bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum magnesium, bone–mineral metabolism markers and their interactions with kidney function on subsequent risk of peripheral artery disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Menez Steven , Ding Ning , Grams Morgan E , Lutsey Pamela L , Heiss Gerardo , Folsom Aaron R , Selvin Elizabeth , Coresh Josef , Jaar Bernard G , Matsushita Kunihiro 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Background
Few studies have investigated the association of magnesium levels with incident peripheral artery disease (PAD) despite emerging evidence of magnesium contributing to vascular calcification. Moreover, no data are available on whether the magnesium–PAD relationship is independent of or modified by kidney function.

Methods
A cohort of 11 839 participants free of PAD in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study at Visit 2 (1990–92) was studied. We investigated the association of serum magnesium and other bone–mineral metabolism markers [calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and intact fibroblast growth factor-23] with incident PAD using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results
Over a median of 23 years, there were 471 cases of incident PAD. The hazard ratio for incident PAD in Quartile 1 (&lt;1.5 mEq/L) versus Quartile 4 (&gt;1.7 mEq/L) of magnesium was 1.96 (95% confidence interval 1.40–2.74) after adjustment for potential confounders. Lower magnesium levels were associated with greater incidence of PAD, particularly in those with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 11 606). In contrast, the association was largely flat in those with eGFR &lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 233) with P-for-interaction 0.03. Among bone–mineral metabolism markers, only higher iPTH showed an interaction with kidney function (P-for-interaction 0.01) and iPTH &gt;65 pg/mL was significantly related to PAD only in those with eGFR &lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m2.

Conclusions
Lower magnesium was independently associated with incident PAD, but this association was significantly weaker in those with reduced kidney function. In contrast, higher iPTH levels were particularly related to PAD risk in this clinical population.
Gamma-ray spectra from thermal neutron capture on gadolinium-155 and natural gadolinium
Authors: Tanaka Tomoyuki , Hagiwara Kaito , Gazzola Enrico , Ali Ajmi , Ou Iwa , Sudo Takashi , Kumar Das Pretam , Singh Reen Mandeep , Dhir Rohit , Koshio Yusuke , Sakuda Makoto , Kimura Atsushi , Nakamura Shoji , Iwamoto Nobuyuki , Harada Hideo , Collazuol Gianmaria , Lorenz Sebastian , Wurm Michael , Focillon William , Gonin Michel , Yano Takatomi 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Natural gadolinium is widely used for its excellent thermal neutron capture cross section, because of its two major isotopes: $^{\rm 155}$Gd and $^{\rm 157}$Gd. We measured the $\gamma$-ray spectra produced from the thermal neutron capture on targets comprising a natural gadolinium film and enriched $^{\rm 155}$Gd (in Gd$_{2}$O$_{3}$ powder) in the energy range from 0.11 MeV to 8.0 MeV, using the ANNRI germanium spectrometer at MLF, J-PARC. The freshly analyzed data of the $^{\rm 155}$Gd($n, \gamma$) reaction are used to improve our previously developed model (ANNRI-Gd model) for the $^{\rm 157}$Gd($n, \gamma$) reaction [K. Hagiwara et al. [ANNRI-Gd Collaboration], Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. 2019, 023D01 (2019)], and its performance confirmed with the independent data from the $^{\rm nat}$Gd($n, \gamma$) reaction. This article completes the development of an efficient Monte Carlo model required to simulate and analyze particle interactions involving the thermal neutron captures on gadolinium in any relevant future experiments.
A Sharp Lorentz-Invariant Strichartz Norm Expansion for the Cubic Wave Equation in ℝ1+3
Authors: Negro Giuseppe 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We provide an asymptotic formula for the maximal Strichartz norm of small solutions to the cubic wave equation in Minkowski space. The leading coefficient is given by Foschi’s sharp constant for the linear Strichartz estimate. We calculate the constant in the second term, which differs depending on whether the equation is focussing or defocussing. The sign of this coefficient also changes accordingly.
Bovine or Porcine: Does the Type of Surfactant Matter?
Authors: Boshoff Coyles Lize , Joolay Yaseen , Tooke Lloyd 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Background
Hyaline membrane disease contributes majorly to preterm mortality, particularly in the developing world. There are two animal-derived surfactants available in South Africa: poractant-alfa (120 mg/1.5 ml) and beractant (100 mg/4 ml). At equivalent doses, studies have shown no difference in mortality or morbidity, although there are limited data from the developing world. Both surfactants have been available for use at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town but due to policy change, poractant-alfa was no longer available from November 2014. Due to weight-based dosing charts, infants who were given poractant-alfa received 20% higher dosages of phospholipid.

