bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rapid fabrication of complex nanostructures using room-temperature ultrasonic nanoimprinting
Authors: Ge Junyu , Ding Bin , Hou Shuai , Luo Manlin , Nam Donguk , Duan Hongwei , Gao Huajian , Lam Yee Cheong , Li Hong 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDespite its advantages of scalable process and cost-effectiveness, nanoimprinting faces challenges with imprinting hard materials (e.g., crystalline metals) at low/room temperatures, and with fabricating complex nanostructures rapidly (e.g., heterojunctions of metal and oxide). Herein, we report a room temperature ultrasonic nanoimprinting technique (named nanojackhammer) to address these challenges. Nanojackhammer capitalizes on the concentration of ultrasonic energy flow at nanoscale to shape bulk materials into nanostructures. Working at room temperature, nanojackhammer allows rapid fabrication of complex multi-compositional nanostructures made of virtually all solid materials regardless of their ductility, hardness, reactivity and melting points. Atomistic simulations reveal a unique alternating dislocation generation and recovery mechanism that significantly reduces the imprinting force under ultrasonic cyclic loading. As a proof-of-concept, a metal-oxide-metal plasmonic nanostructure with built-in nanogap is rapidly fabricated and employed for biosensing. As a fast, scalable, and cost-effective nanotechnology, nanojackhammer will enable various unique applications of complex nanostructures in optoelectronics, biosensing, catalysis and beyond.
The use of live food as a vehicle of soybean meal for nutritional programming of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides
Authors: Molinari Giovanni S. , Wojno Michal , Kwasek Karolina 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNutritional Programming (NP) has been studied as a means of improving dietary plant protein (PP) utilization in different fish species. This study investigated the use of enriched live feed as a vehicle for NP in larval fish. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of NP induced during the larval stage via PP-enriched live feed on: (1) growth performance; (2) expression of genes associated with inflammation and any morphological changes in the intestine; and (3) muscle free amino acid composition in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) during its later life stages. Two diets were used in this study, a fish meal (FM)-based diet, and a soybean mean (SBM)-based diet, serving as the PP diet. There were 4 groups in this study. The two control groups, ( +) Control and (−) Control, were not programmed and received the FM-diet and SBM-diet, respectively throughout the whole trial after the live feed stage (27–122 days post hatch (dph). The next group, programmed, was programmed with SBM-enriched Artemia nauplii during the live feed stage (4–26 dph) and challenged with the SBM-diet during the final stage of the study (79–122 dph). The final group, non-programmed, did not receive any programming and, was challenged with the SBM-diet during the final stage of the study. The programmed group experienced a significantly higher (%) weight gain during the PP-Challenge than the non-programmed group. In addition, the live feed programming resulted in significantly longer distal villi, and a higher villi length to width ratio, compared to the non-programmed group. No significant effects on free amino acid composition and gene expression were observed between the programmed and non-programmed group, except for an increased post-prandial concentration of free proline in the programmed group. The results of this study support use of live feed as a vehicle for nutritional programming and improving the growth performance of largemouth bass fed with a SBM-based diet.
