julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Electroencephalography Based Analysis of Working Memory Load and Affective Valence in an N-back Task with Emotional Stimuli
2017-12-19

Most brain-based measures of the electroencephalogram (EEG) are used in highly controlled lab environments and only focus on narrow mental states (e.g., working memory load). However, we assume that outside the lab complex multidimensional mental states are evoked. This could potentially create interference between EEG signatures used for identification of specific mental states. In this study, we aimed to investigate more realistic conditions and therefore induced a combination of working memory load and affective valence to reveal potential interferences in EEG measures. To induce changes in working memory load and affective valence, we used a paradigm which combines an N-back task (for working memory load manipulation) with a standard method to induce affect (affective pictures taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) database). Subjective ratings showed that the experimental task was successful in inducing working memory load as well as affective valence. Additionally, performance measures were analyzed and it was found that behavioral performance decreased with increasing workload as well as negative valence, showing that affective valence can have an effect on cognitive processing. These findings are supported by changes in frontal theta and parietal alpha power, parameters used for measuring of working memory load in the EEG. However, these EEG measures are influenced by the negative valence condition as well and thereby show that detection of working memory load is sensitive to affective contexts. Unexpectedly, we did not find any effects for EEG measures typically used for affective valence detection (Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA)). Therefore we assume that the FAA measure might not be usable if cognitive workload is induced simultaneously. We conclude that future studies should account for potential context-specifity of EEG measures.
Correlation between Ionic Liquid Cytotoxicity and Liposome–Ionic Liquid Interactions
2017-12-19

Abstract This study aims at extending the understanding of the toxicity mechanism of ionic liquids (ILs) using various analytical methods and cytotoxicity assays. The cytotoxicity of eight ILs and one zwitterionic compound was determined using mammalian and bacterial cells. The time dependency of the IL toxicity was assessed using human corneal epithelial cells. Hemolysis was performed using human red blood cells and the results were compared with destabilization data of synthetic liposomes upon addition of ILs. The effect of the ILs on the size and zeta potential of liposomes revealed information on changes in the lipid bilayer. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to study the penetration of the ILs into the lipid bilayer. Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to determine whether the ILs occurred as unimers, micelles, or if they were bound to liposomes. The results show that the investigated ILs can be divided into three groups based on the cytotoxicity mechanism: cell wall disrupting ILs, ILs exerting toxicity through both cell wall penetration and metabolic alteration, and ILs affecting solely on cell metabolism.
Mutations outside the N-terminal part of RBCK1 may cause polyglucosan body myopathy with immunological dysfunction: expanding the genotype–phenotype spectrum
2017-12-19

A subset of patients with polyglucosan body myopathy was found to have underlying mutations in the RBCK1 gene. Affected patients may display diverse symptoms ranging from skeletal muscular weakness, cardiomyopathy to chronic autoinflammation and immunodeficiency. It was suggested that the exact localization of the mutation within the gene might be responsible for the specific phenotype, with N-terminal mutations causing severe immunological dysfunction and mutations in the middle or C-terminal part leading to a myopathy phenotype. We report the clinical, immunological and genetic findings of two unrelated individuals suffering from a childhood-onset RBCK1-asscociated disease caused by the same homozygous truncating mutation (NM_031229.2:c.896_899del, p.Glu299Valfs*46) in the middle part of the RBCK1 gene. Our patients suffered from a myopathy with cardiac involvement, but in contrast to previous reports on mutations in this part of the gene, also displayed signs of autoinflammation and immunodeficiency. Our report suggests that RBCK1 mutations at locations that were previously thought to lack immunological features may also present with immunological dysfunction later in the disease course. This notably broadens the genotype-phenotype correlation of RBCK1-related polyglucosan body myopathy.
Propofol Related Infusion Syndrome: Ultrastructural Evidence for a Mitochondrial Disorder
2017-12-19

