bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of retinal layer changes among patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls
Authors: Kango Abhilaksh , Grover Sandeep , Gupta Vishali , Sahoo Swapnajeet , Nehra Ritu
Published: December 2022

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate the retinal nerve fibre layer changes among different group of patients with schizophrenia and compare it with healthy controls by using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

Methodology:

Patients with first-episode schizophrenia (n = 21) in remission (n = 35) or with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) (n = 35) and 36 healthy controls were evaluated for retinal thickness.

Results:

Patients with psychotic illnesses had significantly lower sub-foveal choroidal thickness (effect size 0.84–0.86), when compared to the healthy controls. When patients with first-episode schizophrenia were compared with patients with TRS, TRS patients had significant lower sub-foveal choroidal thickness (left eye) when the various confounders (such as age, gender, duration of treatment, smoking, current medications, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HbA1c, presence or absence of metabolic syndrome) were taken into account. When the patients with TRS were compared with healthy controls, initially significant differences were observed for the macular volume (left and right) and the ganglion cell thickness (right eye) but these differences disappeared after controlling for the various covariates.

Conclusions:

Compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia, psychotic illnesses have thinning of the retina, especially in the sub-foveal choroidal thickness.
Hadrian's Wall and Border Studies: Problems and Prospects
Authors: Gardner Andrew
Published: December 2022

Hadrian's Wall remains one of the most iconic elements of Roman frontier infrastructure, with considerable symbolic capital in all kinds of contemporary situations and representations. Whether inspiring the fictional ice wall in Game of Thrones or illustrating debates about English–Scottish relationships in Brexit-era Britain, the Wall has a powerful legacy. In more scholarly circles, the Wall sometimes figures in the literature of the emerging field of Border Studies, too, and in this paper I examine some of these representations, as a prelude to discussing what Border Studies offers to Wall studies within Roman archaeology. While the interdisciplinary nature of Border Studies can mean that Hadrian's Wall is misunderstood when taken out of context, this does not mean that the broader insights of Border Studies have no value to Roman archaeologists in better interpreting the Wall and its place in Roman Britain. To the contrary, the combination of innovative theories of frontiers and borderlands with detailed, nuanced understanding of the Wall communities through time has much to offer the archaeology of Britain in the Roman empire. Indeed, this field has the potential to connect frontier studies better with other dimensions of Roman provincial archaeology than has been typical in our discipline over much of the last half-century.
Accommodating China's Floating Population: Local Variations and Determinants of Housing Policies for Rural Migrant Workers
Authors: Peng Chenhong , Wang Julia Shu-Huah
Published: December 2022

What are the various ways in which local governments in China accommodate migrants through housing policies, and what are the forces that drive these variations? Through systematic coding of policy documents from 97 prefecture-level cities, this study captures the patterns of migrant housing policies using cluster analysis. We found that 18.6 per cent of the cities adopted a residual approach. Most cities adopted a rental-based approach (public and private rental, and collective rental) that could only meet migrants’ short-term housing needs. Only a few cities (12.4 per cent) adopted a citizenship-oriented approach, which best fits the central government's overarching goal of facilitating migrant workers’ long-term settlement in the host cities. Regression analyses examining the determinants of local migrant housing policies showed that the policy variations were not only shaped by economic and political concerns but also the salience of urban issues (problem-solving functions) and previous welfare generosity (path-dependency tendencies).
Training for Parents of Adolescents with Gaming Disorder
Authors: Brandhorst Isabel , Uwe Petersen Kay , Hanke Sara , Batra Anil , Renner Tobias , Maria Barth Gottfried
Published: December 2022

Abstract: Aim: Parents can influence the Internet use (IUD) or gaming disorder (GD) in their children in various ways. However, there is scant published research and limited structured guidelines on the subject. This article describes a group training for parents that does not require the participation of the affected individuals. Methods: In this non-controlled pilot study, 42 parents (31 families) participated, completing diagnostic questionnaires before and after group training (adolescent’s GD Symptomatology, adolescent’s internalizing and externalizing problems, the parent’s and adolescent’s quality of life). The training included six sessions and was divided into four main topics (psychoeducation, parent-child-communication, analysing and changing, own limits and needs). Results: The training was well-received by the participants. The training itself and most of the content were rated as helpful. From the parents’ point of view, there were significant improvements in the GD symptomatology, the adolescent’s internalizing and externalizing problems, and adolescent’s quality of life. The parents’ quality of life was already at an average high level at the beginning of the training and hardly changed. Conclusions: The training program is easy to implement and is considered beneficial. There are indications that positive changes are triggered by the training, even though the affected persons themselves are not involved. A randomized controlled efficacy study is still pending.
Short‐Term Forecasting of Wind Gusts at Airports Across CONUS Using Machine Learning
Authors: Coburn Jacob , Arnheim Julian , Pryor Sara C.
Published: December 2022

