bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vital evidence: Change in the marine 14C reservoir around New Zealand (Aotearoa) and implications for the timing of Polynesian settlement
Authors: Petchey Fiona , Schmid Magdalena M. E. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPrecise and accurate radiocarbon chronologies are essential to achieve tight chronological control for the ~ 750-years since Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. This goal has, however, been elusive. While radiocarbon datasets in the region are typically dominated by marine and estuarine shell dates, such chronological information has been ignored by those interpreting the timing of key events because a detailed regional calibration methodology for marine shell, comparable to the highly precise Southern Hemisphere calibration curve, is lacking. In this paper, we present the first temporal 14C marine offset (ΔR) model for New Zealand based on paired estuarine/marine and terrestrial radiocarbon dates from 52 archaeological contexts. Our dataset displays significant offsets between the measured New Zealand data and the modelled global marine radiocarbon curve. These shifts are associated with oceanographic fluctuation at the onset of the Little Ice Age ~ AD 1350–1450 (650–500 BP). The application of a regional and temporal correction to archaeological shell dates provides complimentary information to terrestrial radiocarbon production and has the potential to add structure to the blurred chronology that has plagued archaeological theories about the colonization of New Zealand, and other Pacific islands, for decades.
Functional skeletal muscle model derived from SOD1-mutant ALS patient iPSCs recapitulates hallmarks of disease progression
Authors: Badu-Mensah Agnes , Guo Xiufang , McAleer Christopher W. , Rumsey John W. , Hickman James J. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractRecent findings suggest a pathologic role of skeletal muscle in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) onset and progression. However, the exact mechanism by which this occurs remains elusive due to limited human-based studies. To this end, phenotypic ALS skeletal muscle models were developed from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from healthy individuals (WT) and ALS patients harboring mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. Although proliferative, SOD1 myoblasts demonstrated delayed and reduced fusion efficiency compared to WT. Additionally, SOD1 myotubes exhibited significantly reduced length and cross-section. Also, SOD1 myotubes had loosely arranged myosin heavy chain and reduced acetylcholine receptor expression per immunocytochemical analysis. Functional analysis indicated considerably reduced contractile force and synchrony in SOD1 myotubes. Mitochondrial assessment indicated reduced inner mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and metabolic plasticity in the SOD1-iPSC derived myotubes. This work presents the first well-characterized in vitro iPSC-derived muscle model that demonstrates SOD1 toxicity effects on human muscle regeneration, contractility and metabolic function in ALS. Current findings align with previous ALS patient biopsy studies and suggest an active contribution of skeletal muscle in NMJ dysfunction. Further, the results validate this model as a human-relevant platform for ALS research and drug discovery studies.
Demystifying biotrophs: FISHing for mRNAs to decipher plant and algal pathogen–host interaction at the single cell level
Authors: Badstöber Julia , Gachon Claire M. M. , Ludwig-Müller Jutta , Sandbichler Adolf M. , Neuhauser Sigrid 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPlant-pathogen interactions follow spatial and temporal developmental dynamics where gene expression in pathogen and host undergo crucial changes. Therefore, it is of great interest to detect, quantify and localise where and when key genes are active to understand these processes. Many pathosystems are not accessible for genetic amendments or other spatially-resolved gene expression monitoring methods. Here, we adapt single molecule FISH techniques to demonstrate the presence and activity of mRNAs at the single-cell level using phytomyxids in their plant and algal host in lab and field material. This allowed us to monitor and quantify the expression of genes from the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae, several species of its Brassica hosts, and of several brown algae, including the genome model Ectocarpus siliculosus, infected with the phytomyxid Maullinia ectocarpii. We show that mRNAs are localised along a spatiotemporal gradient, thus providing a proof-of-concept of the usefulness of single-molecule FISH to increase knowledge about the interactions between plants, algae and phytomyxids. The methods used are easily applicable to any interaction between microbes and their algal or plant host, and have therefore the potential to rapidly increase our understanding of key, spatially- and temporally-resolved processes underpinning complex plant–microbe interactions.
