julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The role of IL-4 in psoriasis
2017-01-09

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of skin and joints affecting approximately 1–2% of the population worldwide. In 2016, the WHO released a global report on psoriasis as one of the common ...
Combining maximal regularity and energy estimates for time discretizations of quasilinear parabolic equations
2017-01-09

We analyze fully implicit and linearly implicit backward difference formula (BDF) methods for quasilinear parabolic equations, without making any assumptions on the growth or decay of the coefficient functions. We combine maximal parabolic regularity and energy estimates to derive optimal-order error bounds for the time-discrete approximation to the solution and its gradient in the maximum norm and energy norm.
Gribov horizon and Gribov copies effect in lattice Coulomb gauge
2017-01-09

Following a recent proposal by Cooper and Zwanziger we investigate via lattice simulations the effect on the Coulomb gauge propagators and on the Gribov-Zwanziger confinement mechanism of selecting the Gribov copy with the smallest non-trivial eigenvalue of the Faddeev-Popov operator, i.e.~the one closest to the Gribov horizon. Although such choice of gauge drives the ghost propagator towards the prediction of continuum calculations, we find that it actually overshoots the goal. With increasing computer time, we observe that Gribov copies with arbitrarily small eigenvalues can be found. For such a method to work one would therefore need further restrictions on the gauge condition to isolate the physically relevant copies, since e.g.~the Coulomb potential defined through the Faddeev-Popov operator becomes otherwise physically meaningless. Interestingly, the Coulomb potential alternatively defined through temporal link correlators is only marginally affected by the smallness of the eigenvalues.
Laparoscopically guided percutaneous choledochoscopy: minimally invasive interdisciplinary rendezvous for selected patients
2017-01-09

During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, unexpected findings may mandate immediate intraluminal biliary visualization for safe patient management. We evaluated percutaneous cholangioscopy in two whole-body donors.
Population Pharmacokinetic Properties of Piperaquine in Falciparum Malaria: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis
2017-01-10

The derived population pharmacokinetic model was used to develop a revised dose regimen of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine that is expected to provide equivalent piperaquine exposures safely in all patients, including in small children with malaria. Use of this dose regimen is expected to prolong the useful therapeutic life of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine by increasing cure rates and thereby slowing resistance development. This work was part of the evidence that informed the World Health Organization technical guidelines development group in the development of the recently published treatment guidelines (2015).
Improved Kinect sensor based motion capturing system for gait assessment
2017-01-10

Abstract Optical motion capturing systems are expensive and require substantial dedicated space to be set up. On the other hand, they provide unsurpassed accuracy and reliability. In many situations however flexibility is required and the motion capturing system can only temporarily be placed. The Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor is comparatively cheap and with respect to gait analysis promising results have been published. We here present a motion capturing system that is easy to set up, flexible with respect to the sensor locations and delivers high accuracy in gait parameters comparable to a gold standard motion capturing system (VICON). Further, we demonstrate that sensor setups which track the person only from one-side are less accurate and should be replaced by two-sided setups. With respect to commonly analyzed gait parameters, especially step width, our system shows higher agreement with the VICON system than previous reports.
Wannier functions and ℤ2 invariants in time-reversal symmetric topological insulators
2017-01-10

We provide a constructive proof of exponentially localized Wannier functions and related Bloch frames in 1- and 2-dimensional time-reversal symmetric (TRS) topological insulators. The construction is formulated in terms of periodic TRS families of projectors (corresponding, in applications, to the eigenprojectors on an arbitrary number of relevant energy bands), and is thus model-independent. The possibility to enforce also a TRS constraint on the frame is investigated. This leads to a topological obstruction in dimension 2, related to [Formula: see text] topological phases. We review several proposals for [Formula: see text] indices that distinguish these topological phases, including the ones by Fu–Kane [16], Prodan [33], Graf–Porta [24] and Fiorenza–Monaco–Panati [27]. We show that all these formulations are equivalent. In particular, this allows to prove a geometric formula for the [Formula: see text] invariant of 2-dimensional TRS topological insulators, originally indicated in [16], which expresses it in terms of the Berry connection and the Berry curvature.
Ex Vivo Assessment of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque by Grating-Based Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography
2017-01-10