Short‐term forecasting of wind gusts, particularly those of higher intensity, is of great societal importance but is challenging due to the presence of multiple gust generation mechanisms. Wind gust observations from eight high‐passenger‐volume airports across the continental United States (CONUS) are summarized and used to develop predictive models of wind gust occurrence and magnitude. These short‐term (same hour) forecast models are built using multiple logistic and linear regression, as well as artificial neural networks (ANNs) of varying complexity. A suite of 19 upper‐air predictors drawn from the ERA5 reanalysis and an autoregressive (AR) term are used. Stepwise procedures instruct predictor selection, and resampling is used to quantify model stability. All models are developed separately for the warm (April–September) and cold (October–March) seasons. Results show that ANNs of 3–5 hidden layers (HLs) generally exhibit higher hit rates than logistic regression models and also improve skill with respect to wind gust magnitudes. However, deeper networks with more HLs increase false alarm rates in occurrence models and mean absolute error in magnitude models due to model overfitting. For model skill, inclusion of the AR term is critical while the majority of the remaining skill derives from wind speeds and lapse rates. A predictive ceiling is also clearly demonstrated, particularly for the strong and damaging gust magnitudes, which appears to be partially due to ERA5 predictor characteristics and the presence of mixed wind climates.
Long-Lived Lakes Reveal a History of Water on Mars
Authors: Derouin Sarah
Published: December 2022

High-resolution imagery of newly discovered paleolakes shows a period of consistent liquid water flow.
Wavenumbers 3 and 4 Quasi 2‐day Wave Activities Observed by Multiple Meteor Radars in the Two Hemispheres During Austral Summer
Authors: Cheng Hao , Huang Kai Ming , Liu Alan Z. , Zhang Shao Dong , Huang Chun Ming , Gong Yun
Published: December 2022

Combining observations from three meteor radars in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and a meteor radar in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and reanalysis data, we present successive wavenumbers 3 and 4 (W3 and W4) quasi 2 day wave activities in austral summer. In the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, the wave exhibits two burst activities. The W3 dominates the first burst, while the W4 is the predominate mode in the second burst. The mode transition arises in the late January and is completed around the end of January. The W3 and W4 have the nearly same dominate period of about 46 hr and vertical wavelengths of 110 km in the SH and about 55–65 km in the NH, and the similar latitude and altitude distributions in the zonal and meridional winds and temperature, except stronger magnitude and farther extension in the NH for the W3. The analysis indicates that the unstable regions of the summer jets in the lower mesosphere and stratopause region have the boundaries which toward lower latitudes are largely consistent with the critical layers, and Eliassen‐Palm (EP) fluxes of the W3 and W4 increase rapidly near the unstable regions. This demonstrates that both the W3 and W4 originate from the jet instabilities. Nevertheless, the EP flux of the W3 shows a stronger transfer across the hemispheres than that of the W4. The W3 and W4 have the same period and vertical scale, which is different from previous reports.
Comparisons Between Array Derived Dynamic Strain Rate (ADDS) and Fiber‐Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Strain Rate
Authors: Ichinose Gene A. , Mellors Robert J. , Barno Justin G. , Gok Rengin
Published: December 2022

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) strain rate and particle velocity can be compared through approximate scaling with medium velocity. We instead performed a direct comparison between array derived dynamic strain (ADDS) rate and DAS strain rate for six frequency bands. The PoroTomo project at Brady's Hot Springs, Nevada, deployed a 240‐geophone 3C array co‐located with fiber‐optic DAS system and 8.7 km of buried cable. We selected subsets of the geophone array to create four smaller arrays and computed ADDS. The horizontal components of the ADDS were rotated into the direction of the fiber‐optic cable and then compared with the observed DAS strain rates. From three example regional earthquakes of local magnitudes 2.9, 4.1, and 4.3, the ADDS are found to be coherent with DAS for frequencies ≤1 Hz. For frequencies >1‐Hz, this correlation decays quickly. Small differences between linear and areal dynamic strains at 1‐Hz suggest poor signal‐to‐noise or localized strain that is perturbed by shallow heterogeneities compare to the average strain propagating across the geophone array. The implication is that around 1‐Hz, straight fiber DAS is measuring axial strain along the fiber and can provide good approximations to translational particle motions. However, above 1‐Hz, DAS becomes more sensitive to shallow velocity gradients that can be beneficial for geophysical imaging yet becomes a limitation for traditional seismic analysis methods depending on absolute amplitude and phase from translational particle motions.
Controls on the Distribution, Enrichment, and Degradation of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Sea Surface Microlayer of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea
Authors: Chen Yan , Zhang Ning , Hu Chun , Chen Rong , Yang Gui‐Peng
Published: December 2022

