bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Crowdsourced privacy-preserved feature tagging of short home videos for machine learning ASD detection
Authors: Washington Peter , Tariq Qandeel , Leblanc Emilie , Chrisman Brianna , Dunlap Kaitlyn , Kline Aaron , Kalantarian Haik , Penev Yordan , Paskov Kelley , Voss Catalin , Stockham Nathaniel , Varma Maya , Husic Arman , Kent Jack , Haber Nick , Winograd Terry , Wall Dennis P. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractStandard medical diagnosis of mental health conditions requires licensed experts who are increasingly outnumbered by those at risk, limiting reach. We test the hypothesis that a trustworthy crowd of non-experts can efficiently annotate behavioral features needed for accurate machine learning detection of the common childhood developmental disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for children under 8 years old. We implement a novel process for identifying and certifying a trustworthy distributed workforce for video feature extraction, selecting a workforce of 102 workers from a pool of 1,107. Two previously validated ASD logistic regression classifiers, evaluated against parent-reported diagnoses, were used to assess the accuracy of the trusted crowd’s ratings of unstructured home videos. A representative balanced sample (N = 50 videos) of videos were evaluated with and without face box and pitch shift privacy alterations, with AUROC and AUPRC scores > 0.98. With both privacy-preserving modifications, sensitivity is preserved (96.0%) while maintaining specificity (80.0%) and accuracy (88.0%) at levels comparable to prior classification methods without alterations. We find that machine learning classification from features extracted by a certified nonexpert crowd achieves high performance for ASD detection from natural home videos of the child at risk and maintains high sensitivity when privacy-preserving mechanisms are applied. These results suggest that privacy-safeguarded crowdsourced analysis of short home videos can help enable rapid and mobile machine-learning detection of developmental delays in children.
Assessment of water resource security in karst area of Guizhou Province, China
Authors: Liu Liying 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper presents the assessment of water resource security in the Guizhou karst area, China. A mean impact value and back-propagation (MIV-BP) neural network was used to understand the influencing factors. Thirty-one indices involving five aspects, the water quality subsystem, water quantity subsystem, engineering water shortage subsystem, water resource vulnerability subsystem, and water resource carrying capacity subsystem, were selected to establish an evaluation index of water resource security. In addition, a genetic algorithm and back-propagation (GA-BP) neural network was constructed to assess the water resource security of Guizhou Province from 2001 to 2015. The results show that water resource security in Guizhou was at a moderate warning level from 2001 to 2006 and a critical safety level from 2007 to 2015, except in 2011 when a moderate warning level was reached. For protection and management of water resources in a karst area, the modes of development and utilization of water resources must be thoroughly understood, along with the impact of engineering water shortage. These results are a meaningful contribution to regional ecological restoration and socio-economic development and can promote better practices for future planning.
A refined medium to enhance the antimicrobial activity of postbiotic produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RS5
Authors: Ooi May Foong , Foo Hooi Ling , Loh Teck Chwen , Mohamad Rosfarizan , Rahim Raha Abdul , Ariff Arbakariya 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPostbiotic RS5, produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RS5, has been identified as a promising alternative feed supplement for various livestock. This study aimed to lower the production cost by enhancing the antimicrobial activity of the postbiotic RS5 by improving the culture density of L. plantarum RS5 and reducing the cost of growth medium. A combination of conventional and statistical-based approaches (Fractional Factorial Design and Central Composite Design of Response Surface Methodology) was employed to develop a refined medium for the enhancement of the antimicrobial activity of postbiotic RS5. A refined medium containing 20 g/L of glucose, 27.84 g/L of yeast extract, 5.75 g/L of sodium acetate, 1.12 g/L of Tween 80 and 0.05 g/L of manganese sulphate enhanced the antimicrobial activity of postbiotic RS5 by 108%. The cost of the production medium was reduced by 85% as compared to the commercially available de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium that is typically used for Lactobacillus cultivation. Hence, the refined medium has made the postbiotic RS5 more feasible and cost-effective to be adopted as a feed supplement for various livestock industries.
