bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Construction and Quantitation of a Selectable Protein Splicing Sensor Using Gibson Assembly and Spot Titers
Authors: Woods Daniel , LeSassier Danielle S. , Egbunam Ikechukwu , Lennon Christopher W. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractInteins (intervening proteins) are translated within host proteins and removed through protein splicing. Conditional protein splicing (CPS), where the rate and accuracy of splicing are highly dependent on environmental cues, has emerged as a novel form of post‐translational regulation. While CPS has been demonstrated for several inteins in vitro, a comprehensive understanding of inteins requires tools to quantitatively monitor their activity within the cellular context. Here, we describe a method for construction of a splicing‐dependent system that can be used to quantitatively assay for conditions that modulate protein splicing. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Construction of an intein‐containing KanR2 library using Gibson assemblyBasic Protocol 2: Phenotype determination using quantitative spot titersSupport Protocol 1: Preparation of LB agar plates for spot titersSupport Protocol 2: Preparation and transformation of competent M. smegmatis cells
Relativistic study of electromagnetic electron cyclotron instability based on trapped electrons in kappa‐Maxwellian auroral plasmas
Authors: Nazeer M. , Qureshi M.N.S. , Shen C. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe presence of relativistic electrons in the Earth's magnetosphere may excite EMEC waves via resonant interaction. The understanding of EMEC waves induced by such electrons requires relativistic treatment. Therefore, we present here the investigation of EMEC waves based on relativistic trapped electrons represented by kappa‐Maxwellian distribution in auroral plasmas. The analytical expressions of real frequency and relativistic growth rate are derived. Our numerical outcomes report that relativistic approximation increases the wave growth and causes reduction in the threshold value of drift velocity of trapped electrons for instability. The wave frequency that corresponds to the maximum growth decreases as we go from nonrelativistic limit to relativistic. The maximum growth increases with the increment in plasma frequency, perpendicular thermal velocity, drift velocity of trapped electrons, and Lorentz factor γ. Moreover, the relativistic effects on maximum growth are more pronounced for smaller values of drift velocity and perpendicular thermal velocity.
A distributed fault‐tolerant mechanism for mission‐oriented unmanned aerial vehicle swarms
Authors: Wang Huibin , Chen Ming , Fu Ping 
Published: March 2021

SummaryUnmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm consists of a number of autonomous and collaborative UAV nodes. The purpose of the research is to address the hypotheses: an efficient centralized resources management scheme should be adopted to meet the mission‐oriented feature of UAV swarms, while a distributed fault‐tolerant mechanism should be adopted to meet the characteristics of complex environment and address the issue of high failure rate of UAV nodes. By using an experimental modeling method, this paper proposes a management model and related mechanisms fitting for UAV swarms with the feature of “centralized decision making and distributed task execution.” The model allows UAV nodes to manage their own resources autonomously and execute centralized decisions accordingly. The advantage of the model is that the master node of a UAV swarm is able to perceive all the resources of the system and the status of all (or some) of the UAVs efficiently; therefore, it provides a supportive environment for the UAV swarm application to make centralized decisions and optimize those decisions. Additionally, this paper proposes a distributed fault‐tolerant model and related mechanisms to address the issue of high failure rate of UAV nodes, as well as the system vulnerability caused by harsh environment. Finally, this study developed a prototype system designed and implemented by OMNeT++ to confirm the truth of the hypotheses. The analysis of the experimental data and simulation results of the prototype validated the feasibility and usability of the distributed fault‐tolerant mechanism and demonstrated its value for the mission‐oriented UAV swarms.
