bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhanced hippocampal type II theta activity AND altered theta architecture in mice lacking the Cav3.2 T-type voltage-gated calcium channel
Authors: Arshaad Muhammad Imran , Siwek Magdalena Elisabeth , Henseler Christina , Daubner Johanna , Ehninger Dan , Hescheler Jürgen , Sachinidis Agapios , Broich Karl , Papazoglou Anna , Weiergräber Marco 
Published: January 2021

AbstractT-type Ca2+ channels are assumed to contribute to hippocampal theta oscillations. We used implantable video-EEG radiotelemetry and qPCR to unravel the role of Cav3.2 Ca2+ channels in hippocampal theta genesis. Frequency analysis of spontaneous long-term recordings in controls and Cav3.2−/− mice revealed robust increase in relative power in the theta (4–8 Hz) and theta-alpha (4–12 Hz) ranges, which was most prominent during the inactive stages of the dark cycles. Urethane injection experiments also showed enhanced type II theta activity and altered theta architecture following Cav3.2 ablation. Next, gene candidates from hippocampal transcriptome analysis of control and Cav3.2−/− mice were evaluated using qPCR. Dynein light chain Tctex-Type 1 (Dynlt1b) was significantly reduced in Cav3.2−/− mice. Furthermore, a significant reduction of GABA A receptor δ subunits and GABA B1 receptor subunits was observed in the septohippocampal GABAergic system. Our results demonstrate that ablation of Cav3.2 significantly alters type II theta activity and theta architecture. Transcriptional changes in synaptic transporter proteins and GABA receptors might be functionally linked to the electrophysiological phenotype.
Effects of aging on brain networks during swallowing: general linear model and independent component analyses
Authors: Tae Woo-Suk , Lee Sekwang , Choi Sunyoung , Pyun Sung-Bom 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSwallowing disorders occur more frequently in older adults. However, the effects of the aging process on neural activation when swallowing are unclear. We aimed to identify neural regions activated during swallowing and evaluate changes in neural activation and neural networks with aging. Using a general linear model (GLM) and independent component (IC) analyses, blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals were observed in the lateral precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, anterior insular cortices, supramarginal gyri, and medial frontal gyrus during swallowing. The right thalamus and anterior cingulate gyri were found to be active areas by GLM and IC analyses, respectively. In the correlational analyses, age was negatively correlated with BOLD signals of the lateral precentral gyri, postcentral gyri, and insular cortices in swallowing tasks. Additionally, correlation analyses between ICs of all participants and age revealed negative correlations in the right supramarginal gyrus, both anterior cingulate cortices, putamen, and cerebellum. In the network analysis, the BOLD signal positively correlated with age in the default mode network (DMN), and was negatively correlated in the lateral precentral gyri, postcentral gyri, and insular cortices. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations was significantly decreased in the DMN and increased in swallowing-related areas during swallowing tasks. These results suggest that aging has negative effects on the activation of swallowing-related regions and task-induced deactivation of the DMN. These changes may be used to detect early functional decline during swallowing.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Monitoring of production of blood components by attribute control chart under indeterminacy
Authors: Khan Nasrullah , Aslam Muhammad , Jeyadurga P. , Balamurali S. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe existing control chart for monitoring the blood components by attribute is designed using classical statistics. The existing attribute control chart can be applied only when the experimenter is sure about the proportion of defective or all the observations in the sample are determined. In this paper, new attribute control charts for monitoring the blood components under the neutrosophic statistics will be presented. The design of the proposed control chart is given under the neutrosophic statistical interval method. The applications of these control charts demonstrate that the proposed control charts are quite effective, adequate, flexible, and informative for monitoring the blood components under uncertain environment.
Simulation of leaf curl disease dynamics in chili for strategic management options
Authors: Roy Buddhadeb , Dubey Shailja , Ghosh Amalendu , Shukla Shalu Misra , Mandal Bikash , Sinha Parimal 
Published: January 2021

AbstractLeaf curl, a whitefly-borne begomovirus disease, is the cause of frequent epidemic in chili. In the present study, transmission parameters involved in tripartite interaction are estimated to simulate disease dynamics in a population dynamics model framework. Epidemic is characterized by a rapid conversion rate of healthy host population into infectious type. Infection rate as basic reproduction number, R0 = 13.54, has indicated a high rate of virus transmission. Equilibrium population of infectious host and viruliferous vector are observed to be sensitive to the immigration parameter. A small increase in immigration rate of viruliferous vector increased the population of both infectious host and viruliferous vector. Migrant viruliferous vectors, acquisition, and transmission rates as major parameters in the model indicate leaf curl epidemic is predominantly a vector -mediated process. Based on underlying principles of temperature influence on vector population abundance and transmission parameters, spatio-temporal pattern of disease risk predicted is noted to correspond with leaf curl distribution pattern in India. Temperature in the range of 15–35 °C plays an important role in epidemic as both vector population and virus transmission are influenced by temperature. Assessment of leaf curl dynamics would be a useful guide to crop planning and evolution of efficient management strategies.
