bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mental imagery of object motion in weightlessness
Authors: Gravano Silvio , Lacquaniti Francesco , Zago Myrka 
Published: December 2021

AbstractMental imagery represents a potential countermeasure for sensorimotor and cognitive dysfunctions due to spaceflight. It might help train people to deal with conditions unique to spaceflight. Thus, dynamic interactions with the inertial motion of weightless objects are only experienced in weightlessness but can be simulated on Earth using mental imagery. Such training might overcome the problem of calibrating fine-grained hand forces and estimating the spatiotemporal parameters of the resulting object motion. Here, a group of astronauts grasped an imaginary ball, threw it against the ceiling or the front wall, and caught it after the bounce, during pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight experiments. They varied the throwing speed across trials and imagined that the ball moved under Earth’s gravity or weightlessness. We found that the astronauts were able to reproduce qualitative differences between inertial and gravitational motion already on ground, and further adapted their behavior during spaceflight. Thus, they adjusted the throwing speed and the catching time, equivalent to the duration of virtual ball motion, as a function of the imaginary 0 g condition versus the imaginary 1 g condition. Arm kinematics of the frontal throws further revealed a differential processing of imagined gravity level in terms of the spatial features of the arm and virtual ball trajectories. We suggest that protocols of this kind may facilitate sensorimotor adaptation and help tuning vestibular plasticity in-flight, since mental imagery of gravitational motion is known to engage the vestibular cortex.
A third SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccination improves neutralization of variants-of-concern
Authors: Brinkkemper Mitch , Brouwer Philip J. M. , Maisonnasse Pauline , Grobben Marloes , Caniels Tom G. , Poniman Meliawati , Burger Judith A. , Bontjer Ilja , Oomen Melissa , Bouhuijs Joey H. , van der Linden Cynthia A. , Villaudy Julien , van der Velden Yme U. , Sliepen Kwinten , van Gils Marit J. , Le Grand Roger , Sanders Rogier W. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that are more resistant to antibody-mediated neutralization pose a new hurdle in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Although vaccines based on the original Wuhan sequence have been shown to be effective at preventing COVID-19, their efficacy is likely to be decreased against more neutralization-resistant variants-of-concern (VOC), in particular, the Beta variant originating in South Africa. We assessed, in mice, rabbits, and non-human primates, whether a third vaccination with experimental Wuhan-based Spike vaccines could alleviate this problem. Our data show that a third immunization improves neutralizing antibody titers against the variants-of-concern, Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), and Delta (B.1.617.2). After three vaccinations, the level of neutralization against Beta was similar to the level of neutralization against the original strain after two vaccinations, suggesting that simply providing a third immunization could nullify the reduced activity of current vaccines against VOC.
A salty deep ocean as a prerequisite for glacial termination
Authors: Knorr Gregor , Barker Stephen , Zhang Xu , Lohmann Gerrit , Gong Xun , Gierz Paul , Stepanek Christian , Stap Lennert B. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractDeglacial transitions of the middle to late Pleistocene (terminations) are linked to gradual changes in insolation accompanied by abrupt shifts in ocean circulation. However, the reason these deglacial abrupt events are so special compared with their sub-glacial-maximum analogues, in particular with respect to the exaggerated warming observed across Antarctica, remains unclear. Here we show that an increase in the relative importance of salt versus temperature stratification in the glacial deep South Atlantic decreases the potential cooling effect of waters that may be upwelled in response to abrupt perturbations in ocean circulation, as compared with sub-glacial-maximum conditions. Using a comprehensive coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model, we then demonstrate that an increase in deep-ocean salinity stratification stabilizes relatively warm waters in the glacial deep ocean, which amplifies the high southern latitude surface ocean temperature response to an abrupt weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during deglaciation. The mechanism can produce a doubling in the net rate of warming across Antarctica on a multicentennial timescale when starting from full glacial conditions (as compared with interglacial or subglacial conditions) and therefore helps to explain the large magnitude and rapidity of glacial terminations during the late Quaternary.