Experimental rain prints and gas escape structures as a framework for interpreting circular imprints in shales of the Pottsville Formation (Pennsylvanian, Alabama)
Authors: Bartley Julie K. , Gilliland Patrick J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCoal‐bearing, fine‐grained clastic rocks of the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation contain well‐preserved vertebrate and invertebrate trace fossils and disarticulated plant fossils. These fossil‐bearing rocks also contain small, circular imprints that resemble raindrop impressions but have also been interpreted as structures formed by gas bubble escape from wet sediment. Because rain prints are associated with arid, subaerially exposed depositional conditions and gas escape structures with water‐saturated, organic rich sediments, the interpretation of the circular structures profoundly impacts the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and interpretation of the life habits of the trace‐makers. In this project, rain prints and gas escape structures were produced to compare these two hypotheses regarding mode of formation and to gain insight into interpretations of similar circular pits in the geological record. The results indicate that gas escape structures form most readily in fine‐grained sediment under water‐saturated conditions, in contrast to rain prints, which form most readily in unsaturated sand. A comparison with experimental structures suggests that the Pottsville shales preserve gas escape structures, not raindrop impressions, suggesting that the environment was rarely desiccated. Because rain prints and gas escape structures are superficially similar, genetic interpretations should not be based on these similarities, but rather on the differences observed between them. Reexamination of circular pits in the sedimentary rock record might require adjustment of environmental interpretations.
Dynamics of total volume of pancreatic α‐ and β ‐cells under the influence sulfonylureas and their combination with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors
Authors: Taisiia Pavlovna Tuchina , Kseniia Petrovna Skotnikova , Anna Anatolievna Vtorushina , Ivan Sergeyevich Uskov , Olga Vladimirovna Rogoza , Roman Viktorovich Grozov , Alina Yurievna Babenko , Mikhail Mikhailovich Galagudza 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectiveSulfonylureas and dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors have a multidirectional effect on pancreatic cells. We aimed to evaluate the effects of these drugs on β‐ and α‐cells in rats aged 12 months with type 2 diabetes mellitus when administered in combination with various sulfonylureas.MethodsStreptozotocin‐nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced in rats aged 12 months. Animals received the sulfonylureas gliclazide or glibenclamide for 24 weeks alone or in combination with the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor vildagliptin or vildagliptin monotherapy. Blood glucose and animal weights were measured before and during the experiment. The oral glucose tolerance test was conducted before therapy initiation. Immunohistochemical analyses were conducted after the end of the experiment using glucagon and insulin antibodies. The total volumes of α and β cells were estimated in relation to the volume of the pancreatic islets.ResultsThe total volumes of β‐cells did not differ between the sulfonylurea group and the untreated type 2 diabetes mellitus group. The addition of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors to sulfonylureas normalized the total volumes of β cells. The total volumes of α‐cells in the gliclazide group and combination of gliclazide with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor was comparable to that in the control group of intact animals, in contrast with the glibenclamide group.ConclusionThe combination of vildagliptin to both sulfonylureas contributed to the normalisation of β‐cells number. Normalisation of the total volumes of α‐cells was observed with gliclazide therapy and combination of gliclazide with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor.
P(III)‐Assisted Electrochemical Access to Ureas via in situ Generation of Isocyanates from Hydroxamic Acids
Authors: Meng Haiwen , Sun Kunhui , Xu Zhimin , Tian Lifang , Wang Yahui 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAn external oxidant‐free protocol for the generation of isocyanates from hydroxamic acids assisted by trivalent phosphine under mild electrochemical conditions was reported. The process started with the anodic oxidation of hydroxamic acids, followed by reacting with phosphine to form corresponding alkoxyphosphoniums and subsequent rearrangement with the release of tri‐substituted phosphine oxide as the driving force to give isocyanates, which were trapped by N‐based nucleophiles to produce various ureas. This method provides a broadly applicable procedure to access isocyanate intermediates under mild electrochemical conditions.
Study on the flow characteristics of fire extinguishing agent FK‐5‐1‐12 in the pipeline release process
Authors: Fan Weipeng , Gao Zheming , Wang Dapeng , Yang Yuzhuo , Gao Ye 
Published: March 2021

SummaryStudying the flow characteristics of FK‐5‐1‐12 in the pipeline during the release process is important for appropriate hydraulic calculations and fire extinguishing efficiency evaluation. This work proposes a well‐documented dataset of flow results to investigate the flow state and characteristics. Through comparing the evaporation properties of FK‐5‐1‐12 and those of other typical extinguishers, the flow state of FK‐5‐1‐12 was assumed to be a single‐phase flow, and hydraulic calculations were carried out using single‐phase fluid formulas. The calculated values were compared with experimental data. The release tests of water (pure single‐phase flow), Halon1301 (two‐phase flow), and FK‐5‐1‐12 were carried out under the same piping system, and the flow characteristics of the three media were compared to further verify the piping flow state. The experimental results show that the release process of FK‐5‐1‐12 in the cylinder has a single‐phase flow similar to water, but differs in density and expansion performance. However, FK‐5‐1‐12 only conformed to single‐phase flow in the more upstream sections of the pipeline, but presented obvious two‐phase flow state in the main pipe and the more downstream sections. When the vaporization is the most serious, the density of the mixture is only 1/26 of that of liquid FK‐5‐1‐12.
