bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Evo-Devo
Authors: Arthur Wallace
Published: April 2021

Why do the best-known examples of evolutionary change involve the alteration of one kind of animal into another very similar one, like the evolution of a bigger beak in a bird? Wouldn't it be much more interesting to understand how beaks originated? Most people would agree, but until recently we didn't know much about such origins. That is now changing, with the growth of the interdisciplinary field evo-devo, which deals with the relationship between how embryos develop in the short term and how they (and the adults they grow into) evolve in the long term. One of the key questions is: can the origins of structures such as beaks, eyes, and shells be explained within a Darwinian framework? The answer seems to be yes, but only by expanding that framework. This book discusses the required expansion, and the current state of play regarding our understanding of evolutionary and developmental origins.
The Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism
Authors: Staples Jason A.
Published: April 2021

In this book, Jason A. Staples proposes a new paradigm for how the biblical concept of Israel developed in Early Judaism and how that concept impacted Jewish apocalyptic hopes for restoration after the Babylonian Exile. Challenging conventional assumptions about Israelite identity in antiquity, his argument is based on a close analysis of a vast corpus of biblical and other early Jewish literature and material evidence. Staples demonstrates that continued aspirations for Israel's restoration in the context of diaspora and imperial domination remained central to Jewish conceptions of Israelite identity throughout the final centuries before Christianity and even into the early part of the Common Era. He also shows that Israelite identity was more diverse in antiquity than is typically appreciated in modern scholarship. His book lays the groundwork for a better understanding of the so-called 'parting of the ways' between Judaism and Christianity and how earliest Christianity itself grew out of hopes for Israel's restoration.
Unicorn paths and hyperfiniteness for the mapping class group
Authors: Przytycki Piotr , Sabok Marcin
Published: April 2021

Let S be an orientable surface of finite type. Using Pho-on’s infinite unicorn paths, we prove the hyperfiniteness of orbit equivalence relations induced by the actions of the mapping class group of S on the Gromov boundaries of the arc graph and the curve graph of S. In the curve graph case, this strengthens the results of Hamenstädt and Kida that this action is universally amenable and that the mapping class group of S is exact.
Three-dimensional stromatolites from Maastrichtian–Danian Yacoraite Formation, Argentina: modelling and assessing hydrodynamic controls on growth patterns
Authors: Villafañe Patricio Guillermo , Cónsole-Gonella Carlos , Citton Paolo , Díaz-Martínez Ignacio , de Valais Silvina
Published: April 2021

Stromatolites are biogenic sedimentary structures formed by the interplay of biological (microbial composition) and environmental factors (local hydrodynamic conditions, clastic input and/or water chemistry). Well-preserved, three-dimensional (3D) fossil stromatolites are key to assessing the environmental factors controlling their growth and resulting morphology in space and time. Here, we report the detailed analysis of well-exposed, highly informative stromatolite build-ups from a single stratigraphic horizon within the Maastrichtian–Danian Yacoraite Formation (Argentina). This study focuses on the analysis of depositional processes driving intertidal to shallow subtidal stromatolites. Overall depositional architecture, external morphology and internal arrangement (mega, macro, meso and microstructures) of stromatolite build-ups were analysed and combined with 3D photogrammetric models, allowing us to decipher the links between stromatolite structure and tidal dynamics. Results suggest that external morphology and architecture of elongated and parallel clusters grew under the influence of run-off channels. The internal morphology exhibits columnar structures where the space between columns is interpreted as recharge or discharge channels. This work supports the theory that stromatolites can be used as a high-resolution tool in the assessment of water dynamics, and provides a new methodological approach and data for the dynamic reconstruction of intertidal stromatolite systems through the geological record.
Evaluating resident involvement and the ‘July effect’ in parotidectomy
Authors: Benito D A , Mamidi I , Pasick L J , Sparks A D , Badger C , Thakkar P , Goodman J F , Joshi A S
Published: April 2021

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of resident involvement and the ‘July effect’ on peri-operative complications after parotidectomy.

Method

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for parotidectomy procedures with resident involvement between 2005 and 2014.

Results

There were 11 733 cases were identified, of which 932 involved resident participation (7.9 per cent). Resident involvement resulted in a significantly lower reoperation rate (adjusted odds ratio, 0.18; 95 per cent confidence interval, 0.05–0.73; p = 0.02) and readmission rate (adjusted odds ratios 0.30; 95 per cent confidence interval, 0.11–0.80; p = 0.02). However, resident involvement was associated with a mean 24 minutes longer adjusted operative time and 23.5 per cent longer adjusted total hospital length of stay (respective p < 0.01). No significant difference in surgical or medical complication rates or mortality was found when comparing cases among academic quarters.

