julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Soil cultures &#8211; the adaptive cycle of agrarian soil use in Central Europe: an interdisciplinary study using soil scientific and archaeological research
2017-01-01

Today's global challenges (e.g., food security) are not unprecedented in human history. Starting with the Neolithic transition, the agricultural sector and society underwent several cultural and technological changes and endured natural challenges. These challenges and changes are analyzed by using the adaptive cycle metaphor and the social-ecological system as tools to show the complexity of human-environment interactions and their development. The analysis relies on archaeological, pedological, and botanical research, and demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary work. Agrarian soil use as a social-ecological system persisted in Central Europe for 7000 years and underwent an adaptive cycle from the Neolithic transition to industrialization. With agriculture's mechanization, a second adaptive cycle started. The resilience of agrarian soil use for thousands of years shows that agriculture, as a human-environmental interaction, is adaptive to change. Understanding past agricultural challenges and changes using archaeological and soil scientific data puts the present development into a new perspective. A cultural perspective on soils might trigger soil protection and sustainable land use in a technical as well as political domain. Applying social-ecological system and adaptive cycle concepts to this interdisciplinary reconstruction of agrarian soil use illustrates their usefulness for archaeology and soil science.
Dynamics of Glucose Metabolism After Kidney Transplantation
2017-01-01

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Background/Aims:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) impacts patient and allograft survival after kidney transplantation. Prediabetes, which is an independent risk factor for PTDM, is modifiable also in a post-transplant setting. Understanding the risks and dynamics of impaired glucose metabolism after transplantation is a key component for targeted intervention. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; A retrospective chart analysis of all adult non-diabetic renal allograft recipients (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt;=251, 2007-2014) was performed. Longitudinal follow-up included fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c, as well as data on allograft function and immunosuppression at consecutive time points (months 3-6 to &amp;#x3e;5 years post transplantation). &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Throughout follow-up, median prevalence of prediabetes and PTDM was 53.3 [52.4-55.7]% and 15.4 [15.0-16.5]%, respectively. Continuously high fluxes between states of glucose metabolism, with individual patients’ state deteriorating or improving over time, resulted in a high number of incident patients even long after transplantation. The greatest number of patients shifted between normal glucose tolerance and prediabetes, followed by those between prediabetes and PTDM. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Prediabetes and PTDM are highly prevalent after kidney transplantation and incidences remain relevant throughout follow-up. Patient fluxes into and out of the prediabetic state show that glucose metabolism is highly dynamic after transplantation. This provides a continuous opportunity for intervention in an aim to reduce diabetes-associated complications.
Can one measure the Cosmic Neutrino Background?
2017-01-01

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) yields information about our Universe at around 380,000 years after the Big Bang (BB). Due to the weak interaction of the neutrinos with matter, the Cosmic Neutrino Background (CNB) should give information about a much earlier time of our Universe, around one second after the BB. Probably, the most promising method to “see” the CNB is the capture of the electron neutrinos from the Background by Tritium, which then decays into 3 He and an electron with the energy of the the [Formula: see text]-value [Formula: see text] 18.562[Formula: see text]keV plus the electron neutrino rest mass. The “KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino” (KATRIN) experiment, which is in preparation, seems presently the most sensitive proposed method for measuring the electron antineutrino mass. At the same time, KATRIN can also look by the reaction [Formula: see text]. The capture of the Cosmic Background Neutrinos (CNB) should show in the electron spectrum as a peak by the electron neutrino rest mass above [Formula: see text]. Here, the possibility to see the CNB with KATRIN is studied. A detection of the CNB by KATRIN seems not to be possible at the moment. But KATRIN should be able to determine an upper limit for the local electron neutrino density of the CNB.
The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Healthcare System: A German Paradox
2017-01-01

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; This paper examines a paradox in the German healthcare system: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices are a major element of medical encounters in Germany. Patients seek them, physicians provide them, and public health insurances pay for them in part. Despite all this, CAM practices are not acknowledged as scientifically valid. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Material and Method:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; I will examine this situation in detail based on 2 ethnographic studies. The first study refers to an attempt to introduce homeopathic education at a German university. The second one is a study in the context of cancer and CAM. These cases are perfect examples of the current power struggles that are impeding the expansion of CAM practices in Germany. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; The results should be seen from the theoretical angle of the study of science. The conventional method of proving scientific validity is in contradiction to those frameworks in which the impact of CAM might be demonstrated. There are economic interests invested in preventing the integration of CAM into existing scientific structures. However, the current hybridization of CAM with conventional medicine might be a step towards an institutionalized heterogenization of medical practices in Germany. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; A broader understanding of scientific methods within the CAM community could provide a useful frame for future research. I suggest that the CAM community more actively takes part in the discourse with representatives of conventional medicine and come out of the closet.
Action at its place: Contextual settings enhance action recognition in 4- to 8-year-old children.
2017-01-01

