bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laterodorsal tegmentum–ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals
Authors: Coimbra Bárbara , Domingues Ana Verónica , Soares‐Cunha Carina , Correia Raquel , Pinto Luísa , Sousa Nuno , Rodrigues Ana João 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a brainstem nucleus classically involved in REM sleep and attention, and that has recently been associated with reward‐related behaviors, as it controls the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, modulating dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. To further understand the role of LDT–VTA inputs in reinforcement, we optogenetically manipulated these inputs during different behavioral paradigms in male rats. We found that in a two‐choice instrumental task, optical activation of LDT–VTA projections shifts and amplifies preference to the laser‐paired reward in comparison to an otherwise equal reward; the opposite was observed with inhibition experiments. In a progressive ratio task, LDT–VTA activation boosts motivation, that is, enhances the willingness to work to get the reward associated with LDT–VTA stimulation; and the reverse occurs when inhibiting these inputs. Animals abolished preference if the reward was omitted, suggesting that LDT–VTA stimulation adds/decreases value to the stimulation‐paired reward. In addition, we show that LDT–VTA optical activation induces robust preference in the conditioned and real‐time place preference tests, while optical inhibition induces aversion. The behavioral findings are supported by electrophysiological recordings and c‐fos immunofluorescence correlates in downstream target regions. In LDT–VTA ChR2 animals, we observed an increase in the recruitment of lateral VTA dopamine neurons and D1 neurons from nucleus accumbens core and shell; whereas in LDT–VTA NpHR animals, D2 neurons appear to be preferentially recruited. Collectively, these data show that the LDT–VTA inputs encode positive reinforcement signals and are important for different dimensions of reward‐related behaviors.
Does attentional focus modulate affective information processing in male violent offenders with psychopathic traits?
Authors: Scheeff Jonathan , Schneidt Alexander , Schönenberg Michael 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAntisocial and psychopathic individuals are characterized by a reduced responsivity to affective information. Yet, the role of attentional processes as possible modulator of these deficits is poorly understood. The current study investigated early and late processing of emotional stimuli in a sample of incarcerated offenders while manipulating the attentional focus. Twenty‐seven male violent offenders with psychopathic traits and 27 healthy controls completed two experimental tasks while electroencephalography (EEG) data were collected. Task 1 assessed indirect processing of emotional or neutral distractors during a perceptual judgment task, while Task 2 measured direct processing of the emotional or neutral stimuli and required participants to rate the stimuli regarding valence and arousal. EEG data indicated no differences in early stage processing (early posterior negativity) between the experimental groups. However, we found significant group differences with regard to the late processing stage (late positive potential, LPP). Controls showed increased LPP amplitudes in Task 2 as compared to Task 1, indicating that task demands (i.e., attentional focus) had an effect on the processing of the emotional stimuli. In contrast, LPP amplitudes in the violent offender group were largely unaffected by task demands, suggesting specific late alterations in the neural processing of emotional stimuli. In sum, this study provides new evidence for a modulatory impact of attention on affective information processing in male violent offenders with psychopathic traits.
Effect of adjunctive systemic antibiotics on microbial populations compared with scaling and root planing alone for the treatment of periodontitis: A pilot randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lu Hongye , He Lu , Jin Dongsiqi , Zhu Yunxuan , Meng Huanxin 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate the microbial shift after periodontitis being treated by scaling and root planing (SRP) with or without adjunctive antibiotics, and to assess the relationship between oral microbiota and systemic factors.MethodsA 6‐month pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 14 subjects with severe periodontitis, divided into test group and control group to receive full‐mouth SRP with or without amoxicillin (500 mg) and metronidazole (200 mg) (three times a day for 7 days). Clinical examination, collection of subgingival plaque and saliva, and blood tests were performed at baseline pre‐treatment, 3 months, and 6 months post‐treatment. The V3V4 region of 16S DNA was sequenced; taxonomic assignment was based on the Human Oral Microbiome Database.ResultsThe periodontal condition significantly improved in both groups; the test group showed a greater improvement in plaque index, probing depth, and bleeding index than the control group. The test group demonstrated significantly lower microbial richness and diversity, and less abundant Porphyromonas than the control group at 3 months for both subgingival microbiome and salivary microbiome. However, the microbial differences narrowed within 6 months. The subgingival and salivary microbiota shifted synergistically. Glucose was positively related to subgingival Porphyromonas; mean platelet volume was positively related to subgingival Leptotrichia.ConclusionsSystemic administration of amoxicillin and metronidazole along with SRP had an advantage over SRP alone in clinical improvement and infection control in both the subgingival region and saliva 3 months post‐treatment. Microbial advantage nearly disappeared at 6 months; however, the clinical advantage lasted longer. The use of antibiotics also has potential benefits for systemic inflammation and glucose.
