julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Regional Solutions for Regional Confl icts? The EU, China and their Respective Neighborhoods
2016-09-05

The post-Cold War security landscape is increasingly characterized by regional security interactions (Buzan and Wæver 2003). Sub-system violent conflicts, often labeled “new wars” (Kaldor 1999) have become a core concern. While their novelty remains contested (e.g. Melander et al. 2009), such wars have become an integral part of security strategies. Thus, the 2003 European Security Strategy identified “regional conflicts” as a key threat (CEU 2003: 4). Asia, too, faces new security threats, including the effects of regional conflicts (Caballero-Anthony and Cook 2013). Both the EU and China show increasing concerns, for instance, about the instability and terrorist threats emanating from the Central Asian region (Lain 2014; CEU 2015: 6, 11).
Infiltrating monocytes promote brain inflammation and exacerbate neuronal damage after status epilepticus
2016-09-06

Significance Status epilepticus is a frequent neurological emergency. These unabated seizures reduce quality of life, promote the development of epilepsy, and can cause death. Activation of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, is an invariable feature of seizure activity. However, the involvement of blood-borne immune cells in the brain’s inflammatory reaction after seizures remains unresolved. Here we identify a blood cell not normally encountered in the healthy brain, called a monocyte, which invades brain tissue after seizures and contributes to inflammation. Blocking brain entry of the blood monocytes was beneficial, reducing neuronal damage and accelerating weight regain. Treatment strategies aimed at inhibiting peripheral immune cells from entering the brain after seizures could be beneficial.
Perforations of Freshwater Snail Shells from the Miocene of Germany:Nihilichnus covichin. isp.
2016-09-06

Formerly unknown holes in shells of freshwater gastropods are described and assigned to the ichnogenus Nihilichnus. The smaller size range, the different substrate, and the sometimes present scratchings around the holes distinguish our praedichnion from the type ichnospecies N. nihilicus, and we propose N. covichi n. isp. for the herein presented material. The type material of N. covichi n. isp. derives from the middle Miocene (Mammal Neogene zones MN6 and MN7) lake sediments of the Steinheim Basin (Steinheim am Albuch, SW Germany); the holes occur in shells of Gyraulus trochiformis (Planorbidae) and Bania pseudoglobulus (Hydrobiidae). Further material consists of perforated shells of Nematurella bavarica (Hydrobiidae) and Galba armaniacensis (Lymnaeidae) from the early Miocene Kirchberg Formation (MN 4; SE Germany). In contrast to the other morphologically similar but marine praedichnia (e.g., Belichnus and Oichnus, recently synonymized with Sedilichnus), Nihilichnus is known from terrestrial, palustrine, freshwater (reported herein), and marine environments. Nihilichnus covichi n. isp. was probably produced by the pharyngeal teeth of durophagous tench fish (Tinca spp.; Cyprinidae).
Selectivity Enhancement by Using Double-Layer MOX-Based Gas Sensors Prepared by Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP)
2016-09-06

Here we present a novel concept for the selective recognition of different target gases with a multilayer semiconducting metal oxide (SMOX)-based sensor device. Direct current (DC) electrical resistance measurements were performed during exposure to CO and ethanol as single gases and mixtures of highly porous metal oxide double- and single-layer sensors obtained by flame spray pyrolysis. The results show that the calculated resistance ratios of the single- and double-layer sensors are a good indicator for the presence of specific gases in the atmosphere, and can constitute some building blocks for the development of chemical logic devices. Due to the inherent lack of selectivity of SMOX-based gas sensors, such devices could be especially relevant for domestic applications.
Consensus paper of the WFSBP Task Force on Genetics: Genetics, epigenetics and gene expression markers of major depressive disorder and antidepressant response
2016-09-07

