julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Correlation of C-arm CT acquired parenchymal blood volume (PBV) with 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) SPECT/CT for radioembolization work-up
2020-12-30

Objective SPECT/CT with 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) is generally used for diagnostic work-up prior to transarterial radioembolization (TARE) to exclude shunts and to provide additional information for treatment stratification and dose calculation. C-arm CT is used for determination of lobular vascular supply and assessment of parenchymal blood volume (PBV). Aim of this study was to correlate MAA-uptake and PBV-maps in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic metastases of the colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Materials and methods 34 patients underwent a PBV C-arm CT immediately followed by 99m Tc-MAA injection and a SPECT/CT acquisition after 1 h uptake. MAA-uptake and PBV-maps were visually assessed and semi-quantitatively analyzed (MAA-tumor/liver-parenchyma = MAA-TBR or PBV in ml/100ml). In case of a poor match, tumors were additionally correlated with post-TARE 90 Y-Bremsstrahlung-SPECT/CT as a reference. Results 102 HCC or CRC metastases were analyzed. HCC presented with significantly higher MAA-TBR (7.6 vs. 3.9, p&lt;0.05) compared to CRC. Tumors showed strong intra- and inter-individual dissimilarities between TBR and PBV with a weak correlations for capsular HCCs (r = 0.45, p&lt;0.05) and no correlation for CRC. The demarcation of lesions was slightly better for both HCC and CRC in PBV-maps compared to MAA-SPECT/CT (exact match: 52%/50%; same intensity/homogeneity: 38%/39%; insufficient 10%/11%). MAA-SPECT/CT revealed a better visual correlation with post-therapeutic 90 Y-Bremsstrahlung-SPECT/CT. Conclusion The acquisition of PBV can improve the detectability of small intrahepatic tumors and correlates with the MAA-Uptake in HCC. The results indicate that 99m Tc-MAA-SPECT/CT remains to be the superior method for the prediction of post-therapeutic 90 Y-particle distribution, especially in CRC. However, intra-procedural PBV acquisition has the potential to become an additional factor for TARE planning, in addition to improving the determination of segment and tumor blood supply, which has been demonstrated previously.
Women in Education sector: Monitoring and Evaluation of the Impact of Education Policies on Women Empowerment
2020-12-30

One of the perspectives of delving women in academia is by using Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goal 4 ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’, to measure the SDG number 5, ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ - and the vice versa. The extent of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) realization provides lessons that the current and future education policies and programs are/ will be founded on. To achieve a thorough analysis, consistently accurate and relevant data is requisite and essential to monitoring and evaluating the real effects of education policies on women empowerment. At a glance, the average children enrolment in primary education rose remarkably between 2000-2015 in most developing countries indicating the extent of achievement of MDGs. Shifting from these quantitative evaluation results, this study outlines qualitative perspectives of measuring women in leadership in the education sector as an approach of empowerment. A key concern is how the generation of data through monitoring and evaluation enables fast-tracking of the effects of the policies on women empowerment in the education system. In this article, we focus on three school management variables as measures of women empowerment: 1) the nature of both internal and external audits to ensure accountability and transparency; 2) professionalism enhancement (nature of the In-service education training), and 3) the analysis of resource needs in empowering women. While doing the monitoring and evaluation of SDGs achievement, there is a need to deepen the analysis and consider the processes that determine which gender elevates to leadership.
Adiabatic theorem in the thermodynamic limit. Part II: Systems with a gap in the bulk
2020-12-30

We prove a generalised super-adiabatic theorem for extended fermionic systems assuming a spectral gap only in the bulk. More precisely, we assume that the infinite system has a unique ground state and that the corresponding GNS-Hamiltonian has a spectral gap above its eigenvalue zero. Moreover, we show that a similar adiabatic theorem also holds in the bulk of finite systems up to errors that vanish faster than any inverse power of the system size, although the corresponding finite volume Hamiltonians need not have a spectral gap.
Adiabatic theorem in the thermodynamic limit. Part I: Systems with a uniform gap
2020-12-30