Rapid diagnosis of lung cancer and glioma based on serum Raman spectroscopy combined with deep learning
Authors: Chen Chen , Wu Wei , Chen Cheng , Chen Fangfang , Dong Xiaogang , Ma Mingrui , Yan Ziwei , Lv Xiaoyi , Ma Yuhua , Zhu Min 
Published: August 2021

AbstractLung cancer and glioma are common malignancies worldwide and pose a serious threat to human health. There may be a certain correlation between lung cancer patients and glioma patients in serum composition, but to date, no study on the classification and correlation of lung cancer and glioma is available. In this paper, the differences and relationships between lung cancer and glioma were analyzed from serum Raman spectra. The existing detection methods of lung cancer and glioma are time consuming and expensive, so we propose a method based on patient serum Raman spectra combined with deep learning, which can screen lung cancer and glioma accurately with speed and low cost. In this study, features were extracted from the original spectral data of patients with lung cancer, glioma, and control subjects. By adding different decibels of white Gaussian noise to the training set for data enhancement, the enhanced training set data were imported into a multilayer perceptron (MLP), recursive neural network (RNN), convolutional neural network (CNN), and AlexNet using fivefold cross‐validation to build the diagnostic model. The results show that PLS‐AlexNet is the best model. The accuracy of this model in the binary classification experiment of lung cancer and control subjects, lung cancer and glioma, and glioma and control subjects were 99%, 95.2%, and 100%, respectively, and the experimental accuracy of the AlexNet triclassification algorithm is also above 85%. This method has great potential in clinical diagnosis of diseases.
Inhibition of Sulfate‐Reducing Bacteria by Para‐amino‐N‐((1‐Alkylpyridin‐1‐Ium Bromide)‐4‐Yl) Benzamide Surfactants and Surfactant‐Coated Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Azzam Eid M. S. , Sami Radwa M. , Alenezi Khalaf M. , Haque Ashan , El Moll Hani , Soury Raoudha A. , Ismail Abdallah R. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn the present work, we report the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) coated with the surfactants para‐amino‐N‐((1‐decylpyridin‐1‐ium bromide)‐4‐yl) benzamide and para‐amino‐N‐((1‐dodecylpyridin‐1‐ium bromide)‐4‐yl) benzamide (P10 and P12, respectively). P10 and P12‐coated AgNP were stable, as confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and other surface activity parameters. Both P10 and P12 and the coated AgNP formulations were investigated for their activity against sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). Overall, our results showed the importance of coating AgNP with surfactants (P10 and P12) in the design and development of new biocides against SRB.