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heritable disease with a heavy personal and socio-economic burden. Antidepressants of different classes are prescribed to treat MDD, but reliable and reproducible markers of efficacy are not available for clinical use. Further complicating treatment, the diagnosis of MDD is not guided by objective criteria, resulting in the risk of under- or overtreatment. A number of markers of MDD and antidepressant response have been investigated at the genetic, epigenetic, gene expression and protein levels. Polymorphisms in genes involved in antidepressant metabolism (cytochrome P450 isoenzymes), antidepressant transport (ABCB1), glucocorticoid signalling (FKBP5) and serotonin neurotransmission (SLC6A4 and HTR2A) were among those included in the first pharmacogenetic assays that have been tested for clinical applicability. The results of these investigations were encouraging when examining patient-outcome improvement. Furthermore, a nine-serum biomarker panel (including BDNF, cortisol and soluble TNF-α receptor type II) showed good sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between MDD and healthy controls. These first diagnostic and response-predictive tests for MDD provided a source of optimism for future clinical applications. However, such findings should be considered very carefully because their benefit/cost ratio and clinical indications were not clearly demonstrated. Future tests may include combinations of different types of biomarkers and be specific for MDD subtypes or pathological dimensions.
Investigation of Motor Cortical Plasticity and Corticospinal Tract Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients with Parkinsons Disease and Essential Tremor
2016-09-07

Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) are characterized with motor dysfunctions. Motor circuit dysfunctions can be complementarily investigated by paired associative stimulation (PAS)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the corticospinal tract (CST). Three groups of twelve subjects with moderate severity PD, ET with intention tremor and healthy controls (HC) were studied. The primary motor cortex (M1) excitability, measured by motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and by short-interval and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI) was compared between the three groups before and after PAS. The DTI measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were acquired. PAS effects and DTI data were simultaneously examined between groups. PAS increased MEP amplitude in HC but not in PD and ET. SICI and LICI were significantly reduced after PAS irrespective of groups. No significant differences of the mean FA and MD were found between groups. There was no significant correlation between the PAS effects and the DTI measures. Findings suggest that both PD and ET with intention tremor have impairment of the associative LTP-like corticospinal excitability change in M1. The microstructure of the CST is not relevant to the deficiency of M1 associative plasticity in PD and ET.
Identification of a Novel N -Acetylmuramic Acid Transporter in Tannerella forsythia
2016-09-07

ABSTRACT Tannerella forsythia is a Gram-negative periodontal pathogen lacking the ability to undergo de novo synthesis of amino sugars N -acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) and N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) that form the disaccharide repeating unit of the peptidoglycan backbone. T. forsythia relies on the uptake of these sugars from the environment, which is so far unexplored. Here, we identified a novel transporter system of T. forsythia involved in the uptake of MurNAc across the inner membrane and characterized a homolog of the Escherichia coli MurQ etherase involved in the conversion of MurNAc-6-phosphate (MurNAc-6-P) to GlcNAc-6-P. The genes encoding these components were identified on a three-gene cluster spanning Tanf_08375 to Tanf_08385 located downstream from a putative peptidoglycan recycling locus. We show that the three genes, Tanf_08375, Tanf_08380, and Tanf_08385, encoding a MurNAc transporter, a putative sugar kinase, and a MurQ etherase, respectively, are transcriptionally linked. Complementation of the Tanf_08375 and Tanf_08380 genes together in trans , but not individually, rescued the inability of an E. coli mutant deficient in the phosphotransferase (PTS) system-dependent MurNAc transporter MurP as well as that of a double mutant deficient in MurP and components of the PTS system to grow on MurNAc. In addition, complementation with this two-gene construct in E. coli caused depletion of MurNAc in the medium, further confirming this observation. Our results show that the products of Tanf_08375 and Tanf_08380 constitute a novel non-PTS MurNAc transporter system that seems to be widespread among bacteria of the Bacteroidetes phylum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first identification of a PTS-independent MurNAc transporter in bacteria. IMPORTANCE In this study, we report the identification of a novel transporter for peptidoglycan amino sugar N -acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) in the periodontal pathogen T. forsythia . It has been known since the late 1980s that T. forsythia is a MurNAc auxotroph relying on environmental sources for this essential sugar. Most sugar transporters, and the MurNAc transporter MurP in particular, require a PTS phosphorelay to drive the uptake and concurrent phosphorylation of the sugar through the inner membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. Our study uncovered a novel type of PTS-independent MurNAc transporter, and although so far, it seems to be unique to T. forsythia , it may be present in a range of bacteria both of the oral cavity and gut, especially of the phylum Bacteroidetes .
Specific eye–head coordination enhances vision in progressive lens wearers
2016-09-07

