julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Pyrochlore as a monitor for magmatic and hydrothermal processes in carbonatites from the Kaiserstuhl volcanic complex (SW Germany)
2018-09-07

Pyrochlore from the Kaiserstuhl volcanic complex (SW Germany) shows textural and compositional differences between various coarse-grained calcite-carbonatite bodies (Badberg, Degenmatt, Haselschacher Buck, Orberg) and extrusive carbonatites (Henkenberg, Kirchberg). Oscillatory-zoned F-rich pyrochlore with up to 69 wt% Nb2O5 is common in all coarse-grained calcite-carbonatite bodies and probably formed during magmatic conditions. However, only in some of the samples from the Badberg, partly resorbed U- and Ta-enriched pyrochlore cores with up to 22 wt% UO2 and 9 wt% Ta2O5 have been identified, which are interpreted as being inherited from underlying nosean syenites. Pyrochlore data from a drill core penetrating the Badberg indicate increasing contents of REE, U, and Ta with depth, while Nb, F and Na contents decrease. This may reflect the combined effects of fractional crystallization and assimilation (AFC) or indicates a multi-stage emplacement of the carbonatitic magma. Patchy-zoned ceriopyrochlore and REE- and Th-enriched pyrochlore with up to 19 wt% total REE2O3 and 6.5 wt% ThO2 is largely restricted to samples from the Orberg and probably formed during hydrothermal conditions. This can be related to the relatively evolved character of the Orberg carbonatites, based on their relatively high whole-rock Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf mass ratios. This study demonstrates that the textural and compositional variation of pyrochlore in carbonatites is a powerful tool to distinguish magmatic, hydrothermal and weathering processes in carbonatitic systems.
The Expression of Aldolase B in Islets Is Negatively Associated With Insulin Secretion in Humans
2018-09-07

Abstract Context Reduced β-cell mass, impaired islet function, and dedifferentiation are considered causal to development of hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes. In human cohort studies, changes of islet cell–specific expression patterns have been associated with diabetes but not directly with in vivo insulin secretion. Objective This study investigates alterations of islet gene expression and corresponding gene variants in the context of in vivo glycemic traits from the same patients. Methods Fasting blood was collected before surgery, and pancreatic tissue was frozen after resection from 18 patients undergoing pancreatectomy. Islet tissue was isolated by laser capture microdissection. Islet transcriptome was analyzed using microarray and quantitative RT-PCR. Proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The association of gene variants with insulin secretion was investigated with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived insulin secretion measured in a large cohort of subjects at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and with hyperglycemic clamp in a subset. Results Differential gene expression between islets from normoglycemic and hyperglycemic patients was prominent for the glycolytic enzyme ALDOB and the obesity-associated gene FAIM2. The mRNA levels of both genes correlated negatively with insulin secretion and positively with HbA1c. Islets of hyperglycemic patients displayed increased ALDOB immunoreactivity in insulin-positive cells, whereas α- and δ-cells were negative. Exposure of isolated islets to hyperglycemia augmented ALDOB expression. The minor allele of the ALDOB variant rs550915 associated with significantly higher levels of C-peptide and insulin during OGTT and hyperglycemic clamp, respectively. Conclusion Our analyses suggest that increased ALDOB expression in human islets is associated with lower insulin secretion.
Putting a speech training program into practice: Its implementation and effects on elementary school children’s public speaking skills and levels of speech anxiety
2018-09-07

