bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Probiotic supplementation attenuates age‐related sarcopenia via the gut–muscle axis in SAMP8 mice
Authors: Chen Li‐Han , Chang Shy‐Shin , Chang Hsin‐Yi , Wu Chieh‐Hsi , Pan Chun‐Hsu , Chang Chun‐Chao , Chan Ching‐Hung , Huang Hui‐Yu 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundAge‐related muscle dysfunctions are common disorders resulting in poor quality of life in the elderly. Probiotic supplementation is a potential strategy for preventing age‐related sarcopenia as evidence suggests that probiotics can enhance muscle function via the gut–muscle axis. However, the effects and mechanisms of probiotics in age‐related sarcopenia are currently unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS), a probiotic previously reported to improve muscle function in young adult mice.MethodsWe administered LcS (1 × 108 or 1 × 109 CFU/mouse/day) by oral gavage to senescence‐accelerated mouse prone‐8 mice for 12 weeks (16‐ to 28‐week‐old). Sixteen‐week‐old and 28‐week‐old SMAP8 mice were included as non‐aged and aged controls, respectively. Muscle condition was evaluated using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry for muscle mass, holding impulse and grip strength tests for muscle strength, and oxygen consumption rate, gene expressions of mitochondrial biogenesis, and mitochondrial number assays for mitochondria function. Inflammatory cytokines were determined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was utilized to measure the short‐chain fatty acid levels. The gut microbiota was analysed based on the data of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of mouse stool.ResultsThe LcS supplementation reduced age‐related declines in muscle mass (>94.6%, P < 0.04), strength (>66% in holding impulse and >96.3% in grip strength, P < 0.05), and mitochondrial function (P < 0.05). The concentration of short‐chain fatty acids (acetic, isobutyric, butyric, penic, and hexanoic acid) was recovered by LcS (>65.9% in the mice given high dose of LcS, P < 0.05) in the aged mice, and LcS attenuated age‐related increases in inflammation (P < 0.05) and reactive oxygen species (>89.4%, P < 0.001). The high dose of LcS supplementation was also associated with distinct microbiota composition as indicated by the separation of groups in the beta‐diversity analysis (P = 0.027). LcS supplementation altered predicted bacterial functions based on the gut microbiota. Apoptosis (P = 0.026), p53 signalling (P = 0.017), and non‐homologous end‐joining (P = 0.031) were significantly reduced, whereas DNA repair and recombination proteins (P = 0.043), RNA polymerase (P = 0.008), and aminoacyl‐tRNA biosynthesis (P = 0.003) were increased. Finally, the genera enriched by high‐dose LcS [linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score > 2.0] were positively correlated with healthy muscle and physiological condition (P < 0.05), while the genera enriched in aged control mice (LDA score > 2.0) were negatively associated with healthy muscle and physiological condition (P < 0.05).ConclusionsLactobacillus casei Shirota represents an active modulator that regulates the onset and progression of age‐related muscle impairment potentially via the gut–muscle axis.
Effects of TNF-α deletion on iNKT cell development, activation, and maturation in the steady-state and chronic alcohol-consuming mice
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zhang Faya , Modrak Samantha 
Published: November 2021

AbstractCytokines play critical roles in regulating iNKT cell development, activation, and maturation. TNF-α co-occurs with iNKT cells in steady-state and many disease conditions. How TNF-α affects iNKT cell function has not been thoroughly investigated. It was found that chronic alcohol consumption enhanced iNKT cell activation and maturation. The underlying mechanism is not known. Herein, a TNF-α KO mouse model was used to address these issues. It was found that the depletion of TNF-α mitigated alcohol consumption-enhanced iNKT cell activation and maturation. In steady-state, depletion of TNF-α did not affect the frequency of iNKT cells in the thymus and spleen but decreased iNKT cells in the liver and increased liver iNKT cell apoptosis. The portion of stage-2 immature iNKT cells increased, stage-3 mature iNKT cells decreased in the thymus of TNF-α KO mice, suggesting that depletion of TNF-α impairs iNKT cell development and maturation. The percentage of CD69+ iNKT cells was significantly lower in the thymus, spleen, and liver of TNF-α KO mice compared to their wild-type littermates, suggesting that depletion of TNF-α inhibits iNKT cell activation. Moreover, the percentage of splenic IL-4- and IFN-γ-producing iNKT cells was significantly lower in TNF-α KO mice than in their wild-type littermates. The depletion of TNF-α increased PLZF+ iNKT cells in the thymus and down-regulated the expression of CD122 on iNKT cells. Collectively, these results support that TNF-α plays a vital role in the regulation of iNKT cell development, activation, and maturation, and alcohol consumption enhances iNKT cell activation and maturation through TNF-α.
