bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FGFR3 Nuclear Translocation Contributes to Proliferative Potential and Poor Prognosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhou Li , Lu Jun , Liang Zhi-Yong , Zhou Wei-Xun , Jiang Bo-Lun , Wang Yi-Zhi , Liu Cheng-Xi , Huang Bo-Wen , You Lei , Guo Jun-Chao
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) was revealed to have divergent, even opposite roles in different neoplasms. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), its impact on biological behavior and prognosis was not well elucidated.

Methods

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 was downregulated by RNA interference to explore its impact on cell proliferative proclivity in PDAC cells. Furthermore, tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry for FGFR3 was performed in 326 patients with PDAC who underwent radical resection, and its clinicopathologic and prognostic implications were then evaluated.

Results

First, successful FGFR3 knockdown remarkably decreased its expression, cell proliferation, and S-phase ratio in the cell cycle in 2 PDAC cell lines, BxPC-3 and AsPC-1. Meanwhile, alterations in p-Akt, cyclin D1, cyclin B1, and p21 were also observed. Subsequently, high nuclear FGFR3 expression, but not cytoplasmic, was significantly common in tumor tissues and positively associated with N stage and dismal overall survival in the entire cohort. In addition, nuclear FGFR3 expression was also prognostic in 10 of 14 subsets. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified nuclear expression of FGFR3 as an independent prognosticator in the entire cohort.

Conclusions

Our data showed that FGFR3 nuclear translocation contributes to cell proliferative potential and predicts poor long-term prognosis in PDAC after surgical resection.
Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Evaluation
Authors: Wang Lixia , Zhou Zhengwei , Gaddam Srinivas , Wang Nan , Xie Yibin , Deng Zixin , Fan Zhaoyang , Christodoulou Anthony G. , Han Fei , Lo Simon K. , Wachsman Ashley M. , Hendifar Andrew E. , Jiang Tao , Pandol Stephen J. , Li Debiao
Published: July 2022

Objectives

The aims of the study are to evaluate the feasibility of using pH-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) in pancreatic imaging and to differentiate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with the nontumor pancreas (upstream and downstream) and normal control pancreas.

Methods

Sixteen CEST images with PDAC and 12 CEST images with normal volunteers were acquired and magnetization transfer ratio with asymmetric analysis were measured in areas of PDAC, upstream, downstream, and normal control pancreas. One-way analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to differentiate tumor from nontumor pancreas.

Results

Areas with PDAC showed higher signal intensity than upstream and downstream on CEST images. The mean (standard deviation) values of magnetization transfer ratio with asymmetric analysis were 0.015 (0.034), −0.044 (0.030), −0.019 (0.027), and −0.037 (0.031), respectively, in PDAC area, upstream, downstream, and nontumor area in patient group and −0.008 (0.024) in normal pancreas. Significant differences were found between PDAC and upstream (P < 0.001), between upstream and normal pancreas (P = 0.04). Area under curve is 0.857 in differentiating PDAC with nontumor pancreas.

Conclusions

pH-sensitive CEST MRI is feasible in pancreatic imaging and can be used to differentiate PDAC from nontumor pancreas. This provides a novel metabolic imaging method in PDAC.
Birth Center Breastfeeding Rates
Authors: George Erin K.
Published: July 2022

Introduction:

Breastfeeding rates in the United States fall short of national targets and are marked by racial and ethnic disparities. Birth centers are associated with high rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration, yet no systematic review has compiled reported birth center breastfeeding data.

Methods:

A PRISMA-guided literature review was conducted in CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science to retrieve quantitative studies that reported breastfeeding data in birth centers. Inclusion criteria focused on English language studies published since 2011 with breastfeeding outcomes from birth centers in the United States.

Results:

Ten studies were included for analysis. Breastfeeding rates that exceeded actual and target national breastfeeding rates were reported among all 10 studies. Characteristics about breastfeeding outcomes were reported heterogeneously across the studies, which included a range of breastfeeding timepoints (immediately postpartum up to 6 weeks postpartum) and definitions of breastfeeding.

Discussion:

Although breastfeeding rates reported in birth centers are higher than national breastfeeding rates and targets, authors of the included studies did not explore or analyze these rates in-depth. Developing standard definitions and data collection may enhance research about breastfeeding outcomes in birth centers.

Clinical Implications:

Giving birth in a birth center is associated with higher than national breastfeeding rates.
Leading Nursing Excellence Through a System Magnet® Program Director Council
Authors: O'Donnell Lauren , Ambrose Heather , Barreca Rebecca , Brooks Kimberly , Hayden Margaret , Henry Connie , Nelson Kimberly , Stark Stacy , Watters Shelley , Wolff Lauren
Published: July 2022

American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet® designation is prestigious to healthcare institutions. Setting the expectation for all hospitals within a system to be Magnet designated is a lofty but achievable goal. Nursing leaders at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center set organization-wide designation as a goal in 2010. A robust system-wide Magnet Program Directors Council facilitated this effort by standardizing practices and supporting members through the journey.
Nursing Work Environment Staffing Councils
Authors: Skarbek Anita , Mastro Kari A. , Kowalski Mildred Ortu , Caruso Judith , Cole Donna A. , de Cordova Pamela B. , Johansen Mary L. , Vitale Tracy R. , Weaver Susan Heidenwolf
Published: July 2022

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the self-reported perceptions of the healthy work environment (HWE) of nurses who are members of Nursing Workplace Environment and Staffing Councils (NWESCs).

