bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphological and distributional properties of SMI‐32 immunoreactive ganglion cells in the rat retina
Authors: Tan Huiying , Li Xiaotao , Huang Kang , Luo Moxuan , Wang Liping 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSMI‐32 is widely used to identify entire populations of alpha retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and several SMI‐32+ RGC subsets have been studied thoroughly in rodents. However, due to the thick cover of SMI‐32+ neurofilaments, the morphology of SMI‐32+ RGCs in the central retinal region is obscured and rarely described. Moreover, SMI‐32 labels more than one morphological RGC type and the full morphological characteristics and distribution of SMI‐32+ RGCs have yet to be discovered. Here, using intracellular neurobiotin injections combined with SMI‐32 antibody staining, we investigated morphological and distributional properties of the entire SMI‐32+ RGCs population in the rat retina. We found that SMI‐32+ RGCs were evenly distributed throughout the rat retina. We compared the morphological features of SMI‐32+ ON and OFF cells in the central, middle, and peripheral retinal regions. We found that SMI‐32+ RGCs in different regions have distinct characteristics, such as the soma area and the dendritic field area, and Sholl analysis of ON cells and OFF cells revealed significant differences between each region. We classified SMI‐32+ RGCs into five clusters based on morphological features and found that a majority of SMI‐32+ RGCs belong to alpha‐like cells; however, a small proportion of SMI‐32+ RGCs had small soma and small dendritic fields. Together, we present a full description of the morphology and distribution of SMI‐32 immunoreactive RGCs in the rat retina.
The pigment‐dispersing factor neuronal network systematically grows in developing honey bees
Authors: Beer Katharina , Härtel Stephan , Helfrich‐Förster Charlotte 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe neuropeptide pigment‐dispersing factor (PDF) plays a prominent role in the circadian clock of many insects including honey bees. In the honey bee brain, PDF is expressed in about 15 clock neurons per hemisphere that lie between the central brain and the optic lobes. As in other insects, the bee PDF neurons form wide arborizations in the brain, but certain differences are evident. For example, they arborize only sparsely in the accessory medulla (AME), which serves as important communication center of the circadian clock in cockroaches and flies. Furthermore, all bee PDF neurons cluster together, which makes it impossible to distinguish individual projections. Here, we investigated the developing bee PDF network and found that the first three PDF neurons arise in the third larval instar and form a dense network of varicose fibers at the base of the developing medulla that strongly resembles the AME of hemimetabolous insects. In addition, they send faint fibers toward the lateral superior protocerebrum. In last larval instar, PDF cells with larger somata appear and send fibers toward the distal medulla and the medial protocerebrum. In the dorsal part of the medulla serpentine layer, a small PDF knot evolves from which PDF fibers extend ventrally. This knot disappears during metamorphosis and the varicose arborizations in the putative AME become fainter. Instead, a new strongly stained PDF fiber hub appears in front of the lobula. Simultaneously, the number of PDF neurons increases and the PDF neuronal network in the brain gets continuously more complex.
Consideration of degree of chromatic adaptation for reproducing illuminated scenes
Authors: Li Yiqian , Chen Siyuan , Wei Minchen , Zhang Xiandou 
Published: November 2021

AbstractChromatic adaptation is an important mechanism in the human visual system, which affects the perceived color appearance of scenes and objects under the illumination. Recent studies, however, found that the degree of chromatic adaptation was significantly affected by the chromaticities of the adapting condition, which is not characterized in the existing chromatic adaptation transforms and color appearance models. This work was carefully designed to investigate how the degree of chromatic adaptation needs to be considered to reproduce the overall color tone of scenes under the illumination having a wide range of chromaticities. Human observers viewed a scene under 85 light settings, and then adjusted the color appearance of the scene image shown on a smartphone display to match that of the physical scene. The adjustment of the image color appearance was achieved by performing chromatic adaptation transform with different image white points. The results clearly showed how the degree of chromatic adaptation varied with the illuminant chromaticities, and how the image white point should be adjusted to reproduce the color tone of an illuminated scene.
