bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of indoor living space on dairy cow production, reproduction and behaviour
Authors: Thompson Jake S. , Hudson Christopher D. , Huxley Jonathan N. , Kaler Jasmeet , Robinson Robert S. , Woad Kathryn J. , Bollard Nicola , Gibbons Jenny , Green Martin J.
Published: March 2022

As a global society, we have a duty to provide suitable care and conditions for farmed livestock to protect animal welfare and ensure the sustainability of our food supply. The suitability and biological impacts of housing conditions for intensively farmed animals is a complex and emotive subject, yet poorly researched, meaning quantitative evidence to inform policy and legislation is lacking. Most dairy cows globally are housed for some duration during the year, largely when climatic conditions are unfavourable. However, the impact on biology, productivity and welfare of even the most basic housing requirement, the quantity of living space, remains unknown. We conducted a long-term (1-year), randomised controlled trial (CONSORT 10 guidelines) to investigate the impact of increased living space (6.5 m2vs 3 m2per animal) on critical aspects of cow biology, behaviour and productivity. Adult Holstein dairy cows (n = 150) were continuously and randomly allocated to a high or control living space group with all other aspects of housing remaining identical between groups. Compared to cows in the control living space group, cows with increased space produced more milk per 305d lactation (primiparous: 12,235 L vs 11,592 L,P < 0.01; multiparous: 14,746 L vs 14,644 L,P < 0.01) but took longer to become pregnant after calving (primiparous: 155 d vs 83 d,P = 0.025; multiparous: 133 d vs 109 d). In terms of behaviour, cows with more living space spent significantly more time in lying areas (65 min/d difference; high space group: 12.43 h/day, 95% CI = 11.70–13.29; control space group: 11.42 h/day, 95% CI = 10.73–12.12) and significantly less time in passageways (64 min/d), suggesting enhanced welfare when more space was provided. A key physiological difference between groups was that cows with more space spent longer ruminating each day. This is the first long term study in dairy cows to demonstrate that increased living space results in meaningful benefits in terms of productivity and behaviour and suggests that the interplay between farmed animals and their housed environment plays an important role in the concepts of welfare and sustainability of dairy farming.
Neuroprotective effects of ATPase inhibitory factor 1 preventing mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Chung InHyeok , Park Han-A , Kang Jun , Kim Heyyoung , Hah Su Min , Lee Juhee , Kim Hyeon Soo , Choi Won-Seok , Chung Ji Hyung , Shin Min-Jeong
Published: March 2022

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key element in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The inefficient operation of the electron transport chain (ETC) impairs energy production and enhances the generation of oxidative stress contributing to the loss of dopaminergic cells in the brain. ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) is a regulator of mitochondrial energy metabolism. IF1 binds directly to the F1Fo ATP synthase and prevents ATP wasting during compromised energy metabolism. In this study, we found treatment with IF1 protects mitochondria against PD-like insult in vitro. SH-SY5Y cells treated with IF1 were resistant to loss of ATP and mitochondrial inner membrane potential during challenge with rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I in the ETC. We further demonstrated that treatment with IF1 reversed rotenone-induced superoxide production in mitochondria and peroxide accumulation in whole cells. Ultimately, IF1 decreased protein levels of pro-apoptotic Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP, rescuing SH-SY5Y cells from rotenone-mediated apoptotic death. Administration of IF1 significantly improved the results of pole and hanging tests performed by PD mice expressing human α-synuclein. This indicates that IF1 mitigates PD-associated motor deficit. Together, these findings suggest that IF1 exhibits a neuroprotective effect preventing mitochondrial dysfunction in PD pathology.
Genetic association of IL17 and the importance of ABO blood group antigens in saliva to COVID-19
Authors: Nishida Nao , Sugiyama Masaya , Kawai Yosuke , Naka Izumi , Iwamoto Noriko , Suzuki Tetsuya , Suzuki Michiyo , Miyazato Yusuke , Suzuki Satoshi , Izumi Shinyu , Hojo Masayuki , Tsuchiura Takayo , Ishikawa Miyuki , Ohashi Jun , Ohmagari Norio , Tokunaga Katsushi , Mizokami Masashi
Published: March 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a worldwide pandemic, and the number of patients presenting with respiratory failure is rapidly increasing in Japan. An international meta-analysis has been conducted to identify genetic factors associated with the onset and severity of COVID-19, but these factors have yet to be fully clarified. Here, we carried out genomic analysis based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Japanese COVID-19 patients to determine whether genetic factors reported to be associated with the onset or severity of COVID-19 in the international meta-GWAS are replicated in the Japanese population, and whether new genetic factors exist. Although no significant genome-wide association was detected in the Japanese GWAS, an integrated analysis with the international meta-GWAS identified for the first time the involvement of the IL17A/IL17F gene in the severity of COVID-19. Among nine genes reported in the international meta-GWAS as genes involved in the onset of COVID-19, the association of FOXP4-AS1, ABO, and IFNAR2 genes was replicated in the Japanese population. Moreover, combined analysis of ABO and FUT2 genotypes revealed that the presence of oral AB antigens was significantly associated with the onset of COVID-19. FOXP4-AS1 and IFNAR2 were also significantly associated in the integrated analysis of the Japanese GWAS and international meta-GWAS when compared with severe COVID-19 cases and the general population. This made it clear that these two genes were also involved in not only the onset but also the severity of COVID-19. In particular, FOXP4-AS1 was not found to be associated with the severity of COVID-19 in the international meta-GWAS, but an integrated analysis with the Japanese GWAS revealed an association with severity. Individuals with the SNP risk allele found between IL17A and IL17F had significantly lower mRNA expression levels of IL17F, suggesting that activation of the innate immune response by IL17F may play an important role in the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Automatic differentiation of Grade I and II meningiomas on magnetic resonance image using an asymmetric convolutional neural network
Authors: Vassantachart April , Cao Yufeng , Gribble Michael , Guzman Samuel , Ye Jason C. , Hurth Kyle , Mathew Anna , Zada Gabriel , Fan Zhaoyang , Chang Eric L. , Yang Wensha
Published: March 2022