BACKGROUND

In a statewide initiative, NWESCs were established at hospitals throughout the state of New Jersey as an alternative to nurse staffing ratio laws and to provide clinical nurses a voice in determining resources needed for patient care and support an HWE.

METHODS

This quantitative descriptive study presents the results of the Healthy Workplace Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT) and open-ended questions about NWESCs among a sample of 352 nurses.

RESULTS

Three years after NWESC implementation, all HWEAT standard mean scores increased and were rated higher than the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses benchmark. There were statistically significant differences in clinical nurses' perceptions of an HWE compared with nurse leaders. Respondents also shared their NWESC's best practices and challenges. Responses to questions identified NWESC best practices and challenges.

CONCLUSION

This study offers insight into the improvement in nurses' perceptions of the HWE after the introduction of a statewide NWESCs. Structures such as the NWESCs may provide an alternative to mandated staffing ratios.
Should Cell Salvage Be Used in Liver Resection and Transplantation? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Rajendran Luckshi , Lenet Tori , Shorr Risa , Abou Khalil Jad , Bertens Kimberly A. , Balaa Fady K. , Martel Guillaume
Published: July 2022

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of intraoperative blood cell salvage and autotransfusion (IBSA) use on red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and postoperative outcomes in liver surgery.

Background:

Intraoperative RBC transfusions are common in liver surgery and associated with increased morbidity. IBSA can be utilized to minimize allogeneic transfusion. A theoretical risk of cancer dissemination has limited IBSA adoption in oncologic surgery.

Methods:

Electronic databases were searched from inception until May 2021. All studies comparing IBSA use with control in liver surgery were included. Screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were conducted independently, in duplicate. The primary outcome was intraoperative allogeneic RBC transfusion (proportion of patients and volume of blood transfused). Core secondary outcomes included: overall survival and disease-free survival, transfusion-related complications, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization costs. Data from transplant and resection studies were analyzed separately. Random effects models were used for meta-analysis.

Results:

Twenty-one observational studies were included (16 transplant, 5 resection, n=3433 patients). Seventeen studies incorporated oncologic indications. In transplant, IBSA was associated with decreased allogeneic RBC transfusion [mean difference –1.81, 95% confidence interval (−3.22, −0.40), P=0.01, I2=86%, very-low certainty]. Few resection studies reported on transfusion for meta-analysis. No significant difference existed in overall survival or disease-free survival in liver transplant [hazard ratio (HR)=1.12 (0.75, 1.68), P=0.59, I2=0%; HR=0.93 (0.57, 1.48), P=0.75, I2=0%] and liver resection [HR=0.69 (0.45, 1.05), P=0.08, I2=0%; HR=0.93 (0.59, 1.45), P=0.74, I2=0%].

Conclusion:

IBSA may reduce intraoperative allogeneic RBC transfusion without compromising oncologic outcomes. The current evidence base is limited in size and quality, and high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed.
Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on delivery of and models for supportive and palliative care for oncology patients
Authors: Kazazian Karineh , Ng Deanna , Swallow Carol J.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Supportive and palliative care services have been an important component of the overall COVID-19 pandemic response. However, significant changes in the provision and models of care were needed in order to optimize the care delivered to vulnerable cancer patients. This review discusses the evolution of palliative and supportive care service in response to the pandemic, and highlights remaining challenges.

Recent findings

Direct competition for resources, as well as widespread implementation of safety measures resulted in major shifts in the mode of assessment and communication with cancer patients by supportive care teams. Telemedicine/virtual consultation and follow-up visits became an integral strategy, with high uptake and satisfaction amongst patients, families and providers. However, inequities in access to the required technologies were sometimes exposed. Hospice/palliative care unit (PCU) bed occupancy declined markedly because of restrictive visitation policies. Collection of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data was suspended in many cancer centers, with resulting under-recognition of anxiety and depression in ambulatory patients. As in many other areas, disparities in delivery of supportive and palliative care were magnified by the pandemic.

Virtual care platforms have been widely adopted and will continue to be used to include a wider circle of family/friends and care providers in the provision of palliative and supportive care. To facilitate equitable delivery of supportive care within a pandemic, further research and resources are needed to train and support generalists and palliative care providers. Strategies to successfully collect PROs from all patients in a virtual manner must be developed and implemented.
The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on medical assistance in dying
Authors: Nissim Rinat S. , Hales Sarah
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures to contain its impact are drastically altering end-of-life and grief experiences around the world, including the practice and experience of medical assistance in dying (MAiD).

