julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Treatment of optic neuritis with erythropoietin (TONE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial—study protocol
2016-03-01

Introduction Optic neuritis leads to degeneration of retinal ganglion cells whose axons form the optic nerve. The standard treatment is a methylprednisolone pulse therapy. This treatment slightly shortens the time of recovery but does not prevent neurodegeneration and persistent visual impairment. In a phase II trial performed in preparation of this study, we have shown that erythropoietin protects global retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT-G) in acute optic neuritis; however, the preparatory trial was not powered to show effects on visual function. Methods and analysis Treatment of Optic Neuritis with Erythropoietin (TONE) is a national, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial with two parallel arms. The primary objective is to determine the efficacy of erythropoietin compared to placebo given add-on to methylprednisolone as assessed by measurements of RNFLT-G and low-contrast visual acuity in the affected eye 6 months after randomisation. Inclusion criteria are a first episode of optic neuritis with decreased visual acuity to ≤0.5 (decimal system) and an onset of symptoms within 10 days prior to inclusion. The most important exclusion criteria are history of optic neuritis or multiple sclerosis or any ocular disease (affected or non-affected eye), significant hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism, elevated blood pressure, thrombotic events or malignancy. After randomisation, patients either receive 33 000 international units human recombinant erythropoietin intravenously for 3 consecutive days or placebo (0.9% saline) administered intravenously. With an estimated power of 80%, the calculated sample size is 100 patients. The trial started in September 2014 with a planned recruitment period of 30 months. Ethics and dissemination TONE has been approved by the Central Ethics Commission in Freiburg (194/14) and the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (61-3910-4039831). It complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, local laws and ICH-GCP. Trial registration number NCT01962571.
Compositional variation of apatite from rift-related alkaline igneous rocks of the Gardar Province, South Greenland
2016-03-01

Textural and compositional variations of apatite from rift-related gabbros, syenogabbros, syenites, quartz-syenites, and nepheline syenites of the Mid-Proterozoic Gardar Province (South Greenland) are presented and compared to apatite compositions from other rock suites.
Utilization of Healthcare in the Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa Program
2016-03-01

Healthcare utilization for fever varied greatly across sites, and revealed that not all studied populations were under optimal surveillance. This demonstrates the importance of assessing healthcare utilization. Survey data were pivotal for the adjustment of the program's estimates of salmonellosis and other conditions associated with fever.
Revealing the broad iron Kαline in Cygnus X-1 through simultaneousXMM-Newton, RXTE, and INTEGRAL observations
2016-03-01

We report on the analysis of the broad Fe Kα line feature of Cyg X-1 in the spectra of four simultaneous hard intermediate state observations made with the X-ray Multiple Mirror mission (XMM-Newton), the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), and the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL). The high quality of the XMM-Newton data taken in the Modified Timing Mode of the EPIC-pn camera provides a great opportunity to investigate the broadened Fe Kα reflection line at 6.4 keV with a very high signal to noise ratio. The 4–500 keV energy range is used to constrain the underlying continuum and the reflection at higher energies. We first investigate the data by applying a phenomenological model that consists of the sum of an exponentially cutoff power law and relativistically smeared reflection. Additionally, we apply a more physical approach and model the irradiation of the accretion disk directly from the lamp post geometry. All four observations show consistent values for the black hole parameters with a spin of a ~ 0.9, in agreement with recent measurements from reflection and disk continuum fitting. The inclination is found to be i ~ 30°, consistent with the orbital inclination and different from inclination measurements made during the soft state, which show a higher inclination. We speculate that the difference between the inclination measurements is due to changes in the inner region of the accretion disk.
A Multicountry Molecular Analysis ofSalmonella entericaSerovar Typhi With Reduced Susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin in Sub-Saharan Africa
2016-03-01

Salmonella Typhi with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was not distributed homogenously throughout SSA. Its prevalence was very high in Kenya, and was not observed in other study countries. Continuous monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility is required to follow the potential spread of antimicrobial-resistant isolates throughout SSA.
Molecular Oxygen Modulated Luminescence of an Octahedro‐hexamolybdenum Iodide Cluster having Six Apical Thiocyanate Ligands
2016-03-01

