julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Iron pnictide thin films: Synthesis and physics
2016-09-08

Abstract Superconducting thin films play a prominent role in applications of superconductivity and provide an essential source for studying physical phenomena. Here, we summarize the activities for iron pnictide thin films with a focus on the German Special Priority Programme from 2009 until today. The quick availability of such films after the discovery of superconductivity in the iron‐based superconductors enabled a number of experiments. After a general introduction and a brief historical overview we focus on film synthesis of iron pnictides by a two‐step method and by pulsed laser deposition, the assessment of their application potential, the upper critical fields in iron oxypnictides of F‐doped LaOFeAs and F‐doped Sm La OFeAs and on superconductivity in Fe/BaFe As heterostructures.
SDF1 Polymorphisms Influence Outcome in Patients with Symptomatic Cardiovascular Disease
2016-09-08

Distinct SDF1 polymorphisms are associated with improved cardiovascular prognosis in CAD patients. Further studies are warranted to validate these results and to better describe the endogenous regeneration potential in carriers of these SNPs. Targeted, genotype guided therapeutic approaches to foster myocardial regeneration and thus cardiovascular prognosis should be evaluated in future.
Overall recession and mass budget of Gangotri Glacier, Garhwal Himalayas, from 1965 to 2015 using remote sensing data
2016-09-09

ABSTRACT Thinning rates for the debris-covered Gangotri Glacier and its tributary glaciers during the period 1968–2014, length variation and area vacated at the snout from 1965 to 2015, and seasonal variation of ice-surface velocity for the last two decades have been investigated in this study. It was found that the mass loss of Gangotri and its tributary glaciers was slightly less than those reported for other debris-covered glaciers in the Himalayan regions. The average velocity during 2006–14 decreased by ~6.7% as compared with that during 1993–2006. The debris-covered area of the main trunk of Gangotri Glacier increased significantly from 1965 until 2015 with the maximum rate of increase (0.8 ± 0.2 km 2 a −1 ) during 2006–15. The retreat (~9.0 ± 3.5 m a −1 ) was less in recent years (2006–2015) but the down-wasting (0.34 ± 0.2 m a −1 ) in the same period (2006–2014) was higher than that (0.20 ± 0.1 m a −1 ) during 1968–2006. The study reinforced the established fact that the glacier length change is a delayed response to climate change and, in addition, is affected by debris cover, whereas glacier mass balance is a more direct and immediate response. Therefore, it is recommended to study the glacier mass balance and not only the glacier extent, to conclude about a glacier's response to climate change.
Bilingual and Monolingual Idiom Processing Is Cut from the Same Cloth: The Role of the L1 in Literal and Figurative Meaning Activation
2016-09-09

The present study examines non-native (L2) and native (L1) listeners' access to figurative idiomatic meaning and literal constituent meaning in two cross-modal priming experiments. Proficient German learners of English (L2) and native speakers of American English (L1) responded to English target words preceded by English idioms embedded in non-biasing prime sentences in a lexical decision task. English idioms differed in levels of translatability: Lexical level idioms had word-for-word translation equivalents in German, while post-lexical level idioms had matching idiomatic concepts in German but could not be translated word for word. Target words either related to the figurative meaning of the idiom or related to the literal meaning of the final constituent word of the idiom (e.g., to pull someone's leg, literal target: walk, figurative target: joke). Both L1 and L2 listeners showed facilitatory priming for literally- and figuratively-related target words compared to unrelated control target words, with only marginal differences between the listener groups. No effect of translatability was found; that is, the existence of word-for-word translation equivalents in German neither facilitated nor hindered meaning activation for German L2 listeners. The results are interpreted in the context of L1 and L2 models of idiom processing as well as further relevant translation studies.
Targeting eIF5A Hypusination Prevents Anoxic Cell Death through Mitochondrial Silencing and Improves Kidney Transplant Outcome
2016-09-09

The eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), which is highly conserved throughout evolution, has the unique characteristic of post-translational activation through hypusination. This modification is catalyzed by two enzymatic steps involving deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). Notably, eIF5A may be involved in regulating the lifespan of Drosophila during long-term hypoxia. Therefore, we investigated the possibility of a link between eIF5A hypusination and cellular resistance to hypoxia/anoxia. Pharmacologic targeting of DHPS by N 1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7) or RNA interference–mediated inhibition of DHPS or DOHH induced tolerance to anoxia in immortalized mouse renal proximal cells. Furthermore, GC7 treatment of cells reversibly induced a metabolic shift toward glycolysis as well as mitochondrial remodeling and led to downregulated expression and activity of respiratory chain complexes, features characteristic of mitochondrial silencing. GC7 treatment also attenuated anoxia-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in these cells and in normoxic conditions, decreased the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate of cultured cells and mice. In rats, intraperitoneal injection of GC7 substantially reduced renal levels of hypusinated eIF5A and protected against ischemia-reperfusion–induced renal injury. Finally, in the preclinical pig kidney transplant model, intravenous injection of GC7 before kidney removal significantly improved graft function recovery and late graft function and reduced interstitial fibrosis after transplant. This unconventional signaling pathway offers an innovative therapeutic target for treating hypoxic-ischemic human diseases and organ transplantation.
Testing the Kerr metric with the iron line and the KRZ parametrization
2016-09-09

The spacetime geometry around astrophysical black holes is supposed to be\\nwell approximated by the Kerr metric, but deviations from the Kerr solution are\\npredicted in a number of scenarios involving new physics. Broad iron K \\nlines are commonly observed in the X-ray spectrum of black holes and originate\\nby X-ray fluorescence of the inner accretion disk. The profile of the iron line\\nis sensitively affected by the spacetime geometry in the strong gravity region\\nand can be used to test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. In this paper, we\\nextend previous work in the literature. In particular: i) as test-metric, we\\nemploy the parametrization recently proposed by Konoplya, Rezzolla, and\\nZhidenko, which has a number of subtle advantages with respect to the existing\\napproaches; ii) we perform simulations with specific X-ray missions, and we\\nconsider NuSTAR as a prototype of current observational facilities and eXTP as\\nan example of the next generation of X-ray observatories. We find a significant\\ndifference between the constraining power of NuSTAR and eXTP. With NuSTAR, it\\nis difficult or impossible to constrain deviations from the Kerr metric. With\\neXTP, in most cases we can obtain quite stringent constraints (modulo we have\\nthe correct astrophysical model).\\n
Long-term results after repair of anomalous origin of left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: Takeuchi repair versus coronary transfer
2016-09-09

We evaluated long-term results of two different repair strategies of anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) in two German surgical centres. We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent ALCAPA repair between November 1980 and October 2012. Ventricular function was assessed by standardized transthoracic echocardiographic studies. A total of 30 patients with a median age of 0.4 years (range 0.05–37.6 years) underwent ALCAPA repair. Nineteen patients received coronary transfer, 9 underwent Takeuchi repair (creation of an intrapulmonary tunnel) and 2 were treated by closure of the ALCAPA. There was one concomitant mitral valve repair. The total follow-up was 244.8 years with a mean follow-up of 8.16 ± 6.7 years (range 0.06–24.3 years). There was no late mortality. None of the patients treated with coronary transfer or Takeuchi repair died. One moribund patient who received coronary ligation in the 1980s died perioperatively. The 10-year rate of freedom from reoperation was 94.1% for patients treated with coronary transfer. For patients with Takeuchi repair, the 10-year rate of freedom from reoperation was 71.1% (P = 0.146). At last follow-up, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and function measured by fractional shortening was normal in all patients. The mean shortening fraction improved from 20.25 ± 10.86% to 35.7 ± 4.8%, with the most remarkable change taking place in the first year, and the mean LVEDD indexed to normal improved from 42 ± 34% above normal values preoperatively to 3 ± 12% at the last follow-up (P < 0.01). The number of patients with moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) improved from 50% to 6.7% (2 of 30) at the last follow-up. In all children receiving ALCAPA repair under the age of 6 months, MR was absent or trivial at the last follow-up. Eight years after Takeuchi repair, 79.9% of these patients suffered from at least moderate pulmonary regurgitation, in contrast to 0% after coronary transfer (P < 0.001). Survival rates and long-term left ventricular function were excellent for both surgical strategies. Mitral regurgitation resolved in all patients operated during their first year of life independent of the type of repair. Takeuchi repair, however, led to significant pulmonary regurgitation.
Structural relaxation and diffusion in a model colloid-polymer mixture: dynamical density functional theory and simulation
2016-09-09

