julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The digital data processing concepts of the large area detector and the wide field monitor onboard eXTP
2022-07-15

The enhanced x-ray timing and polarimetry (eXTP) mission is a large innovative observatory in the field of x-ray astronomy, designed to study the properties of matter under extreme conditions of density, gravity, and magnetic fields. It is developed by an international consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and is currently completing phase-B with a launch foreseen in 2027. Two of the four instruments onboard eXTP will be provided by a European consortium: the large area detector (LAD) and the wide field monitor (WFM). These two instruments use a high number of large area silicon drift detectors (SDDs) that are organized in 40 modules of 16 detectors each for the LAD and in six coded-aperture cameras with four detectors each for the WFM. The high multiplicity and modularity of this concept as well as the high data rates call for a novel, hierarchical data processing scheme. A similar concept is applied in the data acquisition and processing system of the LAD and the WFM. silicon drift detector and front end electronics using ASIC technology constitute the detector assembly. Data processing is performed in an FPGA-based digital circuit using only ITAR-free components in order to facilitate export to the launch site in China. The design of the digital electronics is not yet finally frozen, but the development and manufacturing of demonstrator models have been already completed. The FPGA firmware based on the pipeline data processing concept has been developed in VHDL. This concept allows real-time data processing capabilities and reduces dead time, thus improving the detection capacity for high flux sources.
Bartonella taylorii: A Model Organism for Studying Bartonella Infection in vitro and in vivo
2022-07-15

Bartonella spp. are Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogens that infect diverse mammals and cause a long-lasting intra-erythrocytic bacteremia in their natural host. These bacteria translocate Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) into host cells via their VirB/VirD4 type 4 secretion system (T4SS) in order to subvert host cellular functions, thereby leading to the downregulation of innate immune responses. Most studies on the functional analysis of the VirB/VirD4 T4SS and the Beps were performed with the major zoonotic pathogen Bartonella henselae for which efficient in vitro infection protocols have been established. However, its natural host, the cat, is unsuitable as an experimental infection model. In vivo studies were mostly confined to rodent models using rodent-specific Bartonella species, while the in vitro infection protocols devised for B. henselae are not transferable for those pathogens. The disparities of in vitro and in vivo studies in different species have hampered progress in our understanding of Bartonella pathogenesis. Here we describe the murine-specific strain Bartonella taylorii IBS296 as a new model organism facilitating the study of bacterial pathogenesis both in vitro in cell cultures and in vivo in laboratory mice. We implemented the split NanoLuc luciferase-based translocation assay to study BepD translocation through the VirB/VirD4 T4SS. We found increased effector-translocation into host cells if the bacteria were grown on tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates and experienced a temperature shift immediately before infection. The improved infectivity in vitro was correlating to an upregulation of the VirB/VirD4 T4SS. Using our adapted infection protocols, we showed BepD-dependent immunomodulatory phenotypes in vitro . In mice, the implemented growth conditions enabled infection by a massively reduced inoculum without having an impact on the course of the intra-erythrocytic bacteremia. The established model opens new avenues to study the role of the VirB/VirD4 T4SS and the translocated Bep effectors in vitro and in vivo .
The detector/readout-electronics assembly of the eXTP wide field monitor
2022-07-15

One of the four instruments on the Chinese-European enhanced x-ray timing polarimetry (eXTP) mission is the wide field monitor (WFM), consisting of six coded aperture cameras. The detector plane of each camera is comprised of four 7x7 cm<sup>2</sup> silicon drift detectors assembled with similarly sized hybrid circuit board that contain the front-end electronics (FEE) to read out the detectors. The whole assembly needs to be positioned and kept stable within ~50 micron to guarantee the scientific performance of the WFM. The FEE will have analogue ASICs to perform the read-out process. These bare dies are connected to the detector anode output pads. The detector cathodes need to be provided with voltages down to−1300V. Electrical connections between detector, ASICs and FEE are made by bond wires. The hybrid circuit board is a thick film circuit based on 96% Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> which has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is sufficiently close to that of the silicon detector to avoid misalignment due to the large variations in temperature (−50/+60 °C) during assembly and flight. All materials, components and manufacturing processes will have to be without technology originating from the USA. For eXTP’s phase B, we are developing a demonstration model. For this, an early generation ASIC (‘IDeF-X HDBD’) is employed as well as some components that are US-made but for which there is path to European alternatives. The FEE manufacture and the assembly is already completely non-US. We outline the detector/electronics assembly and discuss the main challenges involved.
The prognostic role of the immunohistochemical expression of S100 in meningiomas
2022-07-15

