bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adolescent stress during, but not after, pubertal onset impairs indices of prepulse inhibition in adult rats
Authors: Drzewiecki Carly M. , Willing Jari , Cortes Laura R. , Juraska Janice M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractExposure to stress during adolescence is a risk factor for developing several psychiatric disorders, many of which involve prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction. The human PFC and analogous rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) continue to mature functionally and anatomically during adolescence, and some of these maturational events coincide with pubertal onset. As developing brain regions are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, this may make puberty especially vulnerable. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to isolation and restraint stress during the onset of puberty or during the post‐pubertal period of adolescence. In young adulthood, both stressed groups and an unstressed control group underwent testing on a battery of tasks to assess emotional and cognitive behaviors, and the volume of the mPFC was quantified postmortem. Factor analysis revealed only subjects stressed peri‐pubertally showed a long‐term deficiency compared to controls in prepulse inhibition. Additionally, both sexes showed volumetric mPFC decreases following adolescent stress, and these losses were most pronounced in females. Our findings suggest that pubertal onset may be a vulnerable window wherein adolescents are most susceptible to the negative consequences of stress exposure. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of accounting for pubertal status when studying adolescents.
Towards an untargeted mass spectrometric approach for improved screening in equine antidoping
Authors: Keen Bethany , Cawley Adam , Fouracre Chris , Pyke James , Fu Shanlin 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe emergence of novel doping agents is a continuous issue for analysts who aim to maintain the integrity of horseracing together with the well‐being and safety of the animals and riders involved. Untargeted mass spectrometric analysis presents a potential improvement for antidoping as it enables the detection of compounds being indirectly affected by an administered drug. In this study, liquid chromatography–high‐resolution mass spectrometry was used to investigate a 12‐horse administration study of the synthetic opioid, butorphanol. A mass spectrometric workflow capable of detecting metabolic differences for an extended period of time was successfully developed. This proof‐of‐concept study demonstrates the potential of untargeted workflows to provide a list of biomarkers of exposure and effect that are indicative of drug administration which may be implemented into routine testing for improved doping control.
Predicting human age by detecting DNA methylation status in hair
Authors: Hao Ting , Guo Jiangling , Liu Jinding , Wang Jiaqi , Liu Zidong , Cheng Xiaojuan , Li Jintao , Ren Jianbo , Li Zeqin , Yan Jiangwei , Zhang Gengqian 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAge prediction is of great importance for criminal investigation and judicial expertise. DNA methylation status is considered a promising method to infer tissue age by virtue of age‐dependent changes on methylation sites. In recent years, forensic scientists have established various models to predict the chronological age of blood, saliva, and semen based on DNA methylation status. However, hair‐inferred age has not been studied in the field of forensic science. In this study, we measured the methylation statuses of potential age‐related CpG sites by using the multiplex methylation SNaPshot method. A total of 10 CpG sites from the LAG3, SCGN, ELOVL2, KLF14, C1orf132, SLC12A5, GRIA2, and PDE4C genes were found to be tightly associated with age in hair follicles. A correlation coefficient above 0.7 was found for four CpG sites (cg24724428 and Chr6:11044628 in ELOVL2, cg25148589 in GRIA2, and cg07547549 in SLC12A5). Among four age‐prediction models, the multiple linear regression model consisting of 10 CpG sites provided the best‐fitting results, with a median absolute deviation of 3.68 years. It is feasible to obtain both human identification and age information from a single scalp hair follicle. No significant differences in methylation degree were found between different sexes, hair types, or hair colors. In conclusion, we established a method to evaluate chronological age by assessing DNA methylation status in hair follicles.