Methods
A before-and-after policy change non-experimental study was performed including infants from 2013 to 2015. Infants weighing &lt;1500 g were recruited by identifying them from the surfactant register and further data were obtained from patient records. Data fields included infant weight, gestation, respiratory support and outcomes.

Results
Two hundred and eight infants were included. One hundred and eight received beractant and 100 received poractant-alfa. The mean birth weight was 1031 g and gestational age 28.8 weeks. Seventy-nine percent of the infants received surfactant via the INSURE (intubation, surfactant and extubation) method. The combined outcome for death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia was 35.3% in the beractant group and 36% in the poractant-alfa group (p = 0.902). All secondary outcomes including neonatal morbidities, oxygen at 28 days or length of ventilation were not statistically significant.

Conclusion
There were no significant differences in outcomes between the two groups of infants who received different surfactants at the dosages used in our unit. This is one of the few studies of this type performed in a low- and middle-income countries.
Using Low-Cost Models for Training First-Year Pediatric Residents on 4 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–Required Procedures
Authors: Petroski Tara , Lawrence Lynn , Qiao Haiping , Wrotniak Brian H. 
Published: February 2020

Objectives
The aims of the study were to assess the feasibility of using low-cost models to train first-year pediatric residents and to examine whether residents who receive such training will be as competent as their experienced colleagues in performing 4 American College of Graduate Education–required procedures, including suturing, splinting, lumbar puncture, and venipuncture.

Methods
We performed a pilot study with postgraduate year (PGY) 1 to 3 residents. Postgraduate year 1 residents completed a self-assessment questionnaire before the onset of training. A lecture was given to all PGY levels residents about procedural techniques. The PGY-1 residents practiced these techniques on low-fidelity models immediately after the lecture. One and 9 months after the initial lecture, all residents were assessed on these models using a 10-point checklist for each skill.

Results
Thirteen PGY-1 residents, 10 PGY-2 residents, and 10 PGY-3 residents completed the study. There was no statistically significant difference in performance of PGY-1 residents when compared with PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents in performing lumbar puncture, venipuncture, and suturing on models in the initial assessment that was performed 1 month after the lecture. Postgraduate year 1 residents performed equally well to PGY-3 residents and significantly (P < 0.05) better than PGY-2 residents, in splinting.
There was no statistically significant difference between groups at final follow-up, supporting that training on models could help enhance proficiency among residents.