Brain age prediction: A comparison between machine learning models using region‐ and voxel‐based morphometric data
Authors: Baecker Lea , Dafflon Jessica , da Costa Pedro F. , Garcia‐Dias Rafael , Vieira Sandra , Scarpazza Cristina , Calhoun Vince D. , Sato João R. , Mechelli Andrea , Pinaya Walter H. L. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBrain morphology varies across the ageing trajectory and the prediction of a person's age using brain features can aid the detection of abnormalities in the ageing process. Existing studies on such “brain age prediction” vary widely in terms of their methods and type of data, so at present the most accurate and generalisable methodological approach is unclear. Therefore, we used the UK Biobank data set (N = 10,824, age range 47–73) to compare the performance of the machine learning models support vector regression, relevance vector regression and Gaussian process regression on whole‐brain region‐based or voxel‐based structural magnetic resonance imaging data with or without dimensionality reduction through principal component analysis. Performance was assessed in the validation set through cross‐validation as well as an independent test set. The models achieved mean absolute errors between 3.7 and 4.7 years, with those trained on voxel‐level data with principal component analysis performing best. Overall, we observed little difference in performance between models trained on the same data type, indicating that the type of input data had greater impact on performance than model choice. All code is provided online in the hope that this will aid future research.
Opposing relationships of childhood threat and deprivation with stria terminalis white matter
Authors: Banihashemi Layla , Peng Christine W. , Verstynen Timothy , Wallace Meredith L. , Lamont Daniel N. , Alkhars Hussain M. , Yeh Fang‐Cheng , Beeney Joseph E. , Aizenstein Howard J. , Germain Anne 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWhile stress may be a potential mechanism by which childhood threat and deprivation influence mental health, few studies have considered specific stress‐related white matter pathways, such as the stria terminalis (ST) and medial forebrain bundle (MFB). Our goal was to examine the relationships between childhood adversity and ST and MFB structural integrity and whether these pathways may provide a link between childhood adversity and affective symptoms and disorders. Participants were young adults (n= 100) with a full distribution of maltreatment history and affective symptom severity. Threat was determined by measures of childhood abuse and repeated traumatic events. Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) was determined by a measure of childhood socioeconomic status (parental education). Participants underwent diffusion spectrum imaging. Human Connectome Project data was used to perform ST and MFB tractography; these tracts were used as ROIs to extract generalized fractional anisotropy (gFA) from each participant. Childhood threat was associated with ST gFA, such that greater threat was associated with less ST gFA. SED was also associated with ST gFA, however, conversely to threat, greater SED was associated with greater ST gFA. Additionally, threat was negatively associated with MFB gFA, and MFB gFA was negatively associated with post‐traumatic stress symptoms. Our results suggest that childhood threat and deprivation have opposing influences on ST structural integrity, providing new evidence that the context of childhood adversity may have an important influence on its neurobiological effects, even on the same structure. Further, the MFB may provide a novel link between childhood threat and affective symptoms.
