bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analogous computations in working memory input, output and motor gating: Electrophysiological and computational modeling evidence
Authors: Rac-Lubashevsky Rachel , Frank Michael J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAdaptive cognitive-control involves a hierarchical cortico-striatal gating system that supports selective updating, maintenance, and retrieval of useful cognitive and motor information. Here, we developed a task that independently manipulates selective gating operations into working-memory (input gating), from working-memory (output gating), and of responses (motor gating) and tested the neural dynamics and computational principles that support them. Increases in gating demands, captured by gate switches, were expressed by distinct EEG correlates at each gating level that evolved dynamically in partially overlapping time windows. Further, categorical representations of specific maintained items and of motor responses could be decoded from EEG when the corresponding gate was switching, thereby linking gating operations to prioritization. Finally, gate switching at all levels was related to increases in the motor decision threshold as quantified by the drift diffusion model. Together these results support the notion that cognitive gating operations scaffold on top of mechanisms involved in motor gating.Author summaryHow do humans decide which information is relevant to attend to in memory, which cognitive operation to take, and when? Flexibly updating, maintenance and retrieval of relevant information from working memory (WM) are thought to be managed by gating computations in the frontostriatal network, supporting higher order learning and cognitive flexibility. Using the reference-back-2 task, we tested the key properties of gating. Namely that they are selective (“content-addressable”) and that principles of cognitive “actions” (including input gating of WM, output gating from WM) are scaffold on top of the motor gating operations. Using trial-by-trial EEG indexing and quantitative computational modeling (the hierarchical drift-diffusion model) we showed that action selection at all three levels of gating have separable neural signatures but they operate partly in parallel, such that decisions about a response are processed to some degree even while the identity of the cognitive rule were uncertain. Furthermore, we showed analogous computations across levels of gating as selection of WM representation and of motor action lead to increase in the estimated decision threshold and to enhanced neural coding of the selected information thereby providing a novel link between WM gating and WM prioritization.
COVID-19 Network Model to Evaluate Vaccine Strategies towards Herd Immunity
Authors: Tetteh Josephine N. A. , Nguyen Van Kinh , Hernandez-Vargas Esteban A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWith more than 60 million confirmed cases and more than 1.5 million deaths, SARS-CoV-2 has paralyzed our societies, leading to self isolation and quarantine for several months. A COVID-19 vaccine remains a critical element in the eventual solution to this public health crisis. Two vaccines are ready to be mass produced and eventually supplied to the population. Here, we develop an epidemiological network model able to represent COVID-19 pandemic dynamics of different countries such as in Italy. Stochastic computational simulations identify the necessary number of vaccines and vaccine efficacy thresholds capable of preventing an epidemic whilst adhering to lockdown guidelines. Assuming a vaccine efficacy of 100% in a mass vaccination program, at least 60% of a given population should be vaccinated to obtain herd immunity. Otherwise, new waves of COVID-19 would be reported. However, reaching 60% of the population will be an unprecedented mass immunisation campaign that will take several months and millions of dollars. If the vaccine efficacy reports lower levels of efficacy in practice, then the coverage of vaccination would be needed to be even higher. Simulations suggest that the “Ring of Vaccination” strategy, vaccinating susceptible contact and contact of contacts, would be a more tractable vaccine strategy to prevent the new waves of COVID-19 meanwhile a high percent of the population is vaccinated.
Dynamic methylome modification is associated with mutational signatures in aging and the etiology of disease
Authors: Kumar Gayatri , Krishnasamy Kashyap , Pasha Naseer , Nagarajan Naveenkumar , Mam Bhavika , Kishinani Mahima , Vohra Vedanth , Jain Renuka , Patell Villoo Morawala 
Published: December 2020

AbstractReversible epigenetic changes within the loci of genes that regulate critical cell processes have recently emerged as important biomarkers of disease pathology. It is then natural to consider the consequences for population health risk of such epigenetic changes during the aging process. Specifically, the interplay between dynamic methylation changes that accompany aging and mutations that accrue in an individual’s genome over time need further investigation. The current study investigated the role of dynamic methylation acting together with gene variants in an individual over time to gain insight into the evolving epigenome–genome interplay that affects biochemical pathways controlling physiological processes during aging.We completed a whole-genome methylation and variant analysis in a non-smoking Zoroastrian-Parsi individual, collecting two samples, 12 years apart (at 53 and 65 years respectively) (ZPMetG-Hv2a-1A (old, t0), ZPMetG-Hv2a-1B (recent, t0+12)) and analysing them using a GridION Nanopore sequencer at 13X genome coverage overall. We further identified the single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels in known CpG islands by employing the Genome Analysis Tool Kit (GATK) and MuTect2 variant-caller pipeline with the GRCh37 (patch 13) human genome as reference.We found 5258 disease-relevant genes that had been differentially methylated in this individual over 12 years. Employing the GATK pipeline, we found 24,948 genes, corresponding to 4,58,148 variants, specific to ZPMetG-Hv2a-1B, indicating the presence of variants that had accrued over time. A fraction of the gene variants (242/24948) occurred within the CpG regions that were differentially methylated, with 67/247 exactly coincident with a CpG site. Our analysis yielded a critical cluster of 10 genes that were each significantly methylated and had variants at the CpG site or the ±4 bp CpG region window. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment network analysis as well as Reactome and STRING analysis of gene-specific variants indicated an impact on biological processes regulating the immune system, disease networks implicated in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, and transcriptional control of processes regulating cellular senescence and longevity. Additional analysis of mutational signatures indicated a majority of C>T transitions followed by T>C transitions in the more recent sample, ZPMetG-Hv2a-1B.Our current study provides additional insight into the aging methylome over time and the interplay between different methylation and gene variants in the etiology of disease.