The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), total dissolved carbohydrates (TDCHO), and total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA) in the sea surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface water (SSW) were measured in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Concentrations of DOC and TDCHO in the SML were correlated with their respective concentrations in the SSW (Pearson's correlations: DOC, r2 = 0.17, n = 45, p < 0.01; TDCHO, r2 = 0.32, n = 45, p < 0.01). In contrast, DON and THAA concentrations in the SML and SSW were not correlated, suggesting that processes other than exchange with SSW dominated their loss or gain in the SML. Both THAA and TDCHO were significantly enriched in the SML, with mean enrichment factors (EFs) of 2.24 ± 1.17 and 1.98 ± 1.08, respectively. The EFs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were not correlated with wind speed under the influence of complex processes (e.g., bubbling and turbulence). THAA‐C% and TDCHO‐C% in the SML were 3.38 ± 1.71% and 8.49 ± 4.81%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the SSW (Mann‐Whitney U test, p < 0.05), suggesting that DOM in the SML was fresher than that in the SSW. While the high bioavailability of DOM in the SML should be conducive to neuston proliferation in this unique environment, no significant correlations were observed between degradation indicators and neuston abundances. In contrast, the changes of temperature and pH may have an important impact on the degradation of DOM.
Prenatal stress modulates HPA axis homeostasis of offspring through dentate TERT independently of glucocorticoids receptor
Authors: Liu Meng-Ying , Wei Lu-Lu , Zhu Xian-Hui , Ding Hua-Chen , Liu Xiang-Hu , Li Huan , Li Yuan-Yuan , Han Zhou , Li Lian-Di , Du Zi-Wei , Zhou Ya-Ping , Zhang Jing , Meng Fan , Tang Yu-Lin , Liu Xiao , Wang Chun , Zhou Qi-Gang
Published: December 2022

In response to stressful events, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated, and consequently glucocorticoids are released by the adrenal gland into the blood circulation. A large body of research has illustrated that excessive glucocorticoids in the hippocampus exerts negative feedback regulation of the HPA axis through glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is critical for the homeostasis of the HPA axis. Maternal prenatal stress causes dysfunction of the HPA axis feedback mechanism in their offspring in adulthood. Here we report that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene knockout causes hyperactivity of the HPA axis without hippocampal GR deficiency. We found that the level of TERT in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus during the developmental stage determines the responses of the HPA axis to stressful events in adulthood through modulating the excitability of the dentate granular cells (DGCs) rather than the expression of GR. Our study also suggests that the prenatal high level of glucocorticoids exposure-induced hypomethylation at Chr13:73764526 in the first exon of mouse Tert gene accounted for TERT deficiency in the DG and HPA axis abnormality in the adult offspring. This study reveals a novel GR-independent mechanism underlying prenatal stress-associated HPA axis impairment, providing a new angle for understanding the mechanisms for maintaining HPA axis homeostasis.
Predictors of longitudinal cognitive ageing from age 70 to 82 including APOE e4 status, early-life and lifestyle factors: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Authors: Corley Janie , Conte Federica , Harris Sarah E. , Taylor Adele M. , Redmond Paul , Russ Tom C. , Deary Ian J. , Cox Simon R.
Published: December 2022

Discovering why some people’s cognitive abilities decline more than others is a key challenge for cognitive ageing research. The most effective strategy may be to address multiple risk factors from across the life-course simultaneously in relation to robust longitudinal cognitive data. We conducted a 12-year follow-up of 1091 (at age 70) men and women from the longitudinal Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study. Comprehensive repeated cognitive measures of visuospatial ability, processing speed, memory, verbal ability, and a general cognitive factor were collected over five assessments (age 70, 73, 76, 79, and 82 years) and analysed using multivariate latent growth curve modelling. Fifteen life-course variables were used to predict variation in cognitive ability levels at age 70 and cognitive slopes from age 70 to 82. OnlyAPOEe4 carrier status was found to be reliably informative of general- and domain-specific cognitive decline, despite there being many life-course correlates of cognitive level at age 70.APOEe4 carriers had significantly steeper slopes across all three fluid cognitive domains compared with non-carriers, especially for memory (β = −0.234,p < 0.001) and general cognitive function (β = −0.246,p < 0.001), denoting a widening gap in cognitive functioning with increasing age. Our findings suggest that when many other candidate predictors of cognitive ageing slope are entered en masse, their unique contributions account for relatively small proportions of variance, beyond variation inAPOEe4 status. We conclude thatAPOEe4 status is important for identifying those at greater risk for accelerated cognitive ageing, even among ostensibly healthy individuals.
Human SLFN5 and its Xenopus Laevis ortholog regulate entry into mitosis and oocyte meiotic resumption
Authors: Vit Gianmatteo , Hirth Alexander , Neugebauer Nicolas , Kraft Bianca N. , Sigismondo Gianluca , Cazzola Anna , Tessmer Claudia , Duro Joana , Krijgsveld Jeroen , Hofmann Ilse , Berger Michael , Klüter Harald , Niehrs Christof , Nilsson Jakob , Krämer Alwin
Published: December 2022

