bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Attenuated Directed Exploration during Reinforcement Learning in Gambling Disorder
Authors: Wiehler A. , Chakroun K. , Peters J. 
Published: February 2021

Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioral addiction associated with impairments in value-based decision-making and behavioral flexibility and might be linked to changes in the dopamine system. Maximizing long-term rewards requires a flexible trade-off between the exploitation of known options and the exploration of novel options for information gain. This exploration-exploitation trade-off is thought to depend on dopamine neurotransmission. We hypothesized that human gamblers would show a reduction in directed (uncertainty-based) exploration, accompanied by changes in brain activity in a fronto-parietal exploration-related network. Twenty-three frequent, non-treatment seeking gamblers and twenty-three healthy matched controls (all male) performed a four-armed bandit task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Computational modeling using hierarchical Bayesian parameter estimation revealed signatures of directed exploration, random exploration, and perseveration in both groups. Gamblers showed a reduction in directed exploration, whereas random exploration and perseveration were similar between groups. Neuroimaging revealed no evidence for group differences in neural representations of basic task variables (expected value, prediction errors). Our hypothesis of reduced frontal pole (FP) recruitment in gamblers was not supported. Exploratory analyses showed that during directed exploration, gamblers showed reduced parietal cortex and substantia-nigra/ventral-tegmental-area activity. Cross-validated classification analyses revealed that connectivity in an exploration-related network was predictive of group status, suggesting that connectivity patterns might be more predictive of problem gambling than univariate effects. Findings reveal specific reductions of strategic exploration in gamblers that might be linked to altered processing in a fronto-parietal network and/or changes in dopamine neurotransmission implicated in GD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWiehler et al. (2021) report that gamblers rely less on the strategic exploration of unknown, but potentially better rewards during reward learning. This is reflected in a related network of brain activity. Parameters of this network can be used to predict the presence of problem gambling behavior in participants.
Population Receptive Field Shapes in Early Visual Cortex Are Nearly Circular
Authors: Lerma-Usabiaga Garikoitz , Winawer Jonathan , Wandell Brian A. 
Published: February 2021

The visual field region where a stimulus evokes a neural response is called the receptive field (RF). Analytical tools combined with functional MRI (fMRI) can estimate the RF of the population of neurons within a voxel. Circular population RF (pRF) methods accurately specify the central position of the pRF and provide some information about the spatial extent (diameter) of the RF. A number of investigators developed methods to further estimate the shape of the pRF, for example, whether the shape is more circular or elliptical. There is a report that there are many pRFs with highly elliptical pRFs in early visual cortex (V1–V3; Silson et al., 2018). Large aspect ratios (>2) are difficult to reconcile with the spatial scale of orientation columns or visual field map properties in early visual cortex. We started to replicate the experiments and found that the software used in the publication does not accurately estimate RF shape: it produces elliptical fits to circular ground-truth data. We analyzed an independent data set with a different software package that was validated over a specific range of measurement conditions, to show that in early visual cortex the aspect ratios are <2. Furthermore, current empirical and theoretical methods do not have enough precision to discriminate ellipses with aspect ratios of 1.5 from circles. Through simulation we identify methods for improving sensitivity that may estimate ellipses with smaller aspect ratios. The results we present are quantitatively consistent with prior assessments using other methodologies.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWe evaluated whether the shape of many population receptive fields (RFs) in early visual cortex is elliptical and differs substantially from circular. We evaluated two tools for estimating elliptical models of the pRF; one tool was valid over the measured compliance range. Using the validated tool, we found no evidence that confidently rejects circular fits to the pRF in visual field maps V1, V2, and V3. The new measurements and analyses are consistent with prior theoretical and experimental assessments in the literature.
Is pre-freeze sperm preparation more advantageous than post-freeze?
Authors: Androni Dimitra Apostolia , Dodds Sophie , Tomlinson Mathew , Maalouf Walid E 
Published: February 2021