We show that recent results on adiabatic theory for interacting gapped many-body systems on finite lattices remain valid in the thermodynamic limit. More precisely, we prove a generalised super-adiabatic theorem for the automorphism group describing the infinite volume dynamics on the quasi-local algebra of observables. The key assumption is the existence of a sequence of gapped finite volume Hamiltonians which generates the same infinite volume dynamics in the thermodynamic limit. Our adiabatic theorem holds also for certain perturbations of gapped ground states that close the spectral gap (so it is an adiabatic theorem also for resonances and in this sense `generalised'), and it provides an adiabatic approximation to all orders in the adiabatic parameter (a property often called `super-adiabatic'). In addition to existing results for finite lattices, we also perform a resummation of the adiabatic expansion and allow for observables that are not strictly local. Finally, as an application, we prove the validity of linear and higher order response theory for our class of perturbations also for infinite systems. While we consider the result and its proof as new and interesting in itself, they also lay the foundation for the proof of an adiabatic theorem for systems with a gap only in the bulk, which will be presented in a follow-up article.
Human species D adenovirus hexon capsid protein mediates cell entry through a direct interaction with CD46
2020-12-31

Significance The adenovirus capsid protein is built by three main capsomers: hexon, fiber, and penton base. Entry is mediated by fiber proteins anchoring the virus to host cell receptors and is followed by penton base proteins engaging coreceptors, resulting in entry. Here, we demonstrate that human adenovirus species D types, which constitute two-thirds of all human adenoviruses, enter host cells through a direct interaction between the hexon protein and CD46. This study provides insights into the entry mechanisms used by human adenoviruses. As these viruses are also used as vaccine vectors for prevention of other infectious diseases, the results provided will also be useful for further development of human adenovirus species D types as vaccine vectors.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Activate the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and the Constitutive Androstane Receptor to Regulate Xenobiotic Metabolism in Human Liver Cells
2020-12-31

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants produced by incomplete combustion of organic matter. They induce their own metabolism by upregulating xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenase 1A1 (CYP1A1) by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). However, previous studies showed that individual PAHs may also interact with the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). Here, we studied ten PAHs, different in carcinogenicity classification, for their potential to activate AHR- and CAR-dependent luciferase reporter genes in human liver cells. The majority of investigated PAHs activated AHR, while non-carcinogenic PAHs tended to activate CAR. We further characterized gene expression, protein abundancies and activities of the AHR targets CYP1A1 and 1A2, and the CAR target CYP2B6 in human HepaRG hepatoma cells. Enzyme induction patterns strongly resembled the profiles obtained at the receptor level, with AHR-activating PAHs inducing CYP1A1/1A2 and CAR-activating PAHs inducing CYP2B6. In summary, this study provides evidence that beside well-known activation of AHR, some PAHs also activate CAR, followed by subsequent expression of respective target genes. Furthermore, we found that an increased PAH ring number is associated with AHR activation as well as the induction of DNA double-strand breaks, whereas smaller PAHs activated CAR but showed no DNA-damaging potential.
Reduced insulin clearance is linked to subclinical atherosclerosis in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus
2020-12-31