The Grade of meningioma has significant implications for selecting treatment regimens ranging from observation to surgical resection with adjuvant radiation. For most patients, meningiomas are diagnosed radiologically, and Grade is not determined unless a surgical procedure is performed. The goal of this study is to train a novel auto-classification network to determine Grade I and II meningiomas using T1-contrast enhancing (T1-CE) and T2-Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) images. Ninety-six consecutive treatment naïve patients with pre-operative T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR images and subsequent pathologically diagnosed intracranial meningiomas were evaluated. Delineation of meningiomas was completed on both MR images. A novel asymmetric 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture was constructed with two encoding paths based on T1-CE and T2-FLAIR. Each path used the same 3 × 3 × 3 kernel with different filters to weigh the spatial features of each sequence separately. Final model performance was assessed by tenfold cross-validation. Of the 96 patients, 55 (57%) were pathologically classified as Grade I and 41 (43%) as Grade II meningiomas. Optimization of our model led to a filter weighting of 18:2 between the T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR image paths. 86 (90%) patients were classified correctly, and 10 (10%) were misclassified based on their pre-operative MRs with a model sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.93. Among the misclassified, 4 were Grade I, and 6 were Grade II. The model is robust to tumor locations and sizes. A novel asymmetric CNN with two differently weighted encoding paths was developed for successful automated meningioma grade classification. Our model outperforms CNN using a single path for single or multimodal MR-based classification.
Encouraging bystander helping behaviour in a violent incident: a virtual reality study using reinforcement learning
Authors: Rovira Aitor , Slater Mel
Published: March 2022

Virtual reality (VR) affords the study of the behaviour of people in social situations that would be logistically difficult or ethically problematic in reality. The laboratory-controlled setup makes it straightforward to collect multi-modal data and compare the responses across different experimental conditions. However, the scenario is typically fixed and the resulting data are usually analysed only once the VR experience has ended. Here we describe a method that allows adaptation of the environment to the behaviours of participants and where data is collected and processed during the experience. The goal was to examine the extent to which helping behaviour of participants towards the victim of a violent aggression might be encouraged, with the use of reinforcement learning (RL). In the scenario, a virtual human character represented as a supporter of the Arsenal Football Club, was attacked by another with the aggression escalating over time. (In some countries football is referred to as ‘soccer’, but we will use ‘football’ throughout). Each participant, a bystander in the scene, might intervene to help the victim or do nothing. By varying the extent to which some actions of the virtual characters during the scenario were determined by the RL we were able to examine whether the RL resulted in a greater number of helping interventions. Forty five participants took part in the study divided into three groups: with no RL, a medium level of RL, or full operation of the RL. The results show that the greater extent to which the RL operated the greater the number of interventions. We suggest that this methodology could be an alternative to full multi-factorial experimental designs, and more importantly as a way to produce adaptive VR scenarios that encourage participants towards a particular line of action.
Targeted generation of complex temporal pulse profiles
Authors: Guesmi Mariem , Veselá Petra , Žídek Karel
Published: March 2022

A targeted shaping of complex femtosecond pulse waveforms and their characterization is essential for many spectroscopic applications. A 4f pulse shaper combined with an advanced pulse characterization technique should, in the idealized case, serve this purpose for an arbitrary pulse shape. This is, however, violated in the real experiment by many imperfections and limitations. Although the complex waveform generation has been studied in-depth, the comparison of the effects of various experimental factors on the actual pulse shape has stayed out of focus so far. In this paper, we present an experimental study on the targeted generation and retrieval of complex pulses by using two commonly-used techniques: spatial-light-modulator (SLM)-based 4f pulse shaper and second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) and cross-correlation FROG (XFROG). By combining FROG and XFROG traces, we analyze the pulses with SLM-adjusted complex random phases ranging from simple to very complex waveforms. We demonstrate that the combination of FROG and XFROG ensures highly consistent pulse retrieval, irrespective of the used retrieval algorithm. This enabled us to evaluate the role of various experimental factors on the agreement between the simulated and actual pulse shape. The factors included the SLM pixelation, SLM pixel crosstalk, finite laser focal spot in the pulse shaper, or interference fringes induced by the SLM. In particular, we observe that including the SLM pixelation and crosstalk effect significantly improved the pulse shaping simulation. We demonstrate that the complete simulation can faithfully reproduce the pulse shape. Nevertheless, even in this case, the intensity of individual peaks differs between the retrieved and simulated pulses, typically by 10–20% of the peak value, with the mean standard deviation of 5–9% of the maximum pulse intensity. We discuss the potential sources of remaining discrepancies between the theoretically expected and experimentally retrieved pulse.
Seasonal distribution of fish larvae in mangrove-seagrass seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania)
Authors: Tarimo Barnabas , Winder Monika , Mtolera Matern S. P. , Muhando Christopher A. , Gullström Martin
Published: March 2022

