julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Anti-agrin autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis
2014-05-03

The results provide evidence for agrin as a novel target protein for autoantibodies in patients with MG. Anti-agrin antibodies were always detected in combination with autoantibodies against MuSK, LRP4, or AChRs, indicating a high incidence of autoantibodies against several neuromuscular proteins in the agrin-positive MG cases.
Mineralisation of amethyst-bearing geodes in Ametista do Sul (Brazil) from low-temperature sedimentary brines: evidence from monophase liquid inclusions and stable isotopes
2014-05-03

Fluid inclusion studies in combination with hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur isotope data provide novel insights into the genesis of giant amethyst-bearing geodes in Early Cretaceous Parana continental flood basalts at Amestita do Sul, Brazil. Monophase liquid inclusions in colourless quartz, amethyst, calcite, barite and gypsum were analysed by microthermometry after stimulating bubble nucleation using single femtosecond laser pulses. The salinity of the fluid inclusions was determined from ice-melting temperatures and a combination of prograde and retrograde homogenisation temperatures via the density maximum of the aqueous solutions. Four mineralisation stages are distinguished. In stage I, celadonite, chalcedony and pyrite formed under reducing conditions in a thermally stable environment. Low delta S-34(V-CDT) values of pyrite (-25 to -32 aEuro degrees) suggest biogenic sulphate reduction by organotrophic bacteria. During the subsequent stages II (amethyst, goethite and anhydrite), III (early subhedral calcite) and IV (barite, late subhedral calcite and gypsum), the oxidation state of the fluid changed towards more oxidising conditions and microbial sulphate reduction ceased. Three distinct modes of fluid salinities around 5.3, 3.4 and 0.3 wt% NaCl-equivalent characterise the mineralisation stages II, III and IV, respectively. The salinity of the stage I fluid is unknown due to lack of fluid inclusions. Variation in homogenisation temperatures and in delta O-18 values of amethyst show evidence of repeated pulses of ascending hydrothermal fluids of up to 80-90 A degrees C infiltrating a basaltic host rock of less than 45 A degrees C. Colourless quartz and amethyst formed at temperatures between 40 and 80 A degrees C, while the different calcite generations and late gypsum precipitated at temperatures below 45 A degrees C. Calculated oxygen isotope composition of the amethyst-precipitating fluid in combination with delta D values of amethyst-hosted fluid inclusions (-59 to -51 aEuro degrees) show a significant O-18-shift from the meteoric water line. This O-18-shift, high salinities of the fluid inclusions with chloride-sulphate composition, and high delta S-34 values of anhydrite and barite (7.5 to 9.9 aEuro degrees) suggest that sedimentary brines from deeper parts of the Guarani aquifer system must have been responsible for the amethyst mineralisation.
Towards international comparative research on the professionalisation of Religious Education
2014-05-04

This article calls for international comparative research on the professionalisation of Religious Education (RE). To this end, it provides a rationale for focusing upon the concept of professionalisation and a theoretical justification for international comparative research, particularly identifying its significance in terms of the development of RE in England and Germany. The article outlines a methodology for exploring the concepts of professional knowledge, professional self-organisation and politics and professional development. The proposed methodology involves a systematic analysis of primary documentary sources including: (1) academic and professional journal articles and textbooks; (2) the archives of relevant institutions and organisations; and (3) external evidence, such as inspection and research reports. An analytical case study of two leading journals in each national context, Religion in Education in England and Der Evangelische Erzieher in Germany, in the immediate post-war era is appended to illustrate the benefits of implementing such a methodology across national boundaries.
Comparative Characterization of Stroma Cells and Ductal Epithelium in Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
2014-05-05

