julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Spiritual commons: sacred sites as core of community-conserved areas in Kyrgyzstan
2017-03-21

We analyze sacred sites in Ysyk-Köl Biosphere Reserve, Kyrgyzstan, from the commons perspective. There are some 130 sacred sites in the region, and these fit into the subcategory of cultural/spiritual commons within the broader category of new commons. They can be classified according to their biophysical characteristics, and the reasons why people visit them. Communities have developed rules to protect sacred sites, including the traditional institution of sacred site guardians, people who voluntarily take responsibility to look after a site. Sacred sites as commons have many similarities to conventional commons. But there are also some differences: the more people visit a particular site, the stronger is the ‘power’ of that site and more conservation effort is directed to it. This characteristic distinguishes sacred sites from commons characterized by subtractability. As community-conserved areas, sacred sites have the potential to contribute to biocultural conservation networks. They are an important means of expression and transmission of culture, necessitating recognition and support for the rights of their traditional caretakers and local communities.
Factors influencing the contamination rate of human organ‐cultured corneas
2017-03-21

Abstract Purpose To assess the influence of donor, environment and storage factors on the contamination rate of organ‐cultured corneas, to consider the microbiological species causing corneal contamination and to investigate the corresponding sensitivities. Methods Data from 1340 consecutive donor corneas were analysed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of different factors on the contamination rate of organ‐cultured corneas for transplantation. Results The mean annual contamination rate was 1.8 ± 0.4% (range: 1.3–2.1%); 50% contaminations were of fungal origin with exclusively Candida species, and 50% contaminations were of bacterial origin with Staphylococcus species being predominant. The cause of donor death including infection and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome increased the risk of bacterial or fungal contamination during organ culture (p = 0.007 and p = 0.014, respectively). Differentiating between septic and aseptic donors showed an increased risk of contamination for septic donors (p = 0.0020). Mean monthly temperature including warmer months increased the risk of contamination significantly (p = 0.0031). Sex, donor age, death to enucleation, death to corneoscleral disc excision and storage time did not increase the risk of contamination significantly. Conclusion The genesis of microbial contamination in organ‐cultured donor corneas seems to be multifactorial. The main source of fungal or bacterial contamination could be resident species from the skin flora. The rate of microbial contamination in organ‐cultured donor corneas seems to be dependent on the cause of donor death and mean monthly temperature.
Asymmetric Information in Simple Bargaining Games: An Experimental Study
2017-03-21

Bilateral bargaining situations are often characterized by informational asymmetries concerning the size of what is at stake: in some cases, the proposer is better informed, in others, it is the responder. We analyze the effects of both types of asymmetric information on proposer behavior in two different situations which allow for a variation of responder veto power: the ultimatum and the dictator game. We find that the extent to which proposers demand less in the ultimatum as compared to the dictator game is (marginally) smaller when the proposer is in the superior information position. Further we find informed proposers to exploit their informational advantage by offering an amount that does not reveal the true size of the pie, with proposers in the ultimatum game exhibiting this behavioral pattern to a larger extent than those in the dictator game. Uninformed proposers risk imposed rejection when they ask for more than potentially is at stake, and ask for a risk premium in dictator games. We concentrate on proposers, but also explore responder behavior: We find uninformed responders to enable proposers' hiding behavior, and we find proposer intentionality not to play an important role for informed responders when they decide whether to accept or reject an offer by an (uninformed) proposer.
An early suitability assessment of two exotic Ophraella species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) for biological control of invasive ragweed in Europe
2017-03-22

