julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Brain‐computer interfaces for post‐stroke motor rehabilitation: a meta‐analysis
2018-03-25

Abstract Brain‐computer interfaces ( BCI s) can provide sensory feedback of ongoing brain oscillations, enabling stroke survivors to modulate their sensorimotor rhythms purposefully. A number of recent clinical studies indicate that repeated use of such BCI s might trigger neurological recovery and hence improvement in motor function. Here, we provide a first meta‐analysis evaluating the clinical effectiveness of BCI ‐based post‐stroke motor rehabilitation. Trials were identified using MEDLINE , CENTRAL , PED ro and by inspection of references in several review articles. We selected randomized controlled trials that used BCI s for post‐stroke motor rehabilitation and provided motor impairment scores before and after the intervention. A random‐effects inverse variance method was used to calculate the summary effect size. We initially identified 524 articles and, after removing duplicates, we screened titles and abstracts of 473 articles. We found 26 articles corresponding to BCI clinical trials, of these, there were nine studies that involved a total of 235 post‐stroke survivors that fulfilled the inclusion criterion (randomized controlled trials that examined motor performance as an outcome measure) for the meta‐analysis. Motor improvements, mostly quantified by the upper limb Fugl‐Meyer Assessment ( FMA ‐ UE ), exceeded the minimal clinically important difference ( MCID =5.25) in six BCI studies, while such improvement was reached only in three control groups. Overall, the BCI training was associated with a standardized mean difference of 0.79 (95% CI : 0.37 to 1.20) in FMA ‐ UE compared to control conditions, which is in the range of medium to large summary effect size. In addition, several studies indicated BCI ‐induced functional and structural neuroplasticity at a subclinical level. This suggests that BCI technology could be an effective intervention for post‐stroke upper limb rehabilitation. However, more studies with larger sample size are required to increase the reliability of these results.
Application of Latent Semantic Analysis to Divergent Thinking is Biased by Elaboration
2018-03-25

Abstract Scoring divergent‐thinking response sets has always been challenging because such responses are not only open‐ended in terms of number of ideas, but each idea may also be expressed by a varying number of concepts and, thus, by a varying number of words (elaboration). While many current studies have attempted to score the semantic distance in divergent‐thinking responses by applying latent semantic analysis ( LSA ), it is known from other areas of research that LSA ‐based approaches are biased according to the number of words in a response. Thus, the current article aimed to identify and demonstrate this elaboration bias in LSA ‐based divergent‐thinking scores by means of a simulation. In addition, we show that this elaboration bias can be reduced by removing the stop words (for example, and , or , for and so forth) prior to analysis. Furthermore, the residual bias after stop word removal can be reduced by simulation‐based corrections. Finally, we give an empirical illustration for alternate uses and consequences tasks. Results suggest that when both stop word removal and simulation‐based bias correction are applied, convergent validity should be expected to be highest.
Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer–Employee Data
2018-03-25

Using both household and linked employer–employee data for Germany, we assess the effects of nonunion representation in the form of works councils on (1) individual sickness absence rates and (2) a subjective measure of personnel problems due to sickness absence as perceived by a firm's management. We find that the existence of a works council is positively correlated with the incidence and the annual duration of absence. Further, personnel problems due to absence are more likely to occur in plants with a works council.
Developmental Trajectories in L2 Writing Strategy Use: A Self‐Regulation Perspective
2018-03-26

Abstract This study adopts Oxford's (2017) definition of language learning strategies (LLS) framed by self‐regulation theory and explores the longitudinal development in the use of three second language (L2) writing strategies (global planning, local planning, L1‐to‐L2 translation) by Japanese university students as it interacts with cognitive, affective, and environmental variables. The study is innovative in its use of a comprehensive, theoretically supported definition of LLSs, a long observation period, and its use of an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Mixed effects modeling, which provides the main statistical analysis, enabled us to simultaneously investigate the participants’ strategy use at both group and individual level while relating these findings to the participants’ emic data from a self‐regulation perspective. The results reveal that (a) developmental trajectories in LLS use were differentially affected by other cognitive and environmental factors at both group and individual level, (b) the self‐regulation perspective was useful in explaining the systematicity and individuality observed in the developing use of the three strategies, and (c) students’ motivation related to study abroad experiences may be a key factor in understanding such trajectories.
NF-κB Activation in Lymphoid Malignancies: Genetics, Signaling, and Targeted Therapy
2018-03-26