Actions are recognized faster and with higher accuracy when they take place in their typical environments. It is unclear, however, when contextual cues from the environment become effectively exploited during childhood and whether contextual integration interacts with other factors such as children's perceptual or motor experience with an action. In the present experiment, we asked 4- to 8-year-olds (n = 159) to recognize pantomime actions that took place in compatible, incompatible, or neutral contextual settings. In each age cohort, children recognized more actions taking place in compatible compared to incompatible and neutral contexts. This result demonstrates robust facilitation effects of context on action recognition independent of age. Additionally, we found an interaction of context effects with action familiarity: Context effects were strongest when the children were less familiar with the actions, suggesting that contextual settings are particularly beneficial for action recognition when experience with an action is sparse. (PsycINFO Database Record
Raman Spectroscopic Analyses of Jaw Periosteal Cell Mineralization
2017-01-01

To achieve safer patient treatments, serum-free cell culture conditions have to be established for cell therapies. In previous studies, we demonstrated that serum-free culture favored the proliferation of MSCA-1 + osteoprogenitors derived from the jaw periosteum. In this study, the in vitro formation of bone-specific matrix by MSCA-1 + jaw periosteal cells (JPCs, 3 donors) was assessed and compared under serum-free and serum-containing media conditions using the marker-free Raman spectroscopy. Based on a standard fluorescence assay, JPCs from one patient were not able to mineralize under serum-containing culture conditions, whereas the other cells showed similar mineralization levels under both conditions. Raman spectra from mineralizing MSCA-1 + JPCs revealed higher levels of hydroxyapatite formation and higher mineral to matrix ratios under serum-free culture conditions. Higher carbonate to phosphate ratios and higher crystallinity in JPCs cultured under serum-containing conditions indicated immature bone formation. Due to reduced collagen production under serum-free conditions, we obtained significant differences in collagen maturity and proline to hydroxyproline ratios compared to serum-free conditions. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for the assessment and noninvasive monitoring of in vitro mineralization of osteoprogenitor cells. Further studies should extend this knowledge and improve JPC mineralization by optimizing culture conditions.
Routine Monitoring of Sodium and Phosphorus Removal in Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Patients Treated with Continuous Ambulatory PD (CAPD), Automated PD (APD) or Combined CAPD+APD
2017-01-01

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Adequate removal of sodium (Na) and phosphorus (P) is of paramount importance for patients with dialysis-dependent kidney disease can easily quantified in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Some studies suggest that automated PD (APD) results in lower Na and P removal. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; In this study we retrospectively analysed our data on Na and P removal in PD patients after implementation of a routine monitoring in 2011. Patients were stratified in those treated with continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD, n=24), automated PD (APD, n=23) and APD with one bag change (CAPD+APD, n=10). Until 2015 we collected time-varying data on Na and P removal from each patient (median 5 [interquartile range 4-8] values). &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Peritoneal Na and P removal (mmol per 24h ± standard deviation) was 102 ± 48 and 8 ± 2 in the CAPD, 90 ± 46 and 9 ± 3 in the APD and 126 ± 39 and 13 ± 2 in the CAPD+APD group (ANOVA P=0.141 and &amp;#x3c;0.001). Taking renal excretion into account total Na and P removal (mmol per 24h) was 221 ± 65 and 16 ± 5 in the CAPD, 189 ± 58 and 17 ± 6 in the APD and 183 ± 38 and 16 ± 6 in the CAPD+APD group (P=0.107 and 0.764). Over time, peritoneal removal of Na but not that of P increased in all groups. In patients with modifications of PD treatment, Na but not P removal was significantly increased over-time. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Overall Na and P removal were similar with different PD modalities. Individualized adjustments of PD prescription including icodextrin use or higher glucose concentration can improve Na removal while P removal is mainly determined by the dialysate volume.
Serum and Glucocorticoid Inducible Kinase 1-Sensitive Survival, Proliferation and Migration of Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells
2017-01-01

