julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Complexity of Fetal MEG Signals: A Comparison of Different Metrics and Their Applicability
2019-02-18

Abstract In this work, we aim to investigate whether information based metrics of neural activity are a useful tool for the search for consciousness before and shortly after birth. Neural activity is measured using fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) in human fetuses and neonates. Based on recent theories on consciousness, information-based metrics are established to measure brain complexity and to assess different levels of consciousness. Different metrics (measures of entropy, compressibility and fractality) are, thus, explored in a reference population and their usability is evaluated. For comparative analysis, two fMEG channels were selected: one where brain activity was previously detected and one at least 15cm away, that represented a control channel. The usability of each metric was evaluated and results from the brain and control channel were compared. Concerning the ease of use with fMEG data, Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) compression was evaluated as best, as it is unequivocal and needs low computational effort. The fractality measures have a high parameter space and therefore forfeit comparability, while entropy measures require a higher computational effort and more parameters to adjust compared to LZW. Comparison of a channel with brain activity and a control channel in neonatal recordings showed significant differences in most complexity metrics. This clear difference can be seen as proof of concept for the usability of complexity metrics in fMEG. For fetal data, this comparison produced less clear results which can be related to leftover maternal signals included in the control channel. Further work is necessary to conclusively interpret results from the analysis of fetal recordings. Yet this study shows that complexity metrics can be used for fMEG data on early consciousness and the evaluation gives a guidance for future work. The inconsistency of results from different metrics highlights the challenges of working with complexity metrics as neural correlates of consciousness, as well as the caution one should apply to interpret them.
The effects of anesthesia induction and positive pressure ventilation on right-ventricular function: A 3D echocardiography-based prospective observational study
2019-02-18

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background:</bold> General anesthesia induction with the initiation of positive pressure ventilation creates a vulnerable phase for patients. The impact of positive intrathoracic pressure on cardiac performance has been studied but remains controversial. 3D echocardiography is a valid and MRI-validated bed-side tool to evaluate the right ventricle (RV). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of anesthesia induction (using midazolam, sufentanil and rocuronium, followed by sevoflurane) with positive pressure ventilation (PEEP 5, tidal volume 6 – 8 ml/kg) on 2D and 3D echocardiography derived parameters of RV function. <bold>Methods:</bold> A prospective observational study on fifty-three patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery in a tertiary care university hospital was designed. Transthoracic echocardiography exams were performed before and immediately after anesthesia induction and were recorded together with hemodynamic parameters and ventilator settings. <bold>Results: </bold>TAPSE as a parameter reflecting the movement of the lateral tricuspid annulus was significantly reduced (mean difference -1.6mm (95% CI -2.6mm to -0.7mm; p=0.0013). Tissue Doppler derived tricuspid annulus peak velocity was also significantly reduced (mean difference -1.9% (95% CI: -2.6 to -1.2; p&lt;0.0001), but global right ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.1607) and right ventricular stroke volume (p=0.1838) did not change. <bold>Conclusions: </bold>This data shows a preserved right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular stroke volume despite reduced baso-apical right ventricular function after anesthesia induction and initiation of positive pressure ventilation. Because only small changes were seen the clinical impact has yet to be determined. <bold>Trial Registration: </bold> Retrospecitvely registered, 6th June 2016, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02820727. <bold>Keywords: </bold>Right ventricular function; positive-pressure respiration; anesthesiology; echocardiography, three-dimensional.
Systematic spatio-temporal mapping reveals divergent cell death pathways in three mouse models of hereditary retinal degeneration
2019-02-18

Values for immuohistochemical analysis or enzymatic analysis of various markers theorised to have roles in retinal dystrophies in three models of mouse retinal degeneration with a control. Analysis has been broken down by marker, mouseline, age and region of the retina recorded from
AVR2 Targets BSL Family Members, Which Act as Susceptibility Factors to Suppress Host Immunity
2019-02-19

To be successful plant pathogens, microbes use "effector proteins" to manipulate host functions to their benefit. Identifying host targets of effector proteins and characterizing their role in the infection process allow us to better understand plant-pathogen interactions and the plant immune system. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and coimmunoprecipitation were used to demonstrate that the <i>Phytophthora infestans</i> effector AVIRULENCE 2 (PiAVR2) interacts with all three BRI1-SUPPRESSOR1-like (BSL) family members from potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i>). Transient expression of BSL1, BSL2, and BSL3 enhanced <i>P. infestans</i> leaf infection. BSL1 and BSL3 suppressed INFESTIN 1 elicitin-triggered cell death, showing that they negatively regulate immunity. Virus-induced gene silencing studies revealed that BSL2 and BSL3 are required for BSL1 stability and show that basal levels of immunity are increased in <i>BSL</i>-silenced plants. Immune suppression by BSL family members is dependent on the brassinosteroid-responsive host transcription factor CIB1/HBI1-like 1. The <i>P. infestans</i> effector PiAVR2 targets all three BSL family members in the crop plant <i>S. tuberosum</i> These phosphatases, known for their role in growth-promoting brassinosteroid signaling, all support <i>P. infestans</i> virulence and thus can be regarded as susceptibility factors in late blight infection.
Potential Markers of Progression in Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease Derived From Assessment of Circular Gait With a Single Body-Fixed-Sensor: A 5 Year Longitudinal Study
2019-02-19