Recent findings

Recent published literature on the impact of COVID-19 on MAiD can be described under the following categories: studies investigating the impact of COVID-19 on MAiD from the healthcare providers’ perspective; studies investigating the impact of COVID-19 on MAiD from the patient/family perspective; and opinion papers that review the impact of COVID-19 on MAiD from a legal–ethical perspective. Most of these studies were either conducted in Canada or included mostly Canadian participants.

Recent published research on the impact of COVID-19 on MAiD highlights the tensions between COVID-19 restrictions and individual control over the circumstances of dying, and the resulting impact on patient and family suffering and on moral injury for their MAiD providers. These reports may help inform risk mitigation strategies for the current pandemic and future similar public health crises that acknowledge the value of humane, family-centered care at the end of life.
Clinical Outcomes and Risk Factors for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales Bloodstream Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
Authors: Anesi Judith A. , Lautenbach Ebbing , Thom Kerri A. , Tamma Pranita D. , Blumberg Emily A. , Alby Kevin , Bilker Warren B. , Werzen Alissa , Ammazzalorso Alyssa , Tolomeo Pam , Omorogbe Jacqueline , Pineles Lisa , Han Jennifer H.
Published: July 2022

Background.

The clinical outcomes associated with, and risk factors for, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bloodstream infections (BSIs) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients remain ill-defined.

Methods.

A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed, including SOT recipients with an Enterobacterales BSI between 2005 and 2018. Exposed subjects were those with a CRE BSI. Unexposed subjects were those with a non-CRE BSI. A multivariable survival analysis was performed to determine the association between CRE BSI and risk of all-cause mortality within 60 d. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent risk factors for CRE BSI.

Results.

Of 897 cases of Enterobacterales BSI in SOT recipients, 70 (8%) were due to CRE. On multivariable analysis, CRE BSI was associated with a significantly increased hazard of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68-4.84; P < 0.001). Independent risk factors for CRE BSI included prior CRE colonization or infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 9.86; 95% CI, 4.88-19.93; P < 0.001)‚ liver transplantation (aOR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.23-5.65; P = 0.012)‚ lung transplantation (aOR, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.40-10.09; P = 0.009)‚ and exposure to a third-generation cephalosporin (aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.17-4.17; P = 0.015) or carbapenem (aOR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.54-5.10; P = 0.001) in the prior 6 months.

Conclusions.

CRE BSI is associated with significantly worse outcomes than more antibiotic-susceptible Enterobacterales BSI in SOT recipients.
Enhancing type 2 diabetes treatment through digital plans of care. First results from the East Cheshire Study of an App to support people in the management of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Heald Adrian H. , Gimeno Lucia Albeda , Gilingham Erin , Hudson Lynne , Price Lisa , Saboo Anuj , Beresford Laura , Seviour Sally , White Alison , Roberts Sarah , Abraham Jonathan
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The use of personalised care planning has been effective at improving health outcomes for people with long-term health conditions.

Methods

We analysed data in relation to changes in BMI/HbA1c. The sample was made up of (n = 36) participants randomised to either the active intervention group (App+usual care) or the control group (usual care).

Results:

The average HbA1c percentage change for the treatment group was 9.5%, but just −2% for the control (usual care) group (P = 0.015 for the difference). The average percentage change in BMI for the treatment group was −0.4%, but 0.1% for the control group (P = 0.03 for the difference).

Conclusion

These preliminary findings point to how the provision of personalised plans of care, support and education linked to a mobile app, can result in HbA1c and BMI reduction over a 6-month period. While the results are preliminary, they portend the potential for digital plans of care to enhance T2DM management.
Epidemiology of eating disorders among US adults
Authors: Udo Tomoko , Grilo Carlos M.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Public policy efforts for prevention of and intervention upon eating disorders is severely limited in the United States due to the paucity of population-based data. This review article summarizes findings regarding eating disorders based on the National Epidemiological Studies on Alcohol and Related Conditions, Third Wave. The studies reviewed provide the most recent epidemiological indicators of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder (BED) in the United States and demonstrate the utility of population-based data for validating the generalizability of findings from clinical samples.

Recent findings

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and BED are widely distributed across sociodemographic characteristics, with substantially elevated risks for a variety of serious psychiatric, medical, and functional impairments, including heighted suicidality over the lifespan. Sexual minorities and individuals with adverse childhood experiences may be particularly vulnerable. Yet, many adults with eating disorders do not seek help, particularly professional help. National Epidemiological Studies on Alcohol and Related Conditions, Third Wave studies also validated some important clinical observations (e.g., overvaluation of shape/weight and physical inactivity in BED, more severe anorexia nervosa with onset prior to 14 years old).

