bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Telomere attrition rates are associated with weather conditions and predict productive lifespan in dairy cattle
Authors: Seeker Luise A. , Underwood Sarah L. , Wilbourn Rachael V. , Dorrens Jennifer , Froy Hannah , Holland Rebecca , Ilska Joanna J. , Psifidi Androniki , Bagnall Ainsley , Whitelaw Bruce , Coffey Mike , Banos Georgios , Nussey Daniel H. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTelomere length is predictive of adult health and survival across vertebrate species. However, we currently do not know whether such associations result from among-individual differences in telomere length determined genetically or by early-life environmental conditions, or from differences in the rate of telomere attrition over the course of life that might be affected by environmental conditions. Here, we measured relative leukocyte telomere length (RLTL) multiple times across the entire lifespan of dairy cattle in a research population that is closely monitored for health and milk production and where individuals are predominantly culled in response to health issues. Animals varied in their change in RLTL between subsequent measurements and RLTL shortened more during early life and following hotter summers which are known to cause heat stress in dairy cows. The average amount of telomere attrition calculated over multiple repeat samples of individuals predicted a shorter productive lifespan, suggesting a link between telomere loss and health. TL attrition was a better predictor of when an animal was culled than their average TL or the previously for this population reported significant TL at the age of 1 year. Our present results support the hypothesis that TL is a flexible trait that is affected by environmental factors and that telomere attrition is linked to animal health and survival traits. Change in telomere length may represent a useful biomarker in animal welfare studies.
Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM): a new tool for 3D microrheology
Authors: Matheson Andrew B. , Paterson Lynn , Wright Amanda J. , Mendonca Tania , Tassieri Manlio , Dalgarno Paul A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe introduce a novel 3D microrheology system that combines for the first time Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM). The system allows the 3D tracking of an optically trapped bead, with ~ 20 nm accuracy along the optical axis. This is achieved without the need for a high precision z-stage, separate calibration sample, nor a priori knowledge of either the bead size or the optical properties of the suspending medium. Instead, we have developed a simple yet effective in situ spatial calibration method using image sharpness and exploiting the fact we image at multiple planes simultaneously. These features make OpTIMuM an ideal system for microrheology measurements, and we corroborate the effectiveness of this novel microrheology tool by measuring the viscosity of water in three dimensions, simultaneously.
Integrative network analyses of transcriptomics data reveal potential drug targets for acute radiation syndrome
Authors: Moore Robert , Puniya Bhanwar Lal , Powers Robert , Guda Chittibabu , Bayles Kenneth W. , Berkowitz David B. , Helikar Tomáš 
Published: March 2021

AbstractRecent political unrest has highlighted the importance of understanding the short- and long-term effects of gamma-radiation exposure on human health and survivability. In this regard, effective treatment for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is a necessity in cases of nuclear disasters. Here, we propose 20 therapeutic targets for ARS identified using a systematic approach that integrates gene coexpression networks obtained under radiation treatment in humans and mice, drug databases, disease-gene association, radiation-induced differential gene expression, and literature mining. By selecting gene targets with existing drugs, we identified potential candidates for drug repurposing. Eight of these genes (BRD4, NFKBIA, CDKN1A, TFPI, MMP9, CBR1, ZAP70, IDH3B) were confirmed through literature to have shown radioprotective effect upon perturbation. This study provided a new perspective for the treatment of ARS using systems-level gene associations integrated with multiple biological information. The identified genes might provide high confidence drug target candidates for potential drug repurposing for ARS.
“Intracascaral space” an eggshell structure of Caiman latirostris eggs
Authors: Piazza Mila V. , Fernández Mariela S. , Leiva Pamela M. L. , Piña Carlos I. , Simoncini Melina S. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn recent decades, eggshells of eggs from large-bodied reptiles have been studied by many researchers, to describe the eggshell, to compare them to extinct lineages that once inhabited our planet and also to understand how the egg provides the embryo specific conditions during incubation. In previous studies we described and characterized normal and pathologic Caiman latirostris eggshells; we also evaluated how the eggshell changes during incubation. In a study relating temperature variation and eggshell structures of successful eggs, we observed empty structures not previously described that we termed “intracascaral space”. The aim of this study is to describe this structure of C. latirostris eggshells. We hypothesize about the possible functions which it would perform during incubation and for development of the embryos.