Classical biological control is an important means of managing the increasing threat of invasive plants. It constitutes the introduction of natural enemies from the native range of the target plant into the invaded area. This method may be the only cost-effective solution to control the rapidly expanding common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in non-crop habitats in Europe. Therefore, candidate biocontrol agents urgently need to be assessed for their suitability for ragweed control in Europe. A previous literature review prioritized the host-specific leaf beetle Ophraella slobodkini as a candidate agent for ragweed control in Europe, whereas it rejected its oligophagous congener O. communa. Meanwhile, O. communa was accidentally introduced and became established south of the European Alps, and we show here that it is expanding its European range. We then present a short version of the traditional pre-release risk- benefit assessment for these two candidate agents to facilitate fast decision-making about further research efforts. We selected two complementary tests that can be conducted relatively rapidly and inform about essential risks and benefits. We conducted a comparative no-choice juvenile performance assay using leaves of ragweed and sunflower, the most important non-target plant, in Petri dishes in climatic conditions similar to that in the current European range of O. communa. This informs on the fundamental host range and potential for increasing abundance on these host plants. The results confirm that O. slobodkini does not survive on, and is hence unlikely to cause severe damage to sunflower, while O. communa can survive but develops more slowly on sunflower than on ragweed. In parallel, our species distribution models predict no suitable area for the establishment of O. slobodkini in Europe, while O. communa is likely to expand its current range to include a maximum of 18% of the European ragweed distribution. Based on this early assessment, the prioritization and further assessment of O. slobodkini seem unwarranted whereas the results urgently advocate further risk-benefit analysis of O. communa. Having revealed that most of the European area colonized by ragweed is unlikely to be suitable for these species of Ophraella we suggest the use of such relatively short and cheap preliminary assessment to prioritise other candidate agents or strains for these areas.
Translational learning from clinical studies predicts drug pharmacokinetics across patient populations
2017-03-22

Abstract Early indication of late-stage failure of novel candidate drugs could be facilitated by continuous integration, assessment, and transfer of knowledge acquired along pharmaceutical development programs. We here present a translational systems pharmacology workflow that combines drug cocktail probing in a specifically designed clinical study, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, and Bayesian statistics to identify and transfer (patho-)physiological and drug-specific knowledge across distinct patient populations. Our work builds on two clinical investigations, one with 103 healthy volunteers and one with 79 diseased patients from which we systematically derived physiological information from pharmacokinetic data for a reference probe drug (midazolam) at the single-patient level. Taking into account the acquired knowledge describing (patho-)physiological alterations in the patient cohort allowed the successful prediction of the population pharmacokinetics of a second, candidate probe drug (torsemide) in the patient population. In addition, we identified significant relations of the acquired physiological processes to patient metadata from liver biopsies. The presented prototypical systems pharmacology approach is a proof of concept for model-based translation across different stages of pharmaceutical development programs. Applied consistently, it has the potential to systematically improve predictivity of pharmacokinetic simulations by incorporating the results of clinical trials and translating them to subsequent studies.
Dyson–Schwinger Approach to Hamiltonian QCD
2017-03-22

\\nDyson–Schwinger equations are an established, powerful non-perturbative tool for QCD. In the Hamiltonian formulation of a quantum field theory they can be used to perform variational calculations with non-Gaussian wave functionals. By means of the DSEs the various n-point functions, needed in expectation values of observables like the Hamilton operator, can be thus expressed in terms of the variational kernels of our trial ansatz. Equations of motion for these variational kernels are derived by minimizing the energy density and solved numerically.\\n
Hamiltonian approach to QCD in Coulomb gauge at zero and finite temperature
2017-03-22

\\nI report on recent results obtained within the Hamiltonian approach to QCD in Coulomb gauge. By relating the Gribov confinement scenario to the center vortex picture of confinement it is shown that the Coulomb string tension is tied to the spatial string tension. For the quark sector a vacuum wave functional is used which results in variational equations which are free of ultraviolet divergences. The variational approach is extended to finite temperatures by compactifying a spatial dimension. For the chiral and deconfinement phase transition pseudo-critical temperatures of 170MeV and 198 MeV, respectively, are obtained.\\n
Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan
2017-03-23

Background The present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia are the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable climatic conditions that predominate in this region. The origin and emergence of these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood. Aside from the better-explored European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied. The few available data need critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent records of the European herpetofauna. The comparison of this previous data with that of European fossil records would provide data on palaeobiogeographic affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present-day fauna of Western Siberia. An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain amphibian lineages is still needed. In addition, studies that address such knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of molecular clocks. Methods and Results In this study, we considered critically reviewed available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene. Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose from our assessment of the previously published and new data. More than 50 amphibians and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, and Emydidae. Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages. Conclusion The Neogene assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae, Bombina, Hyla , Bufo bufo , and a small part of this assemblage included Eastern Palaearctic taxa (e.g. Salamandrella , Tylototriton , Bufotes viridis ). For several taxa (e.g. Mioproteus, Hyla, Bombina , Rana temporaria ), the Western Siberian occurrences represented their most eastern Eurasian records. The most diverse collection of fossil remains was found in the Middle Miocene. Less diversity has been registered towards the Early Pleistocene, potentially due to the progressive cooling of the climate in the Northern Hemisphere. The results of our study showed higher-amplitude changes of precipitation development in Western Siberia from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene, than previously assumed.
A semi-analytic study of axial perturbations of ultra compact stars
2017-03-23