Abstract The synthesis, characterization, and luminescence properties of (Bu 4 N) 2 [Mo 6 I 8 (NCS) 6 ] are reported. Orange crystals of (Bu 4 N) 2 [Mo 6 I 8 (NCS) 6 ] were crystallized from acetone solution and used for X‐ray single‐crystal structure determination and refinement, yielding a structure with a centrosymmetric [Mo 6 I 8 (NCS) 6 ] 2– ion. Photoluminescence studies on the crystalline solid revealed a broad excitation in the UV/Vis region and an emission around 690 nm. The red emission intensity decreases with increasing partial pressure of atmospheric molecular O 2 .
Validation and Identification of InvasiveSalmonellaSerotypes in Sub-Saharan Africa by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction: Table 1.
2016-03-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) cause the majority of bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa; however, serotyping is rarely performed. We validated a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor (WKLM) scheme of serotyping using 110 Salmonella isolates from blood cultures of febrile children in Ghana and applied the method in other Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa Program study sites. In Ghana, 47 (43%) S. Typhi, 36 (33%) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, 14 (13%) Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin, and 13 (12%) Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis were identified by both multiplex PCR and the WKLM scheme separately. Using the validated multiplex PCR assay, we identified 42 (66%) S. Typhi, 14 (22%) S. Typhimurium, 2 (3%) S. Dublin, 2 (3%) S. Enteritidis, and 4 (6%) other Salmonella species from the febrile patients in Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Senegal, and Tanzania. Application of this multiplex PCR assay in sub-Saharan Africa could advance the knowledge of serotype distribution of Salmonella.
Nonperturbative contribution to the strange-antistrange asymmetry of the nucleon sea
2016-03-01

We give predictions for the nonperturbative (intrinsic) contribution to the\\n asymmetry of the nucleon sea. For this purpose we use\\ndifferent light-front wave functions inspired by the AdS/QCD formalism,\\ntogether with a model of the nucleon in terms of meson-baryon fluctuations. The\\nholographic wave functions for an arbitrary number of constituents, recently\\nderived by us, give results quite close to known parametrizations that appear\\nin the literature.\\n
Origin of Zircon Megacrysts from Cenozoic Basalts in Northeastern Cambodia: Evidence from U-Pb Age, Hf-O Isotopes, and Inclusions
2016-03-01

Zircon megacrysts found in basalts may provide a window into metasomatic processes and element transport in the upper mantle. However, little is known about the formation conditions of these zircons. Here we report U-Pb ages, Hf-O isotope compositions, trace element data, and mineral inclusion analyses for six large fragments of zircon megacrysts from the Gem village in northeastern Cambodia. The zircons have low contents of U, Th, Y, P, and rare earth elements (REEs; 130–288 ppm). The normalized REE pattern is characterized by a steeply rising slope from light REEs to heavy REEs and positive Ce anomalies. Secondary ion mass spectrometer isotopic analyses on the zircon megacrysts yield a mean U-Pb age of 0.98 ±0.04 Ma (2σ) and homogeneous oxygen isotopic composition with a mean δ18O value of 5.0‰ ± 0.18‰ (2σ), identical to the δ18O mantle value. The 176Hf/177Hf values range from 0.282970 ± 0.000024 (2σ) to 0.283040 ± 0.000016 (2σ), with εHf (0.98 Ma) values of 6.6–9.0, obtained by the laser ablation–multicollector–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique, further points to the origin of the grains in the depleted mantle. The zircon megacrysts contain apatite inclusions and a reaction rim composed of baddeleyite and Al-Fe-Zr-silicate glass. This leads us to conclude that mantle zircon crystallized during a metasomatic event from phosphate-rich fluids and/or silicate melts enriched in zirconium.
A Way Forward for Healthcare in Madagascar?
2016-03-01

