bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a Real-Time Neural Controller using an EMG-Driven Musculoskeletal Model
Authors: Thomas Joel Biju , Laschowski Brokoslaw 
Published: December 2024

AbstractHere we present our development of a novel real-time neural controller based on an EMG-driven musculoskeletal model, designed for volitional control of robots and computers. Our controller uniquely enables motion control during both isometric and non-isometric muscle contractions. We address several key challenges in EMG control system design, including accuracy, latency, and robustness. Our approach combines EMG signal processing, neural activation dynamics, and Hill-type muscle modeling to translate neural commands into muscle forces, which can enhance robustness against electrode variability and signal noise. Additionally, we integrate muscle activation dynamics with impedance control, inspired by the human motor control system, for smooth and adaptive interactions. As an initial proof of concept, we demonstrated that our system could control a robot actuator across a range of movements, both static and dynamic, and at different operating speeds, achieving high reference tracking performance and state-of-the-art processing times of 2.9 ms, important for real-time embedded computing. This research helps lay the groundwork for next-generation neural-machine interfaces that are fast, accurate, and adaptable to diverse users and control applications.
Triggered Temptations: A New Procedure to Compare Reward-Seeking Behaviour Induced by Discriminative and Conditioned Stimuli in Rats
Authors: LeCocq Mandy Rita , Najafipashaki Shaghayegh , Casale Domiziana , Laplante Isabel , Samaha Anne-Noël 
Published: December 2024

AbstractRationaleEnvironmental cues guide animals towards resources vital for survival but can also drive maladaptive reward-seeking behaviours, as in gambling and eating disorders. While conditioned stimuli (CSs) are paired with reward delivery after reward-seeking actions, discriminative stimuli (DSs) signal reward availability independent of behaviour.ObjectiveWe introduce a procedure to compare CS and DS effects on reward-seeking behaviour, in the same subjects within a single session.MethodsFemale and male Sprague-Dawley rats learned to self-administer sucrose. During each session, DS+ trials signaled that lever pressing would produce sucrose paired with a CS+, and DS−trials signaled no sucrose and a CS−. Next, in the absence of sucrose, we assessed the ability of the cues toi)reinforce lever pressing andii)increase sucrose seeking when presented response-independently. We also assessed the effects of the mGlu2/3receptor agonist LY379268 and d-amphetamine on cue-induced sucrose seeking.ResultsBy the end of self-administration training, lever pressing peaked during DS+ trials and dropped during DS−trials. The DS+ was a conditioned reinforcer of sucrose seeking in both sexes, whereas the CS+ was more effective in males. Response-independent presentations of the DS+ invigorated sucrose seeking in both sexes, whereas the CS+ was effective only in males. LY379268 suppressed DS+-triggered sucrose seeking in females, with no effect in males. D-amphetamine enhanced sucrose seeking non-specifically across cue conditions in males, with no effect in females.ConclusionsOur new trial-based procedure can be used to identify unique and similar mechanisms underlying DS and CS influences on appetitive behaviour.
Pathway Thermodynamic Analysis Postulates Change in Glutamate Metabolism as a Key Factor in Modulating Immune Responses
Authors: Malla Sunayana , Saha Rajib 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundTemperature, as seen during fever, plays a pivotal role in modulating immune responses and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Shifts in temperature influence the thermodynamic feasibility of metabolic reactions, with Gibbs free energy (ΔG) serving as a key indicator of the spontaneity of reactions under specific conditions. By altering ΔG in response to temperature changes across various metabolite concentrations and cell types, we can gain insights into the thermodynamic properties of metabolic pathways and identify critical factors involved in metabolism and immune function. Using Max-Min Driving Force (MDF) analysis, we can assess changes in ΔG by varying temperature and metabolite concentrations, allowing for a detailed examination of thermodynamic feasibility at both the pathway and individual reaction levels.ResultsIn this study, MDF analysis is applied to measure the changes in the driving force of pathways and the ΔG of each reaction at normal human core temperature (310.15 K) and elevated temperatures (up to 315.15 K). Additionally, we explore how shifts in the thermodynamic feasibility of reactions under immune activation, compared to normal physiological conditions, highlight key metabolic intermediates—such as fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, and several steps in glutamate metabolism—as important regulators of metabolic processes and immune responses.ConclusionThe goal of this study is to underscore the value of thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, concentration, and temperature in identifying potential therapeutic targets, with the aim of mitigating the detrimental effects of fever while preserving its beneficial aspects.
Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance System Evaluation, Ho Municipality, Volta Region, Ghana, 2022
Authors: Kijera Bakalilu , Alhasan Abdul Nasir , Jarjusey Sarja , Bobb Mary , Manjang Lamin F , Ameme Donne , Noora Charles Lwanga , Bandoh Delia , Kenu Ernest 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundGhana reported the last native Wild Poliovirus that causes poliomyelitis in 1999. However, Ghana experienced another outbreak when cases were imported into the country in 2003 and 2004. The decade-long polio-free status ended in 2019 following the detection of circulatory Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus type 2 (cVDPV2) through Environmental Health Surveillance (EHS). Ghana is currently free from cVDPV2 but is at risk of potential outbreaks. This evaluation describes the usefulness and attributes of an Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance system and whether the system meets its objectives.MethodsA descriptive evaluation of the AFP surveillance system from January 2017 to December 2021 was conducted in Ho Municipality, Volta Region. Interviews of health workers and key stakeholders, observations, records review, and administration of semi-structured questionnaires were made. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Updated guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems were used as a reference for developing a checklist. The quantitative data was analyzed using summary statistics and presented in percentages and frequencies. The qualitative interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and narratively analyzed.ResultsTen AFP cases were reported from January 2017 to December 2021. Six of these (28.57%) were detected based on actions taken on AFP surveillance data. The average NP-AFP was 2.14/100,000 with a minimum of 1.09/100,000 and a maximum of 4.12/100,000 under 15 population. One (10.0%) of the specimens reached the reference lab within 72 hours and an overall completeness of 68.04%. Three (30.0%) cases were follow-up after 60 days from the onset of the paralysis.ConclusionThe AFP surveillance system in Ho municipality is partially meeting its objectives. It is useful, partially stable, and sensitive. The system is acceptable, representative, flexible, and accurate but poor in timeliness. The District Health Management Team should ensure specimens are sent to the reference laboratory within 72 hours after the case investigation.
TrackingHelicoverpa zea(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) flight behavior with infrared camera around pheromone trap
Authors: Duplais Christophe , Roh Chris 
Published: December 2024

AbstractUnderstanding the flight behavior of nocturnal insect pests is essential for designing effective trapping systems and improving integrated pest management (IPM). This study used infrared (IR) reflectance and IR camera to analyze the flight behavior of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) around Scentry Heliothis pheromone trap, focusing on approach, escape, and capture rates. Video analysis revealed low average catch rate of 25% for a total of 48 approaches from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., as many moths approached the lure but escaped without being trapped. The study identified critical behavioral patterns, such as upwind approach, downwind horizontal escape, or vertical ascending leading to capture. These findings suggest that positioning lure closer to the trap entrance could significantly improve the effectiveness of Scentry Heliothis trap. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of developing a comprehensive database of nocturnal insect behavior around trapping systems. This knowledge can be used to refine trap design for specific insect pest and to update catch count thresholds to improve the effectiveness of insecticide spray programs in precision agriculture. This work demonstrates the potential of IR cameras as a simple, commercially available, and affordable tool for studying nocturnal insect pest activity and flight behavior, with the potential to enhance pest management strategies in agriculture.