Micro-Meta App: an interactive tool for collecting microscopy metadata based on community specifications
Authors: Rigano Alessandro , Ehmsen Shannon , Öztürk Serkan Utku , Ryan Joel , Balashov Alexander , Hammer Mathias , Kirli Koray , Boehm Ulrike , Brown Claire M. , Bellve Karl , Chambers James J. , Cosolo Andrea , Coleman Robert A. , Faklaris Orestis , Fogarty Kevin E. , Guilbert Thomas , Hamacher Anna B. , Itano Michelle S. , Keeley Daniel P. , Kunis Susanne , Lacoste Judith , Laude Alex , Ma Willa Y. , Marcello Marco , Montero-Llopis Paula , Nelson Glyn , Nitschke Roland , Pimentel Jaime A. , Weidtkamp-Peters Stefanie , Park Peter J. , Alver Burak H. , Grunwald David , Strambio-De-Castillia Caterina 
Published: December 2021

AbstractFor quality, interpretation, reproducibility and sharing value, microscopy images should be accompanied by detailed descriptions of the conditions that were used to produce them. Micro-Meta App is an intuitive, highly interoperable, open-source software tool that was developed in the context of the 4D Nucleome (4DN) consortium and is designed to facilitate the extraction and collection of relevant microscopy metadata as specified by the recent 4DN-BINA-OME tiered-system of Microscopy Metadata specifications. In addition to substantially lowering the burden of quality assurance, the visual nature of Micro-Meta App makes it particularly suited for training purposes.
Soundscape and ambient noise levels of the Arctic waters around Greenland
Authors: Ladegaard Michael , Macaulay Jamie , Simon Malene , Laidre Kristin L. , Mitseva Aleksandrina , Videsen Simone , Pedersen Michael Bjerre , Tougaard Jakob , Madsen Peter Teglberg 
Published: December 2021

AbstractA longer Arctic open water season is expected to increase underwater noise levels due to anthropogenic activities such as shipping, seismic surveys, sonar, and construction. Many Arctic marine mammal species depend on sound for communication, navigation, and foraging, therefore quantifying underwater noise levels is critical for documenting change and providing input to management and legislation. Here we present long-term underwater sound recordings from 26 deployments around Greenland from 2011 to 2020. Ambient noise was analysed in third octave and decade bands and further investigated using generic detectors searching for tonal and transient sounds. Ambient noise levels partly overlap with previous Arctic observations, however we report much lower noise levels than previously documented, specifically for Melville Bay and the Greenland Sea. Consistent seasonal noise patterns occur in Melville Bay, Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea, with noise levels peaking in late summer and autumn correlating with open water periods and seismic surveys. These three regions also had similar tonal detection patterns that peaked in May/June, likely due to bearded seal vocalisations. Biological activity was more readily identified using detectors rather than band levels. We encourage additional research to quantify proportional noise contributions from geophysical, biological, and anthropogenic sources in Arctic waters.
Cotton soot derived carbon nanoparticles for NiO supported processing temperature tuned ambient perovskite solar cells
Authors: Bhandari Shubhranshu , Roy Anurag , Ali Mir Sahidul , Mallick Tapas Kumar , Sundaram Senthilarasu 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe emergence of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in a "catfish effect" of other conventional photovoltaic technologies with the massive growth of high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) has given a new direction to the entire solar energy field. Replacing traditional metal-based electrodes with carbon-based materials is one of the front-runners among many other investigations in this field due to its cost-effective processability and high stability. Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (c-PSCs) have shown great potential for the development of large scale photovoltaics. First of its kind, here we introduce a facile and cost-effective large scale carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) synthesis from mustard oil assisted cotton combustion for utilization in the mesoporous carbon-based perovskite solar cell (PSC). Also, we instigate two different directions of utilizing the carbon nanoparticles for a composite high temperature processed electrode (HTCN) and a low temperature processed electrode (LTCN) with detailed performance comparison. NiO/CNP composite thin film was used in high temperature processed electrodes, and for low temperature processed electrodes, separate NiO and CNP layers were deposited. The HTCN devices with the cell structure FTO/c-TiO2/m-TiO2/m-ZrO2/high-temperature NiO-CNP composite paste/infiltrated MAPI (CH3NH3PbI3) achieved a maximum PCE of 13.2%. In addition, high temperature based carbon devices had remarkable stability of ~ 1000 h (ambient condition), retaining almost 90% of their initial efficiency. In contrast, LTCN devices with configuration FTO/c-TiO2/m-TiO2/m-ZrO2/NiO/MAPI/low-temperature CNP had a PCE limit of 14.2%, maintaining ~ 72% of the initial PCE after 1000 h. Nevertheless, we believe this promising approach and the comparative study between the two different techniques would be highly suitable and adequate for the upcoming cutting-edge experimentations of PSC.
