Electronic Correlations in Vanadium Revealed by Electron-Positron Annihilation Measurements

The electronic structure of vanadium measured by Angular Correlation of electron-positron Annihilation Radiation (ACAR) is compared with the predictions of the combined Density Functional and Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT). Reconstructing the momentum density from five 2D projections we were able to determine the full Fermi surface and found excellent agreement with the DMFT calculations. In particular, we show that the local, dynamic self-energy corrections contribute to the anisotropy of the momentum density and need to be included to explain the experimental results

A new platform based on IEEE802.15.4 wireless inertial sensors for motion caption and assessment

Abstract—Systems for motion ca¡ption and assessment in biomechanics are mostly based on photogrammetry. These systems are restricted to the movement analysis lab and moreover, they are very expensive. New advances in MEMs (Microelectromechanical) and wireless technologies enable inertial sensing as an alternatives for motion caption. This paper presents a wireless inertial sensor including 3 linear accelerometers, 3 gyroscopes and 3 magnetometers. The IMU (inertial measurement unit) includes a IEEE802.15.4 compliant transceiver. The platform expands the frontiers of movement analysis for motion caption in real scenarios like sports and wearable robotics since it does not need structurated labs. Besides the advantages, the cost of the platform is much lower comparing actual photogrammetry systems.Peer reviewe

A MIF haplotype is associated with the outcome of patients with severe sepsis: a case control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays an important regulatory role in sepsis. In the promoter region a C/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position -173 (rs755622) and a CATT_5-8microsatellite at position -794 are related to modified promoter activity. The purpose of the study was to analyze their association with the incidence and outcome of severe sepsis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Genotype distributions and allele frequencies in 169 patients with severe sepsis, 94 healthy blood donors and 183 postoperative patients without signs of infection or inflammation were analyzed by real time PCR and Sequence analysis. All included individuals were Caucasians.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Genotype distribution and allele frequencies of severe sepsis patients were comparable to both control groups. However, the genotype and allele frequencies of both polymorphisms were associated significantly with the outcome of severe sepsis. The highest risk of dying from severe sepsis was detectable in patients carrying a haplotype with the alleles -173 C and CATT₇(p = 0.0005, fisher exact test, RR = 1,806, CI: 1.337 to 2.439).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The haplotype with the combination of the -173 C allele and the -794 CATT₇allele may not serve as a marker for susceptibility to sepsis, but may help identify septic patients at risk of dying.</p

Mortality Risk for Acute Cholangitis (MAC): a risk prediction model for in-hospital mortality in patients with acute cholangitis

Background: Acute cholangitis is a life-threatening bacterial infection of the biliary tract. Main focus of this study was to create a useful risk prediction model that helps physicians to assign patients with acute cholangitis into different management groups. Methods: 981 cholangitis episodes from 810 patients were analysed retrospectively at a German tertiary center. Results: Out of eleven investigated statistical models fit to 22 predictors, the Random Forest model achieved the best (cross-) validated performance to predict mortality. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve revealed a mean area under the curve (AUC) of 91.5 %. Dependent on the calculated mortality risk, we propose to stratify patients with acute cholangitis into a high and low risk group. The mean sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the corresponding optimal cutpoint were 82.9 %, 85.1 %, 19.0 % and 99.3 %, respectively. All of these results emerge from nested (cross-) validation and are supposed to reflect the model's performance expected for external data. An implementation of our risk prediction model including the specific treatment recommendations adopted from the Tokyo guidelines is available on http://www2.imse.med.tum.de:3838/. Conclusion: Our risk prediction model for mortality appears promising to stratify patients with acute cholangitis into different management groups. Additional validation of its performance should be provided by further prospective trails

Spin-resolved fermi surface of the localized ferromagnetic Heusler compound Cu2MnAl measured with spin-polarized positron annihilation

We determined the bulk electronic structure in the prototypical Heusler compound Cu$_2$MnAl by measuring the Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) using spin-polarized positrons. To this end, a new algorithm for reconstructing 3D densities from projections is introduced that allows us to corroborate the excellent agreement between our electronic structure calculations and the experimental data. The contribution of each individual Fermi surface sheet to the magnetization was identified, and summed to a total spin magnetic moment of $3.6\,\pm\,0.5\,\mu_B/\mathrm{f.u.}$

RBFOX1, encoding a splicing regulator, is a candidate gene for aggressive behavior

The RBFOX1 gene (or A2BP1) encodes a splicing factor important for neuronal development that has been related to autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Evidence from complementary sources suggests that this gene contributes to aggressive behavior. Suggestive associations with RBFOX1 have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of anger, conduct disorder, and aggressive behavior. Nominal association signals in RBFOX1 were also found in an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of aggressive behavior. Also, variants in this gene affect temporal lobe volume, a brain area that is altered in several aggression-related phenotypes. In animals, this gene has been shown to modulate aggressive behavior in Drosophila. RBFOX1 has also been associated with canine aggression and is upregulated in mice that show increased aggression after frustration of an expected reward. Associated common genetic variants as well as rare duplications and deletions affecting RBFOX1 have been identified in several psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders that are often comorbid with aggressive behaviors. In this paper, we comprehensively review the cumulative evidence linking RBFOX1 to aggression behavior and provide new results implicating RBFOX1 in this phenotype. Most of these studies (genetic and epigenetic analyses in humans, neuroimaging genetics, gene expression and animal models) are hypothesis-free, which strengthens the validity of the findings, although all the evidence is nominal and should therefore be taken with caution. Further studies are required to clarify in detail the role of this gene in this complex phenotype