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extensive stroma being also present in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Using immunohistochemistry, the stroma of CP and PDAC was comprehensively analyzed and correlated with epithelial/carcinoma-related alterations and clinicopathological patient characteristics. While there were no significant differences between CP and PDAC regarding the distribution of CD3+ T cells and α-SMA+ fibroblasts, proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly lower and numbers of CD25+(CD4+) and FoxP3+(CD4+) regulatory T cells were greater in PDAC compared with CP. Macrophages were more prevalent in CP, but localized more closely to carcinoma cells in PDAC, as were γδ-T cells. Duct-related FoxP3 and L1CAM expression increased from CP to PDAC, while vimentin expression was similarly abundant in both diseases. Moreover, stromal and epithelial compartments of well-differentiated tumors and CPs shared considerable similarities, while moderately and poorly differentiated tumors significantly differed from CP tissues. Analysis of 27 parameters within each pancreatic disease revealed a significant correlation of i) CD4+ and FoxP3+CD4+ T cells with FoxP3 expression in PDAC cells, ii) α-SMA+ fibroblasts with L1CAM expression and proliferation in PDAC cells, iii) CD3 and CD8 expression with γδ-TCR expression in both pancreatic diseases and iv) CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages with vimentin expression in PDAC cells. High expression of FoxP3, vimentin and L1CAM in PDAC cells as well as a tumor-related localization of macrophages each tended to correlate with higher tumor grade. Multivariate survival analysis revealed a younger age at time of surgery as a positive prognostic marker for PDAC patients with the most frequently operated disease stage T3N1M0. Overall this study identified several interrelationships between stroma and epithelial/carcinoma cells in PDACs but also in CP, which in light of previous experimental data strongly support the view that the inflammatory stroma contributes to malignancy-associated alterations already in precursor cells during CP.
Effects of Stress Reduction on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Early Kidney Disease – Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (HEIDIS)
2014-05-05

Current guidelines for the treatment of type 2 diabetes focus on pharmacological treatment of glucose and cardio-vascular risk factors. The aim of this prospective randomized controlled intervention study was to examine the effects of a psychosocial intervention on clinical endpoints and risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes and early diabetic kidney disease.110 patients were randomized to receive an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training (n = 53) compared to standard care (n = 57). The study was carried out open-labelled and randomization was performed computer-generated in a 1:1 ratio. Primary outcome of the study was the change in urinary albumin excretion (albumin-creatinine-ratio, ACR); secondary outcomes were metabolic parameters, intima media thickness (IMT), psychosocial parameters and cardiovascular events.89 patients (42 in control group and 47 in intervention group) were analysed after 3 years of follow-up. After 1 year, the intervention group showed a reduction of ACR from 44 [16/80] to 39 [20/71] mg/g, while controls increased from 47 [16/120] to 59 [19/128] mg/g (p = 0.05). Parallel to the reduction of stress levels after 1 year, the intervention-group additionally showed reduced catecholamine levels (p < 0.05), improved 24 h-mean arterial (p < 0.05) and maximum systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01), as well as a reduction in IMT (p < 0.01). However, these effects were lost after 2 and 3 years of follow-up.This is the first study to show that a psychosocial intervention improves cardiovascular risk factors in high risk type 2 diabetes patients. Trial-Registration: NCT00263419 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00263419 TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov-Identifier: NCT00263419.
Comparison of the mating behaviour of a bush cricket in the laboratory and the field: Calling activity and mating frequency of a long-winged species, Phaneroptera falcata (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae)
2014-05-05

Bush crickets are a model group for testing hypotheses in sexual selection, but much of the information is based on labora - tory observations on wingless or short-winged species, which may restrict their generality. Here we describe aspects of the mating be- haviour of the long-winged e uropean bush cricket Phaneroptera falcata (Poda, 1761). Both in the laboratory and the field, diel calling followed a normal, though slightly left-skewed distribution, peaking about three hours after sunset or lights-off. u nder bright green- house conditions, when the light was suddenly switched off, calling occurred only after the onset of darkness. Decreasing light intensity may trigger the start of calling activity. i n the field, calling decreased from midnight onwards, which may be related to a decrease in temperature. The sequence of events during copulation was identical in the laboratory and the field. h owever, in two of 14 copulations documented in the field, a pre-copulatory behaviour was observed that resembled the putative removal and ingestion of rival sperm. Previous suggestions that P. falcata (Poda) is monogamous are rejected on the basis of both laboratory and field results. i n the labora- tory males and females mated every 2.3 and 3.6 days, respectively. We introduce a simple way to calculate the average frequency of mating in the field, based on the observation that at any one time 3% of all the individuals are recorded mating and copulation lasts 15 min. We estimate that on average P. falcata (Poda) mates once per day. More generally, our results show it is important for evolutionary conclusions to measure behaviourial data in the field.
Automaticity and Stability of Adaptation to a Foreign-Accented Speaker
2014-05-06