Conclusion

Resident participation is associated with significantly decreased reoperation and readmission rates as well as longer mean operative times and total length of stay. Resident transitions during July are not associated with increased risk of adverse peri-operative outcomes after parotidectomy.
Physicians and Lawyers: Science, Art, and Conflict
Authors: Gibson Joan M. , Schwartz Robert L.
Published: April 2021

The relations between physicians and lawyers have deteriorated rapidly
over the past several decades, most particularly since the early 70s when
the perception that a medical malpractice crisis existed in America became
widespread. Some believe that the factors dividing the two professions are
linked (1) to professional jealousy, (2) to sometimes conflicting economic
interests, or (3) to difficulties in communication, since both professions
use many of the same words, or terms of art, but with different intended
meanings.

While the authors agree that these factors may have aggravated the
problem, they believe that the conflict’s real roots are in the very
different ways in which physicians and lawyers are trained and in the
different epistemologies that each profession has accepted, as a result of
which each reasons and solves problems in a manner that not only diverges
from but sometimes contradicts the other’s. The authors conclude that only
as the varying epistemologies begin to converge can physicians and lawyers
begin to approach problems in more similar ways, and to discover the
underlying compatibility of many of their interests and goals.
Law and Medicine: Myths and Realities in the Medical School Classroom
Authors: Annas George J.
Published: April 2021

One way to increase cooperation between the professions of law and medicine is to teach law in medical schools in a way that emphasizes methods of approaching problems, and seeks to dispel the major myths that doctors have about the law. In this Article, Professor George Annas presents an outline of a core course in legal medicine “tailor-made” for inclusion in the medical (and, with appropriate modifications, dental) school curriculum.
The Battle over Blood Collection
Authors: Stewart Douglas W.
Published: April 2021

The struggle for control of this nation's life-giving blood resources was, up until five years ago, largely a private affair between representative organizations of the blood collectors. The system that emerged from that struggle was declared unhealthy by several experts who complained that blood was too often unsafe or unavailable. Then in 1972 the government, predominantly the federal government, responded to public pressure and joined the fray. This Comment examines some legal, political, and policy aspects of the battle over blood collection—a battle from which no stable guiding force has yet evolved.
Report on the American Society of Hospital Attorneys of the American Hospital Association
Authors: Berriman W. Thomas
Published: April 2021

Founded in 1968, the American Society of Hospital Attorneys of the American Hospital Association is the country's oldest and largest association of attorneys specializing in hospital and health law. It is a measure of the rapid growth of this legal specialty that although the Society only recently held its Eleventh Annual Meeting, it has over 2100 active duespaying members on its rolls. The Board of Directors' continues to seek out as new members all attorneys who act as general or special counsel to hospitals or who have demonstrated substantial interest in the field of hospital law in some other capacity.
"Dr. Death" and The Case for an Ethical Ban on Psychiatric and Psychological Predictions of Dangerousness in Capital Sentencing Proceedings
Authors: Ewing Charles P.
Published: April 2021

Psychiatric and psychological predictions of dangerousness are used in a number of American jurisdictions to convince a judge or jury that a convicted murderer should be sentenced to death. Empirical research has demonstrated, however, that psychiatric and psychological predictions of dangerousness generally are inaccurate. This Article describes the current use of such predictions in capital sentencing hearings and examines their status under existing professional codes of ethics. It argues that the rendering of these predictions by psychiatrists and psychologists is contrary to the scientific and healing traditions of their professions and urges psychiatrists and psychologists to adopt an ethical ban on predictions of dangerousness in the capital sentencing context.
The roles of morphology, phonology, and prosody in reading and spelling multisyllabic words
Authors: Enderby Jodie L. , Carroll Julia M. , Tarczynski-Bowles M. Luisa , Breadmore Helen L.
Published: April 2021

While most English words are multisyllabic, research on literacy acquisition has tended to focus on early acquisition of monosyllabic words. The processes involved in multisyllabic word reading and spelling in middle childhood are likely to differ from those in monosyllabic reading and spelling. The current paper examines the contributions of morphological awareness (MA; awareness of derivational morphemes), prosodic sensitivity (sensitivity to lexical stress), and phonological awareness (PA; awareness of phonemes) for multisyllabic word reading and spelling, after accounting for background variables (age, vocabulary, nonverbal IQ, short-term memory). Seventy 7–10-year-old children completed a battery of tasks. MA and prosodic sensitivity were independent predictors of multisyllabic reading, while MA and PA were independent predictors of multisyllabic spelling. These results contrast with previous research, which instead found that PA plays a more prominent role while prosodic sensitivity appears to demonstrate only an indirect influence. However, those studies largely examined reading of shorter, one to three syllable words. These findings indicate when words are longer and multisyllabic, prosodic sensitivity, PA, and MA have differing direct influences on literacy. MA and prosodic sensitivity relate to word reading, while MA and PA are important for spelling.
Border Crossings: The First Twenty-Five Years
Authors: Walling Michael
Published: April 2021

