julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Noteworthy Articles in 2014 for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists
2015-01-21

In 2014, cardiothoracic anesthesiology again generated high-quality scientific work published in highly regarded journals. Our specialty continues to make significant strides in the creation and implementation of protocols to improve outcomes in our patients, which undoubtedly contribute to a safer hospital environment for patients and employees alike. Another theme that stirred a lot of interest in the past year is the search for patient-centered treatment plans. Even though we are still some time away from truly personalized medicine, our specialty starts to ask and answer exciting questions: Would we treat patient A any different from patient B if their genetic profiles were easily accessible? Could individualized treatment choices influence our patients’ immediate and long-term outcomes? For this review, we selected a sample of relevant contributions to the field of cardiothoracic anesthesiology in 2014 with potential impact on our clinical routine.
Biological tumor volume in 18 FET-PET before radiochemotherapy correlates with survival in GBM
2015-01-22

BTV(preRCx) and TAC represent important (18)FET-PET-derived imaging biomarkers in GBM. Increasing TACs are associated with prolonged OS. The BTV(preRCx) is a strong prognostic factor for progression-free survival and OS independent of the mode of surgery. Our data furthermore suggest that patients harboring resectable GBM might benefit from maximal PET-guided tumor resection.
The exceptionally powerful TeV γ-ray emitters in the Large Magellanic Cloud
2015-01-22

A light on the origin of cosmic rays There's a new lab for studying the origins of cosmic rays: our neighbor galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Astronomers are now making progress on this topic by examining the gamma rays that are produced when cosmic rays interact with gas or lower-energy photons. The H.E.S.S. Collaboration has detected three sources of gamma rays in a variety of forms in the galactic satellite to the Milky Way. The sources include the pulsar wind nebula of N 157B, the supernova remnant N 132D, and the superbubble 30 Dor C. Oddly, supernova 1987A was not detected. Science , this issue p. 406
Negative Evaluation Bias for Positive Self-Referential Information in Borderline Personality Disorder
2015-01-22

Previous research has suggested that patients meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) display altered self-related information processing. However, experimental studies on dysfunctional self-referential information processing in BPD are rare. In this study, BPD patients (N = 30) and healthy control participants (N = 30) judged positive, neutral, and negative words in terms of emotional valence. Referential processing was manipulated by a preceding self-referential pronoun, an other-referential pronoun, or no referential context. Subsequently, patients and participants completed a free recall and recognition task. BPD patients judged positive and neutral words as more negative than healthy control participants when the words had self-reference or no reference. In BPD patients, these biases were significantly correlated with self-reported attributional style, particularly for negative events, but unrelated to measures of depressive mood. However, BPD patients did not differ from healthy control participants in a subsequent free recall task and a recognition task. Our findings point to a negative evaluation bias for positive, self-referential information in BPD. This bias did not affect the storage of information in memory, but may be related to self-attributions of negative events in everyday life in BPD.
Matrix metalloproteinases in stem cell mobilization
2015-01-22

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the capability to migrate back and forth between their preferred microenvironment in bone marrow niches and the peripheral blood, but under steady-state conditions only a marginal number of stem cells can be found in the circulation. Different mobilizing agents, however, which create a highly proteolytic milieu in the bone marrow, can drastically increase the number of circulating HSCs. Among other proteases secreted and membrane-bound matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to be involved in the induced mobilization process and can digest niche-specific extracellular matrix components and cytokines responsible for stem cell retention to the niches. Iatrogenic stem cell mobilization and stem cell homing to their niches are clinically employed on a routine basis, although the exact mechanisms of both processes are still not fully understood. In this review we provide an overview on the various roles of MMPs in the induced release of HSCs from the bone marrow.
Oxidation of Fe(II)‐EDTA by nitrite and by two nitrate‐reducing Fe(II)‐oxidizing Acidovorax strains
2015-01-22