Human sperm cryopreservation is characterised to this day by sub-optimal success rates. Interestingly, a traditional approach to improving post-thaw outcome has been to integrate standard sperm preparation techniques into freezing protocols as a means of selecting sperm with the highest fertilisation potential prior to insemination. However, no consensus has been reached yet regarding the optimal timing (before or after freezing) of this selection step. Following analysis of a total of 20 human semen samples, which were divided into two aliquots prepared by density gradient centrifugation either before or after freezing, this study demonstrated higher post-thaw total (P < 0.0001), progressively motile (P = 0.005) and vital (P < 0.0001) sperm counts for frozen-prepared semen samples. The present study suggests that direct insemination with frozen-prepared sperm with minimal intervening post-thaw processing might be a more advantageous approach to current clinical practices, particularly for donor and patient intrauterine insemination programmes. Further research into cryopreservation-induced coiled sperm tail morphology is also warranted.

Lay summary
Freezing and storing of sperm in liquid nitrogen (’sperm cryopreservation') is the current method of choice for preserving the fertility of a wide scope of men. Nevertheless, sub-optimal sperm survival is still associated with traditional cryopreservation methods, namely 'slow freezing', and may affect fertility treatment success rates. Interestingly, a widely applied approach for selecting high-quality sperm before treatment has been to incorporate 'sperm preparation' techniques, such as density gradient centrifugation, in slow freezing protocols. There is, however, an ongoing debate regarding which is the optimal timing of this selection step: before or after freezing. In this study, we collected 20 human semen samples which were divided into two portions and subjected to density gradient centrifugation either before or after freezing. Post-thaw semen analyses demonstrated significantly improved sperm counts (P < 0.05) when density gradient centrifugation was performed before freezing, thus suggesting this approach to be more advantageous for current clinical practices.
High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Bronchiolitis at a Pediatric Emergency Department: Trends and Outcomes
Authors: Lipshaw Matthew J. , Vukovic Adam A. , Dean Preston , Semenova Olga , Zhang Yin , Eckerle Michelle , Murtagh Kurowski Eileen 
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVES:
Use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) for bronchiolitis has increased, but data describing the current use and impact of this therapy are limited. Our objective with this study was to describe the use of HFNC for bronchiolitis in a pediatric emergency department (ED) from 2013 to 2019 and to explore associations with clinical outcomes.

METHODS:
This was a retrospective cohort study of children aged 2 to 24 months with the diagnosis of bronchiolitis. The primary outcome was HFNC initiation in the ED. Secondary outcomes included admission rate, ICU (PICU) admission, transfer to PICU from floor, and endotracheal intubation. An adjusted interrupted times series analysis was performed to analyze changes in rates of primary and secondary outcomes over time.