Use of multifrequency (C‐band and L‐band) SAR data to monitor peat subsidence based on time‐series SBAS InSAR technique
Authors: Umarhadi Deha Agus , Avtar Ram , Widyatmanti Wirastuti , Johnson Brian Alan , Yunus Ali P. , Khedher Khaled Mohamed , Singh Gulab 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPeatlands in tropical regions like Indonesia are undergoing irreversible subsidence due to changes in land use (e.g., deforestation) and land management practices (e.g., drainage alteration), resulting in massive amounts of soil carbon loss. Several satellite‐borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are operating concurrently at different frequencies, providing potentially useful data for monitoring surface motion over tropical peatlands. This study focused on the capability of C‐band (SENTINEL‐1) and L‐band (PALSAR‐2) SAR data to monitor the surface changes in the tropical peatlands area of Bengkalis Island, Indonesia, by applying time‐series interferometric SAR (InSAR) with the small baseline subset (SBAS) technique. The average vertical velocity measured by SENTINEL‐1 and PALSAR‐2 for the period of 2018–2019 was −1.41 and −2.65 cm yr−1, respectively. We also explored the potential of groundwater level (GWL) data converted to vertical displacement for validating SBAS InSAR. PALSAR‐2 performed the best, exhibiting lower RMSE values for each land use compared to SENTINEL‐1, with an overall RMSE of 1.383 and 1.988 cm yr−1, respectively. Also, the subsidence rates of SENTINEL‐1 were underestimated, showing a significantly lower mean subsidence difference (0.96 cm yr−1) than the reference. Our GWL‐based subsidence data offered an alternative validation method for InSAR‐based subsidence estimation. Therefore, the integration of time‐series InSAR and GWL data can provide crucial information for monitoring the degradation of tropical peatlands.
Anticancer Effect of Statins in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Hae Lim , Lee Sung Won , Jang Jeong Won , Bae Si Hyun , Choi Jong Young , Yoon Seung Kew , Choi Ho Joong , Na Gun Hyung , You Young Kyoung , Park Il Young , Kim Dong Goo 
Published: August 2021

The anticancer effect of statins is drawing attention. However, it is unclear whether statin use reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence in patients who undergo liver transplantation (LT) for HCC. Consecutive patients who underwent LT for HCC between 1995 and 2019 were enrolled. The effects of statins on HCC recurrence and mortality were compared between statin user and statin nonuser groups. We performed the analyses in a variety of ways, including inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) methods to balance any confounders and the landmark method to avoid immortal time bias. A total of 430 patients were enrolled, among whom 323 (75.1%) were statin nonusers and 107 (24.9%) were statin users. During a median of 64.9 months (IQR, 26.1‐122.6 months) of follow‐up, 79 patients (18.4%) had HCC recurrence and 111 (25.8%) died. Among those who died, 53 (47.7%) were identified as HCC‐related mortalities. Statin use was a predictor of HCC recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1‐0.6; P = 0.002), all‐cause mortality (adjusted HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2‐0.5; P < 0.001), and HCC‐related mortality (adjusted HR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2‐0.9; P = 0.03). The effects of statin use on clinical outcomes were also identified through IPTW analysis. There was a dose‐dependent relationship between statin use and HCC recurrence. The anticancer effect of statins on HCC recurrence was consistently significant across multivariable‐stratified and sensitivity analyses. Statin use significantly reduced the risk of HCC recurrence and improved the survival of patients who underwent LT for HCC.
Multi‐parametric MRI (mpMRI) for treatment response assessment of radiation therapy
Authors: Wang Chunhao , Padgett Kyle R. , Su Min‐Ying , Mellon Eric A. , Maziero Danilo , Chang Zheng 
Published: August 2021

AbstractMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the modern radiation therapy (RT) workflow. In comparison with computed tomography (CT) imaging, which is the dominant imaging modality in RT, MRI possesses excellent soft‐tissue contrast for radiographic evaluation. Based on quantitative models, MRI can be used to assess tissue functional and physiological information. With the developments of scanner design, acquisition strategy, advanced data analysis, and modeling, multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), a combination of morphologic and functional imaging modalities, has been increasingly adopted for disease detection, localization, and characterization. Integration of mpMRI techniques into RT enriches the opportunities to individualize RT. In particular, RT response assessment using mpMRI allows for accurate characterization of both tissue anatomical and biochemical changes to support decision‐making in monotherapy of radiation treatment and/or systematic cancer management. In recent years, accumulating evidence have, indeed, demonstrated the potentials of mpMRI in RT response assessment regarding patient stratification, trial benchmarking, early treatment intervention, and outcome modeling. Clinical application of mpMRI for treatment response assessment in routine radiation oncology workflow, however, is more complex than implementing an additional imaging protocol; mpMRI requires additional focus on optimal study design, practice standardization, and unified statistical reporting strategy to realize its full potential in the context of RT. In this article, the mpMRI theories, including image mechanism, protocol design, and data analysis, will be reviewed with a focus on the radiation oncology field. Representative works will be discussed to demonstrate how mpMRI can be used for RT response assessment. Additionally, issues and limits of current works, as well as challenges and potential future research directions, will also be discussed.