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (gb-PCCT) to classify and quantify coronary vessel characteristics in comparison with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histopathology in an ex vivo setting. Materials and Methods After excision from 5 heart specimens, 15 human coronary arteries underwent gb-PCCT examination using an experimental imaging setup consisting of a rotating molybdenum anode x-ray tube, a Talbot-Lau grating interferometer, and a single photon counting detector. Subsequently, all vessels were imaged by OCT and histopathologically processed. Optical coherence tomography, gb-PCCT, and histopathology images were manually matched using anatomical landmarks. Optical coherence tomography and gb-PCCT were reviewed by 2 independent observers blinded to histopathology. Vessel, lumen, and plaque area were measured, and plaque characteristics (lipid rich, calcified, and fibrous) were determined for each section. Measures of diagnostic accuracy were derived, applying histopathology as the standard of reference. Results Of a total of 286 assessed cross sections, 241 corresponding sections were included in the statistical analysis. Quantitative measures derived from gb-PCCT were significantly higher than from OCT ( P &lt; 0.001) and were strongly correlated with histopathology (Pearson r ≥0.85 for gb-PCCT and ≥0.61 for OCT, respectively). Results of Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated smaller mean differences between OCT and histopathology than for gb-PCCT and histopathology. Limits of agreement were narrower for gb-PCCT with regard to lumen area, for OCT with regard to plaque area, and were comparable with regard to vessel area. Based on histopathology, 228/241 (94.6%) sections were classified as fibrous, calcified, or lipid rich. The diagnostic accuracy of gb-PCCT was excellent for the detection of all plaque components (sensitivity, ≥0.95; specificity, ≥0.94), whereas the results for OCT showed sensitivities of ≥0.73 and specificities of ≥0.66. Conclusions In this ex vivo setting, gb-PCCT provides excellent results in the assessment of coronary atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and vessel dimensions in comparison to OCT and histopathology. Thus, the technique may serve as adjunct nondestructive modality for advanced plaque characterization in an experimental setting.
The Berry–Keating operator on a lattice
2017-01-10

We construct and study a version of the Berry-Keating operator with a\\nbuilt-in truncation of the phase space, which we choose to be a two-dimensional\\ntorus. The operator is a Weyl quantisation of the classical Hamiltonian for an\\ninverted harmonic oscillator, producing a difference operator on a finite,\\nperiodic lattice. We investigate the continuum and the infinite-volume limit of\\nour model in conjunction with the semiclassical limit. Using semiclassical\\nmethods, we show that a specific combination of the limits leads to a\\nlogarithmic mean spectral density as it was anticipated by Berry and Keating.\\n
Building the Pamir-Tibetan Plateau-Crustal stacking, extensional collapse, and lateral extrusion in the Central Pamir: 1. Geometry and kinematics
2017-01-11

