bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of ivabradine on the cardiac function of chronic heart failure reduced ejection fraction: Meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Bryan Richard Sasmita , Huang Bi , Liu Gang , Yang Yuan , Luo Suxin 
Published: February 2021

AbstractElevated resting heart rate in chronic heart failure (HF) patients has been associated with higher mortality and poor prognosis. Ivabradine is a new pure bradycardic agent that has been used to treat angina or heart failure reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with sinus heart rate above 70 beats per minute. However, the effect of ivabradine for chronic HF patients on rehospitalization and cardiac function is still inconsistent. Thus, this meta‐analysis aimed to elucidate the effect of Ivabradine in chronic HFrEF patients. We systematically searched PubMed, Medline, Clinical Trials.gov, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ivabradine with search terms Ivabradine (MeSH Terms), chronic heart failure and beta‐blocker. The primary endpoints of the study include the impact of Ivabradine on heart rate, left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular remodeling, exercise capacity, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic HFrEF. Secondary endpoints were safety analysis of Ivabradine including cardiovascular mortality, worsening HF readmission, visual disturbances, and asymptomatic bradycardia. The analysis was done by Review Manager 5.4 Analyzer, to analyze the mean differences (MD) for continuous data and risks ratio (RR) for dichotomous data. A total of six RCTs and one subgroup analysis showed add of Ivabradine to standard HF therapy was associated with greater resting heart rate reduction (MD = −9.57; 95% CI ‐11.15, −8.00), improved LVEF (MD = 3.89; 95% CI 2.61, 5.17), left ventricular reverse remodeling improvement (MD = −3.73; 95% CI ‐4.25, −3.21, LVESV; MD = −17.00, 95%CI ‐29.65, −4.35, LVEDD; MD = −1.43, 95%CI ‐2.78, −0.08, LVEDV; MD = −14.75, 95%CI ‐34.36, 4.87), increased exercise capacity (exercise duration; MD = 8.52; 95%CI 0.09, 16.94), and significant reduction on rehospitalization due to worsening HF (RR = 0.76, 95%CI 0.69, 0.84). However, Ivabradine has no significant effect on the quality of life (MD = 0.65; 95%CI ‐10.52, 11.82), and cardiovascular mortality (RR = 0.92; 95%CI 0.82, 1.03). Moreover, there were some events of visual disturbances and asymptomatic bradycardia observed in the Ivabradine group compared to the placebo group (RR = 4.76; 95%CI 3.03, 7.48; RR = 3.78; 95%CI 2.77, 5.15, respectively). Addition of Ivabradine to standard HF therapy is associated with cardiac function improvement, reduction on worsening HF readmission, greater HR reduction, and better exercise capacity in chronic HFrEF patients, although it cannot reduce cardiovascular mortality or improve the quality of life.
Innovative fluorescent probes for in vivo visualization of biomolecules in living Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Wang Chunxia , Xia Chujie , Zhu Yi , Zhang Huimin 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCaenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a well‐established multicellular model organism has been widely used in the biological field for half a century. Its numerous advantages including small body size, rapid life cycle, high‐reproductive rate, well‐defined anatomy, and conserved genome, has made C. elegans one of the most successful multicellular model organisms. Discoveries obtained from the C. elegans model have made great contributions to research fields such as development, aging, biophysics, immunology, and neuroscience. Because of its transparent body and giant cell size, C. elegans is also an ideal subject for high resolution and high‐throughput optical imaging and analysis. During the past decade, great advances have been made to develop biomolecule‐targeting techniques for noninvasive optical imaging. These novel technologies expanded the toolbox for qualitative and quantitative analysis of biomolecules in C. elegans. In this review, we summarize recently developed fluorescent probes or labeling techniques for visualizing biomolecules at the cellular, subcellular or molecular scale by using C. elegans as the major model organism or designed specifically for the applications in C. elegans. Combining the technological advantages of the C. elegans model with the novel fluorescent labeling techniques will provide new horizons for high‐efficiency quantitative optical analysis in live organisms.
Heparan sulfate proteoglycan expression in the regenerating zebrafish fin
Authors: Keil Sebastian , Gupta Mansi , Brand Michael , Knopf Franziska 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundHeparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) expression is found in many animal tissues and regulates growth factor signaling such as of Fibroblast growth factors (Fgf), Wingless/Int (Wnt) and Hedgehog (HH). Glypicans, which are GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)‐anchored proteins, and transmembrane‐anchored syndecans represent two major HSPG protein families whose involvement in development and disease has been demonstrated. Their participation in regenerative processes both of the central nervous system and of regenerating limbs is well documented. However, whether HSPG are expressed in regenerating zebrafish fins, is currently unknown.ResultsHere, we carried out a systematic screen of glypican and syndecan mRNA expression in regenerating zebrafish fins during the outgrowth phase. We find that 8 of the 10 zebrafish glypicans and the three known zebrafish syndecans show specific expression at 3 days post amputation. Expression is found in different domains of the regenerate, including the distal and lateral basal layers of the wound epidermis, the distal most blastema and more proximal blastema regions.ConclusionsHSPG expression is prevalent in regenerating zebrafish fins. Further research is needed to delineate the function of glypican and syndecan action during zebrafish fin regeneration.
