bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of short-pulse subthreshold (532 nm) and infrared micropulse (810 nm) macular laser for diabetic macular edema
Authors: Al-Barki Abdulrahman , Al-Hijji Lamia , High Robin , Schatz Patrik , Do Diana , Nguyen Quan D. , Luttrull Jeffrey K. , Kozak Igor 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to assess both anatomic and functional outcomes between short-pulse continuous wavelength and infrared micropulse lasers in the treatment of DME. This was a prospective interventional study from tertiary care eye hospital—King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Patients with center-involving diabetic macular edema were treated with subthreshold laser therapy. Patients in the micropulse group were treated with the 810-nm diode micropulse scanning laser TxCell (IRIDEX Corporation, Mountain View, CA, USA) (subthreshold micropulse—STMP group). Laser was applied according to recommendations for MicroPulse (125 microns spot size, 300 ms pulse duration and power adjustment following barely visible testing burn) in a confluent mode (low intensity/high density) to the entire area of the macular edema. Patients in the short-pulse group were treated with grid pattern laser with 20 ms pulse PASCAL laser 532 nm (TopCon Medical Laser Systems, Tokyo, Japan) with EndPoint algorithm, which was either 30% or 50% of testing burn (EndPoint 30% and EndPoint 50% groups, respectively). Main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA in logMAR) and foveal thickness at baseline and the last follow-up visit at 6 months. There were 44 eyes in the micropulse group, 54 eyes in the EndPoint 50% group and 18 eyes in the EndPoint 30% group. BCVA for the whole cohort (logMAR) was 0.451 (Snellen equivalent 20/56) at baseline, 0.495 (Snellen equivalent 20/62) (p = 0.053) at 3 months, and 0.494 (Snellen equivalent 20/62) at the last follow-up (p = 0.052). Foveal thickness for the whole cohort was 378.2 ± 51.7 microns at baseline, 347.2 ± 61.3 microns (p = 0.002) at 3 months, and 346.0 ± 24.6 microns at the final follow-up (p = 0.027). As such the short-pulse system yields more temporary reduction in edema. Comparison of BCVA between baseline and 6 months for EndPoint 30%, EndPoint 50% and STMP groups was p = 0.88, p = 0.76 and p = 0.003, respectively. Comparison of foveal thickness between baseline and 6 months for EndPoint 30%, EndPoint 50% and STMP groups was p = 0.38, p = 0.22 and p = 0.14, respectively. We conclude that the infrared micropulse system seems to improve functional outcomes. When applied according to previously published reports, short-pulse system may yield more temporary reduction in edema while infrared micropulse system may yield slightly better functional outcomes.
Probing tissue microstructure by diffusion skewness tensor imaging
Authors: Ning Lipeng , Szczepankiewicz Filip , Nilsson Markus , Rathi Yogesh , Westin Carl-Fredrik 
Published: January 2021

