julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Rigid, Variable-View Endoscope in Neurosurgery
2014-07-21

Introduction. The endoscope became a highly valued visualization tool in neurosurgery. However, technical limitations caused by the rigidity of current standard endoscopes significantly decrease ergonomy in transcranial neurosurgery. Further technological developments will aid enlarging the surgical applicability. Objective. To evaluate the intraoperative features of a rigid variable-view endoscope in neurosurgery. Methods. We assessed a 4 mm rigid rod lens endoscope (EndoCAMeleon, Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) in the intraoperative setting. The device offers a variable angle of view from 15° to 90° in one plane. The endoscope was used in 3 cases (aneurysm clipping, vestibular schwannoma surgery, endoscopic third ventriculostomy) for inspection. Results. Direct insertion of the device through the craniotomy/burr hole with the lowest angled view (15°) was always possible. Neurovascular structures crossing the access route could be visualized and avoided. This allowed a targeted positioning of the endoscope’s tip in the operating field. Once the target point was reached, viewing direction was changed in one plane from 15° to 90° according to anatomic demands. As the endoscope’s tip does not move while the lens is rotated, surrounding neurovascular structures are not at risk to be injured. However, turning of the lens-controlling wheel in proximity to delicate structures may be inconvenient. Conclusion. The rigid, variable-view endoscope has the potential to become an appreciated visualization tool in neuroendoscopy. The steerable lens enables a tremendous expansion of the visual field, resulting in higher efficiency for surgeons and increased safety for patients.
Expected number of supergiant fast X-ray transients in the Milky Way
2014-07-21

In the past fifteen years a new generation of X-ray satellites led to the\\ndiscovery of a subclass of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) with supergiant\\ncompanions and a peculiar transient behaviour: supergiant fast X-ray transients\\n(SFXTs). We calculate the expected number of Galactic SFXTs for the first time,\\nusing two different statistical approaches and two sets of data based on Swift\\nand INTEGRAL surveys, with the aim to determine how common the SFXT phenomenon\\nreally is. We find that the expected number of SFXTs in the Galaxy is about\\n37(+53, -22) which shows that SFXTs constitute a large portion of X-ray\\nbinaries with supergiant companions in the Galaxy. We compare our estimate with\\nthe expected number of Galactic HMXBs predicted from observations and\\nevolutionary models and discuss the implications for the nature of SFXTs.\\n
Insula and inferior frontal triangularis activations distinguish between conditioned brain responses using emotional sounds for basic BCI communication
2014-07-21

In order to enable communication through a brain-computer interface (BCI), it is necessary to discriminate between distinct brain responses. As a first step, we probed the possibility to discriminate between affirmative ("yes") and negative ("no") responses using a semantic classical conditioning paradigm, within an fMRI setting. Subjects were presented with congruent and incongruent word-pairs as conditioned stimuli (CS), respectively eliciting affirmative and negative responses. Incongruent word-pairs were associated to an unpleasant unconditioned stimulus (scream, US1) and congruent word-pairs were associated to a pleasant unconditioned stimulus (baby-laughter, US2), in order to elicit emotional conditioned responses (CR). The aim was to discriminate between affirmative and negative responses, enabled by their association with the positive and negative affective stimuli. In the late acquisition phase, when the US were not present anymore, there was a strong significant differential activation for incongruent and congruent word-pairs in a cluster comprising the left insula and the inferior frontal triangularis. This association was not found in the habituation phase. These results suggest that the difference in affirmative and negative brain responses was established as an effect of conditioning, allowing to further investigate the possibility of using this paradigm for a binary choice BCI.
ClostridiumSpecies as Metallic Copper-Forming Bacteria in Soil under Reducing Conditions
2014-07-22