Background/Aims: Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma, may show an intrinsic refractoriness to standard chemotherapy in advanced tumor stages, which is associated with poor prognosis. Cellular mechanisms conferring tumor cell survival and therapy resistance in many tumor types include the serum &amp; glucocorticoid inducible kinase (SGK) 1 pathway, a kinase expressed ubiquitously with particularly strong expression in skeletal muscle and some tumor types. The present study explored whether SGK1 is expressed in rhabdomyosarcoma and, if so, whether this kinase impacts on tumor cell survival, proliferation and migration. Multiple in vitro techniques were used to study the role of SGK1 in rhabdomyosarcoma. Methods: The Gene Chip® Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array were employed to examine SGK1 transcriptional activity in healthy muscle and rhabdomyosarcoma tissue. SGK1 transcript levels were quantified in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines RD (embryonal subtype) and RH30 (alveolar subtype) by RT-PCR, cell viability was measured using MTT assays. Clonal cell growth was assessed via colony forming assays and migration experiments were performed in a transwell system. Results: SGK1 is expressed in embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma tissue samples and in RD and RH30 rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Administration of EMD638683 – an inhibitor specific for SGK1 - decreased viability of RD and RH30 cells, enhanced the effects of the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin leading to reduced migration and decreased cell proliferation. Conclusions: SGK1 is expressed in rhabdomyosarcoma cells where it contributes to survival, therapy resistance, cell proliferation and migration. Thus, SGK1 inhibitors may be considered a therapeutic option for the treatment of therapy-resistant rhabdomyosarcoma.
Expression and Characterization of Membrane-Type 4 Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT4-MMP) and its Different Forms in Melanoma
2017-01-01

Background/Aims: Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs) are expressed on the cell surface and hydrolyze extracellular matrix components and signaling molecules by which they influence cancer cell migration and metastasis. Two of the six known MT-MMPs are anchored to the plasma membrane via a GPI anchor, one of which is MT4-MMP. Only little is known about MT4-MMP expression, synthesis, regulation and degradation. Methods: We analyzed several human cancer cell lines as well as tissue homogenates using Western blotting and quantitative PCR for the expression of MT4-MMP. Organelles of SK-Mel-28 cells were separated using continuous Iodixanol gradients. Glycosylation of the SK-Mel-28 protein was studied via glucosidases and site directed mutagenesis of the MT4-MMP cDNA prior to transfection. Results: We found the MT4-MMP highly expressed in human melanoma cell lines as well as skin and melanoma tissue samples. Three forms of MT4-MMP with molecular masses of 45 kDa, 58 kDa and 69 kDa were detected. Further, we demonstrate that the 58 kDa form is the mature protein in the cell membrane, while the 69 kDa form is its precursor found in intracellular compartments. The 69 kDa forms are processed by furin cleavage in the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, we identified Asn318 as the single N-glycosylation site of MT4-MMP. Conclusion: We demonstrate the novel expression of MT4-MMP in melanocytic tissues and propose a precursor/product-relationship of the different forms of MT4-MMP in melanoma cells.
Istaroxime Inhibits Motility and Down-Regulates Orai1 Expression, SOCE and FAK Phosphorylation in Prostate Cancer Cells
2017-01-01

Background/Aims: Istaroxime is a validated inotropic Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor currently in development for the treatment of various cardiac conditions. Recent findings established that this steroidal drug exhibits potent apoptotic responses in prostate tumors in vitro and in vivo, by affecting key signaling orchestrating proliferation and apoptosis, such as c-Myc and caspase 3, Rho GTPases and actin cytoskeleton dynamics. In the present study we examined whether istaroxime is affecting cell motility and analyzed the underlying mechanism in prostate tumor cells. Methods: Migration was assessed by transwell and wound healing assays, Orai1 and Stim1 abundance by RT-PCR and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, Fura-2 fluorescence was utilized to determine intracellular Ca2+ and Western blotting for FAK/pFAK measurements. Results: We observed strong inhibition of cell migration in istaroxime treated DU-145 prostate cancer cells. Istaroxime further decreased Orai1 and Stim1 transcript levels and downregulated Orai1 protein expression. Moreover, SOCE was significantly decreased upon istaroxime treatment. Furthermore, istaroxime strikingly diminished phosphorylated FAK levels. Interestingly, the efficacy of istaroxime on the inhibition of DU-145 cell migration was further enhanced by blocking Orai1 with 2-APB and FAK with the specific inhibitor PF-00562271. These results provide strong evidence that istaroxime prevents cell migration and motility of DU-145 prostate tumor cells, an effect at least partially attributed to Orai1 downregulation and FAK de-activation. Conclusion: Collectively our results indicate that this enzyme inhibitor, besides its pro-apoptotic action, affects motility of cancer cells, supporting its potential role as a strong candidate for further clinical cancer drug development.
User comments about research findings: How conflictual information in online science journalistic articles influences laypeople’s understanding of scientific tentativeness
2017-01-01

Abstract This study investigated whether conflictual information about novel medical findings in online newspaper articles affected laypeople’s perception of tentativeness, their attitude toward, and fear of, the medical procedure in question. For this purpose, we rated the user comments from all available online newspaper articles about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Multilevel regressions revealed that higher levels of conflictual information in the articles were associated with higher levels of expressed tentativeness and a more negative attitude toward DBS expressed in the user comments. No significant relationship with expressed fear of DBS was found. We conclude that journalistic preparation and style is directly associated with readers’ perception of tentativeness and opinion formation and discuss suggestions for journalistic presentation of scientific information.
Assessment and modulation of cortical inhibition using transcranial magnetic stimulation
2017-01-01