Joint modelling of colorectal cancer recurrence and death after resection using multi-state model with cured fraction
Authors: Alafchi Behnaz , Roshanaei Ghodratollah , Tapak Leili , Abbasi Mohammad , Mahjub Hossein 
Published: January 2021

AbstractCuring of colorectal cancer (CRC) occurs at the time of resection but it is not immediately observable. If the cancer is not completely eliminated, the patient will not be cured of cancer and will experience recurrence as the tumor has regrown to a detectable size. The main propose of the present study was to assess the effects of different covariates on the probability of being cured as well as the time-to-recurrence, and time-to-death in CRC patients by using multi-state cure model. The information of 283 patients with CRC, who underwent resection, from 2000 to 2015 in Imam Khomeini Hospital of Hamadan, Iran, were analyzed. The results of multi-state cure model reveal that females and who experience metastasis were more likely to be apparently cured. It has been shown that sex has a significant effect on the time-to-recurrence given patient was in the not cured group. The survival time of patients of the not cured group was affected by the stage of disease. However, the survival of the apparently cured patients were affected by age at diagnosis and metastasis status. The multi-state cure model provided a flexible framework to study the effects of prognostic factors simultaneously on the transition between different states and the probability of being apparently cured of CRC.
Enhanced oncolytic adenoviral production by downregulation of death-domain associated protein and overexpression of precursor terminal protein
Authors: Lee Jihyun , Oh Geun-Hyeok , Hong Jeong A. , Choi Soojin , Choi Hye Jin , Song Jae J. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAdequate viral replication in tumor cells is the key to improving the anti-cancer effects of oncolytic adenovirus therapy. In this study, we introduced short hairpin RNAs against death-domain associated protein (Daxx), a repressor of adenoviral replication, and precursor terminal protein (pTP), an initiator of adenoviral genome replication, into adenoviral constructs to determine their contributions to viral replication. Both Daxx downregulation and pTP overexpression increased viral production in variety of human cancer cell lines, and the enhanced production of virus progeny resulted in more cell lysis in vitro, and tumor regression in vivo. We confirmed that increased virus production by Daxx silencing, or pTP overexpression, occurred using different mechanisms by analyzing levels of adenoviral protein expression and virus production. Specifically, Daxx downregulation promoted both virus replication and oncolysis in a consecutive manner by optimizing IVa2-based packaging efficiency, while pTP overexpression by increasing both infectious and total virus particles but their contribution to increased viral production may have been damaged to some extent by their another contribution to apoptosis and autophagy. Therefore, introducing both Daxx shRNA and pTP in virotherapy may be a suitable strategy to increase apoptotic tumor-cell death and to overcome poor viral replication, leading to meaningful reductions in tumor growth in vivo.
Beta-blockers have no impact on survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma prior to cancer diagnosis
Authors: Yang Anthony , Zylberberg Haley M. , Rustgi Sheila D. , Amin Sunil P. , Bar-Mashiah Ariel , Boffetta Paolo , Lucas Aimee L. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPrevious studies have suggested that β-adrenergic signaling may regulate the growth of various cancers. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between the incidental use of beta-blockers for various conditions on the overall survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients with histologically-confirmed PDAC between 2007 and 2011 were extracted from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Kaplan Meier and multivariable Cox Proportional-Hazard models were used to examine the association between beta-blocker usage before diagnosis and overall survival adjusting for appropriate confounders. As an additional analysis we also examined continuous beta-blocker use before and after diagnosis. From 2007 to 2011, 13,731 patients were diagnosed with PDAC. Of these, 7130 patients had Medicare Part D coverage in the 6-month period before diagnosis, with 2564 (36%) of these patients using beta-blockers in this period. Patients receiving beta-blockers had a mean survival time of 5.1 months compared to 6 months for non-users (p < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, beta-blockers usage was not associated with improved survival (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.04, 95%, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.98–1.1, p = 0.2). When patients were stratified by conditions with indications for beta-blocker usage, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease and cardiac arrhythmia, differences in survival were insignificant compared to non-users in all groups (p > 0.05). After stratification by receptor selectivity, this lack of association with survival persisted (p > 0.05 for all). As a subgroup analysis, looking at patients with continuous Medicare Part D coverage who used beta-blockers in the 6-month period before and after cancer diagnosis, we identified 7085 patients, of which 1750 (24.7%) had continuous beta blocker use. In multivariable analysis, continuous beta-blockers usage was associated with improved survival (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.86, 95%, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.8–0.9, p < 0.01). Beta-blocker usage before diagnosis does not confer a survival advantage in patients with PDAC, though continuous use before and after diagnosis did confer a survival advantage. Prospective studies into the mechanism for this advantage are needed.
