bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of multi echo T2 relaxation and steady state approaches for myelin imaging in the central nervous system
Authors: Dvorak Adam V. , Ljungberg Emil , Vavasour Irene M. , Lee Lisa Eunyoung , Abel Shawna , Li David K. B. , Traboulsee Anthony , MacKay Alex L. , Kolind Shannon H. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe traditional approach for measuring myelin-associated water with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses multi-echo T2relaxation data to calculate the myelin water fraction (MWF). A fundamentally different approach, abbreviated “mcDESPOT”, uses a more efficient steady-state acquisition to generate an equivalent metric (fM). Although previous studies have demonstrated inherent instability and bias in the complex mcDESPOT analysis procedure, fMhas often been used as a surrogate for MWF. We produced and compared multivariate atlases of MWF and fMin healthy human brain and cervical spinal cord (available online) and compared their ability to detect multiple sclerosis pathology. A significant bias was found in all regions (p < 10–5), albeit reversed for spinal cord (fM-MWF =  − 3.4%) compared to brain (+ 6.2%). MWF and fMfollowed an approximately linear relationship for regions with MWF <  ~ 10%. For MWF >  ~ 10%, the relationship broke down and fMno longer increased in tandem with MWF. For multiple sclerosis patients, MWF and fMZ score maps showed overlapping areas of low Z score and similar trends between patients and brain regions, although those of fMgenerally had greater spatial extent and magnitude of severity. These results will guide future choice of myelin-sensitive quantitative MRI and improve interpretation of studies using either myelin imaging approach.
Galápagos upwelling driven by localized wind–front interactions
Authors: Forryan Alexander , Naveira Garabato Alberto C. , Vic Clément , Nurser A. J. George , Hearn Alexander R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe Galápagos archipelago, rising from the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean some 900 km off the South American mainland, hosts an iconic and globally significant biological hotspot. The islands are renowned for their unique wealth of endemic species, which inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and today underpins one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Marine Reserves on Earth. The regional ecosystem is sustained by strongly seasonal oceanic upwelling events—upward surges of cool, nutrient-rich deep waters that fuel the growth of the phytoplankton upon which the entire ecosystem thrives. Yet despite its critical life-supporting role, the upwelling’s controlling factors remain undetermined. Here, we use a realistic model of the regional ocean circulation to show that the intensity of upwelling is governed by local northward winds, which generate vigorous submesoscale circulations at upper-ocean fronts to the west of the islands. These submesoscale flows drive upwelling of interior waters into the surface mixed layer. Our findings thus demonstrate that Galápagos upwelling is controlled by highly localized atmosphere–ocean interactions, and call for a focus on these processes in assessing and mitigating the regional ecosystem’s vulnerability to 21st-century climate change.
S100A8/A9 mediate the reprograming of normal mammary epithelial cells induced by dynamic cell–cell interactions with adjacent breast cancer cells