Abstract: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which is used for diagnostic, therapeutic and scientific purposes in the field of neurology and psychiatry. It is based on the physical principle of electromagnetic induction and allows for the local activation of cortical areas through the intact skull of conscious humans. When applied repeatedly (repetitive TMS; rTMS) sustained changes of cortical excitability can be observed. Hence, TMS resembles a promising approach for assessing and modulating neuronal networks in a non-invasive manner. However, despite its broad clinical application, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of rTMS-based therapies remain not well understood. Established therapeutic concepts assume that pathologically altered cortical excitability is normalised, which may involve ‘long-term potentiation’ or ‘long-term depression’ of excitatory synapses. Indeed, animal studies demonstrate that rTMS induces long-term changes of excitatory neurotransmission. However, it is unclear through which mechanisms synaptic changes, which are caused by external electromagnetic activation of the cortex and therefore are not specific for context or behaviour, could have a positive impact on complex brain function. More recent findings suggest that not only excitatory but also inhibitory neuronal networks are modulated by rTMS. It was shown for example that 10 Hz rTMS leads to a calcium-dependent long-term depression of inhibitory GABAergic synapses. Since the reduction of inhibitory neurotransmission (= disinhibition) is considered important for the expression of associative plasticity at excitatory synapses, it is conceivable that rTMS-induced disinhibition may promote context- and behaviour-specific synaptic changes. Hence, the model of
Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics GPU-Acceleration Tool for Asteroid Fragmentation Simulation
2017-01-01

The impact threat of near-Earth objects (NEOs) is a concern to the global community, as evidenced by the Chelyabinsk event (caused by a 17-m meteorite) in Russia on February 15, 2013 and a near miss by asteroid 2012 DA14 (~30 m diameter), on the same day. The expected energy, from either a low-altitude air burst or direct impact, would have severe consequences, especially in populated regions. To mitigate this threat one of the methods is employment of large kinetic-energy impactors (KEIs). The simulation of asteroid target fragmentation is a challenging task which demands efficient and accurate numerical methods with large computational power. Modern graphics processing units (GPUs) lead to a major increase 10 times and more in the performance of the computation of astrophysical and high velocity impacts. The paper presents a new implementation of the numerical method smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) using NVIDIA-GPU and the first astrophysical and high velocity application of the new code. The code allows for a tremendous increase in speed of astrophysical simulations with SPH and self-gravity at low costs for new hardware. We have implemented the SPH equations to model gas, liquids and elastic, and plastic solid bodies and added a fragmentation model for brittle materials. Self-gravity may be optionally included in the simulations.
Local Anesthetics, Procaine, Lidocaine, and Mepivacaine Show Vasodilatation but No Type 1 Allergy: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
2017-01-01

Background . Therapy with local anesthetics (LAs), also known as neural therapy, is used in integrative medicine because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Ester-linked LAs are often avoided because of their alleged high allergenicity. Little data supports this assumption and hence the importance of our investigation on type-1 allergies against ester- and amide-linked LAs. We performed a prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled observational study. Methods . 177 patients received 340 intracutaneous injections with 1% procaine, 0.5% lidocaine, 1% mepivacaine, or saline solution. Every patient received two different tests on each forearm. Reactions were monitored for 15 minutes. Results . No type-1 allergy was observed. The mean erythema diameter of the wheals after 10 minutes was procaine <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">8.0</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">6.4</mml:mn></mml:math> mm, mepivacaine <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">7.6</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">6.3</mml:mn></mml:math> mm, lidocaine <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">4.4</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">4.8</mml:mn></mml:math> mm, and NaCl <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">3.7</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn fontstyle="italic">3.2</mml:mn></mml:math> mm. The wheal diameter of all substances showed a crescendo-decrescendo phenomenon. The procaine and mepivacaine wheals were significantly larger than those of lidocaine and NaCl. No general signs of hypersensitivity were observed. Diameter and intensity were independent of the injection site, order of injection, age, gender, and body mass index. Conclusion . This study shows no higher type-1 allergenicity of the ester-linked LA procaine, compared to the amide-linked LAs lidocaine and mepivacaine, and supports its use in therapy and short-track surgery.
From a focus particle to a conjunction: Diachronic and synchronic analysis of German zumal
2017-01-01

This article addresses the German conjunction zumal ‘the more so as’ from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. On the basis of historical corpus data, I trace the uses and meaning development of the lexical item zumal, from a temporal adverb to a conjunction. I argue that it acquired its current syntactic and interpretive features from the final step in this development: the focus particle zumal adopted some syntactic features and meaning components from the subordinate causal conjunctions da and weil, with which it frequently cooccurred in the historical data. In the current language it is thus best analyzed as a subordinate causal conjunction with focus-marking properties, similar to the combination besonders weil ‘especially since’.