Abstract The enzymatic oxidation of Fe( II ) by nitrate‐reducing bacteria was first suggested about two decades ago. It has since been found that most strains are mixotrophic and need an additional organic co‐substrate for complete and prolonged Fe( II ) oxidation. Research during the last few years has tried to determine to what extent the observed Fe( II ) oxidation is driven enzymatically, or abiotically by nitrite produced during heterotrophic denitrification. A recent study reported that nitrite was not able to oxidize Fe( II )‐ EDTA abiotically, but the addition of the mixotrophic nitrate‐reducing Fe( II )‐oxidizer, A cidovorax sp. strain 2 AN , led to Fe( II ) oxidation (Chakraborty &amp; Picardal, 2013). This, along with other results of that study, was used to argue that Fe( II ) oxidation in strain 2 AN was enzymatically catalyzed. However, the absence of abiotic Fe( II )‐ EDTA oxidation by nitrite reported in that study contrasts with previously published data. We have repeated the abiotic and biotic experiments and observed rapid abiotic oxidation of Fe( II )‐ EDTA by nitrite, resulting in the formation of Fe( III )‐ EDTA and the green Fe( II )‐ EDTA ‐ NO complex. Additionally, we found that cultivating the A cidovorax strains BoFeN1 and 2 AN with 10 m m nitrate, 5 m m acetate, and approximately 10 m m Fe( II )‐ EDTA resulted only in incomplete Fe( II )‐ EDTA oxidation of 47–71%. Cultures of strain BoFeN1 turned green (due to the presence of Fe( II )‐ EDTA ‐ NO ) and the green color persisted over the course of the experiments, whereas strain 2 AN was able to further oxidize the Fe( II )‐ EDTA ‐ NO complex. Our work shows that the two used A cidovorax strains behave very differently in their ability to deal with toxic effects of Fe‐ EDTA species and the further reduction of the Fe( II )‐ EDTA ‐ NO nitrosyl complex. Although the enzymatic oxidation of Fe( II ) cannot be ruled out, this study underlines the importance of nitrite in nitrate‐reducing Fe( II )‐ and Fe( II )‐ EDTA ‐oxidizing cultures and demonstrates that Fe( II )‐ EDTA cannot be used to demonstrate unequivocally the enzymatic oxidation of Fe( II ) by mixotrophic Fe( II )‐oxidizers.
Modulation of a Pore in the Capsid of JC Polyomavirus Reduces Infectivity and Prevents Exposure of the Minor Capsid Proteins
2015-01-22

ABSTRACT JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) infection of immunocompromised individuals results in the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The viral capsid of JCPyV is composed primarily of the major capsid protein virus protein 1 (VP1), and pentameric arrangement of VP1 monomers results in the formation of a pore at the 5-fold axis of symmetry. While the presence of this pore is conserved among polyomaviruses, its functional role in infection or assembly is unknown. Here, we investigate the role of the 5-fold pore in assembly and infection of JCPyV by generating a panel of mutant viruses containing amino acid substitutions of the residues lining this pore. Multicycle growth assays demonstrated that the fitness of all mutants was reduced compared to that of the wild-type virus. Bacterial expression of VP1 pentamers containing substitutions to residues lining the 5-fold pore did not affect pentamer assembly or prevent association with the VP2 minor capsid protein. The X-ray crystal structures of selected pore mutants contained subtle changes to the 5-fold pore, and no other changes to VP1 were observed. Pore mutant pseudoviruses were not deficient in assembly, packaging of the minor capsid proteins, or binding to cells or in transport to the host cell endoplasmic reticulum. Instead, these mutant viruses were unable to expose VP2 upon arrival to the endoplasmic reticulum, a step that is critical for infection. This study demonstrated that the 5-fold pore is an important structural feature of JCPyV and that minor modifications to this structure have significant impacts on infectious entry. IMPORTANCE JCPyV is an important human pathogen that causes a severe neurological disease in immunocompromised individuals. While the high-resolution X-ray structure of the major capsid protein of JCPyV has been solved, the importance of a major structural feature of the capsid, the 5-fold pore, remains poorly understood. This pore is conserved across polyomaviruses and suggests either that these viruses have limited structural plasticity in this region or that this pore is important in infection or assembly. Using a structure-guided mutational approach, we showed that modulation of this pore severely inhibits JCPyV infection. These mutants do not appear deficient in assembly or early steps in infectious entry and are instead reduced in their ability to expose a minor capsid protein in the host cell endoplasmic reticulum. Our work demonstrates that the 5-fold pore is an important structural feature for JCPyV.
The Orthoperiodates of Calcium, Strontium, and Barium
2015-01-22