Objective: The objective of this report of a fatal propofol-related infusion syndrome in a young adult was to present—to our knowledge for the first time—direct ultrastructural evidence for the central role of mitochondrial damage in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Data Sources: Histological and electron microscopical analysis of liver, skeletal, and heart muscle obtained by autopsy and blood obtained from patient. Study Selection: Case report. Data Extraction: In addition to conventional macroscopical and histological investigations, electron-microscopical analysis of myocardial- and skeletal muscle and liver tissue obtained at autopsy from a young man was performed in order to search for ultrastructural changes of mitochondria. Acylcarnitine concentrations of his blood were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Data Synthesis: A 19-year-old male was admitted with acute left-side hemiparesis. The patient was intubated, then propofol infusion started, and a craniotomy was performed to remove an intracerebral hematoma. In the postoperative period, the patient presented with elevated intracranial pressure and brain edema. After repeat surgery, the patient showed impaired systolic left ventricular function, increasing fever, anuria, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis, and he finally expired. Electron microscopy revealed dark, electron dense amorphous structures associated with mitochondria in heart muscle and liver tissue obtained at autopsy. Peripheral blood analysis revealed increased levels of acetyl-, propionyl-, butyryl-, malonyl-, and valeryl-carnitine as an indicator for propofol-related infusion syndrome, as well as for propofol-mediated inhibition of free fatty acid uptake into mitochondria, affecting beta-oxidation. Conclusions: Electron dense bodies found in association with mitochondria in muscle and liver cells probably correspond to accumulation of free fatty acid provide direct morphological evidence for the mitochondrial damage in propofol-related infusion syndrome.
Analyzing imperfective games
2017-12-19

Deo 2015 is the first study applying mathematically explicit evolutionary analysis to a specific semantic-change phenomenon, namely the progressive-imperfective diachronic cycle. However, Deo’s actual results do not match completely the empirical observations about that cycle. Linguistic communities passing through the cycle often employ, in the synchrony, a single common type of progressive-imperfective grammar. In Deo’s modeling results, however, two of the grammars never get shared by nearly all the population, including the grammar with the obligatory use of progressive marking in semantically progressive contexts, as in Present-Day English. This paper improves on that wrong prediction. The crucial modeling decision enabling the improvement is switching from the assumption of infinite speaker population to the more realistic, but harder to analyze finite population setting. The finite-population version of Deo’s model derives stages where at many time points, all or almost all speakers share the same grammar. Interestingly, two different a priori reasonable types of trajectories with that feature emerge, depending on the parameter settings. These two trajectory types constitute novel empirical predictions regarding the shape of the cycle generated by (the proposed extension of) Deo’s model. Supplementary materials (SM 1 and SM 2) BibTeX info
Interspecific competition alters leaf stoichiometry in 20 grassland species
2017-12-20

The extensive use of traits in ecological studies over the last few decades to predict community functions has revealed that plant traits are plastic and respond to various environmental factors. These plant traits are assumed to predict how plants compete and capture resources. Variation in stoichiometric ratios both within and across species reflects resource capture dynamics under competition. However, the impact of local plant diversity on species‐specific stoichiometry remains poorly studied. Here, we analyze how spatial and temporal diversity in resource‐acquisition traits affects leaf elemental stoichiometry of plants (i.e. the result of resource capture) and how flexible this stoichiometry is depending on the functional composition of the surrounding community. Therefore, we assessed inter‐ and intraspecific variations of leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) (and their ratios) of 20 grassland species in a large trait‐based plant diversity experiment located in Jena (Germany) by measuring leaf elemental concentrations at the species‐level along a gradient in plant trait dissimilarity. Our results show that plants showed large intra‐ and interspecific variation in leaf stoichiometry, which was only partly explained by the functional group identity (grass or herb) of the species. Elemental concentrations (N, P, but not C) decreased with plant species richness, and species tended to become more deviant from their monoculture stoichiometry with increasing trait dissimilarity in the community. These responses differed among species, some consistently increased or decreased in P and N concentrations; for other species, the negative or positive change in P and N concentrations increased with increasing trait difference between the target species and the remaining community. The strength of this relationship was significantly associated to the relative position of the species along trait gradients related to resource acquisition. Trait‐difference and trait‐diversity thus were important predictors of how species’ resource capture changed in competitive neighbourhoods.
Phytoplankton contributions to the trace-element composition of Precambrian banded iron formations
2017-12-20