Comprehensive assessment of left atrial and ventricular remodeling in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by the cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial extracellular volume fraction and feature tracking strain
Authors: Yamada Akimasa , Hashimoto Naoki , Fujito Hidesato , Hatta Takumi , Saito Yuki , Otsuka Naoto , Wakamatsu Yuji , Arai Masaru , Watanabe Ryuta , Kurokawa Sayaka , Kitano Daisuke , Nagashima Koichi , Yoda Shunichi , Okumura Yasuo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a progressive disease that starts with structural or functional changes in the left atrium and left ventricle, and evolves from paroxysmal toward sustained forms. Early detection of structural or functional changes in the left atrium and left ventricle in the paroxysmal stage could be useful for identifying a higher risk of progression to persistent AF and future cardio-cerebrovascular events. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the feature tracking (FT) left atrial (LA) strain and left ventricular (LV) extracellular volume fraction (ECV) derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) could detect early changes in remodeling of the left atrium and ventricle in the paroxysmal AF (PAF) stage. The participants were comprised of 106 PAF patients (age, 66.1 ± 10.7 years; 66% male) who underwent clinical CMR before pulmonary vein isolation and 20 control subjects (age, 68.3 ± 8.6 years; 55% male). The CMR-FT LA strain/phasic function and LV-ECV were compared between the PAF and control groups. The total and passive LA empty fraction (LAEF) and LA strain (corresponding to LA reservoir and conduit function) were decreased in the PAF group as compared to the control group. However, active LAEF (corresponding to the LA booster pump function) did not differ significantly between the PAF group (33.9 ± 10.9%) and control group (37.9 ± 13.3%, p = 0.15), while the active LA strain (corresponding to the LA booster pump function) was significantly decreased in the PAF group (11.4 ± 4.3 vs. 15.2 ± 5.6%, p = 0.002). The LV-ECV was significantly greater in the PAF group (28.7 ± 2.8%) than control group (26.6 ± 2.0%, p = 0.002). In the PAF group, the LV-ECV correlated significantly with the E/e′ and LA volume index. Regarding the LA strain, correlations were seen between the LV-ECV and both the reservoir function and conduit function. CMR-FT LA strain in combination with the LV-ECV in a single clinical study offers a potential imaging marker that identifies LA/LV remodeling including subtle LA booster pump dysfunction undetectable by the conventional booster pump LAEF in the PAF stage.
Kinship of conditionally immortalized cells derived from fetal bone to human bone-derived mesenchymal stroma cells
Authors: Marozin S. , Simon-Nobbe B. , Irausek S. , Chung L. W. K. , Lepperdinger G. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB 1.19) has been proposed as an accessible experimental model for study of osteoblast biology relating to drug development and biomaterial engineering. For their multilineage differentiation potential, hFOB has been compared to human mesenchymal progenitor cells and used to investigate bone-metabolism in vitro. Hereby, we studied whether and to what extent the conditionally immortalized cell line hFOB 1.19 can serve as a surrogate model for bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (bmMSC). hFOB indeed exhibit specific characteristics reminiscent of bmMSC, as colony formation, migration capacity and the propensity to grow as multicellular aggregates. After prolonged culture, in contrast to the expected effect of immortalization, hFOB acquired a delayed growth rate. In close resemblance to bmMSC at increasing passages, also hFOB showed morphological abnormalities, enlargement and finally reduced proliferation rates together with enhanced expression of the cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p16. hFOB not only have the ability to undergo multilineage differentiation but portray several important aspects of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells. Superior to primary MSC and osteoblasts, hFOB enabled the generation of continuous cell lines. These provide an advanced basis for investigating age-related dysfunctions of MSCs in an in vitro 3D-stem cell microenvironment.
Analysis of glucose metabolism by 18F-FDG-PET imaging and glucose transporter expression in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Han Xiaoning , Ren Honglei , Nandi Ayon , Fan Xuanjia , Koehler Raymond C. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe relationship between cerebral glucose metabolism and glucose transporter expression after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is unclear. Few studies have used positron emission tomography (PET) to explore cerebral glucose metabolism after ICH in rodents. In this study, we produced ICH in mice with an intrastriatal injection of collagenase to investigate whether glucose metabolic changes in 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-PET images are associated with expression of glucose transporters (GLUTs) over time. On days 1 and 3 after ICH, the ipsilateral striatum exhibited significant hypometabolism. However, by days 7 and 14, glucose metabolism was significantly higher in the ipsilateral striatum than in the contralateral striatum. The contralateral hemisphere did not show hypermetabolism at any time after ICH. Qualitative immunofluorescence and Western blotting indicated that the expression of GLUT1 in ipsilateral striatum decreased on days 1 and 3 after ICH and gradually returned to baseline by day 21. The 18F-FDG uptake after ICH was associated with expression of GLUT1 but not GLUT3 or GLUT5. Our data suggest that ipsilateral cerebral glucose metabolism decreases in the early stage after ICH and increases progressively in the late stage. Changes in 18F-FDG uptake on PET imaging are associated with the expression of GLUT1 in the ipsilateral striatum.