Authors: Jo Seol Hwa , Heo Woo Hang , Son Hye-Youn , Quan Mingji , Hong Bok Sil , Kim Ju Hee , Lee Han-Byoel , Han Wonshik , Park Yeonju , Lee Dong-Sup , Kwon Nam Hoon , Park Min Chul , Chae Jeesoo , Kim Jong-Il , Noh Dong-Young , Moon Hyeong-Gon 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTo understand the potential effects of cancer cells on surrounding normal mammary epithelial cells, we performed direct co-culture of non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial MCF10A cells and various breast cancer cells. Firstly, we observed dynamic cell–cell interactions between the MCF10A cells and breast cancer cells including lamellipodia or nanotube-like contacts and transfer of extracellular vesicles. Co-cultured MCF10A cells exhibited features of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and showed increased capacity of cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, and 3-dimensional sphere formation. Direct co-culture showed most distinct phenotype changes in MCF10A cells followed by conditioned media treatment and indirect co-culture. Transcriptome analysis and phosphor-protein array suggested that several cancer-related pathways are significantly dysregulated in MCF10A cells after the direct co-culture with breast cancer cells. S100A8 and S100A9 showed distinct up-regulation in the co-cultured MCF10A cells and their microenvironmental upregulation was also observed in the orthotropic xenograft of syngeneic mouse mammary tumors. When S100A8/A9 overexpression was induced in MCF10A cells, the cells showed phenotypic features of directly co-cultured MCF10A cells in terms of in vitro cell behaviors and signaling activities suggesting a S100A8/A9-mediated transition program in non-tumorigenic epithelial cells. This study suggests the possibility of dynamic cell–cell interactions between non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells and breast cancer cells that could lead to a substantial transition in molecular and functional characteristics of mammary epithelial cells.
Sleep reactivation did not boost suppression-induced forgetting
Authors: Schechtman Eitan , Lampe Anna , Wilson Brianna J. , Kwon Eunbi , Anderson Michael C. , Paller Ken A. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSleep's role in memory consolidation is widely acknowledged, but its role in weakening memories is still debated. Memory weakening is evolutionary beneficial and makes an integral contribution to cognition. We sought evidence on whether sleep-based memory reactivation can facilitate memory suppression. Participants learned pairs of associable words (e.g., DIET–CREAM) and were then exposed to hint words (e.g., DIET) and instructed to either recall (“think”) or suppress (“no-think”) the corresponding target words (e.g., CREAM). As expected, suppression impaired retention when tested immediately after a 90-min nap. To test if reactivation could selectively enhance memory suppression during sleep, we unobtrusively presented one of two sounds conveying suppression instructions during sleep, followed by hint words. Results showed that targeted memory reactivation did not enhance suppression-induced forgetting. Although not predicted, post-hoc analyses revealed that sleep cues strengthened memory, but only for suppressed pairs that were weakly encoded before sleep. The results leave open the question of whether memory suppression can be augmented during sleep, but suggest strategies for future studies manipulating memory suppression during sleep. Additionally, our findings support the notion that sleep reactivation is particularly beneficial for weakly encoded information, which may be prioritized for consolidation.
Deep neural network model of haptic saliency
Authors: Metzger Anna , Toscani Matteo , Akbarinia Arash , Valsecchi Matteo , Drewing Knut 
Published: January 2021