Improved Methods for Single‐Molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Immunofluorescence in Caenorhabditis elegans Embryos
Authors: Parker Dylan M. , Winkenbach Lindsay P. , Parker Annemarie , Boyson Sam , Nishimura Erin Osborne 
Published: November 2021

AbstractVisualization of gene products in Caenorhabditis elegans has provided insights into the molecular and biological functions of many novel genes in their native contexts. Single‐molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) and immunofluorescence (IF) enable the visualization of the abundance and localization of mRNAs and proteins, respectively, allowing researchers to ultimately elucidate the localization, dynamics, and functions of the corresponding genes. Whereas both smFISH and immunofluorescence have been foundational techniques in molecular biology, each protocol poses challenges for use in the C. elegans embryo. smFISH protocols suffer from high initial costs and can photobleach rapidly, and immunofluorescence requires technically challenging permeabilization steps and slide preparation. Most importantly, published smFISH and IF protocols have predominantly been mutually exclusive, preventing the exploration of relationships between an mRNA and a relevant protein in the same sample. Here, we describe protocols to perform immunofluorescence and smFISH in C. elegans embryos either in sequence or simultaneously. We also outline the steps to perform smFISH or immunofluorescence alone, including several improvements and optimizations to existing approaches. These protocols feature improved fixation and permeabilization steps to preserve cellular morphology while maintaining probe and antibody accessibility in the embryo, a streamlined, in‐tube approach for antibody staining that negates freeze‐cracking, a validated method to perform the cost‐reducing single molecule inexpensive FISH (smiFISH) adaptation, slide preparation using empirically determined optimal antifade products, and straightforward quantification and data analysis methods. Finally, we discuss tricks and tips to help the reader optimize and troubleshoot individual steps in each protocol. Together, these protocols simplify existing workflows for single‐molecule RNA and protein detection. Moreover, simultaneous, high‐resolution imaging of proteins and RNAs of interest will permit analysis, quantification, and comparison of protein and RNA distributions, furthering our understanding of the relationship between RNAs and their protein products or cellular markers in early development. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Sequential immunofluorescence and single‐molecule fluorescence in situ hybridizationAlternate Protocol: Abbreviated protocol for simultaneous immunofluorescence and single‐molecule fluorescence in situ hybridizationBasic Protocol 2: Simplified immunofluorescence in C. elegans embryosBasic Protocol 3: Single‐molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization or single‐molecule inexpensive fluorescence in situ hybridization
A Primer for Assessing the Pathology in Mouse Models of Neuroblastoma
Authors: Gifford Andrew J. , Murray Jayne , Fletcher Jamie I. , Marshall Glenn M. , Norris Murray D. , Haber Michelle 
Published: November 2021

AbstractNeuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor in young children, arises from the sympathetic nervous system. Our understanding of neuroblastoma has been improved by the development of both genetically engineered and xenograft mouse models of the disease. Anatomical pathology is an essential component of the phenotyping of mouse models of cancer, characterizing the morphologic effects of genetic manipulation and drug treatment. The Th‐MYCN model, the most widely used of several genetically engineered mouse models of neuroblastoma, was established by targeted expression of the human MYCN gene to murine neural crest cells under the control of the rat tyrosine hydroxylase promoter. Neuroblastoma development in Th‐MYCN mice is preceded by neuroblast hyperplasia—the persistence and proliferation of neural crest–derived neuroblasts within the sympathetic autonomic ganglia. The neuroblastomas that subsequently develop morphologically resemble human neuroblastoma and carry chromosomal gains and losses in regions syntenic with those observed in human tumors. In this overview, we describe the essential pathologic features for investigators when assessing mouse models of neuroblastoma. We outline human neuroblastoma as the foundation for understanding the murine disease, followed by details of the murine sympathetic ganglia from which neuroblastoma arises. Sympathetic ganglia, both with and without neuroblast hyperplasia, are described. The macroscopic and microscopic features of murine neuroblastoma are explained, including assessment of xenografts and tumors following drug treatment. An approach to experimental design is also detailed. Increased understanding of the pathology of murine neuroblastoma should improve reproducibility and comparability of research findings and assist investigators working with mouse models of neuroblastoma. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The skill qualification system for portal hypertension in Japan