Life-extended glycosylated IL-2 promotes Treg induction and suppression of autoimmunity
Authors: Ottolenghi Aner , Bolel Priyanka , Sarkar Rhitajit , Greenshpan Yariv , Iraqi Muhammed , Ghosh Susmita , Bhattacharya Baisali , Taylor Zoe V. , Kundu Kiran , Radinsky Olga , Gazit Roi , Stepensky David , Apte Ron N. , Voronov Elena , Porgador Angel 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIL-2 is the master-regulator cytokine for T cell dependent responses and is crucial for proliferation and survival of T cells. However, IL-2-based treatments remained marginal, in part due to short half-life. Thus, we aimed to extend IL-2 half-life by flanking the IL-2 core with sequences derived from the extensively glycosylated hinge region of the NCR2 receptor. We termed this modified IL-2: “S2A”. Importantly, S2A blood half-life was extended 14-fold compared to the clinical grade IL-2, Proleukin. Low doses inoculation of S2A significantly enhanced induction of Tregs (CD4+ Regulatory T cells) in vivo, as compared to Proleukin, while both S2A and Proleukin induced low levels of CD8+ T cells. In a B16 metastatic melanoma model, S2A treatment was unable to reduce the metastatic capacity of B16 melanoma, while enhancing induction and recruitment of Tregs, compared to Proleukin. Conversely, in two autoimmune models, rheumatoid arthritis and DSS-induced colitis, S2A treatment significantly reduced the progression of disease compared to Proleukin. Our results suggest new avenues for generating long-acting IL-2 for long-standing treatment and a new technique for manipulating short-life proteins for clinical and research uses.
Characterization of a new natural fiber extracted from Corypha taliera fruit
Authors: Tamanna Taslima Ahmed , Belal Shah Alimuzzaman , Shibly Mohammad Abul Hasan , Khan Ayub Nabi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis study deals with the determination of new natural fibers extracted from the Corypha taliera fruit (CTF) and its characteristics were reported for the potential alternative of harmful synthetic fiber. The physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological characteristics were investigated for CTF fibers. X-ray diffraction and chemical composition characterization ensured a higher amount of cellulose (55.1 wt%) content and crystallinity (62.5%) in the CTF fiber. The FTIR analysis ensured the different functional groups of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin present in the fiber. The Scherrer’s equation was used to determine crystallite size 1.45 nm. The mean diameter, specific density, and linear density of the CTF fiber were found (average) 131 μm, 0.86 g/cc, and 43 Tex, respectively. The maximum tensile strength was obtained 53.55 MPa for GL 20 mm and Young’s modulus 572.21 MPa for GL 30 mm. The required energy at break was recorded during the tensile strength experiment from the tensile strength tester and the average values for GL 20 mm and GL 30 mm are 0.05381 J and 0.08968 J, respectively. The thermal analysis ensured the thermal sustainability of CTF fiber up to 230 °C. Entirely the aforementioned outcomes ensured that the new CTF fiber is the expected reinforcement to the fiber-reinforced composite materials.
Lack of association of CD44-rs353630 and CHI3L2-rs684559 with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma survival
Authors: Gentiluomo Manuel , Corradi Chiara , Vanella Giuseppe , Johansen Astrid Z. , Strobel Oliver , Szentesi Andrea , Milanetto Anna Caterina , Hegyi Péter , Kupcinskas Juozas , Tavano Francesca , Neoptolemos John P. , Bozzato Dania , Hackert Thilo , Pezzilli Raffaele , Johansen Julia S. , Costello Eithne , Mohelnikova-Duchonova Beatrice , van Eijck Casper H. J. , Talar-Wojnarowska Renata , Hansen Carsten Palnæs , Darvasi Erika , Chen Inna M. , Cavestro Giulia Martina , Soucek Pavel , Piredda Liliana , Vodicka Pavel , Gazouli Maria , Arcidiacono Paolo Giorgio , Canzian Federico , Campa Daniele , Capurso Gabriele 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAlthough pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survival is poor, there are differences in patients’ response to the treatments. Detection of predictive biomarkers explaining these differences is of the utmost importance. In a recent study two genetic markers (CD44-rs353630 and CHI3L2-rs684559) were reported to be associated with survival after PDAC resection. We attempted to replicate the associations in 1856 PDAC patients (685 resected with stage I/II) from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium. We also analysed the combined effect of the two genotypes in order to compare our results with what was previously reported. Additional stratified analyses considering TNM stage of the disease and whether the patients received surgery were also performed. We observed no statistically significant associations, except for the heterozygous carriers of CD44-rs353630, who were associated with worse OS (HR = 5.01; 95% CI 1.58–15.88; p = 0.006) among patients with stage I disease. This association is in the opposite direction of those reported previously, suggesting that data obtained in such small subgroups are hardly replicable and should be considered cautiously. The two polymorphisms combined did not show any statistically significant association. Our results suggest that the effect of CD44-rs353630 and CHI3L2-rs684559 cannot be generalized to all PDAC patients.