Deep‐learning based fully automatic segmentation of the globus pallidus interna and externa using ultra‐high 7 TeslaMRI
Authors: Solomon Oren , Palnitkar Tara , Patriat Re'mi , Braun Henry , Aman Joshua , Park Michael C. , Vitek Jerrold , Sapiro Guillermo , Harel Noam 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDeep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has been shown to dramatically improve the quality of life for patients with various motor dysfunctions, such as those afflicted with Parkinson's disease (PD), dystonia, and essential tremor (ET), by relieving motor symptoms associated with such pathologies. The success of DBS procedures is directly related to the proper placement of the electrodes, which requires the ability to accurately detect and identify relevant target structures within the subcortical basal ganglia region. In particular, accurate and reliable segmentation of the globus pallidus (GP) interna is of great interest for DBS surgery for PD and dystonia. In this study, we present a deep‐learning based neural network, which we term GP‐net, for the automatic segmentation of both the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus. High resolution 7 Tesla images from 101 subjects were used in this study; GP‐net is trained on a cohort of 58 subjects, containing patients with movement disorders as well as healthy control subjects. GP‐net performs 3D inference in a patient‐specific manner, alleviating the need for atlas‐based segmentation. GP‐net was extensively validated, both quantitatively and qualitatively over 43 test subjects including patients with movement disorders and healthy control and is shown to consistently produce improved segmentation results compared with state‐of‐the‐art atlas‐based segmentations. We also demonstrate a postoperative lead location assessment with respect to a segmented globus pallidus obtained by GP‐net.
Yttrium‐90 Radioembolization for the Treatment of Solitary, Unresectable HCC: The LEGACY Study
Authors: Salem Riad , Johnson Guy E. , Kim Edward , Riaz Ahsun , Bishay Vivian , Boucher Eveline , Fowers Kirk , Lewandowski Robert , Padia Siddharth A. 
Published: March 2021

Background and Aims
Locoregional therapies, including yttrium‐90 radioembolization, play an important role in the treatment of unresectable HCC. The aim of the LEGACY (Local radioEmbolization using Glass Microspheres for the Assessment of Tumor Control with Y‐90) study was to evaluate objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR) in patients with solitary unresectable HCC treated with yttrium‐90 glass microspheres.

Approach and Results
LEGACY is a multicenter, single‐arm, retrospective study conducted at three sites that included all eligible, consecutive patients with HCC treated with radioembolization between 2014 and 2017. Eligibility criteria included solitary HCC ≤ 8 cm, Child‐Pugh A cirrhosis, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0‐1. Primary endpoints were ORR and DoR based on modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors in the treated area (localized), as evaluated by blinded, independent, central review. Radioembolization was performed with intent of ablative‐level dosimetry in a selective fashion when possible. Overall survival was evaluated using Kaplan‐Meier and multivariate Cox proportional hazards. Among the 162 patients included, 60.5% were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0, and the median tumor size was 2.7 cm (range: 1‐8) according to blinded, independent, central review. Radioembolization served as neoadjuvant therapy for transplantation or resection in 21.0% (34 of 162) and 6.8% (11 of 162) of patients, respectively, and as primary treatment for all others. Median follow‐up time was 29.9 months by reverse Kaplan‐Meier. ORR (best response) was 88.3% (CI: 82.4‐92.4), with 62.2% (CI: 54.1‐69.8) exhibiting a DoR ≥ 6 months. Three‐year overall survival was 86.6% for all patients and 92.8% for those neoadjuvant patients with resected or transplanted liver.

Conclusions
In this multicenter study of radioembolization, clinical meaningful response rates and prolonged DoR were observed in the treatment of unresectable, solitary HCC ≤ 8 cm.
Efficacy of idelalisib and rituximab in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated outside of clinical trials. A report of the Gimema Working Group
Authors: Rigolin Gian Matteo , Cavazzini Francesco , Piciocchi Alfonso , Arena Valentina , Visentin Andrea , Reda Gianluigi , Zamprogna Giulia , Cibien Francesca , Vitagliano Orsola , Coscia Marta , Farina Lucia , Gaidano Gianluca , Murru Roberta , Varettoni Marzia , Paolini Rossella , Sportoletti Paolo , Pietrasanta Daniela , Molinari Anna Lia , Quaglia Francesca M. , Laurenti Luca , Marasca Roberto , Marchetti Monia , Mauro Francesca R. , Crea Enrico , Vignetti Marco , Gentile Massimo , Montillo Marco , Foà Robin , Cuneo Antonio ,   GIMEMA Group
Published: March 2021

AbstractBecause the efficacy of new drugs reported in trials may not translate into similar results when used in the real‐life, we analyzed the efficacy of idelalisib and rituximab (IR) in 149 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated at 34 GIMEMA centers. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 22.9 and 44.5 months, respectively; performance status (PS) ≥2 and ≥3 previous lines of therapy were associated with shorter PFS and overall survival (OS). 48% of patients were on treatment at 12 months; the experience of the centers (≥5 treated patients) and PS 0–1 were associated with a significantly longer treatment duration (p = 0.015 and p = 0.002, respectively). TP53 disruption had no prognostic significance. The overall response rate to subsequent treatment was 49.2%, with median OS of 15.5 months and not reached in patients who discontinued, respectively, for progression and for toxicity (p < 0.01). Treatment breaks ≥14 days were recorded in 96% of patients and adverse events mirrored those reported in trials. In conclusion, this real‐life analysis showed that IR treatment duration was longer at experienced centers, that the ECOG PS and ≥3 lines of previous therapy are strong prognostic factor and that the overall outcome with this regimen was superimposable to that reported in a randomized trial.