Wnt3 expression as a readout of tissue stretching duringHydraregeneration
Authors: Ferenc Jaroslav , Papasaikas Panagiotis , Ferralli Jacqueline , Nakamura Yukio , Smallwood Sebastien , Tsiairis Charisios D. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractMechanical forces shape cell fate decisions during development and regeneration in many systems. Epithelial lumen volume changes, for example, generate mechanical forces that can be perceived by the surrounding tissue and integrated into cell fate decisions. Similar behavior occurs in regenerating Hydra tissue spheroids, where periodic osmotically driven inflation and deflation cycles generate mechanical stimuli in the form of tissue stretching. Using this model, we investigate how such mechanical input guides the de novo formation of differentiated body parts. We show that the expression of the organizer-defining factor Wnt3 functions as a quantitative readout of cellular stretching and, when supplied externally, enables successful regeneration without mechanical stimulation. This finding represents a previously undescribed cellular mechanism for converting mechanical stimuli to a biochemical signaling readout and guiding cell fate transitions. It also elucidates the role of mechanical oscillations in Hydra regeneration, which long remained unclear. The presence the Wnt/mechanics interplay in Hydra and its relatives underscores the ancient evolutionary history of this crosstalk, possibly extending back to the first metazoans. Since Wnt signaling crosstalks with cellular mechanics in various developmental and disease contexts, it can also represent a conserved feature of this signaling pathway.
Can Lean eliminate waste in urban logistics? A field study
Authors: Escuder Matias , Tanco Martin , Muñoz-Villamizar Andres , Santos Javier 
Published: December 2020

PurposeUrban logistics presents a series of challenges, as the interests of the different stakeholders are not always aligned. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of applying Lean principles to reduce waste in urban logistics.Design/methodology/approachAs a structure for “going to gemba,” the authors implemented the shadowing technique to better understand the perspective of companies distributing products in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. Then, meetings were conducted to validate the observations by the people shadowed.FindingsThe results show that most of shipper's time is dedicated to waiting (59%), which is followed by driving (22%), and only a small section of time was dedicated to unloading and verification activities (19%). Although collaborative solutions are needed along with the different stakeholders, this research highlights how deploying Lean thinking can improve significantly urban logistics achieving up to 25% improvement in the number of stores served per shift.Practical implicationsFrom an academic point of view, this study emphasizes the importance of continue applying and evaluating the Lean practices into transportation contexts. From a company's perspective, the authors have presented a list of propositions that can be implemented for carriers in order to reduce waste and/or improve the efficiency of the urban transportation process.Originality/valueBased on the literature review carried out, the subject study of Lean and its application to urban logistics remains mostly unexplored in the scientific literature.
Cooking technology and female labor market outcomes in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Uchenna Efobi , Oluwabunmi Adejumo O. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe majority of households in the sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) region cook with solid fuel and other polluting fuels like kerosene, and women in this region spend more than 4 hr of their productive time in cooking activities with such energy sources. Such time input in cooking has a high cost on the labor market outcome of women. This study examines the long‐term relationship between cooking technology usage and women's labor market outcomes in 45 SSA countries for the period 2000–2017. The results show that cooking technology usage improves the female labor force participation rate, and reduces the labor force participation gap and female unemployment rate. This finding is consistent even when subjected to a battery of robustness checks. The study also finds some heterogeneous effects in the relationship by the economic structure of the sampled countries.