Automatic prostate and prostate zones segmentation of magnetic resonance images using DenseNet-like U-net
Authors: Aldoj Nader , Biavati Federico , Michallek Florian , Stober Sebastian , Dewey Marc 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides detailed anatomical images of the prostate and its zones. It has a crucial role for many diagnostic applications. Automatic segmentation such as that of the prostate and prostate zones from MR images facilitates many diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, the lack of a clear prostate boundary, prostate tissue heterogeneity, and the wide interindividual variety of prostate shapes make this a very challenging task. To address this problem, we propose a new neural network to automatically segment the prostate and its zones. We term this algorithm Dense U-net as it is inspired by the two existing state-of-the-art tools—DenseNet and U-net. We trained the algorithm on 141 patient datasets and tested it on 47 patient datasets using axial T2-weighted images in a four-fold cross-validation fashion. The networks were trained and tested on weakly and accurately annotated masks separately to test the hypothesis that the network can learn even when the labels are not accurate. The network successfully detects the prostate region and segments the gland and its zones. Compared with U-net, the second version of our algorithm, Dense-2 U-net, achieved an average Dice score for the whole prostate of 92.1± 0.8% vs. 90.7 ± 2%, for the central zone of$$89.5 \pm 2$$89.5±2% vs.$$89.1 \pm 2.2$$89.1±2.2%, and for the peripheral zone of 78.1± 2.5% vs.$$75 \pm 3$$75±3%. Our initial results show Dense-2 U-net to be more accurate than state-of-the-art U-net for automatic segmentation of the prostate and prostate zones.
Early warning climate indices for malaria and meningitis in tropical ecological zones
Authors: Ayanlade Ayansina , Nwayor Isioma J. , Sergi Consolato , Ayanlade Oluwatoyin S. , Di Carlo Paola , Jeje Olajumoke D. , Jegede Margaret O. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis study aims at assessing the impacts of climate indices on the spatiotemporal distribution of malaria and meningitis in Nigeria. The primary focus of the research is to develop an Early Warning System (EWS) for assessing climate variability implications on malaria and meningitis spread in the study area. Both climate and health data were used in the study to determine the relationship between climate variability and the occurrence of malaria and meningitis. The assessment was based on variations in different ecological zones in Nigeria. Two specific sample locations were randomly selected in each ecological zone for the analysis. The climatic data used in this study are dekadal precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature between 2000 and 2018, monthly aerosol optical depth between 2000 and 2018. The results show that temperature is relatively high throughout the year because the country is located in a tropical region. The significant findings of this study are that rainfall has much influence on the occurrence of malaria, while temperature and aerosol have more impact on meningitis. We found the degree of relationship between precipitation and malaria, there is a correlation coefficient R2 ≥ 70.0 in Rainforest, Freshwater, and Mangrove ecological zones. The relationship between temperature and meningitis is accompanied by R2 ≥ 72.0 in both Sahel and Sudan, while aerosol and meningitis harbour R2 = 77.33 in the Sahel. The assessment of this initial data seems to support the finding that the occurrences of meningitis are higher in the northern region, especially the Sahel and Sudan. In contrast, malaria occurrence is higher in the southern part of the study area. In all, the multiple linear regression results revealed that rainfall was directly associated with malaria with β = 0.64, p = 0.001 but aerosol was directly associated with meningitis with β = 0.59, p < 0.001. The study concludes that variability in climatic elements such as low precipitation, high temperature, and aerosol may be the major drivers of meningitis occurrence.
