bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NIR-excitable heterostructured upconversion perovskite nanodots with improved stability
Authors: Ruan Longfei , Zhang Yong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThere is a great need to develop heterostructured nanocrystals which combine two or more different materials into single nanoparticles with combined advantages. Lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have attracted much attention due to their excellent optical properties but their biological applications have not been much explored due to their poor stability and short penetration depth of the UV excitation light in tissues. Combining perovskite QDs with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) to form hybrid nanocrystals that are stable, NIR excitable and emission tunable is important, however, this is challenging because hexagonal phase UCNP can not be epitaxially grown on cubic phase perovskite QDs directly or vice versa. In this work, one-pot synthesis of perovskite-UCNP hybrid nanocrystals consisting of cubic phase perovskite QDs and hexagonal phase UCNP is reported, to form a watermelon-like heterostructure using cubic phase UCNP as an intermediate transition phase. The nanocrystals are NIR-excitable with much improved stability.
Reduced immune responses to hepatitis B primary vaccination in obese individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Authors: Joshi Shivali S. , Davis Rachelle P. , Ma Mang M. , Tam Edward , Cooper Curtis L. , Ramji Alnoor , Kelly Erin M. , Jayakumar Saumya , Swain Mark G. , Jenne Craig N. , Coffin Carla S. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObesity and cirrhosis are associated with poor hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine responses, but vaccine efficacy has not been assessed in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Sixty-eight HBV-naïve adults with NAFLD were enrolled through the Canadian HBV network and completed three-dose HBV or HBV/HAV vaccine (Engerix-B®, or Twinrix®, GlaxoSmithKline). Anti-HBs titers were measured at 1–3 months post third dose. In 31/68 subjects enrolled at the coordinating-site, T-cell proliferation and follicular T-helper cells (pTFH) were assessed using PBMC. Immune response was also studied in NAFLD mice. NAFLD patients were stratified as low-risk-obesity, BMI < 35 (N = 40) vs. medium-high-risk obesity, BMI > 35 (N = 28). Anti-HBs titers were lower in medium/high-risk obesity, 385 IU/L ± 79 vs. low-risk obesity class, 642 IU/L ± 68.2, p = 0.02. High-risk obesity cases, N = 14 showed lower vaccine-specific-CD3+ CD4+ T-cell response compared to low-risk obesity patients, N = 17, p = 0.02. Low vaccine responders showed dysfunctional pTFH. NAFLD mice showed lower anti-HBs levels and T-cell response vs. controls. In conclusion, we report here that obese individuals with NAFLD exhibit decreased HBV vaccine-specific immune responses.
A dataset of EEG and EOG from an auditory EOG-based communication system for patients in locked-in state
Authors: Jaramillo-Gonzalez Andres , Wu Shizhe , Tonin Alessandro , Rana Aygul , Ardali Majid Khalili , Birbaumer Niels , Chaudhary Ujwal 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe dataset presented here contains recordings of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) from four advanced locked-in state (LIS) patients suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). These patients could no longer use commercial eye-trackers, but they could still move their eyes and used the remnant oculomotor activity to select letters to form words and sentences using a novel auditory communication system. Data were recorded from four patients during a variable range of visits (from 2 to 10), each visit comprised of 3.22 ± 1.21 days and consisted of 5.57 ± 2.61 sessions recorded per day. The patients performed a succession of different sessions, namely, Training, Feedback, Copy spelling, and Free spelling. The dataset provides an insight into the progression of ALS and presents a valuable opportunity to design and improve assistive and alternative communication technologies and brain-computer interfaces. It might also help redefine the course of progression in ALS, thereby improving clinical judgement and treatment.
