julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis
2005-11-01

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a monophasic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that typically follows a febrile infection or a vaccination. Children are predominantly affected. A plethora of viral and bacterial pathogens and a number of vaccinations have been associated with ADEM. Experimental animal studies indicate that both primary and secondary autoimmune responses contribute to central nervous system inflammation and subsequent demyelination. The clinical diagnosis of ADEM is strongly suggested by a close temporal relationship between an infectious incident or an immunization and the onset of leukoencephalopathic neurological symptoms. Paraclinical tests may support the diagnosis. Particularly helpful are acute signs of newly developed extensive, multifocal, subcortical white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance images of the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid may disclose a mild lymphocytic pleocytosis and elevated albumin levels. Oligoclonal bands are not always present in ADEM and, if so, may be transient. The major differential diagnosis of ADEM is multiple sclerosis. Treatment options for ADEM consist of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. In general, the disease is self-limiting and the prognostic outcome favorable. In the absence of widely accepted clinical or paraclinical diagnostic guidelines, a number of recently conducted observational case series have substantially broadened our understanding about the clinical phenotype, diagnosis, and prognosis of ADEM.
Psychological Effects of (S)-Ketamine and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): A Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study in Healthy Volunteers
2005-11-01

The present study suggests that the NMDA antagonist model of psychosis is not overall superior to the serotonin 5-HT2A agonist model. Rather, the two classes of drugs tend to model different aspects or types of schizophrenia. The NMDA antagonist state may be an appropriate model for psychoses with prominent negative and possibly also catatonic features, while the 5-HT2A agonist state may be a better model for psychoses of the paranoid type.
Temozolomide in Combination With Interferon-Alfa Versus Temozolomide Alone in Patients With Advanced Metastatic Melanoma: A Randomized, Phase III, Multicenter Study from the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group
2005-11-01

Purpose Temozolomide (TMZ) has shown efficacy in metastatic melanoma equal to that of dacarbazine (DTIC), the standard chemotherapeutic agent for melanoma. As the combination with interferon-alfa (IFN-α) appears superior to single-agent DTIC regarding response rates, the purpose of this study was to compare TMZ alone and TMZ plus IFN-α in terms of objective response (OR), overall survival, and safety in a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial. Patients and Methods Two hundred ninety-four patients with untreated stage IV metastatic melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system) were randomly assigned to receive either oral TMZ alone (200 mg/m 2 /day; days 1 through 5 every 28 days) or in combination with subcutaneous IFN-α (5 MU/m 2 ; days 1, 3, and 5 every week). Results Two hundred eighty-two patients were eligible for an intent-to-treat analysis, 271 patients were treated per protocol. In the TMZ + IFN-α arm, 33 (24.1%) of 137 patients responded to therapy (partial or complete remission) whereas in the monotherapy arm, in 18 (13.4%) of 134 patients, a response was evident. Thus, the response rate was significantly higher in the combination arm (P = .036). Median survival time was 8.4 months for patients treated with TMZ (95% CI, 7.07 to 9.27) and 9.7 months for those treated with the combination (95% CI, 8.26 to 11.18; P = .16). Dose modifications and interval prolongations due to hematologic toxicity were significantly more frequent in the TMZ + IFN-α arm (P &lt; .001). Conclusion In metastatic melanoma treatment with TMZ + IFN-α leads to a significantly superior OR rate compared to treatment with TMZ alone, which did not translate into prolonged survival in our study population.
A framework for a phylogenetic classification in the genus Cortinarius (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) derived from morphological and molecular data
2005-11-01

Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Cortinarius with emphasis on European species were studied by integrating a molecular phylogenetic analysis of nuclear rDNA sequences with morphological, chemical, and ecological data. Internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2, including 5.8S) and the D1–D2 regions of nuclear rDNA of 262 Cortinarius species including most of the recognised subgenera from Europe, South America, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Asia were sequenced and analysed by maximum likelihood and neighbour joining. Our morphological and molecular analyses showed considerable disagreement with earlier morphology-based hypotheses concerning the infrageneric delimitations in Cortinarius. We propose a new base for a more natural classification system in Cortinarius involving the taxonomic rearrangement of the species into the following major lineages that we informally designate as “clades” at this time: (1) phlegmacioid species are included in Alluti, Amarescentes, Arguti, Calochroi, Caerulescentes, Percomes, Phlegmacioides, Phlegmacium, Purpurascentes, Scauri, and Vulpini; (2) the Heterocliti clade includes species of the subgenera Leprocybe and Cystogenes ; (3) most of the Myxacium species are included in the Delibuti and Myxacium clades; (4) part of Rozites are included in the Rozites clade; (5) the north-hemispheric species of subgenus Dermocybe are included in the Dermocybe clade and part of the south-hemispheric species in the Splendidi clade; (6) part of Sericeocybe are integrated in the Anomali and Telamonia clades; (7) members of subgenus Cortinarius are assigned to the Cortinarius clade; (8) telamonioid taxa are included in the Obtusi, Renidentes, and Telamonia clades. Several Cortinarius species with peculiar patterns of morphology and basidiome coloration had isolated positions in the sequence analysis, and the evolutionary relationships among the major lineages remained unresolved. Our results suggest the convergent evolution of certain morphological traits across phylogenetically divergent lineages in Cortinarius. However, combinations of features such as pileipellis anatomy, spore shape, veil coloration, basidiome pigments, and stipe shape appear useful to circumscribe clades. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis allows insights in global geographical patterns of species distribution within the major lineages in the genus Cortinarius. The clade structure proposed here could be used as backbone for further more detailed systematic studies.
Can seeds predict their future? Germination strategies of density‐regulated desert annuals
2005-11-01

Annual plants in unpredictable environments maintain dormant seeds to avoid extinction. Here, we present results for four desert annual species suggesting that germination rates are variable even in the absence of abiotic cues. Namely, seeds produced in a copious year had lower germination rates than seeds produced in drought years. Inspired by our data, we have extended previous bet‐hedging models by including a structured seed bank. With density‐dependence, the ESS (environmental stable strategy) involved a negative relationship between seed yield and subsequent germination probability. We suggest that heterogeneous germination rates are selected for by competition among seedlings after years with high seed production. In summary, our findings are suggestive of an intriguingly simple and effective mechanism that may allow annual plants to partly predict their future success.
Recombinant Human Deoxyribonuclease Shortens Ventilation Time in Young, Mechanically Ventilated Children
2005-11-01

Abstract Recombinant human deoxyribonuclease I (dornase alfa) is currently used as an inhaled mucoactive agent in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. In a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind clinical study in 100 infants, we investigated whether the therapeutic use of dornase alfa can be extended to ventilated, fluid‐restricted children to reduce reintubation rate, ventilation duration, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay, and ventilation complications. While reintubation rates were similar for dornase alfa 7% vs. placebo 9% (odds ratio, 0.77; confidence interval, 0.11–4.9), the incidence of atelectasis (6 vs. 17, respectively; P ‐value 0.051), median ventilation time (2.2 vs. 3.4 days, respectively; P ‐value 0.043), median length of PICU stay (7 vs. 8 days, respectively; P ‐value 0.051), and mean costs (€4,830 vs. €6,320, respectively) were lower in the dornase alfa group. No adverse effects were observed, even in critically ill patients. We found that dornase alfa was beneficial and safe. Our findings also indicate that dornase alfa is possibly of value from the first day of mechanical ventilation onward, particularly when longer ventilation (&gt;3 days) is expected in fluid‐restricted children after cardiac surgery. Pediatr Pulmonol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential Processing of Autoantigens in Lysosomes from Human Monocyte-Derived and Peripheral Blood Dendritic Cells
2005-11-01

