julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Variation in actigraphy-estimated rest-activity patterns by demographic factors
2017-06-26

Rest-activity patterns provide an indication of circadian rhythmicity in the free-living setting. We aimed to describe the distributions of rest-activity patterns in a sample of adults and children across demographic variables. A sample of adults (N = 590) and children (N = 58) wore an actigraph on their nondominant wrist for 7 days and nights. We generated rest-activity patterns from cosinor analysis (MESOR, acrophase and magnitude) and nonparametric circadian rhythm analysis (IS: interdaily stability; IV: intradaily variability; L5: least active 5-hour period; M10: most active 10-hour period; and RA: relative amplitude). Demographic variables included age, sex, race, education, marital status, and income. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test for demographic differences in rest-activity patterns. Adolescents, compared to younger children, had (1) later M10 midpoints (β = 1.12 hours [95% CI: 0.43, 1.18] and lower M10 activity levels; (2) later L5 midpoints (β = 1.6 hours [95% CI: 0.9, 2.3]) and lower L5 activity levels; (3) less regular rest-activity patterns (lower IS and higher IV); and 4) lower magnitudes (β = -0.95 [95% CI: -1.28, -0.63]) and relative amplitudes (β = -0.1 [95% CI: -0.14, -0.06]). Mid-to-older adults, compared to younger adults (aged 18-29 years), had (1) earlier M10 midpoints (β = -1.0 hours [95% CI: -1.6, -0.4]; (2) earlier L5 midpoints (β = -0.7 hours [95% CI: -1.2, -0.2]); and (3) more regular rest-activity patterns (higher IS and lower IV). The magnitudes and relative amplitudes were similar across the adult age categories. Sex, race and education level rest-activity differences were also observed. Rest-activity patterns vary across the lifespan, and differ by race, sex and education. Understanding population variation in these patterns provides a foundation for further elucidating the health implications of rest-activity patterns across the lifespan.
Metal-organic interface functionalization via acceptor end groups: PTCDI on coinage metals
2017-06-26

We present a comprehensive study of the complex interface between perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) and the (111) surfaces of the three coinage metals. The specific structural, electronic, and chemical properties of the interface rendered by the different substrate reactivities are monitored with low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray standing waves (XSW), and ultraviolet and x-ray photelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS). In particular, the balance between molecule-substrate and molecule-molecule interactions is considered when interpreting the core-level spectra of the different interfaces. By presenting additional adsorption distances of the unsubstituted perylene, we show that the molecular functionalization via end groups with acceptor character facilitates the charge transfer from the substrate but it is not directly responsible for the associated short adsorption distances, demonstrating that this frequently assumed correlation is not necessarily correct.
Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning in a 15-year grassland experiment: Patterns, mechanisms, and open questions
2017-06-27

In the past two decades, a large number of studies have investigated the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, most of which focussed on a limited set of ecosystem variables. The Jena Experiment was set up in 2002 to investigate the effects of plant diversity on element cycling and trophic interactions, using a multi-disciplinary approach. Here, we review the results of 15 years of research in the Jena Experiment, focussing on the effects of manipulating plant species richness and plant functional richness. With more than 85,000 measures taken from the plant diversity plots, the Jena Experiment has allowed answering fundamental questions important for functional biodiversity research.
Dual anti‐inflammatory and anti‐parasitic action of topical ivermectin 1% in papulopustular rosacea
2017-06-27