More rigorous population-based studies are needed to further advocate for appropriate resources and policies for eating disorders in the United States.
New Holocene grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) material from North Carolina: the most complete North Atlantic grey whale skeleton to date
Authors: Fleming Alyson , Pobiner Briana , Maynor Savannah , Webster David , Pyenson Nicholas D.
Published: July 2022

Skeletal remains and historical accounts indicate that grey whales (Eschrichtius robustus) existed in the North Atlantic Ocean from the Pleistocene into the seventeenth century. Fossil and sub-fossil occurrences in this basin are rare, distributed from the east coast of the United States to Iceland and Europe. Here, we report an incomplete skeleton of a Holocene grey whale from Pender County, North Carolina, USA. This specimen represents a physically immature individual and is the most complete North Atlantic grey whale specimen reported to date. It comprises 42 cranial and postcranial elements, including the cranium, parts of the rostrum, both mandibles, both scapulae, humeri, radii and ulnae, most of the vertebral column anterior to the lumbar region and numerous ribs. Its provenance near the inlet of a large estuary is consistent with previous findings from the southeastern USA and parallels the species' habitat use in Baja California breeding and calving grounds in the North Pacific Ocean. Radiocarbon dating indicates an age of 827 ± 172 years before present. Cut marks on multiple skeletal elements indicate that the animal was butchered, suggesting some level of human exploitation of the species in the southeastern USA in the twelfth century, approximately 500 years prior to its extirpation in the North Atlantic.
A thalamic circuit represents dose-like responses induced by nicotine-related beliefs in human smokers
Authors: Perl Ofer , Shuster Anastasia , Heflin Matthew , Na Soojung , Kidwai Ambereen , Booker Natalie , Putnam William C. , Fiore Vincenzo G. , Gu Xiaosi
Published: July 2022

Could non-pharmacological constructs, such as beliefs, impact brain activities in a dose-dependent manner as drugs do? While beliefs shape many aspects of our behavior and wellbeing, the precise mapping between subjective beliefs and neural substrates remains elusive. Here, nicotine-addicted humans were instructed to think that an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) contained either “low”, “medium”, or “high” levels of nicotine, while nicotine content was kept constant. After vaping the e-cigarette, participants performed a decision-making task known to engage neural circuits affected by nicotine while being scanned by fMRI. Activity in the thalamus, a key binding site for nicotine, increased parametrically according to belief dosage. Furthermore, the functional coupling between thalamus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region implicated in value and state representations, also scaled to belief dosage. These findings illustrate a dose-dependent relationship between a thalamic circuit and nicotine-related beliefs in humans, a mechanism previously known to only apply to pharmacological agents.
90K/LGALS3BP Expression is Upregulated in COVID-19 but Does Not Restrict SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: de Jarcy Laure Bosquillon , Akbil Bengisu , Leyens Johanna , Postmus Dylan , Harnisch Greta , Jansen Jenny , Schmidt Marie L. , Aigner Annette , Pott Fabian , Chua Robert Lorenz , Krist Lilian , Gentile Roberta , Mühlemann Barbara , Jones Terry C. , Niemeyer Daniela , Fricke Julia , Keil Thomas , Pischon Tobias , Janke Jürgen , Conrad Christian , Iacobelli Stefano , Drosten Christian , Corman Victor M. , Ralser Markus , Eils Roland , Kurth Florian , Sander Leif , Goffinet Christine
Published: July 2022

Glycoprotein 90K, encoded by the interferon-stimulated gene LGALS3BP, displays broad antiviral activity. It reduces HIV-1 infectivity by interfering with Env maturation and virion incorporation, and increases survival of Influenza A virus-infected mice via antiviral innate immune signaling. Here, we analyzed the expression of 90K/LGALS3BP in 44 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. 90K protein serum levels were significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to uninfected sex- and age-matched controls. Furthermore, PBMC-associated concentrations of 90K protein were overall reduced by SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo, suggesting enhanced secretion into the extracellular space. Mining of published PBMC scRNA-seq datasets uncovered monocyte-specific induction of LGALS3BP mRNA expression in COVID-19 patients. In functional assays, neither 90K overexpression in susceptible cell lines nor exogenous addition of purified 90K consistently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data suggests that 90K/LGALS3BP contributes to the global type I IFN response during SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo without displaying detectable antiviral properties.
Determinants of healthcare employees’ preference to continue teleworking after the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study using hierarchical regression
Authors: Jones Andrea Marie , Fan Jonathan , Thomas-Olson Leah , Zhang Wei , McLeod Christopher B
Published: July 2022

Employees’ post-pandemic telework preference is an important consideration for navigating post-pandemic work arrangements and can inform organizational planning and workforce management. A cross-sectional survey of employees (n=400, participation rate =36.4%) of a regional health authority who teleworked during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. The most common post-pandemic telework preference was all the time (52%) followed by over half but not all the time (32%) and less than half the time or not at all (16%). Using hierarchical multinomial logistic regression models and less than half the time or not at all as the reference outcome, being a provider of direct patient care and productivity while teleworking were strong determinants of post-pandemic telework preference while two or more weekly teleconference hours, work-life balance and having one or more people over five years of age in the home while teleworking were moderate determinants.
Effects of home environmental, behavioural and domestic activities on the risk of home injuries in French adults: Results from a prospective study
Authors: Rojas Castro Madelyn Yiseth , Avalos Marta , Contrand Benjamin , Dupuy Marion , Sztal-Kutas Catherine , Orriols Ludivine , Lagarde Emmanuel
Published: July 2022