Tight security bounds for decoy-state quantum key distribution
Authors: Yin Hua-Lei , Zhou Min-Gang , Gu Jie , Xie Yuan-Mei , Lu Yu-Shuo , Chen Zeng-Bing 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) combined with decoy-state method is currently the most practical protocol, which has been proved secure against general attacks in the finite-key regime. Thereinto, statistical fluctuation analysis methods are very important in dealing with finite-key effects, which directly affect secret key rate, secure transmission distance and most importantly, the security. There are two tasks of statistical fluctuation in decoy-state BB84 QKD. One is the deviation between expected value and observed value for a given expected value or observed value. The other is the deviation between phase error rate of computational basis and bit error rate of dual basis. Here, we provide the rigorous and optimal analytic formula to solve the above tasks, resulting to higher secret key rate and longer secure transmission distance. Our results can be widely applied to deal with statistical fluctuation in quantum cryptography protocols.
Reconciling yield gains in agronomic trials with returns under African smallholder conditions
Authors: Laajaj Rachid , Macours Karen , Masso Cargele , Thuita Moses , Vanlauwe Bernard 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIncreased adoption of improved agricultural technologies is considered an essential step to address global poverty and hunger, and agronomic trials suggest intensification in developing countries could result in large yield gains. Yet the promise of new technologies does not always carry over from trials to real-life conditions, and diffusion of many technologies remains limited. We show how parcel and farmer selection, together with behavioural responses in agronomic trials, can explain why yield gain estimates from trials may differ from the yield gains of smallholders using the same inputs under real-life conditions. We provide quantitative evidence by exploiting variation in farmer selection and detailed data collection from research trials in Western Kenya on which large yield increments were observed from improved input packages for maize and soybean. After adjusting for selection, behavioural responses, and other corrections, estimates of yield gains fall to being not significantly different from zero for the input package tested on one of the crops (soybean), but remain high for the other (maize). These results suggest that testing new agricultural technologies in real-world conditions and without researcher interference early in the agricultural research and development process might help with identifying which innovations are more likely to be taken up at scale.
Chemical signatures of femoral pore secretions in two syntopic but reproductively isolated species of Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus marthae and C. subcristatus)
Authors: Colosimo Giuliano , Di Marco Gabriele , D’Agostino Alessia , Gismondi Angelo , Vera Carlos A. , Gerber Glenn P. , Scardi Michele , Canini Antonella , Gentile Gabriele 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe only known population of Conolophus marthae (Reptilia, Iguanidae) and a population of C. subcristatus are syntopic on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island, Galápagos). No gene flow occurs suggesting that effective reproductive isolating mechanisms exist between these two species. Chemical signature of femoral pore secretions is important for intra- and inter-specific chemical communication in squamates. As a first step towards testing the hypothesis that chemical signals could mediate reproductive isolation between C. marthae and C. subcristatus, we compared the chemical profiles of femoral gland exudate from adults caught on Wolf Volcano. We compared data from three different years and focused on two years in particular when femoral gland exudate was collected from adults during the reproductive season. Samples were processed using Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). We identified over 100 different chemical compounds. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (nMDS) was used to graphically represent the similarity among individuals based on their chemical profiles. Results from non-parametric statistical tests indicate that the separation between the two species is significant, suggesting that the chemical profile signatures of the two species may help prevent hybridization between C. marthae and C. subcristatus. Further investigation is needed to better resolve environmental influence and temporal reproductive patterns in determining the variation of biochemical profiles in both species.
Utilization of road dust chemical profiles for source identification and human health impact assessment
Authors: Kim Eun-Ah , Koh Byumseok 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis study investigated the chemical profiles of fine urban road dust as a set of indicators for major air pollutants at sampling sites or as proxies for potential human health impacts. We examined the chemical compositions of fine particles (< 100 μm) or re-suspended ultrafine particles (< 2.5 μm) in the urban road dust collected from the cities with major emission sources of CO, NH3, NOx, PM2.5, SOx, and volatile organic compounds. The elemental compositions, including metal contents and volatile or semi-volatile organic compound species were determined to constitute comprehensive chemical profiles of the solid road dust samples. The water-extractable organic compounds and fluorescent species of the size-fractionated re-suspended fine particulate matter (RPM) were also incorporated in the chemical profiles. The metal content and aliphatic hydrocarbons could partly distinguish emission sources, and clearer distinctions were achieved with the inclusion of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) results. The dose–response test results showed positive correlations between cytotoxicity and relative abundance of hydrocarbons or metal contents of urban road dust. The set of chemical profiles suggested in this study could be further utilized for site identification or human health impact assessment using urban road dust.
