julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Room temperature MBE deposition of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 thin films with low charge carrier densities
2011-10-26

Abstract Sb 2 Te 3 and Bi 2 Te 3 thin films were grown at room temperature on SiO 2 substrates using MBE and were subsequently annealed at 250 °C. The films were stoichiometric, polycrystalline, textured, and yielded strikingly low charge carrier densities of about 2.7 × 10 19 cm −3 . The in‐plane transport properties were measured at room temperature, the thermopower was 130 μV K −1 for Sb 2 Te 3 and −153 μV K −1 for Bi 2 Te 3 thin films. The small charge carrier densities are explained by a reduced antisite defect density due to the low temperatures to which the thin films were exposed during annealing.
Extended hepatic resection in advanced hepatoblastoma
2011-10-26

Complete surgical resection of the primary tumor is one of the most important prognostic factors for hepatoblastoma (HB). This goal can mean a relevant challenge in some cases of advanced HB, especially since an anatomical resection should be realised. Over recent years several surgical techniques for advanced liver resections in children have been developed and refined. In this article the authors summarize their own experience with advanced liver resections for HB and give an overview over indications and specifications for the different approaches.
6. Early-concept books
2011-10-26

This article focuses on picturebooks for young children aged 12 to 24 months. This type of picturebook has been largely neglected in picturebook research, albeit it provides fascinating insights into the literary and cognitive development of young children. Two types of picturebooks will be analyzed: First, those that show single objects from the child’s surroundings which are denoted by nouns, second those that show actions that are usually denoted by verbs. Both book types serve to support the child’s acquisition of early concepts, i.e. mental devices the child needs when referring to objects (ball, apple), persons (mummy, baby), or actions (to hit the ball). These early-concept books, as we call them (see Kummerling-Meibauer & Meibauer 2005), have important properties from the point of view of cognitive and literary development. Not only do they reflect the child’s order of lexical acquisition, they also serve as an introduction in elementary picture-text relations and text structures. Hence this article is a plea for a developmental approach to picturebooks. Such an approach should integrate insights from a number of disciplines, such as psycholinguistics and developmental psychology, picture theory, and narratology.
The serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) influences platelet calcium signaling and function by regulation of Orai1 expression in megakaryocytes
2011-10-27

Abstract Platelets are activated on increase of cytosolic Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i), accomplished by store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) involving the pore-forming ion channel subunit Orai1. Here, we show, for the first time, that the serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) is expressed in platelets and megakaryocytes. SOCE and agonist-induced [Ca2+]i increase are significantly blunted in platelets from SGK1 knockout mice (sgk1−/−). Similarly, Ca2+-dependent degranulation, integrin αIIbβ3 activation, phosphatidylserine exposure, aggregation, and in vitro thrombus formation were significantly impaired in sgk1−/− platelets, whereas tail bleeding time was not significantly enhanced. Platelet and megakaryocyte Orai1 transcript levels and membrane protein abundance were significantly reduced in sgk1−/− mice. In human megakaryoblastic cells (MEG-01), transfection with constitutively active S422DSGK1 but not with inactive K127NSGK1 significantly enhanced Orai1 expression and SOCE, while effects reversed by the SGK1 inhibitor GSK650394 (1μM). Transfection of MEG-01 cells with S422DSGK1 significantly increased phosphorylation of IκB kinase α/β and IκBα resulting in nuclear translocation of NF-κB subunit p65. Treatment of S422DSGK1-transfected MEG-01 cells with the IκB kinase inhibitor BMS-345541 (10μM) abolished SGK1-induced increase of Orai1 expression and SOCE. The present observations unravel SGK1 as novel regulator of platelet function, effective at least in part by NF-κB–dependent transcriptional up-regulation of Orai1 in megakaryocytes and increasing platelet SOCE.
Iterative Reconstruction in Head CT: Image Quality of Routine and Low-Dose Protocols in Comparison with Standard Filtered Back-Projection
2011-10-27