Successfully putting an intervention into widespread practice requires—in addition to an effective intervention—an effective implementation. On the basis of the repeated demand for public speaking promotion programs for elementary school children, a corresponding multicomponent training program was recently developed as part of an extracurricular enrichment program for talented children in Germany. The instructional goals were to promote the children's ability to appropriately use public speaking skills and to decrease their speech anxiety. The program was previously evaluated in an efficacy study with positive treatment effects. Herein, we conducted an effectiveness study in which the effects of the speech training program were replicated after it was put into practice (i.e., offered by several instructors). Specifically, 61 children and eight trained course instructors participated in the study, which used a randomized wait-list control group design with repeated measures. We assessed the effects of the training program on students’ public speaking performance (i.e., their ability to appropriately apply nonverbal–visual, nonverbal–auditory, organizational, and language use skills) with video ratings. We evaluated speech anxiety with self-reports. We found positive treatment effects for both organizational public speaking skills and speech anxiety. Thus, the findings revealed that the intervention was partly successful when put into practice. The results of this effectiveness study are compared and discussed with those from the previous efficacy study.
Effects of continuous theta-burst stimulation of the primary motor and secondary somatosensory areas on the central processing and the perception of trigeminal nociceptive input in healthy volunteers
2018-09-07

Abstract Noninvasive modulation of the activity of pain-related brain regions by means of transcranial magnetic stimulation promises an innovative approach at analgesic treatments. However, heterogeneous successes in pain modulation by setting reversible “virtual lesions” at different brain areas point at unresolved problems including the optimum stimulation site. The secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) has been previously identified to be involved in the perception of pain-intensity differences. Therefore, impeding its activity should impede the coding of the sensory component of pain intensity, resulting in a flattening of the relationship between pain intensity and physical stimulus strength. This was assessed using inactivating spaced continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) in 18 healthy volunteers. In addition, cTBS was applied on the primary motor cortex (M1) shown previously to yield moderate and variable analgesic effects, whereas sham stimulation at both sites served as placebo condition. Continuous theta-burst stimulation flattened the relationship between brain activation and stimulus strength, mainly at S2, the insular cortex, and the postcentral gyrus (16 subjects analyzed). However, these effects were observed after inactivation of M1 while this effect was not observed after inactivation of S2. Nevertheless, both the M1 and the S2-spaced cTBS treatment were not reflected in the ratings of the nociceptive stimuli of different strengths (17 subjects analyzed), contrasting with the clear coding of stimulus strength by these data. Hence, while modulating the central processing of nociceptive input, cTBS failed to produce subjectively relevant changes in pain perception, indicating that the method in the present implementation is still unsuitable for clinical application.
Semantic Organ Segmentation in 3D Whole-Body MR Images
2018-09-07

Automated organ segmentation is a prerequisite for efficient analysis of MR data in large cohorts with thousands of participants. The feasibility and generalizability of previously proposed methods has mostly been demonstrated in smaller cohorts. The aim of this work is to implement and validate automated semantic 3D segmentation of liver and spleen on multi-contrast MR data of the body trunk which were acquired in a large epidemiological imaging study with the objective to provide a robust and general setup in a setting of limited training data. Liver and spleen were manually segmented in 173 MR images by an experienced radiologist, providing labeled ground-truth. Varying amount of training datasets were randomly chosen to train a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based segmentation with 4-fold patient-leave-out cross-validation and compared against a Random Forest (RF)-based segmentation. Validation amongst participants revealed high accuracies of 99.7%/99.9% for liver/spleen-segmentation with superiority of CNN to RF. In conclusion, automated semantic organ segmentation is feasible in a robust and general setup.
Reducing Stress and Promoting Social Integration of International Medical Students through a Tandem Program: Results of a Prospective-Program Evaluation
2018-09-07

Medical students, and especially international medical students (IMS), have been shown to experience more psychological distress than the general student population in Germany. In order to address these issues, a structured Tandem Program (TP) to reduce stress and foster social integration of IMS has been introduced at the Medical Faculty of Tuebingen. The Tandem Program was evaluated prospectively with perceived stress (PSQ-20) as the main outcome. Secondary outcomes were ‘motives to participate’ in the TP, ‘specific stressors’, and ‘experiences made’ during the program. Stress levels of IMS at the beginning of the program (t0) (M = 48.14, SD = 11.95) were higher than those of German participants (M = 39.33, SD = 8.31) (t (67) = −3.66, p &lt; 0.001). At the end of the TP (t1), stress levels of international students were significantly lower than at t0. “Improved ability to work in a team” was seen as one of the most beneficial factors. The results indicate that tandem programs at medical faculties may be a promising curricular intervention towards reducing stress levels, improving integration of international students, and to enhance intercultural and team-oriented competencies in both international and national medical students.
Experience-dependent long-term facilitation of skew adaptation
2018-09-07