High cut-off dialysis mitigates pro-calcific effects of plasma on vascular progenitor cells
Authors: Schaub Theres , Janke Daniel , Zickler Daniel , Lange Claudia , Girndt Matthias , Schindler Ralf , Dragun Duska , Hegner Björn 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMortality of patients with end-stage renal disease tremendously exceeds that of the general population due to excess cardiovascular morbidity. Large middle-sized molecules (LMM) including pro-inflammatory cytokines are major drivers of uremic cardiovascular toxicity and cannot be removed sufficiently by conventional high-flux (HFL) hemodialysis. We tested the ability of plasma from 19 hemodialysis patients participating in a trial comparing HFL with high cut-off (HCO) membranes facilitating removal of LMM to induce calcification in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) functioning as vascular progenitors. HCO dialysis favorably changed plasma composition resulting in reduced pro-calcific activity. LMM were removed more effectively by HCO dialysis including FGF23, a typical LMM we found to promote osteoblastic differentiation of MSC. Protein-bound uremic retention solutes with known cardiovascular toxicity but not LMM inhibited proliferation of MSC without direct toxicity in screening experiments. We could not attribute the effect of HCO dialysis on MSC calcification to distinct mediators. However, we found evidence of sustained reduced inflammation that might parallel other anti-calcifying mechanisms such as altered generation of extracellular vesicles. Our findings imply protection of MSC from dysfunctional differentiation by novel dialysis techniques targeted at removal of LMM. HCO dialysis might preserve their physiologic role in vascular regeneration and improve outcomes in dialysis patients.
Culex quinquefasciatus carrying Wolbachia is less susceptible to entomopathogenic bacteria
Authors: Díaz-Nieto Leonardo M. , Gil M. Florencia , Lazarte J. Nicolás , Perotti M. Alejandra , Berón Corina M. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn an attempt to evaluate the susceptibility of the mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatusto bacterial agents, a population naturally infected with aWolbachia pipientis wPipSJ native strain was tested against the action of three bacterial mosquitocides,Bacillus thuringiensissubsp.israelensis,Bacillus wiedmanniibiovarthuringiensisandLysinibacillus sphaericus.Tests were carried out on mosquito larvae with and withoutWolbachia(controls).Cx. quinquefasciatusnaturally infected with the nativewPipSJ strain proved to be more resistant to the pathogenic action of the three mosquitocidal bacterial strains. Additionally,wPipSJ was fully characterised using metagenome-assembled genomics, PCR–RFLP (PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) and MLST (MultiLocus Sequence Typing) analyses. ThisWolbachiastrainwPipSJ belongs to haplotype I, groupwPip-III and supergroup B, clustering with other mosquitowPip strains, such aswPip PEL,wPip JHB,wPip Mol, andwAlbB; showing the southernmost distribution in America. The cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotype of this strain was revealed via crosses between wildtype (Wolbachia+) and antibiotic treated mosquito populations. The results of the tests with the bacterial agents suggest thatCx. quinquefasciatusnaturally infected withwPipSJ is less susceptible to the pathogenic action of mosquitocidal bacterial strains when compared with the antibiotic-treated mosquito isoline, and is more susceptible toB. thuringiensissubsp.israelensisthan to the other two mosquitocidal agents.
Haptic communication optimises joint decisions and affords implicit confidence sharing
Authors: Pezzulo Giovanni , Roche Lucas , Saint-Bauzel Ludovic 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGroup decisions can outperform the choices of the best individual group members. Previous research suggested that optimal group decisions require individuals to communicate explicitly (e.g., verbally) their confidence levels. Our study addresses the untested hypothesis that implicit communication using a sensorimotor channel—haptic coupling—may afford optimal group decisions, too. We report that haptically coupled dyads solve a perceptual discrimination task more accurately than their best individual members; and five times faster than dyads using explicit communication. Furthermore, our computational analyses indicate that the haptic channel affords implicit confidence sharing. We found that dyads take leadership over the choice and communicate their confidence in it by modulating both the timing and the force of their movements. Our findings may pave the way to negotiation technologies using fast sensorimotor communication to solve problems in groups.