A robust approach for industrial small-object detection using an improved faster regional convolutional neural network
Authors: Saeed Faisal , Ahmed Muhammad Jamal , Gul Malik Junaid , Hong Kim Jeong , Paul Anand , Kavitha Muthu Subash 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWith the increasing pace in the industrial sector, the need for a smart environment is also increasing and the production of industrial products in terms of quality always matters. There is a strong burden on the industrial environment to continue to reduce impulsive downtime, concert deprivation, and safety risks, which needs an efficient solution to detect and improve potential obligations as soon as possible. The systems working in industrial environments for generating industrial products are very fast and generate products rapidly, sometimes leading to faulty products. Therefore, this problem needs to be solved efficiently. Considering this problem in terms of faulty small-object detection, this study proposed an improved faster regional convolutional neural network-based model to detect the faults in the product images. We introduced a novel data-augmentation method along with a bi-cubic interpolation-based feature amplification method. A center loss is also introduced in the loss function to decrease the inter-class similarity issue. The experimental results show that the proposed improved model achieved better classification accuracy for detecting our small faulty objects. The proposed model performs better than the state-of-the-art methods.
Enlargement of female pupils when perceiving something cute
Authors: Kuraguchi Kana , Kanari Kei 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIt is reported that women’s pupils dilate when they see a baby; it is unclear if this pupillary response is caused by the perception of cuteness itself. Since many objects besides babies can be perceived as cute, we investigated whether the perception of cuteness, or the type of object observed, is related to pupil dilation. In the first experiment, female participants were requested to rate the subjective cuteness of greyscale pictures of objects such as animals and foods; their pupil sizes were measured. The results showed a significant positive correlation between perceived cuteness and participants’ pupil dilation. In the second experiment, participants rated the cuteness of images of female faces. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between perceived cuteness and pupil dilation. In our study, perceiving cuteness enlarged female observers’ pupils except when observing female faces. Positive reactions associated with cuteness may be premised on the existence of unconscious perceptual alterations and physical responses.
Myeloid-associated differentiation marker is a novel SP-A-associated transmembrane protein whose expression on airway epithelial cells correlates with asthma severity
Authors: Dy Alane Blythe C. , Langlais Paul R. , Barker Natalie K. , Addison Kenneth J. , Tanyaratsrisakul Sasipa , Boitano Scott , Christenson Stephanie A. , Kraft Monica , Meyers Deborah , Bleecker Eugene R. , Li Xingnan , Ledford Julie G. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractSurfactant protein A (SP-A) is well-known for its protective role in pulmonary immunity. Previous studies from our group have shown that SP-A mediates eosinophil activities, including degranulation and apoptosis. In order to identify potential binding partners on eosinophils for SP-A, eosinophil lysates were subjected to SP-A pull-down and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis. We identified one membrane-bound protein, myeloid-associated differentiation marker (MYADM), as a candidate SP-A binding partner. Blocking MYADM on mouse and human eosinophils ex vivo prevented SP-A from inducing apoptosis; blocking MYADM in vivo led to increased persistence of eosinophilia and airway hyper-responsiveness in an ovalbumin (OVA) allergy model and increased airways resistance and mucus production in a house dust mite (HDM) asthma model. Examination of a subset of participants in the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) cohort revealed a significant association between epithelial expression of MYADM in asthma patients and parameters of airway inflammation, including: peripheral blood eosinophilia, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and the number of exacerbations in the past 12 months. Taken together, our studies provide the first evidence of MYADM as a novel SP-A-associated protein that is necessary for SP-A to induce eosinophil apoptosis and we bring to light the potential importance of this previously unrecognized transmembrane protein in patients with asthma.