<b>Background and Aim:</b> Development of objective, reliable and easy-to-use methods to obtain progression markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) is required to evaluate interventions and to advance research in PD. This study aimed to provide quantitative markers of progression in idiopathic PD from the assessment of circular gait (walking in circles) with a single body-fixed inertial sensor placed on the lower back. <b>Methods:</b> The assessments were performed every 6 months over a (up to) 5 years period for 22 patients in early-stage PD, 27 patients in middle-stage PD and 25 healthy controls (HC). Longitudinal changes of 24 gait features extracted from accelerometry were compared between PD groups and HCs with generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis, accounting for gait speed, age and levodopa medication state confounders when required. <b>Results:</b> Five gait features indicated progressive worsening in early stages of PD: number of steps, total duration and harmonic ratios calculated from vertical (VT), medio-lateral (ML), and anterior-posterior (AP) accelerations. For middle stages of PD, three gait features were identified as potential progression markers: stride time variability, and stride regularity from VT and AP acceleration. <b>Conclusion:</b> Faster progressive worsening of gait features in early and middle stages of PD relative to healthy controls over 5 years confirmed the potential of accelerometry-based assessments as quantitative progression markers in early and middle stages of the disease. The difference in significant parameters between both PD groups suggests that distinct domains of gait deteriorate in these PD stages. We conclude that instrumented circular walking assessment is a practical and useful tool in the assessment of PD progression that may have relevant potential to be implemented in clinical trials and even clinical routine, particularly in a developing digital era.
Multiplexed Relative Quantitation with Isobaric Tagging Mass Spectrometry Reveals Class I Major Histocompatibility Complex Ligand Dynamics in Response to Doxorubicin
2019-02-19

MHC-I peptides are intracellular-cleaved peptides, usually 8-11 amino acids in length, which are presented on the cell surface and facilitate CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell responses. Despite the appreciation of CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell antitumor immune responses toward improvement in patient outcomes, the MHC-I peptide ligands that facilitate the response are poorly described. Along these same lines, although many therapies have been recognized for their ability to reinvigorate antitumor CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell responses, whether these therapies alter the MHC-I peptide repertoire has not been fully assessed due to the lack of quantitative strategies. We develop a multiplexing platform for screening therapy-induced MHC-I ligands by employing tandem mass tags (TMTs). We applied this approach to measuring responses to doxorubicin, which is known to promote antitumor CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell responses during its therapeutic administration in cancer patients. Using both in vitro and in vivo systems, we show successful relative quantitation of MHC-I ligands using TMT-based multiplexing and demonstrate that doxorubicin induces MHC-I peptide ligands that are largely derived from mitotic progression and cell-cycle proteins. This high-throughput MHC-I ligand discovery approach may enable further explorations to understand how small molecules and other therapies alter MHC-I ligand presentation that may be harnessed for CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell-based immunotherapies.
Diverging development of akinetic skulls in cryptodire and pleurodire turtles: an ontogenetic and phylogenetic study
2019-02-19