Impact of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux model on MHD hybrid nano-micropolar fluid flow and heat transfer with viscous and joule dissipation effects
Authors: Tassaddiq Asifa 
Published: January 2021

AbstractReview of literature reveals that hybrid nanofluids are more effective for heat transmission as compared to the conventional fluids. Nevertheless, the knowledge of developed techniques for the enhancement of heat transmission in hybrid nanofluids has many gaps and, subsequently, an extensive study for such fluids is vital. In this article, the author investigates the effect of hybrid nanoparticles on the thermal efficiency of nano-structured nanoparticles (micropolar fluid) by using the Cattaneo-Christov heat flux model. The magnetic field is pragmatic normal to the hybrid nanofluid flow direction. In order to investigate the influence of physical parameters, the proposed model has been converted to a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by means of involved variables. Furthermore, the analytical and numerical approaches are compared by using different techniques to comprehend the significance of this research. It is found that macro-velocity field reduces with micropolar factor and Hartmann number. A significant result is found in micro-velocity field for the cases when$$n = 0.5$$n=0.5and$$n = 0$$n=0. Also an escalating conduct in thermal field is observed against the increasing estimations of Hartmann number, micropolar parameter, Eckert number, and material parameter.
Tensile deformation behavior of twist grain boundaries in CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy bicrystals
Authors: Lee Hyunsoo , Shabani Mitra , Pataky Garrett J. , Abdeljawad Fadi 
Published: January 2021

AbstractHigh entropy alloys (HEA) are a class of materials that consist of multiple elemental species in similar concentrations. The use of elements in far from dilute concentrations introduces a multi-dimensional composition design space by which the properties of metallic systems can be tailored. While the mechanical behavior of HEAs has been the subject of active research recently, the role of grain boundaries (GBs) in their deformation behavior remains poorly understood. Motivated by recent experiments on HEAs demonstrating that GBs act as nucleation sites for deformation twins, herein, we leverage atomistic simulations to construct a series of equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEA bicrystals with $$\langle 110 \rangle$$

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110
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and $$\langle 111 \rangle$$

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111
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symmetric twist GBs and examine their tensile behavior and underlying deformation mechanisms at 77 K. Simulation results reveal that plastic deformation proceeds by the nucleation of partial dislocations from GBs, which then grow with further loading by bowing into the bulk crystals leaving behind stacking faults. Variations in the nucleation stress exist as function of GB character, defined in this work by the twist angle. Our results provide future avenues to explore GBs as a microstructure design tool to develop HEAs with tailored properties.
Auditory cues reveal intended movement information in middle frontal gyrus neuronal ensemble activity of a person with tetraplegia
Authors: Hosman Tommy , Hynes Jacqueline B. , Saab Jad , Wilcoxen Kaitlin G. , Buchbinder Bradley R. , Schmansky Nicholas , Cash Sydney S. , Eskandar Emad N. , Simeral John D. , Franco Brian , Kelemen Jessica , Vargas-Irwin Carlos E. , Hochberg Leigh R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIntracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) allow people with paralysis to directly control assistive devices using neural activity associated with the intent to move. Realizing the full potential of iBCIs critically depends on continued progress in understanding how different cortical areas contribute to movement control. Here we present the first comparison between neuronal ensemble recordings from the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and precentral gyrus (PCG) of a person with tetraplegia using an iBCI. As expected, PCG was more engaged in selecting and generating intended movements than in earlier perceptual stages of action planning. By contrast, MFG displayed movement-related information during the sensorimotor processing steps preceding the appearance of the action plan in PCG, but only when the actions were instructed using auditory cues. These results describe a previously unreported function for neurons in the human left MFG in auditory processing contributing to motor control.