Fish larvae supply in nearshore vegetated habitats, such as seagrass meadows and mangroves, contributes significantly to sustainable fish stocks. Yet, little information is available on distribution patterns of fish larvae in mangrove and seagrass habitats of the western Indian Ocean. The present study investigated the abundance, diversity and assemblage composition of fish larvae in mangrove creeks, inshore seagrass meadows (located adjacent to mangroves) and nearshore seagrass meadows (located in-between mangroves and coral reefs) in two coastal seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania) across seasons for 1 year. The highest mean abundances of fish larvae were recorded in mangrove creeks, while nearshore- and inshore seagrass meadows showed similar mean abundance levels. Generally, fish larvae representing 42 families were identified, with the fourteen most abundant families comprising 83% of all specimens. Fish larvae communities were dominated by specimens of the postflexion growth stage in all habitats, except in mangrove creeks in one of the two seascapes (i.e. Chwaka Bay) from April through June when abundances of the preflexion and very small-sized individuals were exceptionally high. Slightly higher fish larvae abundances were observed in mangroves during the southeast monsoon compared to the northeast monsoon, and there were also differences across months within monsoon periods for all three habitats studied. Assemblage composition of larvae did, however, not vary significantly in time or space. Our findings suggest that mangroves and seagrass meadows are highly linked shallow-water habitats with high retention of fish larvae contributing to similarity in assemblage compositions across shallow coastal seascapes. Conservation and management efforts should prioritize connected shallow-water seascapes for protection of fish larvae and to uphold sustainable coastal fisheries.
Cold evoked potentials elicited by rapid cooling of the skin in young and elderly healthy individuals
Authors: Scheuren Paulina Simonne , Nauer Natascha , Rosner Jan , Curt Armin , Hubli Michèle
Published: March 2022

Cold-evoked potentials (CEPs) constitute a novel electrophysiological tool to assess cold-specific alterations in somatosensory function. As an important step towards the clinical implementation of CEPs as a diagnostic tool, we evaluated the feasibility and reliability of CEPs in response to rapid cooling of the skin (−300 °C/s) and different stimulation sites in young and elderly healthy individuals. Time-locked electroencephalographic responses were recorded from at vertex in fifteen young (20–40 years) and sixteen elderly (50–70 years), individuals in response to 15 rapid cold stimuli (−300 °C/s) applied to the skin of the hand dorsum, palm, and foot dorsum. High CEP proportions were shown for young individuals at all sites (hand dorsum/palm: 100% and foot: 79%) and elderly individuals after stimulation of the hand dorsum (81%) and palm (63%), but not the foot (44%). Depending on the age group and stimulation site, test–retest reliability was “poor” to “substantial” for N2P2 amplitudes and N2 latencies. Rapid cooling of the skin enables the recording of reliable CEPs in young individuals. In elderly individuals, CEP recordings were only robust after stimulation of the hand, but particularly challenging after stimulation of the foot. Further improvements in stimulation paradigms are warranted to introduce CEPs for clinical diagnostics.
Effect of nest composition, experience and nest quality on nest-building behaviour in the Bonelli’s Eagle
Authors: Martínez José E. , Zuberogoitia Íñigo , Calvo José F. , Álvarez Mario , Margalida Antoni
Published: March 2022

In bi-parentally built nests, there is evidence to suggest that nests are extended phenotypic signals that accurately indicate the quality of the building parent/s. Raptors often use a variety of materials to build their nests (natural, such as branches, but also non-natural objects), presumably due to their insulating properties, their suitability to advertise occupancy of the nest, and to decrease pathogen and parasite loads. However, in raptors where both sexes collaborate in nest construction, it is unclear whether nest building (taking the amount of material carried to the nest as the potential predictor) is an indicator of parental quality, and whether the effort expended by both sexes could constitute an honest signal of parental quality to their partners. Between 2011 and 2016, we monitored 16 nests of Bonelli’s Eagles (Aquila fasciata), and we examined data on sex, type of material brought to the nest, breeding experience, nest quality, timing, and nest-building investment prior to egg-laying from 32 identifiable Bonelli’s Eagles during the pre-laying period to investigate the relative contribution of the sexes to the amount of nest material gathered. Our results indicate that sex is not a determining factor in nest-building effort, and that females did not increase their parental effort in response to the male’s contribution, and supply of materials did not increase during the pre-laying period. In contrast, our models showed that: (1) the type of material supplied to the nest by both sexes varied significantly throughout the pre-laying period and (2) nest-building effort was determined by individual experience and nest quality. Therefore, our study suggests that male nest-building behaviour and investment by Bonelli’s Eagles cannot be considered as an extended phenotypic signal. The differential use of hard and green material by both sexes in the early and late stages of nest-building period, and the fact that the more experienced individuals contributed a larger amount of material on low quality nests, are discussed in the contexts of signaling nest occupancy to conspecifics and competitors and the decrease of ectoparasite loads during the pre-laying period.
MicroRNA signature for estimating the survival time in patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Yerukala Sathipati Srinivasulu , Tsai Ming-Ju , Shukla Sanjay K. , Ho Shinn-Ying , Liu Yi , Beheshti Afshin
Published: March 2022

Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLC) is one of the most common cancers in men, and its heterogeneity challenges the treatment to cure this disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) gained promising attention as biomarkers due to their potential roles in cancer biology. Identifying survival-associated miRNAs may help identify targets for therapeutic interventions in BLC. This work aims to identify a miRNA signature that could estimate the survival in patients with BLC. We developed a survival estimation method called BLC-SVR based on support vector regression incorporated with an optimal feature selection algorithm to select a robust set of miRNAs as a signature to estimate the survival in patients with BLC. BLC-SVR identified a miRNA signature consisting of 29 miRNAs and obtained a mean squared correlation coefficient and mean absolute error of 0.79 ± 0.02 and 0.52 ± 0.32 year between actual and estimated survival times, respectively. The prediction performance of BLC-SVR had a better estimation capability than other standard regression methods. In the identified miRNA signature, 14 miRNAs, hsa-miR-432-5p, hsa-let-7e-3p, hsa-miR-652-3p, hsa-miR-629-5p, and hsa-miR-203a-3p, hsa-miR-129-5p, hsa-miR-769-3p, hsa-miR-570-3p, hsa-miR-320c, hsa-miR-642a-5p, hsa-miR-496, hsa-miR-5480-3p, hsa-miR-221-5p, and hsa-miR-7-1-3p, were found to be good biomarkers for BLC diagnosis; and the six miRNAs, hsa-miR-652-5p, hsa-miR-193b-5p, hsa-miR-129-5p, hsa-miR-143-5p, hsa-miR-496, and hsa-miR-7-1-3p, were found to be good biomarkers of prognosis. Further bioinformatics analysis of this miRNA signature demonstrated its importance in various biological pathways and gene ontology annotation. The identified miRNA signature would further help in understanding of BLC diagnosis and prognosis in the development of novel miRNA-target based therapeutics in BLC.
Heterogeneity and the determinants of PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Xia Siyou , Liu Xiaojie , Liu Qing , Zhou Yannan , Yang Yu
Published: March 2022

Haze has reached epidemic levels in many Chinese cities in recent years. Few studies have explored the determinants and heterogeneity of PM2.5. This paper investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM2.5 through spatial analytical methods based on aerosol optical depth data from the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) between 2000 and 2017. Geographically weighted regression and geodetector models were applied to assess the heterogeneity of key factors influencing PM2.5. The results indicate that the annual concentrations of PM2.5 in the YREB were 23.49–37.37 μg/m3, with an initial increase and a later decrease. PM2.5 pollution showed a diagonal high spatial distribution pattern in the northeast and a low spatial distribution in the southwest, as well as a noticeable spatial convergence. The spatial variability of PM2.5 was enlarged, and its main fractal dimension was in the northeast-southwest direction. There were clear spatiotemporal variations in the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on PM2.5. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact mechanisms of PM2.5 and the geographic factors that form persistent and highly polluted areas and imply that more specific coping strategies need to be implemented in various areas toward successful particulate pollution prevention and control.
Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant is lethal in aged BALB/c mice
Authors: Yasui Fumihiko , Matsumoto Yusuke , Yamamoto Naoki , Sanada Takahiro , Honda Tomoko , Munakata Tsubasa , Itoh Yasushi , Kohara Michinori
Published: March 2022

Models of animals that are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can usefully evaluate the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we demonstrate that infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant (TY8-612 strain) induces bodyweight loss and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production in wild-type laboratory mice (BALB/c and C57BL/6 J mice). Furthermore, compared to their counterparts, BALB/c mice had a higher viral load in their lungs and worse symptoms. Importantly, infecting aged BALB/c mice (older than 6 months) with the TY8-612 strain elicited a massive and sustained production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and led to universal mortality. These results indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant-infected mice exhibited symptoms ranging from mild to fatal depending on their strain and age. Our data provide insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and may be useful in developing prophylactics and therapeutics.
Unfolding the effects of decontamination treatments on the structural and functional integrity of N95 respirators via numerical simulations
Authors: Sharma Sumit , Wang Fang , Rao P. V. Kameswara , Agrawal Ashwini K. , Jassal Manjeet , Szenti Imre , Kukovecz Ákos , Rawal Amit , Schiller Ulf D.
Published: March 2022

Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) provide effective protection against diseases spread through airborne infectious droplets and particles. The widespread use of FFRs during the COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to supply shortages, but the disposal of single-use facemasks also threatens the environment with a new kind of plastic pollution. While limited reuse of filtering facepiece respirators has been permitted as a crisis capacity strategy, there are currently no standard test methods available for decontamination before their repeated use. The decontamination of respirators can compromise the structural and functional integrity by reducing the filtration efficiency and breathability. Digital segmentation of X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) scans of the meltblown nonwoven layers of a specific N95 respirator model (Venus-4400) after treatment with one and five cycles of liquid hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet radiation, moist heat, and aqueous soap solution enabled us to perform filtration simulations of decontaminated respirators. The computed filtration efficiencies for 0.3 µm particles agreed well with experimental measurements, and the distribution of particle penetration depths was correlated with the structural changes resulting from decontamination. The combination of X-ray microCT imaging with numerical simulations thus provides a strategy for quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of decontamination treatments for a specific respirator model.
Rhythm perception is shared between audio and haptics
Authors: Bernard Corentin , Monnoyer Jocelyn , Wiertlewski Michaël , Ystad Sølvi
Published: March 2022