The Schlafen gene family was first described in mice as a regulator of thymocyte development. Further studies showed involvement of human orthologs in different processes related with viral replication, cellular proliferation, and differentiation. In recent years, a new role for human Slfn11 in DNA replication and chromatin remodeling was described. As commonly observed in many gene families, Slfn paralogs show a tissue-specific expression. This made it difficult to reach conclusions which can be valid in different biological models regarding the function of the different Schlafen proteins. In the present study, we investigate the involvement of SLFN5 in cell-cycle regulation and cell proliferation. A careful analysis of SLFN5 expression revealed that SLFN5 is highly expressed in proliferating tissues and that the protein is ubiquitously present in all the tissues and cell line models we analyzed. Very interestingly, SLFN5 expression oscillates during cell cycle, peaking during S phase. The fact that SLFN5 interacts with protein phosphatase 2A and that SLFN5 depletion causes cell cycle arrest and cellular apoptosis, suggests a direct involvement of this human paralog in cell cycle progression and cellular proliferation. We substantiated our in vitro and in cellulo results using Xenopus laevis oocytes to show that mRNA depletion of the unique Slfn gene present in Xenopus, whose protein sequence shares 80% of homology with SLFN5, recapitulates the phenotype observed in human cells preventing the resumption of meiosis during oocyte development.
Atezolizumab plus anthracycline-based chemotherapy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized, double-blind phase 2b ALICE trial
Authors: Røssevold Andreas Hagen , Andresen Nikolai Kragøe , Bjerre Christina Annette , Gilje Bjørnar , Jakobsen Erik Hugger , Raj Sunil Xavier , Falk Ragnhild Sørum , Russnes Hege Giercksky , Jahr Thea , Mathiesen Randi Ruud , Lømo Jon , Garred Øystein , Chauhan Sudhir Kumar , Lereim Ragnhild Reehorst , Dunn Claire , Naume Bjørn , Kyte Jon Amund
Published: December 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown efficacy against metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) but only for PD-L1positive disease. The randomized, placebo-controlled ALICE trial (NCT03164993) evaluated the addition of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) to immune-stimulating chemotherapy in mTNBC. Patients received pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) and low-dose cyclophosphamide in combination with atezolizumab (atezo-chemo; n = 40) or placebo (placebo-chemo; n = 28). Primary endpoints were descriptive assessment of progression-free survival in the per-protocol population (>3 atezolizumab and >2 PLD doses; n = 59) and safety in the full analysis set (FAS; all patients starting therapy; n = 68). Adverse events leading to drug discontinuation occurred in 18% of patients in the atezo-chemo arm (7/40) and in 7% of patients in the placebo-chemo arm (2/28). Improvement in progression-free survival was indicated in the atezo-chemo arm in the per-protocol population (median 4.3 months versus 3.5 months; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33–0.99; log-rank P = 0.047) and in the FAS (HR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.33–0.95; P = 0.033). A numerical advantage was observed for both the PD-L1positive (n = 27; HR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.27–1.54) and PD-L1negative subgroups (n = 31; HR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.27–1.21). The progression-free proportion after 15 months was 14.7% (5/34; 95% CI 6.4–30.1%) in the atezo-chemo arm versus 0% in the placebo-chemo arm. The addition of atezolizumab to PLD/cyclophosphamide was tolerable with an indication of clinical benefit, and the findings warrant further investigation of PD1/PD-L1 blockers in combination with immunomodulatory chemotherapy.
A massive dataset of the NeuroCognitive Performance Test, a web-based cognitive assessment
Authors: Jaffe Paul I. , Kaluszka Aaron , Ng Nicole F. , Schafer Robert J.
Published: December 2022

We present a dataset of approximately 5.5 million subtest scores from over 750,000 adults who completed the NeuroCognitive Performance Test (NCPT; Lumos Labs, Inc.), a validated, self-administered cognitive test accessed via web browser. The dataset includes assessment scores from eight test batteries consisting of 5–11 subtests that collectively span several cognitive domains including working memory, visual attention, and abstract reasoning. In addition to the raw scores and normative data from each subtest, the dataset includes basic demographic information from each participant (age, gender, and educational background). The scale and diversity of the dataset provides an unprecedented opportunity for researchers to investigate population-level variability in cognitive abilities and their relation to demographic factors. To facilitate reuse of this dataset by other researchers, we provide a Python module that supports several common preprocessing steps.
Investigating soil properties and vegetation parameters in different biochar-amended vegetated soil at large suction for application in bioengineered structures
Authors: Hussain Rojimul , Ravi K.
Published: December 2022

Bioengineered structures, such as landfill cover, vegetated slopes or embankments, green roof and turf are comprised of soil and vegetation where vegetation imparts stability and protection through root reinforcement and hydrologic action. Soil in bioengineered structures often compacted and subjected to prolong drying due to irregular irrigation which necessitates the investigation of soil properties and vegetation growth in biochar-amended soil (BAS) under large suction range and it is scarce in the literature. In the present study, the effect of different biochar types on soil properties, and the vegetation growth in compacted soil and under large suction range was investigated for application in bioengineered structures. The results revealed that the biochar amendment decreased the dry density (5–32%) and increased the water retention capacity (θs by 15–104%, θ1500 by 82–445% and plant available water content (PAWC) by 22–55%), pH (28–77%) and cation exchange capacity (CEC, 16–723%) of the soil. Further, the vegetation growth i.e., vegetation density, dry root mass and shoot mass increased by 8–13%, 33–108% and 4–157% respectively after biochar amendment. The vegetation wilting was started at a higher suction (~ 900 kPa) relative to bare soil (800 kPa), the permanent wilting point (PWP) increased (by 3–35%) and the complete photosynthetic activity remained unchanged at a higher suction (1600 kPa) relative to bare soil (1050 kPa) after biochar amendment. Among the biochar types i.e., Sugarcane Bagasse biochar (SBB), Mesquite biochar (MB) and Water Hyacinth biochar (WHB) tested, the MB showed the best performance i.e., the suitable vegetation growth and health status. The improved water retention due to increased porosity, specific surface area (SSA) and presence of hydrophilic functional groups, and the higher pH, CEC and lower dry density in BAS attributed to the higher vegetation growth. The findings of the present study suggest the application of BAS in bioengineered structures.
Predicting 180-day mortality for women with ovarian cancer using machine learning and patient-reported outcome data
Authors: Sidey-Gibbons Chris J. , Sun Charlotte , Schneider Amy , Lu Sheng-Chieh , Lu Karen , Wright Alexi , Meyer Larissa
Published: December 2022