Conclusions
This pilot study supports the feasibility of using low-cost models to train residents on invasive and painful procedures. Furthermore, residents trained on models showed maintenance of skills for a 9-month period.
Hemodynamic modeling of aspirin effects on BOLD responses at 7T
Authors: Do Cao-Tri , Manjaly Zina-Mary , Heinzle Jakob , Schöbi Dario , Kasper Lars , Pruessmann Klaas P. , Stephan Klaas Enno , Frässle Stefan 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAspirin is considered a potential confound for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. This is because aspirin affects the synthesis of prostaglandin, a vasoactive mediator centrally involved in neurovascular coupling, a process that underlies the blood oxygenated level dependent (BOLD) response. Aspirin-induced changes in BOLD signal are a potential confound for fMRI studies of patients (e.g. with cardiovascular conditions or stroke) who receive low-dose aspirin prophylactically and are compared to healthy controls that do not take aspirin. To examine the severity of this potential confound, we combined high field (7 Tesla) MRI during a simple hand movement task with a biophysically informed hemodynamic model. Comparing elderly volunteers with vs. without aspirin medication, we tested for putative effects of low-dose chronic aspirin on the BOLD response. Specifically, we fitted hemodynamic models to BOLD signal time courses from 14 regions of the human motor system and examined whether model parameter estimates were significantly altered by aspirin. While our analyses indicate that hemodynamics differed across regions, consistent with the known regional variability of the BOLD response, we neither found a significant main effect of aspirin (i.e., an average effect across brain regions) nor an expected drug×region interaction. While our sample size is not sufficiently large to rule out small-to-medium global effects of aspirin, we had adequate statistical power for detecting the expected interaction. Altogether, our analysis suggests that low-dose aspirin, as used for prophylactic purposes, does not strongly affect BOLD signals and may not represent a critical confound for fMRI studies.
Dysregulated lipid metabolism precedes onset of psychosis in people at clinical high risk
Authors: Dickens Alex M. , Sen Partho , Kempton Matthew J , Barrantes-Vidal Neus , Iyegbe Conrad , Nordentoft Merete , Pollak Thomas , Riecher-Rössler Anita , Ruhrmann Stephan , Sachs Gabriele , Bressan Rodrigo , Krebs Marie-Odile , de Haan Lieuwe , van der Gaag Mark , Valmaggia Lucia , Hyötyläinen Tuulia , Orešič Matej , McGuire Philip ,   the EU-GEI High Risk Study
Published: February 2020

AbstractA key clinical challenge in the management of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) is that it is difficult to predict their future clinical outcomes. Here, we investigated if the levels of circulating molecular lipids are related to adverse clinical outcomes in this group. Serum lipidomic analysis was performed in 263 CHR individuals and 51 healthy controls (HC), who were then clinically monitored for up to five years. Machine learning was used to identify lipid profiles that discriminated between CHR subjects and HC, and between subgroups of CHR subjects with distinct clinical outcomes. At baseline, compared to HC, CHR subjects (independent of outcome) had higher levels of triacylglycerols (TGs) with a low acyl carbon number and a double bond count, as well as higher levels of lipids in general. CHR subjects who subsequently developed psychosis (n=50) were distinguished from those that did not (n=213) on the basis of lipid profile at baseline, using a model with an AUC = 0.81 (95% CI = 0.69-0.93). CHR subjects who became psychotic had lower levels of ether phospholipids than CHR individuals who did not (p<0.01). Collectively, these data suggest that lipidomic abnormalities predate the onset of psychosis, and that blood lipidomic measures may be useful in predicting which CHR individuals are most likely to develop psychosis.
FLAME: Macroscopic imaging with microscopic resolution. Optical biopsy of human skin
Authors: Fast Alexander , Lal Akarsh , Durkin Amanda F. , Zachary Christopher B. , Ganesan Anand K. , Balu Mihaela 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe introduce a compact, fast large area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME) system with enhanced molecular contrast for macroscopic imaging of human skin with microscopic resolution. A versatile imaging platform with multiple modes of operation for comprehensive analysis of live or resected thick human skin tissue, it produces 3D images that encompass sub-mm2to cm2scale areas of tissue within minutes. The FLAME imaging platform, which expands on a design recently introduced by our group, features deep learning, additional scanning hardware elements and time-resolved single photon counting detection to uniquely allow fast discrimination and 3D virtual staining of melanin. We demonstrate its performance and utility by fastex vivoandin vivoimaging of human skin. With the ability to provide rapid access to depth resolved images of skin over cm2area and to generate 3D distribution maps of key sub-cellular skin components such as melanocytic dendrites and melanin, FLAME represents a promising imaging tool for enhancing diagnosis accuracy, guiding therapy and understanding skin biology.
Arabidopsis AZG2, an auxin induced putative cytokinin transporter, regulates lateral root emergence
Authors: Tessi Tomás M. , Brumm Sabine , Winklbauer Eva , Schumacher Benjamin , Lescano Carlos I. , González Claudio A. , Wanke Dierk , Maurino Verónica G. , Harter Klaus , Desimone Marcelo 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTThe phytohormones cytokinin (CK) and auxin are key regulators of plant growth and development. During the last decade specialised transport mechanisms turned out to be the key for the control of local and long distance hormone distributions. In contrast to auxin, CK transport is poorly understood. Here we show thatArabidopsis thalianaAZG2, a member of the AZG purine transporter family, acts as CK transporter involved in the determination of the root system architecture. The expression ofAtAZG2is primarily auxin dependent and restricted to a small group of cells surrounding the lateral root primordia. Compared to wild type, mutants carrying loss-of-function alleles ofAtazg2have higher density of lateral roots, suggesting AZG2 as being part of a regulatory pathway in lateral root emergence. Moreover,azg2mutants are partially insensitive to exogenously applied CK, which is consistent with the observation that the CK reporter geneTCSnpro:GFPshowed lower fluorescence signal in the roots ofazg2mutants compared to those of wild type. These results indicate a defective CK signalling pathway in the region of lateral root primordia. By the integration of AtAZG2 subcellular localization and CK transport capacity data, our results allowed us to propose a local Auxin/CK signalling model for the regulation of lateral root emergence.
Retrograde induction of phyB orchestrates ethylene-auxin hierarchy to regulate growth
Authors: Jiang Jishan , Xiao Yanmei , Hu Wei , Chen Hao , Zeng Liping , Ke Haiyan , Ditengou Franck A. , Devisetty Upendra , Palme Klaus , Maloof Julin , Dehesh Katayoon 
Published: February 2020