Authors: Ohta Masayuki , Murashima Naoya , Ohyama Tetsuji , Yoshida Tomoharu , Hirota Shozo , Kawanaka Hirofumi , Hashizume Makoto , Nakamura Shinichi , Chikamori Fumio , Eguchi Susumu , Tajiri Takashi , Obara Katsutoshi , Kokubu Shigehiro 
Published: November 2021

AbstractObjectivesThe diverse treatments available for portal hypertension require specialized knowledge of hemodynamics and include endoscopic treatments, interventional radiology (IVR), and surgery. The Japan Society for Portal Hypertension has developed the skill qualification system (SQS) for portal hypertension and began examination in 2014. Here, the status and validity of the judgment of the SQS examination were evaluated.MethodsFrom 2014 to 2020, 79 applicants were evaluated by the SQS for portal hypertension. Each unedited video submitted as a candidate procedure was evaluated by two judges, and a grade of greater than 70% for the scoring items assessed by the judges was required to pass the examination. Inter‐rater agreement of success/failure between the two judges was investigated by the AC1 coefficient.ResultsThe results of two judges differed for 11 of the 79 videos (13.9%), and five applicants (6.3%) ultimately failed the examination. The percentages of total points received by the applicants with endoscopic treatments, IVR, and surgery were 87.3%, 79.4%, and 80.8%, respectively. There were significant differences in the percentages between endoscopic treatments and IVR (P = 0.0015). The AC1 coefficients were 0.84 for the applicants overall, 0.93 for endoscopic treatments, 0.66 for IVR, and 0.72 for surgery. Similarly, there were significant differences in the AC1 coefficient between endoscopic treatments and IVR (P = 0.021).ConclusionsThe SQS for portal hypertension of the Japan Society for Portal Hypertension showed high reliability for video assessments by the judges. This system may contribute to the spread and further development of safe and effective treatments for portal hypertension in Japan.
A Comparative Appraisal of Traditional “Ghee” Derived From the Three Genotypes (Arunachali Yak, Yak–Cow Hybrid, and Cow) Reared Under Semi‐Intensive Conditions
Authors: Singh Tarun Pal , Deshwal Gaurav Kr , Bam Joken , Paul Vijay 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe present study aims to characterize “ghee” derived from Arunachali yak (AY), yak–cow hybrid (YCH), and cow reared under semi‐intensive conditions in Arunanchal Pradesh, India. The milk obtained from Arunachali yak has significantly (p < 0.05) higher fat, solids‐not‐fat, and protein content compared to YCH and cow. The ghee obtained from three different genotypes is characterized and showed significant variation (p < 0.05) in various physicochemical parameters viz., yield, moisture, specific gravity, saponification value, free fatty acid, cholesterol, vitamin A, and instrumental color profile. Further, the ghee obtained from YCH milk has significantly (p < 0.05) higher oleic acids (35.24% ± 0.21), linoleic acid content (1.18% ± 0.03), and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA)/saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio (0.69 ± 0.01), whereas cow ghee has significantly (p < 0.05) higher α‐Linolenic acid (0.57% ± 0.04) compared to the other samples. AY ghee has higher saturated fatty acids (63.58% ± 0.07); however, no significant difference is observed in the total fatty acids content of the ghee obtained from AY and YCH. In Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) analysis, the characteristic intensity of the absorption peaks in the region of 650–4000 cm−1 is taken. They are nearly comparable, and no differences are detected by the naked eye. It can be concluded that the findings of this study will be useful for characterization and also provide scientific support for further in‐depth study.Practical applications: The experimental results of this study would aid the increase of information about physicochemical characterization of these three genotypes of foot hills of the Himalayas.