BASP1 labels neural stem cells in the neurogenic niches of mammalian brain
Authors: Manganas Louis N. , Durá Irene , Osenberg Sivan , Semerci Fatih , Tosun Mehmet , Mishra Rachana , Parkitny Luke , Encinas Juan M. , Maletic-Savatic Mirjana 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe mechanisms responsible for determining neural stem cell fate are numerous and complex. To begin to identify the specific components involved in these processes, we generated several mouse neural stem cell (NSC) antibodies against cultured mouse embryonic neurospheres. Our immunohistochemical data showed that the NSC-6 antibody recognized NSCs in the developing and postnatal murine brains as well as in human brain organoids. Mass spectrometry revealed the identity of the NSC-6 epitope as brain abundant, membrane-attached signal protein 1 (BASP1), a signaling protein that plays a key role in neurite outgrowth and plasticity. Western blot analysis using the NSC-6 antibody demonstrated multiple BASP1 isoforms with varying degrees of expression and correlating with distinct developmental stages. Herein, we describe the expression of BASP1 in NSCs in the developing and postnatal mammalian brains and human brain organoids, and demonstrate that the NSC-6 antibody may be a useful marker of these cells.
Traits and risk factors of post-disaster infectious disease outbreaks: a systematic review
Authors: Charnley Gina E. C. , Kelman Ilan , Gaythorpe Katy A. M. , Murray Kris A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractInfectious disease outbreaks are increasingly recognised as events that exacerbate impacts or prolong recovery following disasters. Yet, our understanding of the frequency, geography, characteristics and risk factors of post-disaster disease outbreaks globally is lacking. This limits the extent to which disease outbreak risks can be prepared for, monitored and responded to following disasters. Here, we conducted a global systematic review of post-disaster outbreaks and found that outbreaks linked to conflicts and hydrological events were most frequently reported, and most often caused by bacterial and water-borne agents. Lack of adequate WASH facilities and poor housing were commonly reported risk factors. Displacement, through infrastructure damage, can lead to risk cascades for disease outbreaks; however, displacement can also be an opportunity to remove people from danger and ultimately protect health. The results shed new light on post-disaster disease outbreaks and their risks. Understanding these risk factors and cascades, could help improve future region-specific disaster risk reduction.
Galectin-9 expression correlates with therapeutic effect in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Sun Jiao , Sui Yameng , Wang Yunqing , Song Lijun , Li Dong , Li Guosheng , Liu Jianwei , Shu Qiang 
Published: March 2021

AbstractGalectin-9 (Gal-9) is a multifunctional immunomodulatory factor highly expressed in RA. This study aimed to investigate the expression of Gal-9 and its correlation with disease activity and therapeutic response in RA patients. Active RA patients were enrolled and treated with tacrolimus (TAC) alone or in combination therapy for 12 weeks in a prospective cohort study. Clinical and immunological parameters were recorded at baseline and week 12. We measured Gal-9 expression in different T cell subsets and in plasma. The disease activity of RA patients decreased after treatment. At baseline, the Gal-9 expression percentage was higher in the group with severe disease than in mild or moderate groups. After treatment, the Gal-9 expression in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4-CD8− cell subsets decreased, as well as Gal-9 mean fluorescence intensity in CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Similarly, plasma Gal-9 levels were lower at week 12 than at baseline. Good responders showed significantly lower Gal-9 expression on CD3+ and CD4+ T cell subsets and lower plasma Gal-9 levels than poor responders. Gal-9 expression positively correlates with disease activity in RA patients. Gal-9 can be regarded as a new biomarker for evaluating RA activity and therapeutic effect, including TAC.
