julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Effects of Neurexan® on brain regions associated with emotional expectancy
2017-10-01

Objective: Neurexan® is a medicinal product containing four diluted plant and mineral ingredients, passionflower, oats, coffee and zinc valerianate. It has been shown to reduce nervousness, restlessness, acute stress, and insomnia by modulating biological auto-regulating processes. Induced stress sensitizes the amygdala, which increases vigilance and in turn drives the stress response. This is mediated by an amygdala-prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuit, in which stress impairs the top-down cognitive functions of prefrontal regions, while strengthening the emotional bottom-up responses of the amygdala. We therefore hypothesized that Neurexan® may induce changes in amygdala activation during emotion processing elicited by an emotional expectancy task. Methods: The drug effect was investigated in a randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind, two-period-crossover clinical trial. The brain response of 37 male subjects (age range: 31–59) to the emotional expectancy paradigm was measured after intake of a single dose of Neurexan® or placebo by 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging. In the emotional expectancy task, negative, positive, and neutral IAPS pictures were presented, half of them preceded by visual cues. The visual cues before picture presentation were arrows pointing up (positive picture), down (negative picture) and to the right (neutral picture). The drug effect was assessed with paired t-test analysis comparing drug and placebo condition in the contrast expectancy positive [expectancy negative. Results: We found amygdala activation in response to expected pictures, negative neutral, and positive. Furthermore, we observed significant differences in activation of the left amygdala during the expectancy task after the intake of Neurexan® as compared to the placebo condition. The differences in activation are explained by reduced changes in amygdala reactivity modulated by Neurexan®. Conclusion: The intake of a single dose of Neurexan® effects emotional processing represented by left amygdala activation and decreases amygdala reactivity during expectancy of emotional pictures.
Effects of Neurexan® on amygdala-centered resting state functional connectivity
2017-10-01

Objective: Stress initiates intricate changes in functional connectivity (FC) between amygdala and cortical regions that are associated with vigilance monitoring, salience processing and executive control. The functional integrity of these stress regulation circuitries can be assessed via amygdala-centered resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC). Previous studies have associated changes in amygdala rs-FC with state, trait and pathological anxiety. Neurexan®, a medicinal product sold over the counter (OTC), is composed of passionflower, oats, coffee and zinc valerianate. A recent study suggested that Neurexan® attenuates neuroendocrine stress response in healthy volunteers. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of Neurexan® on the amygdala-centered rs-FC. Methods: Thirty-nine healthy male subjects (age = 43.7 ± 9.8) participated in an fMRI study of Neurexan® effects on resting state function using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design. In each scanning session, an 11-min resting state measurement was performed at baseline and after the intake of single dose of Neurexan® or placebo. Data were preprocessed and analyzed in SPM12 and DPABI. Using a seed-based approach, resting state functional connectivity maps of bilateral centromedial (CeA) and basolateral (BLA) subregions of amygdalawere analyzedwith whole–brain within–subject ANOVA(interaction: time by pharmaceutical,FWE cluster level corrected). Regions were created according to the probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps provided by the Anatomy Toolbox. Results: Significant effect of Neurexan® was found on rs-FC between left centromedial amygdala and cortical regions including posterior cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and bilateral inferior parietal lobule. This interaction was driven by a greater reduction of the left CeA rs-FC in Neurexan® compared to control condition after the intake of drug. Conclusion: Our finding suggests that Neurexan® influences resting state functional connectivity of the centromedial amygdala towards cortical regions involved in emotion regulation and higher cognitive processes.
Multimodal pharmacological imaging of arousal fluctuations
2017-10-01