The importance of selecting the correct site to apply spinal manipulation when treating spinal pain: Myth or reality? A systematic review
Authors: Nim Casper G. , Downie Aron , O’Neill Søren , Kawchuk Gregory N. , Perle Stephen M. , Leboeuf-Yde Charlotte 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe concept that spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) outcomes are optimized when the treatment is aimed at a clinically relevant joint is commonly assumed and central to teaching and clinical use (candidate sites). This systematic review investigated whether clinical effects are superior when this is the case compared to SMT applied elsewhere (non-candidate sites). Eligible study designs were randomized controlled trials that investigated the effect of spinal manipulation applied to candidate versus non-candidate sites for spinal pain. We obtained data from four different databases. Risk of bias was assessed using an adjusted Cochrane risk of bias tool, adding four items for study quality. We extracted between-group differences for any reported outcome or, when not reported, calculated effect sizes from the within-group changes. We compared outcomes for SMT applied at a ‘relevant’ site to SMT applied elsewhere. We prioritized methodologically robust studies when interpreting results. Ten studies, all of acceptable quality, were included that reported 33 between-group differences—five compared treatments within the same spinal region and five at different spinal regions. None of the nine studies with low or moderate risk of bias reported statistically significant between-group differences for any outcome. The tenth study reported a small effect on pain (1.2/10, 95%CI − 1.9 to − 0.5) but had a high risk of bias. None of the nine articles of low or moderate risk of bias and acceptable quality reported that “clinically-relevant” SMT has a superior outcome on any outcome compared to “not clinically-relevant” SMT. This finding contrasts with ideas held in educational programs and clinical practice that emphasize the importance of joint-specific application of SMT.
LC–MS peak assignment based on unanimous selection by six machine learning algorithms
Authors: Ito Hiroaki , Matsui Takashi , Konno Ryo , Itakura Makoto , Kodera Yoshio 
Published: December 2021

AbstractRecent mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques enable deep proteome coverage with relative quantitative analysis, resulting in increased identification of very weak signals accompanied by increased data size of liquid chromatography (LC)–MS/MS spectra. However, the identification of weak signals using an assignment strategy with poorer performance results in imperfect quantification with misidentification of peaks and ratio distortions. Manually annotating a large number of signals within a very large dataset is not a realistic approach. In this study, therefore, we utilized machine learning algorithms to successfully extract a higher number of peptide peaks with high accuracy and precision. Our strategy evaluated each peak identified using six different algorithms; peptide peaks identified by all six algorithms (i.e., unanimously selected) were subsequently assigned as true peaks, which resulted in a reduction in the false-positive rate. Hence, exact and highly quantitative peptide peaks were obtained, providing better performance than obtained applying the conventional criteria or using a single machine learning algorithm.