Within the Asakura-Oosawa model, we study structural relaxation in mixtures of colloids and polymers subject to Brownian motion in the overdamped limit. We obtain the time evolution of the self and distinct parts of the van Hove distribution function G(r,t) by means of dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) using an accurate free-energy functional based on Rosenfeld's fundamental measure theory. In order to remove unphysical interactions within the self part, we extend the recently proposed quenched functional framework (Stopper et al 2015 J. Chem. Phys. 143 181105) toward mixtures. In addition, we obtain results for the long-time self diffusion coefficients of colloids and polymers from dynamic Monte Carlo simulations, which we incorporate into the DDFT. From the resulting DDFT equations we calculate G(r, t), which we find to agree very well with our simulations. In particular, we examine the influence of polymers which are slow relative to the colloids-a scenario for which both DDFT and simulation show a significant peak forming at r = 0 in the colloid-colloid distribution function, akin to experimental findings involving gelation of colloidal suspensions. Moreover, we observe that, in the presence of slow polymers, the long-time self diffusivity of the colloids displays a maximum at an intermediate colloid packing fraction. This behavior is captured by a simple semi-empirical formula, which provides an excellent description of the data.
Non-invasive detection and successful treatment of a Helicobacter pylori infection in a captive rhesus macaque
2016-09-09

Gastritis is a commonly diagnosed condition in non-human primates used in biomedical research. As in humans, Helicobacter pylori infection may cause gastritis. The following report presents a method of non-invasive detection and a successful treatment protocol for this common pathogen.
Prophylactic Nimodipine Treatment Improves Hearing Outcome after Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery: A Combined Analysis of a Randomized Multicenter Phase III Trial and Its Pilot Study
2016-09-09

Background: After vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery deterioration of facial and cochlear nerve function are common complications. In clinical routine neuroprotective strategies are still missing. A pilot-study (n = 30) of prophylactic nimodipine and hydroxyethylstarch (HES) showed a beneficial effect on facial and cochlear nerve functions following VS surgery. An analogously performed prospective phase III trial (n = 112) revealed no statistical significant result. However, the risk for postoperative deterioration of hearing was two times lower in the therapy group. Considering the small sample size the data of both studies was pooled.
Electrophysiological Evidence for Central Neuroplasticity of the Contralesional Ear in Patients with Unilateral Vestibular Schwannoma
2016-09-09

Objective: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are often associated with tinnitus of the affected ear. The current pathophysiological concept of tinnitus involves neuroplasticity in auditory structures due to sensory deafferentation resulting in an increase of central gain. While idiopathic tinnitus usually occurs suddenly, a VS is a slow growing process enabling neuroplastic adaptation and compensation of the ipsi- and contralesional auditory system. In the present study, we describe electrophysiological findings in patients with unilateral VS indicating an adaptation of central auditory gain of the contralesional ear.
The Surgical Management of Primary Cerebellopontine Angle Melanocytoma
2016-09-09

Objective: The most common lesions in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) are vestibular schwannoma (70–80%) and meningioma (5–10%) followed by epidermoid cysts (6–7%). The goal of this study is to analyze the surgical management of an extremely rare lesion of the CPA - the meningeal melanocytoma. The annual incidence of meningeal melanocytoma of the CNS has been estimated as 1 per 10 million persons. We present three cases of primary CPA melanocytoma (PCPAM), which have been treated, in our department. Particular attention was paid to their clinical presentation, surgical treatment, early and late treatment outcomes, and recurrence rates.
Long-Lasting Changes in Muscle Twitch Force During Simulated Work While Standing or Walking
2016-09-10