Abstract Background Recently, therapy of rosacea with inflammatory lesions (papulopustular) has improved substantially with the approval of topical ivermectin 1% cream. It is assumed to have a dual mode of action with anti‐inflammatory capacities and anti‐parasitic effects against Demodex , which however has not yet been demonstrated in vivo . Aim To find scientific rationale for the dual anti‐inflammatory and anti‐parasitic mode of action of topical ivermectin 1% cream in patients with rosacea. Methods A monocentric pilot study was performed including 20 caucasion patients with moderate to severe rosacea, as assessed by investigator global assessment ( IGA score ≥3) and a Demodex density ≥15/cm 2 . Patients were treated with topical ivermectin 1% cream once daily (Soolantra ® ) for ≥12 weeks. The density of Demodex mites was assessed with skin surface biopsies. Expression of inflammatory and immune markers was evaluated with RT ‐ PCR and by immunofluorescence staining. Results The mean density of mites was significantly decreased at week 6 and week 12 ( P &lt; 0.001). The gene expression levels of IL ‐8, LL ‐37, HBD 3, TLR 4 and TNF ‐ α were downregulated at both time points. Reductions in gene expression were significant for LL ‐37, HBD 3 and TNF ‐ α at both follow‐up time points and at week 12 for TLR 4 (all P &lt; 0.05). Reduced LL ‐37 expression ( P &lt; 0.05) and IL ‐8 expression were confirmed on the protein level by immunofluorescence staining. All patients improved clinically, and 16 of 20 patients reached therapeutic success defined as IGA score ≤1. Conclusion Topical ivermectin 1% cream acts by a dual, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐parasitic mode of action against rosacea by killing Demodex spp. in vivo, in addition to significantly improving clinical signs and symptoms in the skin.
Geodesic Models of Quasi-periodic-oscillations as Probes of Quadratic Gravity
2017-06-27

Abstract Future very-large-area X-ray instruments (for which the effective area is larger than m 2 ) will be able to measure the frequencies of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in the X-ray flux from accreting compact objects with sub-percent precision. If correctly modeled, QPOs can provide a novel way to test the strong-field regime of gravity. By using the relativistic precession model and a modified version of the epicyclic resonance model, we develop a method to test general relativity against a generic class of theories with quadratic curvature corrections. With the instrumentation being studied for future missions such as eXTP, LOFT, or STROBE-X, a measurement of at least two QPO triplets from a stellar mass black hole can set stringent constraints on the coupling parameters of quadratic gravity.
Quantifying Reactive Transport Processes Governing Arsenic Mobility after Injection of Reactive Organic Carbon into a Bengal Delta Aquifer
2017-06-27

Over the last few decades, significant progress has been made to characterize the extent, severity, and underlying geochemical processes of groundwater arsenic (As) pollution in S/SE Asia. However, comparably little effort has been made to merge the findings into frameworks that allow for a process-based quantitative analysis of observed As behavior and for predictions of its long-term fate. This study developed field-scale numerical modeling approaches to represent the hydrochemical processes associated with an in situ field injection of reactive organic carbon, including the reductive dissolution and transformation of ferric iron (Fe) oxides and the concomitant release of sorbed As. We employed data from a sucrose injection experiment in the Bengal Delta Plain to guide our model development and to constrain the model parametrization. Our modeling results illustrate that the temporary pH decrease associated with the sucrose transformation and mineralization caused pronounced, temporary shifts in the As partitioning between aqueous and sorbed phases. The results also suggest that while the reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxides reduced the number of sorption sites, a significant fraction of the released As was rapidly scavenged through coprecipitation with neo-formed magnetite. These secondary reactions can explain the disparity between the observed Fe and As behavior.
Extension of the phenotype of biallelic loss‐of‐function mutations in SLC25A46 to the severe form of pontocerebellar hypoplasia type I
2017-06-27

Biallelic mutations in SLC25A46 , encoding a modified solute transporter involved in mitochondrial dynamics, have been identified in a wide range of conditions such as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with optic atrophy type VIB ( OMIM : *610826) and congenital lethal pontocerebellar hypoplasia ( PCH ). To date, 18 patients from 13 families have been reported, presenting with the key clinical features of optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and cerebellar atrophy. The course of the disease was highly variable ranging from severe muscular hypotonia at birth and early death to first manifestations in late childhood and survival into the fifties. Here we report on 4 patients from 2 families diagnosed with PCH who died within the first month of life from respiratory insufficiency. Patients from 1 family had pathoanatomically proven spinal motor neuron degeneration ( PCH1 ). Using exome sequencing, we identified biallelic disease‐segregating loss‐of‐function mutations in SLC25A46 in both families. Our study adds to the definition of the SLC25A46 ‐associated phenotypic spectrum that includes neonatal fatalities due to PCH as the severe extreme.
A unique fossil record from neptunian sills: the world’s most extreme example of stratigraphic condensation (Jurassic, western Sicily)
2017-06-27