Improved Synthesis of D‐Isoglutamine: Rapid Access to Desmuramyl Analogues of Muramyl Dipeptide for the Activation of Intracellular NOD2 Receptor and Vaccine Adjuvant Applications
Authors: Khan Farooq‐Ahmad , Khanam Rahila , Wasim Qasim Muhammad , Wang Yan , Jiang Zi‐Hua 
Published: November 2021

AbstractMuramyl dipeptide (MDP) – the smallest immunomodulatory unit of bacterial peptidoglycan – has adjuvant activity and triggers the innate immune system against bacterial and viral infections. The inherited drawbacks of MDP, such as pyrogenicity and poor macrophage penetration, can be resolved by structural modifications, thereby improving its pharmacological profile and adjuvant activity. Herein, several desmuramyl analogues of MDP were designed by replacing the carbohydrate fragment (MurNAc) of the parent molecule with an immunomodulatory xanthine scaffold. The L−D configurations of the pharmacophoric dipeptidyl moiety were conserved and alkyl chains of moderate length were introduced at isoglutamine to enhance their cellular uptake. The synthesis of these analogues features a novel synthetic route for D‐isoglutamine fragment with an overall yield of >50 % in ten to eleven steps. This sufficiently flexible approach provides rapid access to desmuramyl analogues of MDP on a gram scale, which can help accelerate the development of novel NOD2 agonists and immunoadjuvants.
Effect of iron‐fortified infant cereal on nutritional status of infants in Ghana
Authors: Harrison Obed Akwaa , Hays Nicholas P. , Ansong Richard S. , Datoghe Dominic , Vuvor Frederick , Steiner‐Asiedu Matilda 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIron deficiency anemia is prevalent among infants in Ghana. This study evaluated the effect of micronutrient‐fortified infant cereal on the nutritional status of infants in the La Nkwantanang Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, located in western Africa. In this double‐blind, controlled trial, infants aged 6–18 months were cluster‐randomized to receive either micronutrient‐fortified infant cereal containing 3.75 mg iron as ferrous fumarate/50 g cereal (INT; n = 107) or the same cereal without iron (CTL; n = 101) to complement other foods and breast milk. The intervention phase lasted six months followed by a two‐month post–intervention phase (with no further study product feeding). Hemoglobin and anthropometry were assessed every 2 months for the 8‐month study period. After the 6‐month intervention phase, adjusted mean ± standard error change in hemoglobin from baseline in INT and CTL was 1.97 ± 0.19 and 1.16 ± 0.21 g/dl, respectively (p < .01 for each); the increase in hemoglobin was significantly larger in INT versus CTL (increase 0.68 ± 0.30 g/dl; p = .02). Prevalence of anemia declined to a significantly greater extent in INT (84.1% to 42.8%) compared to CTL (89.1% to 62.8%; p = .006). There was no significant difference between groups in weight gain (p = .41) or height gain (p = .21) over the study period. In infants aged 6–18 months, micronutrient‐fortified infant cereal consumed for 6 months promoted greater reductions in iron‐deficiency anemia, which is a significant public health concern not only in Ghana but also in many developing countries globally.
Incidence of dementia in a population cohort of older people from São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Lopes Marcos Antonio , Nassar Silvia Modesto , Barcelos‐Ferreira Ricardo , Folquitto Jefferson Cunha , Litvoc Júlio 
Published: November 2021

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the incidence of dementia in a community‐dwelling older population from São Paulo city, Brazil.Methods/DesignThis two‐phase prospective cohort study evaluated a representative cluster sample of 1370 individuals aged 60 years old and over from three different socioeconomic levels. The community screening phase consisted of a tested combination of cognitive and functional tests administered among the subjects and informants. In the hospital diagnosis phase, the Cambridge Examination was performed; the diagnosis of dementia and dementia subtypes was made according to DSM IV criteria. Incidence rates were expressed in person‐years, multiplied by 1000. The risk of developing dementia was calculated using Cox regression.ResultsAmong 1370 eligible subjects, 678 were accessed, and 489 completed the evaluation. Forty‐two subjects were diagnosed with dementia. The incidence rate of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) were 11.2 (95% CI: 8.0–15.1) and 8.9 (95% CI: 6.1–12.5) per 1000 person‐years, respectively; there were high age‐specific rates of dementia among younger individuals. There was a trend of a higher risk of developing AD for women than for men. Multivariate analysis showed that older age, the presence of diabetes and the presence of amnestic MCI increased the risk of developing dementia.ConclusionsThe age‐specific rates in younger individuals were expressively higher than in worldwide studies and supposedly affected by cardiovascular morbidity. The higher risk in women in a younger sample corroborated the interaction between sex and AD. The increased risk of amnestic MCI reinforced its contribution to the progression to dementia and AD.