Estimating PEMFC ohmic internal impedance based on indirect measurements
Authors: Wei Yongqi , Zhao Yulan , Yun Haitao 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn this study, the ohmic internal impedance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is explored. A double Kalman filter (DKF) method is proposed to estimate the internal ohmic impedance based on the monitor output current density and voltage when the fuel cell is operated in the ohmic polarization region. First, the working current density is set between 0.4 and 1 A cm−2 by carrying out an initial experiment to obtain the PEMFC polarization curve. The PEMFC is assumed to be an equivalent circuit when the output current density is set in this range. Second, an experiment is also performed within the custom‐built platform based on the DKF algorithm. Monitoring data are obtained by Hall sensors in the direct current (DC) converter, and the stack ohmic resistance is calculated by the designed PEMFC internal resistance algorithm. Finally, verification is accomplished by comparing the simulated voltage based on the ohmic resistance with the experimentally measured output voltage using MATLAB/Simulink. The feasibility of this method to estimate the ohmic resistance is demonstrated. The ohmic internal resistance of the PEMFC is obtained in real time by the designed algorithm. Furthermore, the results indicate that moisture in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) can be reflected by the internal ohmic resistance of the PEMFC. The moisture can be adjusted based on this estimated impedance.
Leaf venation of Lauraceae species (excluding Ocotea) from the Reserva Natural Vale, Linhares, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Authors: de Moraes Pedro Luís Rodrigues , da Cruz Isabel Cristina Lima , Coan Alessandra Ike , Tomazello Filho Mario 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACTWith the aim of recognizing and identifying both fertile and sterile specimens of Lauraceae from the Reserva Natural Vale, Linhares, we analyzed the leaf venation pattern of 20 species belonging to 11 genera. The venation patterns of 12 species are described and illustrated for the first time here. A dichotomous identification key was built from a matrix of 12 venation characters with 38 states, which allowes to distinguish the taxa.
A geoarchaeological study of the construction of the Laona tumulus at Palaepaphos, Cyprus
Authors: Gkouma Myrsini , Karkanas Panagiotis , Iacovou Maria 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe tumulus of Palaepaphos‐Laona is a monumental earthwork. Its size makes it unique in the landscape of ancient Cyprus, where even smaller burial mounds are extremely rare. It is characterized by a composite s616sequence and a wide range of carefully arranged construction materials. To reconstruct the building process, we employed a geoarchaeological approach, including a high‐resolution microstratigraphic analysis. The study reveals a careful selection of construction materials and variability in the construction methods, reflecting a long tradition of building skills and empirical knowledge regarding the materials' engineering properties. It is evident that the tumulus of Laona was not a product of earth accumulation but an accomplished architectural structure. Several building stages were recorded, which along with repairs and intervals of exposure of the sediments, they represent temporal cycles of different nature and magnitude. As the height of the structure gradually increased, the tumulus became an imposing physical mark that gave the landscape a new meaning. Nevertheless, the memory of the ancestral testimony it was meant to convey to future generations was lost.
Stream discharge and water quality data for East Fork Poplar Creek beginning 2012
Authors: Brooks Scott C. , Riscassi Ami L. , Lowe Kenneth A. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis data note describes 15‐min discharge and in situ water quality data at two locations along East Fork Poplar Creek in east Tennessee, USA. Data records include temperature, gauge height, water surface elevation above mean sea level, and volumetric discharge. Water quality measurements include temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen (percent saturation and concentration), turbidity, and less extensive fDOM data at one site. The data records begin in 2012 at one site and 2015 at the second site; monitoring at both sites is ongoing (as of 2021). The goal of this data collection is to improve understanding of watershed functions, hydrologic dynamics, and material flux. The data will contribute to site conceptual and numerical models, exposure and risk evaluation, remediation selection and design, and performance monitoring. The data are publicly available and can be accessed via unique url or DOI.