Human oocyte meiotic maturation is associated with a specific profile of alternatively spliced transcript isoforms
Authors: Cornet‐Bartolomé David , Barragán Montserrat , Zambelli Filippo , Ferrer‐Vaquer Anna , Tiscornia Gustavo , Balcells Susanna , Rodriguez Amelia , Grinberg Daniel , Vassena Rita 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe transition from a transcriptionally active state (GV) to a transcriptionally inactive state (mature MII oocytes) is required for the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence. We hypothesize that the expression of specific genes at the in vivo matured (MII) stage could be modulated by posttranscriptional mechanisms, particularly regulation of alternative splicing (AS). In this study, we examined the transcriptional activity of GV oocytes after ovarian stimulation followed by oocyte pick‐up and the landscape of alternatively spliced isoforms in human MII oocytes. Individual oocytes were processed and analyzed for transcriptional activity (GV), gene expression (GV and MII), and AS signatures (GV and MII) on HTA 2.0 microarrays. Samples were grouped according to maturation stage, and then subgrouped according to women's age and antral follicular count (AFC); array results were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Differentially expressed genes between GV and MII oocytes clustered mainly in biological processes related to mitochondrial metabolism. Interestingly, 16 genes that were related to the regulation of transcription and mitochondrial translation showed differences in alternatively spliced isoform profiles despite not being differentially expressed between groups. Altogether, our results contribute to our understanding of the role of AS in oocyte developmental competence acquisition.
Unconditionally stable exponential time differencing schemes for the mass‐conserving Allen–Cahn equation with nonlocal and local effects
Authors: Jiang Kun , Ju Lili , Li Jingwei , Li Xiao 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIt is well known that the classic Allen–Cahn equation satisfies the maximum bound principle (MBP), that is, the absolute value of its solution is uniformly bounded for all time by certain constant under suitable initial and boundary conditions. In this paper, we consider numerical solutions of the modified Allen–Cahn equation with a Lagrange multiplier of nonlocal and local effects, which not only shares the same MBP as the original Allen–Cahn equation but also conserves the mass exactly. We reformulate the model equation with a linear stabilizing technique, then construct first‐ and second‐order exponential time differencing schemes for its time integration. We prove the unconditional MBP preservation and mass conservation of the proposed schemes in the time discrete sense and derive their error estimates under some regularity assumptions. Various numerical experiments in two and three dimensions are also conducted to verify the theoretical results.
The effect of combining plyometrics exercises and balance exercises in improving dynamic balance among female college athletes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Al Attar Wesam Saleh A. , Husain Mohamed A. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIntroductionPlyometrics and balance exercises have been shown to reduce the incidence of lower limb injury. The effects of combining these exercises on dynamic balance have not been investigated.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of plyometrics, balance exercises, and a combination of both exercises on postural stability among female athletes compared to those who did not perform any specific exercise (control).DesignRandomized controlled trial.SettingSports medicine laboratory.ParticipantsTwo hundred female athletes (mean age 21.9 ± 2.4 years) were assigned randomly to a plyometrics exercise group (n = 50), a balance exercise group (n = 50), a combination of both exercises group (n = 50), or a control group (n = 50). One hundred seventy‐nine female college athletes completed the study.InterventionsPlyometrics exercises, balance exercises, and a combination of both exercises.Outcome MeasuresLimits of stability, which was assessed using the Biodex Stability System to evaluate the performance of the dynamic balance. It was measured pre‐ and post‐intervention after 6 weeks.ResultsThere were no differences in baseline data between groups (p = .557). All groups showed significant improvement in limits of stability (p < .001). The most marked improvement in the limits of stability was shown in the combination group compared to the control group (MD = 4.1%, 95% CI [2.8, 5.3], p < .001).ConclusionsCombining plyometrics and balance exercises significantly increases the dynamic balance performance post‐intervention among female athletes compared to the control group.