A healthcare utilization survey was conducted as a component of the Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa Program (TSAP). The findings of this survey in Madagascar contrasted with those in other sites of the program; namely, only 30% of the population sought healthcare at the government-provided healthcare facilities for fever. These findings promoted us to determine the drivers and barriers in accessing and utilizing healthcare in Madagascar. Here we review the results of the TSAP healthcare utilization initiative and place them in the context of the current organization of the Madagascan healthcare system. Our work highlights the demands of the population for access to appropriate healthcare and the need for novel solutions that can quickly provide an affordable and sustainable basic healthcare infrastructure until a government-funded scheme is in place.
A Qualitative Study Investigating Experiences, Perceptions, and Healthcare System Performance in Relation to the Surveillance of Typhoid Fever in Madagascar
2016-03-01

This approach provided an in-depth investigation and understanding of healthcare-seeking behavior at the study facilities, and factors that facilitated or acted as barriers to their use. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of these public health clinics as sites for the surveillance of TF in their role as central healthcare sources for families and communities within these rural and urban areas of Madagascar.
Active learning for magnetic resonance image quality assessment
2016-03-01

In medical imaging, the acquired images are usually analyzed by a human observer and rated with respect to a diagnostic question. However, this procedure is time-demanding and expensive. Further more, the lack of a reference image makes this task challenging. In order to support the human observer in assessing image quality and to ensure an objective evaluation, we extend in this paper our previous no-reference magnetic resonance (MR) image quality assessment system with an active learning loop to reduce the amount of necessary labeled training data. We employ two different active learning query strategies based on uncertainty sampling. Since the classification task is performed on 2D image slices, but the human observer labels complete 3D image volumes, we present a method to select representative 3D images instead of independant 2D image slices. The performance is evaluated on in-vivo MR image data.
Taishang Studies
2016-03-01

The study of Taiwanese entrepreneurs who live and invest on the Chinese mainland (Taishang) has only recently started to attract attention. Taishang have been referred to as a "linkage community" that connects Taiwan and the Chinese mainland through its economic undertakings, political influence, and social experiences as a migrant community. Against this background, this article clarifies the extent to which Taishang have contributed to and shaped the ongoing process of cross-strait interaction and the development of cross-strait policies. It revisits the field of Taishang studies, takes stock of the knowledge that this field has generated so far, and explores future directions for meaningful research.
Das Eigenleben der Methoden
2016-03-01

By focusing on consumer classifications, this article argues that surveillance can only be adequately understood by including the history of its methods in the analysis. It demonstrates that these methods - through their own logic and history - formed the basis and set the tone for observing consumer-citizens. In Britain, the history of consumer classifications is closely related to the national Census, with class having served as the primary discriminating factor for most of the twentieth century. However, from 1979 to 1981, classifications underwent a key shift away from class towards neighborhood, which also had a long history in British social research. This (renewed) spatial turn took place when changes in information technology coincided with neoliberal politics, leading to private company-based research and the focus on small units instead of society as a whole.
Contingent credit default swaps: accurate and approximate pricing
2016-03-01

In this paper, we analyze the pricing of contingent credit default swaps (CCDSs), which provide protection against default losses in derivative transactions. In a framework with both asset and interest rate risk, we obtain a meaningful semi-analytical solution for CCDS prices with an interest rate swap as underlying. Our model yields three major contributions.1. CCDSs have several properties that fundamentally differ from those of CDSs, despite the similar nature of the two instruments.2. We propose simple approximate pricing formulas for CCDSs. While the first one only depends on the prices of observable traded assets, i.e., the CDS quote, the value of a swaption and a zero bond, the second approximation formula additionally requires volatility information.3. We find that the approximate formulas work well in practical situations and converge to the true value for a financial institution with low default risk.
[Leiomyomatous renal cell carcinoma : Controversy around a new entity].
2016-03-01

While clear cell, papillary and chromophobic renal cell carinoma (RCC) represent the most common malignant renal neoplasms, the evaluation and classification of rare renal carcinomas has currently come into focus. One of these is the leiomyomatous RCC, which shows morphologic similarities to clear cell RCCs, however exhibiting additional, atypical smooth muscle differentiation. We report the clinical case of a patient simultaneously presenting with leiomyomatous and papillary RCC and discuss new tumor entities of RCC.
P060. Alterations of brain structure in Crohn’s disease with extraintestinal manifestations
2016-03-01