Abstract Background Despite best clinical management, meningioma patients experience tumor recurrence. Efforts have been made to improve the prognostic stratification of meningiomas. Recently, a multi-faceted molecular classification suggested that the marker S100 is associated with a favorable outcome, making a further analysis in a larger cohort interesting. Materials and methods The immunohistochemical staining for S100 was analyzed in 1669 paraffin-embedded meningioma samples. The distribution and association with clinical data and progression-free survival via radiographic tumor recurrence were assessed. Results Of 1669 cases, 218 tumors showed strong S100 expression (13.1%). A significantly higher frequency of S100 positive meningiomas was observed in meningiomas of female patients, tumors with spinal and convexity/falx location, primary tumor surgery, NF2, higher extent of resection, lower WHO CNS grade, adjuvant radiotherapy and recurrence-free tumors during follow-up. Univariate analysis revealed a favorable progression-free survival for meningiomas with S100 expression ( p = 0.0059) but not in the multivariate analysis. Higher S100 frequency was independently associated with female gender ( p = 0.0003), NF2 ( p &lt; 0.0001), tumor location ( p &lt; 0.0001) and lower WHO CNS grade ( p = 0.0133). Conclusions The positive prognostic impact of S100 is mostly attributed to the confounding clinical factors gender, tumor location, NF2 status and WHO CNS grade.
Status, flight preparation, and future instrument opportunities of the STUDIO balloon-borne telescope platform
2022-07-15

Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX (2022), Montreal, Jul 17-22, 2022.--Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering vol. 12182 Article number 121822N.-- Full list of authors: Bougueroua, S.; Ångerman, M.; Barnstedt, J.; Colin, A.; Conti, L.; Diebold, S.; Duffard, R.; Janson, O.; Kalkuhl, C.; Kappelmann, N.; Keilig, T.; Klinkner, S.; Krabbe, A.; Lengowski, M.; Lockowandt, C.; Maier, P.; Müller, T.; Pahler, A.; Rauch, T.; Schanz, T.; Stelzer, B.; Taheran, M.; Vaerneus, A.; Werner, K.; Wolf, J.
TINI–a mission for FUV spectroscopy of extended objects
2022-07-15

The far ultraviolet (FUV, 91.2 nm to 180 nm) is the wavelength region with the greatest density of absorption and emission lines. However, despite of being one of the most exciting parts of the astrophysical spectrum, FUV missions are rare, partly due to the need for an instrument with a windowless, open-face detector. TINI, the Tuebingen-IIA Nebula Investigator, is a proposed space mission that addresses this unique wavelength range with a 12U imaging spectrograph tailored for observations of diffuse sources like nebulae or the ISM. It features a field-of-view of 0.7&deg; with 13" spatial resolution and a spectral resolution of 0.8&Aring; (resolving power <i>R</i>≈2000). The mission is led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, where the instrument is developed. The detectors are a contribution by the University of Tübingen. This publication provides a brief overview of the scientific goals, the instrument, and the planned mission concept.
The grasping test revisited: A systematic review of functional recovery in rat models of median nerve injury
2022-07-15

Review question / Objective: This work aims to report and summarize the course of functional recovery following crush injuries, transections and segmental resection of the rat median nerve. Condition being studied: Peripheral nerve injuries. Eligibility criteria: Only such studies were included which featured at least two postoperative time points at in which functional recovery was evaluated. Main outcome(s): Functional recovery as assessed by the grasping test.
Who Is Considered Gifted From a Teacher’s Perspective? A Representative Large-Scale Study
2022-07-16

