julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The evolution of young HII regions: I. Continuum emission and internal dynamics
2019-04-08

Context. High-mass stars form in much richer environments than those associated with isolated low-mass stars, and once they reach a certain mass, produce ionised (HII) regions. The formation of these pockets of ionised gas are unique to the formation of high-mass stars (M &amp;gt; 8 M&lt;SUB&gt;☉&lt;/SUB&gt;), and present an excellent opportunity to study the final stages of accretion, which could include accretion through the HII region itself. Aim. This study of the dynamics of the gas on both sides of these ionisation boundaries in very young HII regions aims to quantify the relationship between the HII regions and their immediate environments. &lt;BR /&gt; Methods: We present high-resolution ( 0.5′′) ALMA observations of nine HII regions selected from the red MSX source survey with compact radio emission and bolometric luminosities greater than 10&lt;SUP&gt;4&lt;/SUP&gt; L&lt;SUB&gt;☉&lt;/SUB&gt;. We focus on the initial presentation of the data, including initial results from the radio recombination line H29α, some complementary molecules, and the 256 GHz continuum emission. &lt;BR /&gt; Results: Of the six (out of nine) regions with H29α detections, two appear to have cometary morphologies with velocity gradients across them, and two appear more spherical with velocity gradients suggestive of infalling ionised gas. The remaining two were either observed at low resolution or had signals that were too weak to draw robust conclusions. We also present a description of the interactions between the ionised and molecular gas (as traced by CS (J = 5 - 4)), often (but not always) finding the HII region had cleared its immediate vicinity of molecules. &lt;BR /&gt; Conclusions: Of our sample of nine, the observations of the two clusters expected to have the youngest HII regions (from previous radio observations) are suggestive of having infalling motions in the H29α emission, which could be indicative of late stage accretion onto the stars despite the presence of an HII region. Table A.2 is also available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to &lt;A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr"&gt;http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr&lt;/A&gt; (&lt;A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr"&gt;http://130.79.128.5&lt;/A&gt;) or via &lt;A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz- bin/qcat?J/A+A/611/A99"&gt;http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz- bin/qcat?J/A+A/611/A99&lt;/A&gt;
Self-luminous and Irradiated Exoplanetary Atmospheres Explored with HELIOS
2019-04-09

Abstract We present new methodological features and physical ingredients included in the one-dimensional radiative transfer code HELIOS , improving the hemispheric two-stream formalism. We conduct a thorough intercomparison survey with several established forward models, including COOLTLUSTY and PHOENIX , and find satisfactory consistency with their results. Then, we explore the impact of (i) different groups of opacity sources, (ii) a stellar path length adjustment, and (iii) a scattering correction on self-consistently calculated atmospheric temperatures and planetary emission spectra. First, we observe that temperature–pressure ( T – P ) profiles are very sensitive to the opacities included, with metal oxides, hydrides, and alkali atoms (and ionized hydrogen) playing an important role in the absorption of shortwave radiation (in very hot surroundings). Moreover, if these species are sufficiently abundant, they are likely to induce nonmonotonic T – P profiles. Second, without the stellar path length adjustment, the incoming stellar flux is significantly underestimated for zenith angles above 80°, which somewhat affects the upper atmospheric temperatures and the planetary emission. Third, the scattering correction improves the accuracy of the computation of the reflected stellar light by ∼10%. We use HELIOS to calculate a grid of cloud-free atmospheres in radiative–convective equilibrium for self-luminous planets for a range of effective temperatures, surface gravities, metallicities, and C/O ratios to be used by planetary evolution studies. Furthermore, we calculate dayside temperatures and secondary eclipse spectra for a sample of exoplanets for varying chemistry and heat redistribution. These results may be used to make predictions on the feasibility of atmospheric characterizations with future observations.
Dark compact objects in massive tensor-multi-scalar theories of gravity
2019-04-09