Abstract Orthoperiodates of calcium, strontium, and barium were prepared by solid‐state reactions of metal iodides or metal iodates with oxygen in air. M(IO 3 ) 2 (M = Ca) or MI 2 (M = Sr, Ba) were heated in an open corundum crucible to yield M 5 (IO 6 ) 2 as a product with beige to light brown body color. Reactions were investigated by thermal analyses, using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Two distinct crystal structures were assigned for M 5 (IO 6 ) 2 with the space group R c for M = Ca, Sr (isotypic with Ca, Sr perrhenates) and Pnma for M = Ba based on recorded powder X‐ray diffraction data. Luminescence properties of europium‐doped samples are reported.
Handling equivalence classes of Optimality-Theoretic tableaux
2015-01-22

Many Optimality-Theoretic tableaux contain exactly the same information, and equivalence-preserving operations on them have been an object of study for some two decades. This paper shows that several of the operations proposed in the earlier literature together are actually enough to express any possible equivalence-preserving transformation. Moreover, every equivalence class of comparative tableaux (equivalently, of sets of Elementary Ranking Conditions, or ERC sets) has a unique and computable normal form that can be derived using those elementary operations in polynomial time. Any equivalence-preserving operation on comparative tableaux (ERC sets) is thus computable, and normal form tableaux may therefore represent their equivalence classes without loss of generality.
Large conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (BK) channels promote secretagogue‐induced transition from spiking to bursting in murine anterior pituitary corticotrophs
2015-01-23

Key points Corticotroph cells of the anterior pituitary are electrically excitable and are an integral component of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis which governs the neuroendocrine response to stress. Corticotrophs display predominantly single spike activity under basal conditions that transition to complex bursting behaviours upon stimulation by the hypothalamic secretagogues corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP); however, the underlying mechanisms controlling bursting are unknown. In this study, we show that CRH and AVP induce different patterns of corticotroph electrical activity, and we use an electrophysiological approach combined with mathematical modelling to show the ionic mechanisms for these differential effects. The data reveal that secretagogue‐induced bursting is dependent on large conductance Ca 2+ ‐activated K + (BK) channels and is driven primarily by CRH whereas AVP promotes an increase in single‐spike frequency through BK‐independent pathways involving activation of non‐selective cation conductances. As corticotroph excitability is differentially regulated by CRH and AVP this may allow corticotrophs to respond appropriately to different stressors. Abstract Anterior pituitary corticotroph cells are a central component of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis essential for the neuroendocrine response to stress. Corticotrophs are excitable cells that receive input from two hypothalamic secretagogues, corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) to control the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Although corticotrophs are spontaneously active and increase in excitability in response to CRH and AVP the patterns of electrical excitability and underlying ionic conductances are poorly understood. In this study, we have used electrophysiological, pharmacological and genetic approaches coupled with mathematical modelling to investigate whether CRH and AVP promote distinct patterns of electrical excitability and to interrogate the role of large conductance calcium‐ and voltage‐activated potassium (BK) channels in spontaneous and secretagogue‐induced activity. We reveal that BK channels do not play a significant role in the generation of spontaneous activity but are critical for the transition to bursting in response to CRH. In contrast, AVP promotes an increase in single spike frequency, a mechanism independent of BK channels but dependent on background non‐selective conductances. Co‐stimulation with CRH and AVP results in complex patterns of excitability including increases in both single spike frequency and bursting. The ability of corticotroph excitability to be differentially regulated by hypothalamic secretagogues provides a mechanism for differential control of corticotroph excitability in response to different stressors.
Spin physics and TMD studies at A Fixed-Target ExpeRiment at the LHC (AFTER@LHC)
2015-01-23