In search of convergent regional brain abnormality in cognitive emotion regulation: A transdiagnostic neuroimaging meta‐analysis
Authors: Khodadadifar Tina , Soltaninejad Zahra , Ebneabbasi Amir , Eickhoff Claudia R. , Sorg Christian , Van Eimeren Thilo , Vogeley Kai , Zarei Mojtaba , Eickhoff Simon B. , Tahmasian Masoud 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIneffective use of adaptive cognitive strategies (e.g., reappraisal) to regulate emotional states is often reported in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders, suggesting a common characteristic across different diagnostic categories. However, the extent of shared neurobiological impairments is incompletely understood. This study, therefore, aimed to identify the transdiagnostic neural signature of disturbed reappraisal using the coordinate‐based meta‐analysis (CBMA) approach. Following the best‐practice guidelines for conducting neuroimaging meta‐analyses, we systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases and tracked the references. Out of 1,608 identified publications, 32 whole‐brain neuroimaging studies were retrieved that compared brain activation in patients with psychiatric disorders and healthy controls during a reappraisal task. Then, the reported peak coordinates of group comparisons were extracted and several activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analyses were performed at three hierarchical levels to identify the potential spatial convergence: the global level (i.e., the pooled analysis and the analyses of increased/decreased activations), the experimental‐contrast level (i.e., the analyses of grouped data based on the regulation goal, stimulus valence, and instruction rule) and the disorder‐group level (i.e., the analyses across the experimental‐contrast level focused on increasing homogeneity of disorders). Surprisingly, none of our analyses provided significant convergent findings. This CBMA indicates a lack of transdiagnostic convergent regional abnormality related to reappraisal task, probably due to the complex nature of cognitive emotion regulation, heterogeneity of clinical populations, and/or experimental and statistical flexibility of individual studies.
The roles of the LpSTS and DLPFC in self‐prioritization: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study
Authors: Liang Qiongdan , Zhang Bozhen , Fu Sinan , Sui Jie , Wang Fei 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe Self‐Attention Network (SAN) has been proposed to describe the underlying neural mechanism of the self‐prioritization effect, yet the roles of the key nodes in the SAN—the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (LpSTS) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)—still need to be clarified. One hundred and nine participants were randomly assigned into the LpSTS group, the DLPFC group, or the sham group. We used the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technique to selectively disrupt the functions of the corresponding targeted region, and observed its impacts on self‐prioritization effect based on the difference between the performance of the self‐matching task before and after the targeted stimulation. We analyzed both model‐free performance measures and HDDM‐based performance measures for the self‐matching task. The results showed that the inhibition of LpSTS could lead to reduced performance in processing self‐related stimuli, which establishes a causal role for the LpSTS in self‐related processing and provide direct evidence to support the SAN framework. However, the results of the DLPFC group from HDDM analysis were distinct from the results based on response efficiency. Our investigation further the understanding of the differentiated roles of key nodes in the SAN in supporting the self‐salience in information processing.
Natural disasters and missing children
Authors: Ponnusamy Sundar 
Published: November 2021

AbstractUsing an exogenous measure of natural disasters based on physical intensities, I examine their impact on child mortality. I find that children, mostly, in poor countries are affected — a one standard deviation increase in the natural disaster index leads to an additional 6.77 deaths per 1000 live births in the disaster year. The impact is long lasting, extending beyond the disaster year. I provide suggestive evidence of the potential mechanisms driving these effects, namely, lower GDP and vaccination rates among children, along with an increased maternal mortality and disease incidence in low‐income countries due to disasters. Using an endogenous measure of disasters based on damage records from insurance data leads to severe underestimation of the disaster impact. The results are robust to the use of mortality rates from multiple sources, different functional forms, and an extensive dynamic panel specification as well as various other tests.