Continuous‐flow LVAD exchange to a different pump model: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of the outcomes
Authors: Austin Melissa A. , Maynes Elizabeth J. , Gadda Marc N. , O'Malley Thomas J. , Morris Rohinton J. , Shah Mahek K. , Pirlamarla Preethi R. , Alvarez Rene J. , Entwistle John W. , Massey Howard Todd , Tchantchaleishvili Vakhtang 
Published: December 2020

AbstractDespite improved outcomes of modern continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices (CF‐LVADs), device exchange is still needed for various indications. While the majority of CF‐LVADs are exchanged to the same model, exchange to a different pump model is occasionally warranted. In this meta‐analysis, we sought to consolidate the existing evidence to better elucidate the indications and outcomes in these cases. A comprehensive systematic search of adult patient cohorts who underwent CF‐LVAD exchange to a different CF‐LVAD model was performed. Study‐level data from 10 studies comprising 98 patients were extracted and pooled for analysis. Mean patient age was 58 (95% CI: 48‐65) and 81% were male. Indication for initial CF‐LVAD was ischemic cardiomyopathy in 45% (34‐57). Initial device was HeartMate II LVAD (HMII) in 93 (94.9%) and HeartWare HVAD (HW) in 5 (5.1%) patients. After mean CF‐LVAD support time of 18.8 (15.2‐22.4) months, exchange indications included thrombosis in 71% (43‐89), infection in 21% (8‐47) and device malfunction in 12% (7‐21). HMII to HW exchange occurred in 53 (54.1%) patients, HMII to HeartMate III (HM3) in 32 (32.7%), and HM II to either HW or HM3 in 13 (13.2%) patients. Postoperatively, right ventricular assist device was required in 16% (8‐32). Overall, 20% (8‐40) of patients experienced a stroke, while HW patients had a significantly higher stroke incidence than HM3 patients (HW: 21% (8‐47) vs. HM3: 5% (1‐24), P < .01). Overall 30‐day mortality was 10% (6‐17), while HW had a significantly worse 30‐day mortality than HM3 (HW: 13% (7‐24) vs. HM3: 5% (1‐24), P = .03). Following device exchange from a different CF‐LVAD model, HM3 is associated with lower stroke and higher survival when compared to HW.
Deciphering the role of epigenetic modifications in fatty liver disease: A systematic review
Authors: Zhang Xiaofang , Asllanaj Eralda , Amiri Masoud , Portilla‐Fernandez Eliana , Bramer Wichor M. , Nano Jana , Voortman Trudy , Pan Qiuwei , Ghanbari Mohsen 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundFatty liver disease (FLD), primarily nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the most common liver disorder that affects a quarter of the global population. NAFLD is a spectrum of disease ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which is associated with increased risk of developing liver cancer. Given that the pathogenic mechanisms of fatty liver remain largely elusive, it is important to further investigate potential underlying mechanisms including epigenetic modifications. Here, we performed a systematic review of human epigenetic studies on FLD presence.MethodsFive bibliographic databases were screened until 28 August 2020. We included cross‐sectional, case‐control and cohort studies in humans that examined the association of epigenetic modifications including global, candidate or epigenome‐wide methylation of DNA, noncoding RNAs and histone modifications with FLD.ResultsIn total 36 articles, based on 33 unique studies, consisting of 12 112 participants met the inclusion criteria. Among these, two recent epigenome‐wide association studies conducted among large population‐based cohorts have reported the association between cg06690548 (SLC7A11) and FLD. Moreover, several studies have demonstrated the association between microRNAs (miRNAs) and FLD, in which miR‐122, miR‐34a and miR‐192 were recognized as the most relevant miRNAs as biomarkers for FLD. We did not find any studies examining histone modifications in relation to FLD.ConclusionsCumulative evidence suggests a link between epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation and miRNAs, and FLD. Further efforts should investigate the molecular pathways by which these epigenetic markers may regulate FLD and also the potential role of histone modifications in FLD.
Regiominutus ventralis gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) infesting Aglaia elaeagnoides (Meliaceae) on the Andaman archipelago, India
Authors: Dubey Anil Kumar 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPuparia and third instar of a new diminutive whitefly, Regiominutus ventralis gen. et sp. nov. found infesting underside leaves of Aglaia elaeagnoides (A. Juss) (Meliaceae) on the Andaman Islands, India, are diagnosed, described and discussed. Regiominutus gen. nov. differs from allied genera, Aleuroclava Singh, Aericerus Dubey, Aleuroparvus Dubey, Aleuropleurocelus Drews and Sampson and Tetralicia Harrison in having a submarginal ventral groove, from the former two in having a deflexed submargin and smaller ventral surface and from the latter two in having a caudal furrow. Affinities and differences of the new genus shared with related genera are discussed. Puparium characters observed in slide mounts versus scanning electron microscope (SEM) images are presented. Line drawings, habitus images and SEM, microphotographs of the type specimens are given for the new taxa. This is the first whitefly species to be recorded from this host plant.