An integrated platform for genome engineering and gene expression perturbation in Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Nasamu Armiyaw S. , Falla Alejandra , Pasaje Charisse Flerida A. , Wall Bridget A. , Wagner Jeffrey C. , Ganesan Suresh M. , Goldfless Stephen J. , Niles Jacquin C. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractEstablishing robust genome engineering methods in the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has the potential to substantially improve the efficiency with which we gain understanding of this pathogen’s biology to propel treatment and elimination efforts. Methods for manipulating gene expression and engineering the P. falciparum genome have been validated. However, a significant barrier to fully leveraging these advances is the difficulty associated with assembling the extremely high AT content DNA constructs required for modifying the P. falciparum genome. These are frequently unstable in commonly-used circular plasmids. We address this bottleneck by devising a DNA assembly framework leveraging the improved reliability with which large AT-rich regions can be efficiently manipulated in linear plasmids. This framework integrates several key functional genetics outcomes via CRISPR/Cas9 and other methods from a common, validated framework. Overall, this molecular toolkit enables P. falciparum genetics broadly and facilitates deeper interrogation of parasite genes involved in diverse biological processes.
Investigating the optical clearing effects of 50% glycerol in ex vivo human skin by harmonic generation microscopy
Authors: Lai Jia-Hong , Liao En-Yu , Liao Yi-Hua , Sun Chi-Kuang 
Published: January 2021

AbstractImaging depth and quality of optical microscopy can be enhanced by optical clearing. Here we investigate the optical clearing of the ex vivo human skin by 50% glycerol topical application, which is allowed for cosmetic usage. Harmonic generation microscopy, by combining second and third harmonic generation (THG) modalities, was utilized to examine the clearing effect. The THG image intensity is sensitive to the improved optical homogeneity after optical clearing, and the second harmonic generation (SHG) image intensity in the dermis could serve as a beacon to confirm the reduction of the scattering in the epidermis layer. As a result, our study supports the OC effect through 50% glycerol topical application. Our study further indicates the critical role of stratum corneum shrinkage for the observed SHG and THG signal recovery.
Cancer associated talin point mutations disorganise cell adhesion and migration
Authors: Azizi Latifeh , Cowell Alana R. , Mykuliak Vasyl V. , Goult Benjamin T. , Turkki Paula , Hytönen Vesa P. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTalin-1 is a key component of the multiprotein adhesion complexes which mediate cell migration, adhesion and integrin signalling and has been linked to cancer in several studies. We analysed talin-1 mutations reported in the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer database and developed a bioinformatics pipeline to predict the severity of each mutation. These predictions were then assessed using biochemistry and cell biology experiments. With this approach we were able to identify several talin-1 mutations affecting integrin activity, actin recruitment and Deleted in Liver Cancer 1 localization. We explored potential changes in talin-1 signalling responses by assessing impact on migration, invasion and proliferation. Altogether, this study describes a pipeline approach of experiments for crude characterization of talin-1 mutants in order to evaluate their functional effects and potential pathogenicity. Our findings suggest that cancer related point mutations in talin-1 can affect cell behaviour and so may contribute to cancer progression.
Clinical application of the experimental ADL test for patients with cognitive impairment: pilot study
Authors: Lim Yong-Hyun , Baek Yookyeong , Kang Soon Ju , Kang Kyunghun , Lee Ho-Won 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe employed a hospital-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform to validate the role of real-time activities of daily living (ADL) measurement as a digital biomarker for cognitive impairment in a hospital setting. Observational study. 12 patients with dementia, 11 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15 cognitively normal older adults. The results of 13 experimental ADL tasks were categorized into success or fail. The total number of successful task and the average success proportion of each group was calculated. Time to complete the total tasks was also measured. Patients with dementia, patients with MCI, and cognitively normal older adults performed 13 experimental ADL tasks in a hospital setting. Significant differences in the average success rate of 13 tasks were found among groups. Dementia group showed the lowest success proportion (49.3%) compared with MCI group (78.3%) and normal group (97.4%). Correlation between classical ADL scales and the number of completed ADL tasks was statistically significant. In particular, instrumental ADL (I-ADL) had stronger relationship with the number of completed ADL tasks than Barthel’s ADL (B-ADL). Dementia group required more time to accomplish the tasks when compared to MCI and normal groups. This study demonstrated that there is a clear relationship between the performance of experimental ADL tasks and the severity of cognitive impairment. The evaluation of ADLs involving the IoTs platform in an ecological setting allows accurate assessment and quantification of the patient’s functional level.