In the present paper we consider special classes of tensor-multi-scalar\\ntheories of gravity whose target-space metric admits Killing field(s) with a\\nperiodic flow. For such tensor-multi-scalar theories we show that if the\\ndynamics of the scalar fields is confined on the periodic orbits of the Killing\\nfield(s) then there exists a new type of compact objects - the\\ntensor-multi-scalar solitons formed by a condensation of the gravitational\\nscalars. The existence of the tensor-multi-scalar solitons is proven by solving\\nthe fully non-linear eigenvalue problem which follows from the dimensional\\nreduction of the field equations of tensor-multi-scalar theories of gravity.\\nThe mass of the tensor-multi-scalar solitons can range at least from the mass\\nof a neutron star to the mass of dark objects in the center of the galaxies in\\ndependence of mass(es) of the gravitational scalars and which sector of massive\\nscalars is excited. These facts show that the tensor-multi-scalar solitons\\ncould have important implications for the dark matter problem. The existence of\\nthe tensor-multi-scalar solitons points towards the possibility that the dark\\nmatter, or part of it, is made of condensed gravitational scalars.\\n
Impact of the Antidiabetic Drug Metformin and Its Transformation Product Guanylurea on the Health of the Big Ramshorn Snail (Planorbarius corneus)
2019-04-09

Pharmaceuticals can enter surface waters via sewage treatment plants. In the environment, the substances and their transformation products, formed by the degradation of the parent compounds, can affect aquatic wildlife, including freshwater invertebrates. However, research on pharmaceutical-induced effects in wild freshwater organisms other than fish is still scarce. In our study, we investigated the impact of the highly consumed antidiabetic drug metformin and its main transformation product, guanylurea, on the health of a freshwater gastropod—the big ramshorn snail (Planorbarius corneus) by analysing its biochemical and cellular stress responses and apical parameters. The snails were exposed to different concentrations of the drug (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L) and its transformation product (0, 0.1, 10, and 100 mg/L). The examined parameters were mortality, weight, tissue integrity of the hepatopancreas, and the levels of stress proteins and lipid peroxides. Mortality and the levels of stress proteins and lipid peroxides were not influenced by the two substances. In response to the highest concentrations of both chemicals, the weight of the snails was slightly but not significantly reduced. The histopathological investigation of the hepatopancreas revealed a significant effect of guanylurea at a concentration of 100 mg/L with an increased number of symptoms of cellular responses in the tissue (e.g., dilated lumen, disturbed compartmentation of the digestive cells, nucleus deformation, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy of crypt cells). For the parent compound, a similar trend was also observed for the highest concentration. Overall, the observed effects did not occur at environmentally relevant concentrations, but at concentrations which were 10,000 times higher than these. Thus, the results did not give rise to a major concern that metformin and guanylurea could pose a risk to the big ramshorn snail in the environment.
Diabetes and Heart Failure: Is it Hyperglycemia or Hyperinsulinemia?
2019-04-09

The cardiac effects of exogenously administered insulin for the treatment of diabetes (DM) have recently attracted much attention. In particular, it has been questioned whether insulin is the appropriate treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. While several old and some new studies suggested that insulin treatment has beneficial effects on the heart, recent observational studies indicate associations of insulin treatment with an increased risk of developing or worsening of pre-existing heart failure and higher mortality rates. However, there is actually little evidence that the associations of insulin administration with any adverse outcomes are causal. On the other hand, insulin clearly causes weight gain and may also cause serious episodes of hypoglycemia. Moreover, excess of insulin (hyperinsulinemia), as often seen with the use of injected insulin, seems to predispose to inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Nevertheless, it should be stressed that most of the data concerning the effects of insulin on cardiac function derive from in vitro studies with isolated animal hearts. Therefore, the relevance of the findings of such studies for humans should be considered with caution. In the present review, we summarize the existing data about the potential positive and negative effects of insulin on the heart and attempt to answer the question whether any adverse effects of insulin or the consequences of hyperglycemia are more important and may provide a better explanation of the close association of DM with heart failure.
Intraoperative localization of spatially and spectrally distinct resting-state networks in Parkinson’s disease
2019-04-09