Several psychiatric patient populations are characterised by typical abnormalities of vigilance measures. Neuronal changes which underlie, for example, a hyperarousal state in major depression, can nowadays be investigated via multimodal EEG-fMRI measurements. This allows not only to monitor the typically expected continuous drop of vigilance across continuous resting state assessments in one modality, but also to set their respective interdependence in context of time varying state changes and helps to unravel underlying causality of correlations. Next to spontaneous fluctuations of vigilance, such neurophysiological correlates can also be induced experimentally, may it be via noninvasive brain stimulation, pharmacological interventions or neurofeedback. Finally, hyperarousal patterns in vigilance measures can also be induced via social stress paradigms. Neuronal correlates of intra- and interindividual variations of cerebral vigilance markers and peripheral arousal markers will be introduced and compared and finally, their prediction of individual stress resilience and their pharmacological modulation will be demonstrated.
Region specific metabolic correlates contribute to gene and sex relationship of anxiety endophenotypes
2017-10-01

Objective: Anxiety disorders are typically prevalent in women, but the factors contributing to sex bias are unknown. Investigations have emphasized the role of the cortico–limbic circuit including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in anxiety disorders. Pregenual ACC (pgACC) was highlighted as key region for successful affect regulation, and dysregulation of transmitter balance (GABA/Glu) was reported in anxiety disorders in this region. We therefore investigated whether a SNP in GABA synthesizing enzyme GAD65 and sex are associated with inhibitory/excitatory balance in ACC regions (pgACC and aMCC). Additionally, we explored the relationship between GAD65, sex, metabolites and harm avoidance (HA). Methods: 107 healthy subjects (45 females, age = 27.07 ± 6.75) underwent a magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 7T. GABA and Glu levels were measured in aMCC and pgACC. Subjects completed TCI questionnaire and were genotyped for GAD65 promoter (40 G-carriers). Region by genotype by sex ANOVA was done including age as confound for GABA/Glu levels. Likewise, we tested differences for HA, and association to pgACC metabolism. Lastly, we performed an analysis of mediating effects of GABA/Glu on GAD65 to HA, moderated by sex. Results: We found an interaction effect on GABA/Glu (F1,63 = 8.69, p = 0.004). Post-hoc analysis revealed that this interaction was driven by genotype difference in females in pgACC (t(37) = –2.27, p = 0.029). There was an effect of sex on HA and pgACC GABA/Glu levels (women: ρ(25) = –0.552, p = 0.003; men: ρ(31) = –0.003, p = 0.98). We also observed an effect for the moderated mediation (−1.17, −0.056). Conclusion: Our results show that GABAergic gene polymorphisms and sex are factors contributing to anxiety endophenotypes in women via metabolic correlates in the pgACC. This interaction could be relevant for the observed sex bias in prevalence of anxiety disorders and possible sex specific treatment strategies.
Silver, Murder, and Institutions: Did the
2017-10-01

Does mining increase interpersonal violence? While the impact of natural resources on civil war and interstate conflict is well examined, its link to a second form of violence â? namely the everyday, interpersonal form â? is less explored. We assess the effect of silver mining on homicide rates, choosing silver because it was an important mining product for many countries over a substantial time span. We use a newly collected, global sample of countries for more than 100 years from 1890 to 1990 and find that high silver production leads to heightened violence. The effect is particularly pronounced in the interaction with autocratic governance systems. To rule out endogeneity, we use silver prices and silver deposit sites per area as instrumental variables. The takeaway message is that economies majorly dependent on mining resources are not only prone to get involved in violent conflict, but are also at risk to have a higher day-to-day violence level.
Stable accretion from a cold disc in highly magnetized neutron stars
2017-10-02

Aims. The aim of this paper is to investigate the transition of a strongly magnetized neutron star into the accretion regime with very low accretion rate. Methods. For this purpose, we monitored the Be-transient X-ray pulsar GRO J1008−57 throughout a full orbital cycle. The current observational campaign was performed with the Swift/XRT telescope in the soft X-ray band (0.5–10 keV) between two subsequent Type I outbursts in January and September 2016. Results. The expected transition to the propeller regime was not observed. However, transitions between different regimes of accretion were detected. In particular, after an outburst, the source entered a stable accretion state characterised by an accretion rate of ~ 1014−1015 g s-1. We associate this state with accretion from a cold (low-ionised) disc of temperature below ~6500 K. We argue that a transition to this accretion regime should be observed in all X-ray pulsars that have a certain combination of the rotation frequency and magnetic field strength. The proposed model of accretion from a cold disc is able to explain several puzzling observational properties of X-ray pulsars.
Mutualistic interaction between dichloromethane‐ and chloromethane‐degrading bacteria in an anaerobic mixed culture
2017-10-02