Climate‐driven carry‐over effects negatively influence population growth rate in a food‐caching boreal passerine
Authors: Sutton Alex O. , Strickland Dan , Freeman Nikole E. , Norris D. Ryan 
Published: December 2020

AbstractUnderstanding how events throughout the annual cycle are linked is important for predicting variation in individual fitness, but whether and how carry‐over effects scale up to influence population dynamics is poorly understood. Using 38 years of demographic data from Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, and a full annual cycle integrated population model, we examined the influence of environmental conditions and density on the population growth rate of Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis), a resident boreal passerine that relies on perishable cached food for over‐winter survival and late‐winter breeding. Our results demonstrate that fall environmental variables, most notably the number of freeze–thaw events, carried over to influence late‐winter fecundity, which, in turn, was the main vital rate driving population growth. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that warmer and more variable fall conditions accelerate the degradation of perishable stored food that is relied upon for successful reproduction. Future warming during the fall and winter may compromise the viability of cached food that requires consistent subzero temperatures for effective preservation, potentially exacerbating climate‐driven carry‐over effects that impact long‐term population dynamics.
Implementation Science Meets Software Development to Create eHealth Components for an Integrated Care Model for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Facilitated by eHealth: The SMILe Study as an Example
Authors: Leppla Lynn , Hobelsberger Sandra , Rockstein Dennis , Werlitz Viktor , Pschenitza Stefan , Heidegger Phillip , De Geest Sabina , Valenta Sabine , Teynor Alexandra ,   the SMILe study team
Published: December 2020

AbstractPurposeTo describe a process of creating eHealth components for an integrated care model using an agile software development approach, user‐centered design and, via the Behavior Change Wheel, behavior theory‐guided content development. Following the principles of implementation science and using the SMILe project (integrated care model for allogeneic stem cell transplantation facilitated by eHealth) as an example, this study demonstrates how to narrow the research‐to‐practice gap often encountered in eHealth projects.MethodsWe followed a four‐step process: (a) formation of an interdisciplinary team; (b) a contextual analysis to drive the development process via behavioral theory; (c) transfer of content to software following agile software development principles; and (d) frequent stakeholder and end user involvement following user‐centered design principles.FindingsOur newly developed comprehensive development approach allowed us to create a running eHealth component and embed it in an integrated care model. An interdisciplinary team’s collaboration at specified interaction points supported clear, timely communication and interactions between the specialists. Because behavioral theory drove the content development process, we formulated user stories to define the software features, which were prioritized and iteratively developed using agile software development principles. A prototype intervention module has now been developed and received high ratings on the System Usability Scale after two rounds of usability testing.ConclusionsFollowing an agile software development process, structured collaboration between nursing scientists and software specialists allowed our interdisciplinary team to develop meaningful, theory‐based eHealth components adapted to context‐specific needs.Clinical RelevanceThe creation of high‐quality, accurately fitting eHealth components specifically to be embedded in integrated care models should increase the chances of uptake, adoption, and sustainable implementation in clinical practice.
Nurses as agents of disruption: Operationalizing a framework to redress inequities in healthcare access among Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Horrill Tara C. , Martin Donna E. , Lavoie Josée G. , Schultz Annette S. H. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHealth equity is a global concern. Although health equity extends far beyond the equitable distribution of healthcare, equitable access to healthcare is essential to the achievement of health equity. In Canada, Indigenous Peoples experience inequities in health and healthcare access. Cultural safety and trauma‐ and violence‐informed care have been proposed as models of care to improve healthcare access, yet practitioners lack guidance on how to implement these models. In this paper, we build upon an existing framework of equity‐oriented care for primary healthcare settings by proposing strategies to guide nurses in operationalizing cultural safety and trauma‐ and violence‐informed care into nursing practice at the individual level. This component is one strategy to redress inequitable access to care among Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We conceptualize barriers to accessing healthcare as intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural. We then define three domains for nursing action: practicing reflexivity, prioritizing relationships, and considering the context. We have applied this expanded framework within the context of Indigenous Peoples in Canada as a way of illustrating specific concepts and focusing our argument; however, this framework is relevant to other groups experiencing marginalizing conditions and inequitable access to healthcare, and thus is applicable to many areas of nursing practice.