Adaptation to changes in the environment allows the visual system to achieve optimal perception in a continuously changing visual world. One particular example regarding recurrently encountered changes in everyday vision is geometrical distortions of the environment when wearing spectacles for vision correction, e.g., image shear by skew geometric distortions in progressive additional lenses. For optimal visual performance, it would be beneficial if the visual system uses previous history of recurrent distortions and learns to adapt fast when they are reapplied, yet this has not been systematically shown. The present study evaluates experience-dependent long-term facilitation of fast adaptation to image skew, i.e., a shear from the x- and y- axis, using ecological stimuli. Immediate and long-term facilitation of fast adaptation induced by minutes time scales of extended skew exposures was tested. Fast adaptation was quantified via the magnitude of perceptual bias after a brief exposure to image skew in a constant stimulus procedure. Immediate facilitation was tested by comparing the magnitudes of fast adaptation that are measured on the same day before, i.e., baseline, and after extended skew exposure. The retention of the facilitation was evaluated by comparing the fast adaptation measured after, on average, 57 days of the previous extended skew exposure with the baseline. After one hour of skew exposure, the amount of fast adaptation significantly increased from the baseline measurement indicating immediate facilitation of the fast adaptation. This facilitation was retained at, on average, 57 days after the extended exposure. Thus, the results depicted experience dependent long-term facilitation of skew adaptation that potentially explains visual habituation to distortions of spectacles.
Similar Outcomes of Two-Stage Revisions for Infection and One-Stage Revisions for Aseptic Revisions of Knee Endoprostheses
2018-09-07

Abstract Two-stage revision knee arthroplasty using an antibiotic-loaded spacer is the most widely performed procedure for infected knee arthroplasties. The clinical outcome of this type of surgery compared with aseptic joint revision with exchange of tibial and femoral components is still controversial. Therefore, we analyzed clinical outcomes of septic two-stage revisions compared with aseptic one-stage revision total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). In a retrospective study, we assessed 135 consecutive patients who underwent two-stage revision for septic TKA (52 patients) and one-stage aseptic total knee revision arthroplasty (83 patients). The average follow-up was 26.1 months for the aseptic group and 26.5 months for the septic group. For clinical evaluation, we used the Knee Society Score, Oxford Knee Score, Kujala score, Turba score, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). Postoperative pain level was determined using the visual analog pain scale. The surgeries were performed 51 months (aseptic group) and 24 months (septic group) after primary TKA on average. The main indications for aseptic revision surgeries were instability (40%), aseptic loosening (22.4%), anterior knee pain due to pathologies of the patella (11.8%), or material wear (5.9%). In the clinical outcome, patients achieved 124.8 points in the aseptic group and 105.4 points in the septic group in the Knee Society Score. The Oxford Knee Score revealed 29.9 points for the aseptic group and 33.9 points for the septic group. For the Kujala score, we found 53.2 points in the aseptic group and 48.5 points in the septic group. For the Turba score, we found 8.4 points in the aseptic group and 10.8 points in the septic group. The SF-36 (psychical) showed 52.2 versus 49.5 points and the SF-36 (physical) showed 36.5 versus 35.4 points. Mean level of persisting pain on the visual analog scale was 3.0 (aseptic group) and 3.5 (septic group). Performing septic two-stage or aseptic one-stage tibial and femoral revision knee arthroplasty showed similar clinical outcomes in relation to objective and subjective outcome measures.
The influence of number magnitude on continuous swiping movements
2018-09-07

