julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg Delta, Northeast Greenland
2017-01-17

Abstract. The Zackenberg Delta is located in Northeast Greenland (74°30'N, 20°30'E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg Valley. The deltaic fill at the mouth of the valley consists of a series of terraces (ca. 2 km2) formed during a fall in relative sea level. The modern Zackenberg River has incised through the paleo-deltaic deposits creating exposures (up to 22 m in height) along the rivers banks. In addition, coastal processes have exposed sediments in 4 m – 20 m high coastal cliffs. In 2012, two 20 m long ice-bonded sediment cores were retrieved from within the deltaic deposits. The combination of river and coastal exposures with the analysis of ground ice in these cores permitted the reconstruction of the valley-fill succession and evaluation of the timing and nature of permafrost aggradation. Permafrost in the palaeo-deltaic deposits is predominantly epigenetic and aggraded following the subaerial exposure of the delta plain (beginning ca. 11 ka). The exposed deposits in the Zackenberg Valley provide a unique opportunity to investigate the relationship between depositional environments and processes, grain-size properties and cryostratigraphy in epigenetic lowland permafrost environments.
TALE-induced bHLH transcription factors that activate a pectate lyase contribute to water soaking in bacterial spot of tomato
2017-01-18

Significance AvrHah1 [avirulence (avr) gene homologous to avrBs3 and hax2, no. 1] is a transcription activator-like (TAL) effector (TALE) in Xanthomonas gardneri that enhances water soaking in its known hosts tomato, pepper, and Nicotiana benthamiana . We observe that the water soaking conferred by AvrHah1 is due to the movement of water into the infected apoplast from a wet environment. RNA sequencing identified two basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors that we confirmed as targets of AvrHah1. We discovered that a pectate lyase was upregulated by both of the bHLH transcription factors. Designer TALEs (dTALEs) for both bHLH transcription factors and the pectate lyase complemented the water-soaking phenotype of X. gardneriΔavrHah1 . This report demonstrates virulence activity from an indirect TALE target.
Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation for Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Prospective, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Follow-up Study Over 1 Year
2017-01-18

The safety and acceptable tolerability of weekly TES self-administered by patients at home was confirmed over the course of 1 year. Objectively measured improvements in retinal function with ERG provide support for the potential benefits of TES for RP patients.
Optically thick envelopes around ULXs powered by accreating neutron stars
2017-01-18

Magnetized neutron stars power at least some ultraluminous X-ray sources. The accretion flow in these cases is interrupted at the magnetospheric radius and then reaches the surface of a neutron star following magnetic field lines. Accreting matter moving along magnetic field lines forms the accretion envelope around the central object. We show that in case of high-mass accretion rates ≳ 1019 g s-1 the envelope becomes closed and optically thick, which influences the dynamics of the accretion flow and the observational manifestation of the neutron star hidden behind the envelope. Particularly, the optically thick accretion envelope results in a multi-colour blackbody spectrum originating from the magnetospheric surface. The spectrum and photon energy flux vary with the viewing angle, which gives rise to pulsations characterized by high pulsed fraction and typically smooth pulse profiles. The reprocessing of radiation due to interaction with the envelope leads to the disappearance of cyclotron scattering features from the spectrum. We speculate that the super-orbital variability of ultraluminous X-ray sources powered by accreting neutron stars can be attributed to precession of the neutron star due to interaction of magnetic dipole with the accretion disc.
Reductive Dehydrogenation of a Stannane via Multiple Sn−H Activation by Frustrated Lewis Pairs
2017-01-18

Abstract A bulky substituted stannane Ar*SnH 3 (Ar*=2,6‐(2′,4′,6′‐triisopropylphenyl)phenyl) was treated with the well‐known frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) P t Bu 3 /B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 in varying stoichiometries. To some degree, hydride abstraction and adduct formation is observed, leading to [Ar*SnH 2 (P t Bu 3 )] + which is rather unreactive toward further dehydrogenation. In a competing process, the FLP proved to be capable of completely striping‐off hydrogen and hydrides to generate the first cationic phosphonio‐stannylene [Ar*Sn(P t Bu 3 )] + . This behavior provides insight into the activation/abstraction mechanism processes involved in these Group 14 hydride derivatives.
Whole Brain Magnetic Resonance Image Atlases: A Systematic Review of Existing Atlases and Caveats for Use in Population Imaging
2017-01-19

