julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Brain processing of pain in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome
2013-01-28

Abstract By definition, patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome ( UWS ) do not experience pain, but it is still not completely understood how far their brain can process noxious stimuli. The few positron emission tomography studies that have examined pain processing did not yield a clear and consistent result. We performed an functional magnetic resonance imaging scan in 30 UWS patients of nontraumatic etiology and 15 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control participants ( HC ). In a block design, noxious electrical stimuli were presented at the patients' left index finger, alternating with a resting baseline condition. Sixteen of the UWS patients (53%) showed neural activation in at least one subsystem of the pain‐processing network. More specifically, 15 UWS patients (50%) showed responses in the sensory‐discriminative pain network, 30% in the affective pain network. The data indicate that some patients completely fulfilling the clinical UWS criteria have the neural substrates of noxious stimulation processing, which resemble that in control individuals. We therefore suppose that at least some of these patients can experience pain.
Apoe, Mbl2, and Psp Plasma Protein Levels Correlate with Diabetic Phenotype in NZO Mice—An Optimized Rapid Workflow for SRM-Based Quantification
2013-01-28

Male New Zealand Obese (NZO) mice progress through pathophysiological stages similar to humans developing obesity-associated type 2 diabetes (T2D). The current challenge is to establish quantitative proteomics from small plasma sample amounts. We established an analytical workflow that facilitates a reproducible depletion of high-abundance proteins, has high throughput applicability, and allows absolute quantification of proteins from mouse plasma samples by LC-SRM-MS. The ProteoMiner equalizing technology was adjusted to the small sample amount, and reproducibility of the identifications was monitored by spike proteins. Based on the label-free relative quantification of proteins in depleted plasma of a test set of NZO mice, assays for potential candidates were designed for the setup of a targeted selected reaction monitoring (SRM) approach and absolute quantification. We could demonstrate that apolipoprotein E (Apoe), mannose-binding lectin 2 (Mbl2), and parotid secretory protein (Psp) are present at significantly different quantities in depleted plasma of diabetic NZO mice compared to non-diabetic controls using AQUA peptides. Quantification was validated for Mbl2 using the ELISA technology on non-depleted plasma. We conclude that the depletion technique is applicable to restricted sample amounts and suitable for the identification of T2D signatures in plasma.
Successful Subretinal Delivery and Monitoring of MicroBeads in Mice
2013-01-28

The accessibility for routine surgery and its immune privileged state make the eye an ideal target for release system implants for therapeutic substances, including neurotrophic and anti-angiogenic compounds or protein based biosimilars. Microencapsulated human stem cells (MicroBeads) promise to overcome limitations inherent with single factor release systems, as they are able to produce physiologic combinations of bioactive compounds.
Abelian and center gauge fixing in continuum Yang-Mills-Theory for general gauge groups 1
2013-01-28

A prescription for center gauge fixing for pure Yang-Mills theory in the continuum with general gauge groups is presented. The emergence of various types of singularities (magnetic monopoles and center vortices) appearing in the course of the gauge fixing procedure are discussed.
Nucleon resonances in AdS/QCD
2013-01-29

We describe the electroproduction of the N(1440) Roper resonance in soft-wall\\nAdS/QCD. The Roper resonance is identified as the first radially excited state\\nof the nucleon, where higher-Fock states in addition to the three-quark\\ncomponent are included. The main conclusion is that the leading 3q component\\nplays the dominant role in the description of electroproduction properties of\\nthis resonance: form factors, helicity amplitudes and charge densities. The\\nobtained results are in good agreement with the recent results of the CLAS\\nCollaboration at JLab.\\n
H.E.S.S. observations of the binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 around the 2010/2011 periastron passage
2013-01-29