Abstract Dendritic cells (DC) initiate immunity and maintain tolerance. Although in vitro-generated DC, usually derived from peripheral blood monocytes (MO-DC), serve as prototype DC to analyze the biology and biochemistry of DC, phenotypically distinct primary types of DC, including CD1c-DC, are present in peripheral blood (PB-DC). The composition of lysosomal proteases in PB-DC and the way their MHC class II-associated Ag-processing machinery handles a clinically relevant Ag are unknown. We show that CD1c-DC lack significant amounts of active cathepsins (Cat) S, L, and B as well as the asparagine-specific endopeptidase, the major enzymes believed to mediate MHC class II-associated Ag processing. However, at a functional level, lysosomal extracts from CD1c-DC processed the multiple sclerosis-associated autoantigens myelin basic protein and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in vitro more effectively than MO-DC. Although processing was dominated by CatS, CatD, and asparagine-specific endopeptidase in MO-DC, it was dominated by CatG in CD1c-DC. Thus, human MO-DC and PB-DC significantly differ with respect to their repertoire of active endocytic proteases, so that both proteolytic machineries process a given autoantigen via different proteolytic pathways
Methylcrotonyl-CoA and geranyl-CoA carboxylases are involved in leucine/isovalerate utilization (Liu) and acyclic terpene utilization (Atu), and are encoded by liuB/liuD and atuC/atuF, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
2005-11-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is able to grow on acyclic monoterpenes (citronellol, citronellate, geraniol and geranylate), and on other methyl-branched compounds such as leucine or isovalerate. The catabolic pathway of citronellol (Atu, acyclic terpene utilization) enters that of leucine/isovalerate (Liu, leucine and isovalerate utilization) at the level of methylcrotonyl-CoA. Key enzymes of the combined pathways are geranyl-CoA carboxylase (GCase) and methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCase). In this study, isovalerate-grown cells specifically expressed MCase (apparent molecular mass of the biotin-containing subunit, 74 kDa) only, and the GCase biotin-containing subunit (71 kDa) was not detected. Citronellol- or citronellate-grown cells produced both carboxylases. Biotin-dependent proteins were purified from crude extracts by avidin-affinity chromatography, and assigned to the corresponding coding genes by trypsin fingerprint analysis. The two subunits of MCase corresponded to liuB/liuD (PA2014/PA2012) of the P. aeruginosa genome database, and atuC/atuF (PA2888/PA2891) encoded GCase subunits. This finding is contrary to that reported by others. The identified genes are part of two separate gene clusters [ liuRABCDE (PA2011–PA2016) and atuABCDEFGH (PA2886–PA2893)] that are thought to encode most of the genes of the Atu and Liu pathways.
Unilateral lesion of the pedunculopontine nucleus induces hyperactivity in the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra in the rat
2005-11-01

Abstract Recent data suggest a role for the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Although there is anatomical evidence that the PPN and the basal ganglia are reciprocally connected, the functional importance of these connections is poorly understood. Lesioning of the PPN was shown to induce akinesia in primates, whereas in the 6‐hydroxydopamine rat model the PPN was found to be hyperactive. As both nigrostriatal dopamine depletion and lesioning of the PPN were shown to induce akinesia and parkinsonism, the present study was performed in order to investigate the changes in neuronal activity of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) after unilateral ibotenic acid lesioning of the PPN and after unilateral 6‐hydroxydopamine lesioning of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The firing rate of STN neurones significantly increased from 10.2 ± 6.2 (mean ± SD) to 14.6 ± 11.7 spikes/s after lesion of the PPN and to 18.6 ± 14.5 spikes/s after lesion of the SNc. The activity of the SNr significantly increased from 19.6 ± 10.5 to 28.7 ± 13.4 spikes/s after PPN lesioning and to 23.5 ± 10.8 spikes/s after SNc lesioning. Furthermore, PPN lesion decreased the number of spontaneously firing dopaminergic SNc cells, while having no effect on their firing rate. The results of our study show that lesion of the PPN leads to hyperactivity of the STN and SNr, similar to the changes induced by lesion of the SNc. Moreover, the decreased activity of SNc cells observed after PPN lesion might be at the origin of activity changes in the STN and SNr.
Sol‐Gel Preparation and Characterization of Codoped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Powders
2005-11-01

Abstract A sol‐gel method has been developed to prepare lanthanide‐codoped yttrium aluminium garnet (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 , YAG) ceramic samples. The XRD patterns of the polycrystalline Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Nd,Ho and Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Nd,Er powders sintered at 1000 °C showed the formation of monophasic garnet materials. A homogeneous distribution of rare‐earth dopants in the YAG lattice was achieved in both cases. The morphological characterization of lanthanide‐codoped YAG by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of highly agglomerated nanocrystalline samples. The luminescence properties of sol‐gel derived doubly activated yttrium aluminium garnet samples were also investigated in the present study.
Adenoviral Infections after Transplantation of Positive Selected Stem Cells from Haploidentical Donors in Children: An Update
2005-11-01