AbstractHaptic exploration usually involves stereotypical systematic movements that are adapted to the task. Here we tested whether exploration movements are also driven by physical stimulus features. We designed haptic stimuli, whose surface relief varied locally in spatial frequency, height, orientation, and anisotropy. In Experiment 1, participants subsequently explored two stimuli in order to decide whether they were same or different. We trained a variational autoencoder to predict the spatial distribution of touch duration from the surface relief of the haptic stimuli. The model successfully predicted where participants touched the stimuli. It could also predict participants’ touch distribution from the stimulus’ surface relief when tested with two new groups of participants, who performed a different task (Exp. 2) or explored different stimuli (Exp. 3). We further generated a large number of virtual surface reliefs (uniformly expressing a certain combination of features) and correlated the model’s responses with stimulus properties to understand the model’s preferences in order to infer which stimulus features were preferentially touched by participants. Our results indicate that haptic exploratory behavior is to some extent driven by the physical features of the stimuli, with e.g. edge-like structures, vertical and horizontal patterns, and rough regions being explored in more detail.
Phasic activation of the locus coeruleus attenuates the acoustic startle response by increasing cortical arousal
Authors: Yang Mingyu , Logothetis Nikos K. , Eschenko Oxana 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAn alerting sound elicits the Acoustic Startle Response (ASR) that is dependent on the sound volume and organisms’ state, which is regulated by neuromodulatory centers. The locus coeruleus (LC) neurons respond to salient stimuli and noradrenaline release affects sensory processing, including auditory. The LC hyperactivity is detrimental for sensorimotor gating. We report here that priming microstimulation of the LC (100-ms at 20, 50, and 100 Hz) attenuated the ASR in rats. The ASR reduction scaled with frequency and 100 Hz-stimulation mimicked pre-exposure to a non-startling tone (prepulse). A rapid (~ 40 ms) EEG desynchronization following the LC stimulation suggested that the ASR reduction was due to elevated cortical arousal. The effects of LC stimulation on the ASR and EEG were consistent with systematic relationships between the ASR, awake/sleep state, and the cortical arousal level; for that matter, a lower ASR amplitude corresponded to a higher arousal level. Thus, the LC appears to modulate the ASR circuit via its diffuse ascending projections to the forebrain saliency network. The LC modulation directly in the brainstem and/or spinal cord may also play a role. Our findings suggest the LC as a part of the brain circuitry regulating the ASR, while underlying neurophysiological mechanisms require further investigation.
Cardiovascular outcomes and healthcare costs of liraglutide versus basal insulin for type 2 diabetes patients at high cardiovascular risk
Authors: Huang Wan-Chun , Chen Yen-Chou , Wu Chung-Hsuen , Ko Yu 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe aimed to compare the (1) clinical outcomes including composite cardiovascular outcomes, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death, and (2) healthcare costs of using liraglutide and basal insulin as an initial treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and high cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk. This is a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan’s Health and Welfare Database. A total of 1057 patients treated with liraglutide were identified and matched with 4600 patients treated with basal insulin. The liraglutide group had a lower risk of a composite CVD outcome (hazard ratio (HR) 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50–0.85; p < 0.01), all-cause mortality (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.28–0.59; p < 0.0001), and nonfatal stroke (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.34–0.87; p = 0.01). Compared to the basal insulin group, the liraglutide group had lower median per-patient-per-month (PPPM) inpatient, emergency room (ER), and total medical costs, but higher median PPPM outpatient, total pharmacy, and total costs (all p < 0.0001). In conclusion, compared to basal insulin, liraglutide was found to be associated with reduced risk of a composite CVD outcome, nonfatal stroke, and all-cause mortality among high CVD risk patients with T2DM. In addition, liraglutide users had lower inpatient, ER, and total medical costs, but they had higher outpatient and total pharmacy costs.
Inferred retinal sensitivity in recessive Stargardt disease using machine learning