Contrary to national guidelines, women with ovarian cancer often receive treatment at the end of life, potentially due to the difficulty in accurately estimating prognosis. We trained machine learning algorithms to guide prognosis by predicting 180-day mortality for women with ovarian cancer using patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data. We collected data from a single academic cancer institution in the United States. Women completed biopsychosocial PRO measures every 90 days. We randomly partitioned our dataset into training and testing samples. We used synthetic minority oversampling to reduce class imbalance in the training dataset. We fitted training data to six machine learning algorithms and combined their classifications on the testing dataset into an unweighted voting ensemble. We assessed each algorithm's accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) using testing data. We recruited 245 patients who completed 1319 PRO assessments. The final voting ensemble produced state-of-the-art results on the task of predicting 180-day mortality for ovarian cancer paitents (Accuracy = 0.79, Sensitivity = 0.71, Specificity = 0.80, AUROC = 0.76). The algorithm correctly identified 25 of the 35 women in the testing dataset who died within 180 days of assessment. Machine learning algorithms trained using PRO data offer encouraging performance in predicting whether a woman with ovarian cancer will die within 180 days. This model could be used to drive data-driven end-of-life care and address current shortcomings in care delivery. Our model demonstrates the potential of biopsychosocial PROM information to make substantial contributions to oncology prediction modeling. This model could inform clinical decision-making Future research is needed to validate these findings in a larger, more diverse sample.
Impairment of FOXM1 expression in mesenchymal cells from patients with myeloid neoplasms, de novo and therapy-related, may compromise their ability to support hematopoiesis
Authors: Falconi Giulia , Galossi Elisa , Fabiani Emiliano , Pieraccioli Marco , Travaglini Serena , Hajrullaj Hajro , Cerretti Raffaella , Palmieri Raffaele , Latagliata Roberto , Maurillo Luca , Voso Maria Teresa
Published: December 2022

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) exhibit multiple abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML), including reduced proliferative and clonogenic capacity, altered morphology, impaired immunoregulatory properties and capacity to support hematopoiesis. Here, we investigated expression of the FOXM1 gene, a transcription factor driving G2/M gene expression, in BM-MSCs isolated from patients with MDS and AML, de novo and therapy-related, compared to BM-MSCs isolated from healthy donors (HD). We observed a statistically significant downregulation of FOXM1 expression in BM-MSCs isolated from MDS and AML patients, as compared to controls. In parallel, expression of FOXM1 mitotic targets (CCNB1, CDC20, PLK1 and NDC80) was suppressed in patients’ BM-MSCs, as compared to HD. No differences in the expression of FOXM1 and its mitotic targets were observed in BM-mononuclear cells from the different sources. From a functional standpoint, silencing of FOXM1 mRNA in healthy MSC induced a significant decrease in the expression of its targets. In this line, healthy MSC silenced for FOXM1 showed an impaired ability to support hematopoiesis in vitro. These findings suggest that deregulation of FOXM1 may be involved in the senescent phenotype observed in MSC derived from myeloid neoplasms.
Earthquake multi-classification detection based velocity and displacement data filtering using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Murti Muhammad Ary , Junior Rio , Ahmed Ali Najah , Elshafie Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Earthquake is one of the natural disasters that have a big impact on society. Currently, there are many studies on earthquake detection. However, the vibrations that were detected by sensors were not only vibrations caused by the earthquake, but also other vibrations. Therefore, this study proposed an earthquake multi-classification detection with machine learning algorithms that can distinguish earthquake and non-earthquake, and vandalism vibration using acceleration seismic waves. In addition, velocity and displacement as integration products of acceleration have been considered additional features to improve the performances of machine learning algorithms. Several machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) have been used to develop the best algorithm for earthquake multi-classification detection. The results of this study indicate that the ANN algorithm is the best algorithm to distinguish between earthquake and non-earthquake, and vandalism vibrations. Moreover, it’s also more resistant to various input features. Furthermore, using velocity and displacement as additional features has been proven to increase the performance of every model.
Differentiated mental health patterns in pregnancy during COVID-19 first two waves in Sweden: a mixed methods study using digital phenotyping
Authors: Fransson Emma , Karalexi Maria , Kimmel Mary , Bränn Emma , Kollia Natasa , Tas Auke , van Zoest Vera , Nordling Eira , Skalkidou Alkistis , Papadopoulos Fotios C.
Published: December 2022