The NF-κB transcription factor family plays a crucial role in lymphocyte proliferation and survival. Consequently, aberrant NF-κB activation has been described in a variety of lymphoid malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and adult T-cell leukemia. Several factors, such as persistent infections (e.g., with Helicobacter pylori), the pro-inflammatory microenvironment of the cancer, self-reactive immune receptors as well as genetic lesions altering the function of key signaling effectors, contribute to constitutive NF-κB activity in these malignancies. In this review, we will discuss the molecular consequences of recurrent genetic lesions affecting key regulators of NF-κB signaling. We will particularly focus on the oncogenic mechanisms by which these alterations drive deregulated NF-κB activity and thus promote the growth and survival of the malignant cells. As the concept of a targeted therapy based on the mutational status of the malignancy has been supported by several recent preclinical and clinical studies, further insight in the function of NF-κB modulators and in the molecular mechanisms governing aberrant NF-κB activation observed in lymphoid malignancies might lead to the development of additional treatment strategies and thus improve lymphoma therapy.
HLO1‐south: An Early Neolithic site in Wadi al‐Hilo (Sharjah, UAE)
2018-03-26

Site HLO 1 (Sharjah, UAE ), situated in a particularly favourable geographical position, has provided an extraordinary range of anthropogenic radiocarbon dates, spanning before 8000 to Zero BCE . The Neolithic is represented by finds from the eighth to the fifth millennium BCE . Apart from the dated fireplaces, however, there are almost no typical artefacts of this period. Small stone structures appear to have been early Neolithic graves. A middle Neolithic grave consisted of a large rounded stone heap which was reused as a grave during the Late Bronze Age. The site is interpreted as a campsite of nomadic herders, used throughout the Neolithic period. After a break in the fourth millennium BCE , the site became a Bronze Age smelting site which continued to be settled until the Late Iron Age.
Managing Contention: Divergent Government Responses to Youth Protests in the Arab World
2018-03-26

Why do some authoritarian governments respond beneficently to political protest while others opt for repression? This article argues that beneficent government responses in the form of concessions or institutional inclusion are fostered by three interrelated mechanisms working at three distinct levels: institutionalization of political protest within the polity, external certification of protest demands by legally legitimized authorities, and interest polarization between protesting groups and the government. Empirical comparison of government responses to youth protests before and during the 2011 uprisings in Morocco and Egypt proves that the divergent strategies in the two countries were not the result of spontaneous decision-making in times of heightened regime contention. Rather, they mirror established patterns of protest politics that are relatively resistant to ad-hoc manipulations. By extending the focus beyond a particular episode of contention, this study offers important insights into government-challenger relations in authoritarian regimes.
Collective Effects in Second-Harmonic Generation from Plasmonic Oligomers
2018-03-27

We investigate collective effects in plasmonic oligomers of different symmetries using second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy with cylindrical vector beams (CVBs). The oligomers consist of gold nanorods that have a longitudinal plasmon resonance close to the fundamental wavelength that is used for SHG excitation and whose long axes are arranged locally such that they follow the distribution of the transverse component of the electric field of radially or azimuthally polarized CVBs in the focal plane. We observe that SHG from such rotationally symmetric oligomers is strongly modified by the interplay between the polarization properties of the CVB and interparticle coupling. We find that the oligomers with radially oriented nanorods exhibit small coupling effects. In contrast, we find that the oligomers with azimuthally oriented nanorods exhibit large coupling effects that lead to silencing of SHG from the whole structure. Our experimental results are in very good agreement with numerical calculations based on the boundary element method. The work describes a new route for studying coupling effects in complex arrangements of nano-objects and thereby for tailoring the efficiency of nonlinear optical effects in such structures.
Effect of Fear of Falling on Turning Performance in Parkinson’s Disease in the Lab and at Home
2018-03-27

<b>Background:</b> Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder associated with gait and balance problems and a substantially increased risk of falling. Falls occur often during complex movements, such as turns. Both fear of falling (FOF) and previous falls are relevant risk factors for future falls. Based on recent studies indicating that lab-based and home assessment of similar movements show different results, we hypothesized that FOF and a positive fall history would influence the quantitative turning parameters differently in the laboratory and home. <b>Methods:</b> Fifty-five PD patients (43 underwent a standardized lab assessment; 40 were assessed over a mean of 12 days at home with approximately 10,000 turns per participant; and 28 contributed to both assessments) were classified regarding FOF and previous falls as "vigorous" (no FOF, negative fall history), "anxious" (FOF, negative fall history), "stoic" (no FOF, positive fall history) and "aware" (FOF, positive fall history). During the assessments, each participant wore a sensor on the lower back. <b>Results:</b> In the lab assessment, FOF was associated with a longer turning duration and lowered maximum and middle angular velocities of turns. In the home evaluations, a <i>lack</i> of FOF was associated with lowered maximum and average angular velocities of turns. Positive falls history was not significantly associated with turning parameters, neither in the lab nor in the home. <b>Conclusion:</b> FOF but not a positive fall history influences turning metrics in PD patients in both supervised and unsupervised environments, and this association is different between lab and home assessments. Our findings underline the relevance of comprehensive assessments including home-based data collection strategies for fall risk evaluation.
Co-Culture with Human Osteoblasts and Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Improve Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
2018-03-27