A machine learning approach to personalized dose adjustment of lamotrigine using noninvasive clinical parameters
Authors: Zhu Xiuqing , Huang Wencan , Lu Haoyang , Wang Zhanzhang , Ni Xiaojia , Hu Jinqing , Deng Shuhua , Tan Yaqian , Li Lu , Zhang Ming , Qiu Chang , Luo Yayan , Chen Hongzhen , Huang Shanqing , Xiao Tao , Shang Dewei , Wen Yuguan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe pharmacokinetic variability of lamotrigine (LTG) plays a significant role in its dosing requirements. Our goal here was to use noninvasive clinical parameters to predict the dose-adjusted concentrations (C/D ratio) of LTG based on machine learning (ML) algorithms. A total of 1141 therapeutic drug-monitoring measurements were used, 80% of which were randomly selected as the "derivation cohort" to develop the prediction algorithm, and the remaining 20% constituted the "validation cohort" to test the finally selected model. Fifteen ML models were optimized and evaluated by tenfold cross-validation on the "derivation cohort,” and were filtered by the mean absolute error (MAE). On the whole, the nonlinear models outperformed the linear models. The extra-trees’ regression algorithm delivered good performance, and was chosen to establish the predictive model. The important features were then analyzed and parameters of the model adjusted to develop the best prediction model, which accurately described the C/D ratio of LTG, especially in the intermediate-to-high range (≥ 22.1 μg mL−1 g−1 day), as illustrated by a minimal bias (mean relative error (%) =  + 3%), good precision (MAE = 8.7 μg mL−1 g−1 day), and a high percentage of predictions within ± 20% of the empirical values (60.47%). This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, to use ML algorithms to predict the C/D ratio of LTG. The results here can help clinicians adjust doses of LTG administered to patients to minimize adverse reactions.
Profiling of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 expression in bladder cancers
Authors: Al-saraireh Yousef M. , Alshammari Fatemah O. F. O. , Youssef Ahmed M. M. , Al-Sarayreh Sameeh , Almuhaisen Ghadeer H. , Alnawaiseh Nedal , Al Shuneigat Jehad M. , Alrawashdeh Hamzeh M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBladder cancer is the tenth most common cancer worldwide, where its burden remains a challenge and needs new novel therapies. Several reports indicate expression of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 in many tumours. Their expressions are associated with a poor prognosis, and therefore proposed as promising biomarkers or targets for anticancer therapy. By using immunohistochemistry, expression of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 was evaluated in a panel of different types of bladder cancer, and the enzymes’ relation to histopathological features were assessed. Results showed an increased expression of CYP4Z1 (54.3%) and CYP1B1 (76.9%) in the majority of bladder cancers compared to weak or lack of expression of both enzymes in normal tissues. CYP4Z1expression was significantly associated with tumour grade and stage where the expression was markedly increased in a high grade and advanced stage of the disease (p < 0.05). Additionally, CYP1B1 expression was also associated with TNM staging (p < 0.05) and its expression was increased in patients with lymph node metastasis. The expression profiles of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 suggest that both enzymes have the potential to be biomarkers or targets for novel anticancer therapy for bladder cancer. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to better delineate whether these enzymes are druggable targets.
Intercalation as a versatile tool for fabrication, property tuning, and phase transitions in 2D materials
Authors: Rajapakse Manthila , Karki Bhupendra , Abu Usman O. , Pishgar Sahar , Musa Md Rajib Khan , Riyadh S. M. Shah , Yu Ming , Sumanasekera Gamini , Jasinski Jacek B. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractRecent advances in two-dimensional (2D) materials have led to the renewed interest in intercalation as a powerful fabrication and processing tool. Intercalation is an effective method of modifying the interlayer interactions, doping 2D materials, modifying their electronic structure or even converting them into starkly different new structures or phases. Herein, we discuss different methods of intercalation and provide a comprehensive review of various roles and applications of intercalation in next‐generation energy storage, optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, catalysis, etc. The recent progress in intercalation effects on crystal structure and structural phase transitions, including the emergence of quantum phases are also reviewed.