AbstractProbing the cellular structure of in vivo biological tissue is a fundamental problem in biomedical imaging and medical science. This work introduces an approach for analyzing diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data acquired by the novel tensor-valued encoding technique for characterizing tissue microstructure. Our approach first uses a signal model to estimate the variance and skewness of the distribution of apparent diffusion tensors modeling the underlying tissue. Then several novel imaging indices, such as weighted microscopic anisotropy and microscopic skewness, are derived to characterize different ensembles of diffusion processes that are indistinguishable by existing techniques. The contributions of this work also include a theoretical proof that shows that, to estimate the skewness of a diffusion tensor distribution, the encoding protocol needs to include full-rank tensor diffusion encoding. This proof provides a guideline for the application of this technique. The properties of the proposed indices are illustrated using both synthetic data and in vivo data acquired from a human brain.
Different cellulosic polymers for synthesizing silver nanoparticles with antioxidant and antibacterial activities
Authors: Abdellatif Ahmed A. H. , Alturki Hamad N. H. , Tawfeek Hesham M. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe use of cellulosic polymers as efficient reducing, coating agents, and stabilizers in the formulation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antioxidant and antibacterial activity was investigated. AgNPs were synthesized using different cellulosic polymers, polyethylene glycol, and without polymers using tri-sodium citrate, for comparison. The yield, morphology, size, charge, in vitro release of silver ion, and physical stability of the resulting AgNPs were evaluated. Their antioxidant activity was measured as a scavenging percentage compared with ascorbic acid, while their antibacterial activity was evaluated against different strains of bacteria. The amount of AgNPs inside bacterial cells was quantified using an ICP-OES spectrometer, and morphological examination of the bacteria was performed after AgNPs internalization. Cellulosic polymers generated physically stable AgNPs without any aggregation, which remained physically stable for 3 months at 25.0 ± 0.5 and 4.0 ± 0.5 °C. AgNPs formulated using ethylcellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) had significant (p ≤ 0.05; ANOVA/Tukey) antibacterial activities and lower values of MIC compared to methylcellulose (MC), PEG, and AgNPs without a polymeric stabilizer. Significantly (p ≤ 0.05; ANOVA/Tukey) more AgNPs-EC and AgNPs-HPMC were internalized in Escherichia coli cells compared to other formulations. Thus, cellulosic polymers show promise as polymers for the formulation of AgNPs with antioxidant and antibacterial activities.
Two-dimensional arrays of vertically packed spin-valves with picoTesla sensitivity at room temperature
Authors: Silva Marilia , Franco Fernando , Leitao Diana C. , Cardoso Susana , Freitas Paulo P. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA new device architecture using giant magnetoresistive sensors demonstrates the capability to detect very low magnetic fields on the pT range. A combination of vertically packed spin-valve sensors with two-dimensional in-plane arrays, connected in series and in parallel, delivers a final detection level of 360 pT/$$\sqrt{Hz}$$