Asymptotic entropy of the Gibbs state of complex networks
Authors: Glos Adam , Krawiec Aleksandra , Pawela Łukasz 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this work we study the entropy of the Gibbs state corresponding to a graph. The Gibbs state is obtained from the Laplacian, normalized Laplacian or adjacency matrices associated with a graph. We calculated the entropy of the Gibbs state for a few classes of graphs and studied their behavior with changing graph order and temperature. We illustrate our analytical results with numerical simulations for Erdős–Rényi, Watts–Strogatz, Barabási–Albert and Chung–Lu graph models and a few real-world graphs. Our results show that the behavior of Gibbs entropy as a function of the temperature differs for a choice of real networks when compared to the random Erdős–Rényi graphs.
The relationship between reflex eye realignment and the percept of single vision in young children
Authors: Meier Kimberly , Lundell Deanna L. , Seemiller Eric S. , Giaschi Deborah , Wilcox Laurie M. , Candy T. Rowan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractEffective binocular vision is dependent on both motor and perceptual function. Young children undergo development of both components while interacting with their dynamic three-dimensional environment. When this development fails, eye misalignment and double vision may result. We compared the range of image disparities over which young children display reflex motor realignment of their eyes with the range over which they report a single versus double percept. In response to step changes in the disparity of a 2.2° wide stimulus, 5-year-olds generated an adult-like reflex vergence velocity tuning function peaking at 2° of disparity, with a mean latency of 210 ms. On average, they reported double vision for stimulus disparities of 3° and larger, compared to 1° in adult reports. Three-year-olds also generated reflex vergence tuning functions peaking at approximately 2° of disparity, but their percepts could not be assessed. These data suggest that, by age 5, reflex eye realignment responses and percepts driven by these brief stimuli are tightly coordinated in space and time to permit robust binocular function around the point of fixation. Importantly, the plastic neural processes maintaining this tight coordination during growth control the stability of visual information driving learning during childhood.
Deciphering the complex circulating immune cell microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia using patient similarity networks
Authors: Mikulkova Zuzana , Manukyan Gayane , Turcsanyi Peter , Kudelka Milos , Urbanova Renata , Savara Jakub , Ochodkova Eliska , Brychtova Yvona , Molinsky Jan , Simkovic Martin , Starostka David , Novak Jan , Janca Ondrej , Dihel Martin , Ryznerova Pavlina , Mohammad Lekaa , Papajik Tomas , Kriegova Eva 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe tissue microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of CLL, but the complex blood microenvironment in CLL has not yet been fully characterised. Therefore, immunophenotyping of circulating immune cells in 244 CLL patients and 52 healthy controls was performed using flow cytometry and analysed by multivariate Patient Similarity Networks (PSNs). Our study revealed high inter-individual heterogeneity in the distribution and activation of bystander immune cells in CLL, depending on the bulk of the CLL cells. High CLL counts were associated with low activation on circulating monocytes and T cells and vice versa. The highest activation of immune cells, particularly of intermediate and non-classical monocytes, was evident in patients treated with novel agents. PSNs revealed a low activation of immune cells in CLL progression, irrespective of IgHV status, Binet stage and TP53 disruption. Patients with high intermediate monocytes (> 5.4%) with low activation were 2.5 times more likely (95% confidence interval 1.421–4.403, P = 0.002) to had shorter time-to-treatment than those with low monocyte counts. Our study demonstrated the association between the activation of circulating immune cells and the bulk of CLL cells. The highest activation of bystander immune cells was detected in patients with slow disease course and in those treated with novel agents. The subset of intermediate monocytes showed predictive value for time-to-treatment in CLL.