Compared with conventional FBP, IR of head CT is associated with significant improvement of objective and subjective IQ and may allow dose reductions in the range of 20% without compromising standard image quality.
Felty's syndrome autoantibodies bind to deiminated histones and neutrophil extracellular chromatin traps
2011-10-27

Abstract Objective To test the hypothesis that autoantigen modifications by peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 (PAD‐4) increase immunoreactivity. Methods We assembled sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Felty's syndrome (FS), and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitides (AAVs), as well as sera from control subjects without autoimmune diseases. The sera were tested for binding to activated neutrophils, deiminated histones, and neutrophil extracellular chromatin traps (NETs). IgG binding to lipopolysaccharide‐activated neutrophils was assessed with confocal microscopy, and binding to in vitro–deiminated histones was measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. In addition, we quantitated histone deimination in freshly isolated neutrophils from the blood of patients and control subjects. Results Increased IgG reactivity with activated neutrophils, particularly binding to NETs, was paralleled by preferential binding to deiminated histones over nondeiminated histones by ELISA in a majority of sera from FS patients but only in a minority of sera from SLE and RA patients. Immunoblotting revealed autoantibody preference for deiminated histones H3, H4, and H2A in most FS patients and in a subset of SLE and RA patients. In patients with AAVs, serum IgG preferentially bound nondeiminated histones over deiminated histones. Increased levels of deiminated histones were detected in neutrophils from RA patients. Conclusion Circulating autoantibodies in FS are preferentially directed against PAD‐4–deiminated histones and bind to activated neutrophils and NETs. Thus, increased reactivity with modified autoantigens in FS implies a direct contribution of neutrophil activation and the production of NET‐associated nuclear autoantigens in the initiation or progression of FS.
Mutational Mapping of pUL131A of Human Cytomegalovirus Emphasizes Its Central Role for Endothelial Cell Tropism
2011-10-27

ABSTRACT The UL131A protein is part of a pentameric variant of the gcIII complex in the virion envelope of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), which has been found essential for efficient entry into endothelial cells (ECs). Using a systematic mutational scanning approach, we aimed to define peptide motifs within the UL131A protein that contribute to EC infection. Mutant viruses were generated in which charged amino acids within frames of 2 to 6 amino acids were replaced with alanines. The resulting viruses were evaluated with regard to their potential to infect EC cultures. Four clusters of charged amino acids essential for EC infection were identified (amino acids 22 to 27, 32 to 35, 64 to 69, and 116 to 121). Mutations of individual charge clusters within amino acids 72 to 104 caused minor reductions of EC tropism, but these effects were additive in a combined mutation, showing that this region also contributes to EC tropism. Only charge clusters within amino acids 46 to 58 were found irrelevant for EC infection. In conclusion, the unusual sensitivity to mutations, together with the remarkable conservation of the UL131A protein, emphasizes its particular role for EC tropism of HCMV.
“Everything Now Seemed So Simple to Me …” : Feodor Lynen (1911–1979), a Hero of Biochemistry
2011-10-27

The enigma of “activated acetic acid”, the acetylated form of coenzyme A that participates in key metabolic processes, was solved by Feodor Lynen in 1950. The worldwide interest in this discovery led Lynen and biochemistry in Germany back into the world of international science. Lynen received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1964 for his basic “discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism”.
Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Uric Acid Levels in Lewy Body Disorders: Associations with Disease Occurrence and Amyloid-β Pathway
2011-10-28