Hz

at 10 Hz at room temperature. The device design is supported by an analytical model developed for a vertically packed spin-valve system, which takes into account all magnetic couplings present. Optimization concerning the spacer thickness and sensor physical dimensions depending on the number of pilled up spin-valves is necessary. To push the limits of detection, arrays of a large number of sensing elements (up to 440,000) are patterned with a geometry that improves sensitivity and in a configuration that reduces the resistance, leading to a lower noise level. The final device performance with pT detectivity is demonstrated in an un-shielded environment suitable for detection of bio-signals.
Unique behavioural modifications in the web structure of the cave orb spider Meta menardi (Araneae, Tetragnathidae)
Authors: Simonsen Daniel , Hesselberg Thomas 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn the last decade there has been a renewed interest in the study of behavioural adaptations to environmental constraints with a focus on adaptations to challenging habitats due to their reduced ecological complexity. However, behavioural studies on organisms adapted to nutrient poor subterranean habitats are few and far between. Here, we compared both morphological traits, in terms of relative leg lengths, and behavioural traits, captured in the geometry of the spider web, between the cave-dwelling spider, Meta menardi, and two aboveground species from the same family (Tetragnathidae); Metellina mengei and Tetragnatha montana. We found that the webs of the cave spider differed significantly from the two surface-dwelling species. The most dramatic difference was the lack of frame threads with the radii in the webs instead attaching directly to the surrounding rock, but other differences in relative web size, web asymmetry and number of capture spiral threads were also found. We argue that these modifications are likely to be adaptations to allow for a novel foraging behaviour to additionally capture walking prey within the vicinity of the web. We found only limited evidence for morphological adaptations and suggest that the cave orb spider could act as a model organism for studies of behaviour in energy-poor environments.
Metal concentrations in coastal sharks from The Bahamas with a focus on the Caribbean Reef shark
Authors: Shipley Oliver N. , Lee Cheng-Shiuan , Fisher Nicholas S. , Sternlicht James K. , Kattan Sami , Staaterman Erica R. , Hammerschlag Neil , Gallagher Austin J. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractOver the last century anthropogenic activities have rapidly increased the influx of metals and metalloids entering the marine environment, which can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in marine top consumers. This may elicit sublethal effects on target organisms, having broad implications for human seafood consumers. We provide the first assessment of metal (Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, and THg) and metalloid (As) concentrations in the muscle tissue of coastal sharks from The Bahamas. A total of 36 individual sharks from six species were evaluated, spanning two regions/study areas, with a focus on the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), and to a lesser extent the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). This is due their high relative abundance and ecological significance throughout coastal Bahamian and regional ecosystems. Caribbean reef sharks exhibited some of the highest metal concentrations compared to five other species, and peaks in the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu were observed as individuals reached sexual maturity. Observations were attributed to foraging on larger, more piscivorous prey, high longevity, as well a potential slowing rate of growth. We observed correlations between some metals, which are challenging to interpret but may be attributed to trophic level and ambient metal conditions. Our results provide the first account of metal concentrations in Bahamian sharks, suggesting individuals exhibit high concentrations which may potentially cause sublethal effects. Finally, these findings underscore the potential toxicity of shark meat and have significant implications for human consumers.
Analysis of machete cut fractures in Nigerian civilian trauma setting
Authors: Omoke Njoku Isaac , Lasebikan Omolade Ayoola , Ahaotu Francis Ndubuisi , Nnadozie Ugochukwu Uzodimma , Nwigwe Gregory Chinedu 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMachete cut fracture is an important component of morbidity associated with machete injuries although it is under reported. This was a retrospective study to assess machete cut fractures in patients seen in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu from 2009 to 2018. There were 91 patients with 154 fractures, male- to- female ratio was 10:1 and mean age was 31.6 ± 14.6 years. The aetiological factors were assault (57, 62.6%), armed robbery (29, 31.9%) and accidental injury (5, 5.5%). The three top bones involved were ulna, metacarpal and finger-phalanx. Fracture was communited in (17, 11.0%), and Gustilo Anderson grade IIIC in (22, 14.3%). Injury to hospital arrival interval later than 6 h was common and correlated with prolonged length of hospital stay (p < 0.001). Anaemia, wound infection and hemorrhagic shock were the three top complications. Nine (5.8%) fractures ended in extremity amputation. Eleven (12.1%) patients left against medical advice, and 5 (5.5%) were transferred. Normal union in 98.3% of the fractures treated and followed up for a minimum of one year. Case fatality rate was 2.2%; none of the patient that died had pre hospital care, and hemorrhagic shock accounted for all the mortality. These call for appropriate injury preventive mechanisms, and improved rates of early presentation of patients to hospital, and pre hospital care.
Smoking status and endothelial function in Japanese men
Authors: Hashimoto Haruki , Maruhashi Tatsuya , Yamaji Takayuki , Harada Takahiro , Han Yiming , Takaeko Yuji , Kihara Yasuki , Chayama Kazuaki , Goto Chikara , Aibara Yoshiki , Yusoff Farina Mohamad , Kishimoto Shinji , Kajikawa Masato , Nakashima Ayumu , Higashi Yukihito 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIt is established that smoking is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction occurs in the initial step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between smoking status and endothelial function in detail in men. We measured flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in 2209 Japanese men including 1181 men who had never smoked and 1028 current smokers. All of the participants were divided into five groups by smoking pack-years: never smoker group (= 0), light smoker group (> 0 to 10), moderate smoker group (> 10 to 20), heavy smoker group (> 20 to 30) and excessive smoker group (> 30). FMD significantly decreased in relation to pack-years (6.6 ± 3.4% in the never smoker group, 6.8 ± 3.0% in the light smoker group, 6.5 ± 2.9% in the moderate smoker group, 5.9 ± 2.9% in the heavy smoker group, and 4.9 ± 2.7% in the excessive smoker group; P < 0.001). After adjustment for age (≥ 65 years), body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and year of recruitment, FMD was significantly smaller in the excessive smoker group than in the never smoker group as a reference group (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.42 to 2.67; P < 0.001). These findings suggest that FMD decreases with an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked and that excessive smoking is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Cigarette smoking is harmful to vascular function in men who are heavy smokers.
Synergistic antibacterial activity of surfactant free Ag–GO nanocomposites