Michael Walling here looks back over the first twenty-five years of Border Crossings, the company he founded in 1995. The article explores the company’s intercultural remit, placing it within the wider context of multicultural and intercultural performance and policy, and the relationship between intercultural theory and practice. Structural questions around finance and organization are juxtaposed with an assessment of the dynamics of cross-cultural devising and the ethics of these collaborations. This article also explores Border Crossings’ text-based work, its curation of the ORIGINS Festival of First Nations and related ceremonies, and the company’s direct engagement with policy in the European Union. It is accompanied by a comprehensive chronology of the company’s productions. Michael Walling is Artistic Director of Border Crossings and Visiting Professor at Rose Bruford College. He has directed numerous productions across four continents, including opera as well as theatre.
Early embryo morphokinetics is a better predictor of post-ICSI live birth than embryo morphology: speed is more important than beauty at the cleavage stage
Authors: Bartolacci Alessandro , Dal Canto Mariabeatrice , Guglielmo Maria Cristina , Mura Laura , Brigante Claudio , Mignini Renzini Mario , Buratini Jose
Published: April 2021

Given the importance of embryo developmental competence assessment in reproductive medicine and biology, the aim of this study was to compare the performance of fertilization and cleavage morphokinetics with embryo morphology to predict post-ICSI live birth. Data from embryos cultured in a time-lapse microscopy (TLM) incubator and with known live birth outcomes (LB: embryos achieving live birth, n = 168; NLB: embryos not achieving live birth, n = 1633) were used to generate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves based on morphokinetic or morphological scores, and the respective areas under the curve (AUC) were compared. The association between live birth and 12 combinations of four morphokinetic quality degrees (A–D) with three morphological quality degrees (A–C) was assessed using multivariate analysis. Morphokinetic parameters from tPNa to t8 were reached earlier in LB compared with NLB embryos. The ROC curve analysis indicated that morphokinetic information is more accurate than conventional morphology to predict live birth [AUC = 0.64 (95% CI 0.58–0.70) versus AUC = 0.58 (95% CI 0.51–0.65)]. The multivariate analysis was in line with AUCs, revealing that embryos with poor morphokinetics, independently of their morphology, provide lower live birth rates (P < 0.001). A considerable percentage of embryos with top morphology presented poor morphokinetics (20.10%), accompanied by a severely reduced live birth rate in comparison with embryos with top morphology and morphokinetics (P < 0.001). In conclusion, TLM-derived early morphokinetic parameters were more predictive of live-birth achievement following ICSI than conventional morphology.
Associations of spicy food flavour and intake frequency with blood lipid levels and risk of abnormal serum lipid levels in Chinese rural population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Dong Xiaokang , Li Yuqian , Yang Kaili , Zhang Lulu , Xue Yuan , Yu Songcheng , Liu Xiaotian , Tu Runqi , Qiao Dou , Luo Zhicheng , Liu Xue , Wang Yan , Li Wenjie , Wang Chongjian
Published: April 2021

Objective:

The purpose of the current study was to investigate associations between spicy food intake and serum lipids levels in Chinese rural population.

Design:

Information on spicy food flavour and intake frequency was obtained using a two-item questionnaire survey. Dietary data were collected using a validated thirteen-item FFQ. Fasting blood samples were collected and measured for total cholesterol (TC), TAG, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between spicy food and serum lipids levels according to the spicy food flavour and intake frequency, respectively.

Setting:

A cross-sectional study in Henan Province.

Participants:

38 238 participants aged 18–79 years old.

Results:

Spicy flavour and intake frequency were consistently associated with decreased TC and non-HDL-cholesterol levels but mildly associated with elevated TAG levels. Each level increment in spicy flavour was inversely associated with high TC (OR: 0·91; 95 % CI 0·88, 0·93) and high non-HDL-cholesterol (OR: 0·88; 95 % CI 0·85, 0·91) but positively associated with high TAG (OR: 1·04; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·07). Similarly, 1-d increment in spicy food intake frequency was also inversely associated with high TC (OR: 0·92; 95 % CI 0·91, 0·94) and high non-HDL-cholesterol (OR: 0·91; 95 % CI 0·89, 0·93) but positively associated with high TAG (OR: 1·04; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·06).

Conclusions:

Spicy food intake was mildly associated with increased risk of abnormal TAG level, significantly associated with decreased risk of abnormal TC and non-HDL levels. Spicy food intake may be contribute to the management of lipid levels.
The use of an impeller mowing conditioner during haymaking had no effects on feeding behavior, feed intake or performance of organic dairy cows
Authors: Haselmann Andreas , Kirchler Josef , Fürst-Waltl Birgit , Zollitsch Werner , Zebeli Qendrim , Knaus Wilhelm
Published: April 2021