Recent studies have provided evidence that uric acid (UA), a natural antioxidant, may play a role in the development and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) and of dementia. In this clinical study we were therefore interested in the role of UA in Lewy body disorders (LBD), which includes Parkinson's disease (PD) and a common form of neurodegenerative dementias, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Ninety-five LBD patients (55 non-demented PD patients, PDND; 20 PD patients with dementia, PDD; and 20 DLB patients) and 76 controls underwent clinical and biochemical analyses including, from a subcohort, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses, and analysis of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to be associated with altered serum UA levels. We confirmed previous findings of lowered serum UA levels in LBD patients compared to controls. In CSF, UA levels were significantly higher in PDND patients (median 0.7 mg/dl) compared only to demented LBD patients (0.4 mg/dl; p = 0.03), but not to controls (0.5 mg/dl; p = 0.12). CSF UA levels correlated positively with CSF Aβ42 levels. This correlation was highest in controls (ρ = 0.67), intermediate in PDND (ρ = 0.49), but not observable in demented LBD patients (ρ = 0.10). These findings suggest an involvement of serum UA in LBD occurrence, and an involvement of CSF UA in cognitive decline in LBD, possibly through the Aβ pathway. SNP rs1165205 (SLC17A3) was weakly associated with altered CSF UA levels. Taken together, our results provide first evidence for disease-relevant but potentially distinct roles of UA in the blood and CSF compartment, respectively, in LBD.
Front Cover Advanced Engineering Materials 11/2011
2011-10-28

The cover depicts the microstructure of sea urchin spines (blue and green circle) and biomimetic alumina (violet circle). Computer tomography shows the macroscopic similarity between graded hierarchic porous alumina obtained via slip casting (red) and a pencil sea urchin spine (brown). (Cover art by V. Presser and K. Jost). Further details can be found in the article by Presser et al. on page 1042.
The Magmatic to Hydrothermal Evolution of the Intrusive Mont Saint-Hilaire Complex: Insights into the Late-stage Evolution of Peralkaline Rocks
2011-10-29

The Cretaceous Mont Saint-Hilaire complex (Quebec, Canada) comprises three major rock units that were emplaced in the following sequence: (I) gabbros; (II) diorites; (III) diverse partly agpaitic foid syenites. The major element compositions of the rock-forming minerals, age-corrected Nd and oxygen isotope data for mineral separates and trace element data of Fe-Mg silicates from the various lithologies imply a common source for all units. The distribution of the rare earth elements in clinopyroxene from the gabbros indicates an ocean island basalt type composition for the parental magma. Gabbros record temperatures of 1200 to 800 degrees C, variable silica activities between 0 center dot 7 and 0 center dot 3, and f(O2) values between -0 center dot 5 and +0 center dot 7 (log delta FMQ, where FMQ is fayalite-magnetite-quartz). The diorites crystallized under uniform a(SiO2) (a(SiO2) = 0 center dot 4-0 center dot 5) and more reduced f(O2) conditions (log delta FMQ similar to-1) between similar to 1100 and similar to 800 degrees C. Phase equilibria in various foid syenites indicate that silica activities decrease from 0 center dot 6-0 center dot 3 at similar to 1000 degrees C to &lt; 0 center dot 3 at similar to 550 degrees C. Release of an aqueous fluid during the transition to the hydrothermal stage caused a(SiO2) to drop to very low values, which results from reduced SiO(2) solubilities in aqueous fluids compared with silicate melts. During the hydrothermal stage, high water activities stabilized zeolite-group minerals. Fluid inclusions record a complex post-magmatic history, which includes trapping of an aqueous fluid that unmixed from the restitic foid syenitic magma. Cogenetic aqueous and carbonic fluid inclusions reflect heterogeneous trapping of coexisting immiscible external fluids in the latest evolutionary stage. The O and C isotope characteristics of fluid-inclusion hosted CO(2) and late-stage carbonates imply that the surrounding limestones were the source of the external fluids. The mineral-rich syenitic rocks at Mont Saint-Hilaire evolved as follows: first, alkalis, high field strength and large ion lithophile elements were pre-enriched in the (late) magmatic and subsequent hydrothermal stages; second, percolation of external fluids in equilibrium with the carbonate host-rocks and mixing processes with internal fluids as well as fluid-rock interaction governed dissolution of pre-existing minerals, element transport and precipitation of mineral assemblages determined by locally variable parameters. It is this hydrothermal interplay between internal and external fluids that is responsible for the mineral wealth found at Mont Saint-Hilaire.
The SCO2 protein disulphide isomerase is required for thylakoid biogenesis and interacts with LCHB1 chlorophyll a/b binding proteins which affects chlorophyll biosynthesis in Arabidopsis seedlings
2011-10-31