Prospective home injuries (HIs) and detailed exposure information are generally scarce to study risk factors. We assessed the associations between physical household environment, behaviours and Do-It-Yourself (DIY), gardening and domestic activities and HI’s risk in a prospective cohort study. The MAVIE observatory is an e-cohort conducted among volunteers of the French general population. Poisson mixed models were fitted and Risk Ratios estimated to assess the determinant of the number of HIs prospectively recorded during the follow-up. A total of 6146 dwelling adults aged 15 or more were followed up for 4.0 years on average and 12% reported at least one HI during follow-up. Adjusting on socio-demographics variables and self-perception of physical and mental health, no characteristic of the physical environment measured at baseline were associated with HI risk. Storing household products out of their original packaging, DIY activities and using a stool to reach high places were significantly associated with HI with attributable fractions of 12.1%, 6.4% and 6.9% respectively.
Understanding the nature of substance use in Zimbabwe: State of the art and ways forward: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Blessing N. Marandure , Mhizha Samson , Wilson Amanda , Nhunzvi Clement
Published: July 2022

Reports of substance use in Zimbabwe paint a concerning picture of escalating prevalence of use, with over half of people admitted to inpatient mental health units reportedly experiencing a substance induced disorder. The country has gone through decades of significant political and socio-economical challenges, which are undoubtedly linked to the observed increases in substances use. Nevertheless, despite the resource constraints to adequately address substance use, the government has shown a renewed resolve to provide a comprehensive approach to address substance use in the country. However, there is a lack of clarity of the nature and extent of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs), which in part is due to a lack of a national monitoring system for substance use in the country. Moreover, reports of a substance use crisis in Zimbabwe are predominantly based on anecdotal evidence, limiting the ability to gain an accurate picture of the situation. Therefore, a scoping review of the primary empirical evidence of substance use and SUDs is proposed in order to develop an adequately informed understanding of the nature of substance use and SUDs in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the review will embed an assessment of the response to substance use, together with an analysis of the policy landscape on substance use in Zimbabwe. The PRISMA-ScR checklist will be utilised for the write up. The results of the scoping review will be essential for identifying the current state of knowledge around substance use, and identify gaps in knowledge and policy that would be a catalyst for further work to enhance knowledge and develop solutions situated within the local context. Thus the present work presents a timely effort that capitalises on current efforts by the government to address substance use in the country.
Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Classification via Pre-Trained Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Filatov Dmytro , Ahmad Hassan Yar Ghulam Nabi
Published: July 2022

The brain tumor is the most aggressive kind of tumor and can cause low life expectancy if diagnosed at the later stages. Manual identification of brain tumors is tedious and prone to errors. Misdiagnosis can lead to false treatment and thus reduce the chances of survival for the patient. Medical resonance imaging (MRI) is the conventional method used to diagnose brain tumors and their types. This paper attempts to eliminate the manual process from the diagnosis process and use machine learning instead. We proposed the use of pretrained convolutional neural networks (CNN) for the diagnosis and classification of brain tumors. Three types of tumors were classified with one class of non-tumor MRI images. Networks that has been used are ResNet50, EfficientNetB1, EfficientNetB7, EfficientNetV2B1. EfficientNet has shown promising results due to its scalable nature. EfficientNetB1 showed the best results with training and validation accuracy of 87.67% and 89.55% respectively.
Chronic Jetlag Accelerates Pancreatic Neoplasia in ConditionalKras-Mutant Mice
Authors: Schwartz Patrick B , Walcheck Morgan T , Nukaya Manabu , Pavelec Derek M , Matkowskyj Kristina A , Ronnekleiv-Kelly Sean M
Published: July 2022

Misalignment of the circadian clock compared to environmental cues causes circadian desynchrony, which is pervasive in humans. Clock misalignment can lead to various pathologies including obesity and diabetes, both of which are associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma - a devastating cancer with an 80% five-year mortality rate. Although circadian desynchrony is associated with an increased risk of several solid-organ cancers, the correlation between clock misalignment and pancreas cancer is unclear. Using a chronic jetlag model, we investigated the impact of clock misalignment on pancreas cancer initiation in mice harboring a pancreas-specific activatedKrasmutation. We found that chronic jetlag accelerated the development of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions, with a concomitant increase in precursor lesion grade. Cell-autonomous knock-out of the clock in pancreatic epithelial cells ofKras-mutant mice demonstrated no acceleration of precursor lesion formation, indicating non-cell-autonomous clock dysfunction was responsible for the expedited tumor development. Therefore, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing over time and identified fibroblasts as the cell population manifesting the greatest clock-dependent changes, with enrichment of specific cancer-associated fibroblast pathways due to circadian misalignment. Collectively, these results suggest fibroblasts as the putative target of chronic jetlag-induced accelerated pancreas cancer initiation.
Updating memories of unwanted emotions during human sleep
Authors: Xia Tao , Yao Ziqing , Guo Xue , Liu Jing , Chen Danni , Liu Qiang , Paller Ken A. , Hu Xiaoqing
Published: July 2022