Teachers play important roles in identifying and promoting gifted students. An open question is: Which student characteristics do teachers use to evaluate whether a student is gifted or not? We used data from a representative sample of Dutch primary school teachers ( N = 1,304) who were asked whether or not they thought the students ( N = 26,720) in their class were gifted. We investigated students’ cognitive and noncognitive attributes as well as demographic factors that might be relevant for this judgment. In sum, the findings revealed that teachers considered students to be gifted when, in comparison with their peers, students were superior in cognitive domains, especially with respect to academic achievement, scored higher on openness to experience and lower on agreeableness, were male, were younger, and came from families with higher parental education. These findings are discussed in relation to research on teacher nominations, teachers’ representations of giftedness and gifted students, and theoretical conceptions of giftedness.
Framing cognitive offloading in terms of gains or losses: achieving a more optimal use of reminders
2022-07-16

Abstract Nowadays individuals can readily set reminders to offload intentions onto external resources, such as smartphone alerts, rather than using internal memory. Individuals tend to be biased, setting more reminders than would be optimal. We address the question whether the reminder bias depends on offloading scenarios being framed as either gains or losses, both between-participants (Experiment 1) and within-participants (Experiment 2). In both experiments, framing of reminders in terms of gains resulted in participants employing a risk-averse strategy and using more reminders than would be optimal. Importantly, however, participants used reminders more optimally and were more willing to choose the risk-seeking option of remembering internally when reminders implied a loss. Based on metacognitive measures in Experiment 2, the reminder bias increased the more underconfident participants were about their memory abilities in both framing scenarios. Framing did not alter this relationship between erroneous metacognitive underconfidence and reminder bias but provides an additional influence. We conclude that emphasizing the losses (costs) associated with external reminders helps in achieving more optimal decisions in offloading situations, and that in addition to cognitive effort and metacognitive judgments, framing needs to be considered in improving individuals’ offloading behavior.
A modular systems biological modelling framework studies cyclic nucleotide signaling in platelets
2022-07-16

We present a general framework for model integration using modules and their stimulus responses. We demonstrate it by a multi-modular model for platelet signaling focusing on cGMP and VASP phosphorylation. Moreover, this allows to estimate drug action on any of the inhibitory cyclic nucleotide pathways (cGMP, cAMP) and is supported by experimental data.
Cell-specific electrical stimulation of human retinal neurons assessed by pupillary response dynamics in vivo
2022-07-16

Studies on the electrical excitability of retinal neurons show that photoreceptors and other cell types can be selectively activated by distinct stimulation frequencies in vitro. Yet, this principle still needs to be validated in humans in vivo. As a first step, this study explored the frequency preferences of human rods by means of transcorneal electrostimulation (TES), using the electrically-elicited pupillary responses (EEPRs) as an objective readout. The stimulation paradigm contained a 1.2 Hz sinusoidal envelope, which was superimposed on variable carrier frequencies (4-30 Hz). These currents were delivered to one of the participant's eyes via a corneal electrode and consensual pupillary reactions were recorded from the contralateral eye. The responsiveness of the retina at each frequency was assessed based on the EEPR dynamics. Differences between healthy participants and patients with retinitis pigmentosa were evaluated to identify the preferred frequency range of rods. The responsiveness of healthy individuals revealed a clear peak around 6-8 Hz. In contrast, the pupillary responses of patients were significantly reduced in the lower frequency range. These findings suggest that the responses in this frequency bin were selectively mediated by rods. This work provides evidence that different retinal cell types can be selectively activated via TES in vivo, and that this effect can be captured noninvasively using EEPRs. This knowledge may be exploited for the diagnostics and therapy of retinal diseases, e.g., to design cell-specific functional tests for the degenerating retina, or to optimize stimulation paradigms which are currently used by retinal prostheses.
What do spatial data from Sibhudu tell us about life in the Middle Stone Age?
2022-07-16