In uncorrected vision all combinations of eye and head positions are visually equivalent; thus, there is no need for a specific modification of eye-head coordination in young healthy observers. In contrast, the quality of visual input indeed strongly depends on eye position in the majority of healthy elderly drivers, namely in progressive additional lens (PALs) wearers. For a given distance, only specific combinations of eye and head position provide clear vision in a progressive lens wearer. However, although head movements are an integral part of gaze behavior, it is not known if eye-head coordination takes part in the enhancement of visual input in healthy individuals. In the current study we determined changes in eye-head coordination in progressive lens wearers in challenging tasks with high cognitive load, in the situation of driving. During a real-world drive on an urban round track in Stuttgart, gaze movements and head movements were measured in 17 PAL wearers and eye-head coordination was compared to 27 controls with unrestricted vision. Head movement behavior, specific to progressive lens wearers, was determined in head gain and temporal properties of head movements. Furthermore, vertical eye-head coordination was consistent only among PAL wearers. The observed differences in eye-head coordination clearly demonstrate a contribution of head movements in the enhancement of visual input in the healthy human visual system.
The noise egg: a cheap and simple device to produce low‐frequency underwater noise for laboratory and field experiments
2016-09-07

Summary Studying the effect of anthropogenic noise on animal behaviour and physiology is a field of growing scientific and management interest. Anthropogenic noise is internationally seen as major environmental concern, but knowledge of the response of animals to noise and its ecological and evolutionary consequences is disparate. Even though fish and invertebrates form the majority of aquatic taxa, the effects of noise on these taxa are largely understudied. Especially the consequences of noise for short‐range communication and behavioural interactions are yet unknown. While experimental studies on this subject are thus greatly needed, the expense of the equipment can be a main factor limiting data generation. Speakers that produce low‐frequency sounds under water are currently either too large or too expensive to allow for sufficient replication in many research set‐ups. Here, we describe a device that can produce a low‐frequency sound, which can be used as an experimental source of noise both in aquaria and in the field. The device is completely self‐contained and costs around 10 euros per ‘noise egg’. The sound created consists of frequency bands (harmonics), which has the advantage that broadband and pulsed sounds, such as sounds produced by vocal fish, are easily detected in a spectrogram. Because the sound from the egg attenuates quickly, it can be used in aquaria and in the field to target certain study species or individuals without affecting a large part of the surrounding area. We have developed the device to study the effects of noise on communication and behaviour in small aquatic animals; however, it could be used for other purposes, such as testing the propagation of certain frequencies in shallow‐water habitats. We hope the described method will facilitate the generation of experimental data on the effect of noise on behaviour and communication in aquatic animals in a wide variety of study systems and study areas.
Imaging Cell Viability on Non-transparent Scaffolds &#8212; Using the Example of a Novel Knitted Titanium Implant
2016-09-07