Abstract Neptunian sills at Rocca Busambra, a fragment of the Trapanese/Saccense Domain in western Sicily, host the most abundant ammonite and gastropod fauna which has ever been recorded from the Jurassic of the western Tethys. The fauna is dominated by parautochthonous organisms which were swept into the sills by gentle transport. Ammonites are characterized by perfect preservation and small size, a feature which is due to the predominance of microconchs but also of stunting. The most complete sill is 0.7 m thick and could be separated into 17 levels which range in age from the early Toarcian into the late Kimmeridgian, thus representing the most extreme case of palaeontologically and depositionally documented stratigraphic condensation in Earth history. The unique feature of the Rocca Busambra sills is due to the interaction of three processes: extreme stratigraphic condensation on the sea floor, weak tectonic fracturing of the host rock and repeated reopening on top of already existing sills. Contrasting percentages of gastropods in individual levels reflect sea-level oscillations which correspond to long known low- and highstands during the Jurassic of the western Tethys. Comparisons with other ammonite-bearing sill faunas reveal several similarities, but represent only short-timed phases of tectonic pulses and deposition.
Effects of soluble CPE on glioma cell migration are associated with mTOR activation and enhanced glucose flux
2017-06-27

Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) has recently been described as a multifunctional protein that regulates proliferation, migration and survival in several tumor entities. In glioblastoma (GBM), the most malignant primary brain tumor, secreted CPE (sCPE) was shown to modulate tumor cell migration. In our current study, we aimed at clarifying the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating anti-migratory as well as novel metabolic effects of sCPE in GBM. Here we show that sCPE activates mTORC1 signaling in glioma cells detectable by phosphorylation of its downstream target RPS6. Additionally, sCPE diminishes glioma cell migration associated with a negative regulation of Rac1 signaling via RPS6, since both inhibition of mTOR and stimulation of Rac1 results in a reversed effect of sCPE on migration. Knockdown of CPE leads to a decrease of active RPS6 associated with increased GBM cell motility. Apart from this, we show that sCPE enhances glucose flux into the tricarboxylic acid cycle at the expense of lactate production, thereby decreasing aerobic glycolysis, which might as well contribute to a less invasive behavior of tumor cells. Our data contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of GBM cell migration and sheds new light on how tumor cell invasion and metabolic plasticity are interconnected.
Oil Perception—Detection Thresholds for Varying Fatty Stimuli and Inter-individual Differences
2017-06-27

Multiple lines of research have demonstrated that humans can perceive fat in the form of free fatty acids (FFAs). However, the dietary concentration of FFAs is generally very low and fat is mainly consumed as triacylglycerol (TAG). The aim of this study was to examine the perception of different fatty stimuli and possible associations between them. Therefore, detection thresholds for 4 fatty stimuli (oleic acid [FFA], paraffin oil [mixture of hydrocarbon molecules], canola oil [TAG-rich], and canola oil spiked with oleic acid [rich in TAGs and FFAs]) were determined in 30 healthy participants. Additionally, inter-individual differences in fat perception were examined. It was observed that oleic acid was perceivable at significantly lower concentrations than all other stimuli (P < 0.001). Similarly, canola oil with oleic acid was detectable at lower concentrations than canola oil alone (P < 0.001). Moreover, canola oil detection thresholds were significantly lower than paraffin oil detection thresholds (P = 0.017). Participants who were sensitive for low concentrations for oleic acid showed lower detection thresholds for canola oil with and without oleic acid, compared with participants that were less sensitive for oleic acid. The results of this study demonstrate that the higher the concentrations of FFAs in the stimuli, the lower the individual fat detection threshold. Moreover, participants being sensitive for lower concentrations of FFAs are also more likely to detect low concentrations of TAG-rich fats as it is found in the human diet.
Asymmetric Information in Simple Bargaining Games: An Experimental Study
2017-06-27