Aim. In this paper we present very high energy (VHE; E&gt;100 GeV) data from the\\n\\\\gamma-ray binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 taken around its periastron\\npassage (15th of December 2010) with the High Energy Stereoscopic System\\n(H.E.S.S.) of Cherenkov Telescopes. We aim to search for a possible TeV\\ncounterpart of the GeV flare detected by the Fermi LAT. In addition, we aim to\\nstudy the current periastron passage in the context of previous observations\\ntaken at similar orbital phases, testing the repetitive behavior of the source.\\n Methods. Observations at VHE were conducted with H.E.S.S. from 9th to 16th of\\nJanuary 2011. The total dataset amounts to around 6 h of observing time.\\n Results. The source is detected in the 2011 data at a significance level of\\n11.5\\\\sigma\\\\ revealing an averaged integral flux above 1 TeV of (1.01 \\\\pm\\n0.18_{stat} \\\\pm 0.20_{sys}) \\\\times 10^{-12} cm^{-2}s^{-1}. The differential\\nenergy spectrum follows a power-law shape with a spectral index \\\\Gamma = 2.92\\n\\\\pm 0.30_{stat} \\\\pm 0.20_{sys} and a flux normalisation at 1 TeV of N_{0} =\\n1.95 \\\\pm 0.32_{stat} \\\\pm 0.39_{sys}) \\\\times 10^{-12} TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}.\\nThe measured lightcurve does not show any evidence for variability of the\\nsource on the daily scale.\\n Conclusions. The measured integral flux and the spectral shape of the 2011\\ndata are compatible with the results obtained around previous periastron\\npassages. The absence of variability in the H.E.S.S. data indicates that the\\nGeV flare observed by Fermi LAT in the time period covered also by H.E.S.S.\\nobservations originates in a different physical scenario than the TeV emission.\\nAdditionaly, new results compared to those obtained in the observations which\\nwere performed in 2004 at a similar orbital phase, further support the\\nhypothesis of the repetitive behavior of the source.\\n
Heavy Fermion Quantum Effects in SU(2)L Gauge Theory
2013-01-29

We explore the effects of a heavy fermion doublet in a simplified version of the standard electroweak theory. We integrate out the doublet and compute the exact effective energy functional of spatially varying gauge and Higgs fields. We perform a variational search for a local minimum of the effective energy and do not find evidence for a soliton carrying the quantum numbers of the decoupled fermion doublet. The fermion vacuum polarization energy offsets the gain in binding energy previously argued to be sufficient to stabilize a fermionic soliton. The existence of such a soliton would have been a natural way to maintain anomaly cancellation at the level of the states. We also see that the sphaleron energy is significantly increased due to the quantum corrections of the heavy doublet. We find that when the doublet is slightly heavier than the quantum–corrected sphaleron, its decay is exponentially suppressed owing to a new barrier. This barrier exists only for an intermediate range of fermion masses, and a heavy enough doublet is indeed unstable. 1 Heisenberg Fellow
Impact of Virtual Training Environments on the Acquisition and Transfer of Knowledge
2013-01-30

Virtual training environments are appropriate to train complex tasks that require collaboration and interaction among the members of a team, especially if training in reality is not possible, too expensive or too dangerous. The field study reported in this paper compared three training conditions (virtual condition, standard condition, and control condition). The participants were police officers who were being trained in the communication between ground forces and a helicopter crew during an operation. This task (like many other tasks of the police, fire brigade and emergency services) is of high complexity and has no single "correct" solution, is based on specialization of tasks within a team, requires intensive communication among team members, and consists of situations in which human beings are in danger. Learning outcomes and knowledge transfer were measured as dependent variables. The results validate that virtual training was as efficient as standard training with regard to knowledge acquisition, and it was even more efficient with regard to knowledge transfer. With regard to the perceived value of the training, the participants judged standard training to be better than virtual training (except for training satisfaction, where no difference was found between standard and virtual training). These results indicate that virtual training is an effective tool for training in complex tasks that require collaboration and cannot fully be trained for in reality.
ADHM Construction of Instantons on the Torus
2013-01-30

