bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fat Mass Regain in Middle-Aged Mice after Sleeve Gastrectomy is divergent from plasma leptin levels
Authors: Emiliano Ana BF , He Ying , Higuchi Sei , Nemr Rabih , Lopatinsky Natalie , Schwartz Gary J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundSome degree of weight regain is typically observed in human patients who undergo Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG), even if the majority of them do not return to their presurgical body weight. Although the majority of bariatric surgery patients are middle aged, most preclinical models of bariatric surgery utilize juvenile male mice. A long-term characterization of the response of mature, wild type, obese male mice to SG has not been performed.MethodsEight-month old C57bl/6J obese male mice were randomized to undergo SG, sham surgery without caloric restriction (SH) or sham surgery with caloric restriction to match body weight to the SG group (SWM). Body weight, body composition and glucose tolerance were matched at baseline. Mice were followed for 60 days following their respective surgeries.ResultsSG mice had a more pronounced percent weight loss than the SH group in the first post-operative month (p<0.05), along with fat mass loss (p<0.01). By the second post-operative month, the SG group started to regain fat mass, although it continued to be statistically lower than the SH group (p<0.05). Cumulative food intake was significantly lower in the SG group compared to SH group only in the first post-operative week (p<0.05), with both groups having similar cumulative food intake thereafter (p>0.05). SWM group had a significantly lower cumulative food intake throughout the study, except for week 1 (p<0.01). Glucose tolerance was only demonstrably better in the SG group compared to SH group at 8 weeks post-operatively (p<0.01). Plasma leptin was significantly lower in the SG group compared to both SWM and SH groups group by the second post-operative month (p<0.01), in spite of SG’s increasing fat mass accumulation. In the second post-operative month, both FGF-21 and GDF-15 were increased in the SH group compared to the SG and SWM groups (p<0.05), while there was no difference in plasma insulin among the three groups. Heat production was surprisingly higher in the SH group compared to the other two groups (p<0.05), even though brown adipose tissue Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARg) and Cidea mRNA expression were significantly higher in SG and SWM compared to SH (p<0.01). There was no change in BAT UCP-1 mRNA expression among the groups (p>0.05). There was also no change in fecal lipid content among the groups (p>0.05).ConclusionsSG in obese, middle aged male mice leads is accompanied by fat mass regain in the second post-operative month, while plasma leptin levels continue to be significantly lower. This raises the question of whether the observed fat mass regain consists mostly of visceral adipose tissue.
Taxonomic revision of the threatened African genusPseudohydrosmeEngl. (Araceae), withP. ebo, a new, Critically Endangered species from Ebo, Cameroon
Authors: Cheek Martin , Tchiengue Barthelemy , van der Burgt Xander 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTThis is the first revision in nearly 130 years of the African genusPseudohydrosme, formerly considered endemic to Gabon. Sister toAnchomanes, Pseudohydrosmeis distinct fromAnchomanesbecause of its 2–3-locular ovary (not unilocular), peduncle concealed by cataphylls at anthesis and far shorter than the spathe (not exposed, far exceeding the spathe), stipitate fruits and viviparous (vegetatively apomictic) roots (not sessile, roots non-viviparous). Three species, one new to science, are recognised, in two sections. Although doubt has previously been cast on the value of recognisingPseudohydrosme buettneri, of Gabon, it is here accepted and maintained as a distinct species in the monotypic section,Zyganthera. However, it is considered to be probably globally extinct.Pseudohydrosme gabunensis, type species of the genus, also Gabonese, is maintained in Sect.Pseudohydrosmetogether withPseudohydrosme ebo sp.nov. of the Ebo Forest, Littoral, Cameroon, the first addition to the genus since the nineteenth century, and which extends the range of the genus 450 km north from Gabon, into the Cross-Sanaga biogeographic area. The discovery ofPseudohydrosme eboresulted from a series of surveys for conservation management in Cameroon, and triggered this paper. All three species ofPseudohydrosmeare morphologically characterised, their habitat and biogeography discussed, and their extinction risks are respectively assessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), Endangered and Critically Endangered using the IUCN standard. Clearance of forest habitat for logging, followed by agriculture or urbanisation are major threats. One of the species may occur in a formally protected areas and is also cultivated widely but infrequently in Europe and the USA for its spectacular inflorescences.