Abstract Bilateral bargaining situations are often characterized by informational asymmetries concerning the size of what is at stake: in some cases, the proposer is better informed, in others, it is the responder. We analyze the effects of both types of asymmetric information on proposer behavior in two different situations which allow for a variation of responder veto power: the ultimatum and the dictator game. We find that the extent to which proposers demand less in the ultimatum as compared to the dictator game is (marginally) smaller when the proposer is in the superior information position. Further we find informed proposers to exploit their informational advantage by offering an amount that does not reveal the true size of the pie, with proposers in the ultimatum game exhibiting this behavioral pattern to a larger extent than those in the dictator game. Uninformed proposers risk imposed rejection when they ask for more than potentially is at stake, and ask for a risk premium in dictator games. We concentrate on proposers, but also explore responder behavior: We find uninformed responders to enable proposers’ hiding behavior, and we find proposer intentionality not to play an important role for informed responders when they decide whether to accept or reject an offer by an (uninformed) proposer.
3-Hydroxy-N′-arylidenepropanehydrazonamides with Halo-Substituted Phenanthrene Scaffolds Cure P. berghei Infected Mice When Administered Perorally
2017-06-27

Structural optimization of 3-hydroxy-N'-arylidenepropanehydrazonamides provided new analogs with nanomolar to subnanomolar antiplasmodial activity against asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, excellent parasite selectivity, and nanomolar activity against the earliest forms of gametocyte development. Particularly, derivatives with a 1,3-dihalo-6-trifluoromethylphenanthrene moiety showed outstanding in vivo properties and demonstrated in part curative activity in the Plasmodium berghei mouse model when administered perorally.
Severe Upper Airway Obstruction After Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis*
2017-06-27

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate if there is a correlation between the use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and an increased rate of extubation failure and to find other risk factors for severe upper airway obstructions after pediatric cardiac surgery. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Cardiac PICU. Patients: Patients 24 months old or younger who underwent surgery for congenital heart disease with cardiopulmonary bypass were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups depending on whether they received an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography or not. We analyzed all cases of early reintubations within 12 hours after extubation due to a documented upper airway obstruction. Intervention: None. Measurements and Main Results: From a total of 424 patients, 12 patients (2.8%) met our criteria of early reintubation due to upper airway obstruction. Ten of 207 children in the transesophageal echocardiography group had to be reintubated, whereas only two of the 217 children in the control group had to be reintubated (4.8% vs 0.9%; p = 0.018). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant correlation between use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and extubation failure (odds ratio, 5.64; 95% CI, 1.18–27.05; p = 0.030). There was no significant relationship among sex (odds ratio, 4.53; 95% CI, 0.93–22.05; p = 0.061), weight (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.82–1.40; p = 0.601), duration of surgery (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.74–1.44; p = 0.834), duration of mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99–1.00; p = 0.998), and occurrence of trisomy 21 (odds ratio, 3.47; 95% CI, 0.83–14.56; p = 0.089). Conclusions: Although the benefits of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during pediatric cardiac surgery are undisputed, it may be one factor which could increase the rate of severe upper airway obstruction after extubation with the need for reintubation. We suggest to take precautions before extubating high-risk patients, especially in young male children with genetic abnormalities after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.
Restingstate Changes related to Sexual Side-Effects: Bupropione Paroxetine vs Placebo
2017-06-27