AbstractExquisitely regulated plastid-to-nucleus communication by retrograde signaling pathways is essential for fine-tuning of responses to the prevailing environmental conditions. The plastidial retrograde signaling metabolite methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP) has emerged as a stress signal transduced into a diverse ensemble of response outputs. Here we demonstrate enhanced phytochrome B protein abundance in red-light grown MEcPP-accumulating mutant (ceh1) plant relative to wild-type seedlings. We further establish MEcPP-mediated coordination of phytochrome B with auxin and ethylene signaling pathways, and uncover differential hypocotyl growth of red-light grown seedlings in response to these phytohormones. Genetic and pharmacological interference with ethylene and auxin pathways outline the hierarchy of responses, placing auxin epistatic to the ethylene signaling pathway. Collectively, our finding establishes the key role of a plastidial retrograde metabolite in orchestrating the transduction of a repertoire of signaling cascades, and positions plastids at the zenith of relaying information coordinating external signals and internal regulatory circuitry to secure organismal integrity.Two sentence summaryThe plastidial retrograde metabolite, MEcPP, orchestrates coordination of light and hormonal signaling cascade through induction of phytochrome B abundance and modulation of auxin and ethylene levels for optimal adaptive responses to light environment.
Impact of prior and projected climate change on US Lyme disease incidence
Authors: Couper Lisa I. , MacDonald Andrew J. , Mordecai Erin A. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractLyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in temperate zones and a growing public health threat in the United States (US). The life cycles of the tick vectors and spirochete pathogen are highly sensitive to climate, but determining the impact of climate change on Lyme disease burden has been challenging due to the complex ecology of the disease and the presence of multiple, interacting drivers of transmission. Here we incorporated 18 years of annual, county-level Lyme disease case data in a panel data statistical model to investigate prior effects of climate variation on disease incidence while controlling for other putative drivers. We then used these climate-disease relationships to project Lyme disease cases using CMIP5 global climate models and two potential climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). We find that interannual variation in Lyme disease incidence is associated with climate variation in all US regions encompassing the range of the primary vector species. In all regions, the climate predictors explained less of the variation in Lyme disease incidence than unobserved county-level heterogeneity, but the strongest climate-disease association detected was between warming annual temperatures and increasing incidence in the Northeast. Lyme disease projections indicate that cases in the Northeast will increase significantly by 2050 (23,619 ± 21,607 additional cases), but only under RCP8.5, and with large uncertainty around this projected increase. Significant case changes are not projected for any other region under either climate scenario. The results demonstrate a regionally variable and nuanced relationship between climate change and Lyme disease, indicating possible nonlinear responses of vector ticks and transmission dynamics to projected climate change. Moreover, our results highlight the need for improved preparedness and public health interventions in endemic regions to minimize the impact of further climate change-induced increases in Lyme disease burden.
Inferring the Spiking Rate of a Population of Neurons from Wide-Field Calcium Imaging