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad Ashfaq , Aslam Samia , Mustafa Faiza , Arshad Usman 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGraphene oxide–silver (Ag–GO) nanocomposite has emerged as a vital antibacterial agent very recently. In this work, we report a facile one step route of Ag–GO nanocomposite formation excluding the aid of surfactants and reductants and was successfully applied to negative Escherichia Coli (E coli) to investigate antibacterial activity by varying doze concentration. The successful formation of Ag–GO nanocomposite via facile one step route was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy. The absorption spectra (peak ~ 300 nm) for GO and the (peak ~ 420 nm) for silver nanoparticles were observed. XRD study confirmed the formation of Ag–GO nanocomposite while atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed crumbled GO sheets decorated with Ag nanoparticles. It was observed that the functional groups of GO facilitated the binding of Ag nanoparticles to GO network and enhanced the antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite.
Evaluation of the chemical defense fluids of Macrotermes carbonarius and Globitermes sulphureus as possible household repellents and insecticides
Authors: Appalasamy S. , Diyana M. H. Alia , Arumugam N. , Boon J. G. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe use of chemical insecticides has had many adverse effects. This study reports a novel perspective on the application of insect-based compounds to repel and eradicate other insects in a controlled environment. In this work, defense fluid was shown to be a repellent and insecticide against termites and cockroaches and was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS).Globitermes sulphureusextract at 20 mg/ml showed the highest repellency for seven days againstMacrotermes gilvusand for thirty days againstPeriplaneta americana. In terms of toxicity,G. sulphureusextract had a low LC50compared toM. carbonariusextract againstM. gilvus. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of theM. carbonariusextract indicated the presence of six insecticidal and two repellent compounds in the extract, whereas theG. sulphureusextract contained five insecticidal and three repellent compounds. The most obvious finding was thatG. sulphureusdefense fluid had higher potential as a natural repellent and termiticide than theM. carbonariusextract. Both defense fluids can play a role as alternatives in the search for new, sustainable, natural repellents and termiticides. Our results demonstrate the potential use of termite defense fluid for pest management, providing repellent and insecticidal activities comparable to those of other green repellent and termiticidal commercial products.
Graphene-based tunable hyperbolic microcavity
Authors: Dudek Michał , Kowerdziej Rafał , Pianelli Alessandro , Parka Janusz 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGraphene-based hyperbolic metamaterials provide a unique scaffold for designing nanophotonic devices with active functionalities. In this work, we have theoretically demonstrated that the characteristics of a polarization-dependent tunable hyperbolic microcavity in the mid-infrared frequencies could be realized by modulating the thickness of the dielectric layers, and thus breaking periodicity in a graphene-based hyperbolic metamaterial stack. Transmission of the tunable microcavity shows a Fabry–Perot resonant mode with a Q-factor > 20, and a sixfold local enhancement of electric field intensity. It was found that by varying the gating voltage of graphene from 2 to 8 V, the device could be self-regulated with respect to both the intensity (up to 30%) and spectrum (up to 2.1 µm). In addition, the switching of the device was considered over a wide range of incident angles for both the transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes. Finally, numerical analysis indicated that a topological transition between elliptic and type II hyperbolic dispersion could be actively switched. The proposed scheme represents a remarkably versatile platform for the mid-infrared wave manipulation and may find applications in many multi-functional architectures, including ultra-sensitive filters, low-threshold lasers, and photonic chips.
Atomic-level differences between brain parenchymal- and cerebrovascular-seeded Aβ fibrils
Authors: Scherpelz Kathryn P. , Wang Songlin , Pytel Peter , Madhurapantula Rama S. , Srivastava Atul K. , Sachleben Joseph R. , Orgel Joseph , Ishii Yoshitaka , Meredith Stephen C. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease is characterized by neuritic plaques, the main protein components of which are β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides deposited as β-sheet-rich amyloid fibrils. Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) consists of cerebrovascular deposits of Aβ peptides; it usually accompanies Alzheimer’s disease, though it sometimes occurs in the absence of neuritic plaques, as AD also occurs without accompanying CAA. Although neuritic plaques and vascular deposits have similar protein compositions, one of the characteristic features of amyloids is polymorphism, i.e., the ability of a single pure peptide to adopt multiple conformations in fibrils, depending on fibrillization conditions. For this reason, we asked whether the Aβ fibrils in neuritic plaques differed structurally from those in cerebral blood vessels. To address this question, we used seeding techniques, starting with amyloid-enriched material from either brain parenchyma or cerebral blood vessels (using meninges as the source). These amyloid-enriched preparations were then added to fresh, disaggregated solutions of Aβ to makereplicate fibrils, as described elsewhere. Such fibrils were then studied by solid-state NMR, fiber X-ray diffraction, and other biophysical techniques. We observed chemical shift differences between parenchymal vs. vascular-seeded replicate fibrils in select sites (in particular, Ala2, Phe4, Val12, and Gln15 side chains) in two-dimensional13C-13C correlation solid-state NMR spectra, strongly indicating structural differences at these sites. X-ray diffraction studies also indicated that vascular-seeded fibrils displayed greater order than parenchyma-seeded fibrils in the “side-chain dimension” (~ 10 Å reflection), though the “hydrogen-bond dimensions” (~ 5 Å reflection) were alike. These results indicate that the different nucleation conditions at two sites in the brain, parenchyma and blood vessels, affect the fibril products that get formed at each site, possibly leading to distinct pathophysiological outcomes.
Automated segmentation of endometrial cancer on MR images using deep learning
Authors: Hodneland Erlend , Dybvik Julie A. , Wagner-Larsen Kari S. , Šoltészová Veronika , Munthe-Kaas Antonella Z. , Fasmer Kristine E. , Krakstad Camilla , Lundervold Arvid , Lundervold Alexander S. , Salvesen Øyvind , Erickson Bradley J. , Haldorsen Ingfrid 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPreoperative MR imaging in endometrial cancer patients provides valuable information on local tumor extent, which routinely guides choice of surgical procedure and adjuvant therapy. Furthermore, whole-volume tumor analyses of MR images may provide radiomic tumor signatures potentially relevant for better individualization and optimization of treatment. We apply a convolutional neural network for automatic tumor segmentation in endometrial cancer patients, enabling automated extraction of tumor texture parameters and tumor volume. The network was trained, validated and tested on a cohort of 139 endometrial cancer patients based on preoperative pelvic imaging. The algorithm was able to retrieve tumor volumes comparable to human expert level (likelihood-ratio test, $$p = 0.06$$

