julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Study of the exotic μ-e conversion in nuclei using RQRPA
2020-02-11

The neutrinoless muon-to-electron conversion in nuclei is studied by using the renormalized quasiparticle random-phase approximation (RQRPA). This generalization of RPA is more reliable for the extremely small (μ-,e-) transition matrix elements than the ordinary QRPA because it restores the Pauli principle to a large extent. We apply the method to a set of nuclei throughout the periodic table, but we specifically investigate the 48Ti and 208Pb nuclei which are currently used as stopping targets at the PSI μ-e conversion experiments with the SINDRUM II spectrometer.
Super-Kamiokande neutrino oscillations and the supersymmetric model
2020-02-11

The standard model predicts a ratio of 2 for the number of atmospheric muon to electron neutrinos, while super-Kamiokande and others measure a much smaller value (1.30±0.02 for super-Kamiokande). Super-Kamiokande is also able to measure roughly the direction and the energy of the neutrinos. The zenith-angle dependence for the muon neutrinos suggests that the muon neutrinos oscillate into a third neutrino species, either into the r neutrino or a sterile neutrino. This finding is inves- tigated within the supersymmetric model. The neutrinos mix with the neutralinos, this meaning the wino, the bino and the two higgsinos. The 7 x 7 mass matrix is calculated on the tree level. One finds that the mass matrix has three linearly dependent rows, which means that two masses are zero. They are identified with the two lightest neutrino masses. The fit of the super-Kamiokande data to oscillations between three neutrinos yields, together with the result of supersymmetry, that the third neutrino mass lies between 2x10^-2 and 10^-1 eV. The two lightest neutrino masses are in supersymmetry on the tree level zero. The averaged electron neutrino mass which is the essential parameter in the neutrinoless double-beta decay is given by {m_ve) ~ m_v3 P_ze &lt; 0.8 x10^-2 eV (95% confidence limit). It is derived from the super-Kamiokande data in this supersymmetric model to be two orders smaller than the best value (1 eV) from the neutrinoless double-beta decay.
A small podocnemidoid (Pleurodira, Pelomedusoides) from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil, and the innervation and carotid circulation of side‐necked turtles
2020-02-12

Abstract Pleurodires are less diverse than cryptodires, together forming the two major lineages of crown turtles. Their fossil record, however, is rich. A particularly large number of fossil pleurodires, many belonging to the Podocnemidoidae, has been recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group outcrops of south‐central Brazil. Herein we describe an additional pleurodire from this region, Amabilis uchoensis gen. et sp. nov., based on a partially preserved skull. A. uchoensis is recognized as belonging to the Podocnemidoidae by the small entrance to the antrum postoticum and completely developed cavum pterygoidei, being unique among other non‐podocnemidid podocnemidoids for its medially open fenestra postotica and absent basioccipital–opisthotic contact. Our cladistic analysis places A. uchoensis as a sister taxon to Hamadachelys + other podocnemidoids. We further explore the neuroanatomy of side‐necked turtles with the aid of micro‐computed tomography of specimens of the main pleurodiran lineages. Our data shed light on the different carotid circulation patterns in pleurodires, and we propose new phylogenetic characters to describe the neuroanatomical variation of the group. Optimization of these characters shows two independent acquisitions of a foramen for the palatal branch of the carotid in chelids and podocnemidoids, and a unique loss of the vidian nerve canal in chelids, in turtles in general.
An Investigation of Psychosis Subgroups With Prognostic Validation and Exploration of Genetic Underpinnings
2020-02-12

Psychosis subgroups were detected with distinctive clinical signatures and illness courses and specificity for a nondiagnostic genetic marker. New data-driven clinical approaches are important for future psychosis taxonomies. The findings suggest a need to consider short-term to medium-term service provision to restore functioning in patients stratified into the depressive and severe psychosis subgroups.
A filtered Boris algorithm for charged-particle dynamics in a strong magnetic field
2020-02-12