A model for learning based on the joint estimation of stochasticity and volatility
Authors: Piray Payam , Daw Nathaniel D. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPrevious research has stressed the importance of uncertainty for controlling the speed of learning, and of how such control depends on the learner inferring the noise properties of the environment, especially volatility: the speed of change. However, learning rates are jointly determined by the comparison between volatility and a second factor, moment-to-momentstochasticity. Yet much previous research has focused on simplified cases corresponding to estimation of either factor alone. Here, we introduce a new learning model, in which both factors are learned simultaneously from experience. By considering the full problem of joint estimation, we highlight a set of previously unappreciated issues, arising from the mutual interdependence of inference about volatility and stochasticity. This interdependence both complicates and enriches the interpretation of previous results, such as those thought to implicate volatility in psychiatric conditions. This provides a novel mechanism for understanding pathological learning in amygdala damage and anxiety disorders.
Auditory Steady-State Responses During And After A Stimulus: Cortical Sources, and the Influence of Attention and Musicality
Authors: Manting Cassia Low , Gulyas Balazs , Ullén Fredrik , Lundqvist Daniel 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is an oscillatory brain response generated by periodic auditory stimuli and originates mainly from the temporal auditory cortices. Recent data show that while the auditory cortices are indeed strongly activated by the stimulus when it is present (ON ASSR), the anatomical distribution of ASSR sources involves also parietal and frontal cortices, indicating that the ASSR is a more complex phenomenon than previously believed. Furthermore, while the ASSR typically continues to oscillate even after the stimulus has stopped (OFF ASSR), very little is known about the characteristics of the OFF ASSR and how it compares to the ON ASSR. Here, we assessed whether the OFF and ON ASSR powers are modulated by the stimulus properties (i.e. volume and pitch), selective attention, as well as individual musical sophistication. We also investigated the cortical source distribution of the OFF ASSR using a melody tracking task, in which attention was directed between uniquely amplitude-modulated melody streams that differed in pitch. The ON and OFF ASSRs were recorded with magnetoencephalography (MEG) on a group of participants varying from low to high degree of musical sophistication. Our results show that the OFF ASSR is distinctly different from the ON ASSR in nearly every aspect. While the ON ASSR was modulated by the stimulus properties and selective attention, the OFF ASSR was not influenced by any of these factors. Furthermore, while the ON ASSR was generated primarily from temporal sources, the OFF ASSR originated mainly from the frontal cortex. These findings challenge the notion that the OFF ASSR is merely a continuation of the ON ASSR. Rather, they suggest that the OFF ASSR is an internally-driven signal that develops from an initial sensory processing state (ON ASSR), with both types of ASSRs clearly differing in cortical representation and character. Furthermore, our results show that the ON ASSR power was enhanced by selective attention at cortical sources within each of the bilateral frontal, temporal, parietal and insular lobes. Finally, the ON ASSR proved sensitive to musicality, demonstrating positive correlations between musical sophistication and ASSR power, as well as with the degree of attentional ASSR modulation at the left and right parietal cortices. Taken together, these results show new aspects of the ASSR response, and demonstrate its usefulness as an effective tool for analysing how selective attention interacts with individual abilities in music perception.