Recent studies have reported the formation of Cu<SUP>0</SUP> nanoparticles (CuNP) by suspended bacteria in pore water of periodically flooded soils, but the bacteria have not yet been identified. The aim of this study was to identify the CuNP-forming bacteria and to determine the location of CuNP formation relative to the bacterial cell surface. Electron microscopy revealed that the bacteria were rod-shaped spore formers and suggested that CuNP were formed in the periplasm. Combined results from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, and classic microbiological cultivation techniques provided strong evidence for a <I>Clostridium</I> sp. strain as the CuNP-forming bacteria. Clostridia are well-adapted to frequent flooding and drying due to their ability to form spores and may play an important role in Cu cycling and metallic Cu formation in redox-dynamic environments.
Killing two birds with one stone: trans-kingdom suppression of PAMP/MAMP-induced immunity by T3E from enteropathogenic bacteria
2014-07-22

Within the past decade, remarkable similarities between the molecular organization of animal and plant systems for non-self discrimination were revealed. Obvious parallels exist between the molecular structures of the receptors mediating the recognition of pathogen- or microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs) with plant pattern recognition receptors strikingly resembling mammalian Toll-like receptors. Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, leading to the transcriptional activation of immunity-associated genes, illustrate the conservation of whole molecular building blocks of PAMP/MAMP-induced signaling. Enteropathogenic Salmonella and Escherichia coli use a type three secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into the mammalian host cell to subvert defense mechanisms and promote gut infection. Lately, disease occurrence was increasingly associated with bacteria-contaminated fruits and vegetables and common themes have emerged with regard to whether and how effectors target innate immune responses in a trans-kingdom manner. We propose that numerous Salmonella or E. coli effectors may be active in planta and tend to target central components (hubs) of immune signaling pathways.
Status of the photomultiplier-based FlashCam camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
2014-07-22

The FlashCam project is preparing a camera prototype around a fully digital FADC-based readout system, for the medium sized telescopes (MST) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The FlashCam design is the first fully digital readout system for Cherenkov cameras, based on commercial FADCs and FPGAs as key components for digitization and triggering, and a high performance camera server as back end. It provides the option to easily implement different types of trigger algorithms as well as digitization and readout scenarios using identical hardware, by simply changing the firmware on the FPGAs. The readout of the front end modules into the camera server is Ethernet-based using standard Ethernet switches and a custom, raw Ethernet protocol. In the current implementation of the system, data transfer and back end processing rates of 3.8 GB/s and 2.4 GB/s have been achieved, respectively. Together with the dead-time-free front end event buffering on the FPGAs, this permits the cameras to operate at trigger rates of up to several ten kHz. In the horizontal architecture of FlashCam, the photon detector plane (PDP), consisting of photon detectors, preamplifiers, high voltage-, control-, and monitoring systems, is a self-contained unit, mechanically detached from the front end modules. It interfaces to the digital readout system via analogue signal transmission. The horizontal integration of FlashCam is expected not only to be more cost efficient, it also allows PDPs with different types of photon detectors to be adapted to the FlashCam readout system. By now, a 144-pixel &#109;ini-camera" setup, fully equipped with photomultipliers, PDP electronics, and digitization/ trigger electronics, has been realized and extensively tested. Preparations for a full-scale, 1764 pixel camera mechanics and a cooling system are ongoing. The paper describes the status of the project.
Effects of housing conditions and season on the activity rhythm of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept under natural conditions within their distributional range in Central Mexico
2014-07-22