Post-learning sleep contributes to memory consolidation. Yet, it remains contentious whether sleep affords opportunities to modify or update emotional memories, such as those people would prefer to forget. Here we attempted to update memories during sleep using spoken positive emotional words paired with cues to recent memories for aversive events. Affect updating using positive words during human non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, compared with using neutral words instead, reduced negative affect judgments in post-sleep tests, suggesting that the recalled events were perceived as less aversive. EEG analyses showed that emotional words modulated theta and spindle/sigma activity. Specifically, to the extent that theta power was larger for the positive word than for the following memory cue, participants judged the memory cues less negatively. Moreover, to the extent that sigma power was larger for the emotional word than for the following memory cue, participants showed higher forgetting of unwanted memories. Notably, when the onset of individual positive word coincided with the upstate of slow oscillations, a state characterized by increased cortical excitability during NREM sleep, affective updating was more successful. In sum, the affect content of memories was altered via strategic spoken words presentations during sleep, in association with theta power increases and slow-oscillation upstates. These findings offer novel possibilities for modifying unwanted memories during sleep, without requiring conscious confrontations with aversive memories that people would prefer to avoid.
Visual stimuli modulate local field potentials but drive no high-frequency activity in human auditory cortex
Authors: Ahveninen Jyrki , Lee Hsin-Ju , Yu Hsiang-Yu , Lee Cheng-Chia , Chou Chien-Chen , Ahlfors Seppo P. , Kuo Wen-Jui , Jääskeläinen Iiro P. , Lin Fa-Hsuan , Statement Significance
Published: July 2022

Neuroimaging studies suggest cross-sensory visual influences in human auditory cortices. Whether these influences reflect active visual processing in human auditory cortices (ACs), which drives neuronal firing and concurrent broadband high-frequency activity (BHFA; >70 Hz), or whether they merely modulate sound processing is still debatable. Here, we presented auditory, visual, and audiovisual stimuli to 16 participants (7 women, 9 men) with stereo-EEG depth electrodes implanted near ACs for presurgical monitoring. Anatomically normalized group analyses were facilitated by inverse modeling of intracranial source currents. Analyses of intracranial event-related potentials (iERP) suggested cross-sensory responses to visual stimuli in ACs, which lagged the earliest auditory responses by several tens of milliseconds. Visual stimuli also modulated the phase of intrinsic low-frequency oscillations and triggered 15–30-Hz event-related desynchronization in ACs. However, BHFA, a putative correlate of neuronal firing, was not significantly increased in ACs after visual stimuli, not even when they coincided with auditory stimuli. Intracranial recordings demonstrate cross-sensory modulations, but no indication of active visual processing in human ACs.

Significance Statement

Visual information has a profound influence on auditory processing, particularly in noisy conditions. These “cross-sensory” influences start already in auditory cortices, the brain area that processes sound signals. It has, however, been unclear whether auditory cortex actively processes visual information or whether visual signals only change the way sounds are processed. We studied this question by neurophysiological recordings from 16 participants with epilepsy who had electrodes implanted in their brains due to medical reasons. Using these intracranial recordings, we show that cross-sensory visual information modulates sound processing but triggers no high-frequency activity -- a correlate of local neuronal firing -- in auditory cortex. This result provides important information on the role of sensory areas in multisensory processing in the human brain.
Conservation networks do not match the ecological requirements of amphibians
Authors: Florence Matutini , Baudry Jacques , Fortin Marie-Josée , Pain Guillaume , Pithon Joséphine
Published: July 2022

Amphibians are among the most threatened taxa as they are highly sensitive to habitat degradation and fragmentation. They are considered as model species to evaluate habitats quality in agricultural landscapes. In France, all amphibian species have a protected status requiring recovery plans for their conservation. Conservation networks combining protected areas and green infrastructure can help the maintenance of their habitats while favouring their movement in fragmented landscapes such as farmlands. Yet, assessing the effectiveness of conservation networks is challenging.

Here, we compared the ecological requirements of amphibian species with existing conservation network coverage in a human-dominated region of western France. First, we mapped suitable habitat distributions for nine species of amphibian with varying ecological requirements and mobility. Second, we used stacking species distribution modelling (SSDM) to produce multi-species habitat suitability maps. Then, to identify spatial continuity in suitable habitats at the regional scale, we defined species and multi-species core habitats to perform a connectivity analysis using Circuitscape theory. Finally, we compared different suitability maps with existing conservation networks to assess conservation coverage and efficiency.

We highlighted a mismatch between the most suitable amphibian habitats at the regional scale and the conservation network, both for common species and for species of high conservation concern. We also found two bottlenecks between areas of suitable habitat which might be crucial for population movements induced by global change, especially for species associated with hedgerow mosaic landscapes. These bottlenecks were not covered by any form of protection and are located in an intensive farmland context.