A surface texture is perceived through both the sound and vibrations produced while being explored by our fingers. Because of their common origin, both modalities have a strong influence on each other, particularly at above 60 Hz for which vibrotactile perception and pitch perception share common neural processes. However, whether the sensation of rhythm is shared between audio and haptic perception is still an open question. In this study, we show striking similarities between the audio and haptic perception of rhythmic changes, and demonstrate the interaction of both modalities below 60 Hz. Using a new surface-haptic device to synthesize arbitrary audio-haptic textures, psychophysical experiments demonstrate that the perception threshold curves of audio and haptic rhythmic gradients are the same. Moreover, multimodal integration occurs when audio and haptic rhythmic gradients are congruent. We propose a multimodal model of rhythm perception to explain these observations. These findings suggest that audio and haptic signals are likely to be processed by common neural mechanisms also for the perception of rhythm. They provide a framework for audio-haptic stimulus generation that is beneficial for nonverbal communication or modern human-machine interfaces.
A controlled nucleation and growth of Si nanowires by using a TiN diffusion barrier layer for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Kim Dongheun , Ahmed Towfiq , Crossley Kenneth , Baldwin J. Kevin , Ra Shin Sun Hae , Kim Yeonhoo , Sheehan Chris , Li Nan , Pete Doug V. , Han Henry H. , Yoo Jinkyoung
Published: March 2022

Uniform size of Si nanowires (NWs) is highly desirable to enhance the performance of Si NW-based lithium-ion batteries.
Short-chain fluorocarbon-based polymeric coating with excellent nonwetting ability against chemical warfare agents
Authors: Jung Hyunsook , Kwon Jihyun , Jung Heesoo , Cho Kyeong Min , Yu Seung Jung , Lee Sang Myeon , Jeon Mingyu , Im Sung Gap
Published: March 2022

A copolymeric coating containing short-chain fluorinated groups was synthesized and characterized to achieve excellent nonwetting ability against hazardous chemical warfare agents (CWAs).
Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al95−xNixY5 (x = 7,10) glassy ribbons
Authors: Wang X. N. , Feng Y. , Liu H. Z. , Zhang H. , Yan Z. C. , Bai Y. W.
Published: March 2022

The Al95−xNixY5 ribbon x = 7 has a Y-depleted extra film and has a longer passive zone in the polarization curve and higher corrosion resistance than x = 10.
From 0D to 3D MXenes: their diverse syntheses, morphologies and applications
Authors: De Shrabani , Acharya Sourav , Sahoo Sumanta , Shim Jae-Jin , Nayak Ganesh Chandra
Published: March 2022

MXenes are a new category of layered nanomaterials that have brought about a new multidisciplinary research area recently.
Regulating the discriminatory response to antigen by T-cell receptor
Authors: Gangopadhyay Kaustav , Roy Swarnendu , Sen Gupta Soumee , Chandradasan Athira C. , Chowdhury Subhankar , Das Rahul
Published: March 2022

The cell-mediated immune response constitutes a robust host defense mechanism to eliminate pathogens and oncogenic cells. T cells play a central role in such a defense mechanism and creating memories to prevent any potential infection. T cell recognizes foreign antigen by its surface receptors when presented through antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and calibrates its cellular response by a network of intracellular signaling events. Activation of T-cell receptor (TCR) leads to changes in gene expression and metabolic networks regulating cell development, proliferation, and migration. TCR does not possess any catalytic activity, and the signaling initiates with the colocalization of several enzymes and scaffold proteins. Deregulation of T cell signaling is often linked to autoimmune disorders like severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. The TCR remarkably distinguishes the minor difference between self and non-self antigen through a kinetic proofreading mechanism. The output of TCR signaling is determined by the half-life of the receptor antigen complex and the time taken to recruit and activate the downstream enzymes. A longer half-life of a non-self antigen receptor complex could initiate downstream signaling by activating associated enzymes. Whereas, the short-lived, self-peptide receptor complex disassembles before the downstream enzymes are activated. Activation of TCR rewires the cellular metabolic response to aerobic glycolysis from oxidative phosphorylation. How does the early event in the TCR signaling cross-talk with the cellular metabolism is an open question. In this review, we have discussed the recent developments in understanding the regulation of TCR signaling, and then we reviewed the emerging role of metabolism in regulating T cell function.
Regenerative Plasma- und Zelltherapien in der Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie
Authors: Maleitzke Tazio , Niemann Marcel , Zhou Sijia , Lauterbach Luis , Geissler Sven , Ort Melanie , Duda Georg N. , Perka Carsten , Stöckle Ulrich , Winkler Tobias
Published: March 2022