Background: Genetic mouse models for IBD mostly focus on the knockdown of key mediators of immune response.However, previous studies indicated the crucial role of tight junctions (TJ) for the pathogenesis of IBD.Kindlin 1 and 2 operate through integrin activation as adapter proteins either at the basal membrane (kindlin 1) or cell-cell adhesion (kindlin 2) site.Knockdown of both kindlins was expected to induce an IBD phenotype, if TJ were involved in the pathogenesis.Methods: Male C57BL6 wild-type and tamoxifen-inducible kindlin 1 and 2 intestine-specific knockout mice were a gift from R. Faessler (MPI Munich, Germany).Mice (12 weeks old) were i.p. injected with 0.2 mg tamoxifen for up to 3 days.After 2 days of tamoxifen exposure in absence of a gross inflammatory phenotype, the morphologic appearance of TJs and the functional capability of phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion into ileal and colonic lumen, the concentration of PC in mucus, the hydrophobicity of the mucosal surface, and the mucosal penetration of intestinal microbiota were analysed.After 3 days of tamoxifen exposure, the overt mucosal inflammation was assessed by macroscopic and histologic colitis scores.Results: Freeze fracture electron microscopy of mucosal biopsies of kindlin 1 and 2 (-/-) mice revealed a loosening of lateral TJ already after 2 days of tamoxifen exposure.The loss of cell adhesion caused in both mutants an expansion of the crypt lumina of the mucosal layer when assessed by randomly taken biopsies.Phosphatidylcholine secretion into the mucus was reduced by 66.3 ± 9.7 and 76 ± 12.1 % in kindlin 1 and 2 (-/-) mice, respectively.Accordingly the mucus PC content dropped from 80 ± 23 in controls to 39 ± 27 and 27 ± 19 nmol • mg mucin 2 -1 in kindlin 1 and 2 (-/-) mice, respectively.In parallel the hydrophobicity was reduced as shown by contact angle goniometry values from 72 ± 6° in controls to 30 ± 2° and 35 ± 1° in kindlin 1 and 2 (-/-) mice, respectively (p < 0.001).This allowed penetration of microbiota into the submucosa, as shown by FISH technology employing the segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) Cy3 probe.Consequently, after 3 days of tamoxifen exposure, a full-blown intestinal inflammation was present with loose bloody stools and macroscopic and histologic features of colitis corresponding to a total major colitis score of 18 (17-18) and 19.5 (18-21) in kindlin 1 and 2 (-/-) mice, respectively.Conclusions: Genetic mouse models with intestinal deletion of kindlin 1 and 2 resulted in TJ disruption, widened crypt diameters, impaired mucus PC secretion with significant loss of mucus PC, and, thus, reduced mucus hydrophobicity, leading to penetration of the microbiota inducing mucosal inflammation, compatible with an ulcerative colitis phenotype.
Frequency in lexical processing
2016-03-02

Background: Frequency of occurrence is a strong predictor of lexical processing across modalities and experimental paradigms. However, frequency is part of a large set of collinear predictors including not only frequencies collected from different registers, but also a wide range of other lexical properties such as length, neighbourhood density, measures of valence, arousal, and dom- inance, semantic diversity, dispersion, age of acquisition, and measures grounded in discrimination learning.<br/>Aims: The aim of this study is to provide a critical examination of these variables, the sources on which they are based, the way they are calculated and evaluated, and their potential causal relations. Main Contribution: We show that age of acquisition ratings and subtitle frequencies constitute (reconstructed) genres that favour frequent use for very different subsets of words. As a consequence of the very different ways in which collinear variables profile as a function of genre, the fit between these variables and measures of lexical processing depends on both genre and task. A graphical model suggests that neither frequency nor age of acquisition are primary causal factors, but rather semantic and emotion measures as well as measures derived from discriminative learning. Conclusions: The methodological implication of these results is that when evaluating effects of lexical predictors on processing it is advisable to carefully consider what genres were used to obtain these predictors, and to consider the system of predictors and potential conditional independencies using graphical modelling.
Differential Patterns of Dysconnectivity in Mirror Neuron and Mentalizing Networks in Schizophrenia
2016-03-02