Advanced lipodystrophy reverses fatty liver in mice lacking adipocyte hormone-sensitive lipase
Authors: Pajed Laura , Taschler Ulrike , Tilp Anna , Hofer Peter , Kotzbeck Petra , Kolleritsch Stephanie , Radner Franz P. W. , Pototschnig Isabella , Wagner Carina , Schratter Margarita , Eder Sandra , Huetter Sabrina , Schreiber Renate , Haemmerle Guenter , Eichmann Thomas O. , Schweiger Martina , Hoefler Gerald , Kershaw Erin E. , Lass Achim , Schoiswohl Gabriele 
Published: March 2021

AbstractModulation of adipocyte lipolysis represents an attractive approach to treat metabolic diseases. Lipolysis mainly depends on two enzymes: adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). Here, we investigated the short- and long-term impact of adipocyte HSL on energy homeostasis using adipocyte-specific HSL knockout (AHKO) mice. AHKO mice fed high-fat-diet (HFD) progressively developed lipodystrophy accompanied by excessive hepatic lipid accumulation. The increased hepatic triglyceride deposition was due to induced de novo lipogenesis driven by increased fatty acid release from adipose tissue during refeeding related to defective insulin signaling in adipose tissue. Remarkably, the fatty liver of HFD-fed AHKO mice reversed with advanced age. The reversal of fatty liver coincided with a pronounced lipodystrophic phenotype leading to blunted lipolytic activity in adipose tissue. Overall, we demonstrate that impaired adipocyte HSL-mediated lipolysis affects systemic energy homeostasis in AHKO mice, whereby with older age, these mice reverse their fatty liver despite advanced lipodystrophy.
Effects of natural and experimental drought on soil fungi and biogeochemistry in an Amazon rain forest
Authors: Buscardo Erika , Souza Rômulo C. , Meir Patrick , Geml József , Schmidt Steven K. , da Costa Antônio C. L. , Nagy Laszlo 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMicrobiota are essential components of the soil, driving biogeochemical cycles. Fungi affect decomposition and biotic interactions with plants across scales. Climate projections suggest that extended dry seasons may transform sensitive rain forests into savanna-like vegetation, with consequent changes in biogeochemistry. Here we compare the impacts of natural seasonality with 14 years of partial throughfall exclusion in an Amazonian rain forest, focussing on soil fungal functional diversity, extracellular soil enzyme activities (EEA) and their implications for nutrient dynamics. Large changes in fungal diversity and functional group composition occur in response to drought, with a conspicuous increase in the abundance of dark-septate fungi and a decrease in fungal pathogens. The high seasonality of EEA in the control (non droughted) and suppression of seasonality in the drought treatment, together with an increased implied nitrogen demand in the dry season induced by experimental drought, suggest that the changed soil microbiota activity may signal a pending shift in the biogeochemical functioning of the forest.
Examining the Relationship Between Speech Recognition and a Spectral–Temporal Test With a Mixed Group of Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant Users
Authors: Aronoff Justin M. , Duitsman Leah , Matusik Deanna K. , Hussain Senad , Lippmann Elise 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
Audiology clinics have a need for a nonlinguistic test for assessing speech scores for patients using hearing aids or cochlear implants. One such test, the Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test Lite for computeRless Measurement (SLRM), has been developed for use in clinics, but it, as well as the related Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test, has primarily been assessed with cochlear implant users. The main goal of this study was to examine the relationship between SLRM and the Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test (AzBio) for a mixed group of hearing aid and cochlear implant users.

Method
Adult hearing aid users and cochlear implant users were tested with SLRM, AzBio in quiet, and AzBio in multitalker babble with a +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Results
SLRM scores correlated with both AzBio recognition scores in quiet and in noise.

Conclusions
The results indicated that there is a significant relationship between SLRM and AzBio scores when testing a mixed group of cochlear implant and hearing aid users. This suggests that SLRM may be a useful nonlinguistic test for use with individuals with a variety of hearing devices.
Effects of Background Noise on Speech and Language in Young Adults
Authors: Harmon Tyson G. , Dromey Christopher , Nelson Brenna , Chapman Kacy 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate how different types of background noise that differ in their level of linguistic content affect speech acoustics, speech fluency, and language production for young adult speakers when performing a monologue discourse task.