p
=
0.06

). The network was also able to provide a set of segmentation masks with human agreement not different from inter-rater agreement of human experts (Wilcoxon signed rank test, $$p=0.08$$

p
=
0.08

, $$p=0.60$$

p
=
0.60

, and $$p=0.05$$

p
=
0.05

). An automatic tool for tumor segmentation in endometrial cancer patients enables automated extraction of tumor volume and whole-volume tumor texture features. This approach represents a promising method for automatic radiomic tumor profiling with potential relevance for better prognostication and individualization of therapeutic strategy in endometrial cancer.
Pleiotropic genetic influence on birth weight and childhood obesity
Authors: Chatterjee Suvo , Ouidir Marion , Tekola-Ayele Fasil 
Published: January 2021

AbstractChildhood obesity is a global public health problem. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie early origins of childhood obesity can facilitate interventions. Consistent phenotypic and genetic correlations have been found between childhood obesity traits and birth weight (a proxy for in-utero growth), suggesting shared genetic influences (pleiotropy). We aimed to (1) investigate whether there is significant shared genetic influence between birth weight and childhood obesity traits, and (2) to identify genetic loci with shared effects. Using a statistical approach that integrates summary statistics and functional annotations for paired traits, we found strong evidence of pleiotropy (P < 3.53 × 10–127) and enrichment of functional annotations (P < 1.62 × 10–39) between birth weight and childhood body mass index (BMI)/obesity. The pleiotropic loci were enriched for regulatory features in skeletal muscle, adipose and brain tissues and in cell lines derived from blood lymphocytes. At 5% false discovery rate, 6 loci were associated with birth weight and childhood BMI and 13 loci were associated with birth weight and childhood obesity. Out of these 19 loci, one locus (EBF1) was novel to childhood obesity and one locus (LMBR1L) was novel to both birth weight and childhood BMI/obesity. These findings give evidence of substantial shared genetic effects in the regulation of both fetal growth and childhood obesity.