Summary The microbial mixed culture RM grows with dichloromethane (DCM) as the sole energy source generating acetate, methane, chloride and biomass as products. Chloromethane (CM) was not an intermediate during DCM utilization consistent with the observation that CM could not replace DCM as a growth substrate. Interestingly, cultures that received DCM and CM together degraded both compounds concomitantly. Transient hydrogen (H 2 ) formation reaching a maximum concentration of 205 ± 13 ppmv was observed in cultures growing with DCM, and the addition of exogenous H 2 at concentrations exceeding 3000 ppmv impeded DCM degradation. In contrast, CM degradation in culture RM had a strict requirement for H 2 . Following five consecutive transfers on CM and H 2 , Acetobacterium 16S rRNA gene sequences dominated the culture and the DCM‐degrader Candidatus Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis was eliminated, consistent with the observation that the culture lost the ability to degrade DCM. These findings demonstrate that culture RM harbours different populations responsible for anaerobic DCM and CM metabolism, and further imply that the DCM and CM degradation pathways are mechanistically distinct. H 2 generated during DCM degradation is consumed by the hydrogenotrophic CM degrader, or may fuel other hydrogenotrophic processes, including organohalide respiration, methanogenesis and H 2 /CO 2 reductive acetogenesis.
Sport in an individualized and digitalized society: more important than ever?
2017-10-02

Although current global problems, such as the refugee crises, climate change, and overpopulation, make it more important than ever for governments to work together, politics have shown an increasin...
Estimating the sediment trap efficiency of intermittently dry reservoirs: lessons from the Kruger National Park, South Africa
2017-10-02

Abstract The assessment of sediment yield from reservoir siltation requires knowledge of the reservoir's sediment trap efficiency (TE). Widely used approaches for the estimation of the long‐term mean TE rely on the ratio of the reservoir's storage capacity ( C ) to its catchment size ( A ) or mean annual inflow ( I ). These approaches have been developed from a limited number of reservoirs ( N ≤ 40), most of them located in temperate climate regions. Their general applicability to reservoirs receiving highly variable runoff such as in semi‐arid areas has been questioned. Here, we examine the effect of ephemeral inflow on the TE of 10 small (≤ 280 × 10 3 m 3 ), intermittently dry reservoirs located in the Kruger National Park. Fieldwork was conducted to determine the storage capacity of the reservoir basins. The frequency and magnitude of spillage events was simulated with the daily time step Pitman rainfall–runoff model. Different runoff scenarios were established to cope with uncertainties arising from the lack of runoff records and imperfect input data. Scenarios for the relationship between water and sediment discharge were created based on sediment rating curves. Taking into account uncertainties in hydrological modelling, uncertainties of mean TE estimates, calculated from all scenarios ( N = 9), are moderate, ranging from ±6 to ±11% at the 95% confidence level. By comparison, estimating TE from the storage capacity to catchment area ( C/A ) ratio induces high uncertainty (ranges of 35 to 65%), but this uncertainty can be confined (15 to 33%) when the latter approach is combined with hydrological modelling. Established methods relying on the storage capacity to mean annual inflow ( C/I ) ratio most probably lead to an overestimation of the TE for the investigated reservoirs. The approach presented here may be used instead to estimate the TE of small, intermittently dry reservoirs in semi‐arid climate regions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.
Proceedings of the 3rd bwHPC-Symposium
2017-10-02