Extant turtles (Testudines) are characterized among others by an akinetic skull, whereas early turtles (Testudinata) still had kinetic skulls. By considering both ontogenetic and evolutionary adaptations, we analyze four character complexes related to the akinetic skull of turtles: (1) snout stiffening, (2) reduction of the basipterygoid process, (3) formation of a secondary lateral braincase wall, and (4) the fusion of the palatoquadrate cartilage to the braincase. Through ontogeny, both major clades of modern turtles, Pleurodira and Cryptodira, show strikingly different modes how the akinetic constructions in the orbitotemporal and quadrate regions are developed. Whereas mainly the ascending process of the palatoquadrate (later ossified as epipterygoid) contributes to the formation of the secondary braincase wall in Cryptodira, only the descending process of the parietal forms that wall in Pleurodira. This is related to the fact that the latter taxon does not develop an extended ascending process that could ossify as the epipterygoid. Whereas the palatoquadrate directly fuses to the braincase in pleurodires by forming appositional bone of quadrate (called E\\xc3\\x9fwein-fixation herein), both structures are ventrally bridged by the pterygoid in cryptodires. Phylogenetic evidence, including fossil data, suggests that the cryptodiran type of skull fixation is plesiomorphic for crown turtles and that the pleurodire condition evolved secondarily within the crown. Embryonic neck muscle activity may be the cause of this shift of the palatoquadrate. Hidden-necked retraction in cryptodires pulls the palatoquadrate in a posterodorsal and -medial direction during ontogeny, whereas side-necked retraction in pleurodires redirects the palatoquadrate posterolaterally and -medially. These different muscle forces may result in differing positions of the palatoquadrate in relation to the braincase and eventually result in the two different attachment types. Moreover, the general construction of the jaw adductor chamber is affected by alternative fusion modes, which secondarily result in two different types of the trochlear system of the external jaw musculature. Related to that, changes in feeding habit through turtle evolution may have also triggered increasing stabilizattion of the skull. Palatoquadrate fixation, finally, was an important prerequisite for the reduction of the exocranial bones of the temporal skull region.
pH-Dependent Uptake and Sublethal Effects of Antihistamines in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos
2019-02-19

Abstract Reported off-target effects of antihistamines in humans draw interest in ecotoxicity testing of first- and second-generation antihistamines, the latter of which have fewer reported side effects in humans. Because antihistamines are ionizable compounds, the pH influences uptake and toxicity and thus is highly relevant when conducting toxicity experiments. Zebrafish embryo toxicity tests were performed with the 3 first-generation antihistamines ketotifen, doxylamine, and dimethindene and the 2 second-generation antihistamines cetirizine and levocabastine at pH 5.5, 7.0, and 8.0. We detected effects on survival, phenotype, swimming activity, and heart rate for 4 antihistamines with the exception of levocabastine, which did not show any lethal or sublethal effects. When compared to lethal concentrations, effect concentrations neither of phenotype malformation nor of swimming activity or heart rate deviated by more than a factor of 10 from lethal concentrations, indicating that all sublethal effects were fairly nonspecific. First-generation antihistamines are weak bases and showed decreasing external effect concentrations with increasing neutral fraction, accompanied by increased uptake in the fish embryo. As a result, internal effect concentrations were independent from external pH. The pH-dependent toxicity originates from speciation-dependent uptake, with neutral species taken up in higher amounts than the corresponding ionic species. Cetirizine, which shifts from a zwitterionic to an anionic state in the measured pH range, did not show any pH-dependent uptake or toxicity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;00:1–11. © 2019 SETAC
Mitochondrial Toxicity of Selected Micropollutants, Their Mixtures, and Surface Water Samples Measured by the Oxygen Consumption Rate in Cells
2019-02-19

Abstract Some environmental pollutants impair mitochondria, which are of vital importance as energy factories in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondrial toxicity was quantified by measuring the change of the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of HepG2 cells with the Agilent Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer. Various mechanisms of mitochondrial toxicity, including inhibition of the electron transport chain or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase as well as uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, were differentiated by dosing the sample in parallel with reference compounds following the OCR over time. These time–OCR traces were used to derive effect concentrations for 10% inhibition of the electron transport chain or 10% of uncoupling. The low effect level of 10% was necessary because environmental mixtures contain thousands of chemicals; only few of them interfere with mitochondria, but the others cause cytotoxicity. The OCR bioassay was validated with environmental pollutants of known mechanism of mitochondrial toxicity. Binary mixtures of uncouplers or inhibitors acted according to the mixture model of concentration addition. Uncoupling and/or inhibitory effects were detected in extracts of river water samples without apparent cytotoxicity. Uncoupling effects could only be quantified in water samples if inhibitory effects occurred at lower concentrations because no uncoupling can be detected without an appreciable membrane potential built up. The OCR bioassay can thus complement chemical analysis and in vitro bioassays for monitoring micropollutants in water. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;00:1–12. © 2019 SETAC Abstract Mitochondrial toxicity in water extracts measured by the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in cells. Agents that uncouple the oxidative phosphorylation (e.g., bromoxynil) increase the cellular OCR and those that inhibit the electron transport chain (e.g., azoxystrobin) decrease OCR.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation: prospective randomized study on thawed ovarian tissue viability to estimate the maximum possible delivery time of tissue samples
2019-02-19

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is one of the most important methods to protect female fertility, but we just recently established the first central laboratory in China, now building a network with other hospitals. The aim was to estimate the thawed ovarian tissue viability and to explore the feasibility of short-distance transportation. Fifteen samples were obtained from each of 11 patients, i.e. in total 165 samples. One fresh sample was used for follicle counts, 14 punches were cryopreserved, thawed, and randomly divided into seven groups depending on the time after thawing: 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 min. Follicle counts, steroid hormones, and lactate levels were assessed. No significant differences for the three parameters of tissue viability comparing the seven groups were seen. The time can last up to two hours for the delivery of tissue samples from the laboratory to the surgery room. To our knowledge, this question has been tested for the first time systematically within a prospective randomized comparative study.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and corrosion point counting on metal sheet edges with different cathodic dip coat materials
2019-02-19