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an effective treatment for symptomatic Parkinson’s disease (PD); the clinical benefit may not only mirror modulation of local STN activity but also reflect consecutive network effects on cortical oscillatory activity. Moreover, STN-DBS selectively suppresses spatially and spectrally distinct patterns of synchronous oscillatory activity within cortical-subcortical loops. These STN-cortical circuits have been described in PD patients using magnetoencephalography after surgery. This network information, however, is currently not available during surgery to inform the implantation strategy. The authors recorded spontaneous brain activity in 3 awake patients with PD (mean age 67 ± 14 years; mean disease duration 13 ± 7 years) during implantation of DBS electrodes into the STN after overnight withdrawal of dopaminergic medication. Intraoperative propofol was discontinued at least 30 minutes prior to the electrophysiological recordings. The authors used a novel approach for performing simultaneous recordings of STN local field potentials (LFPs) and multichannel electroencephalography (EEG) at rest. Coherent oscillations between LFP and EEG sensors were computed, and subsequent dynamic imaging of coherent sources was performed. The authors identified coherent activity in the upper beta range (21–35 Hz) between the STN and the ipsilateral mesial (pre)motor area. Coherence in the theta range (4–6 Hz) was detected in the ipsilateral prefrontal area. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of detecting frequency-specific and spatially distinct synchronization between the STN and cortex during DBS surgery. Mapping the STN with this technique may disentangle different functional loops relevant for refined targeting during DBS implantation.
Modulating dream experience: Noninvasive brain stimulation over the sensorimotor cortex reduces dream movement
2019-04-09

Abstract Recently, cortical correlates of specific dream contents have been reported, such as the activation of the sensorimotor cortex during dreamed hand clenching. Yet, the causal mechanisms underlying specific dream content remain largely elusive. Here, we investigated how alterations in the excitability of sensorimotor areas through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) might alter dream content. Following bihemispheric tDCS or sham stimulation, participants who were awakened from REM sleep filled out a questionnaire on bodily sensations in dreams. tDCS, compared to sham stimulation, significantly decreased reports of dream movement, especially repetitive actions. Contrary to this, other types of bodily experiences, such as tactile or vestibular sensations, were not affected by tDCS, confirming the specificity of stimulation effects. In addition, tDCS reduced interhemispheric coherence in parietal areas and altered the phasic electromyography correlation between the two arms. These findings reveal that a complex reorganization of the motor network co-occurred with the reduction of dream movement, confirming spatial specificity of the stimulation site. We conclude that tDCS over the sensorimotor cortex causally interferes with dream movement during REM sleep.
Targeted gene sequencing in 6994 individuals with neurodevelopmental disorder with epilepsy
2019-04-09

Abstract Purpose We aimed to gain insight into frequencies of genetic variants in genes implicated in neurodevelopmental disorder with epilepsy (NDD+E) by investigating large cohorts of patients in a diagnostic setting. Methods We analyzed variants in NDD+E using epilepsy gene panel sequencing performed between 2013 and 2017 by two large diagnostic companies. We compared variant frequencies in 6,994 panels to other 8,588 recently published panels as well as exome-wide de novo variants in 1,942 individuals with NDD+E and 10,937 controls. Results Genes with highest frequencies of ultra-rare variants in NDD+E comprised SCN1A, KCNQ2, SCN2A, CDKL5, SCN8A and STXBP1 , concordant with the two other epilepsy cohorts we investigated. Only 46% of the analysed 262 dominant and X-linked panel genes contained ultra-rare variants in patients. Among genes with contradictory evidence of association with epilepsy CACNB4, CLCN2, EFHC1, GABRD, MAGI2 and SRPX2 showed equal frequencies in cases and controls. Conclusion We show that improvement of panel design increased diagnostic yield over time, but panels still display genes with low or no diagnostic yield. With our data, we hope to improve current diagnostic NDD+E panel design and provide a resource of ultra-rare variants in individuals with NDD+E to the community.
RS4548513 (CTNNA3): A Genetic Risk Factor for Visual Construction Deficiency in Parkinson’s disease (P1.1-016)
2019-04-09