Banded iron formations are economically important sedimentary deposits in Earth's Precambrian rock record, consisting of alternating iron-rich (hematite, magnetite, and siderite) and silicate/carbonate (quartz, claylike minerals, dolomite, and ankerite) layers. Based on chemical analyses from banded iron formation units of the 2.48 Ga Dales Gorge Member of the Hamersley Group in Western Australia, it has been previously suggested that most, if not all, of the iron in banded iron formations could have been oxidized by anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (photoferrotrophs) at cell densities considerably less than those found in modern iron-rich aqueous environments. However, oxygen-producing phytoplankton may have also been capable of supplying the necessary oxidizing power. Here, we revisit the question of the anoxygenic and oxygenic phytoplankton populations necessary to account for banded iron formation deposition and quantify the amount of selected trace elements (P, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd) that could have been associated with their biomass. Using an expanded geochemical data set for the Dales Gorge Member as an example, we find that with turnover times comparable to those seen in modern ecosystems, the same phytoplankton populations required to form banded iron formations could have supplied the entirety of trace elements found in this iron-rich deposit. Further, spurred by the similarities between banded iron formation and anoxygenic phytoplankton trace-element stoichiometries, we suggest that much of the trace-element inventory preserved in the banded iron formation was at some point biologically assimilated in the water column, released from degrading photoferrotrophic biomass at the seafloor and in the sediment pile, and ultimately fixed in the iron-rich sediment in approximately stoichiometric proportions by near-quantitative adsorption to ferrihydrite. Our observations suggest that, as today, phytoplankton and the recycling of their biomass exerted control over the trace-element composition of ancient seawater and sediment.\\n
Is Evaluative Conditioning Moderated by Big Five Personality Traits?
2017-12-20

Evaluative conditioning (EC), a change in liking of a stimulus due to its paired presentation with a positive or negative stimulus, is a key concept in attitude formation. The present article examines to what extent EC effects are moderated by Big Five personality. For this purpose, 567 participants completed an EC procedure and the Big Five Inventory. People high on neuroticism and agreeableness showed stronger EC effects than people low on those personality traits. In conclusion, attitude formation via EC depends in part on Big Five personality. This novel insight has important ramifications for EC research and personality research. As to EC research, the moderation by neuroticism suggests that EC effects intensify with an increased focus on valent stimuli. As to personality research, our findings reinforce the fundamental nature of the Big Five because they are evidentially able to moderate such basic learning phenomena as EC.
Solvent-Mediated Interactions Close to the Fisher–Widom Line
2017-12-20

The effective interactions between two hard spheres mediated by a square-well fluid is studied within the framework of classical density functional theory. The main focus of this study is the behavior of the effective interactions in the supercritical regime close to the Fisher-Widom line, where the decay of the bulk correlations of the solvent changes from monotonic to oscillatory, and close to the Widom line, which is the locus of (local) maxima in the bulk correlation length. The effective interactions are calculated by employing the potential distribution theorem.
DACCOR - Detection, charACterization, and reconstruction of Repetitive regions in bacterial genomes
2017-12-20

The reconstruction of genomes using mapping based approaches with short reads experiences difficulties when resolving repetitive regions. These repetitive regions in genomes result in low mapping qualities of the respective reads, which in turn lead to many unresolved bases of the genotypers. Currently, the reconstruction of these regions is often based on modified references in which the repetitive regions are masked. However, for many references such masked genomes are not available or are based on repetitive regions of other genomes. Our idea is to identify repetitive regions in the reference genome de novo . These regions can then be used to reconstruct them separately using short read sequencing data. Afterwards the reconstructed repetitive sequence can be inserted into the reconstructed genome. We present the program DACCOR, which performs these steps automatically. Our results show an increased base pair resolution of the repetitive regions in the reconstruction of Treponema pallidum samples, resulting in fewer unresolved bases.
Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex
2017-12-20

The two hemispheres of the human brain differ functionally and structurally. Despite over a century of research, the extent to which brain asymmetry is influenced by sex, handedness, age, and genetic factors is still controversial. Here we present the largest ever analysis of subcortical brain asymmetries, in a harmonized multi-site study using meta-analysis methods. Volumetric asymmetry of seven subcortical structures was assessed in 15,847 MRI scans from 52 dataset worldwide. There were sex differences in the asymmetry of the globus pallidus and putamen. Heritability estimates, derived from 1170 subjects belonging to 71 extended pedigrees, revealed that additive genetic factors influenced the asymmetry of these two structures and that of the hippocampus and thalamus. Handedness had no detectable effect on subcortical asymmetries, even in this unprecedented sample size, but the asymmetry of the putamen varied with age. Genetic drivers of asymmetry in the hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia may affect variability in human cognition, including susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.
Orthotopic branched endovascular aortic arch repair in patients who cannot undergo classical surgery
2017-12-21

