julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Who Belongs to Me? Social Relationship and Personality Characteristics in the Transition to Young Adulthood
2014-09-08

Not much is known about how social network characteristics change in the transition out of school and what role Big Five personality plays in this context. The aim of this paper was twofold. First, we explored changes in social network and relationship characteristics across the transition out of secondary school. Second, we examined within–person and between–person effects of personality on these social network changes. Results based on a series of multilevel models to a longitudinal sample of 2287 young adults revealed four main findings. First, social networks increased in size, and this increase was mainly due to a larger number of nonkin. Stable social networks during the transition consisted mainly of family ties but were generally characterized by high closeness. Second, extraversion and openness consistently predicted network size, whereas agreeableness predicted network overlap. Third, increases in emotional closeness were found only for kin; closeness was generally lower for unstable relationships. Fourth, changes in emotional closeness were related to personality, particularly neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness for stable relationships; for unstable relationships, however, closeness was related to extraversion and openness. The article concludes by discussing the role of personality for social relationship development and the active moulding of social networks in young adulthood. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology
Blood Schizontocidal and Gametocytocidal Activity of 3-Hydroxy-N′-arylidenepropanehydrazonamides: A New Class of Antiplasmodial Compounds
2014-09-08

3-Hydroxy-N'-arylidenepropanehydrazonamides represent a new class of antiplasmodial compounds. The two most active phenanthrene-based derivatives showed potent in vitro antiplasmodial activity against the 3D7 (sensitive) and Dd2 (multidrug-resistant) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with nanomolar IC50 values in the range of 8-28 nM. Further studies revealed that the most promising derivative, bearing a 4-fluorobenzylidene moiety, demonstrated in vivo antiplasmodial activity after oral administration in a P. berghei malaria model, although no complete parasite elimination was achieved with a four-dose regimen. The in vivo efficacy correlated well with the plasma concentration levels, and no acute toxicity symptoms (e.g., death or changes in general behavior or physiological activities) were observed, which is in agreement with a >1000-fold lower activity against L6 cells, a primary cell line derived from mammalian (rat) skeletal myoblasts. This indicates that lead compound 29 displays selective activity against P. falciparum. Moreover, both phenanthrene-based derivatives were active against stage IV/V gametocytes of P. falciparum in vitro.
Asymptotics of Symmetric Compound Poisson Population Models
2014-09-08

Compound Poisson population models are particular conditional branching process models. A formula for the transition probabilities of the backward process for general compound Poisson models is verified. Symmetric compound Poisson models are defined in terms of a parameter θ ∈ (0, ∞) and a power series φ with positive radius r of convergence. It is shown that the asymptotic behaviour of symmetric compound Poisson models is mainly determined by the characteristic value θ r φ′( r −). If θ r φ′( r −)≥1, then the model is in the domain of attraction of the Kingman coalescent. If θ r φ′( r −) &lt; 1, then under mild regularity conditions a condensation phenomenon occurs which forces the model to be in the domain of attraction of a discrete-time Dirac coalescent. The proofs are partly based on the analytic saddle point method. They draw heavily from local limit theorems and from results of S. Janson on simply generated trees, conditioned Galton-Watson trees, random allocations and condensation. Several examples of compound Poisson models are provided and analysed.
CH3N=SF2=NCH3: Structural, Conformational, and Configurational Properties in the Gaseous and in the Condensed Phases
2014-09-08

Abstract CH 3 –N=SF 2 =N–CH 3 ( 1 ) was obtained in 88 % yield from the reaction of a bis(silylated) amine RN(Si–Me 3 ) 2 with a sulfur tetrafluoride imide R′N=SF 4 (R = R′ = CH 3 ). Single crystals suitable for X‐ray crystallography were obtained by low‐temperature crystallization; the data were collected at 120 K. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 2 1 / c with a = 5.8356(7) Å, b = 12.1665(14) Å, c = 8.1488(8) Å, β = 110.381(7)°, Z = 4, in the anti – anti form (whereby anti or syn describe the orientation of the N–CH 3 bonds with respect to opposite S=N bonds). The structural, conformational, and configurational properties of CH 3 –N=SF 2 =N–CH 3 were studied by vibrational spectroscopy [IR (gas) and Raman (liquid)] and quantum chemical calculations [B3LYP and MP2 with 6‐311+G(2df,p) and cc‐pVTZ basis sets]. Vibrational spectroscopy in the gas and liquid phases shows evidence of a configurational equilibrium of the anti – anti form and a slightly less favored anti – syn form of CH 3 –N=SF 2 =N–CH 3 .
Arsenic mobility and toxicity in South and South-east Asia – a review on biogeochemistry, health and socio-economic effects, remediation and risk predictions
2014-09-09