The influence of proline isomerization on potency and stability of anti-HIV antibody 10E8
Authors: Guttman Miklos , Padte Neal N. , Huang Yaoxing , Yu Jian , Rocklin Gabriel J. , Weitzner Brian D. , Scian Michele , Ho David D. , Lee Kelly K. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMonoclonal antibody (mAb) 10E8 recognizes a highly conserved epitope on HIV and is capable of neutralizing > 95% of circulating viral isolates making it one of the most promising Abs against HIV. Solution instability and biochemical heterogeneity of 10E8 has hampered its development for clinical use. We identify the source of 10E8 heterogeneity being linked to cis/trans isomerization at two prolines within the YPP motif in the CRD3 loop that exists as two predominant conformers that interconvert on a slow timescale. The YtransP conformation conformer can bind the HIV gp41 epitope, while the YcisP is not binding competent and shows a higher aggregation propensity. The high barrier of isomerization and propensity to adopt non-binding competent proline conformers provides novel insight into the slow binding kinetics, low potency, and poor solubility of 10E8. This study highlights how proline isomerization should be considered a critical quality attribute for biotherapeutics with paratopes containing potential cis proline amide bonds.
Effect of bilingualism on visual tracking attention and resistance to distraction
Authors: Janic Ana , Cavanagh Patrick , Rivest Josée 
Published: August 2020

AbstractSpeaking more than one language has been associated with enhanced cognitive capacities. Here we evaluated whether bilingual individuals have advantages in visual tracking attention. Adult bilingual (n = 35) and monolingual (n = 35) participants were tested in the Multiple Object Tracking task (MOT). In one condition, the MOT was performed by itself establishing the baseline performance of each group, and in the other condition, it was performed while participants counted backward out loud in their mother tongue. At baseline, the average speed tracking threshold of bilinguals was not better than that of the monolinguals. Importantly, for bilinguals, counting backward decreased their threshold by only 15%, but, for monolinguals, it decreased it three times as much. This result suggests that bilingualism confers advantages to visual tracking attention when dual tasking is required, extending the evidence that bilingualism affords cognitive benefits beyond verbal communication.
Efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir in the treatment of hep C among patients on hemodialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shehadeh Fadi , Kalligeros Markos , Byrd Katrina , Shemin Douglas , Mylonakis Eleftherios , Martin Paul , D’Agata Erika M. C. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among maintenance hemodialysis patients is implicated in increased morbidity and mortality compared to uninfected patients. Sofosbuvir (SOF)-based regimens may not be optimal among patients requiring hemodialysis. Several studies, however, provide evidence that use of SOF among HCV-positive patients with renal impairment, is effective and safe. We searched Pubmed and Embase to identify studies reporting the efficacy and safety of SOF-based regimens for the treatment of HCV-positive patients on maintenance hemodialysis and performed a random effects meta-analysis. The overall pooled estimate of the efficacy of SOF-based therapy was 95% (95% CI 91–98%). The efficacy of the SOF-based regimen was 92% (95% CI 80–99%), 98% (95% CI 96–100%), and 100% (95% CI 95–100%) for the following doses: 400 mg on alternate days, 400 mg daily, and 200 mg daily, respectively. The most frequent adverse event was fatigue with a pooled prevalence of 16% (95% CI 5–29%), followed by anemia 15% (95% CI 3–31%), and nausea or vomiting 14% (95% CI 4–27%). Anemia was more prevalent in treatment regimens containing ribavirin (46%, 95% CI 33–59%) compared to ribavirin-free regimens (3%, 95% CI 0–9%). This study suggests that SOF-based regimens in the treatment of HCV infection among hemodialysis patients are both effective and safe.