Abstract A modification of the standard Boris algorithm, called filtered Boris algorithm, is proposed for the numerical integration of the equations of motion of charged particles in a strong non-uniform magnetic field in the asymptotic scaling known as maximal ordering. With an appropriate choice of filters, second-order error bounds in the position and in the parallel velocity, and first-order error bounds in the normal velocity are obtained with respect to the scaling parameter. This also yields a second-order approximation to the guiding center motion. The proof compares the modulated Fourier expansions of the exact and the numerical solutions. Numerical experiments illustrate the error behaviour of the filtered Boris algorithm.
Prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales colonization on hospital admission and ESBL genotype-specific risk factors: a cross-sectional study in six German university hospitals
2020-02-12

Abstract Objectives To assess the admission prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (3GCREB) and to assess whether risk factors vary by β-lactamase genotype. Methods Adult patients were recruited within 72 h of admission to general wards of six university hospitals in 2014 and 2015. Rectal swabs were screened for 3GCREB and isolates were analysed phenotypically and genotypically. Patients were questioned on potential risk factors. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for 3GCREB colonization and for specific β-lactamases. Results Of 8753 patients screened, 828 were 3GCREB positive (9.5%). Eight hundred and thirteen isolates were available for genotyping. CTX-M-15 was the most common ESBL (38.0%), followed by CTX-M-1 (22.5%), CTX-M-14 (8.7%), CTX-M-27 (7.5%) and SHV-ESBL (4.4%). AmpC was found in 11.9%. Interestingly, 18 Escherichia coli isolates were AmpC positive, 12 of which (67%) contained AmpC on a gene of plasmid origin [CMY (n = 10), DHA (n = 2)]. Risk factors for 3GCREB colonization varied by genotype. Recent antibiotic exposure and prior colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacteria were risk factors for all β-lactamases except CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-27. Travel outside Europe was a risk factor for CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-27 [adjusted OR (aOR) 3.49, 95% CI 2.88–4.24 and aOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.68–4.43]. A previous stay in a long-term care facility was associated with CTX-M-14 (aOR 3.01, 95% CI 1.98–4.59). A preceding hospital stay in Germany increased the risk of CTX-M-15 (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.14–1.41), while a prior hospital stay in other European countries increased the risk of SHV-ESBL colonization (aOR 3.85, 95% CI 1.67–8.92). Conclusions The detection of different ESBL types is associated with specific risk factor sets that might represent distinct sources of colonization and ESBL-specific dissemination routes.
Phosphoglycerol-type wall and lipoteichoic acids are enantiomeric polymers differentiated by the stereospecific glycerophosphodiesterase GlpQ
2020-02-12

The cell envelope of Gram-positive bacteria generally comprises two types of polyanionic polymers linked to either peptidoglycan (wall teichoic acids; WTA) or to membrane glycolipids (lipoteichoic acids; LTA). In some bacteria, including <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> strain 168, both WTA and LTA are glycerolphosphate polymers yet are synthesized through different pathways and have distinct but incompletely understood morphogenetic functions during cell elongation and division. We show here that the exolytic <i>sn</i>-glycerol-3-phosphodiesterase GlpQ can discriminate between <i>B. subtilis</i> WTA and LTA. GlpQ completely degraded unsubstituted WTA, which lacks substituents at the glycerol residues, by sequentially removing glycerolphosphates from the free end of the polymer up to the peptidoglycan linker. In contrast, GlpQ could not degrade unsubstituted LTA unless it was partially precleaved, allowing access of GlpQ to the other end of the polymer, which, in the intact molecule, is protected by a connection to the lipid anchor. Differences in stereochemistry between WTA and LTA have been suggested previously on the basis of differences in their biosynthetic precursors and chemical degradation products. The differential cleavage of WTA and LTA by GlpQ reported here represents the first direct evidence that they are enantiomeric polymers: WTA is made of <i>sn</i>-glycerol-3-phosphate, and LTA is made of <i>sn</i>-glycerol-1-phosphate. Their distinct stereochemistries reflect the dissimilar physiological and immunogenic properties of WTA and LTA. It also enables differential degradation of the two polymers within the same envelope compartment <i>in vivo</i>, particularly under phosphate-limiting conditions, when <i>B. subtilis</i> specifically degrades WTA and replaces it with phosphate-free teichuronic acids.
EXTraS discovery of an X-ray superflare from an L dwarf
2020-02-12