Environmental context The presence of high arsenic concentrations in South and South-east Asian groundwater causes dramatic health issues for the local population. As a consequence, scientists, governments and agencies investigate arsenic-related health issues and arsenic origin, fate and behaviour in ground- and drinking water and have started to provide remediation and mitigation strategies. This review broadly summarises our current knowledge on arsenic biogeochemistry, health and socio-economic effects, remediation and risk predications in Asia and discusses current and future research directions. Abstract The dramatic situation caused by high arsenic concentrations in ground and drinking water in South and South-east Asia has been investigated and discussed by the scientific community in the past twenty years. Multifaceted and interdisciplinary research extended our understanding of the origin, distribution and effects of As in this region of the world. Scientists have joined forces with local authorities and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and aid agencies to provide help, education, and assistance to the millions of people exposed to As. Current research focuses on predicting the behaviour of As in the subsurface, developing strategies to remove As from drinking water and remediating As-contaminated groundwater. This introductory review of the research front ‘Arsenic Biogeochemistry and Health’ gives a broad overview on the current knowledge of As biogeochemistry, exposure, health, toxicity and As-caused socioeconomic effects. Furthermore, the current research directions in predicting the presence and spreading of As in groundwater, assessing its risk and potential strategies to remove As from drinking water and to remediate contaminated environments are discussed.
Mechanism of action of the uridyl peptide antibiotics: an unexpected link to a protein–protein interaction site in translocase MraY
2014-09-09

The pacidamycin and muraymycin uridyl peptide antibiotics show some structural resemblance to an Arg-Trp-x-x-Trp sequence motif for protein-protein interaction between bacteriophage φX174 protein E and E. coli translocase MraY. Members of the UPA class, and a synthetic uridine-peptide analogue, were found to show reduced levels of inhibition to F288L or E287A mutant MraY enzymes, implying that the UPAs interact at this extracellular site as part of the enzyme inhibition mechanism.
When language gets emotional: Irony and the embodiment of affect in discourse
2014-09-09

Although there is increasing evidence to suggest that language is grounded in perception and action, the relationship between language and emotion is less well understood. We investigate the grounding of language in emotion using a novel approach that examines the relationship between the comprehension of a written discourse and the performance of affect-related motor actions (hand movements towards and away from the body). Results indicate that positively and negatively valenced words presented in context influence motor responses (Experiment 1), whilst valenced words presented in isolation do not (Experiment 3). Furthermore, whether discourse context indicates that an utterance should be interpreted literally or ironically can influence motor responding, suggesting that the grounding of language in emotional states can be influenced by discourse-level factors (Experiment 2). In addition, the finding of affect-related motor responses to certain forms of ironic language, but not to non-ironic control sentences, suggests that phrasing a message ironically may influence the emotional response that is elicited.
Systemic administration of valproic acid stimulates overexpression of microtubule-associated protein 2 in the spinal cord injury model to promote neurite outgrowth
2014-09-09

The present findings indicated that systemic administration of VPA stimulated MAP2 gene expression and also supports the involvement of the MAP2-mediated de novo re-arborization and neurite outgrowth of neurons, which might contribute to successful neuronal re-wirings. Thus, VPA has promising applications in the treatment of many neurological problems, such as neurotrauma, Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease, and others.
Diversity of Stability, Localization, Interaction and Control of Downstream Gene Activity in the Maize Aux/IAA Protein Family
2014-09-09

AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) proteins are central regulators of auxin signal transduction. They control many aspects of plant development, share a conserved domain structure and are localized in the nucleus. In the present study, five maize Aux/IAA proteins (ZmIAA2, ZmIAA11, ZmIAA15, ZmIAA20 and ZmIAA33) representing the evolutionary, phylogenetic and expression diversity of this gene family were characterized. Subcellular localization studies revealed that ZmIAA2, ZmIAA11 and ZmIAA15 are confined to the nucleus while ZmIAA20 and ZmIAA33 are localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Introduction of specific point mutations in the degron sequence (VGWPPV) of domain II by substituting the first proline by serine or the second proline by leucine stabilized the Aux/IAA proteins. While protein half-life times between ∼11 min (ZmIAA2) to ∼120 min (ZmIAA15) were observed in wild-type proteins, the mutated forms of all five proteins were almost as stable as GFP control proteins. Moreover, all five maize Aux/IAA proteins repressed downstream gene expression in luciferase assays to different degrees. In addition, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analyses demonstrated interaction of all five Aux/IAA proteins with RUM1 (ROOTLESS WITH UNDETECTABLE MERISTEM 1, ZmIAA10) while only ZmIAA15 and ZmIAA33 interacted with the RUM1 paralog RUL1 (RUM-LIKE 1, ZmIAA29). Moreover, ZmIAA11, ZmIAA15 ZmIAA33 displayed homotypic interaction. Hence, despite their conserved domain structure, maize Aux/IAA proteins display a significant variability in their molecular characteristics which is likely associated with the wide spectrum of their developmental functions.
Elk3 Deficiency Causes Transient Impairment in Post-Natal Retinal Vascular Development and Formation of Tortuous Arteries in Adult Murine Retinae
2014-09-09

Serum Response Factor (SRF) fulfills essential roles in post-natal retinal angiogenesis and adult neovascularization. These functions have been attributed to the recruitment by SRF of the cofactors Myocardin-Related Transcription Factors MRTF-A and -B, but not the Ternary Complex Factors (TCFs) Elk1 and Elk4. The role of the third TCF, Elk3, remained unknown. We generated a new Elk3 knockout mouse line and showed that Elk3 had specific, non-redundant functions in the retinal vasculature. In Elk3(-/-) mice, post-natal retinal angiogenesis was transiently delayed until P8, after which it proceeded normally. Interestingly, tortuous arteries developed in Elk3(-/-) mice from the age of four weeks, and persisted into late adulthood. Tortuous vessels have been observed in human pathologies, e.g. in ROP and FEVR. These human disorders were linked to altered activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the affected eyes. However, in Elk3(-/-) mice, we did not observe any changes in VEGF or several other potential confounding factors, including mural cell coverage and blood pressure. Instead, concurrent with the post-natal transient delay of radial outgrowth and the formation of adult tortuous arteries, Elk3-dependent effects on the expression of Angiopoietin/Tie-signalling components were observed. Moreover, in vitro microvessel sprouting and microtube formation from P10 and adult aortic ring explants were reduced. Collectively, these results indicate that Elk3 has distinct roles in maintaining retinal artery integrity. The Elk3 knockout mouse is presented as a new animal model to study retinal artery tortuousity in mice and human patients.
Substrate-induced effects in thin films of a potential magnet composed of metal-free organic radicals deposited on Si(111)
2014-09-09

We deposit a paramagnetic pyrene derivative of the nitronyl nitroxide radical on Si(111). The molecules experience a strong chemical interaction with the substrate that influences the film growth. We also study the time evolution of the nitronyl nitroxide radical under a micro-focused soft X-ray beam, observing a stable radical as a product. This result hints at the possibility of using this class of materials in dosimeters and sensors.
Prevalence ofBorrelia miyamotoiinIxodesTicks in Europe and the United States
2014-09-10

Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever-related spirochete transmitted by Ixodes ticks, has been recently shown to be a human pathogen. To characterize the prevalence of this organism in questing Ixodes ticks, we tested 2,754 ticks for a variety of tickborne pathogens by PCR and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. Ticks were collected from California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Indiana in the United States and from Germany and the Czech Republic in Europe from 2008 through 2012. In addition, an isolate from Japan was characterized. We found 3 distinct genotypes, 1 for North America, 1 for Europe, and 1 for Japan. We found B. miyamotoi infection in ticks in 16 of the 26 sites surveyed, with infection prevalence as high as 15.4%. These results show the widespread distribution of the pathogen, indicating an exposure risk to humans in areas where Ixodes ticks reside.
Highly potent soluble amyloid-β seeds in human Alzheimer brain but not cerebrospinal fluid
2014-09-10