Abstract For the last 10 years, we have been carefully excavating rich, well-stratified Middle Stone Age (MSA) horizons from Sibhudu in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This work has provided a great abundance of numerous classes of cultural material from well-controlled contexts dating to between &gt; 90 and 36 ka that is relevant for documenting the Late Pleistocene cultural evolution of Homo sapiens in Africa. In this paper, we look more closely at intra-site spatial relationships between the finds and critically examine their context to determine what has been learned through such careful excavation. The effort is justified because through excavation we destroy sites, necessitating the recovery of as much relevant information as is possible and practicable, for ourselves and for future generations. This paper focuses on the high-resolution Sibhudan sequence at Sibhudu (~ 58 ka) which features high sedimentation rates and abundant finds, with people performing multiple activities in different parts of the site over time. The analyses present examples of how quantitative, 3D spatial data and statistical analyses open new paths of inquiry that advance our understanding of the lifeways of MSA peoples on spatial and temporal scales that have yet to attract much attention by researchers in Africa. Our analyses find intra-site patterning both within and across layers that is indicative of structured spatial use even in small areas of excavation. We identify potential knapping and dumping areas that change their position through time and connect these observations with rich techno-typological and techno-functional information. This work points to future directions, such as refitting and related contextual studies that are rarely used in Late Pleistocene archaeology of southern Africa, but will ultimately provide new insights into MSA lifeways.
Identification and current palaeobiological understanding of “Keratosa”-type non-spicular demosponge fossils in carbonates: with a new example from the lowermost Triassic, Armenia
2022-07-16

Abstract Fossilised fibrous skeletons of non-spicular demosponges have been reported in carbonates throughout the Phanerozoic and recently from rocks dated back to 890 Ma ago. These records expanded our understanding of metazoans in multiple aspects, including their early evolution, the cryptic ecology in fossil reefs, and recovery after mass extinction events. However, debates and confusion persist on the differentiation of these fossils from other biogenic or abiotic structures. Here we propose six identification criteria based on established taphonomical models and biological characteristics of these sponges (“Keratosa” sensu Minchin, 1900). Besides, sponge fossils of this kind from the lowermost Triassic of Chanakhchi (Armenia) are described with a 3-D reconstruction to exemplify the application of these criteria in the recognition of such organisms. Subsequently, the state-of-the-art understanding of the taxonomy and evolution of these fossil sponges, a previously poorly addressed topic, is summarized. The morphology of the Triassic Chanakhchi fossils indicates an affinity with Verongimorphs, a group that may have evolved by the Cambrian Age 3. Other than that, more efforts are still required to explore the taxonomic diversity and evolutionary details in the accumulating data of these fossil non-spicular demosponges.
Prediction of “Person Competence” in Mirror-competent Bonding Animals
2022-07-16

Only apes and corvids are known to be mirror competent, But there may exist further groups of eligible species - likely including pair-bonding cephalopods in case such exist. All mirror-competent bonding species are susceptible to the “personogenetic function change” if two of them are coupled in a cross-caring fashion. While this symmetric coupling occurs spontaneously only in the human ape, it can be arranged for artificially in other species. While the present prediction has been made before by the author’s group, no test has ever been attempted.
Neural Network Heuristic Functions: Taking Confidence into Account
2022-07-17

Neural networks (NN) are increasingly investigated in AI Planning, and are used successfully to learn heuristic functions. NNs commonly not only predict a value, but also output a confidence in this prediction. From the perspective of heuristic search with NN heuristics, it is a natural idea to take this into account, e.g. falling back to a standard heuristic where confidence is low. We contribute an empirical study of this idea. We design search methods which prune nodes, or switch between search queues, based on the confidence of NNs. We furthermore explore the possibility of out-of-distribution (OOD) training, which tries to reduce the overconfidence of NNs on inputs different to the training distribution. In experiments on IPC benchmarks, we find that our search methods improve coverage over standard methods, and that OOD training has the desired effect in terms of prediction accuracy and confidence, though its impact on search seems marginal.
Age and the Course of GFR in Persons Aged 70 and Above
2022-07-18