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-lasting effects of prolonged standing work on a hard floor or floor mat and slow-pace walking on muscle twitch force (MTF) elicited by electrical stimulation. Background: Prolonged standing work may alter lower-leg muscle function, which can be quantified by changes in the MTF amplitude and duration related to muscle fatigue. Ergonomic interventions have been proposed to mitigate fatigue and discomfort; however, their influences remain controversial. Method: Ten men and eight women simulated standing work in 320-min experiments with three conditions: standing on a hard floor or an antifatigue mat and walking on a treadmill, each including three seated rest breaks. MTF in the gastrocnemius-soleus muscles was evaluated through changes in signal amplitude and duration. Results: The significant decrease of MTF amplitude and an increase of duration after standing work on a hard floor and on a mat persisted beyond 1 hr postwork. During walking, significant MTF metrics changes appeared 30 min postwork. MTF amplitude decrease was not significant after the first 110 min in any of the conditions; however, MTF duration was significantly higher than baseline in the standing conditions. Conclusion: Similar long-lasting weakening of MTF was induced by standing on a hard floor and on an antifatigue mat. However, walking partially attenuated this phenomenon. Application: Mostly static standing is likely to contribute to alterations of MTF in lower-leg muscles and potentially to musculoskeletal disorders regardless of the flooring characteristics. Occupational activities including slow-pace walking may reduce such deterioration in muscle function.
Seroprevalence of Toxocara spp. in a rural population in Central African Gabon
2016-09-10

Toxocara spp. are zoonotic parasites with global distribution infecting humans by incidental ingestions of eggs shed in feces of dogs or cats. High seroprevalences have been reported from several regions of Africa, however data from the Central African region remain limited. Although several clinical entities caused by larvae of Toxocara spp. have been described, the public heath impact of this infection has so far often been neglected. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence in a rural central African population. The population based study was performed in volunteers in a rural region of Gabon. A two-step testing approach was applied using an ELISA as screening test and a Western Blot (immunoblot) as confirmatory assay. Basic demographic data and risk factors were collected and compared between seropositive and negative participants. In total, 199 out of 332 serum samples were tested positive for Toxocara spp. antibodies (59.9%). After standardization for age to the overall Gabonese population seroprevalence was 53.6% (95% CI 48.2-59.0%). There was a trend towards higher seroprevalence in participants with agricultural activity. Seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxocara spp. is high in this rural population in Gabon. These results are comparable with previous reports from other sub-regions of Africa and add to our understanding of the epidemiology of toxocariasis in Africa. Given the high prevalence of toxocariasis in tropical regions, it may be speculated that clinically relevant presentations (e.g. visceral or ocular larva migrans syndrome) may occur in considerable numbers. A formal assessment of the burden of disease and the public health impact of human toxocariasis is therefore warranted.
Interferon-stimulated gene 15 in hepatitis B-related liver diseases
2016-09-10

This study investigates the association of Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) polymorphisms, ISG15 serum levels and expression with HBV-related liver diseases. The ISG15 promoter and the two exons of the gene were screened for polymorphisms in 766 HBV-infected patients and in 223 controls. Soluble ISG15 levels were measured by ELISA. ISG15 mRNA expression was quantified by qRT-PCR in 36 tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The exon 2 allele rs1921A was found associated with decreased progression of HBV-related liver diseases (LC vs. CHB: OR = 0.6, 95%CI = 0.4-0.8, adjusted P = 0.003; HCC vs. CHB: OR = 0.6, 95%CI = 0.4-0.9, adjusted P = 0.005). The rs1921AA genotype was associated with low levels of AST, ALT and total bilirubin, but with high prothrombin levels (P < 0.05). ISG15 serum levels were higher among HBV patients compared to controls (P < 0.0001) and positively associated with HBV-related liver diseases, with highest levels among LC patients. ISG15 levels were correlated with HBV-DNA loads (P = 0.001). In non-tumor tissues from HCC patients, ISG15 mRNA expression was increased in HBV compared to non-HBV infection (P = 0.016). The ISG15 rs1921 variant and ISG15 expression are associated with HBV-related liver diseases. Taken together, ISG15 appears to be a proviral factor involved in HBV replication and triggering progression of HBV-related liver diseases.
Unraveling the mark of surface defects on a spinterface: The nitronyl nitroxide/TiO2(110) interface
2016-09-10