The timing and pattern of mammalian behavioral activities are regulated by an evolutionary optimized interplay of the genetically based biological (circadian) clock located in the brain's suprachiasmatic nuclei and direct responses to environmental factors that superimpose and thus mask the clock-mediated effects, the most important of which is the photically induced phase-setting (synchronization) of the circadian rhythmicity to the 24-hour solar day. In wild and captive animals living under the natural conditions prevailing in their habitat, to date, only a few attempts have been made to analyze the role of these two regulatory mechanisms in the species' adaptation to the time structure prevailing in their habitat. We studied the impact of housing conditions and season on the daily timing and pattern of activity in Mexican spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). To this end, we carried out long-term activity recordings with Actiwatch® AW4 accelerometer/data-logger devices in 11 adult Ateles living under identical natural lighting and climatic conditions in either a large wire netting cage or a 0.25 ha forest enclosure in the primatological field station of Veracruz State University near Catemaco, Mexico. In a gravid female in the forest enclosure, we obtained first-hand information on the effect of late pregnancy and parturition on the monkey's activity rhythm. The Ateles behaved strictly diurnal and undertook about 90% of daily total activity during this activity time. Due to a higher second activity peak in late afternoon, the bimodal activity pattern was more pronounced in monkeys living in the forest enclosure. Although the spider monkeys kept there had an earlier activity onset and morning activity peak than their conspecifics in the cage, no consistent differences were found in the parameters characterizing the phase-setting of the circadian system to the environmental 24-h periodicity, either by comparison or correlation with the external time markers of sunrise (SR) and sunset (SS). The most obvious effect of late pregnancy, parturition and lactation was a distinct reduction of the activity level during the week of parturition and the next. Seasonal variations in the form of significant differences between the long-day summer half year and the short-day winter half year were established in the phase-angle differences of the morning activity peak to SR, in the evening activity peak and activity offset to SS, as well as in the activity time and the peak-to-peak interval, but not in the phase position of activity onset to SR or in the height of the morning and evening activity peak. These findings in combination with a high variability of the phase angle differences indicate that in A. geoffroyi, a relatively weak circadian component and strong masking direct effects of environmental factors are involved in the regulation of the daily activity rhythm.
Bis(methylsulfonyl)methane
2014-07-22

In the title compound, C 3 H 8 O 4 S 2 , the two central S—C(H 2 ) bond lengths are almost identical [1.781 (2) and 1.789 (2) Å]. In the crystal, each molecule utilizes CH 2 and CH 3 bonds to form weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds to six other molecules, thus linking molecules into a three-dimensional network.
Freeprocessing: Transparent in situ Visualization via Data Interception
2014-07-22

In situ visualization has become a popular method for avoiding the slowest component of many visualization pipelines: reading data from disk. Most previous in situ work has focused on achieving visualization scalability on par with simulation codes, or on the data movement concerns that become prevalent at extreme scales. In this work, we consider in situ analysis with respect to ease of use and programmability. We describe an abstraction that opens up new applications for in situ visualization, and demonstrate that this abstraction and an expanded set of use cases can be realized without a performance cost.
Mean gas opacity for circumstellar environments and equilibrium temperature degeneracy
2014-07-23

Context. In a molecular cloud dust opacity typically dominates over gas opacity, yet in the vicinities of forming stars dust is depleted, and gas is the sole provider of opacity. In the optically thin circumstellar environments the radiation temperature cannot be assumed to be equal to the gas temperature, hence the two-temperature Planck means are necessary to calculate the radiative equilibrium. &lt;BR /&gt; Aims: By using the two-temperature mean opacity one does obtain the proper equilibrium gas temperature in a circumstellar environment, which is in a chemical equilibrium. A careful consideration of a radiative transfer problem reveals that the equilibrium temperature solution can be degenerate in an optically thin gaseous environment. &lt;BR /&gt; Methods: We compute mean gas opacities based on the publicly available code DFSYNTHE by Kurucz and Castelli. We performed the calculations assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and an ideal gas equation of state. The values were derived by direct integration of the high-resolution opacity spectrum. &lt;BR /&gt; Results: We produced two sets of gas opacity tables: Rosseland means and two-temperature Planck means. For three metallicities [Me/H] = 0.0, ± 0.3 we covered the parameter range 3.48 &lt;= log Trad [K] &lt;= 4.48 in radiation temperature, 2.8 &lt;= log Tgas [K] &lt;= 6.0 in gas temperature, and -10 &lt;= log P [dyn cm-2] &lt;= 6 in gas pressure. We show that in the optically thin circumstellar environment for a given stellar radiation field and local gas density there are several equilibrium gas temperatures possible. &lt;BR /&gt; Conclusions: We conclude that, in general, equilibrium gas temperature cannot be determined without treating the temperature evolution. The opacity tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to &lt;A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr"&gt;http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr&lt;/A&gt; (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via &lt;A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/568/A91"&gt;http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/568/A91&lt;/A&gt; as well as via &lt;A href="http://www.mpia.de/~malygin"&gt;http://www.mpia.de/~malygin&lt;/A&gt;
Mild hypervalent iodine mediated oxidative nitration of N-aryl sulfonamides
2014-07-23