Disparities in disordered eating between gender minority and cisgender adolescents
Authors: Roberts Savannah R. , Salk Rachel H. , Thoma Brian C. , Romito Madelaine , Levine Michele D. , Choukas‐Bradley Sophia 
Published: February 2021

AbstractObjectiveAdolescence is a developmental period of increased risk for disordered eating. Gender minority adolescents (GMAs), or those whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth, may experience body image concerns related to unique gender‐related stressors. GMAs may use disordered eating to affirm a feminine, masculine, or nonbinary gender identity. However, little is known about differences in disordered eating between GMAs and cisgender adolescents. Therefore, this study had two primary goals: (a) to compare disordered eating between GMAs and cisgender adolescents by examining the role of gender identity and sex assigned at birth; and (b) within GMAs, to examine associations between gender identity congruence and disordered eating.MethodA large U.S. sample of GMAs and cisgender adolescents (n = 1,191 GMAs; 919 cisgender; Mage = 15.93 years) reported their disordered eating on an anonymous online survey.ResultsA MANOVA revealed a significant interaction between gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Follow‐up ANOVAs demonstrated that purging, caloric restriction, excessive exercise, and muscle building differed as a function of gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Among GMAs, a multiple multivariate regression model demonstrated that disordered eating was lower among participants who reported greater gender identity congruence.DiscussionGMAs should not be considered a homogenous group, as differences in gender identity may lead to the internalization of different appearance ideals and disparate eating disorder symptomatology. Results suggest that clinicians working with GMAs consider the unique body image concerns that could accompany a specific gender identity.
Influenza A virus‐induced thymus atrophy differentially affects dynamics of conventional and regulatory T‐cell development in mice
Authors: Elfaki Yassin , Robert Philippe A. , Binz Christoph , Falk Christine S. , Bruder Dunja , Prinz Immo , Floess Stefan , Meyer‐Hermann Michael , Huehn Jochen 
Published: February 2021

AbstractFoxp3+ Treg cells, which are crucial for maintenance of self‐tolerance, mainly develop within the thymus, where they arise from CD25+Foxp3– or CD25–Foxp3+ Treg cell precursors. Although it is known that infections can cause transient thymic involution, the impact of infection‐induced thymus atrophy on thymic Treg (tTreg) cell development is unknown. Here, we infected mice with influenza A virus (IAV) and studied thymocyte population dynamics post infection. IAV infection caused a massive, but transient thymic involution, dominated by a loss of CD4+CD8+ double‐positive (DP) thymocytes, which was accompanied by a significant increase in the frequency of CD25+Foxp3+ tTreg cells. Differential apoptosis susceptibility could be experimentally excluded as a reason for the relative tTreg cell increase, and mathematical modeling suggested that enhanced tTreg cell generation cannot explain the increased frequency of tTreg cells. Yet, an increased death of DP thymocytes and augmented exit of single‐positive (SP) thymocytes was suggested to be causative. Interestingly, IAV‐induced thymus atrophy resulted in a significantly reduced T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity of newly produced tTreg cells. Taken together, IAV‐induced thymus atrophy is substantially altering the dynamics of major thymocyte populations, finally resulting in a relative increase of tTreg cells with an altered TCR repertoire.
Machine‐learning‐enhanced tail end prediction of structural response statistics in earthquake engineering
Authors: Thaler Denny , Stoffel Marcus , Markert Bernd , Bamer Franz 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEvaluating the response statistics of nonlinear structures constitutes a key issue in engineering design. Hereby, the Monte Carlo method has proven useful, although the computational cost turns out to be considerably high. In particular, around the design point of the system near structural failure, a reliable estimation of the statistics is unfeasible for complex high‐dimensional systems. Thus, in this paper, we develop a machine‐learning‐enhanced Monte Carlo simulation strategy for nonlinear behaving engineering structures. A neural network learns the response behavior of the structure subjected to an initial nonstationary ground excitation subset, which is generated based on the spectral properties of a chosen ground acceleration record. Then using the superior computational efficiency of the neural network, it is possible to predict the response statistics of the full sample set, which is considerably larger than the initial training sample set. To ensure a reliable neural network response prediction in case of rare events near structural failure, we propose to extend the initial training sample set increasing the variance of the intensity. We show that using this extended initial sample set enables a reliable prediction of the response statistics, even in the tail end of the distribution.HIGHLIGHTSA new Monte Carlo method is developed that provides the response statistics of a nonlinear system in the tail end of the distribution.A nonstationary filter is applied to a Gaussian white noise to generate realistic artificial earthquake records.An extended training strategy using neural networks is proposed to improve the reliability of the method in the tail end of the distribution.The new strategy reveals a significant speedup as well as a prediction of the response statistics in the tail end with high confidence.