From Black Wednesday to Brexit: Macroeconomic shocks and correlations of equity returns in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom
Authors: Gottschalk Sylvia 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis paper investigates whether macroeconomic shocks, such as the UK's referendum decision to leave the European Union (“Brexit”), the 2008 Financial Crisis, the 1992 ERM Crisis (“Black Wednesday”), and the 1987 stock market crash (“Black Monday”), had a positive impact on portfolio risk diversification. We estimate weekly dynamic conditional correlations and then optimal sectoral portfolio allocations between 1973 and 2019. Our results show that correlations of equity returns increased as a consequence of economic integration among European countries from the mid‐1980s until the late 2000s, and decreased in the United Kingdom after Black Wednesday and the Brexit referendum. We tested the existence of a correlation change‐point on June 27, 2016 by applying Wied et al. (2012)'s [Econometric Theory, 28(3), 570–589] correlation structural break test, which we modified to account for dynamic conditional correlations. Application of this test confirms that the referendum date was a break‐point in nearly all UK manufacturing industries. The failure of Lehman Brothers and the 1987 stock market crash were also identified as structural breaks in equity correlations. Moreover, our findings suggest that the Brexit vote may constitute a long‐term trend reversal of the convergence of equity return correlations in European markets, akin to Black Wednesday, rather than a shock like the 1987 and 2008 financial crises, which merely intensified a historical upward trend in correlations of European equity returns.
Effect of amphotericin B‐deoxycholate (Fungizone) on the mitochondria of Wistar rats' renal proximal tubules cells
Authors: Alenazi Shehab Ahmed , Elmorsy Ekramy , Al‐Ghafari Ayat , El‐Husseini Amr 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAmphotericin B‐deoxycholate (Fungizone [FZ]) is a widely used potent antimycotic drug in spite of its nephrotoxic effect via different mechanisms. The effect of FZ on renal cell bioenergetics is not clear. The current study evaluated the effect of FZ on the bioenergetics of albino rats' isolated renal proximal tubule cells (PTCs). The cytotoxic effect of FZ on the isolated renal cells was assessed by MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. The effect of FZ on the PTCs uptake (OAT1 and OCT2) and efflux (P‐gp and MRP2) transporters was evaluated. Then, the effect of FZ on mitochondria was assessed by studying complexes I–IV activities, lactate assay, oxygen consumption rates (OCR), and western blotting for all mitochondrial complexes. Moreover, the effect of FZ on mitochondrial membrane fluidity (MMF) and fatty acids composition was evaluated. Additionally, the protective effect of coenzyme q10 was studied. Outcomes showed that FZ was cytotoxic to the PTCs in a concentration and time‐dependent patterns. FZ significantly inhibited the studied uptake and efflux tubular transporters with inhibition of the mitochondrial complexes activities and parallel increase in lactate production and decrease in OCRs. Finally, FZ significantly reduced the expression of all mitochondrial complexes in addition to significant increase in MMF and MMFA concentration. Coenzyme Q10 was found to significantly decrease FZ‐induced cytotoxicity and transporters impairment in the PTC. FZ significantly inhibits bioenergetics of PTC, which may stimulate the cascade of cell death and clinical nephrotoxicity.