In three cross-modal priming experiments we asked whether adaptation to a foreign-accented speaker is automatic, and whether adaptation can be seen after a long delay between initial exposure and test. Dutch listeners were exposed to a Hebrew-accented Dutch speaker with two types of Dutch words: those that contained [ɪ] (globally accented words), and those in which the Dutch [i] was shortened to [ɪ] (specific accent marker words). Experiment 1, which served as a baseline, showed that native Dutch participants showed facilitatory priming for globally accented, but not specific accent, words. In experiment 2, participants performed a 3.5-minute phoneme monitoring task, and were tested on their comprehension of the accented speaker 24 hours later using the same cross-modal priming task as in experiment 1. During the phoneme monitoring task, listeners were asked to detect a consonant that was not strongly accented. In experiment 3, the delay between exposure and test was extended to 1 week. Listeners in experiments 2 and 3 showed facilitatory priming for both globally accented and specific accent marker words. Together, these results show that adaptation to a foreign-accented speaker can be rapid and automatic, and can be observed after a prolonged delay in testing.
Assessing the Brønsted Basicity of Diaminoboryl Anions: Reactivity toward Methylated Benzenes and Dihydrogen
2014-05-06

Abstract Treatment of toluene or p ‐xylene with diaminoboryllithium results in consecutive reactions, involving boryl‐anion‐mediated deprotonation at the benzylic position followed by nucleophilic substitution at the boron center, producing benzylborane species and LiH. Diaminoboryllithium also cleaves H 2 heterolytically affording diaminohydroborane and LiH, while the reaction of lithium diaminoboryl(bromo)cuprate with H 2 takes place accompanied by reduction of Cu I to give diaminohydroborane, LiH, and Cu 0 .
Geochronology of plutonic rocks from the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, Iran and new zircon and titanite U-Th-Pb ages for granitoids from the Marivan pluton
2014-05-06

The Sanandaj-Sirjan zone of Iran is a metamorphic belt consisting of rocks which were metamorphosed under different pressure and temperature conditions and intruded by various plutons ranging in composition from gabbro to granite. The majority of these granitoids formed along the ancient active continental margin of the Neo-Tethyan ocean at the southeastern edge of the central Iranian microplate. Geochronological data published in recent years indicate periodic plutonism lasting from Carboniferous through Mesozoic to late-Paleogene times (from ca. 300 to ca. 35 Ma) with climax activity during the mid- and late-Jurassic. The age constraints for plutonic complexes, such as Siah-Kouh, Kolah-Ghazi, Golpayegan (Muteh), Azna, Aligoodarz, Astaneh, Borujerd, Malayer (Samen), Alvand, Almogholagh, Ghorveh, Saqqez, Marivan, Naqadeh and Urumieh, clearly indicate the periodic nature of magmatism. Therefore, the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone preserves the record of magmatic activity of a complete orogenic cycle related to (1) Permocarboniferous(?) rifting of Gondwana and opening of the Neo-Tethyan ocean, (2) subduction of the oceanic crust, (3) continental collision and (4) post-collision/post-orogenic activities. The formation of the Marivan granitoids, northwestern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, for which we present U-Pb zircon and titanite ages of ca. 38 Ma, can be related to the collisional and post-collisional stages of this orogenic cycle.
Treatment with Actovegin improves spatial learning and memory in rats following transient forebrain ischaemia
2014-05-06