Abstract Hyperglycemia and insulin resistance contribute to vascular damage and are regulated by different pathophysiological processes. The aim of the study was to systematically investigate the relative contributions of multiple fasting state- and oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT)-derived glycemic traits to carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a surrogate parameter of subclinical atherosclerosis, in individuals with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). 667 volunteers (417 women and 250 men, mean age 44.1 years), who were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), were included in this cross-sectional study. Glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and insulin clearance were assessed by frequently sampled 75 g oGTT. CIMT was measured by high-resolution ultrasound. Insulin clearance was associated with cIMT in univariate analysis (ß st = − 0.17, p &lt; 0.0001) and in a stepwise regression analysis on 15 variables possibly affecting cIMT, age (r 2 = 0.3923, p &lt; 0.0001), insulin clearance (r 2 = 0.4564, p &lt; 0.0001), systolic blood pressure (r 2 = 0.4733, p &lt; 0.0001), body mass index (BMI) (r 2 = 0.4804, p = 0.002), gender (r 2 = 0.4831, p = 0.013), and fasting insulin clearance (r 2 = 0.4857, p = 0.030) turned out to be significant determinants of cIMT. In a cross-validated model resulting from this analysis, insulin clearance was found to be an independent determinant of cIMT (ß st = − 0.16, p &lt; 0.0001) even after adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors. Reduced insulin clearance may be an early marker of damage on the vasculature, independent of classical CVD risk factors. Reduced insulin clearance should be considered with regard to vascular insulin resistance.
Course and Recognition of Poststroke Delirium
2020-12-31

Background and Purpose: Poststroke delirium (PSD) is an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome. Despite its individual and socioeconomic burden, its frequency, clinical course, and routine detection remain unresolved. This study aimed to assess psychometric properties of established delirium screening tools and investigate the natural course of PSD. Methods: This study investigated patients presenting with high-risk transient ischemic attacks or ischemic stroke within 24 hours during a 3-month period. Twice-daily screenings for PSD were done using the confusion assessment method, nursing delirium scale, and rapid delirium assessment, and evaluated for noninferiority against Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria. We investigated demographic and stroke characteristics as predictors of PSD, neurological deficits as predictors of false screening results, and conducted a simulation study to estimate the best timing to identify PSD. Results: We enrolled 141 patients (73.8±10.4 years of age, 61 female) with a mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 6.4±6.5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition based PSD incidence was 39%, which manifested within 24 hours in 25% and 72 hours in almost all cases. The confusion assessment method was the only screening tool noninferior to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition ratings providing a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 80%. Age (odds ratio, 1.07 [1.02–1.13] per year, P =0.004) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (odds ratio, 1.24 [1.15–1.34] per point, P &lt;0.001) were predictors of PSD. False-positive screening results were associated with stroke-induced disorientation (odds ratio, 6.1 [3.2–11.61], P &lt;0.001) and neglect (odds ratio, 2.17 [1.22–3.87], P =0.008). Simulations revealed that one in 4 cases is missed with less than daily screenings. Conclusions: PSD is a common complication of stroke and transient ischemic attack. Detection is challenged by confounding effects such as focal neurological deficits and the necessity for at least daily screenings. Future studies are required to investigate implementation of these findings in clinical routine. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03930719.
Face pareidolia in the brain: Impact of gender and orientation
2020-12-31

Research on face sensitivity is of particular relevance during the rapidly evolving Covid-19 pandemic leading to social isolation, but also calling for intact interaction and sharing. Humans possess high sensitivity even to a coarse face scheme, seeing faces in non-face images where real faces do not exist. The advantage of non-face images is that single components do not trigger face processing. Here by implementing a novel set of Face-n-Thing images, we examined (i) how face tuning alters with changing display orientation, and (ii) whether it is affected by observers’ gender. Young females and males were presented with a set of Face-n-Thing images either with canonical upright orientation or inverted 180° in the image plane. Face impression was substantially impeded by display inversion. Furthermore, whereas with upright display orientation, no gender differences were found, with inversion, Face-n-Thing images elicited face impression in females significantly more often. The outcome sheds light on the origins of the face inversion effect in general. Moreover, the findings open a way for examination of face sensitivity and underwriting brain networks in neuropsychiatric conditions related to the current pandemic (such as depression and anxiety), most of which are gender/sex-specific.
Growth, development, and phenotypic spectrum of individuals with deletions of 2q33.1 involving SATB2
2020-12-31