Our goal was to assess the results after orthotopic branched endovascular aortic arch repair using a new double-branch endoprosthesis in patients with thoracic aortic disease affecting the aortic arch who cannot undergo classical surgery. Within a 4-year period, 15 patients with thoracic aortic disease affecting the aortic arch were treated with the Bolton Relay plus double-branch endoprosthesis (Bolton Medical, Sunrise, FL, USA). We assessed clinical outcome, occurrence of endoleaks and the need for secondary interventions. The median logistic EuroSCORE I level was 13.6 (4.2; 22.8). The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.7%. A disabling stroke was observed in 1 (6.7%) patient, whereas non-disabling strokes occurred in 2 (13.3%) patients. Type I and III endoleaks occurred in 6.7%. The median follow-up period was 263 (1st quartile 84; 2nd quartile 564) days. Four patients died during the follow-up period. Aortic-related survival was 100%. Orthotopic branched endovascular aortic arch repair using the Bolton Relay Plus double-branch endoprosthesis is a safe and feasible technique enriching the armamentarium to treat patients with thoracic aortic disease who cannot undergo classical surgery. Aortic-related survival is excellent, and the occurrence of disabling stroke and endoleaks warranting treatment is low. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term durability of this new method.
Neuroprotective, Neurogenic, and Amyloid Beta Reducing Effect of a Novel Alpha 2-Adrenoblocker, Mesedin, on Astroglia and Neuronal Progenitors upon Hypoxia and Glutamate Exposure
2017-12-21

Locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system dysfunction is known to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Besides a variety of reports showing the involvement of norepinephrine and its receptor systems in cognition, amyloid β (Aβ) metabolism, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis, little is known about the contribution of the specific receptors to these actions. Here, we investigated the neurogenic and neuroprotective properties of a new α2 adrenoblocker, mesedin, in astroglial primary cultures (APC) from C57BL/6 and 3×Tg-AD mice. Our results demonstrate that mesedin rescues neuronal precursors and young neurons, and reduces the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from astroglia under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Mesedin also increased choline acetyltransferase, postsynaptic density marker 95 (PSD95), and Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin in the wild type APC, while in the 3×Tg-AD APC exposed to glutamate, it decreased the intracellular content of Aβ and enhanced the survival of synaptophysin-positive astroglia and neurons. These effects in APC can at least partially be attributed to the mesedin’s ability of increasing the expression of Interleukine(IL)-10, which is a potent anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective neurogenic, and Aβ metabolism enhancing factor. In summary, our data identify the neurogenic, neuroprotective, and anti-amyloidogenic action of mesedin in APC. Further in vivo studies are needed to estimate the therapeutic value of mesedin for AD.
Domain-general factors influencing numerical and arithmetic processing
2017-12-21

This special issue contains 18 articles that address the question how numerical processes interact with domain-general factors. We start the editorial with a discussion of how to define domain-general versus domain-specific factors and then discuss the contributions to this special issue grouped into two core numerical domains that are subject to domain-general influences (see Figure 1). The first group of contributions addresses the question how numbers interact with spatial factors. The second group of contributions is concerned with factors that determine and predict arithmetic understanding, performance and development. This special issue shows that domain-general (Table 1a) as well as domain-specific (Table 1b) abilities influence numerical and arithmetic performance virtually at all levels and make it clear that for the field of numerical cognition a sole focus on one or several domain-specific factors like the approximate number system or spatial-numerical associations is not sufficient. Vice versa, in most studies that included domain-general and domain-specific variables, domain-specific numerical variables predicted arithmetic performance above and beyond domain-general variables. Therefore, a sole focus on domain-general aspects such as, for example, working memory, to explain, predict and foster arithmetic learning is also not sufficient. Based on the articles in this special issue we conclude that both domain-general and domain-specific factors contribute to numerical cognition. But the how, why and when of their contribution still needs to be better understood. We hope that this special issue may be helpful to readers in constraining future theory and model building about the interplay of domain-specific and domain-general factors.
Contested claims to social welfare: Basic income grants in Namibia
2017-12-21

In many parts of the world, income transfers to underprivileged groups have long been part of social welfare programmes. However, the conditionality of such grants has recently been challenged on a global scale, arguing that income grants should serve as a mechanism to redistribute national resources rather than filling the social gap, and be conceded to all members of the population. The only country that tested this kind of social policy is Namibia with its Basic Income Grant project (BIG). Ever since its launch in 2007, there has been a heated nation- and even worldwide debate concerning the pros and cons of an unconditional grant. This paper presents the results of an anthropological research, showing that in discussion on poverty reduction and the “rightful share” for the needy, the cultural factors governing decision making on the micro level have so far been neglected.