Multi‐Site Concordance of Diffusion‐Weighted Imaging Quantification for Assessing Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness
Authors: McGarry Sean D. , Brehler Michael , Bukowy John D. , Lowman Allison K. , Bobholz Samuel A. , Duenweg Savannah R. , Banerjee Anjishnu , Hurrell Sarah L. , Malyarenko Dariya , Chenevert Thomas L. , Cao Yue , Li Yuan , You Daekeun , Fedorov Andrey , Bell Laura C. , Quarles C. Chad , Prah Melissa A. , Schmainda Kathleen M. , Taouli Bachir , LoCastro Eve , Mazaheri Yousef , Shukla‐Dave Amita , Yankeelov Thomas E. , Hormuth David A. , Madhuranthakam Ananth J. , Hulsey Keith , Li Kurt , Huang Wei , Huang Wei , Muzi Mark , Jacobs Michael A. , Solaiyappan Meiyappan , Hectors Stefanie , Antic Tatjana , Paner Gladell P. , Palangmonthip Watchareepohn , Jacobsohn Kenneth , Hohenwalter Mark , Duvnjak Petar , Griffin Michael , See William , Nevalainen Marja T. , Iczkowski Kenneth A. , LaViolette Peter S. 
Published: November 2021

BackgroundDiffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) is commonly used to detect prostate cancer, and a major clinical challenge is differentiating aggressive from indolent disease.PurposeTo compare 14 site‐specific parametric fitting implementations applied to the same dataset of whole‐mount pathologically validated DWI to test the hypothesis that cancer differentiation varies with different fitting algorithms.Study TypeProspective.PopulationThirty‐three patients prospectively imaged prior to prostatectomy.Field Strength/Sequence3 T, field‐of‐view optimized and constrained undistorted single‐shot DWI sequence.AssessmentDatasets, including a noise‐free digital reference object (DRO), were distributed to the 14 teams, where locally implemented DWI parameter maps were calculated, including mono‐exponential apparent diffusion coefficient (MEADC), kurtosis (K), diffusion kurtosis (DK), bi‐exponential diffusion (BID), pseudo‐diffusion (BID*), and perfusion fraction (F). The resulting parametric maps were centrally analyzed, where differentiation of benign from cancerous tissue was compared between DWI parameters and the fitting algorithms with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC).Statistical TestLevene's test, P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe DRO results indicated minimal discordance between sites. Comparison across sites indicated that K, DK, and MEADC had significantly higher prostate cancer detection capability (AUC range = 0.72–0.76, 0.76–0.81, and 0.76–0.80 respectively) as compared to bi‐exponential parameters (BID, BID*, F) which had lower AUC and greater between site variation (AUC range = 0.53–0.80, 0.51–0.81, and 0.52–0.80 respectively). Post‐processing parameters also affected the resulting AUC, moving from, for example, 0.75 to 0.87 for MEADC varying cluster size.Data ConclusionWe found that conventional diffusion models had consistent performance at differentiating prostate cancer from benign tissue. Our results also indicated that post‐processing decisions on DWI data can affect sensitivity and specificity when applied to radiological–pathological studies in prostate cancer.Level of Evidence1Technical EfficacyStage 3
Analysis of long‐term antibody response in COVID‐19 patients by symptoms grade, gender, age, BMI, and medication
Authors: Ozgocer Tuba , Dagli Şeyda N. , Ceylan Mehmet R. , Disli Faruk , Ucar Cihat , Yildiz Sedat 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe first aim of the study was to analyze the change in antibody titer at 15‐day intervals until 60 days postsymptom onset (PSO). The second aim was to analyze the relationship between antibody titer and symptom grade, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), medications, vitamin supplements, and herbal therapies. Blood samples were collected from 43 patients (5 mild, 21 moderate, 17 severe diseases), 18 women (41.9%), and 25 men (58.1%), on 15, 30, 45, and 60 days PSO after COVID‐19 infection. The serum antibody titers were determined by measuring the COVID‐19 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by enzyme‐linked immunoassay (ELISA). Associations between the duration of symptoms, demographic and clinical parameters, medications and vitamins used, and herbal therapies were evaluated by interviewing the participants. Within the first 15 days of illness, 81.4% of the patients were positive. From Day 45 PSO, seropositivity