Multimodal single-cell analyses reveal molecular markers of neuronal senescence in human drug-resistant epilepsy
Authors: Ge Qianqian , Yang Jiachao , Huang Fei , Dai Xinyue , Chen Chao , Guo Jinxin , Wang Mi , Zhu Mengyue , Shao Yijie , Xia Yuxian , Zhou Yu , Peng Jieqiao , Deng Suixin , Shi Jiachen , Hu Yiqi , Zhang Huiying , Wang Yi , Wang Xiaoqun , Li Xiao-Ming , Chen Zhong , Shu Yousheng , Zhu Jun-Ming , Zhang Jianmin , Shen Ying , Duan Shumin , Xu Shengjin , Shen Li , Chen Jiadong 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe histopathological neurons in the brain tissue of drug-resistant epilepsy exhibit aberrant cytoarchitecture and imbalanced synaptic circuit function. However, the gene expression changes of these neurons remain unknown, making it difficult for the diagnosis or to dissect the mechanism of drug-resistant epilepsy. By integrating whole-cell patch clamp recording and single-cell RNA sequencing approaches, we identified a transcriptionally distinct subset of cortical pyramidal neurons. These neurons highly expressed genesCDKN1A(P21),CCL2andNFKBIAthat associated with mTOR pathway, inflammatory response and cellular senescence. We confirmed the expression of senescent marker genes in a subpopulation of cortical pyramidal neurons with enlarged soma size in the brain tissue of drug-resistant epilepsy. We further revealed the expression of senescent cell markers P21, P53, COX2, γ-H2AX, β-Gal and reduction of nuclear integrity marker Lamin B1 in histopathological neurons in the brain tissue of drug-resistant epilepsy patients with different pathologies, but not in control brain tissue with no history of epilepsy. Additionally, chronic, but not acute, epileptic seizures induced senescent markers expression in cortical neurons in mouse models of drug-resistant epilepsy. These results provide important molecular markers for histopathological neurons and new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of drug-resistant epilepsy.
Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Proteins Related to Diapause inLymantria dispar: Insights for the Mechanism of Diapause from Transcriptome and Proteome Analyses
Authors: Xie Qing , Ma Xiaofan , Li Yafei , Ji Wenzhuai , Dou Fengrui , Zhu Xiue , Shi Juan , Cao Yixia 
Published: December 2024

AbstractSpongy moth (Lymantria disparLinnaeus) is a globally recognized quarantine leaf-eating pest. Spongy moths typically enter diapause after completing embryonic development and overwinter in the egg stage. They spend three-quarters of their life cycle (approximately nine months) in the egg stage, which requires a period of low-temperature stimulation to break diapause and continue growth and development. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism underlying the diapause process in spongy moth. We performed bioinformatics analysis on four Asian populations of spongy moth and one Asian–European hybrid population through a transcriptome analysis combined with proteomics. The results revealed that 1,842 genes were differentially expressed upon diapause initiation, while 264 genes were identified upon diapause termination. Eight diapause-related genes were screened out from the three-level pathways that were significantly enriched by differentially expressed genes at the time of diapause and diapause termination, and the phylogenetic tree and protein three-dimensional structure model were constructed. This study elucidates the diapause mechanism of spongy moth at the gene and protein levels, providing theoretical insights into the early and precise prevention and control of spongy moth. This study can facilitate the development of an efficient, environmentally friendly control system for managing spongy moth populations in the field.
scPDA: Denoising Protein Expression in Droplet-Based Single-Cell Data
Authors: Zhu Ouyang , Li Jun 
Published: December 2024

AbstractDroplet-based profiling techniques such as CITE-seq measure the surface protein abundance of single cells, providing crucial information for cell-type identification. How-ever, these measurements are often significantly contaminated by technical noise, which lowers the efficiency of using the gating strategy to identify cell types. Current computational denoising methods have serious limitations, including a strong reliance on often-unavailable empty droplets or null controls, insufficient efficiency due to the ignoring of protein-protein interactions, and a heavy computational load. Here, we introduce scPDA, a new probabilistic model that employs a variational autoencoder to achieve high computational efficiency. scPDA completely eliminates the use of empty droplets, and it shares information across proteins to increase denoising efficiency. Compared to currently available methods, scPDA has removed noise much more thoroughly while preserving biological signals, and it has substantially improved the efficiency of gating-strategy-based cell-type identification, marking a clear advancement in the computational denoising of the protein modality.