Metal-free organic radicals are fascinating materials owing to their unique properties. Having a stable magnetic moment coupled to light elements makes these materials central to develop a large variety of applications. We investigated the magnetic spinterface coupling between the surface of a single rutile TiO2(110) crystal and a pyrene-based nitronyl nitroxide radical, using a combination of thickness-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The radicals were physisorbed, and their magnetic character was preserved on the (almost) ideal surface. The situation changed completely when the molecules interacted with a surface defect site upon adsorption. In this case, the reactivity of the defect site led to the quenching of the molecular magnetic moment. Our work elucidates the crucial role played by the surface defects and demonstrates that photoemission spectroscopy combined with density functional theory calculations can be used to shed light on the mechanisms governing complex interfaces, such as those between magnetic molecules and metal oxides.
Effect of X-ray irradiation on ancient DNA in sub-fossil bones – Guidelines for safe X-ray imaging
2016-09-12

Abstract Sub-fossilised remains may still contain highly degraded ancient DNA (aDNA) useful for palaeogenetic investigations. Whether X-ray computed [micro-] tomography ([μ]CT) imaging of these fossils may further damage aDNA remains debated. Although the effect of X-ray on DNA in living organisms is well documented, its impact on aDNA molecules is unexplored. Here we investigate the effects of synchrotron X-ray irradiation on aDNA from Pleistocene bones. A clear correlation appears between decreasing aDNA quantities and accumulating X-ray dose-levels above 2000 Gray (Gy). We further find that strong X-ray irradiation reduces the amount of nucleotide misincorporations at the aDNA molecule ends. No representative effect can be detected for doses below 200 Gy. Dosimetry shows that conventional μCT usually does not reach the risky dose level, while classical synchrotron imaging can degrade aDNA significantly. Optimised synchrotron protocols and simple rules introduced here are sufficient to ensure that fossils can be scanned without impairing future aDNA studies.
Eyes wide open? eyelid location and eye aperture estimation for pervasive eye tracking in real-world scenarios
2016-09-12

Eyelid identification and aperture estimation provide key data that can be used to infer valuable information about a subject's mental state (e.g., vigilance, fatigue, and drowsiness) as well as validate or reduce the search space of other eye features. In this paper, we consider these tasks from the perspective of pervasive eye tracking, taking into account the multiple challenges and constraints that arise from this scenario. A novel method for eyelid identification and aperture estimation is proposed and evaluated against challenging data from an eye-tracking experiment conducted in driving scenarios in the wild. The proposed method outperforms an state-of-the-art approach by up to 40 percentage points and runs in real-time on state-of-the-art eye tracking systems. The method implementation and the realistic dataset are provided openly at www.ti.uni-tuebingen.de/perception.
Fires in the mire: repeated fire events in Early Permian ‘peat forming’ vegetation of India
2016-09-12

Macro‐charcoal, as direct evidence of palaeo‐wildfires, is a common constituent throughout an Early Permian (Cisuralian) inertinite‐rich coal seam from the Dhanpuri Coal Mine (Barakar Formation, Sohagpur Coalfield, Madhya Pradesh, India). The continuous presence of macro‐charcoal within this particular seam demonstrates that fires occurred repeatedly in the source vegetation of the seam. Based on these macro‐charcoal remains, an anatomical assessment of the diversity and taxonomic composition of the vegetation, which experienced wildfires and contributed to the formation of peat/coal, is provided. The vegetation that experienced regular fires was dominated by gymnosperms, with a minor component of pteridophytes. The results also support previous studies, which suggest a pyrogenic origin for the high inertinite contents of many Permian coals within Gondwana. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.