RESULTS:
In total 11 149 children met inclusion criteria; 902 (8.1%) were initiated on HFNC. The rate of HFNC initiation increased from 1.3% in 2012–2013 to 17.0% in 2018–2019 (Ptrend ≤ .001). Less than 30% of children initiated on HFNC were hypoxic. There were no significant changes over time in rates of hospital admission, PICU admission, or PICU transfer, adjusting for clinical severity, seasonality, and provider variation. Intubation rate increased over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS:
We found a 13-fold increase in HFNC use over a 6-year period with no evidence of improvement in clinically meaningful outcomes. Clinical benefit should be clearly defined before further expansion of the use of HFNC for bronchiolitis in the ED.
The essential role of theory in minimizing harm from emerging technologies. Lost in committee?. •
Authors: Gullo Matthew J. , Saunders John B. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA coherent framework for addressing risk arising from new technologies is needed. In proposing a framework of broad application and future focus, where empirical evidence is scarce, reliance on strong theory becomes all the more important. Some technologies are more prone to excessive engagement than others (i.e. more addictive). Some users are also more susceptible to excessive engagement than others. Impulsivity theory emphasises the importance of reinforcement magnitude in determining the risk associated with a new technology, and that an individual's sensitivity to reinforcement (reward drive) and capacity to inhibit previously reinforced behaviour (rash impulsiveness) determines their susceptibility to problematic engagement. Online gaming provides a good example of how such theory can be applied to facilitate intervention efforts and develop policy.
Expanding on the multidisciplinary stakeholder framework to minimize harms for problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies. •
Authors: Shi Jing , van der Maas Mark , Turner Nigel E. , Potenza Marc N. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAs new types of problematic behaviors and new forms of online risk-taking emerge, forming collaborative relationships while understanding complexities of motivations may help to promote harm reduction and intervention. While it may be too early to form a stakeholder framework without first conceptually understanding the problematic behaviors involved, we attempt to build upon a proposed multidisciplinary stakeholder framework to minimize harms for problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies. We propose an expansion of roles for individual stakeholders and an expansion of proposed roles for family stakeholders to include partner/spouses, others living in the household, and/or those with close relationships with individuals who are experiencing problems. Empowering individuals who use emerging technologies through participatory action research and knowledge translation/dissemination may lead to improvements in the quality of research and a greater impact on policy and practice. Also, we discuss benefits of industry self-regulation and collaboration on data-sharing practices. We recommend approaches to promote global collaboration with a larger group of relevant stakeholders (including but not limited to individual consumers of technology, families, communities, treatment and welfare providers, researchers, industries, and governments) to address protection of vulnerable populations and reduce harms for users of rapidly advancing technologies.
Urinary Single-Cell Profiling Captures the Cellular Diversity of the Kidney
Authors: Abedini Amin , Zhu Yuan O. , Chatterjee Shatakshee , Halasz Gabor , Devalaraja-Narashimha Kishor , Shrestha Rojesh , S. Balzer Michael , Park Jihwan , Zhou Tong , Ma Ziyuan , Sullivan Katie Marie , Hu Hailong , Sheng Xin , Liu Hongbo , Wei Yi , Boustany-Kari Carine M. , Patel Uptal , Almaani Salem , Palmer Matthew , Townsend Raymond , Blady Shira , Hogan Jonathan ,   The TRIDENT Study Investigators, Morton Lori , Susztak Katalin 
Published: February 2021

Significance Statement
Microscopic analysis of urinary sediment is one of the most fundamental tests in nephrology. Urinary cells, however, have not been characterized in a standardized, unbiased manner. Single-cell transcriptomics of urine, of subjects with diabetic kidney disease and controls, were used to characterize 23,082 urinary cells in an unbiased manner. Combined analysis of urinary, kidney, and bladder cells indicated the technique can detect almost all kidney cell types and a variety of bladder cell types in human urine. This pilot study provides a reference dataset for future urinary single-cell characterization.

Background
Microscopic analysis of urine sediment is probably the most commonly used diagnostic procedure in nephrology. The urinary cells, however, have not yet undergone careful unbiased characterization.

Methods
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis was performed on 17 urine samples obtained from five subjects at two different occasions, using both spot and 24-hour urine collection. A pooled urine sample from multiple healthy individuals served as a reference control. In total 23,082 cells were analyzed. Urinary cells were compared with human kidney and human bladder datasets to understand similarities and differences among the observed cell types.

Results
Almost all kidney cell types can be identified in urine, such as podocyte, proximal tubule, loop of Henle, and collecting duct, in addition to macrophages, lymphocytes, and bladder cells. The urinary cell–type composition was subject specific and reasonably stable using different collection methods and over time. Urinary cells clustered with kidney and bladder cells, such as urinary podocytes with kidney podocytes, and principal cells of the kidney and urine, indicating their similarities in gene expression.