Summary The process of chloroplast biogenesis requires a multitude of pathways and processes to establish chloroplast function. In cotyledons of seedlings, chloroplasts develop either directly from proplastids (also named eoplasts) or, if germinated in the dark, via etioplasts, whereas in leaves chloroplasts derive from proplastids in the apical meristem and are then multiplied by division. The snowy cotyledon 2 , sco2 , mutations specifically disrupt chloroplast biogenesis in cotyledons. SCO2 encodes a chloroplast‐localized protein disulphide isomerase, hypothesized to be involved in protein folding. Analysis of co‐expressed genes with SCO2 revealed that genes with similar expression patterns encode chloroplast proteins involved in protein translation and in chlorophyll biosynthesis. Indeed, sco2‐1 accumulates increased levels of the chlorophyll precursor, protochlorophyllide, in both dark grown cotyledons and leaves. Yeast two‐hybrid analyses demonstrated that SCO2 directly interacts with the chlorophyll‐binding LHCB1 proteins, being confirmed in planta using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC). Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis of sco2‐1 chloroplasts revealed that formation and movement of transport vesicles from the inner envelope to the thylakoids is perturbed. SCO2 does not interact with the signal recognition particle proteins SRP54 and FtsY, which were shown to be involved in targeting of LHCB1 to the thylakoids. We hypothesize that SCO2 provides an alternative targeting pathway for light‐harvesting chlorophyll binding (LHCB) proteins to the thylakoids via transport vesicles predominantly in cotyledons, with the signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway predominant in rosette leaves. Therefore, we propose that SCO2 is involved in the integration of LHCB1 proteins into the thylakoids that feeds back on the regulation of the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway and nuclear gene expression.
Realization of discrete quantum billiards in a two-dimensional optical lattice
2011-10-31

We propose the method for optical visualization of Bose-Hubbard model with\\ntwo interacting bosons in the form of two-dimensional (2D) optical lattices\\nconsisting of optical waveguides, where the waveguides at the diagonal are\\ncharacterized by different refractive index than others elsewhere, modeling the\\nboson-boson interaction. We study the light intensity distribution function\\naveraged over direction of propagation for both ordered and disordered cases,\\nexploring sensitivity of the averaged picture with respect to the beam\\ninjection position. For our finite systems the resulting patterns reminiscent\\nthe ones set in billiards and therefore we introduce a definition of discrete\\nquantum billiard discussing the possible relevance to its well established\\ncontinuous counterpart.\\n
Flow cytometry analysis ofporcineplatelets: Optimized methods for best results
2011-10-31

Animal models are essential tools for the in vivo evaluation of pharmacological modulation of platelet function and the mechanisms underlying thrombosis. In particular, pigs are being increasingly used in cardiovascular and platelet research. One standard method for the investigation of platelet function under experimental conditions is flow cytometry. However, this approach is limited by a shortage of feasible antibodies and a lack of incubation protocols with regard to porcine platelets. This study aimed to establish a method for the investigation of porcine platelets in flow cytometry. Platelets from pigs and human donors were stained with various commercially available specific antibodies against platelet receptors CD41a, CD42bα, CD62P, activated CD41/CD61, and platelet-bound fibrinogen. Staining procedures were performed in undiluted or diluted whole blood (WB) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Samples were treated with PBS buffer as control or with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to induce platelet activation. Flow cytometry was performed using standard methodology. Furthermore, platelet counts were determined and ADP-induced platelet aggregations of both species were examined to confirm that the agonist ADP reliably activates human as well as porcine platelets. Five of the investigated antibodies bound to human, but not to porcine platelets only. However, two chicken-derived antibodies directed against CD62P (09-143) and fibrinogen (09-038) as well as a monoclonal mouse anti-CD62P (KO2.5) and a polyclonal rabbit anti-fibrinogen antibody (F0111) allowed reliable detection of porcine platelet activation. Moreover, binding intensity of the 09-143 antibody was increased when incubated in porcine PRP compared to WB, whereas antibody binding of both anti-fibrinogen antibodies to porcine platelets was only observed when incubated in a WB-buffer solution. KO2.5 antibody binding was detectable employing PRP as well as the WB-buffer solution. The feasibility of our new incubation protocols was confirmed by successful investigation of platelet activation in a porcine in vivo cardiopulmonary bypass model. In conclusion, we describe a reliable method to detect the activation of porcine platelets and therefore provide a useful tool for platelet flow cytometry in porcine models. Notably, the applied incubation protocol and medium, in which platelets are suspended, have major effects on antibody-binding properties.
Suppression of extrapyramidal side effects of doxepin by thalamic deep brain stimulation for Tourette syndrome
2011-10-31

Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to improve tics in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS).1 However, problems with psychosocial adaptation and comorbid depression can complicate treatment and necessitate concomitant antidepressant therapy.2,3 Here, we describe the occurrence of an acute movement disorder including dystonia caused by the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin that interfered with the otherwise effective DBS treatment of a malignant motor tic in a patient with TS. ### Case report. A right-handed 31-year-old man with TS ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition ) had compulsory left-hand pounding of the chin leading to chronic ulceration of the skin, loss of teeth, and mandibular fractures (video 1, segment 1, on the Neurology ® Web site at www.neurology.org). This left-sided violent tic was accompanied by bilateral milder motor tics (e.g., touching the lips, his nose, or his glasses with the left or right hand or twisting his ankle) and grunting as a single vocal tic (Yale Global Tic Severity Score [YGTSS] 77). Obsessive and compulsive symptoms (OCS) presented as compulsive ranging, counting, and touching, as well as intrusive thoughts (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS] 24). Disability and social isolation were associated with recurrent depression and 2 ...
Local tunneling magnetoresistance probed by low-temperature scanning laser microscopy
2011-10-31

Tunneling magnetoresistance in a vertical manganite junction was investigated by low-temperature scanning laser microscopy (LTSLM) allowing to determine the local relative magnetization M orientation of the two electrodes as a function of magnitude and orientation of the external magnetic field H. Sweeping the field amplitude at fixed orientation revealed magnetic domain nucleation and propagation in the junction electrodes. For the high-resistance state, an almost single-domain antiparallel magnetization configuration was achieved, while in the low-resistance state the junction remained in a multidomain state. Calculated resistance Rcalc(H) based on the local M configuration obtained by LTSLM is in quantitative agreement with R(H) measured by magnetotransport.
Physical Activity Attenuates the Influence of FTO Variants on Obesity Risk: A Meta-Analysis of 218,166 Adults and 19,268 Children
2011-11-01

BACKGROUND: The FTO gene harbors the strongest known susceptibility locus for obesity. While many individual studies have suggested that physical activity (PA) may attenuate the effect of FTO on obesity risk, other studies have not been able to confirm this interaction. To confirm or refute unambiguously whether PA attenuates the association of FTO with obesity risk, we meta-analyzed data from 45 studies of adults (n = 218,166) and nine studies of children and adolescents (n = 19,268). METHODS AND FINDINGS: All studies identified to have data on the FTO rs9939609 variant (or any proxy [r(2)&gt;0.8]) and PA were invited to participate, regardless of ethnicity or age of the participants. PA was standardized by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable (physically inactive versus active) in each study. Overall, 25% of adults and 13% of children were categorized as inactive. Interaction analyses were performed within each study by including the FTO×PA interaction term in an additive model, adjusting for age and sex. Subsequently, random effects meta-analysis was used to pool the interaction terms. In adults, the minor (A-) allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity by 1.23-fold/allele (95% CI 1.20-1.26), but PA attenuated this effect (p(interaction) = 0.001). More specifically, the minor allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity less in the physically active group (odds ratio = 1.22/allele, 95% CI 1.19-1.25) than in the inactive group (odds ratio = 1.30/allele, 95% CI 1.24-1.36). No such interaction was found in children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The association of the FTO risk allele with the odds of obesity is attenuated by 27% in physically active adults, highlighting the importance of PA in particular in those genetically predisposed to obesity.