An oxidative and acid-free method for the nitration of N-aryl sulfonamides has been developed using a combination of sodium nitrite as cheap and easy to handle NO2-source and the hypervalent iodine reagent PIFA as stoichiometric oxidant. Under very mild reaction conditions, the desired mononitrated aryl sulfonamides were isolated in up to 87% yield. This is the first example of an iodane-mediated oxidative nitration.
Presence of relaxin‐2, oxytocin and their receptors in uterosacral ligaments of pre‐menopausal patients with and without pelvic organ prolapse
2014-07-23

Abstract Objective Pelvic organ prolapse ( POP ) is a major health concern for women. Its pathophysiology is yet not fully understood. We reported an impaired functional state of the smooth muscle compartment in uterosacral ligaments from patients with POP , which was cholinergic, stimulated by oxytocin and modulated by relaxin‐2. The current study investigated the presence of oxytocin and relaxin‐2 and their receptors in the uterosacral ligament from POP /non‐ POP patients. Design Translational investigation on clinical samples. Setting University hospital departments. Population and samples Fourty‐three samples of uterosacral ligament from pre‐menopausal patients with ( n = 20) and without POP ( n = 23). Methods Presence of relaxin‐2, its receptors RXFP 1 and RXFP 2, and of oxytocin and its receptor were analysed by immunohistochemistry and classified using a staining score. Additionally, Western blot analysis was performed. Main outcome measures Presence patterns with respect to POP and non‐ POP uterosacral ligament samples for pathophysiological understanding of POP . Results Relaxin‐2, oxytocin and their receptors were expressed in endothelial cells, the smooth muscle compartment and vasa vasorum in the arteries and veins of the uterosacral ligament, in the smooth muscle compartment present in the ground reticulum and in nerves running through the uterosacral ligament. The presence level of relaxin‐2 was higher in the uterosacral ligament of the POP cohort ( p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions We demonstrated that relaxin‐2 had an increased presence in uterosacral ligaments from patients with POP , suggesting a role of the relaxin system in the pathogenesis of POP and identifying the relaxin system as a potential therapeutic target for the pharmacological treatment of POP .
Engaging Brazilian Street Children in Play: Observations of Their Family Narratives
2014-07-23

Story stem assessments allow children to create narratives in response to brief portrayals of family-based relational challenges. These methods can provide insights into children’s perceptions of close relationships, which is particularly useful for vulnerable children. We conducted a feasibility study of story stem assessments with school-age street children—a previously unstudied population—to explore whether they would understand family-based story scenarios similarly to children in more stable families. Comparisons to children in low income and middle-class conditions were made on the basis of performance characteristics and “narrative coherence.” Street children demonstrated capacities to elaborate family narratives nearly as proficiently as children in the other groups, yet they also displayed unique vulnerabilities. Implications for research with this population are discussed.
Development of a stacked detector system for the x-ray range and its possible applications
2014-07-23