\\nWe present the first detection of an X-ray flare from an ultracool dwarf of spectral class L. The event was identified in the EXTraS database of XMM-Newton variable sources, and its optical counterpart, J0331−27, was found through a cross-match with the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 release. Next to an earlier four-photon detection of Kelu-1, J0331−27 is only the second L dwarf detected in X-rays, and much more distant than other ultracool dwarfs with X-ray detections (photometric distance of 240 pc). From an optical spectrum with the VIMOS instrument at the VLT, we determine the spectral type of J0331−27 to be L1. The X-ray flare has an energy of EX, F ∼ 2 × 1033 erg, placing it in the regime of superflares. No quiescent emission is detected, and from 2.5 Ms of XMM-Newton data we derive an upper limit of LX, qui &lt; 1027 erg s−1. The flare peak luminosity (LX, peak = 6.3 × 1029 erg s−1), flare duration (τdecay ≈ 2400 s), and plasma temperature (≈16 MK) are similar to values observed in X-ray flares of M dwarfs. This shows that strong magnetic reconnection events and the ensuing plasma heating are still present even in objects with photospheres as cool as ∼2100 K. However, the absence of any other flares above the detection threshold of EX, F ∼ 2.5 × 1032 erg in a total of ∼2.5 Ms of X-ray data yields a flare energy number distribution inconsistent with the canonical power law dN/dE ∼ E−2, suggesting that magnetic energy release in J0331−27 – and possibly in all L dwarfs – takes place predominantly in the form of giant flares.\\n
Absolute and relative differential blood count predicts survival of AJCC stage I‐II melanoma patients scheduled for sentinel lymph node biopsy
2020-02-12

Abstract Background/Objectives Elevated neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood is associated with poor overall survival (OS) in metastatic melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy. However, the impact of peripheral blood cells in patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is still unclear. This study was intended to characterize the impact of peripheral blood leukocytic cells on overall survival (OS) in melanoma patients undergoing SLNB. Methods A total of 1412 AJCC stage I‐II melanoma patients scheduled for SLNB at a single institution in the period 2010–2015 with available perioperative blood tests were randomly assigned to two independent cohorts. Associations of peripheral blood leukocytes with OS were analysed using Kaplan–Meier estimator and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results NLR &gt;4.26, absolute neutrophil count &gt;5800/μL, relative neutrophil count &gt;69.7% and relative lymphocyte count ≤ 17.5% were significantly associated with reduced OS in both cohorts. Absolute monocytes &gt;810/μL, absolute eosinophils ≤200/μL, relative monocytes &gt;6.6%, relative eosinophils ≤2.7% and relative basophils ≤0.6% were significantly associated with reduced OS in one cohort each. On multivariate analysis, a combined score including absolute levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils was significantly associated with OS in both cohorts. The hazard ratio of patients with a risk score of 3–4 was 5.42 (95% confidence interval: 1.52–19.42, P = 0.0094) in cohort 1 and 9.42 (2.06–43.06, P = 0.0038) in cohort 2, respectively. Conclusions We conclude that peripheral blood leukocytes are independently associated with OS in stage I‐II melanoma patients and should be considered as prognostic markers in these patients. Eosinophils and basophils deserve more attention in future investigations.
Local government responses to EU citizens’ integration needs
2020-02-12

EU citizens migrating between EU member states are expected to be self-sufficient movers, with little access to social or integration support for the economically inactive. This generates challenges for both migrant EU citizens and local governments in places of destination. The latter are confronted with new social challenges resulting from migration that balances between mobility and settlement. How local governments respond to this crucially shapes EU citizenship and the evolving EU migration system. This paper looks at local responses to migrant EU citizens' integration needs and how we might understand these. The paper is exploratory and builds on in-depth research in Berlin, Hamburg, Gothenburg and Stockholm conducted in 2015–2016. It demonstrates that responses varied between short-term approaches addressing basic needs and long-term strategies focusing on integration. It argues that the integration strategy identified in Berlin is the result of a national context of bottom-up immigrant policy-making, certain historical experiences of immigration, and, crucially, the work of local policy entrepreneurs.
The assessment of electrospun scaffolds fabricated from polycaprolactone with the addition of L-arginine
2020-02-12