Conclusions
A reference dataset for cells in human urine was generated. Single-cell transcriptomics enables detection and quantification of almost all types of cells in the kidney and urinary tract.
Relaxation of Goat Detrusor Muscle by L-arginine Involves NO-dependent but Guanylyl Cyclase Independent Activation of KCa Channels
Authors: Baruah Rousy K. , Deka Dilip K. 
Published: February 2021

Background: Urinary incontinence is a major problem both in man and animals particularly dogs. L-arginine, the precursor of NO, relaxes coronary artery smooth muscle by opening of KATP channels. L-arginine has beneficial circulatory effects in patients with essential and secondary hypertension. However, not much is known about the role of L-arginine on bladder physiology. In view of this, the present work investigated the functional role of L- arginine on detrusor smooth muscle of goat. Methods: Detrusor strips of goat, collected from local abattoir were mounted in a thermostatically controlled (37° ± 0.5°C) organ bath (20 ml capacity) containing physiological solution. After 1 hr of equilibrium, carbachol (CCh) (10-5 M) was used to induce sub-maximal contraction. L-arginine (10-3 M) was added at the plateau of contraction to see any observable effect in absence and presence of modulators of NO and ion channels. Result: L- arginine (10-3 M) reversed the contractions induced by CCh (10-5 M) on detrusor tissues. Methylene blue (MB) (10-5 M), the non-specific guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, failed to attenuate the relaxant response of L-arginine but, the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME (3 x 10-6 M) inhibited the relaxant response of L-arginine. The KATP channel blocker glibenclamide (10-6 M) failed to inhibit the relaxation induced by L-arginine while KCa channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA) (10-3 M) inhibited the relaxant response of L-arginine. The results of the present study suggest that L-arginine produces relaxation of goat detrusor muscle and the L-arginine-elicited relaxation is NO-dependent but guanylyl cyclase independent which activates KCa channels.
Comparitive Genome Sequence Analysis of Bovine Lymphocyte Antigen BoLA DRB3.2 Alleles in Deoni and Ongole (Bos indicus) Cattle Breeds of India
Authors: Saravanan R. , Murali N. , Thiruvenkadan A.K. , Das D.N. 
Published: February 2021

Background: India, a major livestock region of the Asian countries is rich in animal genetic resources having special qualities of hardy nature, resistance to many diseases and adopted to adverse climatic conditions. The cattle MHC, Bovine Lymphocyte Antigen DRB3 (BoLA-DRB3) is considered to be a major gene linked with disease resistance traits of Indian cattle. Methods: The present study was carried out to sequence the BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles in Deoni and Ongole breeds of Indian cattle. PCR RFLP analysis of the BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles in Deoni (n=51) and Ongole (n=60) cattle using three different restriction enzymes RsaI, BstYI and HaeIII to find out the possible restriction pattern. Based on the combined allelic patterns, each sample was further analyzed by PCR- SBT technique to detect the SNP variations present in BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles. Result: The PCR RFLP analysis revealed that the highest frequent alleles are *6 (0.216) and *15 (0.225) in Deoni and Ongole breeds of cattle, respectively. The second-highest frequency was observed for BoLA alleles *11 and *6 which were present at a frequency of 0.167 and 0.200 in Deoni and Ongole breeds of cattle, respectively. To get the complete picture of polymorphic pattern of BoLA-DRB3.2 allele direct sequencing was carried out for each plymorphic pattern. The interesting feature noticed in the Ongole breed was that at position 91 and 133 of the sequence, it had both A and G nucleotides in contrast to Bos taurus breed, which had only TT nucleotides. The sequence analysis of BoLA-DRB3 exon 2 between two breeds revealed that there are numerous variations in exon 2, whatever variation, that lead to different mobility shift and band pattern in gels. Deoni and Ongole breeds of cattle had similar variations at positions 94, 134, 211, 235 and 258noticed due to the unique nature of native breeds.
Mathematical modelling and verbal abilities: How they determine students’ ability to solve mathematical word problems?
Authors: Sarjana Ketut , Hayati Laila , Wahidaturrahmi Wahidaturrahmi 
Published: February 2021