Exploring the genetic basis of fatty liver development in geese
Authors: Yang Yunzhou , Wang Huiying , Li Guangquan , Liu Yi , Wang Cui , He Daqian 
Published: August 2020

AbstractAlthough geese possess an adaptive physiological capacity for lipid storage, few candidate genes contributing to this ability are characterised. By comparing the genomes of individuals with extremely high and low fatty liver weights (FLW), candidate genes were identified, includingARAP2,GABRE, andIL6. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in or near these genes were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with carcass traits (FLW) and biochemical indexes (very-low-density lipoprotein and N-terminal procollagen III), suggesting contribution to trait variation. A common variant at the 5′-end ofLCORLexplained ~ 18% and ~ 26% of the phenotypic variance in body weight with/without overfeeding and had significant effects on FLW (p < 0.01).ZFF36L1,ARHGEF1andIQCJ,involved in bile acid metabolism, blood pressure, and lipid concentration modulation, were also identified. The presence of highly divergent haplotypes within these genes suggested involvement in protection against negative effects from excessive lipids in the liver or circulatory system. Based on this and transcriptomic data, we concluded that geese hepatosteatosis results from severe imbalance between lipid accumulation and secretion, comparable to human non-alcohol fatty liver disease but involving other genes. Our results provided valuable insights into the genesis of geese fatty liver and detected potential target genes for treatment of lipid-related diseases.
Visualization of lymphatic flow in laparoscopic colon cancer surgery using indocyanine green fluorescence imaging
Authors: Ushijima Hokuto , Kawamura Junichiro , Ueda Kazuki , Yane Yoshinori , Yoshioka Yasumasa , Daito Koji , Tokoro Tadao , Hida Jin-ichi , Okuno Kiyotaka 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIntraoperative visualization of lymphatic flow could guide surgeons performing laparoscopic colon cancer surgery on the extent of intestinal resection required. The purpose of this study was to investigate indocyanine green fluorescence imaging for intraoperative detection of lymphatic flow and nodes in such patients. All patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer from October 2016 to July 2017 were included in this study. Indocyanine green was injected submucosally around the tumors via a colonoscope and lymphatic flow assessed with a laparoscopic near-infrared camera system intraoperatively. Lymphatic flow was visualized perioperatively in 43 of 57 patients (75.4%). The rate of visualized lymphatic flow was significantly higher in patients with a lower clinical stage than in those with a higher clinical stage (p = 0.0103). Among the 14 patients in whom lymphatic flow was not visualized, 10 (71.4%) had cStage III or IV cancer. Our results indicate the potential role of intraoperative navigation in colon cancer surgery in early-stage colon cancers. This method allows the surgeon to clearly identify lymphatic flow during surgery and allows the determination and individualization of the lymph node dissection range.
Metasurface sensing difference in waveforms at the same frequency with reduced power level
Authors: Tanikawa Mizuki , Ushikoshi Daiju , Asano Kosei , Sanji Kenichiro , Ikeda Masakazu , Anzai Daisuke , Wakatsuchi Hiroki 
Published: August 2020

AbstractWe numerically demonstrate a new type of waveform-selective metasurface that senses the difference in incoming waveforms or pulse widths at the same frequency. Importantly, the proposed structure contains precise rectifier circuits that, compared to ordinary schottky diodes used within old types of structures, rectify induced electric charges at a markedly reduced input power level depending on several design parameters but mostly on the gain of operational amplifiers. As a result, a waveform-selective absorbing mechanism related to this turn-on voltage appears even with a limited signal strength that is comparable to realistic wireless signal levels. In addition, the proposed structure exhibits a noticeably wide dynamic range from $${-}$$
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30 to 6 dBm, compared to a conventional structure that operated only around 0 dBm. Thus, our study opens up the door to apply the concept of waveform selectivity to a more practical field of wireless communications to control different small signals at the same frequency.