Impeller mowing conditioners are commonly used to speed up the drying process on the field, making forage preservation (haying, ensiling) less dependent on weather conditions. However, the effects of this technique on the nutritive value of the forage and dairy cows' responses have not been investigated yet. Each half of two fields of grass-dominated swards, first regrowth, was cut either with or without the use of an impeller mowing conditioner (experimental hay and control hay, respectively).Ceteris paribusconditions were guaranteed by the same cutting and wilting times (roughly 48 h), number of teddings, field pickup technique and barn-drying method. At the beginning of the feeding trial, 19 lactating Holstein cows were allocated to one of two groups, one control (nine cows) and one experimental group (10 cows) and were fed the respective forage plus a fixed amount of concentrate [3.6 kg d−1; dry matter (DM) basis]. After a 14-d adaptation period, data were collected over 21 consecutive days. Covariate data of cows were collected prior to the experimental feeding period, over a time span of 9 d, and included in the statistical model. Results revealed that control and experimental hay showed significant (P< 0.05) differences in the nutrient profile. However, the magnitude of these differences was not enough to affect intakes of hay (18.4 ± 0.29 kg DM d−1), total dietary energy or chewing activity, but did lead to a decreased intake of water-soluble carbohydrates and an increased crude protein intake, thus affecting ruminal nitrogen balance (P< 0.01). This resulted in a higher milk urea content [23.3vs17.9 mg (100 mL)−1;P< 0.01] in cows fed the experimental hay, whereas other milk performance parameters remained unaffected. In conclusion, the use of the impeller mowing conditioner did not affect the overall forage utilization by cows when the diet contained about 16% concentrate (DM basis). As this is the first study dealing with the effects of an impeller mowing conditioner on cows' responses, future research should consider investigating the effects of mowing conditioners when cows are fed only forage or diets with lower concentrate amounts.
Joint modelling of male and female mortality rates using adaptive P-splines
Authors: Tang Kai Hon , Dodd Erengul , Forster Jonathan J.
Published: April 2021

Raw mortality data often exhibit irregular patterns due to randomness. Graduation refers to the act of smoothing crude mortality rates. In this paper, we propose a flexible and robust methodology for graduating mortality rates using adaptive P-splines. Since the observed data at high ages are often sparse and unreliable, we use an exponentially increasing penalty. We use mortality data of England and Wales and model male and female mortality rates jointly by means of penalties, achieving borrowing of information between the two sexes.
Body Image and Acceptance of Plastic Surgery Among College Students in South Korea
Authors: Lin Kathy L. , Raval Vaishali V. , Lee Ji-Yeon
Published: April 2021

Abstract. Studied more extensively in Western societies, body image in other cultures is less researched. South Korea provides a unique context to examine body image given its flourishing plastic surgery industry, which is indicative of negative body image and plastic surgery acceptance. The current study examined whether relevant sociocultural factors in South Korea (i.e., fear of negative evaluation [FNE] and filial piety [FP]) play a role in the association between body image and acceptance of plastic surgery. College students in South Korea ( n = 227) completed self-report measures of body image, FNE, FP, and acceptance of plastic surgery. Students with plastic surgery experience reported greater FNE and acceptance of plastic surgery than those without. Significant negative indirect effects of body image on acceptance of plastic surgery through FNE were found in the full sample. FP was found to moderate the body image-acceptance of plastic surgery link such that for individuals low in FP, lower body areas satisfaction was associated with greater acceptance of plastic surgery. The findings highlight the importance of understanding body image within a cultural context and provide implications for body image concerns in South Korean individuals.
Projected Changes of Water Currents and Circulation in Lake Michigan Under Representative Concentration Pathways Scenarios
Authors: Sahoo Bishnupriya , Mao Miaohua , Xia Meng
Published: April 2021

The Great Lakes’ atmosphere predominantly signposts signatures of climate change in terms of an elongated summer, depletion of ice‐cover, and up‐surging lake surface temperature and air temperature, which demands an in‐depth comprehension of future lake circulation dynamics. After satisfactory validations for the lake meteorology and hydrodynamics during 2010–2019, historical and future predictions based on a downscaled climate model for the Great Lakes region under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios are used to drive the Finite‐Volume Community Ocean Model applied to Lake Michigan during the ice‐free months of 2010–2069. Substantial rises in lake surface current speed during May–June and September–October are connected to the rising wind speed and air temperature in the lake domain. Under the RCP 4.5 scenario, the study expects a 6.5% per decade relative increase in surface current speed, with a rise of 1.3% in the coastal circulation (within 50‐m depth from the coast) until 2050. Surface circulation strength can reach the highest rise (13%) during 2030–2039 and a slight drop (−1%) during 2050–2069. During May–December, only a 0.3% variation is predicted in current magnitudes under RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The projections anticipate the occurrence of a stronger, wider, and northward shifting lake gyre with changing lake meteorology. Further analysis indicates that the reduced thermal gradient over the lake surface tends to resist sharp modulations in winds and lake dynamics in the successive decades.
G‐RUN ENSEMBLE: A Multi‐Forcing Observation‐Based Global Runoff Reanalysis
Authors: Ghiggi G. , Humphrey V. , Seneviratne S. I. , Gudmundsson L.
Published: April 2021