Impairments of social cognition are well documented in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), but the neural basis remains poorly understood. In light of evidence that suggests that the "mirror neuron system" (MNS) and the "mentalizing network" (MENT) are key substrates of intersubjectivity and joint action, it has been suggested that dysfunction of these neural networks may underlie social difficulties in SCZ patients. Additionally, MNS and MENT might be associated differently with positive vs negative symptoms, given prior social cognitive and symptom associations. We assessed resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in meta-analytically defined MNS and MENT networks in this patient group. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from 116 patients and 133 age-, gender- and movement-matched healthy controls (HC) at 5 different MRI sites. Network connectivity was analyzed for group differences and correlations with clinical symptoms. Results demonstrated decreased connectivity within the MNS and also the MENT in patients compared to controls. Notably, dysconnectivity of the MNS was related to symptom severity, while no such relationship was observed for the MENT. In sum, these findings demonstrate that differential patterns of dysconnectivity exist in SCZ patients, which may contribute differently to the interpersonal difficulties commonly observed in the disorder.
Autumn Algorithm—Computation of Hybridization Networks for Realistic Phylogenetic Trees
2016-03-02

A minimum hybridization network is a rooted phylogenetic network that displays two given rooted phylogenetic trees using a minimum number of reticulations. Previous mathematical work on their calculation has usually assumed the input trees to be bifurcating, correctly rooted, or that they both contain the same taxa. These assumptions do not hold in biological studies and "realistic" trees have multifurcations, are difficult to root, and rarely contain the same taxa. We present a new algorithm for computing minimum hybridization networks for a given pair of "realistic" rooted phylogenetic trees. We also describe how the algorithm might be used to improve the rooting of the input trees. We introduce the concept of "autumn trees", a nice framework for the formulation of algorithms based on the mathematics of "maximum acyclic agreement forests". While the main computational problem is hard, the run-time depends mainly on how different the given input trees are. In biological studies, where the trees are reasonably similar, our parallel implementation performs well in practice. The algorithm is available in our open source program Dendroscope 3, providing a platform for biologists to explore rooted phylogenetic networks. We demonstrate the utility of the algorithm using several previously studied data sets.
Improved variational approach to QCD in Coulomb gauge
2016-03-02

The variational approach to QCD in Coulomb gauge developed previously by the T\\"ubingen group is improved by enlarging the space of quark trial vacuum wave functionals through a new Dirac structure in the quark-gluon coupling. Our ansatz for the quark vacuum wave functional ensures that all linear divergences cancel in the quark gap equation resulting from the minimization of the energy calculated to two-loop order. The logarithmic divergences are absorbed in a renormalized coupling which is adjusted to reproduce the phenomenological value of the quark condensate. We also unquench the gluon propagator and show that the unquenching effects are generally small and amount to a small reduction in the mid-momentum regime.
Ratiometric Method for Rapid Monitoring of Biological Processes Using Bioresponsive MRI Contrast Agents
2016-03-02

Bioresponsive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents hold great potential for noninvasive tracking of essential biological processes. Consequently, a number of MR sensors for several imaging protocols have been developed, attempting to produce the maximal signal difference for a given event. Here we introduce an approach which could substantially improve the detection of physiological events with fast kinetics. We developed a nanosized, calcium-sensitive dendrimeric probe that changes longitudinal and transverse relaxation times with different magnitudes. The change in their ratio is rapidly recorded by means of a balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) imaging protocol. The employed methodology results in an almost four times greater signal gain per unit of time as compared to conventional T<sub>1</sub>-weighted imaging with small sized contrast agents. Furthermore, it is suitable for high resolution functional MRI at high magnetic fields. This methodology could evolve into a valuable tool for rapid monitoring of various biological events.