Editorial introduction: Social and spatial inequalities in health and mortality: The analysis of longitudinal register data from selected European countries
Authors: Keenan Katherine , Kulu Hill , Cox Fiona 
Published: August 2021

AbstractHealth inequalities—systematic differences in health outcomes between social groups and across spatial units—are ubiquitous, but not necessarily inevitable. They are the product of a complex interplay of social and economic processes operating at various scales. The unequal pattern of infection and death seen in the Covid‐19 pandemic has served to highlight the stark social gradient in health that exists within many European countries. Although the complex social determinants of health have been studied for many decades, there is still a great deal of work to do to elucidate explanations for health inequalities across time and space. To rise to the challenge, we need high‐quality, representative data capable of capturing multi‐scalar longitudinal processes. This special issue brings together eight new studies which all use national population register data linked with various other sources of administrative data (e.g., residence, tax and health records) to investigate different vectors of inequalities in health and mortality, covering spatial, socioeconomic, ethnic and migrant status. This editorial outlines their contributions, argues for the invaluable role of population register data to understand health inequalities and suggests promising future research avenues.
Statistical analysis and optimal inspection planning for lifetime delayed gamma degradation processes
Authors: Li Zan , Hu Qingpei , Yang Qingyu , Yu Dan 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDegradation measurements of highly reliable products can be used to extrapolate the failure times, and subsequently, predict the remaining useful time‐to‐failure distribution. Different degradation failure mechanisms should be treated specifically to achieve an accurate estimation and prediction. In this study, a typical sequential hard and soft failure mode is investigated while applying the lifetime delayed degradation processes (LDDP) modeling framework. This study focuses on the gamma process, which is combined with location‐scale‐family lifetime distributions and a general reliability inference approach that is applied based on the likelihood. Furthermore, the optimal inspection planning issue with the corresponding process is formulated. The determination of Fisher information (D‐optimality) is used to evaluate the efficiency of the different inspection plans to obtain more information during the degradation process. This study consisted of comprehensive simulations with a more accurate mean time‐to‐failure (MTTF) estimation for the reliability analysis and the inspection starting time that is optimized for planning. A practical crack inspection dataset is also used in this investigation. Herein, the optimal time was simplified while considering the first inspection time and the equivalent inspection interval. It has been proved from the simulation that the inspection number affects the peak value of the Fisher information. This study helps to reduce the experiment sample size and improve the estimation of reliability effectively in engineering.
Influence of a patient education and care program on women undergoing non‐assisted reproductive technology fertility treatment
Authors: Mori Akiko , Nishii Osamu , Takai Yasushi , Momoeda Mikio , Kamisawa Etsuko , Shimizu Kiyomi , Nozawa Mieko , Takemura Yuri , Fujimoto Akihisa 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPurposeTo determine the influence of a patient education and care program on the quality of life (QOL) of female patients undergoing non‐assisted reproductive technology (ART) fertility treatment.MethodsParticipants completed the MOS 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey and fertility QOL (FertiQoL) questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment. The responses of patients who underwent three sessions of the program (at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of treatment) were compared with those of patients who did not receive the program.ResultsThis study compared 69 patients who received an additional care program with 104 patients in the control group, all from 13 facilities. Treatment FertiQoL responses (p = 0.004) and treatment tolerability (p = 0.043) differed between the program and control groups at 3 months using the repeated measures mixed model. The cost of treatment per pregnancy was lower in the program group than in the control group.ConclusionThe patient education and care program provided by reproductive fertility specialists or fertility nurses during non‐ART fertility programs improves patient satisfaction.