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether Actovegin, which is a deproteinized ultrafiltrate derived from calf blood, demonstrates neuroprotective effects in a rat model of transient global cerebral ischaemia. Forty Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to four‐vessel occlusion to induce transient global cerebral ischaemia followed by either saline or Actovegin treatment. Sham operations were performed on 15 rats. Actovegin (200 mg/kg) or saline was administered 6 hrs after carotid artery occlusion and then daily until Day 40. Learning and memory were evaluated using the Morris water maze test over two different 5‐day periods, and grip strength testing was also performed to control for potential motor impairments. Rat brains were harvested for histological analysis on Day 68. In comparison to controls, Actovegin‐treated rats exhibited a decreased latency to reach the hidden platform on the second learning trial of water maze testing (46.82 ± 6.18 versus 27.64 ± 4.53 sec., P &lt; 0.05; 38.3 ± 8.23 versus 13.37 ± 2.73 sec., P &lt; 0.01 for the first and second 5‐day testing periods, respectively). In addition, Actovegin‐treated rats spent more time in the platform quadrant than saline‐treated rats during memory trials ( P &lt; 0.05). No differences in grip strength were detected. Histological analyses demonstrated increased cell survival in the CA 1 region of the hippocampus following Actovegin treatment (left hemisphere, 166 ± 50 versus 332 ± 27 cells, P &lt; 0.05; right hemisphere, 170 ± 45 versus 307 ± 28 cells, P &lt; 0.05, in saline‐ versus Actovegin‐treated rats, respectively). In rats, Actovegin treatment improves spatial learning and memory following cerebral ischaemia, which may be related to hippocampal CA 1 neuroprotection.
Epidural electrocorticography of phantom hand movement following long-term upper-limb amputation
2014-05-06

Epidural implants may constitute a powerful and safe alternative communication pathway between the brain and external devices for upper-limb amputees, thereby facilitating the integrated use of different signal sources for more intuitive and specific control of multi-functional devices in clinical use.
Sequence co-evolution gives 3D contacts and structures of protein complexes
2014-05-06

Protein-protein interactions are fundamental to many biological processes. Experimental screens have identified tens of thousands of interactions and structural biology has provided detailed functional insight for select 3D protein complexes. An alternative rich source of information about protein interactions is the evolutionary sequence record. Building on earlier work, we show that analysis of correlated evolutionary sequence changes across proteins identifies residues that are close in space with sufficient accuracy to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein complexes. We evaluate prediction performance in blinded tests on 76 complexes of known 3D structure, predict protein-protein contacts in 32 complexes of unknown structure, and demonstrate how evolutionary couplings can be used to distinguish between interacting and non-interacting protein pairs in a large complex. With the current growth of sequence databases, we expect that the method can be generalized to genome-wide elucidation of protein-protein interaction networks and used for interaction predictions at residue resolution.
Nitrosative stress triggers microtubule reorganization in Arabidopsis thaliana
2014-05-06

Microtubules (MTs) are essential components of the cytoskeleton and fulfil multiple cellular functions in developmental processes, readily responding to intrinsic and external cues. Nitric oxide signalling is well established in plants, and the MT cytoskeleton is one of its potential targets. To mimic low level nitrosative stress, growth medium was supplemented with 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (NO2-Tyr), a nitrated form of the amino acid tyrosine, and concentration-dependent changes in root growth rate and a reduction in cell division frequencies in Arabidopsis thaliana were observed. In addition, it is reported that exposure to low NO2-Tyr concentrations was not detrimental to plant health and caused subtle and reversible defects. In contrast, growth defects caused by high NO2-Tyr concentrations could not be reversed. Live cell imaging of an MT reporter line revealed that treatment with a low concentration of NO2-Tyr correlated with disorganized cortical MT arrays and associated non-polar cell expansion in the elongation zone. NO2-Tyr treatment antagonized the effects of taxol and oryzalin, further supporting the association of NO2-Tyr with MTs. Furthermore, oblique division plane orientations were observed which were probably induced prior to cytokinesis.
Prevalence of pathological urine findings in spontaneous office-based samples of type 2 diabetes patients with and without CKD
2014-05-06