We have constructed a stacked detector system operating in the X-ray range from 0.5 keV to 250 keV that consists of a Si-based 64×64 DePFET-Matrix in front of a CdTe hybrid detector called Caliste-64. The setup is operated under laboratory conditions that approximate the expected environment of a space-borne observatory. The DePFET detector is an active pixel matrix that provides high count-rate capabilities with a near Fanolimited spectral resolution at energies up to 15 keV. The Caliste-64 hard X-ray camera consists of a 1mm thick CdTe crystal combined with very compact integrated readout electronics, constituting a high performance spectro-imager with event-triggered time-tagging capability in the energy range between 2 keV and 200 keV. In this combined geometry the DePFET detector works as the Low Energy Detector (LED) while the Caliste-64 - as the High Energy Detector (HED) - detects predominantly the high energetic photons that have passed the LED. In addition to the individual optimization of both detectors, we use the setup to test and optimize the performance of the combined detector system. Side-effects like X-ray fluorescence photons, electrical crosstalk, and mutual heating have negative impacts on the data quality and will be investigated. Besides the primary application as a combined imaging detector system with high sensitivity across a broad energy range, additional applications become feasible. Via the analysis of coincident events in both detectors we can estimate the capabilities of the setup to be used as a Compton camera and as an X-ray polarimeter - both desirable functionalities for use in the lab as well as for future X-ray missions.
Experimental Evaluation of Gene Silencing As New Therapeutic Option in the Treatment of Gemcitabine-chemoresistant Non-small-cell Lung Cancer
2014-07-23

The evolution of technological and therapeutic applications of siRNA since the description of the interference process in 2006 has been extremely rapid and very productive. Currently, at least ten tumor entities and ten viral infections in which siRNA-based therapy might play an auspicious role have been described. Because of the very poor prognosis of NSCLC, we examined and proposed a new therapeutic alternative for the treatment of gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer via siRNA-specific silencing of six important molecules involved in lung carcinogenesis. Methods : One hundred thousand gemcitabine-chemoresistant A549 cell lines were cultured in a humidified atmosphere containing 5 % CO2 at 37°C and were transfected with specific siRNA targeting HIF1, HIF2, STAT3, SRF, E2F1 and Survivin. The relative expression of these molecules was examined via qRT-PCR and the viability of the chemoresistant cells after siRNA transfection was analyzed using a CASY system 72 hours after specific transfection. Results : The relative expression of the examined target molecules was suppressed by up to 73 % after specific transfection, and the CASY system demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction in the viability of chemoresistant A549 cells of up to 61 %. Therefore the obtained results were significantly better in comparison to the control group. Conclusions : siRNA complexes may induce accurate suppression of various target molecules involved in lung tumor growth, in particular in gemcitabine- chemoresistant adenocarcinoma. Therefore, siRNA-based nanotechnology might represent a productive platform for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents for advanced stages of lung cancer in the context of a personalized multimodality regimen.
Slow cortical potential and theta/beta neurofeedback training in adults: effects on attentional processes and motor system excitability
2014-07-24

Neurofeedback (NF) is being successfully applied, among others, in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as a peak performance training in healthy subjects. However, the neuronal mechanisms mediating a successful NF training have not yet been sufficiently uncovered for both theta/beta (T/B), and slow cortical potential (SCP) training, two protocols established in NF in ADHD. In the present, randomized, controlled investigation in adults without a clinical diagnosis (n = 59), the specificity of the effects of these two NF protocols on attentional processes and motor system excitability were to be examined, focusing on the underlying neuronal mechanisms. Neurofeedback training consisted of 10 double sessions, and self-regulation skills were analyzed. Pre- and post-training assessments encompassed performance and event-related potential measures during an attention task, and motor system excitability assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Some NF protocol-specific effects have been obtained. However, due to the limited sample size medium effects did not reach the level of significance. Self-regulation abilities during negativity trials of the SCP training were associated with increased contingent negative variation amplitudes, indicating improved resource allocation during cognitive preparation. Theta/beta training was associated with increased response speed and decreased target-P3 amplitudes after successful theta/beta regulation suggested reduced attentional resources necessary for stimulus evaluation. Motor system excitability effects after theta/beta training paralleled the effects of methylphenidate. Overall, our results are limited by the non-sufficiently acquired self-regulation skills, but some specific effects between good and poor learners could be described. Future studies with larger sample sizes and sufficient acquisition of self-regulation skills are needed to further evaluate the protocol-specific effects on attention and motor system excitability reported.