River discharge is an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) and is one of the best monitored components of the terrestrial water cycle. Nonetheless, gauging stations are distributed unevenly around the world, leaving many white spaces on global freshwater resources maps. Here, we use a machine learning algorithm and historical weather data to upscale sparse in situ river discharge measurements. We provide a global reanalysis of monthly runoff rates for periods covering decades to the past century at a resolution of 0.5° (about 55 km), and with up to 525 ensemble members based on 21 different atmospheric forcing data sets. This global runoff reconstruction, named Global RUNoff ENSEMBLE (G‐RUN ENSEMBLE), is evaluated using independent observations from large river basins and benchmarked against other publicly available runoff data sets over the period 1981–2010. The accuracy of the data set is evaluated on observed river flow from basins not used for model calibration and is found to compare favorably against state‐of‐the‐art global hydrological model simulations. The G‐RUN ENSEMBLE estimates the global mean runoff volume to range between 3.2 × 104 and 3.8 × 104 km3 yr−1. This publicly available data set (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12794075) has a wide range of applications, including regional water resources assessments, climate change attribution studies, hydro‐climatic process studies as well as the evaluation, calibration and refinement of global hydrological models.
Enabling the Application of Large Footprint Open‐Bottom Permeameters Through New Shape Factors
Authors: Zlotnik Vitaly A. , Cole Kevin D. , Cardenas Meinhard B. , Zlotnik Anatoly V.
Published: April 2021

Open‐bottom permeameters (OBP) are commonly used for estimating the hydraulic properties of sediment beds under water bodies and fluxes across the sediment‐water interface. The specific shape factor for an OBP flow situation is necessary for data interpretation. It is determined by the ratio of the permeameter tube radius to the tube's penetration depth within the sediment. Previous permeameter designs favored small radii which allowed for deeper penetration and stability of the tube. The shape factor is provided here for large footprint OBPs that allows for shallow penetration and greater radius. Through a numerical and analytical modeling study of the OBP hydrodynamics, previous knowledge on the OBP shape factor is generalized to the entire range of radius‐to‐penetration ratios that might be practically applied. The results reveal the advantages of the large footprint design, including better sensitivity due to the ability to impose larger discharge over a shorter test duration.
Kinetic Simulation of Segmented Plasma Flow Meter Response in the Ionospheric Plasma
Authors: Liu G. , Marchand R.
Published: April 2021

A relatively simple design of a segmented flow meter is presented for measuring in situ plasma flow velocities and other space plasma parameters. The response of the flow meter to space environment is simulated for plasma conditions representative of the ionosphere at mid and low latitudes using a Particle in cell code. A synthetic data set consisting of ion currents collected by several segments of the flow meter, and the physical parameters for which they were calculated, is then used to construct a solution library from which inference models can be constructed, using radial basis function and neural network regressions. Simulation results show that with such a flow meter, it should be possible to infer plasma flow velocities in the direction perpendicular to the ram direction, with uncertainties of ±45 m/s or less. Models can also be constructed to infer plasma densities, with a maximum relative error of 23%. This work is presented as a first assessment and proof of concept for an original design of a simple and robust flow meter.
White matter deficits in cocaine use disorder: convergent evidence from in vivo diffusion tensor imaging and ex vivo proteomic analysis
Authors: Tondo Lucca Pizzato , Viola Thiago Wendt , Fries Gabriel R. , Kluwe-Schiavon Bruno , Rothmann Leonardo Mello , Cupertino Renata , Ferreira Pedro , Franco Alexandre Rosa , Lane Scott D. , Stertz Laura , Zhao Zhongming , Hu Ruifeng , Meyer Thomas , Schmitz Joy M. , Walss-Bass Consuelo , Grassi-Oliveira Rodrigo
Published: April 2021

White matter (WM) abnormalities in patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD) have been studied; however, the reported effects on the human brain are heterogenous and most results have been obtained from male participants. In addition, biological data supporting the imaging findings and revealing possible mechanisms underlying the neurotoxic effects of chronic cocaine use (CU) on WM are largely restricted to animal studies. To evaluate the neurotoxic effects of CU in the WM, we performed an in vivo diffusion tensor imaging assessment of male and female cocaine users (n = 75) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 58). Moreover, we performed an ex vivo large-scale proteomic analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in postmortem brains of patients with CUD (n = 8) and HC (n = 12). Compared with the HC, the CUD group showed significant reductions in global fractional anisotropy (FA) (p < 0.001), and an increase in global mean (MD) and radial diffusion (RD) (both p < 0.001). The results revealed that FA, RD, and MD alterations in the CUD group were widespread along the major WM tracts, after analysis using the tract-based special statistics approach. Global FA was negatively associated with years of CU (p = 0.0421) and female sex (p < 0.001), but not with years of alcohol or nicotine use. Concerning the fibers connecting the left to the right prefrontal cortex, Brodmann area 9 (BA9), the CUD group presented lower FA (p = 0.006) and higher RD (p < 0.001) values compared with the HC group. A negative association between the duration of CU in life and FA values in this tract was also observed (p = 0.019). Proteomics analyses in BA9 found 11 proteins differentially expressed between cocaine users and controls. Among these, were proteins related to myelination and neuroinflammation. In summary, we demonstrate convergent evidence from in vivo diffusion tensor imaging and ex vivo proteomics analysis of WM disruption in CUD.
Multiple dimensions of stress vs. genetic effects on depression
Authors: Kvarta Mark D. , Bruce Heather A. , Chiappelli Joshua , Hare Stephanie M. , Goldwaser Eric L. , Sewell Jessica , Sampath Hemalatha , Lightner Samantha , Marshall Wyatt , Hatch Kathryn , Humphries Elizabeth , Ament Seth , Shuldiner Alan R. , Mitchell Braxton D. , McMahon Francis J. , Kochunov Peter , Hong L. Elliot
Published: April 2021