Asian deep crust exposed in the Pamir permits determination of the amount, sequence, and interaction of shortening, extension, and lateral extrusion over ~30 km of crustal section during the India-Asia collision. In the Central Pamir, gneiss domes and their hanging walls record Paleogene tripling of the 7–10 km thick Phanerozoic upper crustal strata; total crustal thickness may have amounted to 90 km. Two thrust sheets, comprising Cambro-Ordovician, respectively, Carboniferous to Paleogene strata, straddle the domes. Amphibolite-facies metamorphic rocks within the domes—equivalent to lower grade rocks outside the domes—form fold nappes with dome-scale wavelengths. E-W stretching occurred contemporaneously with top-to- ~ N imbrication and folding. At ~22–12 Ma, bivergent (top-to-N and top-to-S), normal-sense shear zones exhumed the crystalline rocks; most of the extension occurred along the northern dome margins. Shortening resumed at ~12 Ma with opposite-sense thrusting and folding focused along the dome margins. Throughout the building of the Central and South Pamir, dominant ~N-S shortening interacted with ~E-W extension along mostly dextral shear/fault zones. In the Neogene, shear is concentrated along a dextral wrench corridor south of the domes. We interpret the Paleogene shortening to record thickening and northward growth of the Pamir-Tibetan Plateau and short-lived Miocene crustal extension as gravitational adjustment, i.e., collapse, of the thickened Asian crust to Indian slab breakoff. Synconvergent Paleogene lateral extrusion thickened the Afghan Hindu Kush crust west of the India-Asia collision, and the Miocene-Recent dextral shear and ~E-W extension have accommodated collapse of the Pamir Plateau into the Tajik depression.
Building the Pamir-Tibetan Plateau-Crustal stacking, extensional collapse, and lateral extrusion in the Central Pamir: 2. Timing and rates
2017-01-11

Geothermochronologic data outline the temperature-deformation-time evolution of the Muskol and Shatput gneiss domes and their hanging walls in the Central Pamir. Prograde metamorphism started before ~35 Ma and peaked at ~23–20 Ma, reflecting top-to- ~N thrust-sheet and fold-nappe emplacement that tripled the thickness of the upper ~7–10 km of the Asian crust. Multimethod thermochronology traces cooling through ~700–100°C between ~22 and 12 Ma due to exhumation along dome-bounding normal-sense shear zones. Synkinematic minerals date normal sense shear-zone deformation at ~22–17 Ma. Age-versus-elevation relationships and paleoisotherm spacing imply exhumation at ≥3 km/Myr. South of the domes, Mesozoic granitoids record slow cooling and/or constant temperature throughout the Paleogene and enhanced cooling (7–31°C/Myr) starting between ~23 and 12 Ma and continuing today. Integrating the Central Pamir data with those of the East (Chinese) Pamir Kongur Shan and Muztaghata domes, and with the South Pamir Shakhdara dome, implies (i) regionally distributed, Paleogene crustal thickening; (ii) Pamir-wide gravitational collapse of thickened crust starting at ~23–21 Ma during ongoing India-Asia convergence; and (iii) termination of doming and resumption of shortening following northward propagating underthrusting of the Indian cratonic lithosphere at ≥12 Ma. Westward lateral extrusion of Pamir Plateau crust into the Hindu Kush and the Tajik depression accompanied all stages. Deep-seated processes, e.g., slab breakoff, crustal foundering, and underthrusting of buoyant lithosphere, governed transitional phases in the Pamir, and likely the Tibet crust.
Olaptesed pegol, an anti-CXCL12/SDF-1 Spiegelmer, alone and with bortezomib–dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a Phase IIa Study
2017-01-11