Effects and dynamic characteristics of the core‐suspended isolation system assessed by long‐term structural health monitoring
Authors: Nakamura Yutaka , Okada Keiichi 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe seismic isolation mechanism of the core‐suspended isolation (CSI) system comprises a double layer of inclined rubber bearings installed on top of a reinforced core structure. A multilevel structure is then suspended from a hat truss or umbrella girder constructed on the seismic isolation mechanism. The first building to use the CSI system was the Safety and Security Center in Tokyo, Japan, whose structural health monitoring system has detected and recorded 231 earthquake motions since 2006, including the 2011 Tohoku Pacific Earthquake (2011‐TPE). The present study estimates the dynamic characteristics of this CSI‐equipped building in earthquakes, and the effects of the CSI system are revealed via the observed earthquake records. The temporal changes of the fundamental period and damping factor are estimated from the 2011‐TPE; the fundamental period increases with the deformation of the isolation level, whereas the fundamental damping factor is only related weakly to that deformation. The 231 observed earthquake records reveal that the CSI system performs seismic isolation by reducing the response acceleration of the suspended structure by roughly a half for peak ground accelerations exceeding 30 cm/s2. Daily microtremor observations are used to diagnose earthquake damage; the fundamental frequencies in each direction remain almost constant and were not changed by the 2011‐TPE.
Flood‐duration‐integrated stream power and frequency magnitude of >50‐year‐long sediment discharge out of a hyperarid watershed
Authors: Lekach Judith , Enzel Yehouda 
Published: February 2021

AbstractDetermining sediment discharge out of watersheds is a global, long‐term challenge. In the vast, usually data‐poor, hyperarid regions of the world, this is a greater challenge. Here, we present a unique, decades‐long dataset of individual floods and their respective sediment discharge out of Nahal Yael, an experimental, well‐instrumented, hyperarid (~25–30 mm year−1) watershed in southern Israel. The high correlation between directly measured sediment yield by discrete individual floods and their respective total energy, represented by flood‐integrated stream power (FISP), serves here as a rating curve. Using this rating curve, the 51‐year‐long series of FISP in Nahal Yael, calculated from the detailed individual flood hydrographs, was converted into a series of sediment yield by these floods. This, in turn, allows determining the long‐term frequency‐magnitude of sediment exported out of this hyperarid basin. This can assist in landscape evolution modeling, in testing impacts of flood frequency changes enforced by altered regional climatology, and hint at changes needed in forming the observed alluvial fans. We conclude that, at the decadal scale, moderate floods are the most effective in terms of total sediment transport. However, the recurrence intervals of these moderate hyperarid floods are longer than in temperate regions and reach 5–10 years.
Wheat straw: A natural remedy against different maladies
Authors: Tufail Tabussam , Saeed Farhan , Afzaal Muhammad , Ain Huma Bader Ul , Gilani Syed Amir , Hussain Muzzamal , Anjum Faqir M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn millennia, much attention has been paid toward agro‐industrial waste which consists of lignin and cellulosic biomass. In this perspective, biomass waste which consists of lignocellulosic mass is an inexpensive, renewable, abundant that provides a unique natural resource for large‐scale and cost‐effective bioenergy collection. In this current scenario, efforts are directed to briefly review the agro‐industrial lignocellulosic biomass as a broad spectrum of numerous functional ingredients, its utilization, and respective health benefits with special to wheat straw. Wheat straw is lignocellulosic mass owing to the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Its microbial culture is the most important and well adjusted, for a variety of applications in the fermentation substrate, feed, food, medicine, industry, and agriculture in order to increase soil fertility. In industrial fermentation, wheat straw can be used as substrates for the production of a wide range of hydrolytic enzymes, drugs, metabolites, and other biofuels as a low‐cost substrate or a natural source. Conclusively, wheat straw is the best source to produce bioethanol, biogas, and biohydrogen in biorefineries because it is a renewable, widely distributed, and easily available with very low cost, and its consumption is protected and environment friendly. Wheat straw is a moiety which has health benefits including anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti‐artherogenic, anti‐allergenic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, etc.