was 89.5%. The anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody titers were statistically higher in men than women at all times (p < 0.01). Antibody titer was higher in older participants compared to younger participants (p < 0.02). Plaquenil or favipiravir use did not affect antibody response (p > 0.05). Men had a higher fever (p = 0.006), shortness of breath (p = 0.004), and chest pain (p = 0.03) than women. We found powerful antibody response by 60 days PSO, as well as higher antibody response and severity of symptoms in the men gender. Data also showed that SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies are higher in individuals with older age, whereas BMI, concomitant chronic disease, and medications had no effect on antibody titers.
Carrier transport mechanism in bottom gate thin‐film transistor with SnO as active layer for CMOS displays
Authors: Sivathanu Vallisree , Lenka Trupti Ranjan , Goyal Vishal , Nguyen Hieu Pham Trung 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn this work, we report on four tin monoxide (SnO) thin‐film transistor (TFT) grain boundary (GB) models of carrier transport considering the native defects in the thin film, interface traps, and GB deep/tail states. The changes in the activation energy and the GB barrier potential on the application of gate electric field are thoroughly investigated. The shift in Fermi level and the charge carrier transport mechanisms are examined for the two‐channel model by the application of external potential. Four models are developed to study the impact of phase transformation of SnO material on the TFT characteristics. Among the four developed models which are considered as four different cases, Case (iv) shows excellent performance and the simulation results revealed that the location of Fermi level closer to the mid gap are suggested to favor the ambipolar behavior. Also, the influence of SnO material thickness and the effect of different dielectrics on the ambipolar device characteristics are examined aiming at optimized performance of the device. The developed optimized model will help the process engineers in tuning the SnO material parameters for achieving better performance in both p‐type and n‐type TFTs when employed in CMOS based displays.
Potential influence of sea surface temperature representation in climate model simulations over CORDEX‐SEA domain
Authors: Magnaye Angela Monina T. , Narisma Gemma T. , Cruz Faye T. , Dado Julie Mae B. , Tangang Fredolin , Juneng Liew , Ngo‐Duc Thanh , Phan‐Van Tan , Santisirisomboon Jerasorn , Singhruck Patama , Gunawan Dodo , Aldrian Edvin 
Published: November 2021

AbstractRegional climate simulations from the Southeast Asia Regional Climate Downscaling/Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment – Southeast Asia (SEA) indicated model biases in temperature and rainfall over SEA. Given the influence of sea surface temperature (SST) variability on SEA climate, this study examines SST representation in climate models to investigate its potential contribution to the resulting model biases over the Philippines. Observed SST over SEA is first characterized by its spatial patterns and temporal variability. An analysis of the SST representation over SEA and its potential influence on modelled climate over the Philippines in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models (GCMs) is then conducted, followed by an assessment of the potential influence of SST representation in CMIP5 GCMs on downscaled regional climate output. Our results show that GCMs with well represented SSTs (i.e., low bias, well captured variability, and pattern) can produce climate simulations well over the Philippines. Whether or not the GCMs with poor SST representation can perform well is inconclusive. During boreal winter (summer), climate variables with high (low) spatial correlation with model SST get poor (better) spatial correlation with observed climate. Over west of the Philippines, where model SST seasonal variability is captured well, models also adequately simulate climate variables. Results suggest that the negative temperature biases, and positive precipitation and wind speed biases, in both GCMs and downscaled simulations, are associated with negative model SST biases. These findings give a better understanding on how SST potentially influences modelled climatology over the Philippines.