In this work, system monitoring and analysis are discussed in terms of their significance and benefits for operations and research in the field of high-performance computing (HPC). HPC systems deliver unique insights to computational scientists from different disciplines. It is argued that research in HPC is also computational in nature, given the massive amounts of monitoring data collected at various levels of an HPC system. The vision of a comprehensive system model developed based on holistic monitoring and analysis is also presented. The goal and expected outcome of such a model is an improved understanding of the intricate interactions between today's software and hardware, and their diverse usage patterns. The associated modeling, monitoring, and analysis challenges are reviewed and discussed. The envisioned comprehensive system model will provide the ability to design future systems that are better understood before use, easier to maintain and monitor, more efficient, more reliable, and, therefore, more productive. The paper is concluded with a number of recommendations towards realizing the envisioned system model.
Observation of the motional Stark shift in low magnetic fields
2017-10-02

We report on the observation of the motional Stark effect of highly excited\\n Rb Rydberg atoms moving in the presence of a weak homogeneous magnetic\\nfield in a vapor cell. Employing electromagnetically induced transparency for\\nspectroscopy of an atomic vapor, we observe the velocity-, quantum state- and\\nmagnetic field-dependent transition frequencies between the ground and Rydberg\\nexcited states. For atoms moving at velocities around , the\\nprincipal quantum number of the valence electron, and a magnetic field\\nof , we measure a motional Stark shift of\\n . Our experimental results are supported by numerical\\ncalculations based on a diagonalization of the effective Hamiltonian governing\\nthe valence electron of Rb in the presence of crossed electric and\\nmagnetic fields.\\n
Glioma Through the Looking GLASS: the Glioma Longitudinal Analysis consortium, molecular evolution of diffuse gliomas
2017-10-02

Abstract Adult diffuse glioma are a diverse group of intracranial neoplasms associated with a disproportional large number of productive life years lost, thus imposing a highly emotional and significant financial burden on society. Patient death is the result of an aggressive course of disease following diagnosis. The Cancer Genome Atlas and similar projects have provided a comprehensive understanding of the somatic alterations and molecular subtypes of glioma at diagnosis. However, gliomas undergo significant molecular evolution during the malignant transformation. We review current knowledge on genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic abnormalities before and after disease recurrence. We outline an effort to systemically catalogue the longitudinal changes in gliomas, the G lioma L ongitudinal A naly s i s Consortium. The GLASS initiative will provide essential insights into the evolution of glioma towards a lethal phenotype with the potential to reveal targetable vulnerabilities, and ultimately, improved outcomes for a patient population in need.
Signatures of criticality arise from random subsampling in simple population models
2017-10-03

The rise of large-scale recordings of neuronal activity has fueled the hope to gain new insights into the collective activity of neural ensembles. How can one link the statistics of neural population activity to underlying principles and theories? One attempt to interpret such data builds upon analogies to the behaviour of collective systems in statistical physics. Divergence of the specific heat-a measure of population statistics derived from thermodynamics-has been used to suggest that neural populations are optimized to operate at a "critical point". However, these findings have been challenged by theoretical studies which have shown that common inputs can lead to diverging specific heat. Here, we connect "signatures of criticality", and in particular the divergence of specific heat, back to statistics of neural population activity commonly studied in neural coding: firing rates and pairwise correlations. We show that the specific heat diverges whenever the average correlation strength does not depend on population size. This is necessarily true when data with correlations is randomly subsampled during the analysis process, irrespective of the detailed structure or origin of correlations. We also show how the characteristic shape of specific heat capacity curves depends on firing rates and correlations, using both analytically tractable models and numerical simulations of a canonical feed-forward population model. To analyze these simulations, we develop efficient methods for characterizing large-scale neural population activity with maximum entropy models. We find that, consistent with experimental findings, increases in firing rates and correlation directly lead to more pronounced signatures. Thus, previous reports of thermodynamical criticality in neural populations based on the analysis of specific heat can be explained by average firing rates and correlations, and are not indicative of an optimized coding strategy. We conclude that a reliable interpretation of statistical tests for theories of neural coding is possible only in reference to relevant ground-truth models.
Contributions of terrestrial organic carbon to northern lake sediments
2017-10-03