Turkey Lakes Watershed, Ontario, Canada: 40 years of interdisciplinary whole‐ecosystem research
Authors: Webster Kara L. , Leach Jason A. , Hazlett Paul W. , Fleming Robert L. , Emilson Erik J. S. , Houle Daniel , Chan Kara H. Y. , Norouzian Fariborz , Cole Amanda S. , O'Brien Jason M. , Smokorowski Karen E. , Nelson Stephanie A. , Yanni Shelagh D. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe Turkey Lakes Watershed (TLW) study is a federal, interdepartmental study established in 1979 to investigate the effects of acid rain on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The 10.5 km2 watershed, located in the Eastern Temperate Mixed Forest on the Canadian Shield, has been the site of multidisciplinary studies on biogeochemical and ecological processes conducted across plot to catchment scales. The whole‐ecosystem investigative approach was adopted from the outset and has allowed research to evolve from its original (and continuing) acidification focus to include investigations on the effects of climate change, forest harvesting and other forest ecosystem perturbations. The extensive scientific and support infrastructure allows for collection of a comprehensive data record essential for understanding long‐term environmental trends. Data include atmospheric deposition, meteorology, stream hydrology and chemistry, soil, pore and ground water properties, understory and overstory vegetation, lake and outflow physical and chemical properties, and aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish community composition and abundance. These data have contributed to over 400 published research papers and graduate theses. The watershed has also figured prominently in many continent‐wide comparisons advancing fundamental watershed theory. The knowledge gained at TLW has influenced pollutant emission and natural resource management policies provincially, nationally and internationally.
Bioinformatics analysis of the prognosis and biological significance of VCAN in gastric cancer
Authors: Huang Xiao‐yan , Liu Jin‐jian , Liu Xiong , Wang Yao‐hui , Xiang Wei 
Published: February 2021

AbstractGastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, and the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of GC. In this study, we obtained differential expressed genes in GC tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas. After ESTIMATE and weighted correlation network analysis, we obtained differentially expressed genes (DEGs). With further screening DEGs of immune infiltration and then through Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis and COX analysis, we found that VCAN was a gene positively correlated with high immune infiltration and poor prognosis of patients in GC. In addition, we selected a Gene Expression Omnibus dataset (GSE84433) to verify the effect of VCAN on the patient's prognosis, and analyzed the value of VCAN in immunotherapy through TIMER database and TISIDB. In conclusion, we hold the view that VCAN may affect the development of GC by regulating the TME, which may act as a potential therapeutic target for GC.
Reliability and diagnostic performance of smartphone colposcopy
Authors: Aydın Serdar , Karasu Ayse F. G. , Maraşlı Mustafa , Bademler Neslihan , Kıran Gürkan , Dural Hanife R. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of smartphone colposcopy (SPC) versus conventional colposcopy and to determine diagnostic performance.MethodsA smartphone back camera was used to capture cervical images before and after application of acetic acid, and after application of lugol solution. Captured images were reviewed independently by two experienced colposcopists and findings were noted as per colposcopy. Smartphone‐based diagnostic performance was calculated, and kappa statistics were used for measurement of agreement between SPC and conventional colposcopy findings.ResultsA total of 114 women were included in the study. The kappa statistic for intraobserver reliability was 0.77 for both normal colposcopic findings and the transformation zone, indicating substantial agreement. Kappa values were 0.54 for acetowhite epithelium, 0.51 for lugol staining, and 0.51–0.60 for atypical vascularization. Kappa values for interobserver reliability were 0.76 for normal colposcopic findings, 0.56 for acetowhite epithelium, and 0.60 for lugol staining. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of SPC for CIN2+ were 88.2 (95% CI, 72.5–96.7), 48.7 (95% CI, 37.4–60.2), 0.42 (95% CI, 0.36–0.48), and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.79–0.96), respectively.ConclusionSPC showed substantial agreement between the histologic diagnoses based on the captured images and conventional colposcopic findings.