Edge coverage with organic coatings is a very important but insufficiently investigated topic in the automotive industry. Several examinations in other scopes show an influence of different coating materials as well as the metal edge radii. For an improved understanding, the edge coating coverage of defined steel sheet edges is investigated regarding its corrosion protection potential in automotive use. Therefore, four different cathodic dip coat (CDC) materials are applied in different Mercedes‐Benz plants on well‐defined and topological analyzed edges. The coating thickness and edge coverage are determined in a non‐exposed state before a 7‐days exposure in a neutral salt spray (NSS) test. To quantify the behavior of the different materials edge coverage under corrosive load, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and corrosion point counting are performed. The results demonstrate that the type of applied CDC‐material has a great influence on edge coating coverage as well as corrosion protection. A higher edge coverage causes a higher and more stable impedance and subsequently less counted corrosion points over the whole exposure time frame.
Using a composite flow law to model deformation in the NEEM deepice core, Greenland: Part 1 the role of grain size and grain sizedistribution on the deformation of Holocene and glacial ice
2019-02-19

Abstract. The effect of grain size on strain rate of ice in the upper 2207 m in the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) deep ice core was investigated using a rheological model based on the composite flow law of Goldsby and Kohlstedt (1997, 2001). The grain size was described by both a mean grain size and a grain size distribution, which allowed the strain rate to be calculated using two different model end members: (i) the micro-scale constant stress model where each grain deforms by the same stress and (ii) the micro-scale constant strain rate model where each grain deforms by the same strain rate. The model results show that basal slip accommodated by grain boundary sliding produces almost all of the deformation in the upper 2207 m of the NEEM ice core, while dislocation creep (basal slip accommodated by non-basal slip) hardly contributes to deformation. The difference in calculated strain rate between the two model end members is relatively small. The calculated strain rate in the fine grained glacial ice (1419–2207 m) varies strongly with depth and is about 4–5 times higher than in the coarser grained Holocene ice (0–1419 m). Two peaks in strain rate are predicted at about 1980 and 2100 m of depth. The results from the rheological model and microstructures in the glacial ice indicate that fine grained layers in the glacial ice will act as internal preferential sliding zones in the Greenland ice sheet.
On the so‐calledAbsentive– inGerman
2019-02-19

Abstract This investigation targets a syntactic phenomenon of German which is commonly referred to as the absentive construction . The absentive is considered a universal grammatical category denoting absence. Its syntax is characterised by the occurrence of an auxiliary or copula verb accompanied by a non‐finite VP containing a main verb. The expression of absence, predicated over the clausal subject, is assumed to be based on a constructional meaning. Reviewing a wide range of syntactic and interpretive properties of this structure in German, we will demonstrate that certain empirical claims about the construction are not well founded and that its seemingly idiosyncratic properties are indeed available for compositional analyses. We will propose a structural analysis of its core syntactic and interpretive properties: The predication expresses the localisation of the subject at the location of the event, denoted by the infinitival verb. The interpretation of absence, then, can be explained by an implicature.
Does frontal brain activity mediate the effect of depression prevention in adolescents? A pilot study
2019-02-19

We investigated whether (a) depression prevention was associated with depressive symptoms and medial‐frontal alpha asymmetry in adolescents; (b) alpha asymmetry mediated the association between participation in a prevention program and depressive symptoms; and (c) gender affects these associations. In our randomised control group study, we compared a universal prevention program ( n = 40 adolescents, 14 females) with a non‐intervention control condition ( n = 39 adolescents, 20 females) in German secondary school students (mean age: 13.53 years, SD = 0.53). We collected data at baseline, post‐intervention, 6‐month, and 12‐month follow‐up using the Self‐Rating Questionnaire for Depressive Disorders (SBB‐DES) and resting medial‐frontal alpha activity on F3 and F4. We found that girls benefitted from participating in the prevention program in regards to their depressive symptoms at 12‐month follow‐up but not alpha asymmetry. In boys, participation in the prevention program was associated with their alpha asymmetry at 6‐month follow‐up but not their depressive symptoms. Alpha asymmetry did not mediate the effects of the prevention program on depressive symptoms in either gender. Although participation in the prevention program was associated with both depressive symptoms and alpha asymmetry, those associations seem independent from each other. Possible explanations for this result pattern are discussed.