Controllable multichannel acousto-optic modulator and frequency synthesizer enabled by nonlinear MEMS resonator
Authors: Pillai Gayathri , Li Sheng-Shian 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNonlinear physics-based harmonic generators and modulators are critical signal processing technologies for optical and electrical communication. However, most optical modulators lack multi-channel functionality while frequency synthesizers have deficient control of output tones, and they additionally require vacuum, complicated setup, and high-power configurations. Here, we report a piezoelectrically actuated nonlinear Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) based Single-Input-Multiple-Output multi-domain signal processing unit that can simultaneously generate programmable parallel information channels (> 100) in both frequency and spatial domain. This significant number is achieved through the combined electromechanical and material nonlinearity of the Lead Zirconate Titanate thin film while still operating the device in an ambient environment at Complementary-Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor compatible voltages. By electrically detuning the operation point along the nonlinear regime of the resonator, the number of electrical and light-matter interaction signals generated based on higher-order non-Eigen modes can be controlled meticulously. This tunable multichannel generation enabled microdevice is a potential candidate for a wide variety of applications ranging from Radio Frequency communication to quantum photonics with an attractive MEMS-photonics monolithic integration ability.
Generation of somatic mitochondrial DNA-replaced cells for mitochondrial dysfunction treatment
Authors: Maeda Hideki , Kami Daisuke , Maeda Ryotaro , Shikuma Akira , Gojo Satoshi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMitochondrial diseases currently have no cure regardless of whether the cause is a nuclear or mitochondrial genome mutation. Mitochondrial dysfunction notably affects a wide range of disorders in aged individuals, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and even senescence. Here, we present a procedure to generate mitochondrial DNA-replaced somatic cells with a combination of a temporal reduction in endogenous mitochondrial DNA and coincubation with exogeneous isolated mitochondria. Heteroplasmy in mitochondrial disease patient-derived fibroblasts in which the mutant genotype was dominant over the wild-type genotype was reversed. Mitochondrial disease patient-derived fibroblasts regained respiratory function and showed lifespan extension. Mitochondrial membranous components were utilized as a vehicle to deliver the genetic materials into endogenous mitochondria-like horizontal genetic transfer in prokaryotes. Mitochondrial DNA-replaced cells could be a resource for transplantation to treat maternal inherited mitochondrial diseases.
Efficient and accurate identification of ear diseases using an ensemble deep learning model
Authors: Zeng Xinyu , Jiang Zifan , Luo Wen , Li Honggui , Li Hongye , Li Guo , Shi Jingyong , Wu Kangjie , Liu Tong , Lin Xing , Wang Fusen , Li Zhenzhang 
Published: May 2021

AbstractEarly detection and appropriate medical treatment are of great use for ear disease. However, a new diagnostic strategy is necessary for the absence of experts and relatively low diagnostic accuracy, in which deep learning plays an important role. This paper puts forward a mechanic learning model which uses abundant otoscope image data gained in clinical cases to achieve an automatic diagnosis of ear diseases in real time. A total of 20,542 endoscopic images were employed to train nine common deep convolution neural networks. According to the characteristics of the eardrum and external auditory canal, eight kinds of ear diseases were classified, involving the majority of ear diseases, such as normal, Cholestestoma of the middle ear, Chronic suppurative otitis media, External auditory cana bleeding, Impacted cerumen, Otomycosis external, Secretory otitis media, Tympanic membrane calcification. After we evaluate these optimization schemes, two best performance models are selected to combine the ensemble classifiers with real-time automatic classification. Based on accuracy and training time, we choose a transferring learning model based on DensNet-BC169 and DensNet-BC1615, getting a result that each model has obvious improvement by using these two ensemble classifiers, and has an average accuracy of 95.59%. Considering the dependence of classifier performance on data size in transfer learning, we evaluate the high accuracy of the current model that can be attributed to large databases. Current studies are unparalleled regarding disease diversity and diagnostic precision. The real-time classifier trains the data under different acquisition conditions, which is suitable for real cases. According to this study, in the clinical case, the deep learning model is of great use in the early detection and remedy of ear diseases.