Background and objectives In older adults, data on the age-related course of GFR are scarce, which might lead to misjudgment of the clinical relevance of reduced GFR in old age. Design, setting, participants, &amp; measurements To describe the course of eGFR in older adults and derive reference values in population-based individuals, we used the longitudinal design of the Berlin Initiative Study (BIS) with a repeated estimation of GFR over a median of 6.1 years of follow-up. In 2069 community-dwelling older individuals (mean inclusion age 80 years, range 70–99), GFR was estimated biennially with the BIS-2 equation, including standardized creatinine and cystatin C levels, sex, and age. We described the crude and adjusted course using a mixed-effects model and analyzed the influence of death on the GFR course applying joint models. GFR slopes were compared using GFR equations on the basis of creatinine and/or cystatin C. Results We observed a decreasing, thus nonlinear, eGFR decline with increasing age in a population of old adults. The estimated 1-year slope for ages 75 and 90 diminished for men from −1.67 to −0.99 and for women from −1.52 to −0.97. The modeled mean eGFR for men aged ≥79 and women ≥78 was below 60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 . Multivariable adjustment attenuated slopes only minimally. Taking death into account by applying joint models did not alter the nonlinear eGFR decline. Using eGFR equations on the basis of creatinine only showed linear slope patterns in contrast to nonlinear patterns for equations including cystatin C. Conclusions The eGFR decline depended on sex and age and changed only marginally after multivariable adjustment but decelerated with increasing age. Equations including cystatin C demonstrated a nonlinear slope challenging the previously assumed linearity of the decline of eGFR in old age.
Spatially resolved host-bacteria-fungi interactomes via spatial metatranscriptomics
2022-07-18

Abstract All multicellular organisms are closely associated with microbes, which have a major impact on the health of their host. The interactions of microbes among themselves and with the host take place at the microscale, forming complex networks and spatial patterns that are rarely well understood due to the lack of suitable analytical methods. The importance of high-resolution spatial molecular information has become widely appreciated with the recent advent of spatially resolved transcriptomics. Here, we present Spatial metaTranscriptomics (SmT), a sequencing-based approach that leverages 16S/18S/ITS/poly-d(T) multimodal arrays for simultaneous host transcriptome- and microbiome-wide characterization of tissues at 55-μm resolution. We showcase SmT in outdoor-grown Arabidopsis thaliana leaves as a model system, and found tissue-scale bacterial and fungal hotspots. By network analysis, we study inter- and intra-kingdom spatial interactions among microbes, as well as the host response to microbial hotspots. SmT is a powerful new strategy that will be pivotal to answering fundamental questions on host-microbiome interplay.
The central-peripheral dichotomy and metacontrast masking
2022-07-18

According to the central-peripheral dichotomy (CPD), feedback from higher to lower cortical areas along the visual pathway to aid recognition is weaker in the more peripheral visual field. Metacontrast masking is predominantly a reduced visibility of a brief target by a brief and spatially adjacent mask when the mask succeeds rather than precedes or coincides with the target. If this masking works mainly by interfering with the feedback mechanisms for target recognition, then, by the CPD, this masking should be weaker at more peripheral visual locations. We extended the metacontrast masking at fovea by Enns and Di Lollo to visual field eccentricities 1[Formula: see text], 3[Formula: see text], and 9[Formula: see text]. Relative to the target’s onset, the mask appeared at a stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of [Formula: see text], 0, 50, 92, or 142 milliseconds (ms). Enlarged stimuli were used for larger eccentricities to equalize target discrimination performance across eccentricities as best as possible for zero SOA and when SOA was too long for substantial masking. At each eccentricity, the masking was weakest at 0 or [Formula: see text] ms SOA, strongest at 50 ms SOA, and weakened with larger (positive) SOAs. Consistent with the CPD, larger eccentricities presented weaker maskings at all nonzero, and particularly the positive, SOAs.