The soluble fraction of brain samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease contains highly biologically active amyloid-β seeds. In this study, we sought to assess the potency of soluble amyloid-β seeds derived from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Soluble Alzheimer's disease brain extracts were serially diluted and then injected into the hippocampus of young, APP transgenic mice. Eight months later, seeded amyloid-β deposition was evident even when the hippocampus received subattomole amounts of brain-derived amyloid-β. In contrast, cerebrospinal fluid from patients with Alzheimer's disease, which contained more than 10-fold higher levels of amyloid-β peptide than the most concentrated soluble brain extracts, did not induce detectable seeding activity in vivo. Similarly, cerebrospinal fluid from aged APP-transgenic donor mice failed to induce cerebral amyloid-β deposition. In comparison to the soluble brain fraction, cerebrospinal fluid largely lacked N-terminally truncated amyloid-β species and exhibited smaller amyloid-β-positive particles, features that may contribute to the lack of in vivo seeding by cerebrospinal fluid. Interestingly, the same cerebrospinal fluid showed at least some seeding activity in an in vitro assay. The present results indicate that the biological seeding activity of soluble amyloid-β species is orders of magnitude greater in brain extracts than in the cerebrospinal fluid.
Inhibin B plus LH vs GnRH agonist test for distinguishing constitutional delay of growth and puberty from isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in boys
2014-09-10

Summary Objective The distinction between constitutional delay of growth and puberty ( CDGP ) and isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism ( IHH ) in males with delayed puberty is difficult but important for timely treatment. We assessed the accuracy of the G n RH agonist test (triptorelin 0·1 mg) in comparison with inhibin B alone or in combination with basal LH for the diagnosis of IHH . Patients and measurements Ninety‐seven prepubertal males aged 13·7–17·5 year, with testicular volumes ≤4 ml, were examined every 6 months. CDGP was defined by a testicular volume ≥8 ml after 18 months, and IHH was defined by a testicular volume &lt;5 ml after 24 months follow‐up. Inhibin B concentrations were measured by ELISA , and LH concentrations were measured by CLIA . Results At follow‐up, the cohort comprised 52 boys with CDGP and nine with IHH. The other patients were lost for follow‐up ( n = 10), had not reached follow‐up yet ( n = 20) or did not reach a definite testicular volume ( n = 6). Basal LH &lt;0·3 IU/l, stimulated LH (4 h) &lt;5·3 IU/l or inhibin B &lt;111 pg/ml had 100% sensitivity for IHH. Only LH (4 h) &lt;5·3 IU/l had a specificity of 100%, and the specificities of basal LH &lt;0·3 IU/l (88%) or inhibin B &lt;110 pg/ml (92%) were lower. The combination of LH &lt;0·3 IU/l with inhibin B &lt;111 pg/ml increased the specificity to 98·1%. Conclusions The LH response 4 h after G n RH agonist stimulation has an excellent accuracy for the diagnosis of IHH in prepubertal boys with delayed puberty. However, the measurement of inhibin B and basal LH in combination is a valid, reliable and less‐invasive alternative test.
Electron sampling depth and saturation effects in perovskite films investigated by soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy
2014-09-10

Knowledge of the electron sampling depth and related saturation effects is\\nimportant for quantitative analysis of X-ray absorption spectroscopy data, yet\\nfor oxides with the perovskite structure no quantitative values are so far\\navailable. Here we study absorption saturation in films of two of the\\nmost-studied perovskites, LCMO and YBCO, at the L2,3 edge of Mn and Cu,\\nrespectively. By measuring the electron-yield intensity as a function of photon\\nincidence angle and film thickness, the sampling depth d, photon attenuation\\nlength, lambda, and the ratio lambda/d have been independently determined\\nbetween 50 and 300 K. The extracted sampling depth dLCMO=3 nm for LCMO at high\\ntemperatures in its polaronic insulator state (150-300K) is not much larger\\nthan values reported for pure transition metals (d Co or Ni=2-2.5nm) at room\\ntemperature, but it is smaller than dYBCO=3.9 nm for metallic YBCO that is in\\nturn smaller than the value reported for Fe3O4 (d=4.5 nm) The measured dLCMO\\nincreases to 4.5 nm when LCMO is in the metallic state at low temperatures.\\nThese results indicate that a universal rule of thumb for the sampling depth in\\noxides cannot be assumed, and that it can be measurably influenced by\\nelectronic phase transitions that derive from strong correlations.\\n
Role of slow oscillatory activity and slow wave sleep in consolidation of episodic-like memory in rats
2014-09-10