Eight‐week antidepressant treatment reduces functional connectivity in first‐episode drug‐naïve patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Li Le , Su Yun‐Ai , Wu Yan‐Kun , Castellanos Francisco Xavier , Li Ke , Li Ji‐Tao , Si Tian‐Mei , Yan Chao‐Gan 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPrevious neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal functional connectivity of brain networks in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but findings have been inconsistent. A recent big‐data study found abnormal intrinsic functional connectivity within the default mode network in patients with recurrent MDD but not in first‐episode drug‐naïve patients with MDD. This study also provided evidence for reduced default mode network functional connectivity in medicated MDD patients, raising the question of whether previously observed abnormalities may be attributable to antidepressant effects. The present study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03294525) aimed to disentangle the effects of antidepressant treatment from the pathophysiology of MDD and test the medication normalization hypothesis. Forty‐one first‐episode drug‐naïve MDD patients were administrated antidepressant medication (escitalopram or duloxetine) for 8 weeks, with resting‐state functional connectivity compared between posttreatment and baseline. To assess the replicability of the big‐data finding, we also conducted a cross‐sectional comparison of resting‐state functional connectivity between the MDD patients and 92 matched healthy controls. Both Network‐Based Statistic analyses and large‐scale network analyses revealed intrinsic functional connectivity decreases in extensive brain networks after treatment, indicating considerable antidepressant effects. Neither Network‐Based Statistic analyses nor large‐scale network analyses detected significant functional connectivity differences between treatment‐naïve patients and healthy controls. In short, antidepressant effects are widespread across most brain networks and need to be accounted for when considering functional connectivity abnormalities in MDD.
Novel imaging classification system of nodal disease in human papillomavirus‐mediated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma prognostic of patient outcomes
Authors: Sabiq Farahna , Huang Kitty , Patel Adarsh , Banerjee Robyn , Debenham Brock , Lau Harold , Skarsgard David , Chen Guanmin , Lysack John T. , Quon Harvey C. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundMatted nodes in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐mediated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPC) is an independent predictor of distant metastases and decreased overall survival. We aimed to classify imaging patterns of metastatic lymphadenopathy, analyze our classification system for reproducibility, and assess its prognostic value.MethodsThe metastatic lymphadenopathy was classified based on radiological characteristics for 216 patients with HPV‐mediated OPC. Patient outcomes were compared and inter‐rater reliability was calculated.ResultsThe presence of ≥3 abutting lymph nodes with imaging features of surrounding extranodal extension (ENE), one subtype of matted nodes, was associated with worse 5‐year overall survival, overall recurrence‐free survival, regional recurrence‐free survival, and distant recurrence‐free survival (p ≤ 0.03). Other patterns were not significantly associated with outcome measures. Overall inter‐rater agreement was substantial (κ = 0.73).ConclusionOne subtype of matted nodes defined by ≥3 abutting lymph nodes with imaging features of surrounding ENE is the radiological marker of worst prognosis.
Probabilistic value learning in medial temporal lobe amnesia
Authors: Palombo Daniela J. , Patt Virginie M. , Hunsberger Renee , Verfaellie Mieke 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA prevailing view in cognitive neuroscience suggests that different forms of learning are mediated by dissociable memory systems, with a mesolimbic (i.e., midbrain and basal ganglia) system supporting incremental trial‐and‐error reinforcement learning and a hippocampal‐based system supporting episodic memory. Yet, growing evidence suggests that the hippocampus may also be important for trial‐and‐error learning, particularly value or reward‐based learning. In the present report, we use a lesion‐based neuropsychological approach to clarify hippocampal contributions to such learning. Six amnesic patients with medial temporal lobe damage and a group of healthy controls were administered a simple value‐based learning task involving probabilistic trial‐and‐error acquisition of stimulus–response‐outcome (reward or none) contingencies modeled after Li et al. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
, 2011, 108
(1), 55–60). As predicted, patients were significantly impaired on the task, demonstrating reduced learning of the contingencies. Our results provide further supportive evidence that the hippocampus' role in cognition extends beyond episodic memory tasks and call for further refinement of theoretical models of hippocampal functioning.
The unique plasticity of hippocampal adult‐born neurons: Contributing to a heterogeneous dentate
Authors: Huckleberry Kylie A. , Shansky Rebecca M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is evolutionarily conserved as one of the few sites of adult neurogenesis in mammals. Although there is clear evidence that neurogenesis is necessary for healthy hippocampal function, whether adult‐born neurons are simply integrated into existing hippocampal networks to serve a similar purpose to that of developmentally born neurons or whether they represent a discrete cell population with unique functions remains less clear. In this review, we consider evidence for discrete cellular, synaptic, and structural features of adult‐born DG neurons, suggesting that neurogenesis contributes to the formation of a heterogeneous DG. We therefore propose that hippocampal neurogenesis creates a specialized neuronal subpopulation that may play a key role in hippocampal functions like episodic memory. We note critical gaps in this extensive body of work, including a general failure to include female animals in relevant research and a need for more precise consideration of intrahippocampal neuroanatomy.