Intervertebral disc degeneration and disc herniation is one of the major causes of lower back pain. Depletion of extracellular matrix, culminating in nucleus pulposus (NP) extrusion leads to intervertebral disc destruction. Currently available surgical treatments reduce the pain but do not restore the mechanical functionality of the spine. In order to preserve mechanical features of the spine, total disc or nucleus replacement thus became a wide interest. However, this arthroplasty era is still in an immature state, since none of the existing products have been clinically evaluated. This study intends to test the biocompatibility of a novel nucleus implant made of knitted titanium wires. Despite all mechanical advantages, the material has its limits for conventional optical analysis as the resulting implant is non-transparent. Here we present a strategy that describes in vitro visualization, tracking and viability testing of osteochondro-progenitor cells on the scaffold. This protocol can be used to visualize the efficiency of the cleaning protocol as well as to investigate the biocompatibility of these and other non-transparent scaffolds. Furthermore, this protocol can be used to show adherence pattern of cells as well as cell viability and proliferation rates on/in the scaffold. This in vitro biocompatibility testing assay provides a propitious tool to analyze cell-material interaction in non-transparent and opaque scaffolds.
Distribution of Response Time, Cortical, and Cardiac Correlates during Emotional Interference in Persons with Subclinical Psychotic Symptoms
2016-09-07

A psychosis phenotype can be observed below the threshold of clinical detection. The study aimed to investigate whether subclinical psychotic symptoms are associated with deficits in controlling emotional interference, and whether cortical brain and cardiac correlates of these deficits can be detected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). A data set derived from a community sample was obtained from the Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services. 174 subjects (mean age 29.67 ± 6.41, 91 females) were assigned to four groups ranging from low to high levels of subclinical psychotic symptoms (derived from the Symptom Checklist-90-R). Emotional interference was assessed using the emotional Stroop task comprising neutral, positive, and negative conditions. Statistical distributional methods based on delta plots [behavioral response time (RT) data] and quantile analysis (fNIRS data) were applied to evaluate the emotional interference effects. Results showed that both interference effects and disorder-specific (i.e., group-specific) effects could be detected, based on behavioral RTs, cortical hemodynamic signals (brain correlates), and heart rate variability (cardiac correlates). Subjects with high compared to low subclinical psychotic symptoms revealed significantly reduced amplitudes in dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (interference effect, p < 0.001) and middle temporal gyrus (disorder-specific group effect, p < 0.001), supported by behavioral and heart rate results. The present findings indicate that distributional analyses methods can support the detection of emotional interference effects in the emotional Stroop. The results suggested that subjects with high subclinical psychosis exhibit enhanced emotional interference effects. Based on these observations, subclinical psychosis may therefore prove to represent a valid extension of the clinical psychosis phenotype.
Search for Dark Matter Annihilations towards the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.
2016-09-08

The inner region of the Milky Way halo harbors a large amount of dark matter (DM). Given its proximity, it is one of the most promising targets to look for DM. We report on a search for the annihilations of DM particles using γ-ray observations towards the inner 300 pc of the Milky Way, with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. The analysis is based on a 2D maximum likelihood method using Galactic Center (GC) data accumulated by H.E.S.S. over the last 10 years (2004–2014), and does not show any significant γ-ray signal above background. Assuming Einasto and Navarro-Frenk-White DM density profiles at the GC, we derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σv⟩. These constraints are the strongest obtained so far in the TeV DM mass range and improve upon previous limits by a factor 5. For the Einasto profile, the constraints reach ⟨σv⟩ values of 6 × 10 cm s in the W W channel for a DM particle mass of 1.5 TeV, and 2 × 110 cm s in the channel for a 1 TeV mass. For the first time, ground-based γ-ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to probe ⟨σv⟩ values expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.
IGF2 Is Up-regulated by Epigenetic Mechanisms in Hepatocellular Carcinomas and Is an Actionable Oncogene Product in Experimental Models
2016-09-08

A large proportion of HCC samples were found to overexpress IGF2, via demethylation of its fetal promoter. Overexpression of IGF2 accelerates formation of liver tumors in mice with hepatic expression of MYC and AKT1, via activation of IGF1 receptor signaling. An antibody against IGF1 and IGF2 slows growth of xenograft tumors and increases survival of these mice.
Evolution of plant defences along an invasion chronosequence: defence is lost due to enemy release – but not forever
2016-09-08