Abstract Sediments of northern lakes sequester large amounts of organic carbon (OC), but direct evidence of the relative importance of their sources is lacking. We used stable isotope ratios of nonexchangeable hydrogen ( δ 2 H n ) in topsoil, algae, and surface sediments in order to measure the relative contribution of terrestrial OC in surface sediments of 14 mountainous arctic and lowland boreal lakes in Sweden. The terrestrial contribution to the sediment OC pool was on average 66% (range 46–80) and similar between arctic and boreal lakes. Proxies for the supply of terrestrial and algal OC explained trends in the relative contribution of terrestrial OC across lakes. However, the data suggest divergent predominant sources for terrestrial OC of sediments in Swedish lakes, with dissolved matter dominating in lowland boreal lakes and particulate OC in mountainous arctic lakes.
Cholesterol and host cell surface proteins contribute to cell-cell fusion induced by the Burkholderia type VI secretion system 5
2017-10-03

Following escape into the cytoplasm of host cells, Burkholderia pseudomallei and the related species Burkholderia thailandensis employ the type VI secretion system 5 (T6SS-5) to induce plasma membrane fusion with an adjacent host cell. This process leads to the formation of multinucleated giant cells and facilitates bacterial access to an uninfected host cell in a direct manner. Despite its importance in virulence, the mechanism of the T6SS-5 and the role of host cell factors in cell-cell fusion remain elusive. To date, the T6SS-5 is the only system of bacterial origin known to induce host-cell fusion. To gain insight into the nature of T6SS-5-stimulated membrane fusion, we investigated the contribution of cholesterol and proteins exposed on the host cell surface, which were shown to be critically involved in virus-mediated giant cell formation. In particular, we analyzed the effect of host cell surface protein and cholesterol depletion on the formation of multinucleated giant cells induced by B. thailandensis. Acute protease treatment of RAW264.7 macrophages during infection with B. thailandensis followed by agarose overlay assays revealed a strong reduction in the number of cell-cell fusions compared with EDTA treated cells. Similarly, proteolytic treatment of specifically infected donor cells or uninfected recipient cells significantly decreased multinucleated giant cell formation. Furthermore, modulating host cell cholesterol content by acute cholesterol depletion from cellular membranes by methyl- β-cyclodextrin treatment or exogenous addition of cholesterol impaired the ability of B. thailandensis to induce cell-cell fusions. The requirement of physiological cholesterol levels suggests that the membrane organization or mechanical properties of the lipid bilayer influence the fusion process. Altogether, our data suggest that membrane fusion induced by B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis involves a complex interplay between the T6SS-5 and the host cell.
The History of Stuttering by 7 Years of Age: Follow-Up of a Prospective Community Cohort
2017-10-04

Purpose For a community cohort of children confirmed to have stuttered by the age of 4 years, we report (a) the recovery rate from stuttering, (b) predictors of recovery, and (c) comorbidities at the age of 7 years. Method This study was nested in the Early Language in Victoria Study. Predictors of stuttering recovery included child, family, and environmental measures and first-degree relative history of stuttering. Comorbidities examined at 7 years included temperament, language, nonverbal cognition, and health-related quality of life. Results The recovery rate by the age of 7 years was 65%. Girls with stronger communication skills at the age of 2 years had higher odds of recovery (adjusted OR = 7.1, 95% CI [1.3, 37.9], p = .02), but similar effects were not evident for boys (adjusted OR = 0.5, 95% CI [0.3, 1.1], p = .10). At the age of 7 years, children who had recovered from stuttering were more likely to have stronger language skills than children whose stuttering persisted ( p = .05). No evident differences were identified on other outcomes including nonverbal cognition, temperament, and parent-reported quality of life. Conclusion Overall, findings suggested that there may be associations between language ability and recovery from stuttering. Subsequent research is needed to explore the directionality of this relationship.