There is accumulating evidence that numerical information influences the way in which we perform bodily movements. Specifically, the idea that our cognitive representations of numbers and space interact is supported by systematic associations of space with both number magnitude (SNARC effect) and number parity (MARC effect). However, whether this influence is bound to the left or right side of space or to the hand with which we perform the movement remains debated. One novel and interesting way to disentangle these factors is to use movement responses in which hand and movement direction can be dissociated. In the present study, participants moved a central object to the left or right side on a touchscreen with their index fingers as response to a parity judgment and magnitude classification task. We observed significant SNARC effects in both tasks. Number magnitude and response direction interacted, but magnitude and response hand did not. This indicated that the SNARC effect can be independent of the responding hand. Importantly, however, a MARC effect was observed not only in an interaction between response direction and parity, but also in an interaction between response hand and parity, suggesting that response hand plays a role in the interaction between physical space and parity. Additionally, number magnitude influenced the amplitude of participants’ response movements, with larger numbers eliciting longer movements. These results indicate that space, magnitude and parity interact on different levels that can be unraveled in a paradigm utilizing continuous movements such as swiping.
Association of HLA class I type with prevalence and outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and mutated nucleophosmin
2018-09-07

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia with mutated nucleophosmin (NPMc+ AML) forms a distinct AML subgroup with better prognosis which can potentially be associated with immune response against the mutated nucleophosmin (NPM). As the T-cell-mediated immunity involves antigen presentation on HLA class I molecules, we hypothesized that individuals with suitable HLA type could be less prone to develop NPMc+ AML. We compared HLA class I distribution in NPMc+ AML patient cohort (398 patients from 5 centers) with the HLA allele frequencies of the caucasian population and found HLA-A*02, B*07, B*40 and C*07 underrepresented in the NPMc+ AML group. Presence of B*07 or C*07:01 antigen was associated with better survival in patients without concomitant FLT3 internal tandem duplication. Candidate NPM-derived immunopeptides were found for B*40 and B*07 using prediction software tools. Our findings suggest that a T-cell-mediated immune response could actually explain better prognosis of NPMc+ patients and provide a rationale for attempts to explore the importance of immunosuppressive mechanisms in this AML subgroup.
Interaction network of the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Mcp3
2018-09-07

Mitochondria are organelles containing two membranes that are distinct in composition and function. A role of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) is to mediate contact of the organelle with the rest of the cell. In yeast, the MOM contains about 40 different integral proteins. Recently, we described the MOM protein Mcp3, which can serve as a multicopy suppressor of loss of ERMES complex that mediates mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum contacts. To shed further light on the role of Mcp3 in the MOM, we analyzed its physical interaction with other proteins. We show that Mcp3 interacts with the MOM protein Om45 and the inner membrane protein Aim19. Our observations hint toward a potential involvement of Mcp3 in a structural and/or functional link between both mitochondrial membranes.
CEST imaging at 9.4 T using adjusted adiabatic spin‐lock pulses for on‐ and off‐resonant T1⍴‐dominated Z‐spectrum acquisition
2018-09-08

Purpose The CEST experiment, with its correlation to rare proton species that are in exchange with the water pool, is very similar to the off‐resonant water spin‐lock (SL) experiment. In particular, low‐power SL Z‐spectrum acquisition allows insight into T 1ρ and exchange effects with decreased direct water saturation. Because the available SL methods either require high B 1 power or are instable in the presence of strong B 1 and B 0 inhomogeneity present at ultra‐high fields, the goal of this study was to find a robust adiabatic SL pulse for on‐ and off‐resonant application in the human brain at 9.4 T. Methods A series of Bloch simulations were used to find optimal pulse shape parameters of an adjusted hyperbolic secant pulse applicable in the low power regime typically used for exchange‐weighted SL experiments. The optimized pulse was implemented and tested in phantom and in vivo experiments on a 9.4 T human scanner for on‐ and off‐resonant T 1ρ ‐ and Z‐spectrum measurements. Results The simulation yielded a feasible pulse shape, which yielded robust images, less sensitivity to B 1 and B 0 inhomogeneity compared with previous SL approaches and less direct water saturation, as well as a higher chemical exchange weighting compared with conventional CEST approaches. Conclusion By adapting a pulse shape for low‐power SL experiments, we were able to acquire robust on‐ and off‐resonant adiabatic SL prepared images in vivo at 9.4 T. This development leads directly to SL Z‐spectrum acquisition, beneficial for chemical‐exchange‐weighted MRI.
Interaction Channels Between Perfluorinated Iron Phthalocyanine and Cu(111)
2018-09-09