We apply the ADHM instanton construction to SU(2) gauge theory on 4−n n 4−n for n = 1,2,3,4. To do this we regard instantons on × as periodic (modulo gauge transformations) instantons on 4 4. Since the topological charge of such instantons is infinite the ADHM algebra takes place on an infinite dimensional linear space. The ADHM matrix M is related to a Weyl operator (with a self-dual background) on the dual torus ̃n. This is a variant of the Nahm transformation. We construct the Weyl operator corresponding to the one-instantons on n × 4−n. We also give M for a subclass of 2-instantons. In order to derive the self-dual potential on n 4−n 2 2 × it is necessary to invert the Weyl operator. In the case n = 2 (i.e. ×) n M is essentially a (massive) Dirac operator for an Aharonov Bohm problem on ̃2.
Effects of Pictorial Cues on Reaching Depend on the Distinctiveness of Target Objects
2013-01-30

There is an ongoing debate under what conditions learned object sizes influence visuomotor control under preserved stereovision. Using meaningful objects (matchboxes of locally well-known brands in the UK) a previous study has nicely shown that the recognition of these objects influences action programming by means of reach amplitude and grasp pre-shaping even under binocular vision. Using the same paradigm, we demonstrated that short-term learning of colour-size associations was not sufficient to induce any visuomotor effects under binocular viewing conditions. Now we used the same matchboxes, for which the familiarity effect was shown in the UK, with German participants who have never seen these objects before. We addressed the question whether simply a high degree of distinctness, or whether instead actual prior familiarity of these objects, are required to affect motor computations. We found that under monocular and binocular viewing conditions the learned size and location influenced the amplitude of the reaching component significantly. In contrast, the maximum grip aperture remained unaffected for binocular vision. We conclude that visual distinctness is sufficient to form reliable associations in short-term learning to influence reaching even for preserved stereovision. Grasp pre-shaping instead seems to be less susceptible to such perceptual effects.
Attitude of German women towards hormone therapy: results of a lay survey
2013-01-30

German women were generally aware of the main risks and benefits of HT. "More informed" women appear to be more likely to use HT compared to "less informed" women. The media produces negative impression of HT.
1 Topological charge of Center Vortices
2013-01-30

The topological charge of center vortices is discussed in terms of the self-intersection number of the closed vortex surfaces in 4-dimensional Euclidian space-time and in terms of the temporal changes of the writhing number of the time-dependent vortex loops in 3-dimensional space. 1.
Integrin control of the transforming growth factor-β pathway in glioblastoma
2013-01-31

Transforming growth factor-β is a central mediator of the malignant phenotype of glioblastoma, the most common and malignant form of intrinsic brain tumours. Transforming growth factor-β promotes invasiveness and angiogenesis, maintains cancer cell stemness and induces profound immunosuppression in the host. Integrins regulate cellular adhesion and transmit signals important for cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and motility, and may be involved in the activation of transforming growth factor-β. We report that αvβ3, αvβ5 and αvβ8 integrins are broadly expressed not only in glioblastoma blood vessels but also in tumour cells. Exposure to αv, β3 or β5 neutralizing antibodies, RNA interference-mediated integrin gene silencing or pharmacological integrin inhibition using the cyclic RGD peptide EMD 121974 (cilengitide) results in reduced phosphorylation of Smad2 in most glioma cell lines, including glioma-initiating cell lines and reduced transforming growth factor-β-mediated reporter gene activity, coinciding with reduced transforming growth factor-β protein levels in the supernatant. Time course experiments indicated that the loss of transforming growth factor-β bioactivity due to integrin inhibition likely results from two distinct mechanisms: an early effect on activation of preformed inactive protein, and second, major effect on transforming growth factor-β gene transcription as confirmed by decreased activity of the transforming growth factor-β gene promoter and decreased transforming growth factor-β(1) and transforming growth factor-β(2) messenger RNA expression levels. In vivo, EMD 121974 (cilengitide), which is currently in late clinical development as an antiangiogenic agent in newly diagnosed glioblastoma, was a weak antagonist of pSmad2 phosphorylation. These results validate integrin inhibition as a promising strategy not only to inhibit angiogenesis, but also to block transforming growth factor-β-controlled features of malignancy including invasiveness, stemness and immunosuppression in human glioblastoma.
The human Ah receptor: hints from dioxin toxicities to deregulated target genes and physiological functions
2013-01-31