Compact object perturbations, at linear order, often lead in solving one or\\nmore coupled wave equations. The study of these equations was typically done by\\nnumerical or semi-analytical methods. The WKB method and the associated\\nBohr-Sommerfeld rule have been proved extremely useful tools in the study of\\nblack-hole perturbations and the estimation of the related quasi-normal modes.\\nHere we present an extension of the aforementioned semi-analytic methods in the\\nstudy of perturbations of ultra-compact stars and gravastars.\\n
CNTNAP1 mutations cause CNS hypomyelination and neuropathy with or without arthrogryposis
2017-03-23

<i>CNTNAP1</i> mutations have recently been linked to patients with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. However, we show that arthrogryposis is not an obligate feature. <i>CNTNAP1</i>-related disorders are foremost severe hypomyelinating disorders of the CNS and the peripheral nervous system. The pathology is partly explained by the involvement of CNTNAP1 in the proper formation and preservation of paranodal junctions and partly by the assumed role of CNTNAP1 as a key regulator in the development of the cerebral cortex.
Effect of High Altitude Exposure on Intraocular Pressure Using Goldmann Applanation Tonometry
2017-03-23

IOP showed a significant reduction of IOP levels when corrected for increased CCT values at high altitude. Furthermore, the prospective measurement of IOP is not useful in diagnosing AMS or for the prediction of more severe high altitude related illnesses as the decrease in IOP and symptoms of AMS do not correlate during altitude exposure.
Pulmonary manifestations of rheumatologic diseases
2017-03-23

Purpose of review The present review intends to provide an overview of the diversity and complexity of pulmonary manifestations of rheumatologic diseases and gaps in knowledge to effectively manage them. Recent findings Diffuse lung disease in children with rheumatologic diseases represents a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders. Despite their significant morbidity and mortality, we have limited understanding about their pathogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of the pathophysiology and current management approach of these disorders, highlighting tools which assist with diagnosis, risk stratification and therapy. In this context, we address the need to develop a standardized approach to diagnose at-risk patients with rheumatologic disease and to predict their progression and the need to develop robust studies which evaluate the factors and interventions that influence pulmonary disease outcome. Summary Diffuse lung disease in children with rheumatologic diseases represents a heterogeneous group of severe autoimmune disorders. By adopting a collaborative research approach among multicenters to help diagnose, risk stratify, and understand disease progression, effective management decisions can be optimized to improve clinical outcome.
Peer Review #2 of "Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan (v0.1)"
2017-03-23

Background.The present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia is the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable climatic conditions that predominate in this region.The origin and emergence of these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood.Aside from the better-explored European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied.The few available data need critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent records of the European herpetofauna.The comparison of this previous data with that of the European fossil record would provide data on palaeobiogeographic affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present-day fauna of Western Siberia.An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain amphibian lineages is still needed.In addition, studies that address such knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of molecular clocks. Methods and Results. In this study, we considered an critically review available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene.Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose from our assessment of the previously published and new data.More than 50 amphibian and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae and Emydidae.Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages. Conclusions.The Neogene assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae, Bombina, Hyla, Bufo bufo, and a small part of this assemblage included Eastern Palaearctic taxa (e.g.Salamandrella, Tylototriton, Bufotes viridis).For several taxa (e.g.Mioproteus, Hyla, Bombina, Rana temporaria), the Western Siberian occurrences represented their most eastern Eurasian records.The most diverse collection of fossil remains was found in the Middle Miocene.Less diversity has been registered towards the Early Pleistocene, potentially due to the progressive cooling of the climate in the Northern Hemisphere.The results of our study showed higher-amplitude changes of precipitation development in Western Siberia from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene, than previously assumed.
Classification of advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease: translation into stratified treatments
2017-03-24

Advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (advPD) still impose a challenge in terms of classification and related stage-adapted treatment recommendations. Previous concepts that define advPD by certain milestones of motor disability apparently fall short in addressing the increasingly recognized complexity of motor and non-motor symptoms and do not allow to account for the clinical heterogeneity that require more personalized approaches. Therefore, deep phenotyping approaches are required to characterize the broad-scaled, continuous and multidimensional spectrum of disease-related motor and non-motor symptoms and their progression under real-life conditions. This will also facilitate the reasoning for clinical care and therapeutic decisions, as neurologists currently have to refer to clinical trials that provide guidance on a group level; however, this does not always account for the individual needs of patients. Here, we provide an overview on different classifications for advPD that translate into critical phenotypic patterns requiring the differential therapeutic adjustments. New concepts refer to precision medicine approaches also in PD and first studies on genetic stratification for therapeutic outcomes provide a potential for more objective treatment recommendations. We define novel treatment targets that align with this concept and make use of emerging device-based assessments of real-life information on PD symptoms. As these approaches require empowerment of patients and integration into treatment decisions, we present communication strategies and decision support based on new technologies to adjust treatment of advPD according to patient demands and safety.
General features of inhibition in the inner retina
2017-03-24

Abstract Visual processing starts in the retina. Within only two synaptic layers, a large number of parallel information channels emerge, each encoding a highly processed feature like edges or the direction of motion. Much of this functional diversity arises in the inner plexiform layer, where inhibitory amacrine cells modulate the excitatory signal of bipolar and ganglion cells. Studies investigating individual amacrine cell circuits like the starburst or A17 circuit have demonstrated that single types can possess specific morphological and functional adaptations to convey a particular function in one or a small number of inner retinal circuits. However, the interconnected and often stereotypical network formed by different types of amacrine cells across the inner plexiform layer prompts that they should be also involved in more general computations. In line with this notion, different recent studies systematically analysing inner retinal signalling at a population level provide evidence that general functions of the ensemble of amacrine cells across types are critical for establishing universal principles of retinal computation like parallel processing or motion anticipation. Combining recent advances in the development of indicators for imaging inhibition with large‐scale morphological and genetic classifications will help to further our understanding of how single amacrine cell circuits act together to help decompose the visual scene into parallel information channels. In this review, we aim to summarise the current state‐of‐the‐art in our understanding of how general features of amacrine cell inhibition lead to general features of computation. image
Ceric Cyclopentadienides Bearing Alkoxy, Aryloxy, Chlorido, or Iodido Co‐Ligands
2017-03-24

Abstract A series of heteroleptic tris(cyclopentadienyl) Ce IV complexes has been isolated and crystallographically characterized, revealing the broad accessibility of such organocerium(IV) compounds. The oxidation of complexes Cp Me 3 Ce(thf) and Cp′ 3 Ce(thf) (Cp Me =C 5 H 4 Me, Cp′=C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 ), bearing monosubstituted electron‐poor cyclopentadienyl ligands, with 0.5 equivalents of 1,4‐benzoquinone or C 2 Cl 6 gave the cerium(IV) hydroquinolate complexes Cp Me 3 Ce(OC 6 H 4 O)CeCp Me 3 and Cp′ 3 Ce(OC 6 H 4 O)CeCp′ 3 , or the chloride complexes Cp Me 3 CeCl and Cp′ 3 CeCl, respectively; the iodide complex Cp′ 3 CeI was obtained from the reaction of Cp′ 3 Ce(thf) with elemental iodine. The behavior of Cp′ 3 CeCl in salt metathesis protocols employing alkali metal amides or alkyl, alkoxide, and aryloxide reagents was investigated, which gave rise to the robust and isolable cerium(IV) alkoxide Cp′ 3 Ce(O t Bu). Trivalent [Cp′ 2 CeCl] 2 was synthesized by AlMe 4 →Cl exchange utilizing Cp′ 2 Ce(AlMe 4 ) and AlMe 2 Cl. The reactivity of [Cp′ 2 CeCl] 2 towards the oxidants Ph 3 CCl, C 2 Cl 6 , 1,4‐benzoquinone, and I 2 has been assessed, and has provided useful information on Ce III /Ce IV redox deactivation pathways. In addition to X‐ray structure analysis, all the complexes were characterized by NMR, DRIFT (diffuse reflectance IR Fourier transform), and UV/Vis spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis. The tetravalent compounds were further analyzed for their magnetic susceptibility by using Evans’ method.