Our previous experiments showed that sleep in rats enhances consolidation of hippocampus dependent episodic-like memory, i.e. the ability to remember an event bound into specific spatio-temporal context. Here we tested the hypothesis that this enhancing effect of sleep is linked to the occurrence of slow oscillatory and spindle activity during slow wave sleep (SWS). Rats were tested on an episodic-like memory task and on three additional tasks covering separately the where (object place recognition), when (temporal memory), and what (novel object recognition) components of episodic memory. In each task, the sample phase (encoding) was followed by an 80-min retention interval that covered either a period of regular morning sleep or sleep deprivation. Memory during retrieval was tested using preferential exploration of novelty vs. familiarity. Consistent with previous findings, the rats which had slept during the retention interval showed significantly stronger episodic-like memory and spatial memory, and a trend of improved temporal memory (although not significant). Object recognition memory was similarly retained across sleep and sleep deprivation retention intervals. Recall of episodic-like memory was associated with increased slow oscillatory activity (0.85-2.0Hz) during SWS in the retention interval. Spatial memory was associated with increased proportions of SWS. Against our hypothesis, a relationship between spindle activity and episodic-like memory performance was not detected, but spindle activity was associated with object recognition memory. The results provide support for the role of SWS and slow oscillatory activity in consolidating hippocampus-dependent memory, the role of spindles in this process needs to be further examined.
Insulin secretion stimulated by l-arginine and its metabolite l-ornithine depends on Gαi2
2014-09-10

Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTx), also known as islet-activating protein, induces insulin secretion by ADP-ribosylation of inhibitory G proteins. PTx-induced insulin secretion may result either from inactivation of Gα o proteins or from combined inactivation of Gα o , Gα i1 , Gα i2 , and Gα i3 isoforms. However, the specific role of Gα i2 in pancreatic β-cells still remains unknown. In global (Gα i2 −/− ) and β-cell-specific (Gα i2 βcko ) gene-targeted Gα i2 mouse models, we studied glucose homeostasis and islet functions. Insulin secretion experiments and intracellular Ca 2+ measurements were used to characterize Gα i2 function in vitro. Gα i2 −/− and Gα i2 βcko mice showed an unexpected metabolic phenotype, i.e., significantly lower plasma insulin levels upon intraperitoneal glucose challenge in Gα i2 −/− and Gα i2 βcko mice, whereas plasma glucose concentrations were unchanged in Gα i2 −/− but significantly increased in Gα i2 βcko mice. These findings indicate a novel albeit unexpected role for Gα i2 in the expression, turnover, and/or release of insulin from islets. Detection of insulin secretion in isolated islets did not show differences in response to high (16 mM) glucose concentrations between control and β-cell-specific Gα i2 -deficient mice. In contrast, the two- to threefold increase in insulin secretion evoked by l-arginine or l-ornithine (in the presence of 16 mM glucose) was significantly reduced in islets lacking Gα i2 . In accord with a reduced level of insulin secretion, intracellular calcium concentrations induced by the agonistic amino acid l-arginine did not reach control levels in β-cells. The presented analysis of gene-targeted mice provides novel insights in the role of β-cell Gα i2 showing that amino acid-induced insulin-release depends on Gα i2 .
Studentized continuous wavelet transform (t-CWT) in the analysis of individual ERPs: real and simulated EEG data
2014-09-10

This study aimed at evaluating the performance of the Studentized Continuous Wavelet Transform (t-CWT) as a method for the extraction and assessment of event-related brain potentials (ERP) in data from a single subject. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of the t-CWT were assessed and compared to a variety of competing procedures using simulated EEG data at six low signal-to-noise ratios. Results show that the t-CWT combines high sensitivity and specificity with favorable PPV and NPV. Applying the t-CWT to authentic EEG data obtained from 14 healthy participants confirmed its high sensitivity. The t-CWT may thus be well suited for the assessment of weak ERPs in single-subject settings.