Many psychiatric disorders including depression involve complex interactions of genetics and environmental stressors. Environmental influence is challenging to measure objectively and account for in genetic studies because the necessary large population samples in these studies involve individuals with varying cultures and life experiences, clouding genetic findings. In a unique population with relative sociocultural homogeneity and a narrower range of types of stress experiences, we quantitatively assessed multiple stress dimensions and measured their potential influence in biasing the heritability estimate of depression. We quantified depressive symptoms, major lifetime stressors, current perceived stress, and a culturally specific community stress measure in individuals with depression-related diagnoses and community controls in Old Order Amish and Mennonite populations. Results showed that lifetime stressors measured by lifetime stressor inventory (R2 = 0.06,p = 2 × 10−5) and current stress measured by Perceived Stress Scale (R2 = 0.13,p < 1 × 10−6) were both associated with current depressive symptoms quantified by Beck Depression Inventory in community controls, but current stress was the only measure associated with current depressive symptoms in individuals with a depression diagnosis, and to a greater degree (R2 = 0.41,p < 1 × 10−6). A novel, culturally specific community stress measure demonstrated internal reliability and was associated with current stress but was not significantly related to depression. Heritability (h2) for depression diagnosis (0.46 ± 0.14) and quantitative depression severity as measured by Beck Depression Inventory (0.45 ± 0.12) were significant, buth2for depression diagnosis decreased to 0.25 ± 0.14 once stressors were accounted for in the model. This quantifies and demonstrates the importance of accounting for environmental influence in reducing phenotypic heterogeneity of depression and improving the power and replicability of genetic association findings that can be better translated to patient groups.
Mismatch negativity as EEG biomarker supporting CNS drug development: a transnosographic and translational study
Authors: Loiodice Simon , Drinkenburg Wilhelmus H. , Ahnaou Abdallah , McCarthy Andrew , Viardot Geoffrey , Cayre Emilie , Rion Bertrand , Bertaina-Anglade Valérie , Mano Marsel , L’Hostis Philippe , Drieu La Rochelle Christophe , Kas Martien J. , Danjou Philippe
Published: April 2021

The lack of translation from basic research into new medicines is a major challenge in CNS drug development. The need to use novel approaches relying on (i) patient clustering based on neurobiology irrespective to symptomatology and (ii) quantitative biomarkers focusing on evolutionarily preserved neurobiological systems allowing back-translation from clinical to nonclinical research has been highlighted. Here we sought to evaluate the mismatch negativity (MMN) response in schizophrenic (SZ) patients, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, and age-matched healthy controls. To evaluate back-translation of the MMN response, we developed EEG-based procedures allowing the measurement of MMN-like responses in a rat model of schizophrenia and a mouse model of AD. Our results indicate a significant MMN attenuation in SZ but not in AD patients. Consistently with the clinical findings, we observed a significant attenuation of deviance detection (~104.7%) in rats subchronically exposed to phencyclidine, while no change was observed in APP/PS1 transgenic mice when compared to wild type. This study provides new insight into the cross-disease evaluation of the MMN response. Our findings suggest further investigations to support the identification of neurobehavioral subtypes that may help patients clustering for precision medicine intervention. Furthermore, we provide evidence that MMN could be used as a quantitative/objective efficacy biomarker during both preclinical and clinical stages of SZ drug development.
CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma: more room for improvement
Authors: Teoh Phaik Ju , Chng Wee Joo
Published: April 2021

The emergence of various novel therapies over the last decade has changed the therapeutic landscape for multiple myeloma. While the clinical outcomes have improved significantly, the disease remains incurable, typically in patients with relapsed and refractory disease. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have achieved remarkable clinical success in B-cell malignancies. This scope of research has more recently been extended to the field of myeloma. While B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is currently the most well-studied CAR T antigen target in this disease, many other antigens are also undergoing intensive investigations. Some studies have shown encouraging results, whereas some others have demonstrated unfavorable results due to reasons such as toxicity and lack of clinical efficacy. Herein, we provide an overview of CAR T-cell therapies in myeloma, highlighted what has been achieved over the past decade, including the latest updates from ASH 2020 and discussed some of the challenges faced. Considering the current hits and misses of CAR T therapies, we provide a comprehensive analysis on the current manufacturing technologies, and deliberate on the future of CAR T-cell domain in MM.
Robust high-dimensional memory-augmented neural networks
Authors: Karunaratne Geethan , Schmuck Manuel , Le Gallo Manuel , Cherubini Giovanni , Benini Luca , Sebastian Abu , Rahimi Abbas
Published: April 2021