Micron-scale human enamel layer characterization after orthodontic bracket debonding by intensity-based layer segmentation in optical coherence tomography images
Authors: Ravichandran Naresh Kumar , Lakshmikantha Hemanth Tumkur , Park Hyo-Sang , Jeon Mansik , Kim Jeehyun 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn clinical orthodontic practice, fixed brackets are widely used for tooth movement and adjustments. Although years of research and development have improved the workability of fixed orthodontic brackets, there are still controversies regarding its plausible destructive influence on the enamel surface of tooth. This, in turn, makes the quantitative assessment of the enamel surface after specific orthodontic treatment procedures important in order to opt for the most effective treatment procedure. Through this study, we show the practical applicability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a non-ionizing and nondestructive assessment tool for measuring enamel loss after each step of orthodontic bracket bonding. Two-dimensional and volumetric OCT images are used for the evaluation of the tooth enamel. From the depth intensity profile analysis of cross-sectional OCT images, the changes in the individual internal layer thickness are calculated. A software algorithm was developed to evaluate the structural connectivity in the enamel for analyzing enamel loss on the tooth surface and for detecting enamel abrasion. An intensity-based layer segmentation algorithm is also developed to analyze and evaluate enamel wear in the tooth after each step. Using the proposed algorithms, the total enamel present after each treatment procedure was measured and tabulated for analysis.
Modified leaky competing accumulator model of decision making with multiple alternatives: the Lie-algebraic approach
Authors: Lo Chi-Fai , Ip Ho-Yan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this communication, based upon the stochastic Gompertz law of population growth, we have reformulated the Leaky Competing Accumulator (LCA) model with multiple alternatives such that the positive-definiteness of evidence accumulation is automatically satisfied. By exploiting the Lie symmetry of the backward Kolmogorov equation (or Fokker–Planck equation) assoicated with the modified model and applying the Wei–Norman theorem, we have succeeded in deriving theN-dimensional joint probability density function (p.d.f.) and marginal p.d.f. for each alternative in closed form. With this joint p.d.f., a likelihood function can be constructed and thus model-fitting procedures become feasible. We have also demonstrated that the calibration of model parameters based upon the Monte Carlo simulated time series is indeed both efficient and accurate. Moreover, it should be noted that the proposed Lie-algebraic approach can also be applied to tackle the modified LCA model with time-varying parameters.
Gut microbiota composition in health-care facility-and community-onset diarrheic patients with Clostridioides difficile infection
Authors: Herrera Giovanny , Vega Laura , Patarroyo Manuel Alfonso , Ramírez Juan David , Muñoz Marina 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe role of gut microbiota in the establishment and development of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has been widely discussed. Studies showed the impact of CDI on bacterial communities and the importance of some genera and species in recovering from and preventing infection. However, most studies have overlooked important components of the intestinal ecosystem, such as eukaryotes and archaea. We investigated the bacterial, archaea, and eukaryotic intestinal microbiota of patients with health-care-facility- or community-onset (HCFO and CO, respectively) diarrhea who were positive or negative for CDI. The CDI-positive groups (CO/+, HCFO/+) showed an increase in microorganisms belonging to Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Opalinata compared with the CDI-negative groups (CO/−, HCFO/−). Patients with intrahospital-acquired diarrhea (HCFO/+, HCFO/−) showed a marked decrease in bacteria beneficial to the intestine, and there was evidence of increased Archaea and Candida and Malassezia species compared with the CO groups (CO/+, CO/−). Characteristic microbiota biomarkers were established for each group. Finally, correlations between bacteria and eukaryotes indicated interactions among the different kingdoms making up the intestinal ecosystem. We showed the impact of CDI on microbiota and how it varies with where the infection is acquired, being intrahospital-acquired diarrhea one of the most influential factors in the modulation of bacterial, archaea, and eukaryotic populations. We also highlight interactions between the different kingdoms of the intestinal ecosystem, which need to be evaluated to improve our understanding of CDI pathophysiology.