Regenerative Therapien in der Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (O&U) werden zur Behandlung akuter Verletzungen oder degenerativer Gewebeschäden eingesetzt. Insbesondere die Therapie
verschiedener Arthroseformen und Tendinopathien mittels Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) nimmt mittlerweile einen zentralen Platz in der ambulanten Versorgung ein. Es fehlt bis dato allerdings an
robusten Daten zur Wirksamkeit und Produktcharakterisierung. Mesenchymale Zelltherapien werden ebenfalls zur Geweberegeneration durch parakrine Immunmodulation eingesetzt und befinden sich
aktuell noch in präklinischen und klinischen Forschungsstadien. In den kommenden Jahren wird neben der Sicherheit insbesondere die langfristige Wirksamkeit von Plasma- und Zelltherapien im
Fokus der Wissenschaft stehen, um regenerative Therapien klinisch und evidenzbasiert in der O&U zu verankern.
Berufliche Teilhabe nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation aufgrund
neurologischer Erkrankungen
Authors: Streibelt Marco , Zollmann Pia , Rasch Lisa , Schimichowski Jana , Schmitz Sandra
Published: March 2022

Ziel der Studie Für das deutsche Rehabilitationssystem existieren
nur wenige repräsentative Erkenntnisse zur beruflichen
Wiedereingliederung nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation. Für
Personen, die aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung eine Rehabilitation in
Trägerschaft der Deutschen Rentenversicherung (DRV) absolvierten, soll
deshalb ermittelt werden, (a) welche sozialmedizinischen Risiken im Vorfeld der
Rehabilitation bestehen, (b) wie gut die berufliche Teilhabe im Anschluss
gelingt und (c) welche Informationen mit der beruflichen Teilhabe assoziiert
sind.

Methodik Die Fragen wurden anhand der Reha-Statistik-Datenbasis der DRV
beantwortet. Eingeschlossen wurden Rehabilitand*innen, die in 2016 eine
medizinische Rehabilitation aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung
abgeschlossen hatten. Die Analysen wurden für die Gesamtgruppe sowie
differenziert nach den beiden Diagnosegruppen Zerebrovaskuläre
Erkrankungen (ZE) und Multiple Sklerose (MS) durchgeführt. Berufliche
Teilhabe wurde sowohl über eine monatliche Zustandsvariable bis 24
Monate nach der Rehabilitation als auch als Quote aller Personen, die nach 12
respektive 24 Monaten im Erhebungsmonat und den 3 vorhergehenden Monaten
sozialversicherungspflichtig beschäftigt waren, operationalisiert.
Für die Analyse der Einflussfaktoren auf stabile berufliche Teilhabe
wurden multiple logistische Regressionsmodelle mit schrittweisem Einschluss,
getrennt für die Quoten nach 12 und 24 Monaten, kalkuliert.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt flossen 42.230 Datensätze in die Analyse ein
(ZE: n=18.368, 44%; MS: n=6.343, 15%).
Neurologische Rehabilitand*innen waren durchschnittlich 50 Jahre alt;
43% waren weiblich. Etwa 15% wiesen keine Fehlzeiten,
17% wenigstens sechs monatige Fehlzeiten im Jahr vor der Reha auf. Bei
31 bzw. 44% wurde eine psychische bzw. kardiologische
Komorbidität dokumentiert. Rund 48% der
Rehabilitand*innen mit ZE kehrte bis zwei Jahre nach der Rehabilitation
in Arbeit zurück; bei MS-Rehabilitand*innen waren es
54%. Die stärksten Einflussfaktoren auf stabile berufliche
Teilhabe waren die Fehlzeiten und das Entgelt vor Rehabilitation sowie die
Arbeitsfähigkeit bei Aufnahme.

Schlussfolgerung Etwa die Hälfte aller Personen mit neurologischen
Erkrankungen kehrt nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation in Deutschland wieder
stabil zurück in Arbeit. Insbesondere die Arbeitsunfähigkeit
sowie der Verdienst vor der Rehabilitation determinieren dies. Die Analyse
stellt erstmals repräsentative Daten zur beruflichen Wiedereingliederung
nach medizinischer Rehabilitation aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung
vor.
A Prospective Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of the Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, Oxaliplatin, and Docetaxel Chemotherapy Regimen in Patients with Locally Advanced and Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of Stomach
Authors: Srinivasalu Vijay Kumar , Philip Arun , Pillai Ranjini , Jose Wesley M. , Keechilat Pavithran
Published: March 2022

Introduction In India, patients with gastric cancer present at an advanced stage, and there is no standard chemotherapy regimen. Al-Batran's fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) chemotherapy gave us a glimmer of hope.

Objectives Hence, we intended to evaluate the efficacy of FLOT chemotherapy in locally advanced and metastatic adenocarcinoma of stomach.

Materials and Methods In this single-center, prospective cohort, patients with locally advanced and metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who required chemotherapy between March 2016 and November 2017 were included in the study. All patients received standard FLOT chemotherapy. The primary objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of FLOT chemotherapy in the Indian population. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated through the plotted Kaplan–Meier curves.

Results In our study, 28 patients received FLOT chemotherapy. Their mean age was 55 years (range, 28–70 years) with a male preponderance (89.3%). Twenty-five patients had metastatic disease (89.3%), and three had locally advanced disease (10.7%). The median number of cycles was 4.5 (range, 1–8), and 75% received at least four cycles (n = 21). The hematological toxicities exhibited were neutropenia (50%) and febrile neutropenia (35.7%). Sixteen (57.1%) patients needed dose modifications due to treatment-related adverse effects (AEs). AEs led to treatment discontinuation in seven (25%) patients after the first cycle. The overall response rate in the intent-to-treat population was 52.7%, with the best-obtained response being a partial response, median PFS of 5 months, and median OS of 13 months.