Efficient embedded sleep wake classification for open-source actigraphy
Authors: Banfi Tommaso , Valigi Nicolò , di Galante Marco , d’Ascanio Paola , Ciuti Gastone , Faraguna Ugo 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study presents a thorough analysis of sleep/wake detection algorithms for efficient on-device sleep tracking using wearable accelerometric devices. It develops a novel end-to-end algorithm using convolutional neural network applied to raw accelerometric signals recorded by an open-source wrist-worn actigraph. The aim of the study is to develop an automatic classifier that: (1) is highly generalizable to heterogenous subjects, (2) would not require manual features’ extraction, (3) is computationally lightweight, embeddable on a sleep tracking device, and (4) is suitable for a wide assortment of actigraphs. Hereby, authors analyze sleep parameters, such as total sleep time, waking after sleep onset and sleep efficiency, by comparing the outcomes of the proposed algorithm to the gold standard polysomnographic concurrent recordings. The relatively substantial agreement (Cohen’s kappa coefficient, median, equal to 0.78 ± 0.07) and the low-computational cost (2727 floating-point operations) make this solution suitable for an on-board sleep-detection approach.
Early prediction of live birth for assisted reproductive technology patients: a convenient and practical prediction model
Authors: Gao Hong , Liu Dong-e , Li Yumei , Wu Xinrui , Tan Hongzhuan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractLive birth is the most important concern for assisted reproductive technology (ART) patients. Therefore, in the medical reproductive centre, obstetricians often need to answer the following question: “What are the chances that I will have a healthy baby after ART treatment?” To date, our obstetricians have no reference on which to base the answer to this question. Our research aimed to solve this problem by establishing prediction models of live birth for ART patients. Between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2017, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of women undergoing ART treatment at the Reproductive Medicine Centre, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Hunan, China. The birth of at least one live-born baby per initiated cycle or embryo transfer procedure was defined as a live birth, and all other pregnancy outcomes were classified as no live birth. A live birth prediction model was established by stepwise multivariate logistic regression. All eligible subjects were randomly allocated to two groups: group 1 (80% of subjects) for the establishment of the prediction models and group 2 (20% of subjects) for the validation of the established prediction models. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of each prediction model at different cut-off values were calculated. The prediction model of live birth included nine variables. The area under the ROC curve was 0.743 in the validation group. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the established model ranged from 97.9–24.8%, 7.2–96.3%, 44.8–83.8% and 81.7–62.5%, respectively, at different cut-off values. A stable, reliable, convenient, and satisfactory prediction model for live birth by ART patients was established and validated, and this model could be a useful tool for obstetricians to predict the live rate of ART patients. Meanwhile, it is also a reference for obstetricians to create good conditions for infertility patients in preparation for pregnancy.
Model selection for inferential models with high dimensional data: synthesis and graphical representation of multiple techniques
Authors: Lima Eliana , Hyde Robert , Green Martin 
Published: January 2021

AbstractInferential research commonly involves identification of causal factors from within high dimensional data but selection of the ‘correct’ variables can be problematic. One specific problem is that results vary depending on statistical method employed and it has been argued that triangulation of multiple methods is advantageous to safely identify the correct, important variables. To date, no formal method of triangulation has been reported that incorporates both model stability and coefficient estimates; in this paper we develop an adaptable, straightforward method to achieve this. Six methods of variable selection were evaluated using simulated datasets of different dimensions with known underlying relationships. We used a bootstrap methodology to combine stability matrices across methods and estimate aggregated coefficient distributions. Novel graphical approaches provided a transparent route to visualise and compare results between methods. The proposed aggregated method provides a flexible route to formally triangulate results across any chosen number of variable selection methods and provides a combined result that incorporates uncertainty arising from between-method variability. In these simulated datasets, the combined method generally performed as well or better than the individual methods, with low error rates and clearer demarcation of the true causal variables than for the individual methods.