Foveal avascular zone segmentation in optical coherence tomography angiography images using a deep learning approach
Authors: Mirshahi Reza , Anvari Pasha , Riazi-Esfahani Hamid , Sardarinia Mahsa , Naseripour Masood , Falavarjani Khalil Ghasemi 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to introduce a new deep learning (DL) model for segmentation of the fovea avascular zone (FAZ) in en face optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and compare the results with those of the device’s built-in software and manual measurements in healthy subjects and diabetic patients. In this retrospective study, FAZ borders were delineated in the inner retinal slab of 3 × 3 enface OCTA images of 131 eyes of 88 diabetic patients and 32 eyes of 18 healthy subjects. To train a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model, 126 enface OCTA images (104 eyes with diabetic retinopathy and 22 normal eyes) were used as training/validation dataset. Then, the accuracy of the model was evaluated using a dataset consisting of OCTA images of 10 normal eyes and 27 eyes with diabetic retinopathy. The CNN model was based on Detectron2, an open-source modular object detection library. In addition, automated FAZ measurements were conducted using the device’s built-in commercial software, and manual FAZ delineation was performed using ImageJ software. Bland–Altman analysis was used to show 95% limit of agreement (95% LoA) between different methods. The mean dice similarity coefficient of the DL model was 0.94 ± 0.04 in the testing dataset. There was excellent agreement between automated, DL model and manual measurements of FAZ in healthy subjects (95% LoA of − 0.005 to 0.026 mm2 between automated and manual measurement and 0.000 to 0.009 mm2 between DL and manual FAZ area). In diabetic eyes, the agreement between DL and manual measurements was excellent (95% LoA of − 0.063 to 0.095), however, there was a poor agreement between the automated and manual method (95% LoA of − 0.186 to 0.331). The presence of diabetic macular edema and intraretinal cysts at the fovea were associated with erroneous FAZ measurements by the device’s built-in software. In conclusion, the DL model showed an excellent accuracy in detection of FAZ border in enfaces OCTA images of both diabetic patients and healthy subjects. The DL and manual measurements outperformed the automated measurements of the built-in software.
Thermoplastic polyurethane flexible capacitive proximity sensor reinforced by CNTs for applications in the creative industries
Authors: Moheimani Reza , Aliahmad Nojan , Aliheidari Nahal , Agarwal Mangilal , Dalir Hamid 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWearable sensing platforms have been rapidly advanced over recent years, thanks to numerous achievements in a variety of sensor fabrication techniques. However, the development of a flexible proximity sensor that can perform in a large range of object mobility remains a challenge. Here, a polymer-based sensor that utilizes a nanostructure composite as the sensing element has been presented for forthcoming usage in healthcare and automotive applications. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)/Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) composites are capable of detecting presence of an external object in a wide range of distance. The proximity sensor exhibits an unprecedented detection distance of 120 mm with a resolution of 0.3%/mm. The architecture and manufacturing procedures of TPU/CNTs sensor are straightforward and performance of the proximity sensor shows robustness to reproducibility as well as excellent electrical and mechanical flexibility under different bending radii and over hundreds of bending cycles with variation of 4.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Tunneling and fringing effects are addressed as the sensing mechanism to explain significant capacitance changes. Percolation threshold analysis of different TPU/CNT contents indicated that nanocomposites having 2 wt% carbon nanotubes are exhibiting excellent sensing capabilities to achieve maximum detection accuracy and least noise among others. Fringing capacitance effect of the structure has been systematically analyzed by ANSYS Maxwell (Ansoft) simulation, as the experiments precisely supports the sensitivity trend in simulation. Our results introduce a new mainstream platform to realize an ultrasensitive perception of objects, presenting a promising prototype for application in wearable proximity sensors for motion analysis and artificial electronic skin.
Evaluation of in-service speed performance improvement by means of FDR-AF (frictional drag reducing anti-fouling) marine coating based on ISO19030 standard
Authors: Cho Yurim , Jeon Kyung Hwan , Lee Sang Bong , Park Hyun , Lee Inwon 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn previous reports by the authors, the drag reduction performance of a novel frictional drag reduction self-polishing copolymer (FDR-SPC) was presented. The drag-reducing functional compound polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA) was used in the synthesis process, thereby allowing the release of polyethylene glycol (PEG) into seawater by a hydrolysis reaction. In a laboratory skin friction measurement, a low-friction antifouling (AF) coating based on FDR-SPC was found to provide a 25% skin friction reduction compared with a conventional AF coating. This coating was then applied to the entire underwater surface of a 176 k DWT bulk carrier during dry docking in December 2015. The propulsion performance of the present vessel as well as the weather conditions were recorded over five years from November 2014 to December 2019. It was imperative that the hull coating performance be evaluated without being affected by the additional resistance component associated with weather conditions such as wind and waves. ISO 19,030 is proposed as a new international standard for that purpose. Based on this standard, in-service navigation data collected from the 176 k DWT bulk carrier, which amounts to 5.7 million data points, are analyzed to assess the speed improvement performance of the present frictional drag reduction antifouling (FDR-AF) coating. The analysis results indicate that the present coating leads to a speed increase of 3.72% over the conventional AF coating. The speed improvement effect is equivalent to power (fuel) saving of 11.7%.