Conclusion FLOT chemotherapy regimens induced excellent responses but with significantly increased toxicity, needing dose modifications, and hence, should be considered only in a young and fit patient.
Crude Extracts of Bacopa Monnieri Induces Dendrite Formation in Rodent Neural Stem Cell Cultures—A Possible Use in Neuronal Injury
Authors: Sarda Rohit Kumar , Sinha Rohan , Sherpa Mingma , Gupta Amlan
Published: March 2022

Background Repair of nervous tissue injury impairs positive functional outcome. Major challenges involved are formation of new neuronal cells at the site of injury, growth and development of existing or stem cell-derived neuronal cells, and proper anatomical alignment of the cells required for the functional organization of the nervous system. Stem cells and various agents have been tried to overcome the above challenges yielding only limited positive results. Bacopa has been in frequent usage for cognitive impairment in Ayurvedic medicine. The assumption that Bacopa monnieri (BM) extracts may lead to certain specific changes at the cellular structural level benefitting the central nervous system repair, prompted us for the present study.

Objective This is an in vitro study evaluating the effect of BM extracts (bacopasides and analogues) on the neuronal stem cells (NSC) culture in various concentrations. The study investigates the possibility of BM as an agent for the regeneration and differentiation of nervous tissue injury. This may have clinical and therapeutic implications.

Materials and Methods NSC were harvested from the newborn albino rats, Rattus norvegicus, and the BM extracts were obtained from product “brahmi” manufactured by Himalaya Drug Company. Aqueous suspension of 2 μL of alcoholic extract of BM was locally added to the culture plates of NSC in concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 µg/mL after development of NSC in the media. The control NSC (without BM) and BM-rich NSC were simultaneously observed at regular unit intervals after inoculation. The morphological change in the NSC were observed and recorded.

Result NSC could be successfully cultured from the newborn rat's brain harvested at 3 and 6 hours of birth. NSCs derived at 3 hours of birth were more primitive (predominantly neurospheres) than derived those at 6 hours of birth. BM had significant positive effect on the neurospheres, that is, dendritic formation was seen in the NSC predominating when 2 μL of suspensions containing 5 and 10 µg/mL concentration of the extracts were used but showed relatively lesser effect at concentration of 20 µg/mL. The positive effect was biologically significant.

Conclusion NSC can be cultured from brain of the newborn rodent. BM and its extracts act positively on NSC in terms of dendritic formation when used in proper appropriate concentration. The study opens up a new area of research and explores newer avenues in nervous tissue injury repair. It may have future clinical implication in the treatment of injury of central and peripheral nervous tissue. However, the hypothesis needs to be validated by adequate number of experimental runs as well as in vivo studies to know the reproducibility of the findings in other centers.
Outcomes after Thymectomy in Patients with Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Rabiou Sani , Toudou-Daouda Moussa , Lakranbi Marwane , Issoufou Ibrahim , Ouadnouni Yassine , Smahi Mohamed
Published: March 2022

Objectives This article describes the clinical outcomes after thymectomy in patients with thymomatous myasthenia gravis (T-MG) managed in the department of thoracic surgery of Hassan II University Hospital of Fez, Fez, Morocco.

Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records of 16 patients with T-MG between January 2009 and January 2017.

Results There were 11 women and 5 men with a median age of 40 years at the thymectomy time and a median time of onset of symptoms to thymectomy of 12 months. At the preoperative evaluation (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America [MGFA] clinical classification), 7 patients were class II, 7 class III, and 2 class IV. Nine patients were in Masaoka stage I, and the remaining 7 patients stage II. We recorded one case of postoperative myasthenic crisis. At 3 years of follow-up after thymectomy, 6 patients had complete stable remission and the other 10 patients improved. Of these patients with clinical improvement, 6 patients were in MGFA class I and the remaining 4 patients class II.

Conclusion The present study shows the beneficial effect of thymectomy in patients with T-MG. Postoperative clinical outcomes seem to be better when the preoperative severity of myasthenic symptoms is mild (MGFA class II).
Late-Onset Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome with Chromosome 15q Duplication in Sisters
Authors: Honorato Marcos Manoel , Santos Adriane Cristina Vieira dos , da Silva Felipe Luan Lima , Cremaschi Renata Carvalho , Coelho Fernando Morgadinho
Published: March 2022

Our study reports two nontwin sisters with late-onset Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and chromosome 15q duplication, showing the evolution, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of these patients, with the aim of increasing knowledge about this extremely rare association. They had a variety of generalized seizures types, intellectual disability, electroencephalogram with generalized epileptiform discharges less than 3 Hz, dysmorphisms, and genetic studies with the presence of duplicated chromosome 15. Cases reported here may be related to chromosomal changes inherited from their asymptomatic mother.
Is Non-Restorative Cavity Treatment a Practical Choice in Primary Teeth?
Authors: Shetty Amarshree A. , Acharya Aditi , R. Manju
Published: March 2022

For years, “extension for prevention” was considered as the standard protocol for the restoration of caries. With advances in the field of cariology regarding the biofilm and improvement in materials, this perspective is being challenged. This is being challenged by more biological and less-invasive approaches, where the emphasis is on biofilm alteration to arrest carious lesions. This minimally invasive intervention is based on the concept that biofilm overlying the carious lesion is a driving force for the carious process and not the bacteria present in the infected dentin. Hence, daily removal or disruption of this biofilm will slow down the carious process or bring it to halt.