An acetylcholine alpha7 positive allosteric modulator rescues a schizophrenia-associated brain endophenotype in the 15q13.3 microdeletion, encompassing CHRNA7

The 15q13.3 microdeletion copy number variation is strongly associated with schizophrenia and epilepsy. The CHRNA7 gene, encoding nicotinic acetylcholine alpha 7 receptors (nAChA7Rs), is hypothesized to be one of the main genes in this deletion causing the neuropsychiatric phenotype. Here we used a recently developed 15q13.3 microdeletion mouse model to explore whether an established schizophrenia-associated connectivity phenotype is replicated in a murine model, and whether positive modulation of nAChA7 receptor might pharmacologically normalize the connectivity patterns. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired from male mice carrying a hemizygous 15q13.3 microdeletion (N=9) and from wild-type mice (N=9). To study the connectivity profile of 15q13.3 mice and test the effect of nAChA7 positive allosteric modulation, the 15q13.3 mice underwent two imaging sessions, one week apart, receiving a single intraperitoneal injection of either 15 mg/kg Lu AF58801 or saline. The control group comprised wild-type mice treated with saline. We performed seed-based functional connectivity analysis to delineate aberrant connectivity patterns associated with the deletion (15q13.3 mice (saline treatment) versus wild-type mice (saline treatment)) and their modulation by Lu AF58801 (15q13.3 mice (Lu AF58801 treatment) versus 15q13.3 mice (saline treatment)). Compared to wild-type mice, 15q13.3 mice evidenced a predominant hyperconnectivity pattern. The main effect of Lu AF58801 was a normalization of elevated functional connectivity between prefrontal and frontal, hippocampal, striatal, thalamic and auditory regions. The strongest effects were observed in brain regions expressing nAChA7Rs, namely hippocampus, cerebral cortex and thalamus. These effects may underlie the antiepileptic, pro-cognitive and auditory gating deficit-reversal effects of nAChA7R stimulation

A new paraclinical CSF marker for hypoxia‐like tissue damage in multiple sclerosis lesions

Recent studies on the immunopathology of multiple sclerosis revealed a heterogeneity in the patterns of demyelination, suggesting interindividual differences in the mechanism responsible for myelin destruction. One of these patterns of demyelination, characterized by oligodendrocyte dystrophy and apoptosis, closely mimics myelin destruction in acute white matter ischaemia. In the course of a systematic screening for virus antigen expression in multiple sclerosis brains, we identified a monoclonal antibody against canine distemper virus, which detects a cross‐reactive endogenous brain epitope, highly expressed in this specific subtype of actively demyelinating multiple sclerosis lesions with little or no immunoreactivity in other active multiple sclerosis cases. The respective epitope, which is a phosphorylation‐dependent sequence of one or more proteins of 50, 70 and 115kDa, is also expressed in a subset of active lesions of different virus‐induced inflammatory brain diseases, but is present most prominently and consistently in acute lesions of white matter ischaemia. Its presence is significantly associated with nuclear expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α within the lesions of both inflammatory and ischaemic brain diseases. The respective epitope is liberated into the CSF and, thus, may become a useful diagnostic tool to identify clinically a defined multiple sclerosis subtyp

Development of a clickable bimodal fluorescent/PET probe for in vivo imaging

Background Fluorescent imaging agents are becoming evermore important in preclinical and clinical research. They do, however, suffer from poor tissue penetration, which makes optical fluorescence imaging incompatible with whole-body imaging techniques. The design of novel bimodal PET active and fluorescent tracers could therefore combine the benefits of optical imaging with radioactively labeled imaging probes. Herein, we report the synthesis and evaluation of a clickable 18F-labeled fluorescent dye. Methods An azide-modified BODIPY-Fl dye could be successfully radio-labeled with 18F using an 18F/19F exchange reaction of the boron-fluoride core of the BODIPY dye to yield a clickable bimodal PET/fluorescent imaging tool. In vitro as well as in vivo imaging (PET/fluorescence) using a bombesin analog was conducted to study the applicability of the dual-modality imaging probe. Results We use the radio-labeled small molecule, 18F-BODIPY-azide to label site-specifically different targeted peptides, based on a standard modular labeling protocol. Following the synthesis of a bimodal bombesin analog, we determine the peptide tracer’s performance in vitro and in vivo, exploring both the optical as well as PET imaging capabilities. Conclusion This versatile methodology has the potential to have a transformational impact on 18F radiotracer synthesis, opening the door for rapid screening of novel-labeled peptide tracers, both on the cellular (optical) as well as whole-body (PET) level. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13550-015-0120-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users