The prognostic value of galactosylceramide-sulfotransferase (Gal3ST1) in human renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Porubsky Stefan , Nientiedt Malin , Kriegmair Maximilian C. , Siemoneit Jörn-Helge Heinrich , Sandhoff Roger , Jennemann Richard , Borgmann Hendrik , Gaiser Timo , Weis Cleo-Aron , Erben Philipp , Hielscher Thomas , Popovic Zoran V. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the deadliest primary genitourinary malignancy typically associated with asymptomatic initial presentation and poorly predictable survival. Next to established risk factors, tumor microenvironment may alter metastatic capacity and immune landscape. Due to their high concentrations, sulfoglycolipids (sulfatides) were among the first well-described antigens in RCC that are associated with worse prognosis. As sulfatide detection in routine diagnostics is not possible, we aimed to test the prognostic value of its protein counterpart, sulfatide-producing enzyme Gal3ST1. We performed retrospective long-term follow up analysis of Gal3ST1 expression as prognostic risk factor in a representative RCC patient cohort. We observed differentially regulated Gal3ST1 expression in all RCC types, being significantly more associated with clear cell RCC than to chromophobe RCC (p = 0.001). Surprisingly, in contrast to published observations from in vitro models, we could not confirm an association between Gal3ST1 expression and a malignant clinical behaviour of the RCC. In our cohort, Gal3ST1 did not significantly influence progression-free survival (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.7 95% CI (0.6–4.9), p = 0.327). Particularly after adjusting for histology, T-stage, N-status and M-status at baseline, we observed no independent prognostic effect (HR = 1.0 95% CI (0.3–3.3), p = 0.96). The analysis of Gal3ST1 mRNA expression in a TCGA dataset supported the results of our cohort. Thus, Gal3ST1 might help to differentiate between chromophobe RCC and other frequent RCC entities but—despite previously published data from cell culture models—does not qualify as a prognostic marker for RCC. Further investigation of regulatory mechanisms of sulfatide metabolism in human RCC microenvironment is necessary to understand the role of this quantitatively prominent glycosphingolipid in RCC progression.
Efficacy, safety and tolerability of drugs studied in phase 3 randomized controlled trials in solid tumors over the last decade
Authors: Ribnikar Domen , Goldvaser Hadar , Veitch Zachary W. , Ocana Alberto , Templeton Arnoud J. , Šeruga Boštjan , Amir Eitan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractData suggest that for newly approved cancer drugs safety and tolerability are worse than in control arms of registration trials. Less is known about the balance between efficacy and toxicity of drugs studied in unselected phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including those not resulting in regulatory approval. We searched Clinicaltrials.gov to identify phase 3 RCTs in patients with advanced breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer completed between January 2005 and October 2016. We extracted efficacy and safety data from publications. For efficacy hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were extracted. For safety, we computed odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for toxic death, treatment discontinuation without progression and commonly reported grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs). Data were then pooled in a meta-analysis. Of 377 RCTs identified initially, 143 RCTs comprising 88,603 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 79 (57%) trials met their primary endpoint. Compared to control groups, both PFS (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.78–0.82) and OS (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.85–0.89) were improved with experimental drugs. Toxic death (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.03–1.27), treatment discontinuation without progression (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.56–1.71) and grade 3/4 AEs were also more common with experimental drugs compared to respective control group therapy. Just over half of phase 3 RCTs in common solid tumors met their primary endpoint and in nearly half, experimental therapy had worse safety compared to control arms.