Clinical and immunoserological status 12 weeks after infection with COVID-19: prospective observational study
Authors: Santis Lucía Valiente-De , Pérez-Camacho Inés , Sobrino Beatriz , González Gracia Eugenia , Ruíz-Mesa Juan Diego , Plata Antonio , Márquez-Gómez Ignacio , Delgado-Fernández Marcial , Castaño Manuel , Oñate Francisco , Orihuela Francisco , Palop Begoña , María Reguera José 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectivesto undertake a multidisciplinary follow-up at 12 weeks after an acute episode of COVID-19 to assess the functional status, persistence of symptoms and immunoserological situation.Methodsthis prospective, observational, single-centre study included outpatients reviewed 12 weeks after an acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. The clinical evaluation included data about the acute episode and epidemiological and clinical variables. The patients were classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic depending on the persistence or otherwise of symptoms. All the patients underwent a full blood test and serology for SARS-CoV-2, as well as imaging tests and spirometry if needed.ResultsThe mean age of the 108 patients was 55.5 (SD: 15.4) years and 27.8% were health-care workers; 75.9% presented some type of symptoms, with dyspnoea being the most common. A D-dimer >500 ng/mL was detected in 32 (31.4%) patients. All the patients had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Being a health-care worker was associated with symptom persistence, with age ≥65 years being a protective factor.ConclusionsThe persistence of symptoms in patents with COVID is usual 12 weeks after the acute episode, especially in patients <65 years and health-care workers. All our patients had developed antibodies by 12 weeks.
Suicide and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
Authors: Ueda Michiko , Nordström Robert , Matsubayashi Tetsuya 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis, but its effect on suicide deaths is little understood.MethodsWe analyzed data from monthly suicide statistics between January 2017 and October 2020 and from online surveys on mental health filled out by the general population in Japan.ResultsCompared to the last three years (2017-2019), the number of suicide deaths was lower than average during the initial phase of the pandemic but exceeded the past trend starting in July 2020. The source of the increase was mainly female suicides whose numbers increased by approximately 70% in October 2020 (IRR: 1.695, 95% CI: 1.558-1.843). The largest increase was found among young women (less than 40 years of age). Our survey data indicated that the status of mental health among young women has been deteriorating in recent months, and that young female workers were more likely than any other group to have experienced a job or income loss, suggesting adverse economic conditions surrounding some of these individuals.ConclusionsOur results indicate that continuous monitoring of mental health, particularly that of the most vulnerable populations identified in this study, and appropriate suicide prevention efforts are necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sars-Cov-2 in Argentina: Following Virus Spreading Using Granger Causality
Authors: Larrosa Juan M.C. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThere is a debate in Argentina on how COVID-19 outbreak in one district ends up infecting its neighbor districts. This contribution aims to use tools of time series analysis for understanding processes of contagious through regions. I use VAR and Granger causality for testing neighbor spreading via sequential rate of contagion. Results show that in the case of Argentina, contagion began in the capital city of Buenos Aires and then spread to its hinterland via specific districts. Once interior districts were infected a positive feedback dynamics emerge creating regions of high reproducibility of the virus where interventions may be focus in the very near future. This specific use of time series analysis may provide a tool for tracing infectiousness along regions that may help to anticipate infection and then for intervening for reducing the problems derived by the disease.
Real-world effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and ivermectin among hospitalized COVID-19 patients: results of a target trial emulation using observational data from a nationwide healthcare system in Peru
Authors: Soto-Becerra Percy , Culquichicón Carlos , Hurtado-Roca Yamilee , Araujo-Castillo Roger V. 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTIntroductionPeru is one of the most impacted countries due to COVID-19. Given the authorized use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), azithromycin (AZIT), and ivermectin (IVM), we aimed to evaluate their effectiveness alone or combined to reduce mortality among COVID-19 hospitalized patients without life-threatening illness.MethodsRetrospective cohort emulating a target trial, using nationwide data of mid- and high-level hospitals from the Peruvian Social Health Insurance 01/April/2020–19/July/2020. Patients 18 yo and above with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2, and no life-threatening illness at admission were included. Five treatment groups (HCQ alone, IVM alone, AZIT alone, HCQ+AZIT, and IVM+AZIT within 48 hours of admission) were compared with standard of care alone. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality rate; secondary outcomes were all-cause death and/or ICU transfer, and all-cause death and/or oxygen prescription. Analyses were adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting. Propensity scores were estimated using machine learning boosting models. Weighted hazard ratios (wHR) were calculated using Cox regression.ResultsAmong 5683 patients, 200 received HCT, 203 IVM, 1600 AZIT, 692 HCQ+AZIT, 358 IVM+AZIT, and 2630 standard of care. HCQ+AZIT was associated with 84% higher all-cause death hazard compared to standard care (wHR=1.84, 95%CI 1.12-3.02). Consistently, HCQ+AZIT was also associated with higher death and/or ICU transfer (wHR=1.49, 95%CI 1.01-2.19), and death and/or oxygen prescription (wHR=1.70, 95%CI 1.07-2.69). HCQ only showed higher death and/or oxygen prescription hazard. No effect was found for AZIT or IVM+AZIT.ConclusionsOur study reported no beneficial effects of hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, azithromycin. The HCQ+AZIT treatment seems to increase risk for all-cause death.FundingInstituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación – IETSI, EsSalud
Antisense oligonucleotide-based treatment of retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations inUSH2Aexon 13
Authors: Slijkerman Ralph , van Diepen Hester , Albert Silvia , Dona Margo , Venselaar Hanka , Zang Jingjing , Neuhauss Stephan , Peters Theo , Broekman Sanne , Pennings Ronald , Kremer Hannie , Adamson Peter , de Vrieze Erik , van Wijk Erwin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractMutations inUSH2A, encoding usherin, are the most common cause of syndromic and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The two founder mutations in exon 13 (c.2299delG and c.2276G>T) collectively account for~34% ofUSH2A-associated RP cases. Skipping of exon 13 from theUSH2Atranscript during pre-mRNA splicing presents a potential treatment modality in which the resulting transcript is predicted to encode a slightly shortened usherin protein. Morpholino-induced skipping ofush2aexon 13 in larvae of the previously publishedush2aexon 13 zebrafish mutant resulted in the production of usherinΔexon13 and completely restored retinal function. RNA antisense oligonucleotides were investigated for their potential to specifically induce humanUSH2Aexon 13 skipping. Lead candidate QR-421a induced dose-dependent exon 13 skipping in iPSC-derived photoreceptor precursors from a patient homozygous for theUSH2Ac.2299delG mutation. Intravitreal delivery of QR-421a in non-human primates showed that QR-421a penetrates the retinal outer nuclear layer and induces detectable levels of exon 13 skipping until at least 3 months post injection. In conclusion, QR-421a-induced exon skipping proves to be a highly promising treatment for RP caused by mutations in exon 13 of theUSH2Agene.
A hierarchical point process model for spatial capture-recapture data
Authors: Zhang Wei , Chipperfield Joseph D. , Illian Janine B. , Dupont Pierre , Milleret Cyril , de Valpine Perry , Bischof Richard 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSpatial capture-recapture (SCR) is a popular method for estimating the abundance and density of wildlife populations. A standard SCR model consists of two sub-models: one for the activity centers of individuals and the other for the detections of each individual conditional on its activity center. So far, the detection sub-model of most SCR models is designed for sampling situations where fixed trap arrays are used to detect individuals.Non-invasive genetic sampling (NGS) is widely applied in SCR studies. Using NGS methods, one often searches the study area for potential sources of DNA such as hairs and faeces, and records the locations of these samples. To analyse such data with SCR models, investigators usually impose an artificial detector grid and project detections to the nearest detector. However, there is a trade-off between the computational efficiency (fewer detectors) and the spatial accuracy (more detectors) when using this method.Here, we propose a point process model for the detection process of SCR studies using NGS. The model better reflects the spatially continuous detection process and allows all spatial information in the data to be used without approximation error. As in many SCR models, we also use a point process model for the activity centers of individuals. The resulting hierarchical point process model enables estimation of total population size without imputing unobserved individuals via data augmentation, which can be computationally cumbersome. We write custom distributions for those spatial point processes and fit the SCR model in a Bayesian framework using Markov chain Monte Carlo in the R package nimble.Simulations indicate good performance of the proposed model for parameter estimation. We demonstrate the application of the model in a real-life scenario by fitting it to NGS data of female wolverines (Gulo gulo) collected in three counties of Norway during the winter of 2018/19. Our model estimates that the density of female wolverines is 9.53 (95% CI: 8–11) per 10,000km2in the study area.