Abstract Marked species differences of dioxin toxicity prompted the review of three well-studied human dioxin toxicities (chloracne, inflammation and cancer) and deregulated Ah receptor (AhR) target genes to obtain hints as to the physiological functions of this receptor. Dioxin here stands for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Microarray analysis of dermal cysts from a dioxin-poisoned patient revealed, in addition to induced CYP1A1, increased expression of gremlin, an antagonist of bone morphogenetic proteins. Dioxin-mediated skin and intestinal inflammation is associated with deregulated T cell differentiation. In the supernatant of CD4 + T cells obtained from the dioxin-poisoned patient, increased interleukin-22 was detected, a cytokine that may be controlled in part by AhR-regulated Notch. Cancer is one of the long-term consequences of chronic inflammation. In line with dioxin-sensitive lymphoid tissue, enhanced death of lymphoid cancer was observed in the dioxin-exposed Seveso population 25 years after poisoning. Accumulating evidence suggests that endogenous AhR ligands, notably the tryptophan photoproduct 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole, in contrast to TCDD, is rapidly metabolized by AhR-induced CYP1A1. The feedback loop between 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole, AhR and CYP1A1 guarantees transient activation that, in contrast to sustained activation by TCDD, may be essential for a putative role of the AhR in stem/progenitor cell homeostasis.
Retroactive Maintains Cuticle Integrity by Promoting the Trafficking of Knickkopf into the Procuticle of Tribolium castaneum
2013-01-31

Molting, or the replacement of the old exoskeleton with a new cuticle, is a complex developmental process that all insects must undergo to allow unhindered growth and development. Prior to each molt, the developing new cuticle must resist the actions of potent chitinolytic enzymes that degrade the overlying old cuticle. We recently disproved the classical dogma that a physical barrier prevents chitinases from accessing the new cuticle and showed that the chitin-binding protein Knickkopf (Knk) protects the new cuticle from degradation. Here we demonstrate that, in Tribolium castaneum, the protein Retroactive (TcRtv) is an essential mediator of this protective effect of Knk. TcRtv localizes within epidermal cells and specifically confers protection to the new cuticle against chitinases by facilitating the trafficking of TcKnk into the procuticle. Down-regulation of TcRtv resulted in entrapment of TcKnk within the epidermal cells and caused molting defects and lethality in all stages of insect growth, consistent with the loss of TcKnk function. Given the ubiquity of Rtv and Knk orthologs in arthropods, we propose that this mechanism of new cuticle protection is conserved throughout the phylum.
Temporal Adaptation Enhances Efficient Contrast Gain Control on Natural Images
2013-01-31

Divisive normalization in primary visual cortex has been linked to adaptation to natural image statistics in accordance to Barlow's redundancy reduction hypothesis. Using recent advances in natural image modeling, we show that the previously studied static model of divisive normalization is rather inefficient in reducing local contrast correlations, but that a simple temporal contrast adaptation mechanism of the half-saturation constant can substantially increase its efficiency. Our findings reveal the experimentally observed temporal dynamics of divisive normalization to be critical for redundancy reduction.
How can we bring together empiricists and modellers in functional biodiversity research?
2013-01-31

Improving our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and our capacity to inform ecosystem management requires an integrated framework for functional biodiversity research (FBR). However, adequate integration among empirical approaches (monitoring and experimental) and modelling has rarely been achieved in FBR. We offer an appraisal of the issues involved and chart a course towards enhanced integration. A major element of this path is the joint orientation towards the continuous refinement of a theoretical framework for FBR that links theory testing and generalization with applied research oriented towards the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We further emphasize existing decision-making frameworks as suitable instruments to practically merge these different aims of FBR and bring them into application. This integrated framework requires joint research planning, and should improve communication and stimulate collaboration between modellers and empiricists, thereby overcoming existing reservations and prejudices. The implementation of this integrative research agenda for FBR requires an adaptation in most national and international funding schemes in order to accommodate such joint teams and their more complex structures and data needs. {\\\\textcopyright} 2013 Gesellschaft f{\\\\"{u}}r {\\\\"{O}}kologie.
Time-Resolved DRIFTS, MS, and Resistance Study of SnO2 Materials: The Role of Surface Hydroxyl Groups in Formation of Donor States
2013-01-31