Sexual size dimorphism correlates with the number of androgen response in mammals, but only in small-bodied species
Authors: Ghione Caleb R. , Dean Matthew D. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractSexual size dimorphism (SSD) is common throughout the animal kingdom. “Rensch’s Rule” was proposed nearly 80 years ago, named for the observation that the magnitude of SSD in male-larger species increased with average body size. Here we re-examine this trend across 268 mammalian species with full genome assemblies and annotations, and place the evolution of SSD in the context of androgen response elements or estrogen response elements, the DNA motifs to which sex hormone receptors bind. Hormone receptors provide intuitive mechanisms for sex-specific regulation of the genome and could greatly impact SSD. We find that the three relatively large-bodied lineages (orders Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, and Primates) follow Rensch’s Rule, and SSD does not correlate with the number of receptor elements. In contrast, SSD in small-bodied lineages (Chiroptera and Rodentia) correlates with the number of androgen response elements, but SSD does not correlate with overall body size. One hypothesis to unify our observations is that small-bodied organisms like bats and rodents tend to reach peak reproductive fitness quickly and are more reliant on hormonal signaling to achieve SSD over relatively short time periods. Our study uncovers a previously unappreciated relationship between SSD, body size, and hormone signaling that likely varies in ways related to life history.
Developmentally Incomplete Barb Rami Increased the Morphological Diversity of Early Feathers
Authors: Zhang Yanyun , Tang Jiawei , Wang Ying , Wang Shuo 
Published: December 2024

AbstractRecent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the evolutionary processes and developmental mechanisms behind feather branching patterns. However, little attention has been given to the tissue differentiation of branches associate with this process. Here, we describe eight feathers preserved in Burmese ambers, characterized by ribbon-like barb rami composed solely of cortex, lacking a medulla. These feathers are categorized into three morphotypes based on the details of their barb rami morphologies. For each morphotype, potential developmental scenarios were proposed through inference of barb development in chickens, suggesting limited tissue differentiation of barb rami in these early feathers. Functional simulations indicate that the configuration of modern barb rami is aerodynamically more stable than those of early feathers, indicating that flexural stiffness may have been a crucial factor driving the evolution of feather branches toward modern configurations. The discovery of developmentally incomplete barb rami in Burmite feathers implies that, while the three-level hierarchical branching pattern of modern feathers had evolved by the Jurassic period, tissue differentiation patterns of feather branches may not have fully stabilized by the Late Cretaceous. This instability likely contributes to the morphological diversity of early feathers, resulting in forms not seen in modern birds.