[English]: This study aims to determine the level of lower secondary school students’ ability in solving mathematical word problems and how much both mathematical modelling ability and verbal ability influence the ability to solve word problems in the implementation of Kurikulum 2013 (Curriculum 2013). This study involved 411 students as samples determined by stratified proportional random sampling technique. The test used was declared valid through construct validity and reliability with Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Descriptively, the students' ability in solving mathematical word problems was classified as medium. Meanwhile, inferentially, results were obtained indicating that: (1) students' verbal ability is significantly influential on the ability to solve word problems by 47.6%; (2) the students’ ability in mathematical modelling is significantly influential on the ability to solve word problems by 84.6%; and (3) students' verbal and mathematical modelling abilities are significantly influential on the ability to solve word problems by 87.8%. This indicates that the increase in students' ability to solve mathematical word problems will be more optimal if the verbal ability and the mathematical modelling ability are considered simultaneously, rather than focusing on one ability only.
Keywords: Verbal ability, Mathematical modelling, word problems, Curriculum 2013
[Bahasa]: Penelitian ini bertujuan menentukan tingkat kemampuan siswa SMP menyelesaikan soal cerita matematika dan seberapa besar pengaruh kemampuan membuat model matematika dan verbal terhadap kemampuan menyelesaikan soal cerita pada pelaksaaan kurikulum 2013. Penelitian ini melibatkan 411 siswa sebagai sampel yang ditentukan melalui teknik stratified porposional random sampling. Tes yang digunakan dinyatakan valid melalui uji validitas konstruk dan reliabel dengan Alpha Cronbach. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan inferensial. Secara deskriptif, kemampuan siswa dalam menyelesaikan soal cerita matematika masih tergolong sedang. Sedangkan secara inferensial diperoleh hasil bahwa (1) kemampuan verbal siswa berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kemampuan menyelesaikan soal cerita, dengan kemampuan verbal 47,6%; 2) kemampuan siswa dalam membuat model matematika berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kemampuan menyelesaikan soal cerita, dengan kemampuan membuat model matematika 84,6%; 3) kemampuan verbal dan membuat model matematika siswa berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kemampuan menyelesaikan soal cerita, dengan kemampuan verbal dan membuat model matematika sebesar 87,8%. Hal ini mengindikasikan bahwa peningkatan kemampuan siswa dalam menyelesaikan soal cerita matematika akan lebih optimal jika kemampuan verbal dan kemampuan membuat model matematika diperhatikan secara bersamaan dibandingkan hanya fokus pada salah satu kemampuan saja.
Kata kunci : Kemampuan verbal, Model matematika, Soal cerita, Kurikulum 2013
Methodological problems of studying personal educational trajectories in pedagogical psychology
Authors: Gasanova R. R. 
Published: February 2021

Modern education is actively changing and looking for directions for its development, work optimization, as well as ways to minimize the processes of destruction and degradation of university and secondary, cultural and professional, general and additional education.The research objective is to comprehend the methodological problems of studying personal educational trajectories in educational psychology.Research methodology. The work represents a theoretical understanding of the methodological problems of studying personal educational trajectories in pedagogical psychology. Our study develops the idea of the systematic understanding significance of methodological problems of studying personal educational trajectories in pedagogical psychology.The study main results. Various aspects of the methodological problems of studying personal educational trajectories in pedagogical psychology are reflected in many works of domestic and foreign researchers. However, they are fragmented and do not meet the demands of modern practice with its constant changes. They do not meet many of the needs related to progressive innovations in the field of procedural and substantive dialogue, substantive and procedural individualization, orientation towards obtaining effective and necessary knowledge that help a person to become a cultural subject. They do not correspond to regressive returns to standardization formalism, the rejection of fundamental education and understanding a person of himself and the world in favor of functional fragmentation and commodification, which reduces education to the purchase of competencies and/or documents on the purchase of competencies. The educational space formation is the basis to create an individual educational trajectory for developing a person as an individual, partner and professional. Individual educational trajectories act as a condition for students' self-determination in the educational space. Making it possible to choose one's own educational trajectory is an essential component of the modern educational environment.Conclusions. Both the standards of general and additional education, and the original educational and their support should be organized on clearly verified and transparent grounds, within the framework of models methodically and methodologically formulated and formed based on scientific ideas. It is necessary to take into account and minimize various risks of developing and implementing individual educational trajectories of students in educational organizations: the interaction of participants in educational relations.