In summary adenovirus specific T-cell reconstitution should be monitored in patients after SCT to limit the use of anti viral chemotherapy and help to identify those patients that would benefit from new therapeutic strategies like adoptive transfer of virus specific T-cells.
Analysis of multi‐offset GPR data: a case study in a coarse‐grained gravel aquifer
2005-11-01

ABSTRACT Multi‐offset ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) data were collected in a coarse‐grained gravel aquifer located in a glacial delta environment within dipping foresets (at the Tettnang aquifer test site, SW Germany). We apply prestack processing techniques and normal‐moveout (NMO) velocity analysis in preparation for stacking. The estimation of propagation velocities is of considerable importance for converting time‐domain radargrams into depth‐sections and for an interpretation in terms of petrophysical properties. In our case, interval velocity determination is difficult because reflector dip angles are variable, and stacking and NMO velocities differ significantly since the antenna offset is comparable to the reflector depth. Using a synthetic two‐layer model, we systematically study possible errors in interval velocity determination. We compare the cases of decreasing velocity with depth (typical for ground‐penetrating (GPR) surveys of aquifers) and increasing velocity with depth (typical for seismic surveys). In the case of decreasing velocity with depth, the discrepancy between stacking and NMO velocity is considerable and, consequently, interval velocities calculated with the Dix equation or the more accurate 2D NMO approximation for dipping layers show unacceptably high errors. The errors are much smaller in comparable models with increasing velocity with depth. Thus, the small‐offset approximation inherent in the NMO concept is not appropriate for the first case. Consequently, it is necessary to model the true common‐midpoint (CMP) raypaths to determine realistic interval velocities from our GPR field data. Stacked GPR sections of multi‐offset data show significant improvements in imaging of reflectors and depth of investigation compared with a standard constant‐offset section. This allows a more reliable interpretation of geological structures. Simultaneous acquisition of four channels, which is possible with some commercial GPR systems, yields significantly better results than constant‐offset standard acquisition without increasing the efforts for data acquisition. Major reflectors in the GPR section can be correlated with distinct contrasts of porosity, represented by the base of open‐framework gravels and sand beds within poorly sorted gravels.
Motion and Emotion: Emotion Processing in Quadriplegic Patients and Athletes
2005-11-01

Introduction: This exploratory study investigated the impact of altered physiological states on emotion processing in quadriplegic patients, endurance athletes and healthy controls. High cervical spinal cord injury patients differ from both other groups in their lack of peripheral feedback and their inability to show motor approach or withdrawal behavior. However, both patients and athletes at rest are distinguished from non-athletic controls by their reduced sympathetic nervous system activity which may lead to less intense emotional experiences. Methods: We measured both physiological (event-related potentials, skin conductance, heart rate) and subjective responses (valence and arousal ratings) to stimuli from the International Affective Picture System. Results: While there were no group differences in arousal, both athletes and quadriplegics tended to rate positive slides as less pleasant and negative slides as less unpleasant than ablebodied controls. Skin conductance response was reduced in athletes and absent in quadriplegics, and both groups had greater heart rate deceleration than controls. The three groups showed similar electrocortical responses to both pleasant and unpleasant pictures. Discussion: The similarities between patients and athletes suggest that feedback of peripheral sympathicoadrenergic processes contributes to emotion processing. Further research is warranted to elucidate the contributions of autonomic nervous system activity to emotional experience.
Mucormycoses in patients with hematologic malignancies: an emerging fungal infection.
2005-11-01

This experience demonstrates that patient with mucormycoses have a high mortality rate and early recognition followed by aggressive surgical debridement, high dose antifungal therapy and attempts to correct the underlying immunocompromised state are crucial in the treatment of this fatal infection.
Olivocochlear Activity and Temporary Threshold Shift‐Susceptibility in Humans
2005-11-01