Abstract SATB2 ‐Associated syndrome (SAS) is an autosomal dominant, multisystemic, neurodevelopmental disorder due to alterations in SATB2 at 2q33.1. A limited number of individuals with 2q33.1 contiguous deletions encompassing SATB2 (ΔSAS) have been described in the literature. We describe 17 additional individuals with ΔSAS, review the phenotype of 33 previously published individuals with 2q33.1 deletions ( n = 50, mean age = 8.5 ± 7.8 years), and provide a comprehensive comparison to individuals with other molecular mechanisms that result in SAS (non‐ΔSAS). Individuals in the ΔSAS group were often underweight for age (20/41 = 49%) with a progressive decline in weight (95% CI = −2.3 to −1.1, p &lt; 0.0001) and height (95% CI = −2.3 to −1.0, p &lt; 0.0001) Z‐score means from birth to last available measurement. ΔSAS individuals were often noted to have a broad spectrum of facial dysmorphism. A composite image of ΔSAS individuals generated by automated image analysis was distinct as compared to matched controls and non‐ΔSAS individuals. We also present additional genotype–phenotype correlations for individuals in the ΔSAS group such as an increased risk for aortic root/ascending aorta dilation and primary pulmonary hypertension for those individuals with contiguous gene deletions that include COL3A1 / COL5A2 and BMPR2 , respectively. Based on these findings, we provide additional care recommendations for individuals with ΔSAS variants.
SYN-View: A Phylogeny-Based Synteny Exploration Tool for the Identification of Gene Clusters Linked to Antibiotic Resistance
2020-12-31

The development of new antibacterial drugs has become one of the most important tasks of the century in order to overcome the posing threat of drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Many antibiotics originate from natural products produced by various microorganisms. Over the last decades, bioinformatical approaches have facilitated the discovery and characterization of these small compounds using genome mining methodologies. A key part of this process is the identification of the most promising biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), which encode novel natural products. In 2017, the Antibiotic Resistant Target Seeker (ARTS) was developed in order to enable an automated target-directed genome mining approach. ARTS identifies possible resistant target genes within antibiotic gene clusters, in order to detect promising BGCs encoding antibiotics with novel modes of action. Although ARTS can predict promising targets based on multiple criteria, it provides little information about the cluster structures of possible resistant genes. Here, we present SYN-view. Based on a phylogenetic approach, SYN-view allows for easy comparison of gene clusters of interest and distinguishing genes with regular housekeeping functions from genes functioning as antibiotic resistant targets. Our aim is to implement our proposed method into the ARTS web-server, further improving the target-directed genome mining strategy of the ARTS pipeline.
Discovery of Thanafactin A, a Linear, Proline-Containing Octalipopeptide from Pseudomonas sp. SH-C52, Motivated by Genome Mining
2020-12-31

Genome mining of the bacterial strains <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. SH-C52 and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> DSM 11579 showed that both strains contained a highly similar gene cluster encoding an octamodular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system which was not associated with a known secondary metabolite. Insertional mutagenesis of an NRPS component followed by comparative profiling led to the discovery of the corresponding novel linear octalipopeptide thanafactin A, which was subsequently isolated and its structure determined by two-dimensional NMR and further spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. In bioassays, thanafactin A exhibited weak protease inhibitory activity and was found to modulate swarming motility in a strain-specific manner.
Lack of elevated pre-ART elastase-ANCA levels in patients developing TB-IRIS
2020-12-31