Excessive livestock grazing overrides the positive effects of trees on infiltration capacity and modifies preferential flow in dry miombo woodlands
Authors: Lulandala Lufunyo , Bargués‐Tobella Aida , Masao Catherine Aloyce , Nyberg Gert , Ilstedt Ulrik 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe increase in livestock grazing in African drylands such as miombo woodlands threatens land productivity and ecosystem functioning. Trees have positive effects on soil hydraulic properties, but few studies have looked at grazing intensity and hydrological functioning in different land uses. Therefore, we conducted a biophysical survey in Morogoro Rural District, Tanzania, where we identified four main land uses and land cover types, that is, Forest reserve, open‐access forest, cropland under fallow, and active cropland. We assessed grazing intensity, measured infiltration capacity, and conducted dye tracer experiments to assess the degree of preferential flow in 64 plots. We also tested the effect of grazing exclusion on infiltration capacity in 12‐year‐old fenced plots. Our results show that irrespective of land use or cover type, soil bulk density increased by 10% from low to high grazing intensity, whereas infiltration capacity and soil organic carbon decreased by 55% and 28%, respectively. We found a positive relationship between infiltration capacity and tree basal area in plots with lowest grazing intensities. However, at higher grazing, the infiltration capacity remained low independently of the basal area. Preferential flow in deeper soils was six‐times higher in areas with no grazing, indicating higher deep soil and groundwater recharge potential at low grazing intensities. We conclude that the negative impacts on soil hydrological functioning of excessive livestock grazing override the positive effect of trees, but restricting grazing can reverse the impact.
Always ready? Primary production of Arctic phytoplankton at the end of the polar night
Authors: Hoppe Clara J. M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe end of the polar night with the concurrent onset of photosynthetic biomass production ultimately leads to the spring bloom, which represents the most important event of primary production for the Arctic marine ecosystem. This dataset shows, for the first time, significant in situ biomass accumulation during the dark–light transition in the high Arctic, as well as the earliest recorded positive net primary production rates together with constant chlorophyll a‐normalized potential for primary production through winter and spring. The results indicate a high physiological capacity to perform photosynthesis upon re‐illumination, which is in the same range as that observed during the spring bloom. Put in context with other data, the results of this study indicate that also active cells originating from the low winter standing stock in the water column, rather than solely resting stages from the sediment, can seed early spring bloom assemblages.
Polarization Switching Between Electric and Magnetic Quasi‐Trapped Modes in Bianisotropic All‐Dielectric Metasurfaces
Authors: Evlyukhin Andrey B. , Poleva Maria A. , Prokhorov Alexei V. , Baryshnikova Kseniia V. , Miroshnichenko Andrey E. , Chichkov Boris N. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractA general strategy for the realization of electric and magnetic quasi‐trapped modes located at the same spectral position is presented. This strategy's application makes it possible to design metasurfaces allowing switching between the electric and magnetic quasi‐trapped modes by changing the polarization of the incident light wave. The developed strategy is based on two stages: the application of the dipole approximation for determining the conditions required for the implementation of trapped modes at certain spectral positions and the creation of the energy channels for their excitation by introducing a weak bianisotropy in nanoparticles. Since excitation of trapped modes results in a concentration of electric and magnetic energies in the metasurface plane, the polarization switching provides possibilities to change and control the localization and distribution of optical energy at the sub‐wavelength scale. A practical method for spectral tuning of quasi‐trapped modes in metasurfaces composed of nanoparticles with a preselected shape is demonstrated. As an example, the optical properties of a metasurface composed of silicon triangular prisms are analyzed and discussed.