Introduction: Background: Major depressive disorder is one of the most diagnosed diseases especially in Western countries. While more and more antidepressant drugs are prescribed, the mechanisms how those drugs work on neural basis and how specific side-effects like sexual dysfunction may occur, still remain poorly understood. Aim: The aim of our study was to look for alterations in restingstate fMRI, before and during antidepressant treatment, which could explain if not predict sexual side-effects. We therefore chose two common antidepressants with different side-effect spectra: Paroxetine, a selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor, often blamed of causing sexual dysfunction, and Bupropion as a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, rarely decreasing if not increasing sexual performance. Both drugs were investigated in healthy subjects in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to account for intra-subject effects under all three conditions identifying possible targets of treatment response. Methods: 18 healthy volunteers were included in a randomized trial taking either Bupropion (BUP), Paroxetine (PAR) or Placebo (PLAC) for one week, with a two-week wash-out phase between trials. They completed an fMRI-trial including a 10min eyes-closed restingstate scan in a 3Tesla scanner. Drug-intake was controlled by plasma-levels. Restingstate analysis was performed using DPARSF (Chao-Gan and Yu-Feng, 2010). Functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed for the sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA), previously found to predict sexual dysfunction under PAR (Metzger et al. 2013). Sexual dysfunction was assessed by self-report with the 5-item Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Function Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) after each pharmacological trial. Results: Effects of interest for PLAC, BUP and PAR on SLEA-seeded connectivity were found bilaterally in pgACC, pMCC, lateral temporal cortex (p&lt;0.005, corr.). While connectivity with pgACC showed effects of same directionality for both BUP and PAR, differential effects were found in pMCC with an increase in connectivity with SLEA under PAR and in the lateral temporal cortex with an increase in connectivity under BUP compared to PLAC (p&lt;0.005, corr.). A positive correlation was observed between the change in sexual functioning from PLAC to PAR with functional connectivity between SLEA and midbrain, pgACC and nucleus accumbens while connectivity with LOC was negatively correlated (all p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: According to previous findings of SLEA-seeded connectivity predicting sexual side-effects, we could show, that changes in SLEA-seeded connectivity changed along with sexual functional and were moreover differentially effected by PAR and BUP.
Cerebral voice- and face-processing networks in the absence of voices and faces: an rs-fMRI study
2017-06-27

Introduction: Voices and faces are among the most salient cues in human life. This is reflected in the existence of specialized cerebral modules which are specifically tuned to respond to these cues (e.g., the temporal voice area [TVA][1] and the fusiform face area [FFA][2]). While many studies have investigated cerebral voice- and face-selectivity in the presence of voices and faces, it remains unclear if there is something like voice- or face-selectivity in the absence of these cues. Methods: 60 healthy individuals participated in the 3T-fMRI study. An rs-fMRI measurement was followed by standard localizer experiments identifying the FFA and TVA and combinedly voice- and face-sensitive regions in the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS [3]). Employing the conn toolbox [4] in SPM8, seed-based analyses and multivariate multi voxel pattern analyses were used to identify resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) patterns predicting the voice- and/or face-selectivity of TVA, FFA and pSTS. Results: While individual voice-selectivity was partially reflected in the RSFC patterns of the respective voice-processing modules (i.e., TVA and pSTS), face-selectivity of the FFA (see Fig. 1) (and partially voice-selectivity [e.g., voice-selectivity of the bilateral TVAs; see Fig. 2) was predicted by the connectivity patterns of widespread but to some extent convergent sets of regions cortical and subcortical regions not including the respective face- or voice-selective module itself. Conclusions: These results emphasize that the individual cerebral propensity to respond to human voices and faces is reflected in the brain's activation patterns also in the absence of these cues like a trait marker. Similar to the under-water-perspective on an iceberg, this approach may open up interesting avenues to the investigation of voice and face processing. In this regard, the resting state connectivity patterns predictive of individual voice- and face-selectivity may aid the understanding of cerebral face- and voice-selectivity from a network perspective.