Time-resolved DRIFTS, MS, and resistance measurements were used to study the interaction of undoped and Pd-doped SnO2 with H2 in air and argon at 300 °C. Using first-order kinetics, we compare the time constants for the resistance drop and its partial recovery with those of the surface hydroxyl evolution and water formation in the gas phase upon exposure to hydrogen. In the case of the undoped oxide, resistance and bridging hydroxyls (BOHs) evolve similarly, manifesting a fast main drop followed by recovery at a similar rate. The rate of water formation for this material was found to be much slower than that of the main drop in both the resistance and BOHs. In contrast, the resistance change for SnO2–Pd appeared to be similar to that of water formation, and no correlation was found between the evolution of resistance and surface OHs. Isotopic exchange on both materials revealed that water formation occurs via fast and slow hydrogen transfer to surface oxygen species. While the former originates from just-adsorbed hydrogen, the latter appears to proceed from the preadsorbed OHs. Both surfaces exhibit close interaction between chemisorbed oxygen and existing bridging OH groups, indicating that the latter is an intermediate in the hydrogen oxidation and generation of donor states on the surface.
A model case of a positive outcome in super‐super obesity
2013-01-31

Summary For an increasing number of obese patients, bariatric surgery is considered as the treatment of choice after the failure of conventional strategies. While numerous studies on bariatric surgery have shown substantial health benefits, there is a broad inter‐individual variation in the long‐term outcome, which is insufficiently understood. Here we show a favourable long‐term outcome following multidisciplinary care in a super‐super‐obese patient. The patient suffered from numerous typically obesity‐associated comorbidities and limitations. He underwent multidisciplinary care including two‐step bariatric intervention. Endoscopic intragastric balloon positioning was followed by gastric sleeve surgery without R oux‐en‐ Y gastric bypass. His body weight dropped from 260 kg (body mass index [ BMI ] 79.4 kg m −2 ) to 85 kg ( BMI 25.9 kg m −2 ) within 16 months and continued to be stable at 90 kg ( BMI 27.8 kg m −2 ) at the end of the follow‐up period of 48 months. The loss of excess body weight was associated with the remission of numerous obesity‐related comorbidities and with a concomitant pronounced increase in the quality of life and in the socioeconomic status. Eventually, the patient was able to lead a normal life with a decreased risk of long‐term complications. We attribute the positive long‐term outcome to the following potential determinants: individualized bariatric surgery, multidisciplinary care, the patient's long‐term compliance, adequate adherence to the aftercare, physical exercise after surgery, family support, the cooperation of the primary care physician and the financial coverage by the health insurance. Some of these factors remain to be evaluated as predictors of a favourable long‐term outcome in prospective trials.
A progressive dopaminergic phenotype associated with neurotoxic conversion of α-synuclein in BAC-transgenic rats
2013-02-01

Conversion of soluble α-synuclein into insoluble and fibrillar inclusions is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. Accumulating evidence points towards a relationship between its generation at nerve terminals and structural synaptic pathology. Little is known about the pathogenic impact of α-synuclein conversion and deposition at nigrostriatal dopaminergic synapses in transgenic mice, mainly owing to expression limitations of the α-synuclein construct. Here, we explore whether both the rat as a model and expression of the bacterial artificial chromosome construct consisting of human full-length wild-type α-synuclein could exert dopaminergic neuropathological effects. We found that the human promoter induced a pan-neuronal expression, matching the rodent α-synuclein expression pattern, however, with prominent C-terminally truncated fragments. Ageing promoted conversion of both full-length and C-terminally truncated α-synuclein species into insolube and proteinase K-resistant fibres, with strongest accumulation in the striatum, resembling biochemical changes seen in human Parkinson's disease. Transgenic rats develop early changes in novelty-seeking, avoidance and smell before the progressive motor deficit. Importantly, the observed pathological changes were associated with severe loss of the dopaminergic integrity, thus resembling more closely the human pathology.