Brain MRI atlases may be used to characterize brain structural changes across the life course. Atlases have important applications in research, e.g., as registration and segmentation targets to underpin image analysis in population imaging studies, and potentially in future in clinical practice, e.g., as templates for identifying brain structural changes out with normal limits, and increasingly for use in surgical planning. However, there are several caveats and limitations which must be considered before successfully applying brain MRI atlases to research and clinical problems. For example, the influential Talairach and Tournoux atlas was derived from a single fixed cadaveric brain from an elderly female with limited clinical information, yet is the basis of many modern atlases and is often used to report locations of functional activation. We systematically review currently available whole brain structural MRI atlases with particular reference to the implications for population imaging through to emerging clinical practice. We found 66 whole brain structural MRI atlases world-wide. The vast majority were based on T1, T2, and/or proton density (PD) structural sequences, had been derived using parametric statistics (inappropriate for brain volume distributions), had limited supporting clinical or cognitive data, and included few younger (>5 and <18 years) or older (>60 years) subjects. To successfully characterize brain structural features and their changes across different stages of life, we conclude that whole brain structural MRI atlases should include: more subjects at the upper and lower extremes of age; additional structural sequences, including fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2<sup>*</sup> sequences; a range of appropriate statistics, e.g., rank-based or non-parametric; and detailed cognitive and clinical profiles of the included subjects in order to increase the relevance and utility of these atlases.
Inflammatory profile discriminates clinical subtypes in LRRK2‐associated Parkinson's disease
2017-01-19

Background and purpose The presentation of Parkinson's disease patients with mutations in the LRRK 2 gene ( PD LRRK 2 ) is highly variable, suggesting a strong influence of modifying factors. In this context, inflammation is a potential candidate inducing clinical subtypes. Methods An extensive battery of peripheral inflammatory markers was measured in human serum in a multicentre cohort of 142 PD LRRK 2 patients from the MJFF LRRK 2 Consortium, stratified by three different subtypes as recently proposed for idiopathic Parkinson's disease: diffuse/malignant, intermediate and mainly pure motor. Results Patients classified as diffuse/malignant presented with the highest levels of the pro‐inflammatory proteins interleukin 8 ( IL ‐8), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 ( MCP ‐1) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1‐β ( MIP ‐1‐β) paralleled by high levels of the neurotrophic protein brain‐derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ). It was also possible to distinguish the clinical subtypes based on their inflammatory profile by using discriminant and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Conclusions Inflammation seems to be associated with the presence of a specific clinical subtype in PD LRRK 2 that is characterized by a broad and more severely affected spectrum of motor and non‐motor symptoms. The pro‐inflammatory metabolites IL ‐8, MCP ‐1 and MIP ‐1‐β as well as BDNF are interesting candidates to be included in biomarker panels that aim to differentiate subtypes in PD LRRK 2 and predict progression.
Fandom biases retrospective judgments not perception
2017-01-19

Attitudes and motivations have been shown to affect the processing of visual input, indicating that observers may see a given situation each literally in a different way. Yet, in real-life, processing information in an unbiased manner is considered to be of high adaptive value. Attitudinal and motivational effects were found for attention, characterization, categorization, and memory. On the other hand, for dynamic real-life events, visual processing has been found to be highly synchronous among viewers. Thus, while in a seminal study fandom as a particularly strong case of attitudes did bias judgments of a sports event, it left the question open whether attitudes do bias prior processing stages. Here, we investigated influences of fandom during the live TV broadcasting of the 2013 UEFA-Champions-League Final regarding attention, event segmentation, immediate and delayed cued recall, as well as affect, memory confidence, and retrospective judgments. Even though we replicated biased retrospective judgments, we found that eye-movements, event segmentation, and cued recall were largely similar across both groups of fans. Our findings demonstrate that, while highly involving sports events are interpreted in a fan dependent way, at initial stages they are processed in an unbiased manner.
Synthesis of lignin model compound containing a β-O-4 linkage
2017-01-20

Abstract Development of catalysts for efficient conversion of lignin polymer to value-added materials requires appropriately-functionalized lignin model compounds. The predominant structural feature of lignin biopolymer is an extensive network of β -O-4 linkages. Access to large amounts of a model compound containing the β -O-4 linkage is crucial for the valorisation of lignin biopolymer to aromatic raw materials. Starting from commercially available vanillin, synthesis of dilignol model compound, containing a β -O-4 linkage, is accomplished in good overall yield.
Quality of Documentation as a Surrogate Marker for Awareness and Training Effectiveness of PHTLS-Courses. Part of the Prospective Longitudinal Mixed-Methods EPPTC-Trial
2017-01-20

In summary, we showed that PHTLS training improves documentation quality, which we used as a surrogate endpoint for learning effectiveness and awareness. In this regard, we demonstrated that participants use certain parts of training in real life, thereby suggesting that the learning methods of PHTLS training are effective. These results, however, do not indicate whether patient care has changed.
Glutamine synthetase stabilizes the binding of GlnR to nitrogen fixation gene operators
2017-01-21