One such approach is non-restorative cavity treatment, where no caries is removed but lesions are made self-cleansable that allows it to be brushed by the parent or the child. This wholesome approach targets the disease at a causal level.

This review of literature describes the various advantages and limitations of this technique and the practicability of its use in pediatric patients during the pandemic COVID-19.
A Novel Tool to Predict Postoperative Opioid Need after Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Children: A Step toward Evidence-Based Pain Management
Authors: Unglert Ann-Katrin , Lehnick Dirk , Szavay Philipp O. , Zundel Sabine
Published: March 2022

Background Optimizing postoperative pain treatment is essential to minimize morbidity, lower costs, and ensure patient and parent satisfaction. This study aims at identifying pre- and intraoperative parameters predicting opioid needs after laparoscopic appendectomy to enable timely and adequate postoperative pain control.

Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of patients treated with laparoscopic appendectomy for appendicitis between January 2018 and March 2019 was performed. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify predictors of opioid demand.

Results Based on our analysis, we developed a prediction tool for opioid requirements after laparoscopic appendectomies in children. The integrated parameters are: presence of turbid fluid, age, white-blood-cell count, symptom duration, and body temperature.

Conclusion We developed an algorithm-based predictor tool that has the potential to better anticipate postoperative pain and, thereby, optimize pain management following laparoscopic appendectomies in children. The proposed predictor tool will need validation through further prospective studies.
Structural Brain Lesions in Epilepsy Patients: An Experience from Northeast India
Authors: Synmon Baiakmenlang , Phukan Pranjal , Singh Binoy K. , Hussain Musharraf , Sharma Shri Ram , Hynniewta Yasmeen
Published: March 2022

Objectives The aim of this article was to study the various structural causes and role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in epilepsy patients.

Materials and Methods A 4-year retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Northeast India. The MRI brain findings of epilepsy patient were collected and analyzed for the years 2017 to 2020.

Result A total of 630 patients of epilepsy underwent MRI brain with normal findings noted in 280 patients (44.4%). The other groups of 350 epilepsy patients (55.5%) had abnormal MRI brain findings and were included in the study with a minimum age of 2-month old and a maximum of 80 years. The most common abnormal MRI finding belongs to the infectious group (33.7%), with neurocysticercosis being the most common infectious etiology (p-value < 0.001). Gliosis was seen in 57 patients (16.3%), mostly in the middle-aged group. Vascular etiology was seen in 44 patients (12.6%), mostly in the middle-aged group. Features of hypoxic brain injury was seen in 26 patients (7.4%), mostly among patients of <18 years age. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy was seen in 45 patients (12.9%), mostly seen in the adolescent. Neuronal migration defect was seen in 23 patients (6.5%), mostly among adolescent and young adults. Other abnormal MRI findings were tumor in 8 patients (2.3%), diffuse gyral swelling in 11 patients (3.1%), Rasmussen encephalitis in 4 patients (1.1%), neurocutaneous syndrome in 4 patients (1.1%), radiation necrosis and cyst in 1 patient each, Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome in 3 patients, moyamoya disease in 1 patient, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in 2 patients, and vasculitis in 4 patients.

Conclusion MRI brain is the key investigation to identify the epileptic focus in epilepsy patients helping in their further treatment and prognosis.
Bacteria change their swimming patterns based on their environment
Authors: Thompson Avery
Published: March 2022

Adding rigid walls and shear forces alters swimming behavior in numerical bacteria models.
Graded magnetic anisotropy in Co-rich microwires
Authors: Corte-León P. , Zhukova V. , Blanco J. M. , Irigaray A. , Gonzalez A. , Ipatov M. , Zhukov A.
Published: March 2022

A gradual change in the hysteresis loop of Co-rich glass-coated microwire sample stress-annealed at variable temperature is observed. Such microwire annealed with a temperature gradient presents also variable squareness ratio along the microwire length, L. Obtained graded anisotropy has been attributed to a gradual modification of the domain structure along the microwire. Accordingly, we propose a rather simple route to design graded magnetic anisotropy in a magnetic microwire.
Temporal scaling in
C. elegans
larval development
Authors: Filina Olga , Demirbas Burak , Haagmans Rik , van Zon Jeroen S.
Published: March 2022

Significance

An enduring mystery of development is how its timing is controlled, particularly for development after birth, where timing is highly flexible and depends on environmental conditions, such as food availability and diet. We followed timing of cell- and organism-level events in individual
Caenorhabditis elegans
larvae developing from hatching to adulthood, uncovering widespread variations in event timing, both between isogenic individuals in the same environment and when changing conditions and genotypes. However, in almost all cases, we found that events occurred at the same time, when time was rescaled by the duration of development measured in each individual. This observation of “temporal scaling” poses strong constraints on models to explain timing of larval development.