Traditional neural networks require enormous amounts of data to build their complex mappings during a slow training procedure that hinders their abilities for relearning and adapting to new data. Memory-augmented neural networks enhance neural networks with an explicit memory to overcome these issues. Access to this explicit memory, however, occurs via soft read and write operations involving every individual memory entry, resulting in a bottleneck when implemented using the conventional von Neumann computer architecture. To overcome this bottleneck, we propose a robust architecture that employs a computational memory unit as the explicit memory performing analog in-memory computation on high-dimensional (HD) vectors, while closely matching 32-bit software-equivalent accuracy. This is achieved by a content-based attention mechanism that represents unrelated items in the computational memory with uncorrelated HD vectors, whose real-valued components can be readily approximated by binary, or bipolar components. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of our approach on few-shot image classification tasks on the Omniglot dataset using more than 256,000 phase-change memory devices. Our approach effectively merges the richness of deep neural network representations with HD computing that paves the way for robust vector-symbolic manipulations applicable in reasoning, fusion, and compression.
Integrative reconstruction of cancer genome karyotypes using InfoGenomeR
Authors: Lee Yeonghun , Lee Hyunju
Published: April 2021

Annotation of structural variations (SVs) and base-level karyotyping in cancer cells remains challenging. Here, we present Integrative Framework for Genome Reconstruction (InfoGenomeR)-a graph-based framework that can reconstruct individual SVs into karyotypes based on whole-genome sequencing data, by integrating SVs, total copy number alterations, allele-specific copy numbers, and haplotype information. Using whole-genome sequencing data sets of patients with breast cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, and ovarian cancer, we demonstrate the analytical potential of InfoGenomeR. We identify recurrent derivative chromosomes derived from chromosomes 11 and 17 in breast cancer samples, with homogeneously staining regions for CCND1 and ERBB2, and double minutes and breakage-fusion-bridge cycles in glioblastoma multiforme and ovarian cancer samples, respectively. Moreover, we show that InfoGenomeR can discriminate private and shared SVs between primary and metastatic cancer sites that could contribute to tumour evolution. These findings indicate that InfoGenomeR can guide targeted therapies by unravelling cancer-specific SVs on a genome-wide scale.
Scalable photonic-based nulling interferometry with the dispersed multi-baseline GLINT instrument
Authors: Martinod Marc-Antoine , Norris Barnaby , Tuthill Peter , Lagadec Tiphaine , Jovanovic Nemanja , Cvetojevic Nick , Gross Simon , Arriola Alexander , Gretzinger Thomas , Withford Michael J. , Guyon Olivier , Lozi Julien , Vievard Sébastien , Deo Vincent , Lawrence Jon S. , Leon-Saval Sergio
Published: April 2021

Characterisation of exoplanets is key to understanding their formation, composition and potential for life. Nulling interferometry, combined with extreme adaptive optics, is among the most promising techniques to advance this goal. We present an integrated-optic nuller whose design is directly scalable to future science-ready interferometric nullers: the Guided-Light Interferometric Nulling Technology, deployed at the Subaru Telescope. It combines four beams and delivers spatial and spectral information. We demonstrate the capability of the instrument, achieving a null depth better than 10−3 with a precision of 10−4 for all baselines, in laboratory conditions with simulated seeing applied. On sky, the instrument delivered angular diameter measurements of stars that were 2.5 times smaller than the diffraction limit of the telescope. These successes pave the way for future design enhancements: scaling to more baselines, improved photonic component and handling low-order atmospheric aberration within the instrument, all of which will contribute to enhance sensitivity and precision.
Author Correction: Inhibitory mechanism of reveromycin A at the tRNA binding site of a class I synthetase
Authors: Chen Bingyi , Luo Siting , Zhang Songxuan , Ju Yingchen , Gu Qiong , Xu Jun , Yang Xiang-Lei , Zhou Huihao
Published: April 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22942-2
A magnetoencephalography dataset for motor and cognitive imagery-based brain-computer interface
Authors: Rathee Dheeraj , Raza Haider , Roy Sujit , Prasad Girijesh
Published: April 2021

Recent advancements in magnetoencephalography (MEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have shown great potential. However, the performance of current MEG-BCI systems is still inadequate and one of the main reasons for this is the unavailability of open-source MEG-BCI datasets. MEG systems are expensive and hence MEG datasets are not readily available for researchers to develop effective and efficient BCI-related signal processing algorithms. In this work, we release a 306-channel MEG-BCI data recorded at 1KHz sampling frequency during four mental imagery tasks (i.e. hand imagery, feet imagery, subtraction imagery, and word generation imagery). The dataset contains two sessions of MEG recordings performed on separate days from 17 healthy participants using a typical BCI imagery paradigm. The current dataset will be the only publicly available MEG imagery BCI dataset as per our knowledge. The dataset can be used by the scientific community towards the development of novel pattern recognition machine learning methods to detect brain activities related to motor imagery and cognitive imagery tasks using MEG signals.
COVID-CT-MD, COVID-19 computed tomography scan dataset applicable in machine learning and deep learning
Authors: Afshar Parnian , Heidarian Shahin , Enshaei Nastaran , Naderkhani Farnoosh , Rafiee Moezedin Javad , Oikonomou Anastasia , Fard Faranak Babaki , Samimi Kaveh , Plataniotis Konstantinos N. , Mohammadi Arash
Published: April 2021