Biological nitrogen fixation ( BNF ) is a high energy demanding process carried out by diazotrophic microorganisms that supply combined nitrogen to the biosphere. The genes related to BNF are strictly regulated, but these mechanisms are poorly understood in gram‐positive bacteria. The transcription factor GlnR was proposed to regulate nitrogen fixation‐related genes based on Paenibacillus comparative genomics. In order to validate this proposal, we investigated BNF regulatory sequences in Paenibacillus riograndensis SBR 5 T genome. We identified GlnR‐binding sites flanking σ A ‐binding sites upstream from BNF ‐related genes. GlnR binding to these sites was demonstrated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. GlnR‐ DNA affinity is greatly enhanced when GlnR is in complex with feedback‐inhibited (glutamine‐occupied) glutamine synthetase ( GS ). GlnR– GS complex formation is also modulated by ATP and AMP . Thereby, gene repression exerted by the GlnR‐ GS complex is coupled with nitrogen (glutamine levels) and energetic status ( ATP and AMP ). Finally, we propose a DNA ‐looping model based on multiple operator sites that represents a strong and strict regulation for these genes.
Binding and Proton Blockage by Amantadine Variants of the Influenza M2WT and M2S31N Explained
2017-01-21

While aminoadamantanes are well-established inhibitors of the influenza A M2 proton channel, the mechanisms by which they are rendered ineffective against M2<sub>S31N</sub> are unclear. Solid state NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry, electrophysiology, antiviral assays, and molecular dynamics simulations suggest stronger binding interactions for aminoadamantanes to M2<sub>WT</sub> compared to negligible or weak binding to M2<sub>S31N</sub>. This is due to reshaping of the M2 pore when N31 is present, which, in contrast to wild-type (WT), leads (A) to the loss of the V27 pocket for the adamantyl cage and to a predominant orientation of the ligand's ammonium group toward the N-terminus and (B) to the lack of a helical kink upon ligand binding. The kink, which reduces the tilt of the C-terminal helical domain relative to the bilayer normal, includes the W41 primary gate for proton conductance and may prevent the gate from opening, representing an alternative view for how these drugs prevent proton conductance.
Medium-chain fatty acids modulate myocardial function via a cardiac odorant receptor
2017-01-23

Several studies have demonstrated the expression of odorant receptors (OR) in various human tissues and their involvement in different physiological and pathophysiological processes. However, the functional role of ORs in the human heart is still unclear. Here, we firstly report the functional characterization of an OR in the human heart. Initial next-generation sequencing analysis revealed the OR expression pattern in the adult and fetal human heart and identified the fatty acid-sensing OR51E1 as the most highly expressed OR in both cardiac development stages. An extensive characterization of the OR51E1 ligand profile by luciferase reporter gene activation assay identified 2-ethylhexanoic acid as a receptor antagonist and various structurally related fatty acids as novel OR51E1 ligands, some of which were detected at receptor-activating concentrations in plasma and epicardial adipose tissue. Functional investigation of the endogenous receptor was carried out by Ca<sup>2+</sup> imaging of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Application of OR51E1 ligands induced negative chronotropic effects that depended on activation of the OR. OR51E1 activation also provoked a negative inotropic action in cardiac trabeculae and slice preparations of human explanted ventricles. These findings indicate that OR51E1 may play a role as metabolic regulator of cardiac function.
Genetics of schizophrenia: A consensus paper of the WFSBP Task Force on Genetics
2017-01-23

Future studies will address especially the functional characterisation of genetic variants. This will hopefully open the doors to our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other related diseases. Complementary, integrated systems biology approaches to genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics may also play crucial roles in enabling a precision medicine approach to the treatment of individual patients.
The novel MKL target gene myoferlin modulates expansion and senescence of hepatocellular carcinoma
2017-01-23

Megakaryoblastic Leukemia 1 and 2 (MKL1/2) are transcriptional coactivators of Serum Response Factor (SRF) with an essential role for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth and oncogene-induced senescence. In this report, we identified myoferlin as a novel MKL/SRF target gene by gene expression profiling and verification in vivo in HCC xenografts. Myoferlin was overexpressed in human and murine HCCs triggered by conditional expression of constitutively active SRF-VP16 protein in hepatocytes. Furthermore, myoferlin was required for HCC cell invasion, proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth. We provide evidence that myoferlin is a crucial gene target of MKL1/2 mediating its effect on oncogene-induced senescence by modulating the activation state of the EGFR and downstream MAPK and p16-/Rb pathways. Depletion of myoferlin in tumour cells from SRF-VP16-derived murine HCCs induced a senescence phenotype. These findings identify MKL1/2 and myoferlin as novel therapeutic targets to treat human HCC by a senescence-inducing strategy.
Security or insecurity? Representations of the UK border in public and policy discourses
2017-01-23