To utilize modern tools to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms, wellbeing and life conditions in pregnant women during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Pregnant women (n = 1577) were recruited through the mobile application Mom2B. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and wellbeing were assessed during January 2020–February 2021. Movement data was collected using the phone’s sensor. Data on Google search volumes for “Corona” and Covid-related deaths were obtained. Qualitative analysis of free text responses regarding maternity care was performed. Two peaks were seen for depressive symptoms, corresponding to the two waves. Higher prevalence of anxiety was only noted during the first wave. A moderating effect of the two waves in the association of depression, anxiety, and well-being with Covid deaths was noted; positive associations during the first wave and attenuated or became negative during the second wave. Throughout, women reported on cancelled healthcare appointments and worry about partners not being allowed in hospital. The association of mental health outcomes with relevant covariates may vary during the different phases in a pandemic, possibly due to adaptation strategies on a personal and societal/healthcare level. Digital phenotyping can help healthcare providers and governmental bodies to in real time monitor high-risk groups during crises, and to adjust the support offered.
Hydrochemical and isotopic baselines for understanding hydrological processes across Macquarie Island
Authors: Meredith Karina T. , Saunders Krystyna M. , McDonough Liza K. , McGeoch Melodie
Published: December 2022

Isotopic and hydrochemical data from lakes provide direct information on catchment response to changing rainfall, evaporation, nutrient cycling, and the health of ecosystems. These techniques have not been widely applied to lakes in the Southern Hemisphere high latitudes, including Southern Ocean Islands (SOIs) experiencing rapid, significant shifts in climate. Historical work has highlighted the localised nature of geochemical drivers in controlling the hydrochemical evolution of lakes, such as geology, sea spray contribution, vegetation, geographical location, and ice cover extent. The role of groundwater in lake hydrology and hydrochemistry has not been identified until now, and its omission will have major implications for interpreting soil–water–air processes affecting lakes. Here we present the first comprehensive, island-wide hydrochemical and isotopic survey of lakes on a SOI. Forty lakes were examined across Macquarie Island, using comparable methods to identify key environmental processes and their geochemical drivers. Methods include stable carbon (δ13CDOC: dissolved organic carbon and δ13CDIC: dissolved inorganic carbon), oxygen (δ18O), hydrogen (δ2H) and strontium isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in water. These provide essential baseline data for hydrological, biological, and geochemical lake processes. Lakes on the western side of the island are influenced by sea spray aerosols. In general, it was found that lakes at higher elevations are dilute and those located in lower elevation catchments have experienced more water–rock interactions. The hydrochemical and isotopic tracers suggest that lakes in lower elevations contain more terrestrial sourced ions that may be contributed from groundwater. Increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns predicted for the region will lead to shifts in nutrient cycles, and impact the island’s unique ecosystems. Future research will focus on long-term monitoring to understand seasonal, annual, and long-term variability to test fundamental hypotheses concerning ecosystem function and the consequences of environmental change on SOIs.
Early detection of mastitis in cows using the system based on 3D motions detectors
Authors: Grodkowski Grzegorz , Szwaczkowski Tomasz , Koszela Krzysztof , Mueller Wojciech , Tomaszyk Kamila , Baars Ton , Sakowski Tomasz
Published: December 2022

Mastitis is one of the major health problems in dairy herds leading to a reduction in the leading to a reduction in the quality of milk and economic losses. The research aimed to present the system, which uses electronic 3D motion detectors to detect the early symptoms of mastitis. The system would allow more effective prevention of this illness. The experiment was carried out on 118 cows (64 Holstein Friesian and 54 Brown Swiss). The animals were kept in free-stall barn with access to pasture. The occurrence of mastitis cases was noticed in veterinary register. Microbiological culture was taken from milk in order to confirm the development of infection. Data from motion detectors were defined as time spent by animals on feed intake, ruminating, physical activity and rest, and were expanded by adding information about feeding group, breed type and lactation number. During analyses, two approaches were used to process the same dataset: artificial neural networks (ANN) and logistic regression. The obtained ANN and the logistic regression models proved to be satisfactory from the perspective of applied criteria of goodness of fit (area under curve—exceed 0.8). Quality parameters (accuracy, sensitivity and specifity) of logistic regression are relatively high (larger than 0.73), whereas the ranks of significance of the studied variables varied across datasets. These proposed models can be useful for automating the detection of mastitis once integrated into the farm’s IT system.
Role of supplementary motor area in cervical dystonia and sensory tricks
Authors: Cho Hyun Joo , Waugh Rebecca , Wu Tianxia , Panyakaew Pattamon , Mente Karin , Urbano Demelio , Hallett Mark , Horovitz Silvina G.
Published: December 2022