Exercise-induced differential transcriptional output of AMPK signalling improves axon regeneration and functional recovery
Authors: Behera Sibaram , Ghosh Roy Anindya 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn adulthood, the regenerative capacity of the injured brain circuit is poor preventing functional restoration. Rehabilitative physical exercise is a promising approach to overcome such functional impairment and the metabolic sensor AMPK has emerged to be a critical mediator for this. However, the mechanistic understanding of upstream and downstream components of AMPK signalling in the physical exercise-mediated enhancement of axon regeneration is not clear. We combined swimming exercise with laser axotomy of posterior lateral microtubule (PLM) neurons ofCaenorhabditis elegansto address this question. We found that direct activation of AMPK through AICAR treatment is sufficient to improve axon regeneration and functional recovery. The PAR-4/Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) acts upstream of AMPK to enhance functional recovery following swimming exercise. Using genetics, tissue-specific RNAi, and AICAR treatment, we found that the transcriptional regulators DAF-16 and MDT-15 act downstream of AMPK in mediating the positive effects of swimming. We found that MDT-15 acts in neuron to mediate the benefit of AMPK activation in axon regeneration, whereas DAF-16 acts both in neuron and muscle to promote regrowth downstream to AMPK. We also showed that swimming exercise induces nuclear localization of DAF-16 in an AMPK-dependent manner. Our results showed that neuronal and non-neuronal arms of AMPK signalling play an integrative role in response to physical exercise to promote functional recovery after axon injury.Significance statementFinding ways to promote functional recovery after accidental damage to the nervous system has been challenging as adult neurons lose the capability to regenerate. Rehabilitation therapy is the most promising approach to improve the health condition of patients with nervous system injury. Even in the roundwormC. elegans, axon regeneration could be enhanced through swimming exercise, which is mediated by the metabolic energy sensor AMP Kinase. In this study, using sensory neurons in worm, we found that PAR-4/ Liver kinase B1 acts upstream of AMPK. Whereas, the transcription factor DAF-16/ FOXO and the transcriptional co-regulator MDT-15 act as downstream signalling arms in muscle and neuron tissues. Excitingly, both of these arms could be harnessed through agonist-mediated activation of AMPK to promote functional recovery in adulthood.
Relationship between Brain and Body Temperature in Anesthetized Animals Measured by Ultralocal Thermometry
Authors: Osypov A.A. , Krokhaleva V.K. , Romshin A.M. , Popova I. Yu 
Published: December 2024

AbstractTemperature is one of the least studied biophysical characteristics of the brain, although both the rate of biochemical reactions and the electrical activity of nervous tissue directly depend on it. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between brain and body temperatures in anesthetized animals. Simultaneous measurement of brain and body temperature (rectally) was carried out at ambient temperature controlled with a thermal mat. The temperature of the deep layers of the somatosensory cortex was measured by ultralocal thermometry using a diamond thermometer. Under anesthesia, the body and brain temperature dropped to 27 C (4 degrees above ambient temperature). When the thermal mat was turned on, the brain and body began to heat up synchronously. The brain initially lagged behind, but when the critical temperature was reached, it began to release heat in quantities exceeding the influx from the blood, reaching physiological values of 37C. A reverse experiment with decreasing the temperature of the thermal mat showed a similar picture: a synchronous start of the decrease, but with reverse dynamics. Thus, we can distinguish two phases of the brain’s reaction to external heating: passive - when neuronal activity is decreased, and active - after internal regulatory mechanisms are triggered, which, in its turn, slows down the temperature drop. In general, the data obtained in the present work indicate that the temperature of neural tissue is not linearly related to body temperature.
The heterogeneity of dermal mesenchymal cells reproduced in skin equivalents regulate barrier function and elasticity
Authors: Kimura Shun , Sekiya Sachiko , Yamashiro Sawa , Kikuchi Tetsutaro , Haga Masatoshi , Shimizu Tatsuya 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe heterogeneity of dermal mesenchymal cells, including perivascular mesenchymal cells and papillary and reticular fibroblasts, plays critical roles in skin homeostasis. Here, we present human skin equivalents (HSEs) in which pericytes, papillary fibroblasts, and reticular fibroblasts are spatially organized through autonomous three-cell interactions among epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and vascular endothelial cells. The replication of dermal mesenchymal cell heterogeneity enhances skin functions, including epithelialization, epidermal barrier formation, and dermal elasticity, enabling thein vitroevaluation of drug efficacy using methodologies identical to those used in human clinical studies. Furthermore, we found that ascorbic acid-induced epidermal turnover and well-aligned extracellular matrix synthesis via perivascular niche cells play crucial roles in improving skin aging phenotypes. HSEs with heterogeneous dermal mesenchymal cells will improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying skin homeostasis through cell-to-cell communication and serve as an alternative model to animal experiments for the development of precision medicine.