\\t\\nWe report on the opportunities for spin physics and Transverse-Momentum Dependent distribution (TMD) studies at a future multi-purpose fixed-target experiment using the proton or lead ion LHC beams extracted by a bent crystal. The LHC multi-TeV beams allow for the most energetic fixed-target experiments ever performed, opening new domains of particle and nuclear physics and complementing that of collider physics, in particular that of RHIC and the EIC projects. The luminosity achievable with AFTER@LHC using typical targets would surpass that of RHIC by more that 3 orders of magnitude in a similar energy region. In unpolarised proton-proton collisions, AFTER@LHC allows for measurements of TMDs such as the Boer-Mulders quark distributions, the distribution of unpolarised and linearly polarised gluons in unpolarised protons. Using the polarisation of hydrogen and nuclear targets, one can measure transverse single-spin asymmetries of quark and gluon sensitive probes, such as, respectively, Drell-Yan pair and quarkonium production. The fixed-target mode has the advantage to allow for measurements in the target-rapidity region, namely at large x↑ in the polarised nucleon. Overall, this allows for an ambitious spin program which we outline here.\\n
Maps in picturebooks: cognitive status and narrative functions
2015-01-23

This article focuses on the relation between maps, mental representations, description, and narration in picturebooks. It is shown that maps are cognitively demanding, since they presuppose the development of cognitive abilities and the comprehension of complex visual codes, including recognition of the specific combination of signs and names representing land- and cityscapes, geographical abstraction as well as the symbolization, highlighting, and suppression of information. After a survey of findings from cognitive psychology and geography literacy about children’s map acquisition, the article gives an overview on some types of maps in picturebooks that are interesting from a narrative point of view, before turning to the pictorial character of maps. Three outstanding picturebooks with maps, Drei Jungen erforschen eine Stadt (1933) by Friedrich Boer, The Story of the Little Red Engine (1945) by Diana Ross and Leslie Wood, and My Place (2008) by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, have been chosen to demonstrate the diverse types and functions of maps. Finally, the article focuses on the relationship between picturebook story and map, thus showing that maps are not merely illustrations, but constitute relevant aspects of the overall narration. Keywords: cognitive psychology; geography literacy; map; map acquisition; pictorial map; picturebook (Published: 23 January 2015) Citation : Nordic Journal of ChildLit Aesthetics, Vol. 6, 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/blft.v6.26970
In touch with numbers: Embodied and situated effects in number magnitude comparison
2015-01-23

The idea of embodied numerosity denotes that seemingly abstract number concepts (e.g., magnitude) are rooted in bodily experiences and situated action. In the present study we evaluated whether there is an embodied representation of the place–value structure of the Arabic number system and if so whether this representation is influenced by situated aspects. In a two-digit number magnitude comparison task participants had to directly touch the larger of two numbers. Importantly, pointing responses were systematically biased toward the decade digit of the target number. Additionally, this leftward bias towards the tens digit was reduced in unit–decade incompatible number pairs. Thereby, we demonstrated an influence of place–value processing on manual pointing movement. Our results therefore corroborate the notion of an embodied representation of the place–value structure of Arabic numbers which is modulated by situated aspects.
Realizations of rotations on an indecomposable compact monothetic group
2015-01-23

By the classical Halmos‐von Neumann theorem, each compact monothetic group corresponds to an ergodic dynamical system with discrete spectrum. For such groups we prove two results. We first construct a compact monothetic group which does not split into a direct product of a connected and a totally disconnected compact monothetic group. Then we present a measure preserving dynamical system on the unit square being isomorphic to a rotation on this indecomposable group.
Deciphering the Genetic Programme Triggering Timely and Spatially-Regulated Chitin Deposition
2015-01-24