Polycaprolactone (PCL) was electrospun with the addition of arginine (Arg), an α-amino acid that accelerates the healing process. The efficient needleless electrospinning technique was used for the fabrication of the nanofibrous layers. The materials produced consisted mainly of fibers with diameters of between 200 and 400 nm. Moreover, both microfibers and beads were present within the layers. Higher bead sizes were observed with the increased addition of arginine. The arginine content within the layers as well as the weight of the resultant electrospun materials were enhanced with the increased addition of arginine to the electrospinning solution (1, 5 and 10 wt%). The PCL + 1% Arg nanofibrous layer contained 5.67 ± 0.04% of arginine, the PCL + 5% Arg layer 22.66 ± 0.24% of arginine and the PCL + 10% Arg layer 37.33 ± 0.39% of arginine according to the results of the elemental analysis. A high burst release within 5 h of soaking was recorded for the PCL + 5% and PCL + 10% nanofibrous layers. However, the release rate of arginine from the PCL + 1% Arg was significantly slower, reaching a maximum level after 72 h of soaking. The resulting materials were hydrophobic. Hemocompatibility testing under static conditions revealed no effect on hemolysis following the addition of arginine and the prolongation of the prothrombin time with the increased addition of arginine, thus exerting an influence on the extrinsic and common pathway of coagulation activation. The results of the dynamic hemocompatibility assessment revealed that the numbers of blood cells and platelets were not affected significantly by the various electrospun samples during incubation. The TAT, β-thromboglobulin and SC5-b9 concentrations were characterized by a moderate increase in the PCL group compared to those of the control group. The presence of arginine resulted in a decrease in the investigated hemocompatibility markers. The PMN elastase levels were comparable with respect to all the groups.
Elevated Plasmodium infection and multiple insecticide resistance in the principal malaria vectors Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae in a forested locality close to the airport of Yaoundé, the Capital city of Cameroon
2020-02-12

Abstract Background Reducing the burden of malaria requires better understanding of vector populations particularly in forested regions where the incidence remains elevated. Here, we characterized malaria vectors in a locality near the international airport of Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, including species composition, abundance, Plasmodium infection rate; insecticide resistance profiles and underlying resistance mechanisms. Methods Blood-fed adult mosquitoes resting indoors were aspirated from houses in April 2019 at Elende, a village located 2km from the Yaoundé-Nsimalen airport. Female mosquitoes were forced to lay eggs to generate F 1 adult progeny. WHO bioassays were performed to assess resistance profile to insecticides. The threshold of insecticide susceptibility was fixed above 98% mortality rate and mortality rates below 90% were considered indicative of confirmed insecticide resistance according to the WHO test procedures for insecticide resistance monitoring. Furthermore, the molecular basis of resistance and Plasmodium infection rates were investigated.Results Anopheles funestus s.s. was most abundant species in Elende (85%) followed by Anopheles gambiae s.s. (15%) with both having a similar sporozoite infection rate. Both species exhibited high levels of resistance to pyrethroids (&lt;40% mortality). An. gambiae s.s. was also resistant to DDT (9.9% mortality) and bendiocarb (54% mortality) while susceptible to organophosphate. An. funestus s.s. was resistant to dieldrin (1% mortality), DDT (86% mortality) but susceptible to carbamates and organophosphates. The DDT/pyrethroid L119F-GSTe2 resistance allele (8%) and G119S ace -1 resistance allele (15%) were detected in An. funestus s.s. and An. gambiae s.s. respectively. Furthermore, the high pyrethroid/DDT resistances in An. gambiae s.s. corresponded with an increase frequency of 1014F kdr allele (95%). The CYP6P9a P450 resistance allele was absent in the An. funestus s.s. population meanwhile transcriptional profiling of candidate cytochrome P450 genes reveals the over-expression of CYP6P5 , CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b. Conclusion The resistance to multiple insecticide classes observed in these vector populations alongside the high Plasmodium infection rate highlights the challenges that public health vector control programs encounter in sustaining the regular effectiveness of contemporary insecticide-based control interventions in forested areas. More particularly, the resistance observed against the carbamates and possible resistance against the organophosphates constitutes a major concern for IRS.
Deconstructing the Prevalence of the White-Dominated German Gaze
2020-02-12