Spatially resolved optical monitoring of spinal cord blood flow with a minimally invasive, multi-level epidural probe
Authors: Busch David R. , Lin Wei , Goh Chia Chieh , Gao Feng , Larson Nicholas , Wahl Joseph , Bilfinger Thomas V. , Yodh Arjun G. , Floyd Thomas F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSpinal cord ischemia leads to iatrogenic injury in multiple surgical fields, and the ability to immediately identify onset and anatomic origin of ischemia is critical to its management. Current clinical monitoring, however, does not directly measure spinal cord blood flow, resulting in poor sensitivity/specificity, delayed alerts, and delayed intervention. We have developed an epidural device employing diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) to monitor spinal cord ischemia continuously at multiple positions. We investigate the ability of this device to localize spinal cord ischemia in a porcine model and validate DCS versus Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF).Specifically, we demonstrate continuous (>0.1Hz) spatially resolved (3 locations) monitoring of spinal cord blood flow in a purely ischemic model with an epidural DCS probe. Changes in blood flow measured by DCS and LDF were highly correlated (r=0.83). Spinal cord blood flow measured by DCS caudal to aortic occlusion decreased 62%, with a sensitivity of 0.87 and specificity of 0.91 for detection of a 25% decrease in flow. This technology may enable early identification and critically important localization of spinal cord ischemia.
Effects of face masks on acoustic analysis and speech perception: Implications for peri-pandemic protocols
Authors: Magee Michelle , Lewis Courtney , Noffs Gustavo , Reece Hannah , Chan Jess C. S. , Zaga Charissa J. , Paynter Camille , Birchall Olga , Azocar Sandra Rojas , Ediriweera Angela , Caverlé Marja W. , Schultz Benjamin G. , Vogel Adam P. 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTWearing face masks (alongside physical distancing) provides some protection against infection from COVID-19. Face masks can also change how we communicate and subsequently affect speech signal quality. Here we investigated how three face mask types (N95, surgical and cloth) affect acoustic analysis of speech and perceived intelligibility in healthy subjects. We compared speech produced with and without the different masks on acoustic measures of timing, frequency, perturbation and power spectral density. Speech clarity was also examined using a standardized intelligibility tool by blinded raters. Mask type impacted the power distribution in frequencies above 3kHz for both the N95 and surgical masks. Measures of timing and spectral tilt also differed across mask conditions. Cepstral and harmonics to noise ratios remained flat across mask type. No differences were observed across conditions for word or sentence intelligibility measures. Our data show that face masks change the speech signal, but some specific acoustic features remain largely unaffected (e.g., measures of voice quality) irrespective of mask type. Outcomes have bearing on how future speech studies are run when personal protective equipment is worn.
JIND: Joint Integration and Discrimination for Automated Single-Cell Annotation
Authors: Goyal Mohit , Serrano Guillermo , Shomorony Ilan , Hernaez Mikel , Ochoa Idoia 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSingle-cell RNA-seq is a powerful tool in the study of the cellular composition of different tissues and organisms. A key step in the analysis pipeline is the annotation of cell-types based on the expression of specific marker genes. Since manual annotation is labor-intensive and does not scale to large datasets, several methods for automated cell-type annotation have been proposed based on supervised learning. However, these methods generally require feature extraction and batch alignment prior to classification, and their performance may become unreliable in the presence of cell-types with very similar transcriptomic profiles, such as differentiating cells. We propose JIND, a framework for automated cell-type identification based on neural networks that directly learns a low-dimensional representation (latent code) in which cell-types can be reliably determined. To account for batch effects, JIND performs a novel asymmetric alignment in which the transcriptomic profile of unseen cells is mapped onto the previously learned latent space, hence avoiding the need of retraining the model whenever a new dataset becomes available. JIND also learns cell-type-specific confidence thresholds to identify and reject cells that cannot be reliably classified. We show on datasets with and without batch effects that JIND classifies cells more accurately than previously proposed methods while rejecting only a small proportion of cells. Moreover, JIND batch alignment is parallelizable, being more than five or six times faster than Seurat integration. Availability:https://github.com/mohit1997/JIND.