Olaptesed pegol (olaptesed, NOX-A12) is a pegylated l-oligoribonucleotide that binds and neutralizes CXCL12, a chemokine which signals through CXCR4 and CXCR7 regulating a variety of processes during multiple myeloma (MM) development.1 CXCL12 inhibition reduces the myeloma-supportive activity of the bone marrow microenvironment and mobilizes myeloma cells to the circulation.2 In addition, CXCL12α levels were reported to correlate with osteolytic bone lesions and with increased bone marrow angiogenesis.3 Targeting CXCL12, therefore, is a promising strategy for disrupting myeloma-stroma interactions and inhibiting myeloma growth and survival. Here, we report pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, safety and efficacy data of olaptesed in patients with relapsed/refractory MM and present data on baseline CXCL12α levels in this patient cohort. This first-in-patient Phase IIa study aims to translate the novel concept of combining proteasome and CXCL12 inhibition into the clinic and builds on a preclinical proof-of-concept regarding the significance of CXCL12 blockade in MM2 and on Phase I data in healthy subjects.4 Combining CXCL12 inhibition with bortezomib and dexamethasone (VD) was investigated in 28 patients with relapsed/refractory MM, who were either bortezomib-naive or considered not refractory to bortezomib. The median number of prior lines of therapy was 2 (range: 1–5), 39 and 14% of the patients presented with 3 or 4 prior lines, respectively. Cytogenetics were tested in 21 patients and high risk features were found in 36% of them. 54% of patients had prior treatment with bortezomib, 39% had a prior stem cell transplant and 57% were refractory to prior treatment. Further details on patient characteristics (Supplementary Table S1) and inclusion and exclusion criteria are available in the Supplementary Information. In the pilot phase, three cohorts of three patients each (four patients in the 1 mg/kg cohort due to patient replacement) were administered single doses of 1, 2 or 4 mg/kg of olaptesed alone by slow intravenous bolus injection 2 weeks prior to starting the combination treatment. Combination treatment was administered for eight cycles of 21 days. An intra-patient escalation was applied for safety reasons as olaptesed was combined for the first time with VD in cancer patients. Olaptesed was given 1–2 h prior to bortezomib at doses of 1 mg/kg in cycle 1, 2 mg/kg in cycle 2 and 4 mg/kg in cycles 3–8. Bortezomib was given on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of each 21-day treatment cycle as intravenous injection of 1.3 mg/m2. Oral dexamethasone (20 mg) was added on the day of and the day after bortezomib administration. An outline of the study and details of patients’ flow are given in Supplementary Figures S1 and S2.
ERCP in infants, children and adolescents is feasible and safe: results from a tertiary care center
2017-01-11

ERCP in newborns, infants, and adolescents can be safely performed with high technical and clinical success. Endoscopists must be aware of differing spectrum of pediatric diseases. Failed cannulation was associated with lower body weight of young children. Complications were similar to rates reported in adults.
What to do when scalar invariance fails: The extended alignment method for multi-group factor analysis comparison of latent means across many groups.
2017-01-12

Scalar invariance is an unachievable ideal that in practice can only be approximated; often using potentially questionable approaches such as partial invariance based on a stepwise selection of parameter estimates with large modification indices. Study 1 demonstrates an extension of the power and flexibility of the alignment approach for comparing latent factor means in large-scale studies (30 OECD countries, 8 factors, 44 items, N = 249,840), for which scalar invariance is typically not supported in the traditional confirmatory factor analysis approach to measurement invariance (CFA-MI). Importantly, we introduce an alignment-within-CFA (AwC) approach, transforming alignment from a largely exploratory tool into a confirmatory tool, and enabling analyses that previously have not been possible with alignment (testing the invariance of uniquenesses and factor variances/covariances; multiple-group MIMIC models; contrasts on latent means) and structural equation models more generally. Specifically, it also allowed a comparison of gender differences in a 30-country MIMIC AwC (i.e., a SEM with gender as a covariate) and a 60-group AwC CFA (i.e., 30 countries × 2 genders) analysis. Study 2, a simulation study following up issues raised in Study 1, showed that latent means were more accurately estimated with alignment than with the scalar CFA-MI, and particularly with partial invariance scalar models based on the heavily criticized stepwise selection strategy. In summary, alignment augmented by AwC provides applied researchers from diverse disciplines considerable flexibility to address substantively important issues when the traditional CFA-MI scalar model does not fit the data. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Plasmin-Sensitive Protein Pls in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Is a Glycoprotein
2017-01-12