Molecular docking and dynamics simulation to screen interactive potency and stability of fungicide tebuconazole with thyroid and sex hormone‐binding globulin: Implications of endocrine and reproductive interruptions
Authors: Abdi Sayed Aliul Hasan , Alzahrani Abdulaziz , Asad Mohammad , Alquraini Ali , Alghamdi Adel Ibrahi , Sayed Shabihul Fatma 
Published: February 2021

AbstractTebuconazole is a widely used fungicide in agriculture, and it may easily enter in the human food chain. In addition, tebuconzaol skin permeation coefficient (Log Kp) is −5.55 cm/s and it does not violate Lipinski's rule. It may mimic as a ligand for various endocrine and reproductive receptor leading to toxicological response or disease manifestation. We studied interactive potential of tebuconazole with thyroid and sex hormone‐binding globulin. The main methods for this in silico analyses are molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. This paper explores how agriculture fungicide tebuconzaol exposure can be a risk for endocrine and reprotoxicity due to its stable interactive potency with thyroid and sex hormone‐binding globulin (2CEO and 1D2S). Thyroid impairment is one of the most common endocrine issues in human health. In molecular docking analyses, tebuconazole exhibited binding potency of −6.28 kcal/mol with 2CEO compared to its native ligand thyroxin and inhibitor propylthiouracil which had the binding potency of −9.9 and −4.49 kcal/mol, respectively. The binding score of tebuconzaol with 1D2S was found to be −7.54 kcal/mol compared to native ligand dihydrotestosteron and inhibitor aminoglutethimide which exhibited the binding score of −6.84 and −11.41 kcal/mol, respectively. Therefore, each complex was subjected to MD simulation for comparative assessment of physical movement. The root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), Radius of Gyration and hydrogen bonding exhibited that fluconazole had stable binding pattern with 2CEO and 1D2S which was almost similar to native ligand and its inhibitor. Study revealed that tebuconazole may lead to potent endocrine and reproductive disruptions.
A pilot double‐blind safety and feasibility randomized controlled trial of high‐dose intravenous zinc in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients
Authors: Patel Oneel , Chinni Vidyasagar , El‐Khoury John , Perera Marlon , Neto Ary S. , McDonald Christine , See Emily , Jones Daryl , Bolton Damien , Bellomo Rinaldo , Trubiano Jason , Ischia Joseph 
Published: February 2021

AbstractZinc inhibits replication of the SARS‐CoV virus. We aimed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and biological effect of administering high‐dose intravenous zinc (HDIVZn) to patients with COVID‐19. We performed a Phase IIa double‐blind, randomized controlled trial to compare HDIVZn to placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19. We administered trial treatment per day for a maximum of 7 days until either death or hospital discharge. We measured zinc concentration at baseline and during treatment and observed patients for any significant side effects. For eligible patients, we randomized and administered treatment to 33 adult participants to either HDIVZn (n = 15) or placebo (n = 18). We observed no serious adverse events throughout the study for a total of 94 HDIVZn administrations. However, three participants in the HDIVZn group reported infusion site irritation. Mean serum zinc on Day 1 in the placebo, and the HDIVZn group was 6.9 ± 1.1 and 7.7 ± 1.6 µmol/l, respectively, consistent with zinc deficiency. HDIVZn, but not placebo, increased serum zinc levels above the deficiency cutoff of 10.7 µmol/l (p < .001) on Day 6. Our study did not reach its target enrollment because stringent public health measures markedly reduced patient hospitalizations. Hospitalized COVID‐19 patients demonstrated zinc deficiency. This can be corrected with HDIVZn. Such treatment appears safe, feasible, and only associated with minimal peripheral infusion site irritation. This pilot study justifies further investigation of this treatment in COVID‐19 patients.
Graph theoretical exploration for the solutions of the kinetics rate equations of nonchain complex reaction networks
Authors: Mondal Sukanya , Mandal Bholanath 
Published: February 2021

AbstractNonchain complex reactions involving active center, intermediate(s), by‐products, and the final product(s) are explored with the use of graph theory for solving their rate equations. Three such reaction schemes in a varying number of intermediates are solved for the concentrations of the species involved at any instant of time (t). Time derivatives of these solutions result in the reaction rates of the species concerned. The time functions of rates and concentrations for three successive reaction schemes are then used to generalize the respective solutions for reaction scheme having n intermediates. The rate equations are approximated in three different time regions and are found that: (i) at time t = 0, the rate of reaction of each of the intermediate(s), by‐products, and final product is zero; (ii) at t < < < τ (average life‐time of the active center and intermediate(s)), the reaction rate of an mth intermediate, an mth by‐product, or the final product bears proportionality relationship with tm; and (iii) at t > > > τ, the reaction rate of each of the intermediates is zero whereas that for each by‐product or final product is constant and is expressed from an initial rate multiplied by the product of the probabilities of reaction of the intermediate(s) concerned.