Authors: Stern Merav , Shea-Brown Eric , Witten Daniela 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWide-field calcium imaging techniques allow recordings of high-resolution neuronal activity across one or more brain regions. However, since the recordings capture light emission generated by the fluorescence of the calcium indicator, the neural activity that drives the calcium changes is masked by the calcium indicator dynamics. Here we develop and evaluate new methods to deconvolve the calcium traces and estimate the underlying neural spiking rate. Our methods take into account both the noise in the recordings and the temporal dynamics of the calcium indicator response. Our first proposal estimates firing rates that are constant over discrete time bins. The size of each time bin depends on the data and is determined dynamically. Our second proposal estimates the rate as a continuous function and is meant for studies that look for slow rate fluctuations rather than abrupt changes. We compare our results with those of two alternative approaches: direct deconvolution using a ‘first differences’ approach, and the ‘Lucy-Richardson’ image recovery method, adapted to recover temporal dynamics. We show that our methods outperform competitors on synthetic data as well as on wide-field calcium recordings in which the spikes were recorded in parallel using multi-channel silicon probe.
Godanti Bhasma (anhydrous CaSO4) induces massive cytoplasmic vacuolation and cell survival response through stimulation of LC3 Associated Phagocytosis (LAP)
Authors: Das Subrata K. , Joshi Alpana , Bisht Laxmi , Das Neeladrisingha , Balkrishna Achariya , Dhara Santanu 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBhasmas are Ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulations that have been used since ancient times for therapeutic benefits. Godanti Bhasma (GB) is an anhydrous calcium sulfate preparation processed by heating of gypsum powder with herbal extracts. Thermo-transformation of gypsum into the anhydrous GB was confirmed by Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy. GB particle showed size range of 0.5-5 µm and neutral surface charge. Exposure to mammalian cells with GB particles showed massive vacuolation in their cytoplasm. Interestingly, no vacuolation was observed with parent gypsum particle. The result indicated that the cytoplasmic vacuolation by GB was due to its unique physicochemical property obtained during the thermo-transformation of gypsum. Using lysosomal inhibitors Bafilomycin A1 (BFA1) and Chloroquine (CQ), the process of vacuole formation was suppressed indicating GB induced vacuolation require acidic environment. The GB induced vacuolation was also found to follow dose and time dependent manner. Vacuolation often accompany with the sign of cell death whereas, in our study, massive vacuolation by GB did not induce any cell death. Moreover, GB treated cells survive with massive vacuolar process, which was reversed following post-treatment with vacuole inhibitors in GB treated cells, suggesting normal vacuolar function is essential for cell survival. Treatment of cells with GB was also found to induce translocation of LC3 protein from the nucleus to vacuolar membrane, indicating LC3 associated phagocytosis (LAP) is involved in the vacuolar process. Interestingly, the LAP function was found to be reversed in the cells treated with vacuole inhibitors. Our results provide a mechanistic correlation with GB induced vacuolation and associated LAP function, essential for cell survival.Abstract Figure
The cation diffusion facilitator protein MamM’s cytoplasmic domain exhibits metal-type dependent binding modes and discriminates against Mn2+
Authors: Barber-Zucker Shiran , Hall Jenny , Froes Afonso , Kolusheva Sofiya , MacMillan Fraser , Zarivach Raz 
Published: February 2020

SummaryCation diffusion facilitator (CDF) proteins are a conserved family of divalent transition metal cation transporters. CDF proteins are usually composed of two domains: the transmembrane domain (TMD), in which the metal cations are transported through, and a regulatory cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (CTD). Each CDF protein transports either one specific metal, or multiple metals, from the cytoplasm. Here, the model CDF protein MamM, from magnetotactic bacteria, was used to probe the role of the CTD in metal selectivity. Using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches, the binding of different metals to MamM CTD was characterized. Results reveal that different metals bind distinctively to MamM CTD in terms of; their binding sites, thermodynamics and binding-dependent conformation, both in crystal form and in solution. Furthermore, the results indicate that the CTD discriminates against Mn2+and provides the first direct evidence that CDF CTD’s play a role in metal selectivity.