Organ and tissue formation requires a finely tuned temporal and spatial regulation of differentiation programmes. This is necessary to balance sufficient plasticity to undergo morphogenesis with the acquisition of the mature traits needed for physiological activity. Here we addressed this issue by analysing the deposition of the chitinous extracellular matrix of Drosophila, an essential element of the cuticle (skin) and respiratory system (tracheae) in this insect. Chitin deposition requires the activity of the chitin synthase Krotzkopf verkehrt (Kkv). Our data demonstrate that this process equally requires the activity of two other genes, namely expansion (exp) and rebuf (reb). We found that Exp and Reb have interchangeable functions, and in their absence no chitin is produced, in spite of the presence of Kkv. Conversely, when Kkv and Exp/Reb are co-expressed in the ectoderm, they promote chitin deposition, even in tissues normally devoid of this polysaccharide. Therefore, our results indicate that both functions are not only required but also sufficient to trigger chitin accumulation. We show that this mechanism is highly regulated in time and space, ensuring chitin accumulation in the correct tissues and developmental stages. Accordingly, we observed that unregulated chitin deposition disturbs morphogenesis, thus highlighting the need for tight regulation of this process. In summary, here we identify the genetic programme that triggers the timely and spatially regulated deposition of chitin and thus provide new insights into the extracellular matrix maturation required for physiological activity.
Transfer of Plasmid DNA to Clinical Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcal Pathogens by Using a Unique Bacteriophage
2015-01-24

ABSTRACT Genetic manipulation of emerging bacterial pathogens, such as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), is a major hurdle in clinical and basic microbiological research. Strong genetic barriers, such as restriction modification systems or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), usually interfere with available techniques for DNA transformation and therefore complicate manipulation of CoNS or render it impossible. Thus, current knowledge of pathogenicity and virulence determinants of CoNS is very limited. Here, a rapid, efficient, and highly reliable technique is presented to transfer plasmid DNA essential for genetic engineering to important CoNS pathogens from a unique Staphylococcus aureus strain via a specific S. aureus bacteriophage, Φ187. Even strains refractory to electroporation can be transduced by this technique once donor and recipient strains share similar Φ187 receptor properties. As a proof of principle, this technique was used to delete the alternative transcription factor sigma B (SigB) via allelic replacement in nasal and clinical Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates at high efficiencies. The described approach will allow the genetic manipulation of a wide range of CoNS pathogens and might inspire research activities to manipulate other important pathogens in a similar fashion.
The Role of Potassium Channels in the Vasodilatation Induced by Resveratrol and Naringenin in Isolated Human Umbilical Vein
2015-01-25

Abstract Preclinical Research Potassium (K + ) channels have a key role in the maintenance of smooth muscle tone; a variety of agonists can modify the tone by altering K + ‐channel activity. The aim of this study was assess the effects of the phenols, resveratrol, and naringenin on K + ‐channels of the vascular smooth muscle. Segments of human umbilical vein (HUV) without endothelium were precontracted using serotonin (100 μM) or 100 mM K + to derive cumulative concentration‐response curves using increasing concentrations of resveratrol or naringenin. K + ‐channel inhibitors were added in the bath before resveratrol (1–100 μM) or naringenin (0.01–1 mM) in assess the role of K + ‐channels in their effects on HUV precontracted by serotonin. 4‐Aminopiridine (4‐AP; 1 mM), a nonselective blocker of voltage‐dependent, tetraethylammonium (TEA; 1 mM) and barium chloride (1 mM), a nonselective blocker of Ca 2+ ‐dependent and inward rectifier K + ‐channels (respectively) induced significant shifts to the right ( P &lt; 0.05) of resveratrol. concentration‐response curves. The effect of naringenin was antagonized by 4‐AP (1 mM). 4‐AP‐, TEA‐, and barium chloride‐sensitive K + ‐channels are probably involved in the resveratrol vasodilatatory effect, while naringenin seems to affect 4‐AP‐sensitive K + ‐channels. However, other mechanisms of vasodilation induced by polyphenols could not be excluded. Drug Dev Res 76 : 17–23, 2015