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) have been proposed as suitable option for cell-based therapies to support bone regeneration. In the bone environment, Ad-MSCs will receive stimuli from resident cells that may favor their osteogenic differentiation. There is recent evidence that this process can be further improved by extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMFs). Thus, the project aimed at (i) investigating whether co-culture conditions of human osteoblasts (OBs) and Ad-MSCs have an impact on their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation; (ii) whether this effect can be further improved by repetitive exposure to two specific ELF-PEMFs (16 and 26 Hz); (iii) and the effect of these ELF-PEMFs on human osteoclasts (OCs). Osteogenic differentiation was improved by co-culturing OBs and Ad-MSCs when compared to the individual mono-cultures. An OB to Ad-MSC ratio of 3:1 had best effects on total protein content, alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, and matrix mineralization. Osteogenic differentiation was further improved by both ELF-PEMFs investigated. Interestingly, only repetitive exposure to 26 Hz ELF-PEMF increased Trap5B activity in OCs. Considering this result, a treatment with gradually increasing frequency might be of interest, as the lower frequency (16 Hz) could enhance bone formation, while the higher frequency (26 Hz) could enhance bone remodeling.
Inhibitory mechanisms of very low–dose rivaroxaban in non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction
2018-03-27

Key Points VLD rivaroxaban significantly reduces platelet-dependent thrombin generation and thrombus formation on top of DAPT in patients with ACS. Adjunctive treatment with VLD rivaroxaban additionally reduced TG and thrombus formation in both clopidogrel responders and nonresponders.
Nonmonotonic spatial structure of interneuronal correlations in prefrontal microcircuits
2018-03-27

Significance The spatial structure of correlated activity of neurons in lower-order visual areas has been shown to linearly decrease as a measure of distance. The shape of correlated variability is a defining feature of cortical microcircuits, as it constrains the computational power and diversity of a region. We show here a nonmonotonic spatial structure of functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) where distal interactions are just as strong as proximal interactions during visual engagement of functionally similar PFC neurons. Such a nonmonotonic structure of functional connectivity could have far-reaching consequences in rethinking the nature and role of prefrontal microcircuits in various cognitive states.
Pharmacogenetics of Oral Antidiabetic Therapy
2018-03-27

Type 2 diabetes prevalence is still on the rise worldwide. Antidiabetic drugs are widely prescribed to patients with Type 2 diabetes. Most patients start with metformin which is mostly well tolerated. However, a high percentage of patients fail to achieve glycemic control. The effectiveness of metformin as well as most other antidiabetic drugs depends among other factors on interindividual genetic differences that are up to now ignored in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, many genes influencing the effectiveness of antidiabetic drugs are Type 2 diabetes risk genes making matters worse. Here, we shed light on these interindividual genetic differences.
Self-Myofascial Vibro-Shearing: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Biomechanical and Related Changes in Male Breakdancers
2018-03-27

The vibro-shearing manipulation with a muscle-fascia tool resulted in significant improvements in various objective mechanical tissue properties, range of motion, and pain desensitization in healthy, well-conditioned dancers. These promising effects for a new tool-assisted self-treatment indicate further basic investigations are warranted, as are pilot investigations with patient populations.
Efficiency of ocular UV protection by clear lenses
2018-03-27

Ocular UV doses accumulate all-day, not only during periods of direct sun exposure. The UV protection efficiency of three clear lenses was evaluated experimentally, validated by simulation, and compared to non-UV protection: a first spectacle lens with a tailored UV absorber, a second spectacle lens, minimizing UV back reflections, as well as a third spectacle lens, combining both. A tailored UV-absorber efficiently reduced overall UV irradiance to 7 %, whereas reduction of back-reflections still left UV irradiance at 42 %. Thus, clear lenses with a tailored UV absorber efficiently protect the eye from UV, supplementing sun glasses wear to an all-day protection scenario.
Semitransparent carbon microelectrodes for opto- and electrophysiology
2018-03-27

Transparent microelectrodes can enable electrophysiology with simultaneous optical stimulation or imaging directly at the electrode site. Owing to their high surface area, chemical and mechanical stability and biocompatibility, carbon nanomaterials are promising candidates for such electrodes, but the challenge of balancing transparency and impedance must be solved. In this work, carbon nanostructures were deposited on transparent substrates by low temperature thermal chemical vapor deposition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of carbon. The nanostructures were deposited on 30 μm-diameter microelectrodes with indium tin oxide leads. Optical transmittance measurements demonstrated up to 40% transparency of carbon layers. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed impedance values in line with standard opaque microelectrodes. Electrophysiology with cultured chicken ventricular myocytes using these semitransparent electrodes matched conventional microelectrode array performance with signals up to 3 mV and noise of 20 μV peak-to-peak. Ultrastructure of the cell–electrode interface revealed by focused ion beam cross-sectioning and SEM imaging showed stability of the carbon electrodes after cell culture. Altogether, a robust fabrication procedure for semitransparent carbon electrodes was demonstrated, and first results showed their suitability for simultaneous electrophysiology and optical investigation.
How patient-selected colors for removable appliances are reflected in electronically tracked compliance (wear times and wear behavior)
2018-03-27