Controlling Quantum Cascade Laser Optical Frequency Combs through Microwave Injection
Authors: Schneider Barbara , Kapsalidis Filippos , Bertrand Mathieu , Singleton Matthew , Hillbrand Johannes , Beck Mattias , Faist Jérôme 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn this work, control over the precise state emitted by quantum cascade laser frequency combs through strong radio‐frequency current modulation close to their repetition frequency is demonstrated. In particular, broadening of the spectrum from about 20 cm−1 to an average bandwidth of 60 cm−1 can be achieved throughout most of the current dynamical range while preserving the coherence, as measured by shifted wave interference Fourier transform spectroscopy (SWIFTS). The required modulation frequency to achieve this broadening is red‐shifted compared to the free‐running beatnote frequency at increasing modulation powers starting from 25 dBm, whereas the range where it occurs narrows. Outside of this maximum‐bandwidth range, the spectral bandwidth of the laser output is gradually reduced and the new center frequency is red‐ or blue‐shifted, directly dependent on the detuning of the modulation frequency. By switching between two modulation frequencies detuned symmetrically with respect to the free‐running beatnote, two multiplexed spectral regions with negligible overlap from the same device at rates of at least 20 kHz can be generated. In the time‐domain, with both SWIFTS and interferometric autocorrelation (IAC) measurements a transition from quasi‐continuous output to long‐pulsed ( ps) output is shown by ramping up the injection power to 35 dBm.
Immunogenicity and Adverse Effects of the 2‐Dose BNT162b2 Messenger RNA Vaccine Among Liver Transplantation Recipients
Authors: Davidov Yana , Tsaraf Keren , Cohen‐Ezra Oranit , Likhter Mariya , Ben Yakov Gil , Levy Itzchak , Levin Einav G. , Lustig Yaniv , Mor Orna , Rahav Galia , Ben Ari Ziv 
Published: November 2021

The BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has been shown to be safe and effective in immunocompetent patients. The safety and efficacy of this vaccine in liver transplantation (LT) recipients is still under evaluation. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 vaccine among transplant recipients. The immune responses of 76 LT recipients receiving 2 doses of the vaccine were compared with those of 174 age‐matched immunocompetent controls. Postvaccination immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of SARS‐CoV‐2 and neutralizing antibodies (NA) to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine were determined at least 14 days after the second dose of the vaccine. IgG antibody titers ≥1.1 were defined as positive antibodies. Adverse effects were monitored during the study period. Following administration of the second dose, transplant recipients showed reduced immune responses compared with controls (72% versus 94.2%; P < 0.001). At a median time of 38 days after the second vaccination, the geometric mean of RBD IgG and NA titers were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6‐2.6) and 150 (95% CI, 96‐234) among transplant recipients and 4.6 (95% CI, 4.1‐5.1) and 429 (95% CI, 350‐528) in the control group, respectively (P < 0.001). Antibody responses were lower in transplant recipients who were receiving combined immunosuppression therapy and in those with impaired renal function. Among the LT recipients with negative antibody responses, 1 became infected with SARS‐CoV‐2, but no recipients with positive antibody responses became infected. Overall, most (n = 39 [51%]) adverse effects self‐reported by transplant recipients were mild and occurred more often in women than in men. Compared with patients who were immunocompetent, LT recipients had lower immune responses. The durability of immune responses to the BNT162b2 vaccine among LT recipients requires further investigation.
The profinite topology of free groups and weakly generic tuples of automorphisms
Authors: Sági Gábor 
Published: November 2021

AbstractLet be a countable first order structure and endow the universe of with the discrete topology. Then the automorphism group of becomes a topological group. A tuple of automorphisms is defined to be weakly generic iff its diagonal conjugacy class (in the algebraic sense) is dense (in the topological sense) and the ‐orbit of each is finite. Existence of tuples of weakly generic automorphisms are interesting from the point of view of model theory as well as from the point of view of finite combinatorics.The main results of the present work are as follows. In Theorem 2.6 we characterize the existence of tuples of weakly generic automorphisms with the aid of the profinite topology of free groups. In Corollary 2.12 we will show that if has finite topological rank r (and satisfies a further, mild technical condition) then the existence of a weakly generic tuple in implies the existence of weakly generic tuples in for all natural number . Finally, in Theorem 3.2 we show that if is a countable model of an ℵ0‐categorical, simple theory in which all types over the empty set are stationary and has a pair of weakly generic automorphisms then it has tuples of weakly generic automorphisms of arbitrary finite length.At the technical level we will combine elementary investigations about the profinite topology of free groups with the results of [11] about topological ranks of the automorphism groups of some structures.