The initial growth and interfacial electronic structure of perfluorinated iron phthalocyanine (FePcF 16 ) on Cu(111) has been studied using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and polarization dependent X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The planar molecules are oriented preferred flat lying on the substrate surface during the growth of the first layers while the tilt angle is increased in thicker films. A clear interaction at the interface is observed, involving both the central metal ion and the macrocycle. At monolayer coverages, the Fe2p spectrum shows an interface signal at 707.1 eV, while the C‐N component of the C1s spectrum is distinctly shifted with respect to the thicker films. In addition, the nitrogen atom is involved in the complex interaction (including charge transfer), best visible in the change of the shape in the π* resonance of N K edge spectra recorded from molecules at the interface.
Comparing Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Number Lines: Consistent Effects of Notation Across Output Measures
2018-09-09

The mental number line (MNL) is a popular metaphor for magnitude representation in numerical cognition. Its shape has frequently been reported as being nonlinear, based on nonlinear response functions in magnitude estimation. We investigated whether this shape reflects a phenomenon of the mapping from stimulus to internal magnitude representation or of the mapping from internal representation to response. In five experiments, participants (total <i>N = 66</i>) viewed stimuli that represented numerical magnitude either in a symbolic notation (i.e., Arabic digits) or in a nonsymbolic notation (i.e., clouds of dots). Participants estimated these magnitudes by either adjusting the position of a mark on a ruler-like response bar (nonsymbolic response) or by typing the corresponding number on a keyboard (symbolic response). Responses to symbolic stimuli were markedly different from responses to nonsymbolic stimuli, in that they were mostly powershaped. We investigated whether the nonlinearity could be explained by effects of previous trials, but such effects were (a) not strong enough to explain the nonlinear responses and (b) existed only between trials of the same input notation, suggesting that the nonlinearity is due to input mappings. Introducing veridical feedback improved the accuracy of responses, thereby showing a calibration based on the feedback. However, this calibration persisted only temporarily, and responses to nonsymbolic stimuli remained nonlinear. Overall, we conclude that the nonlinearity is a phenomenon of the mapping from nonsymbolic input format to internal magnitude representation and that the phenomenon is surprisingly robust to calibration.
Medical treatment rates on shore for crew members of cruise ships
2018-09-09

Background: The human resources required on large cruise ships can only be secured with crew members from different countries of origin with different health statuses. Method: The present secondary data analysis is to determine whether there is an increased frequency of treatment for crew members for certain diseases or injuries, or a difference in the frequency of treatment for certain groups and/or countries of origin; whether an increased use of dental procedures could be confirmed, and their average costs. The data were collected over six months in 2015 from a major cruise ship company. Results: There were 1,627 treatments for 1,026 crew members. The illness and injury rates were significantly different both in the occupational groups (p < .001) as well as the countries of origin (p = .004). It was confirmed that dental procedures were most frequent (n = 915 cases), in particular for Asian crew members; in contrast to Germans they had a 1.6-fold higher chance of dental procedures.Conclusions: A mixed calculation for dental and jaw treatments for the crew members and the expected passenger treatments would justify the employment of a dentist on the ship. However, medical follow-up costs for crew members on board could be minimised by a previous thorough assessment of their state of health.