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has drastically overwhelmed more than 200 countries affecting millions and claiming almost 2 million lives, since its emergence in late 2019. This highly contagious disease can easily spread, and if not controlled in a timely fashion, can rapidly incapacitate healthcare systems. The current standard diagnosis method, the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT- PCR), is time consuming, and subject to low sensitivity. Chest Radiograph (CXR), the first imaging modality to be used, is readily available and gives immediate results. However, it has notoriously lower sensitivity than Computed Tomography (CT), which can be used efficiently to complement other diagnostic methods. This paper introduces a new COVID-19 CT scan dataset, referred to as COVID-CT-MD, consisting of not only COVID-19 cases, but also healthy and participants infected by Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). COVID-CT-MD dataset, which is accompanied with lobe-level, slice-level and patient-level labels, has the potential to facilitate the COVID-19 research, in particular COVID-CT-MD can assist in development of advanced Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) based solutions.
In vivo human whole-brain Connectom diffusion MRI dataset at 760 µm isotropic resolution
Authors: Wang Fuyixue , Dong Zijing , Tian Qiyuan , Liao Congyu , Fan Qiuyun , Hoge W. Scott , Keil Boris , Polimeni Jonathan R. , Wald Lawrence L. , Huang Susie Y. , Setsompop Kawin
Published: April 2021

We present a whole-brain in vivo diffusion MRI (dMRI) dataset acquired at 760 μm isotropic resolution and sampled at 1260 q-space points across 9 two-hour sessions on a single healthy participant. The creation of this benchmark dataset is possible through the synergistic use of advanced acquisition hardware and software including the high-gradient-strength Connectom scanner, a custom-built 64-channel phased-array coil, a personalized motion-robust head stabilizer, a recently developed SNR-efficient dMRI acquisition method, and parallel imaging reconstruction with advanced ghost reduction algorithm. With its unprecedented resolution, SNR and image quality, we envision that this dataset will have a broad range of investigational, educational, and clinical applications that will advance the understanding of human brain structures and connectivity. This comprehensive dataset can also be used as a test bed for new modeling, sub-sampling strategies, denoising and processing algorithms, potentially providing a common testing platform for further development of in vivo high resolution dMRI techniques. Whole brain anatomical T1-weighted and T2-weighted images at submillimeter scale along with field maps are also made available.
A 3D high resolution MRI method for the visualization of cardiac fibro-fatty infiltrations
Authors: Haliot K. , Dubes V. , Constantin M. , Pernot M. , Labrousse L. , Busuttil O. , Walton R. D. , Bernus O. , Rogier J. , Nubret K. , Dos Santos P. , Benoist D. , Haïssaguerre M. , Magat J. , Quesson B.
Published: April 2021

Modifications of the myocardial architecture can cause abnormal electrical activity of the heart. Fibro-fatty infiltrations have been implicated in various cardiac pathologies associated with arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, such as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Here, we report the development of an MRI protocol to observe these modifications at 9.4 T. Two fixed ex vivo human hearts, one healthy and one ARVC, were imaged with an Iterative decomposition with echo asymmetry and least-square estimations (IDEAL) and a magnetization transfer (MT) 3D sequences. The resulting fat fraction and MT ratio (MTR) were analyzed and compared to histological analysis of the three regions (“ARVC triangle”) primarily involved in ARVC structural remodeling. In the ARVC heart, high fat content was observed in the “ARVC triangle” and the superimposition of the MTR and fat fraction allowed the identification of fibrotic regions in areas without the presence of fat. The healthy heart exhibited twice less fat than the ARVC heart (31.9%, 28.7% and 1.3% of fat in the same regions, respectively). Localization of fat and fibrosis were confirmed by means of histology. This non-destructive approach allows the investigation of structural remodeling in human pathologies where fibrosis and/or fatty tissue infiltrations are expected to occur.
Motor learning by selection in visual working memory
Authors: Wagner Ilja , Wolf Christian , Schütz Alexander C.
Published: April 2021

Motor adaptation maintains movement accuracy over the lifetime. Saccadic eye movements have been used successfully to study the mechanisms and neural basis of adaptation. Using behaviorally irrelevant targets, it has been shown that saccade adaptation is driven by errors only in a brief temporal interval after movement completion. However, under natural conditions, eye movements are used to extract information from behaviorally relevant objects and to guide actions manipulating these objects. In this case, the action outcome often becomes apparent only long after movement completion, outside the supposed temporal window of error evaluation. Here, we show that saccade adaptation can be driven by error signals long after the movement when using behaviorally relevant targets. Adaptation occurred when a task-relevant target appeared two seconds after the saccade, or when a retro-cue indicated which of two targets, stored in visual working memory, was task-relevant. Our results emphasize the important role of visual working memory for optimal movement control.