Authors: Müller Philipp L. , Odainic Alexandru , Treis Tim , Herrmann Philipp , Tufail Adnan , Holz Frank G. , Pfau Maximilian 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSpatially-resolved retinal function can be measured by psychophysical testing like fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP or ‘microperimetry’). It may serve as a performance outcome measure in emerging interventional clinical trials for macular diseases as requested by regulatory agencies. As FCP constitute laborious examinations, we have evaluated a machine-learning-based approach to predict spatially-resolved retinal function (’inferred sensitivity’) based on microstructural imaging (obtained by spectral domain optical coherence tomography) and patient data in recessive Stargardt disease. Using nested cross-validation, prediction accuracies of (mean absolute error, MAE [95% CI]) 4.74 dB [4.48–4.99] were achieved. After additional inclusion of limited FCP data, the latter reached 3.89 dB [3.67–4.10] comparable to the test–retest MAE estimate of 3.51 dB [3.11–3.91]. Analysis of the permutation importance revealed, that the IS&OS and RPE thickness were the most important features for the prediction of retinal sensitivity. ’Inferred sensitivity’, herein, enables to accurately estimate differential effects of retinal microstructure on spatially-resolved function in Stargardt disease, and might be used as quasi-functional surrogate marker for a refined and time-efficient investigation of possible functionally relevant treatment effects or disease progression.
Alloparental care in glassfrogs: males care for unrelated clutches only when associated with their own
Authors: Valencia-Aguilar Anyelet , Guayasamin Juan M. , Prado Cynthia P. A. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractParental care is costly, thus theory predicts that parents should avoid caring for unrelated offspring. However, alloparenting has been reported in many taxa because it may increase the caregiver mating success or offspring survival. We experimentally investigated the existence of allopaternal care in two glassfrog species, Hyalinobatrachium chirripoi and Centrolene peristicta, and discussed possible costs and benefits. Males mated with multiple females and cared for clutches, while continued to call. In the field, we randomly placed unrelated clutches in the territory of males already caring for their clutches and in the territory of non-attending males. Attending males adopted unrelated clutches, whereas non-attending males abandoned their territories. Once males adopted unrelated offspring, they cared for all clutches in a similar frequency and gained new clutches. Alloparenting was context-dependent, as only males already caring for their clutches adopted unrelated ones. We suggest that steroid hormonal levels might mediate the adoption of unrelated offspring by attending males. Additionally, our results suggest that males do not directly discriminate between related and unrelated offspring. Alloparenting has been widely investigated in different vertebrates, except for amphibians. Thus, our study sheds light on the roles of alloparenting for offspring survival and mating success in this group.
Surface oxidation of petroleum pitch to improve mesopore ratio and specific surface area of activated carbon
Authors: Lee Song Mi , Lee Seon Ho , Jung Doo-Hwan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this study, surface oxidation of petroleum pitch was performed to enhance the thermal stability, specific surface area, and mesopore ratio of activated carbon. The oxygen uptake of the pitch by surface oxidation has a strong influence on the formation of the specific surface area and pore size of activated carbon. It was confirmed that the oxygen uptake from the surface to the inner side of the surface oxidized pitch was the highest at the temperature of 330 °C (IP330-AC), with a mesopore ratio of 63.35% and specific surface area of 1811 m2 g−1. The oxygen content of the surface oxidized pitch increased proportionately with the mesopore ratio in activated carbon. The specific surface area and mesopore ratio of IP330-AC were respectively 163% and 487% higher than those of petroleum-based commercial activated carbon (A-BAC), and 102% and 491% higher than those of coconut-based commercial activated carbon (P60).
Enhanced adsorptive composite foams for copper (II) removal utilising bio-renewable polyisoprene-functionalised carbon derived from coconut shell waste
Authors: Kettum Wachiraporn , Samart Chanatip , Chanlek Narong , Pakawanit Phakkhananan , Reubroycharoen Prasert , Guan Guoqing , Kongparakul Suwadee , Kiatkamjornwong Suda 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA bio -renewable polyisoprene obtained from Hevea Brasiliensis was used to produce functionalised carbon composite foam as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Functionalised carbon materials (C-SO3H, C-COOH, or C-NH2) derived from coconut shell waste were prepared via a hydrothermal treatment. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the functionalised carbon particles had spherical shapes with rough surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the functional groups were successfully functionalised over the carbon surface. The foaming process allowed for the addition of carbon (up to seven parts per hundred of rubber) to the high ammonia natural rubber latex. The composite foams had open pore structures with good dispersion of the functionalised carbon. The foam performance on copper ion adsorption has been investigated with regard to their functional group and adsorption conditions. The carbon foams achieved maximum Cu(II) adsorption at 56.5 $${\text{mg g}}_{\text{foam}}^{-1}$$