Roles of hepatic atypical protein kinase C hyperactivity and hyperinsulinemia in insulin‐resistant forms of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sajan Mini P. , Hansen Barbara C. , Acevedo‐Duncan Mildred , Kindy Mark S. , Cooper Denise R. , Farese Robert V. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractDiet‐induced obesity, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes (DIO/MetS/T2DM), and their adverse sequelae have reached pandemic levels. In mice, DIO/MetS/T2DM initiation involves diet‐dependent increases in lipids that activate hepatic atypical PKC (aPKC) and thereby increase lipogenic enzymes and proinflammatory cytokines. These or other hepatic aberrations, via adverse liver‐to‐muscle cross talk, rapidly impair postreceptor insulin signaling to glucose transport in muscle. The ensuing hyperinsulinemia further activates hepatic aPKC, which first blocks the ability of Akt to suppress gluconeogenic enzyme expression, and later impairs Akt activation, further increasing hepatic glucose production. Recent findings suggest that hepatic aPKC also increases a proteolytic enzyme that degrades insulin receptors. Fortunately, all hepatic aberrations and muscle impairments are prevented/reversed by inhibition or deficiency of hepatic aPKC. But, in the absence of treatment, hyperinsulinemia induces adverse events, some by using “spare receptors” to bypass receptor defects. Thus, in brain, hyperinsulinemia increases Aβ‐plaque precursors and Alzheimer risk; in kidney, hyperinsulinemia activates the renin–angiotensin–adrenal axis, thus increasing vasoconstriction, sodium retention, and cardiovascular risk; and in liver, hyperinsulinemia increases lipogenesis, obesity, hepatosteatosis, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular risk. In summary, increases in hepatic aPKC are critically required for development of DIO/MetS/T2DM and its adverse sequelae, and therapeutic approaches that limit hepatic aPKC may be particularly effective.
Impaired Touchscreen Skills in Parkinson's Disease and Effects of Medication
Authors: De Vleeschhauwer Joni , Broeder Sanne , Janssens Luc , Heremans Elke , Nieuwboer Alice , Nackaerts Evelien 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundDeficits in fine motor skills may impair device manipulation including touchscreens in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of PD and anti‐parkinsonian medication on the ability to use touchscreens.MethodsTwelve PD patients (H&Y II‐III), OFF and ON medication, and 12 healthy controls (HC) performed tapping, single and multi‐direction sliding tasks on a touchscreen and a mobile phone task (MPT). Task performance was compared between patients (PD‐OFF, PD‐ON) and HC and between medication conditions.ResultsSignificant differences were found in touchscreen timing parameters, while accuracy was comparable between groups. PD‐OFF needed more time than HC to perform single (P = 0.048) and multi‐direction (P = 0.004) sliding tasks and to grab the dot before sliding (i.e., transition times) (P = 0.040; P = 0.004). For tapping, dopaminergic medication significantly increased performance times (P = 0.046) to comparable levels as those of HC. However, for the more complex multi‐direction sliding, movement times remained slower in PD than HC irrespective of medication intake (P < 0.050 during ON and OFF). The transition times for the multi‐direction sliding task was also higher in PD‐ON than HC (P = 0.048). Touchscreen parameters significantly correlated with MPT performance, supporting the ecological validity of the touchscreen tool.ConclusionsPD patients show motor problems when manipulating touchscreens, even when optimally medicated. This hinders using mobile technology in daily life and has implications for developing adequate E‐health applications for this group. Future work needs to establish whether touchscreen training is effective in PD.