Background, material and methods: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common complication in type 2 diabetes (T2D). CKD and T2D are associated with an increased risk for urinary tract infections. In a prospective, nation-wide German survey prevalence of CKD in patients with T2D was evaluated. 245 primary care sites recruited 2541 patients. Pathological urine findings (PUF: leucocytes, nitrite, erythrocytes, haemoglobin [Hb]) were evaluated office-based by dipstick. Serum creatinine, urine albumin-creatinine-ratio (UACR), eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) were assessed centrally.
Intranasal insulin does not alter endogenous glucose production, but decreases liver fat and increases hepatic γATP in humans
2014-05-06

Background: Evidence from both rodents and humans indicates central role for brain insulin delivery on regulation of peripheral glucose and lipid metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the acute effects of intranasal insulin on endogenous glucose production (EGP) and hepatic energy metabolism in humans.
Holocene moisture change revealed by the Rb/Sr ratio of aeolian deposits in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, China
2014-05-07

Systematic analysis of the Rb and Sr contents and Rb/Sr ratios in different lithological units of the palaeosol-aeolian sequence in the southeastern Mu Us Desert revealed that the Rb/Sr ratio is an accurate proxy for past East Asian summer monsoonal strength and moisture change. A lower Sr content and a higher Rb/Sr ratio, chemical index of alteration (CIA), and clay and organic matter (OM) content in the palaeosol are coincident with stronger Asian summer monsoons and increased precipitation, whereas a higher Sr content and a lower Rb/Sr ratio, CIA, and clay and OM content correspond to a dry climate with weaker summer monsoonal strength. Based on these results, the history of Holocene moisture changes was reconstructed as follows: the moisture was lower before 7.5 ka and approached an optimal climate between 7.5 ka and 4.6 ka, afterwards, the climate tended to be dry. Additionally, six millennial-scale dry events were recorded at the times of similar to 7.5 ka, 7.0-6.8 ka, 6.6-5.7 ka, 4.6-4.1 ka, 3.7-3.5 ka, and 3.3-2.5 ka, which were very accordant with cold phases evidenced by ice cores and deep-sea deposits in the low and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. These were also coincident with weaker Asian summer monsoonal intervals revealed by stalagmites within the dating uncertainties, probably implying a prominent synchronism of Holocene millennial-scale climate changes in the Mu Us Desert and global climate changes. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Single-digit arithmetic processingâ€”anatomical evidence from statistical voxel-based lesion analysis
2014-05-07

Different specific mechanisms have been suggested for solving single-digit arithmetic operations. However, the neural correlates underlying basic arithmetic (multiplication, addition, subtraction) are still under debate. In the present study, we systematically assessed single-digit arithmetic in a group of acute stroke patients (n = 45) with circumscribed left- or right-hemispheric brain lesions. Lesion sites significantly related to impaired performance were found only in the left-hemisphere damaged (LHD) group. Deficits in multiplication and addition were related to subcortical/white matter brain regions differing from those for subtraction tasks, corroborating the notion of distinct processing pathways for different arithmetic tasks. Additionally, our results further point to the importance of investigating fiber pathways in numerical cognition.
On Schwinger's formula for pair production
2014-05-07

We present some comments on Schwingers's calculation of electron–positron production in a prescribed constant electric field. The range of validity of 2 Im L (1) (E) is discussed thoroughly and limiting cases are provided.
Status and Challenges of the Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) Experiment at FAIR
2014-05-07

The CBM experiment is one of the four scientific pillars of the Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany. Its discovery potential – complementary to heavy-ion experiments at colliders – is based on high-luminosity ion beams. This enables access to extremely rare probes such as charmed particles, vector mesons or multi-strange hyperons with high statistics. However, 3rd generations readout systems and detectors are required to handle the large interaction rates (up to 10 MHz for Au+Au) with sufficient precision and bandwidth. In this contribution we will outline the unique CBM physics program focusing onto rare probes.