Synthesis and applications- We advocate the need to better integrate agricultural landscape mosaics into species conservation planning as well as to protect and promote agroecological practices suitable for biodiversity, including mixed and extensive livestock farming. We also emphasize the importance of interacting landscape elements of green infrastructure for amphibian conservation and the need for these to be effectively considered in land-use planning policies.

Abstract Figure

PCI recommendation :https://ecology.peercommunityin.org/articles/rec?id=504
Distributional coding of associative learning within projection-defined populations of midbrain dopamine neurons
Authors: Avvisati Riccardo , Kaufmann Anna-Kristin , Young Callum J. , Portlock Gabriella E. , Cancemi Sophie , Costa Rui Ponte , Magill Peter J. , Dodson Paul D.
Published: July 2022

Midbrain dopamine neurons are thought to play key roles in learning by conveying the difference between expected and actual outcomes. While this teaching signal is often considered to be uniform, recent evidence instead supports diversity in dopamine signaling. However, it remains poorly understood how heterogeneous signals might be organized to facilitate the role of downstream circuits mediating distinct aspects of behavior. Here we investigated the organizational logic of dopaminergic signaling by recording and labeling individual midbrain dopamine neurons during associative behavior. We defined combinations of protein expression and cellular localization to sort recorded neurons according to the striatal regions they innervate. Our findings show that reward information and task variables are not only heterogeneously encoded, with multiplexing, but also differentially distributed across populations of dopamine neurons projecting to different regions of striatum. These data, supported by computational modelling, indicate that such distributional coding can maximize dynamic range and tailor dopamine signals to facilitate the specialized roles of different striatal regions.
MCT1-dependent energetic failure and neuroinflammation underlie optic nerve degeneration in Wolfram syndrome mice
Authors: Rossi Greta , Ordazzo Gabriele , Vanni Niccolò N. , Castoldi Valerio , Iannielli Angelo , Di Silvestre Dario , Bellini Edoardo , Bernardo Letizia , Giannelli Serena G. , Muggeo Sharon , Letizia Leocani , Mauri PierLuigi , Broccoli Vania
Published: July 2022

Wolfram syndrome 1 (WS1) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene leading to a wide spectrum of clinical dysfunctions, among which blindness, diabetes and neurological deficits are the most prominent. WFS1 encodes for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident transmembrane protein Wolframin with multiple functions in ER processes. However, the WFS1-dependent etiopathology in retinal cells is unknown. Herein, we showed that Wfs1 mutant mice developed early retinal electrophysiological impairments followed by marked visual loss. Interestingly, axons and myelin disruption in the optic nerve preceded the degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell bodies in the retina. Transcriptomics at pre-degenerative stage revealed the STAT3-dependent activation of proinflammatory glial markers with reduction of the homeostatic and pro-survival factors Glutamine synthetase and BDNF. Furthermore, label-free comparative proteomics identified a significant reduction of the monocarboxylate transport isoform 1 (MCT1) and its partner Basigin that are highly enriched on retinal astrocytes and myelin-forming oligodendrocytes in optic nerve together with Wolframin. Loss of MCT1 caused a failure in lactate transfer from glial to neuronal cell bodies and axons leading to a chronic hypometabolic state. Thus, this bioenergetic impairment is occurring concurrently both in the axonal regions and cell bodies of the retinal ganglion cells, selectively endangering their survival while impacting less on other retinal cells. This metabolic dysfunction occurs months before the frank RGC degeneration suggesting an extended time window for intervening with new therapeutic strategies focused on boosting retinal and optic nerve bioenergetics in WS1.
An integrase clade that repeatedly targets prophage late genes, yielding helper-embedded satellites
Authors: Tommasini Dario , Mageeney Catherine M. , Williams Kelly P.
Published: July 2022

Satellites are mobile genetic elements that rely on helper phages for their mobilization. The many known satellite-helper interactions are trans-regulatory, with gene products from one partner modulating the nucleic acid or protein activities of the other. We discovered a satellite type with a more intimate cis-regulatory configuration: integrated within, and co-oriented with, a late gene of its lambdoid helper prophage. This helper-embedded satellite (HES) configuration would delay expression of the interrupted helper late gene until the satellite excises; it also offers potential passive components to both HES replication and late transcription, driven by the helper. Induction of a helper-satellite composite was monitored; precise excision of the entire composite was observed, followed by its replication, and the excision of the satellite from it. We mapped 491 HESs to one of 14 sites in cognates of phage lambda late genes A, B, C, E, V, T, H, L and J. The associated integrases form a single phylogenetic clade with subclades respecting the 14 site groups, while the attP attachment site regions contained a new doubled DNA sequence motif. This clade thus exhibits a repeated tropism for prophage late genes as it develops new integration sites. HESs bear close genomic similarities to gram-negative phage-induced chromosomal islands (PICIs, of which we found many more integrated into fis and hpt genes). We describe four ordered zones in a general HES/PICI genome organization: an integration zone encoding integrase and AlpA, a Bro zone encoding members of the Bro-N network of domain-swapping DNA-interactive proteins and immunity repressor RNAs, a replication zone, and a late zone in which clusters as large as 18 consecutive helper late genes have been captured. Like the late zone, the Bro zone is dynamic, perhaps due to activity of the Bro proteins themselves.
Versatile Multiple Object Tracking in Sparse 2D/3D Videos Via Diffeomorphic Image Registration
Authors: Yu James , Nejatbakhsh Amin , Torkashvand Mahdi , Gangadharan Sahana , Seyedolmohadesin Maedeh , Kim Jinmahn , Paninski Liam , Venkatachalam Vivek
Published: July 2022