mg g

foam

-
1

for C-SO3H, 55.7 $${\text{mg g}}_{\text{foam}}^{-1}$$

mg g

foam

-
1

for C-COOH, and 41.9 $${\text{mg g}}_{\text{foam}}^{-1}$$

mg g

foam

-
1

for C-NH2, and the adsorption behaviour followed a pseudo-second order kinetics model.
Virtual reality alters cortical oscillations related to visuo-tactile integration during rubber hand illusion
Authors: Kanayama Noriaki , Hara Masayuki , Kimura Kenta 
Published: January 2021

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) enables the fast, free, and highly controllable setting of experimental body images. Illusions pertaining to a body, such as the rubber hand illusion (RHI), can be easily conducted in VR settings, and some phenomena, such as full-body illusions, are only realized in virtual environments. However, the multisensory-integration process in VR is not yet fully understood. Thus, it remains to be clarified if specific phenomena that occur under VR settings manifest in real life as well. One useful investigative approach is measuring brain activities during a psychological experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory activities provide insight into the human multisensory integration process. Nevertheless, EEG data can be vulnerable to VR noise, which causes measurement and analytical difficulties for EEG data recorded in VR environments. Here, we achieve an experimental RHI setting using a head-mounted display that provides a VR visual space and VR dummy hand along with EEG measurements. We compared EEG data collected in both real and VR environments and observed the gamma and theta band oscillatory activities. Ultimately, we observed statistically significant differences between congruent (RHI) and incongruent (not RHI) conditions in the real environment, which is consistent with previous studies. Differences in the VR condition were observed only on the late theta band oscillation, suggesting that the VR setting itself altered the perceptual and sensory integration mechanisms. Thus, we must model this difference between real and VR settings whenever we use VR to investigate our bodily self-perception.
Circulating fatty acid profiles are associated with protein energy wasting in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Khor Ban-Hock , Sahathevan Sharmela , Sualeheen Ayesha , Ali Mohammad Syafiq Md , Narayanan Sreelakshmi Sankara , Chinna Karuthan , Gafor Abdul Halim Abdul , Goh Bak-Leong , Ahmad Ghazali , Morad Zaki , Daud Zulfitri Azuan Mat , Khosla Pramod , Sundram Kalyana , Karupaiah Tilakavati ,   PaTCH Investigators, Bee Boon Cheak , Lim Soo Kun , Visvanathan Ravindran , Yahya Rosnawati , Bavanandan Sunita 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe metabolic impact of circulating fatty acids (FAs) in patients requiring hemodialysis (HD) is unknown. We investigated the associations between plasma triglyceride (TG) FAs and markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, nutritional status and body composition. Plasma TG-FAs were measured using gas chromatography in 341 patients on HD (age = 55.2 ± 14.0 years and 54.3% males). Cross-sectional associations of TG-FAs with 13 markers were examined using multivariate linear regression adjusted for potential confounders. Higher levels of TG saturated fatty acids were associated with greater body mass index (BMI, r = 0.230), waist circumference (r = 0.203), triceps skinfold (r = 0.197), fat tissue index (r = 0.150), serum insulin (r = 0.280), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (r = 0.276), but lower malnutrition inflammation score (MIS, r =  − 0.160). Greater TG monounsaturated fatty acid levels were associated with lower lean tissue index (r =  − 0.197) and serum albumin (r =  − 0.188), but higher MIS (r = 0.176). Higher levels of TG n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were associated with lower MIS (r =  − 0.168) and interleukin-6 concentrations (r =  − 0.115). Higher levels of TG n-6 PUFAs were associated with lower BMI (r =  − 0.149) but greater serum albumin (r = 0.112). In conclusion, TG monounsaturated fatty acids were associated with poor nutritional status, while TG n-3 PUFAs were associated with good nutritional status. On the other hand, TG saturated fatty acids and TG n-6 PUFAs had both favorable and unfavorable associations with nutritional parameters.
Exploratory behaviour towards novel objects is associated with enhanced learning in young horses
Authors: Christensen Janne Winther , Ahrendt Line Peerstrup , Malmkvist Jens , Nicol Christine 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe mechanisms underlying individual variation in learning are key to understanding the development of cognitive abilities. In humans and primates, curiosity has been suggested as an important intrinsic factor that enhances learning, whereas in domesticated species research has primarily identified factors with a negative effect on cognitive abilities, such as stress and fearfulness. This study presents the first evidence of a link between object-directed curiosity and learning performance in young horses in two very different learning tasks (visual discrimination and pressure-release). We exposed young horses (n = 44) to standardised novel object tests at 5 months and 1 year of age and found consistency in responses. Standard indicators of fearfulness (e.g. heart rate and alertness) were unrelated to learning performance, whereas exploratory behaviour towards the novel objects correlated to performance in both learning tasks. Exploratory behaviour was unreinforced in the novel object tests and likely reflects the animal’s intrinsic motivation (i.e. curiosity), suggesting that this trait is favourable for learning performance. In addition to the insights that these results provide into cognition in a domesticated species, they also raise questions in relation to fostering of curiosity in animals and the impact that such manipulation may have on cognitive abilities.