This article analyses representations of the UK border (in relation to migration) in UK public and policy discourses. It uses methods from corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis to compare the two discursive domains. A 26 million-word corpus of policy documentation and British newspaper articles published between 2007 and 2014 is examined using the analysis tool Sketch Engine and applying qualitative concordance analysis. The analysis reveals a key difference between the two domains: while the UK border is represented as a security concept in the policy corpus, the corpus of the public newspaper domain frequently and saliently represents the UK border as a concept dominated by insecurity. The article argues that the discursive label of European Union has played a role in contributing to this difference.
Comparison of the Working Memory Load in N-Back and Working Memory Span Tasks by Means of EEG Frequency Band Power and P300 Amplitude
2017-01-24

According to theoretical accounts, both, <i>N</i>-back and complex span tasks mainly require working memory (WM) processing. In contrast, simple span tasks conceptually mainly require WM storage. Thus, conceptually, an <i>N</i>-back task and a complex span task share more commonalities as compared to a simple span task. In the current study, we compared an <i>N</i>-back task, a complex operation span task (Ospan), and a simple digit span task (Dspan) by means of typical WM load-related measures of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) like the parietal alpha and beta frequency band power, the frontal theta frequency band power, and the P300 amplitude, to examine whether these tasks would show commonalities or differences in WM processing-load. We expected that increasing WM-load would generally lead to a decreased alpha and beta frequency band power, an increased theta frequency band power, and a decreased P300 amplitude. Yet, based on the conceptual considerations, we hypothesized that the outcomes of these measures would be more comparable between the <i>N</i>-back and the Ospan as compared to the Dspan. Our hypotheses were partly confirmed. The <i>N</i>-back and the Ospan showed timely more prolonged alpha frequency band power effects as compared to the Dspan. This might indicate higher demands on WM processing in the former two tasks. The theta frequency band power and the P300 amplitude were most pronounced in the <i>N</i>-back task as compared to both span tasks. This might indicate specific demands on cognitive control in the <i>N</i>-back task. Additionally, we observed that behavioral performance measures correlated with changes in EEG alpha power of the <i>N</i>-back and the Ospan, yet not of the Dspan. Taken together, the hypothesized conceptual commonalities between the <i>N</i>-back task and the Ospan (and, for the Dspan, differences) were only partly confirmed by the electrophysiological WM load-related measures, indicating a potential need for reconsidering the theoretical accounts on WM tasks and the value of a closer link to electrophysiological research herein.
NewMycobacterium tuberculosisComplex Sublineage, Brazzaville, Congo
2017-01-24

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of illness and death in Congo. No data are available about the population structure and transmission dynamics of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains prevalent in this central Africa country. On the basis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms detected by whole-genome sequencing, we phylogenetically characterized 74 MTBC isolates from Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. The diversity of the study population was high; most strains belonged to the Euro-American lineage, which split into Latin American Mediterranean, Uganda I, Uganda II, Haarlem, X type, and a new dominant sublineage named Congo type (n = 26). Thirty strains were grouped in 5 clusters (each within 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms), from which 23 belonged to the Congo type. High cluster rates and low genomic diversity indicate recent emergence and transmission of the Congo type, a new Euro-American sublineage of MTBC.
Resource Availability and Explicit Memory Largely Determine Evaluative Conditioning Effects in a Paradigm Claimed to be Conducive to Implicit Attitude Acquisition
2017-01-24

In three experiments, we investigated how preventing the explicit encoding of conditioned stimulus–unconditioned stimulus (CS–US) pairings by imposing a secondary task at learning influences evaluative conditioning (EC) effects in a paradigm claimed to be conducive to implicit EC. We additionally used a multinomial processing tree model to examine how the resource depletion manipulation affects explicit and implicit memory contributions to EC. In all experiments, the EC effect largely vanished when a secondary task was employed that severely reduced participants’ explicit memory for the CS–US pairings. Furthermore, no evidence obtained for an implicit memory contribution to EC effects. In conclusion, the present research yields evidence for explicit learning, but no support for the contribution of implicit processes to EC in a paradigm claimed to facilitate implicit EC.
Conservation Abilities, Visuospatial Skills, and Numerosity Processing Speed: Association With Math Achievement and Math Difficulties in Elementary School Children
2017-01-24

The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between elementary school children’s mathematical achievement and their conservation abilities, visuospatial skills, and numerosity processing speed. We also assessed differences in these abilities between children with different types of learning problems. In Study 1 ( N = 229), we investigated second to fourth graders and in Study 2 ( N = 120), third and fourth graders. Analyses revealed significant contributions of numerosity processing speed and visuospatial skills to math achievement beyond IQ. Conservation abilities were predictive in Study 1 only. Children with math difficulties showed lower visuospatial skills and conservation abilities than children with typical achievement levels and children with reading and/or spelling difficulties, whereas children with combined difficulties explicitly showed low conservation abilities. These findings provide further evidence for the relations between children’s math skills and their visuospatial skills, conservation abilities, and processing speed and contribute to the understanding of deficits that are specific to mathematical difficulties.