Sensory trick is a characteristic feature of cervical dystonia (CD), where a light touch on the area adjacent to the dystonia temporarily improves symptoms. Clinical benefit from sensory tricks can be observed before tactile contact is made or even by imagination. The supplementary motor area (SMA) may dynamically interact with the sensorimotor network and other brain regions during sensory tricks in patients with CD. In this study, we examined the functional connectivity of the SMA at rest and during sensory trick performance and imagination in CD patients compared to healthy controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The functional connectivity between the SMA and left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) region was lower in CD patients at rest and it increased with sensory trick imagination and performance. SMA-right cerebellum connectivity also increased with sensory trick imagination in CD patients, while it decreased in healthy controls. In CD patients, SMA connectivity increased in the brain regions involved in sensorimotor integration during sensory trick performance and imagination. Our study results showed a crucial role of SMA in sensorimotor processing during sensory trick performance and imagination and suggest the IPS as a novel potential therapeutic target for brain modulation.
Temporal convolutional networks and data rebalancing for clinical length of stay and mortality prediction
Authors: Bednarski Bryan P. , Singh Akash Deep , Zhang Wenhao , Jones William M. , Naeim Arash , Ramezani Ramin
Published: December 2022

It is critical for hospitals to accurately predict patient length of stay (LOS) and mortality in real-time. We evaluate temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) and data rebalancing methods to predict LOS and mortality. This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing the MIMIC-III database. The MIMIC-Extract pipeline processes 24 hour time-series clinical objective data for 23,944 unique patient records. TCN performance is compared to both baseline and state-of-the-art machine learning models including logistic regression, random forest, gated recurrent unit with decay (GRU-D). Models are evaluated for binary classification tasks (LOS > 3 days, LOS > 7 days, mortality in-hospital, and mortality in-ICU) with and without data rebalancing and analyzed for clinical runtime feasibility. Data is split temporally, and evaluations utilize tenfold cross-validation (stratified splits) followed by simulated prospective hold-out validation. In mortality tasks, TCN outperforms baselines in 6 of 8 metrics (area under receiver operating characteristic, area under precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and F-1 measure for in-hospital mortality; AUPRC, accuracy, and F-1 for in-ICU mortality). In LOS tasks, TCN performs competitively to the GRU-D (best in 6 of 8) and the random forest model (best in 2 of 8). Rebalancing improves predictive power across multiple methods and outcome ratios. The TCN offers strong performance in mortality classification and offers improved computational efficiency on GPU-enabled systems over popular RNN architectures. Dataset rebalancing can improve model predictive power in imbalanced learning. We conclude that temporal convolutional networks should be included in model searches for critical care outcome prediction systems.
RNA-Seq comparative study reveals molecular effectors linked to the resistance of Pinna nobilis to Haplosporidium pinnae parasite
Authors: Salis Pauline , Peyran Claire , Morage Titouan , de Bernard Simon , Nourikyan Julien , Coupé Stéphane , Bunet Robert , Planes Serge
Published: December 2022

With the intensification of maritime traffic, recently emerged infectious diseases have become major drivers in the decline and extinction of species. Since 2016, mass mortality events have decimated the endemic Mediterranean Sea bivalve Pinna nobilis, affecting ca. 100% of individuals. These events have largely been driven by Haplosporidium pinnae’s infection, an invasive species which was likely introduced by shipping. While monitoring wild populations of P. nobilis, we observed individuals that survived such a mass mortality event during the summer of 2018 (France). We considered these individuals resistant, as they did not show any symptoms of the disease, while the rest of the population in the area was devastated. Furthermore, the parasite was not detected when we conducted a PCR amplification of a species-specific fragment of the small subunit ribosomal DNA. In parallel, the transcriptomic analysis showed evidence of some parasite RNA indicating that the resistant individuals had been exposed to the parasite without proliferating. To understand the underlying mechanisms of resistance in these individuals, we compared their gene expression with that of susceptible individuals. We performed de novo transcriptome assembly and annotated the expressed genes. A comparison of the transcriptomes in resistant and susceptible individuals highlighted a gene expression signature of the resistant phenotype. We found significant differential expressions of genes involved in immunity and cell architecture. This data provides the first insights into how individuals escape the pathogenicity associated with infection.
Acute toxicities of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with intensified chemoradiotherapy within the CAO/ARO/AIO-12 trial: comparing conventional versus VMAT planning at a single center
Authors: Zimmermann Marcus , Richter Anne , Weick Stefan , Exner Florian , Mantel Frederick , Diefenhardt Markus , Fokas Emmanouil , Kosmala Rebekka , Flentje Michael , Polat Bülent
Published: December 2022

In locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is regarded as standard treatment. We assessed acute toxicities in patients receiving conventional 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-RT) and correlated them with dosimetric parameters after re-planning with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Patients were randomized within the multicenter CAO/ARO/AIO-12 trial and received 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions and simultaneous chemotherapy with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. Organs at risk (OAR) were contoured in a standardized approach. Acute toxicities and dose volume histogram parameters of 3D-RT plans were compared to retrospectively calculated VMAT plans. From 08/2015 to 01/2018, 35 patients with LARC were treated at one study center. Thirty-four patients were analyzed of whom 1 (3%) was UICC stage II and 33 (97%) patients were UICC stage III. Grade 3 acute toxicities occurred in 5 patients (15%). Patients with acute grade 1 cystitis (n = 9) had significantly higher Dmean values for bladder (29.4 Gy vs. 25.2 Gy, p < 0.01) compared to patients without bladder toxicities. Acute diarrhea was associated with small bowel volume (grade 2: 870.1 ccm vs. grade 0–1: 647.3 ccm; p < 0.01) and with the irradiated volumes V5 to V50. Using VMAT planning, we could reduce mean doses and irradiated volumes for all OAR: Dmean bladder (21.9 Gy vs. 26.3 Gy, p < 0.01), small bowel volumes V5–V45 (p < 0.01), Dmean anal sphincter (34.6 Gy vs. 35.6 Gy, p < 0.01) and Dmean femoral heads (right 11.4 Gy vs. 25.9 Gy, left 12.5 Gy vs. 26.6 Gy, p < 0.01). Acute small bowel and bladder toxicities were dose and volume dependent. Dose and volume sparing for all OAR could be achieved through VMAT planning and might result in less acute toxicities.
Experimental and probabilistic model validation of ultrasonic MEMS transceiver for blood glucose sensing
Authors: Tripathy Hara Prasada , Pattanaik Priyabrata , Mishra Dilip Kumar , Kamilla Sushanta Kumar , Holderbaum William
Published: December 2022

In contrast to traditional laboratory glucose monitoring, recent developments have focused on blood glucose self-monitoring and providing patients with a self-monitoring device. This paper proposes a system based on ultrasound principles for quantifying glucose levels in blood by conducting an in-vitro experiment with goat blood before human blood. The ultrasonic transceiver is powered by a frequency generator that operates at 40 kHz and 1.6 V, and variations in glucose level affect the ultrasonic transceiver readings. The RVM probabilistic model is used to determine the variation in glucose levels in a blood sample. Blood glucose levels are measured simultaneously using a commercial glucose metre for confirmation. The experimental data values proposed are highly correlated with commercial glucose metre readings. The proposed ultrasonic MEMS-based blood glucometer measures a glucose level of $$257\pm 21$$

257
±
21

mg/dl. In the near future, the miniature version of the experimental model may be useful to human society.
Comparative genomic analyses of four novel Ramlibacter species and the cellulose-degrading properties of Ramlibacter cellulosilyticus sp. nov.
Authors: Kang Minchung , Chhetri Geeta , Kim Inhyup , So Yoonseop , Seo Taegun
Published: December 2022

In this study, four novel bacterial strains, USB13T, AW1T, GTP1T, and HM2T, were isolated from various environments in Busan and Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. The 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that the four novel strains belong to the genusRamlibacter.All four strains were tested for their potential cellulolytic properties, where strain USB13Twas identified as the only novel bacterium and the first within its genus to show cellulolytic activity. When tested, the highest activities of endoglucanase, exoglucanase,β-glucosidase, and filter paper cellulase (FPCase) were 1.91 IU/mL, 1.77 IU/mL, 0.76 IU/mL, and 1.12 IU/mL, respectively at pH 6.0. Comparisons of draft whole genome sequences (WGS) were also made using average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization values, and average amino acid identity values, while whole genome comparison was visualized using the BLAST Ring Image Generator. The G + C contents of the strains ranged from 67.9 to 69.9%, while genome sizes ranged from 4.31 to 6.15 Mbp. Based on polyphasic evidence, the novel strains represent four new species within the genusRamlibacter, for which the namesRamlibacter cellulosilyticussp. nov. (type strain, USB13T = KACC 21656T = NBRC 114839T)Ramlibacter aurantiacussp. nov. (type strain, AW1T = KACC 21544T = NBRC 114862T),Ramlibacter albussp. nov. (type strain, GTP1T = KACC 21702T = NBRC 114488T), andRamlibacter pallidussp. nov. (type strain, HM2T = KCTC 82557T = NBRC 114489T) are proposed.
Genome-wide analysis of a cellular exercise model based on electrical pulse stimulation
Authors: Lee Bora , Kim Seon Kyu , Shin Yeo Jin , Son Young Hoon , Yang Jae Won , Lee Seung-Min , Yang Yong Ryul , Lee Kwang-Pyo , Kwon Ki-Sun
Published: December 2022

Skeletal muscle communicates with other organs via myokines, which are secreted by muscle during exercise and exert various effects. Despite much investigation of the exercise, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. Here, we applied an in vitro exercise model in which cultured C2C12 myotubes were subjected to electrical pulse stimulation (EPS), which mimics contracting muscle. Based on the significantly up- and down-regulated genes in EPS, we constructed an in silico model to predict exercise responses at the transcriptional level. The in silico model revealed similarities in the transcriptomes of the EPS and exercised animals. Comparative analysis of the EPS data and exercised mouse muscle identified putative biomarkers in exercise signaling pathways and enabled to discover novel exercise-induced myokines. Biochemical analysis of selected exercise signature genes in muscle from exercised mice showed that EPS mimics in vivo exercise, at least in part, at the transcriptional level. Consequently, we provide a novel myokine, Amphiregulin (AREG), up-regulated both in vitro and in vivo, that would be a potential target for exercise mimetics.