Summary The observation that particularly white Germans rigorously protest against U.S.- American police brutality and for human rights in 2020 without equally vigorously working against structural racism in their own country constitutes the starting point of this article. In seeking to explain this contradiction in which racism is frequently compartmentalized and outsourced to the U.S., the article draws a connection to the past when Germans demonstrated similar (if significantly smaller and frequently more rhetorical) solidarity through their overall positive take on the Civil Rights Movement. This article argues for the need to come to terms with and deconstruct this whitedominated German gaze on history in order to arrive at a less distorted perspective not only on that era, but also on racism and Germans' past and present entanglement with it. After carefully analyzing the various, historical layers of the German gaze and its effect on how Germans have come to see the (long) Civil Rights Movement, which continues to serve as a main indicator of Germans' approach to racism, the article ends with several practical steps that will be indispensable to put these theoretical insights into action.
Sarah Thomsen Vierra. Turkish Germans in the Federal Republic of Germany: Immigration, Space, and Belonging, 1961–1990.
2020-02-12

According to a survey conducted in 2018, 20.8 million people with migratory backgrounds lived in Germany. This means that every fourth inhabitant of the Federal Republic of Germany has been born abroad or has at least one parent of foreign origin, a tendency that continues to increase. The largest proportion of people with migratory backgrounds are those from Turkey, at 13.3 percent. If we apply a different criterion, the legal question of citizenship, then 10.9 million inhabitants of Germany were foreigners in 2018. This corresponds to 13.2 percent of the total population. The largest group were those from Turkey, at 1.48 million (representing 13.5 percent). No matter which criterion one goes by, the figures illustrate two fundamental developments of German postwar history: in the course of the past seventy years, Germany has gone from being an ethnically nearly homogenous state at the time of its founding in 1949 to being...
Rapid adaptive evolution to drought in a subset of plant traits in a large-scale climate change experiment
2020-02-12

Rapid evolution of traits and of plasticity may enable adaptation to climate change, yet solid experimental evidence under natural conditions is scarce. Here, we imposed rainfall manipulations (+30%, control, -30%) for ten years on entire natural plant communities in two Eastern Mediterranean sites. Additional sites along a natural rainfall gradient and controlled selection analyses assessed whether potential responses were adaptive. In both sites, our annual target species Biscutella didyma consistently evolved earlier phenology and higher reproductive allocation in dry plots. This response was adaptive, as it aligned with theory, corresponding trait shifts along the natural rainfall gradient, and selection analyses under differential watering in the greenhouse. However, another seven candidate traits did not evolve, and there was little support for evolution of plasticity. Our results provide compelling evidence for rapid adaptive evolution under climate change; yet, they also call attention to potential constraints for full adaptation.
Tight junctions in the blood–brain barrier promote edema formation and infarct size in stroke – Ambivalent effects of sealing proteins
2020-02-13

The outcome of stroke is greatly influenced by the state of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The BBB endothelium is sealed paracellularly by tight junction (TJ) proteins, i.e., claudins (Cldns) and the redox regulator occludin. Functions of Cldn3 and occludin at the BBB are largely unknown, particularly after stroke. We address the effects of Cldn3 deficiency and stress factors on the BBB and its TJs. Cldn3 tightened the BBB for small molecules and ions, limited endothelial endocytosis, strengthened the TJ structure and controlled Cldn1 expression. After middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 3-h reperfusion or hypoxia of isolated brain capillaries, Cldn1, Cldn3 and occludin were downregulated. In Cldn3 knockout mice (C3KO), the reduction in Cldn1 was even greater and TJ ultrastructure was impaired; 48 h after MCAO of wt mice, infarct volumes were enlarged and edema developed, but endothelial TJs were preserved. In contrast, junctional localization of Cldn5 and occludin, TJ density, swelling and infarction size were reduced in affected brain areas of C3KO. Taken together, Cldn3 and occludin protect TJs in stroke, and this keeps the BBB intact. However, functional Cldn3, Cldn3-regulated TJ proteins and occludin promote edema and infarction, which suggests that TJ modulation could improve the outcome of stroke.