Method
Forty young adults monologued by responding to open-ended questions in a silent baseline and five background noise conditions (debate, movie dialogue, contemporary music, classical music, and pink noise). Measures related to speech acoustics (intensity and frequency), speech fluency (speech rate, pausing, and disfluencies), and language production (lexical, morphosyntactic, and macrolinguistic structure) were analyzed and compared across conditions. Participants also reported on which conditions they perceived as more distracting.

Results
All noise conditions resulted in some change to spoken language compared with the silent baseline. Effects on speech acoustics were consistent with expected changes due to the Lombard effect (e.g., increased intensity and fundamental frequency). Effects on speech fluency showed decreased pausing and increased disfluencies. Several background noise conditions also seemed to interfere with language production.

Conclusions
Findings suggest that young adults present with both compensatory and interference effects when speaking in noise. Several adjustments may facilitate intelligibility when noise is present and help both speaker and listener maintain attention on the production. Other adjustments provide evidence that background noise eliciting linguistic interference has the potential to degrade spoken language even for healthy young adults, because of increased cognitive demands.
Technological innovations for green production: The Green Foundry case study
Authors: Saetta Stefano , Caldarelli Valentina 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTechnological innovations aim to improve manufacturing processes. In recent times, ever‐increasing attention to economic, social and above all, environmental sustainability, suggests that technological innovations are techniques not only for reducing costs but also for improving company sustainability. This includes the foundry industry, which is presented with the need for technological changes that improve processes but also satisfy environmental and climate regulations. This case study attempts to analyse the technological changes necessary not only to optimise production processes but also to make them more sustainable. Starting from the introduction of a new production process that aims to reduce environmental impact, the necessary plant changes are analysed. These changes concern various areas: the introduction of new machinery, lean techniques for inventory management and management modes of production waste material. The paper analyses these changes and demonstrates the need to act in several areas to make a production process that is sustainable from an economic, social and environmental point of view.
Adaptive iterative error recovery detection algorithm for uplink massive multiple‐input multiple‐output systems
Authors: Wu Wenxiu , Jiang Xueqin , Hou Jia 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this paper, an error recovery (ER) detection based on the lattice reduction (LR) algorithm with adaptive iteration is presented for uplink massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) systems to obtain an improved bit error rate (BER) performance, especially when the number of active users increases. In the proposed algorithm, as the result of LR pre‐processing, a larger diagonally dominant index (DDI) is used to measure the diagonal dominance of gram matrix for the initialisation of the ER detection. In addition, the larger DDI could be further used to realise adaptive iteration, which helps to strike a trade‐off between the BER performance and the computational complexity. Moreover, two properties of the DDI are derived, and the simulation results show that the larger DDI leads to better detection performance, and it could be widely applied to linear elimination and MIMO detection algorithms.
Non‐linear adaptive tracking control for quadrotor aerial robots under uncertain dynamics
Authors: Liu Yen‐Chen , Ou Tsung‐Wei 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis paper presents the design, analysis, and implementation of an adaptive backstepping controller for underactuated quadrotors to track time‐varying trajectories with parameter uncertainties. Quadrotor systems are subject to complicated non‐linearity and coupling dynamics, so the ignorance of parameter uncertainties may cause performance degradation and even instability. With the concept of nominal input, the uncertain mass and inertia are decoupled from the lifting force and moment torque. By utilizing the backstepping technique, the design procedure with adaptive laws for dynamic parameters is proposed to ensure stability and convergence of tracking errors to the origin asymptotically. The proposed control scheme is extended to control a quadrotor with velocity motor input while the motor coefficients and geometric parameters are handled by the adaptive laws. A trajectory generation for the proposed adaptive tracking controller is addressed subsequently. The proposed controller requires only the position and orientation of the quadrotor with the twice‐differentiable trajectories, while previous work demanded acceleration information. Simulation and experimental results are illustrated to show the efficacy of tracking performance for object transportation.