ABSTRACT Objectives: A broad spectrum of colors for removable appliances, intended to optimize acceptance of treatment and patient cooperation, have been available on the dental market for years. This is the first study to analyze how patient-selected colors are reflected in wear times and wear behavior of removable appliances. Materials and Methods: The study included 117 children (55 girls and 62 boys) who were treated with active removable plate or functional appliances. All patients were offered to choose from 11 different colors, which were pooled into six groups (black, blue, green, yellow, pink, red) for analysis, or to combine any two to four colors (“multicolored” group) for their appliances. All appliances featured a built-in microsensor (TheraMon; MC Technology, Hargelsberg, Austria) for objective wear-time tracking. Differences between wear times were analyzed using pairwise t tests and Tukey correction. Results: The longest median wear times were recorded in the blue and green groups (≈11 h/d) and the shortest ones in the red and pink groups (≈9 h/d), but they were not significantly influenced by the patient-selected colors. The median wear times involved an age-related decrease by 0.56 h/y that was statistically significant (P = .00005). No gender-specific patterns of wear behavior were observed. Conclusions: Patient-selected colors for removable appliances can presumably improve acceptance of treatment, but they are not associated with statistically significant improvements in wear time or wear behavior.
Synthesis of 1-Acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes: Utilizing Copper-Carbenoid versus Sulfur Ylide Methodology
2018-03-27

The synthesis of a range of racemic 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes by using two different methodologies is studied. We have developed a copper-catalyzed process for converting diazoketones into 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes and a sulfur-ylide-mediated procedure which allows, in only two steps, a simplified access to 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes with alkyl or aryl substituents on the alkene moiety.
Successful Formulation and Application of Plant Growth-PromotingKosakonia radicincitansin Maize Cultivation
2018-03-28

The global market for biosupplements is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2014 and 2019 as a consequence of the proven benefits of biosupplements on crop yields, soil fertility, and fertilizer efficiency. One important segment of biosupplements is plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Although many potential PGPB have been discovered, suitable biotechnological processing and shelf-life stability of the bacteria are challenges to overcome for their successful use as biosupplements. Here, the plant growth-promoting Gram-negative strain Kosakonia radicincitans DSM<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mml:mrow><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathvariant="normal">16656</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">T</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:mrow></mml:math>(family Enterobacteriaceae) was biotechnologically processed and applied in the field. Solid or liquid formulations of K. radicincitans were diluted in water and sprayed on young maize plants ( Zea mays L.). Shelf-life stability tests of formulated bacteria were performed under 4°C and −20°C storage conditions. In parallel, the bacterial formulations were tested at three different farm level field plots characterized by different soil properties. Maize yield was recorded at harvest time, and both formulations increased maize yields in silage as well as grain maize, underlining their positive impact on different agricultural systems. Our results demonstrate that bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae, although incapable of forming spores, can be processed to successful biosupplements.
Substitution in Sports: The Case of Lower Division Football Attendance
2018-03-28

Commercialization processes in European football are facilitated by reducing concurrent games within the leagues and reallocating kickoff times to prime time slots abroad. Consequently, the number of top division games that temporally overlap with lower division games has increased significantly during recent years. By using attendance data of around 6,000 games in Germany’s fourth division, this article is the first to empirically test whether such overlaps have any adverse demand effects for lower division games. Fixed effects panel regressions reveal that overlapping games indeed reduce the demand for lower division games, suggesting some negative spillovers of commercialization processes in football.
Faithful state transfer between two-level systems via an actively cooled finite-temperature cavity
2018-03-28

We consider state transfer between two qubits - effective two-level systems represented by Rydberg atoms - via a common mode of a microwave cavity at finite temperature. We find that when both qubits have the same coupling strength to the cavity field, at large enough detuning from the cavity mode frequency, quantum interference between the transition paths makes the swap of the excitation between the qubits largely insensitive to the number of thermal photons in the cavity. When, however, the coupling strengths are different, the photon number-dependent differential Stark shift of the transition frequencies precludes efficient transfer. Nevertheless, using an auxiliary cooling system to continuously extract the cavity photons, we can still achieve a high-fidelity state transfer between the qubits.