May 5, 2019April 9, 2019Free AccessRS4548513 (CTNNA3): A Genetic Risk Factor for Visual Construction Deficiency in Parkinson’s disease (P1.1-016)Damian Murezzan, Antonia Meyer, Ute Gschwandtner, Inga Liepelt, Kathrin Brockmann, Claudia Schulte, Peter Fuhr, and Volker RothAuthors Info & AffiliationsApril 9, 2019 issue92 (15_supplement)https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.92.15_supplement.P1.1-016 Letters to the Editor
User-Friendly and Parallelized Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Microtissues in a Centrifugal Heart-on-a-Chip
2019-04-10

With the ultimate goal in tissue engineering of approaching <i>in vivo</i> functionality as closely as possible, organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems provide unprecedented game-changing opportunities by enabling creation of perfused three-dimensional tissues. Most of the recently developed OoC systems, however, require complex handling steps. Hence, a large gap still exists between technology development and collection of valuable biological data in a standardized medium- or high-throughput manner. The system presented here bridges this gap by providing a user-friendly framework for the parallelized creation of multiple physiologically relevant tissues, which could be applicable in every laboratory without additional equipment.
BKV Clearance Time Correlates With Exhaustion State and T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Shape of BKV-Specific T-Cells in Renal Transplant Patients
2019-04-10

Reactivation of the BK polyomavirus is known to lead to severe complications in kidney transplant patients. The current treatment strategy relies on decreasing the immunosuppression to allow the immune system to clear the virus. Recently, we demonstrated a clear association between the resolution of BKV reactivation and reconstitution of BKV-specific CD4(+) T-cells. However, which factors determine the duration of viral infection clearance remains so far unclear. Here we apply a combination of in-depth multi-parametric flow cytometry and NGS-based CDR3 beta chain receptor repertoire analysis of BKV-specific T-cells to a cohort of 7 kidney transplant patients during the clinical course of BKV reactivation. This way we followed TCR repertoires at single clone levels and functional activity of BKV-specific T-cells during the resolution of BKV infection. The duration of BKV clearance did not depend on the number of peripheral blood BKV-specific T-cells nor on a few immunodominant BKV-specific T-cell clones. Rather, the T-cell receptor repertoire diversity and exhaustion status of BKV-specific T-cells affected the duration of viral clearance: high clonotype diversity and lack of PD1 and TIM3 exhaustion markers on BKV-specific T-cells was associated with short clearance time. Our data thus demonstrate how the diversity and the exhaustion state of the T-cells can determine the clinical course of BKV infection.
About the Kerr Nature of the Stellar-mass Black Hole in GRS 1915+105
2019-04-10

Abstract We employ the accretion disk reflection model relxill _ nk to test the spacetime geometry around the stellar-mass black hole in GRS 1915+105. We adopt the Johannsen metric with the deformation parameters α 13 and α 22 , for which the Kerr solution is recovered when α 13 = α 22 = 0. We analyze a NuSTAR observation of 2012, obtaining vanishing and non-vanishing values of the deformation parameters depending on the astrophysical model adopted. Similar difficulties were not found in our previous tests with other sources. The results of this work can shed light on the choice of sources suitable for testing the Kerr metric using X-ray reflection spectroscopy and on the parts of our reflection models that more urgently require improvement.
State-dependent geometry of population activity in rat auditory cortex
2019-04-10