A large-scale diffusion imaging study of tinnitus and hearing loss
Authors: Khan Rafay A. , Sutton Bradley P. , Tai Yihsin , Schmidt Sara A. , Shahsavarani Somayeh , Husain Fatima T. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractSubjective, chronic tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of an external source, commonly occurs with many comorbidities, making it a difficult condition to study. Hearing loss, often believed to be the driver for tinnitus, is perhaps one of the most significant comorbidities. In the present study, white matter correlates of tinnitus and hearing loss were examined. Diffusion imaging data were collected from 96 participants—43 with tinnitus and hearing loss (TINHL), 17 with tinnitus and normal hearing thresholds (TINNH), 17 controls with hearing loss (CONHL) and 19 controls with normal hearing (CONNH). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity and probabilistic tractography analyses were conducted on the diffusion imaging data. Analyses revealed differences in FA and structural connectivity specific to tinnitus, hearing loss, and both conditions when comorbid, suggesting the existence of tinnitus-specific neural networks. These findings also suggest that age plays an important role in neural plasticity, and thus may account for some of the variability of results in the literature. However, this effect is not seen in tractography results, where a sensitivity analysis revealed that age did not impact measures of network integration or segregation. Based on these results and previously reported findings, we propose an updated model of tinnitus, wherein the internal capsule and corpus callosum play important roles in the evaluation of, and neural plasticity in response to tinnitus.
Low energy electrodynamics of CrI3 layered ferromagnet
Authors: Tomarchio Luca , Macis Salvatore , Mosesso Lorenzo , Nguyen Loi T. , Grilli Antonio , Guidi Mariangela Cestelli , Cava Robert J. , Lupi Stefano 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe report on the optical properties from terahertz (THz) to Near-Infrared (NIR) of the layered magnetic compound CrI3 at various temperatures, both in the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phase. In the NIR spectral range, we observe an insulating electronic gap around 1.1 eV which strongly hardens with decreasing temperature. The blue shift observed represents a record in insulating materials and it is a fingerprint of a strong electron-phonon interaction. Moreover, a further gap hardening is observed below the Curie temperature, indicating the establishment of an effective interaction between electrons and magnetic degrees of freedom in the ferromagnetic phase. Similar interactions are confirmed by the disappearance of some phonon modes in the same phase, as expected from a spin-lattice interaction theory. Therefore, the optical properties of CrI3 reveal a complex interaction among electronic, phononic and magnetic degrees of freedom, opening many possibilities for its use in 2-Dimensional heterostructures.
Virucidal efficacy of guanidine-free inactivants and rapid test buffers against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Davies Katherine , Arnold Ulrike , Buczkowski Hubert , Burton Christopher , Welch Stephen R. , Green Nicole , Strachan Rhea , Beetar-King Tracy , Spencer Peter , Hettiarachchi Nipunadi , Hannah Matthew J. , Jones Matthew , Cane Patricia A. , Bruce Christine B. , Woodford Neil , Roberts Allen D. G. , Killip Marian J. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractA pathogen inactivation step during collection or processing of clinical samples has the potential to reduce infectious risks associated with diagnostic procedures. It is essential that these inactivation methods are demonstrated to be effective, particularly for non-traditional inactivation reagents or for commercial products where the chemical composition is undisclosed. This study assessed inactivation effectiveness of twenty-four next-generation (guanidine-free) nucleic acid extraction lysis buffers and twelve rapid antigen test buffers against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. These data have significant safety implications for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing and support the design and evidence-based risk assessment of these procedures.
Investigating genetically mimicked effects of statins via HMGCR inhibition on immune-related diseases in men and women using Mendelian randomization
Authors: Yang Guoyi , Schooling C. Mary 
Published: December 2021

AbstractStatins have been suggested as a potential treatment for immune-related diseases. Conversely, statins might trigger auto-immune conditions. To clarify the role of statins in allergic diseases and auto-immune diseases, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Using established genetic instruments to mimic statins via 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) inhibition, we assessed the effects of statins on asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the largest available genome wide association studies (GWAS). Genetically mimicked effects of statins via HMGCR inhibition were not associated with any immune-related diseases in either study after correcting for multiple testing; however, they were positively associated with the risk of asthma in East Asians (odds ratio (OR) 2.05 per standard deviation (SD) decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20 to 3.52, p value 0.009). These associations did not differ by sex and were robust to sensitivity analysis. These findings suggested that genetically mimicked effects of statins via HMGCR inhibition have little effect on allergic diseases or auto-immune diseases. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that genetically mimicked effects of statins via HMGCR inhibition might increase the risk of asthma in East Asians.