Most bacterial glycoproteins identified to date are virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, i.e. adhesins and invasins. However, the impact of protein glycosylation on the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus remains incompletely understood. To study protein glycosylation in staphylococci, we analyzed lysostaphin lysates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains by SDS-PAGE and subsequent periodic acid-Schiff's staining. We detected four (>300, ∼250, ∼165, and ∼120 kDa) and two (>300 and ∼175 kDa) glycosylated surface proteins with strain COL and strain 1061, respectively. The ∼250, ∼165, and ∼175 kDa proteins were identified as plasmin-sensitive protein (Pls) by mass spectrometry. Previously, Pls has been demonstrated to be a virulence factor in a mouse septic arthritis model. The pls gene is encoded by the staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC)mec type I in MRSA that also encodes the methicillin resistance-conferring mecA and further genes. In a search for glycosyltransferases, we identified two open reading frames encoded downstream of pls on the SCCmec element, which we termed gtfC and gtfD. Expression and deletion analysis revealed that both gtfC and gtfD mediate glycosylation of Pls. Additionally, the recently reported glycosyltransferases SdgA and SdgB are involved in Pls glycosylation. Glycosylation occurs at serine residues in the Pls SD-repeat region and modifying carbohydrates are N-acetylhexosaminyl residues. Functional characterization revealed that Pls can confer increased biofilm formation, which seems to involve two distinct mechanisms. The first mechanism depends on glycosylation of the SD-repeat region by GtfC/GtfD and probably also involves eDNA, while the second seems to be independent of glycosylation as well as eDNA and may involve the centrally located G5 domains. Other previously known Pls properties are not related to the sugar modifications. In conclusion, Pls is a glycoprotein and Pls glycosyl residues can stimulate biofilm formation. Thus, sugar modifications may represent promising new targets for novel therapeutic or prophylactic measures against life-threatening S. aureus infections.
Rising Precipitation Extremes across Nepal
2017-01-13

As a mountainous country, Nepal is most susceptible to precipitation extremes and related hazards, including severe floods, landslides and droughts that cause huge losses of life and property, impact the Himalayan environment, and hinder the socioeconomic development of the country. Given that the countrywide assessment of such extremes is still lacking, we present a comprehensive picture of prevailing precipitation extremes observed across Nepal. First, we present the spatial distribution of daily extreme precipitation indices as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices (ETCCDMI) from 210 stations over the period of 1981–2010. Then, we analyze the temporal changes in the computed extremes from 76 stations, featuring long-term continuous records for the period of 1970–2012, by applying a non-parametric Mann−Kendall test to identify the existence of a trend and Sen’s slope method to calculate the true magnitude of this trend. Further, the local trends in precipitation extremes have been tested for their field significance over the distinct physio-geographical regions of Nepal, such as the lowlands, middle mountains and hills and high mountains in the west (WL, WM and WH, respectively), and likewise, in central (CL, CM and CH) and eastern (EL, EM and EH) Nepal. Our results suggest that the spatial patterns of high-intensity precipitation extremes are quite different to that of annual or monsoonal precipitation. Lowlands (Terai and Siwaliks) that feature relatively low precipitation and less wet days (rainy days) are exposed to high-intensity precipitation extremes. Our trend analysis suggests that the pre-monsoonal precipitation is significantly increasing over the lowlands and CH, while monsoonal precipitation is increasing in WM and CH and decreasing in CM, CL and EL. On the other hand, post-monsoonal precipitation is significantly decreasing across all of Nepal while winter precipitation is decreasing only over the WM region. Both high-intensity precipitation extremes and annual precipitation trends feature east−west contrast, suggesting significant increase over the WM and CH region but decrease over the EM and CM regions. Further, a significant positive trend in the number of consecutive dry days but significant negative trend in the number of wet (rainy) days are observed over the whole of Nepal, implying the prolongation of the dry spell across the country. Overall, the intensification of different precipitation indices over distinct parts of the country indicates region-specific risks of floods, landslides and droughts. The presented findings, in combination with population and environmental pressures, can support in devising the adequate region-specific adaptation strategies for different sectors and in improving the livelihood of the rural communities in Nepal.
Medium Cut-Off (MCO) Membranes Reduce Inflammation in Chronic Dialysis Patients—A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
2017-01-13

MCO-Ci dialyzers modulate inflammation in chronic HD patients to a greater extent compared to High-flux dialyzers. Transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral leukocytes is markedly reduced and removal of soluble mediators is enhanced with MCO dialysis. Serum albumin concentrations stabilize after an initial drop. These results encourage further trials with longer treatment periods and clinical endpoints.