The accuracy of the neural code depends on the relative embedding of signal and noise in the activity of neural populations. Despite a wealth of theoretical work on population codes, there are few empirical characterizations of the high-dimensional signal and noise subspaces. We studied the geometry of population codes in the rat auditory cortex across brain states along the activation-inactivation continuum, using sounds varying in difference and mean level across the ears. As the cortex becomes more activated, single-hemisphere populations go from preferring contralateral loud sounds to a symmetric preference across lateralizations and intensities, gain-modulation effectively disappears, and the signal and noise subspaces become approximately orthogonal to each other and to the direction corresponding to global activity modulations. Level-invariant decoding of sound lateralization also becomes possible in the active state. Our results provide an empirical foundation for the geometry and state-dependence of cortical population codes.
Cranial and endocranial diversity in extant and fossil atelids (Platyrrhini: Atelidae): A geometric morphometric study
2019-04-10

Abstract Objectives Platyrrhines constitute a diverse clade, with the modern Atelidae exhibiting the most variation in cranial and endocast morphology. The processes responsible for this diversification are not well understood. Here, we present a geometric morphometric study describing variation in cranial and endocranial shape of 14 species of Alouatta , Ateles , Brachyteles , and Lagothrix and two extinct taxa, Cartelles and Caipora . Methods We examined cranial and endocranial shape variation among species using images reconstructed from CT scans and geometric morphometric techniques based on three‐dimensional landmarks and semilandmarks. Principal components analyses were used to explore variation, including the Procrustes shape coordinates, summing the logarithm of the Centroid Size, the common allometric component, and residual shape components. Results Differences in endocranial shape are related to a relative increase or decrease in the volume of the neocortex region with respect to brainstem and cerebellum regions. The relative position of the brainstem varies from a posterior position in Alouatta to a more ventral position in Ateles . The shape of both the cranium and endocast of Caipora is within the observed variation of Brachyteles. Cartelles occupies the most differentiated position relative to the extant taxa, especially in regards to its endocranial shape. Conclusions The pattern of variation in the extant species in endocranial shape is similar to the variation observed in previous cranial studies, with Alouatta as an outlier. The similarities between Caipora and Brachyteles were unexpected and intriguing given the frugivorous adaptations inferred from the fossil's dentition. Our study shows the importance of considering both extant and fossil species when studying diversification of complex traits.
Variability in high‐mass X‐ray binaries
2019-04-10

Strongly magnetized, accreting neutron stars show periodic and aperiodic variability over a wide range of time scales. By obtaining spectral and timing information on these different time scales, we can have a closer look into the physics of accretion close to the neutron star and the properties of the accreted material. One of the most prominent time scales is the strong pulsation, i.e., the rotation period of the neutron star itself. Over one rotation, our view of the accretion column and the X‐ray producing region changes significantly. This allows us to sample different physical conditions within the column but at the same time requires that we have viewing‐angle‐resolved models to properly describe them. In wind‐fed high‐mass X‐ray binaries, the main source of aperiodic variability is the clumpy stellar wind, which leads to changes in the accretion rate (i.e., luminosity) as well as absorption column. This variability allows us to study the behavior of the accretion column as a function of luminosity, as well as to investigate the structure and physical properties of the wind, which we can compare to winds in isolated stars.
Donor-Dependent Factors Influencing Contamination Rates of Conjunctival Swabs of Human Donor Eyes
2019-04-10

BACKGROUND:This study investigated the effect of donor-dependent factors on contamination rates of conjunctival swabs of human donor eyes. MATERIAL AND METHODS:From July 2015 to September 2017 a total of 1008 conjunctival swabs from 504 consecutive human donor eyes were analyzed. Cross-tabulation, chi-squared tests, and Fisher’s exact tests were used to evaluate the effect of donor-dependent factors on contamination rates of conjunctival swabs. RESULTS:The mean conjunctival swabs contamination rate was 28.4%. Donors with the diagnosis of carcinoma or metastases were associated with an increased conjunctival swab contamination rate [odds ratio (OR)=1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.2–2.6, p=0.007; OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1–2.6, p=0.016; respectively]. However, the age, sex, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, and donors who received chemotherapy did not significantly increase the conjunctival swab contamination risk. CONCLUSIONS:Donors with the diagnosis of a carcinoma or metastases seemed to be predisposed to increased conjunctival swab contamination risk.