Background Tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) in HIV-TB co-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been linked to neutrophil activation. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are also associated with neutrophil activation. Since ANCAs are reportedly skewed in TB and HIV infections, we investigated plasma levels of 7 ANCAs in TB-IRIS patients. Methods We retrospectively compared 17 HIV-TB patients who developed TB-IRIS with controls of similar CD4 count, age and gender who did not (HIV + TB + n = 17), HIV-infected patients without TB (HIV + TB - , n = 17) and 10 HIV-negative (HIV - TB - ) controls. Frozen plasma was collected before ART, at 3 and 9 months of ART, and examined by ELISA for levels of 7 ANCAs directed against; Proteinase 3 (PR3), Myeloperoxidase (MPO), Permeability-increasing protein (BPI), Elastase, Cathepsin, Lysozyme, and Lactoferrin. Results Compared to HIV + TB + controls, pre-ART anti-elastase levels were lower in TB-IRIS patients (p = 0.026) and HIV - TB - controls (p = 0.044), whereas other ANCAs did not show significant differences between groups at any time point. A significant decrease over time could be observed in TB-IRIS patients during ART for anti -PR3 (p = 0.027), -lysozyme (p = 0.011), and -lactoferrin (p = 0.019). Conversely, HIV + TB + controls showed a significant decrease over time for anti -MPO (p = 0.002), -lyzosyme (p = 0.002) and -elastase (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion The lack of elevated anti-elastase levels in TB-IRIS patients as opposed to HIV + TB + controls correspond to previous findings of lowered immune capacity in patients that will develop TB-IRIS. This may suggest a specific role for anti-elastase, elastase or even matrix-metalloproteinases in TB-IRIS. The precise dynamics of neutrophil activation in HIV-TB merits further investigation and could provide more insight in the early mechanisms leading up to TB-IRIS.
5-Deoxyadenosine Salvage by Promiscuous Enzyme Activity leads to Bioactive Deoxy-Sugar Synthesis inSynechococcus elongatus
2020-12-31

Abstract 7-Deoxysedoheptulose is an unusual deoxy-sugar, which acts as antimetabolite of the shikimate pathway thereby exhibiting antimicrobial and herbicidal activity. It is produced by the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, which has a small, stream-lined genome, assumed to be free from gene clusters for secondary metabolite synthesis. In this study, we identified the pathway for the synthesis of 7-deoxysedoheptulose. It originates from 5-deoxyadenosine, a toxic byproduct of radical S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzymes, present in all domains of life. Thereby we identified a novel 5-deoxyadenosine salvage pathway, which first leads to the synthesis and excretion of 5-deoxyribose and subsequently of 7-deoxysedoheptulose. Remarkably, all reaction steps are conducted by promiscuous enzymes. This is a unique example for the synthesis of a bioactive compound without involving a specific gene cluster. This challenges the view on bioactive molecule synthesis by extending the range of possible compounds beyond the options predicted from secondary metabolite gene clusters.
Breaking through the Aquitaine frame: A re-evaluationon the significance of regional variants during theAurignacian as seen from a key record in southern Europe
2020-12-31

The cultural dynamics that led to the appearance of the Aurignacian have intrigued archaeologists since the start of Paleolithic research. However, cultural reconstructions have often focused on a restricted region of Europe, namely the northern Aquitaine Basin. The Mediterranean Basin, though, is also a region worthy of consideration when testing if the Protoaurignacian was followed by the Early Aurignacian adaptive system. Fumane Cave is a pivotal site for tackling this issue because it contains evidence of repeated human occupations during the time span of the European Aurignacian. Here we investigate the diachronic variability of the lithic assemblages from five cultural units at Fumane Cave using a combination of reduction sequence and attribute analyses. This paper also reassesses the presence and stratigraphic reliability of the organic artifacts recovered at Fumane Cave. Our results show that the features of the Protoaurignacian techno-typology are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence, and by extension, to the onset of Heinrich Event 4. Additionally, the appearance of split-based points in the youngest phase is evidence of extensive networks that allowed this technological innovation to spread across different Aurignacian regions.
Derived Caton-Deschamps Index for Knee Arthroplasty as a Measure of Patella Height
2020-12-31

Abstract Measuring patella height has been a hot topic since decades. Multiple radiological indices exist for native knees and arthroplasty. A concise concept of patella height analysis is needed for daily practice and scientific research.
Preface and Acknowledgments
2020-12-31

T his book has been in the works for a long time, sitting on the back burner while I completed other projects.It is in many ways the logical successor to my first book, The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption, and it was conceived not long after that volume appeared.I owe Sarah Jane Boss a large debt of gratitude for inadvertently inspiring this project.Over ten years ago Sarah approached me about contributing an article on Marian liturgies in Early