Tracking body parts in behaving animals, extracting fluorescence signals from cells embedded in deforming tissue, and analyzing cell migration patterns during development all require tracking objects with partially correlated motion. As dataset sizes increase, manual tracking of objects becomes prohibitively inefficient and slow, necessitating automated and semi-automated computational tools. Unfortunately, existing methods for multiple object tracking (MOT) are either developed for specific datasets and hence do not generalize well to other datasets, or require large amounts of training data that are not readily available. This is further exacerbated when tracking fluorescent sources in moving and deforming tissues, where the lack of unique features and sparsely populated images create a challenging environment, especially for modern deep learning techniques. By leveraging technology recently developed for spatial transformer networks, we propose ZephIR, an image registration framework for semi-supervised MOT in 2D and 3D videos. ZephIR can generalize to a wide range of biological systems by incorporating adjustable parameters that encode spatial (sparsity, texture, rigidity) and temporal priors of a given data class. We demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of our approach in a variety of applications, including tracking the body parts of a behaving mouse and neurons in the brain of a freely moving C. elegans. We provide an open-source package along with a web-based graphical user interface that allows users to provide small numbers of annotations to interactively improve tracking results.
One-to-one mapping between deep network units and real neurons uncovers a visual population code for social behavior
Authors: Cowley Benjamin R. , Calhoun Adam J. , Rangarajan Nivedita , Turner Maxwell H. , Pillow Jonathan W. , Murthy Mala
Published: July 2022

The rich variety of behaviors observed in animals arises through the complex interplay between sensory processing and motor control. To understand these sensorimotor transformations, it is useful to build models that predict not only neural responses to sensory input [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] but also how each neuron causally contributes to behavior [6, 7]. Here we demonstrate a novel modeling approach to identify a one-to-one mapping between internal units in a deep neural network and real neurons by predicting the behavioral changes arising from systematic perturbations of more than a dozen neuron types. A key ingredient we introduce is “knockout training”, which involves perturb-ing the network during training to match the perturbations of the real neurons during behavioral experiments. We apply this approach to model the sensorimotor transformation ofDrosophila melanogastermales during a com-plex, visually-guided social behavior [8, 9, 10]. The visual projection neurons at the interface between the eye and brain form a set of discrete channels, suggesting each channel encodes a single visual feature [11, 12, 13]. Our model reaches a different conclusion: The visual projection neurons form a highly distributed population code that collectively sculpts social behavior. Overall, our framework consolidates behavioral effects elicited from various neural perturbations into a single, unified model, providing a detailed map from stimulus to neuron to behavior.
Building bridges from genome to physiology using machine learning and Drosophila experimental evolution
Authors: Kezos James N. , Barter Thomas T. , Phillips Mark. A. , Cabral Larry G. , Azatian Grigor , Buenrostro José , Bhangoo Punjot Singh , Khong Annie , Reyes Gabriel T. , Rahman Adil , Humphrey Laura A. , Bradley Timothy J. , Mueller Laurence D. , Rose Michael R.
Published: July 2022

Drosophila experimental evolution, with its well-defined selection protocols, has long supplied useful genetic material for the analysis of functional physiology. While there is a long tradition of interpreting the effects of large-effect mutants physiologically, in the genomic era identifying and interpreting gene-to-phenotype relationships has been challenging, with many labs not resolving how physiological traits are affected by multiple genes throughout the genome. Drosophila experimental evolution has demonstrated that multiple phenotypes change due to the evolution of many loci across the genome, creating the scientific challenge of sifting out differentiated but noncausal loci for individual characters. The fused lasso additive model method (FLAM) allows us to infer some of the differentiated loci that have relatively greater causal effects on the differentiation of specific phenotypes.

The experimental material used in the present study comes from 50 populations that have been selected for different life-histories and levels of stress resistance. Differentiation of cardiac robustness, starvation resistance, desiccation resistance, lipid content, glycogen content, water content, and body masses was assayed among 40 to 50 of these experimentally-evolved populations. Through FLAM, we combined physiological analysis from eight parameters with whole-body pooled-seq genomic data to identify potentially causally linked genomic regions. We have identified approximately 1,900 significantly differentiated 50 kb genomic windows among our 50 populations, with 161 of those identified genomic regions highly likely to have a causal effect connecting specific genome sites to specific physiological characters.