnosis. High-order arrays of M23-aquaporin-4 may yield false-positive results by binding IgG nonspecifically.
Self-Metalation of 2H-Tetraphenylporphyrin on Cu(111) Studied with XSW: Influence of the Central Metal Atom on the Adsorption Distance
2014-05-23

We present a systematic X-ray standing wave (XSW) study of the π-conjugated organic compound 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) and copper(II)-tetraphenylporphyrin (CuTPP) on Cu(111) at room and low temperatures. We exploit the feature of thermally activated self-metalation of 2HTPP to CuTPP to study the influence of the central metal atom on the bonding distance of the molecule to the substrate surface. Comparison between the average adsorption distances of the carbon and nitrogen atoms of 2HTPP reveals a distorted molecule with the nitrogen atoms being closer to the surface than the carbon ones on average. Additionally, the measured positions of the two chemically inequivalent types of nitrogen atoms (iminic and aminic) of 2HTPP indicate a distorted porphyrin ring. After the chemical reaction from 2HTPP to CuTPP at 500 K, no change of the adsorption distance of the carbon skeleton is seen, but the entire molecule becomes flattened. Despite the changes upon metalation, adsorption distances for both molecules show a strong interaction with the substrate in comparison to similar π-conjugated molecules.
Gαi2- and Gαi3-Deficient Mice Display Opposite Severity of Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
2014-05-23

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most abundant receptors in the heart and therefore are common targets for cardiovascular therapeutics. The activated GPCRs transduce their signals via heterotrimeric G-proteins. The four major families of G-proteins identified so far are specified through their α-subunit: Gαi, Gαs, Gαq and G12/13. Gαi-proteins have been reported to protect hearts from ischemia reperfusion injury. However, determining the individual impact of Gαi2 or Gαi3 on myocardial ischemia injury has not been clarified yet. Here, we first investigated expression of Gαi2 and Gαi3 on transcriptional level by quantitative PCR and on protein level by immunoblot analysis as well as by immunofluorescence in cardiac tissues of wild-type, Gαi2-, and Gαi3-deficient mice. Gαi2 was expressed at higher levels than Gαi3 in murine hearts, and irrespective of the isoform being knocked out we observed an up regulation of the remaining Gαi-protein. Myocardial ischemia promptly regulated cardiac mRNA and with a slight delay protein levels of both Gαi2 and Gαi3, indicating important roles for both Gαi isoforms. Furthermore, ischemia reperfusion injury in Gαi2- and Gαi3-deficient mice exhibited opposite outcomes. Whereas the absence of Gαi2 significantly increased the infarct size in the heart, the absence of Gαi3 or the concomitant upregulation of Gαi2 dramatically reduced cardiac infarction. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that the genetic ablation of Gαi proteins has protective or deleterious effects on cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury depending on the isoform being absent.
Necrotizing Herpetic Retinitis
2014-05-23

Necrotizing herpetic retinitis (NHR) is an uncommon, but serious infection of the retina caused by one of the human herpesviruses (HHV).1,2 In immunocompetent patients, most cases of NHR result fro...
Combined occurrence of a novel TOR1A and a THAP1 mutation in primary dystonia
2014-05-23

ABSTRACT Background The ΔGAG deletion of the TOR1A gene (DYT1) is responsible for DYT1 dystonia. However, no other TOR1A mutation has been reported in the Chinese population. Methods Two hundred one dystonia patients without the ΔGAG deletion were screened for other mutations in TOR1A . Gene function changes were analyzed by subcellular distribution and luciferase reporter assay. Results A novel TOR1A mutation (c.581A&gt;T, p.Asp194Val) was found in a patient with early‐onset segmental dystonia harboring a THAP1 mutation (c.539T&gt;C, p.Leu180Ser). Overexpression of mutant TOR1A Asp194Val protein induces inclusion formation in SK‐N‐AS cell lines, and the repressive activity of the mutant THAP1 Leu180Ser protein on TOR1A gene expression is decreased compared with wild‐type THAP1. Conclusions This is the first report about a dystonia patient harboring two distinct dystonia gene mutations. Functional analysis indicated a potential additive effect of these two mutations, which might provoke the occurrence of dystonic symptoms in this patient. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Particle-Facilitated Transport of Lindane in Water-Saturated Tropical Lateritic Porous Media
2014-05-23

The persistent insecticide lindane [(1α,2α,3β,4α,5α,6β)-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane] is still in use in many tropical countries and remains a threat to soil and water quality. We studied the sorption and transport of lindane onto and through lateritic soils in both the absence and presence of lignite particles, onto which lindane may preferably sorb. We determined a linear distribution coefficient of lindane onto the soil matrix of 3.38 ± 0.16 L kg. Soil particles were not released from the porous medium on changing ionic strength, and also transport of lindane was not affected by changes in ionic strength. We fitted coupled transport models for lindane and the particles to the data, revealing that: (i) sorption kinetics of lindane onto the matrix is described best by intraparticle diffusion; (ii) 20% of the total porosity of the lateritic sample is intraparticle porosity; and (iii) only lignite particles with a median diameter <0.45 μm were not retained in the porous medium and thus facilitated the transport of lindane. We conclude that although lindane and similar pollutants may sorb on tropical lateritic porous media, their transport may be facilitated by particles with high organic-C content or dissolved organic C (DOC). This may be of relevance in farmlands and swamp groundwater systems where DOC, produced by leaching or slow biodegradation of surface organic matter, could cause rapid groundwater contamination by sorbing pollutants. Moreover, the results of this study can help to understand nanoparticle behavior in lateritic soils as the size of particles that facilitate lindane transport approaches the nanoparticle size range.