Abstract Study Objectives: Animal studies (guinea pig, cat, chinchilla) have shown that activity of the medial olivocochlear efferents can exert noise‐protective effects on the cochlea. It is not yet known whether such effects are also existent in humans. Olivocochlear activity can be estimated indirectly by contralateral suppression (CS) of otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Material and Methods: We measured Input/Output functions of distortion products of OAE (DPOAE), with and without contralateral acoustic stimulation by white noise, in 94 normal hearing young male subjects. Seven stimuli with L2 between 20 and 60 dB SPL and L1 = 39 dB + 0.4 L2 (“scissor paradigm”) were used at f2 = 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 kHz. The measurement was repeated 2 weeks later. In 83 subjects of the same group, pure tone audiometry was registered before and 6 minutes after shooting exercises to evaluate individual susceptibility to develop a temporary threshold shift (TTS). Results: Test‐retest repeatability of CS was generally good. CS averaged 0.98 dB SPL (SD 1.19 dB, median 0.56 dB). As expected, CS was greatest at low stimulus levels (median 1.06 dB at L2 = 20 dB, as compared with 0.33 dB at L2 = 60 dB). The smallest average CS was found at 4 kHz, and the greatest CS appeared at 2 kHz. A TTS occurred in 7 of 83 (8.5%) subjects. Statistical analysis did not reveal any correlation between the amount of CS and individual TTS susceptibility. Conclusions and Outlook: 1) Measurement of CS of DPOAE using an extensive measurement paradigm revealed good test‐retest repeatability, confirming the reliability of this audiologic tool. 2) CS of DPOAE does not predict individual susceptibility to mild TTS induced by impulse noise in humans. Possible explanations for the missing association are discussed. Future perspectives include longitudinal studies to further elucidate the association between medial olivocochlear bundle‐activity and permanent threshold shift in humans. The goal is to develop a diagnostic tool for the prediction of individual noise vulnerability in humans, thereby preventing noise‐induced hearing loss.
Interference of a variable number of coherent atomic sources
2005-11-01

We have studied the interference of a variable number of independently\\ncreated microcondensates in a CO -laser optical lattice. The\\nobserved average interference contrast decreases with condensate number N. Our\\nexperimental results agree well with the predictions of a random walk model.\\nWhile the exact result can be given in terms of Kluyver's formula, for a large\\nnumber of sources a scaling of the average fringe contrast is\\nobtained. This scaling law is found to be of more general applicability when\\nquantifying the decay of coherence of an ensemble with N independently phased\\nsources.\\n
An unprecedented, reversible coordination mode rearrangement: η3(B–H) vs. η1(Sn) stanna-closo-dodecaborate coordination
2005-11-01

The synthesis of the ruthenium stanna-closo-dodecaborate complex [Bu(3)MeN](2)[Ru(dppb)(MeCN)(2)(SnB(11)H(11))(2)] by an unprecedented, reversible eta(3)(B-H) to eta(1)(Sn) rearrangement of [Bu(3)MeN](2)[Ru(dppb)(SnB(11)H(11))(2)] is described and the product is characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Visualization and in situ contacting of carbon nanotubes in a scanning electron microscope
2005-11-01

A method for contacting carbon nanotubes on an insulating surface is presented. Tubes which are already connected to prefabricated electrodes can be visualized in the scanning electron microscope exploiting voltage contrast at low beam energies. Additional connections to tubes identified in this way are fabricated by in situ electron beam induced deposition from metalorganic precursors such as tungsten hexacarbonyl. A resistivity of 0.15Ωcm before annealing has been achieved so far with this material.
A Practical One‐Pot Synthesis of New S‐Glycosyl Amino Acid Building Blocks for Combinatorial Neoglycopeptide Synthesis
2005-11-01

S‐Glycosyl L‐aspartic acid building blocks were synthesized starting from 1‐thiosugars by reaction with 5‐aminopentanol and suitably protected L‐aspartic acid pentafluorophenyl ester in a one‐pot procedure under Mitsunobu conditions using 1,1′‐azodicarbonyl dipiperidine and trimethyl phosphine. The method allowed for the preparation of S‐glycosyl amino acid building blocks in one step without protection of the amino function for the Mitsunobu condensation. Alternatively, the title compounds were prepared by a stepwise approach via 5‐aminopentyl 1‐thioglycosides.