Summary The success of invasive plants has often been attributed to their rapid evolution at the introduced range. In particular, release from native enemies has been suggested to select for an evolutionary shift in resource allocation patterns from herbivore defence to increased size. Such evolutionary processes can take place not only between the native and invasive ranges but also within the invasive range over time, but this premise has been very seldom studied. In this study, we examined the potential for post‐invasion evolution in two traits hypothesized to facilitate plant invasion success, that is herbivore resistance and allelopathic ability. We studied these traits in the invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera by comparing plants from its native populations and from populations across its invasion chronosequence. Results of common‐garden experiment and chemical analyses revealed that plants from native populations or older populations within the invasive range show greater resistance to the generalist herbivore, Deilephila elpenor , coupled with greater production of the secondary defence compound 2‐methoxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone glycoside. In contrast, no differences were found between populations in their allelopathic effect on the germination of the co‐occurring neighbour, Urtica doica . Finally, results from a field survey suggested that older populations within the invasive range incur greater attack rates from local herbivores compared to more recently established populations. Synthesis . Our findings support the idea that the selection pressure of enemy release at the introduced range might attenuate over time, leading to the evolutionary recovery of enemy resistance. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating the effect of time since introduction when examining evolutionary or ecological processes of plant invasions.
Ion Channels in Brain Metastasis
2016-09-08

Breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma exhibit a high metastatic tropism to the brain. Development of brain metastases severely worsens the prognosis of cancer patients and constrains curative treatment options. Metastasizing to the brain by cancer cells can be dissected in consecutive processes including epithelial–mesenchymal transition, evasion from the primary tumor, intravasation and circulation in the blood, extravasation across the blood–brain barrier, formation of metastatic niches, and colonization in the brain. Ion channels have been demonstrated to be aberrantly expressed in tumor cells where they regulate neoplastic transformation, malignant progression or therapy resistance. Moreover, many ion channel modulators are FDA-approved drugs and in clinical use proposing ion channels as druggable targets for future anti-cancer therapy. The present review article aims to summarize the current knowledge on the function of ion channels in the different processes of brain metastasis. The data suggest that certain channel types involving voltage-gated sodium channels, ATP-release channels, ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors and gap junction-generating connexins interfere with distinct processes of brain metastazation.
Response to Comment on “Principles of connectivity among morphologically defined cell types in adult neocortex”
2016-09-08

The critique of Barth et al . centers on three points: (i) the completeness of our study is overstated; (ii) the connectivity matrix we describe is biased by technical limitations of our brain-slicing and multipatching methods; and (iii) our cell classification scheme is arbitrary and we have simply renamed previously identified interneuron types. We address these criticisms in our Response.
Hippocampal sparing radiotherapy for glioblastoma patients: a planning study using volumetric modulated arc therapy
2016-09-08

Using VMAT, a substantial reduction of the radiotherapy dose to the contralateral hippocampus for patients with glioblastoma is feasible without compromising other treatment parameters. For larger PTV sizes, less sparing can be achieved. Whether this approach is able to preserve the neurocognitive status without compromising the oncological outcome needs to be investigated in the setting of prospective clinical trials.
Metallic coplanar resonators optimized for low-temperature measurements
2016-09-08

Metallic coplanar microwave resonators are widely employed at room\\ntemperature, but their low-temperature performance has received little\\nattention so far. We characterize compact copper coplanar resonators with\\nmultiple modes from 2.5 to 20 GHz at temperatures as low as 5 K. We investigate\\nthe influence of center conductor width (20 to 100 {\\\\mu}m) and coupling gap\\nsize (10 to 50 {\\\\mu}m), and we observe a strong increase of quality factor (Q)\\nfor wider center conductors, reaching values up to 470. The magnetic-field\\ndependence of the resonators is weak, with a maximum change in Q of 3.5% for an\\napplied field of 7 T. This makes these metallic resonators well suitable for\\nmagnetic resonance studies, as we document with electron spin resonance (ESR)\\nmeasurements at multiple resonance frequencies.\\n