Assessing the relationship between pregravid body mass index and risk of adverse maternal pregnancy and neonatal outcomes: prospective data in Southwest China
Authors: Chen Yue , Wan Ke , Gong Yunhui , Zhang Xiao , Liang Yi , Wang Xiaoyu , Feng Ping , He Fang , Zhou Rong , Yang Dagang , Jia Hong , Cheng Guo , Shimokawa Toshio 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe relevance of pregestational body mass index (BMI) on adverse pregnancy outcomes remained unclear in Southwest China. This study aimed to investigate the overall and age-category specific association between pre-gestational BMI and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, stillbirth, macrosomia, and small-for-gestational age (SGA) or large-for-gestational age (LGA) neonates in Southwest China. Furthermore, it explores the relative importance of influence of pregravid BMI and maternal age on pregnancy outcomes. 51,125 Chinese singleton pregnant women were recruited as study subjects. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the influence of pre-pregnancy BMI on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Gradient boosting machine was used to evaluate the relative importance of influence of pregravid BMI and maternal age on pregnancy outcomes. It is found that women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy are at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes except for SGA neonates, while pre-pregnancy underweight is a protective factor for GDM, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, macrosomia and LGA, but not SGA. Younger mothers are more susceptible to GDM and macrosomia neonates, while older mothers are more prone to preeclampsia. Pre-pregnancy BMI has more influence on various pregnancy outcomes than maternal age. To improve pregnancy outcomes, normal BMI weight as well as relatively young maternal ages are recommended for women in child-bearing age.
MiR-485 targets the DTX4 gene to regulate milk fat synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells
Authors: Liu Juan , Jiang Ping , Iqbal Ambreen , Ali Shaokat , Gao Zhen , Pan Ziyi , Xia Lixin , Yin Fuquan , Zhao Zhihui 
Published: April 2021

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mRNA suppressors that regulate a variety of cellular and physiological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, triglyceride synthesis, fat formation, and lipolysis, by post-transcriptional processing. In previous studies, we isolated and sequenced miRNAs from mammary epithelial cells from Chinese Holstein cows with high and low milk fat percentages. MiR-485 was one of the significantly differentially expressed miRNAs that were identified. In the present study, the relationship between the candidate target gene DTX4 and miR-485 was validated by bioinformatics and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB) analyses in bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). The results indicated that miR-485 negatively regulated the mRNA expression of the target gene DTX4. Furthermore, an shRNA interference vector for the target gene DTX4 was constructed successfully, and it increased the triglyceride content and reduced the cholesterol content of transfected cells. These results suggest that miR-485 may affect the contents of triglycerides (TGs) and cholesterol (CHOL) by targeting the DTX4 gene. This study indicates that miR-485 has a role in regulating milk fat synthesis and that miR-485 targets the DTX4 gene to regulate lipid metabolism in bMECs. These findings contribute to the understanding of the functional significance of miR-485 in milk fat synthesis.
CGRP protects bladder smooth muscle cells stimulated by high glucose through inhibiting p38 MAPK pathway in vitro
Authors: Xue Jun , Liu Yadong , Zhang Sichong , Ding Liucheng , Shen Baixin , Shao Yunpeng , Wei Zhongqing 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis study aimed to explore the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on bladder smooth muscle cells (BSMCs) under high glucose (HG) treatment in vitro. BSMCs from Sprague–Dawley rat bladders were cultured and passaged in vitro. The third-generation cells were cultured and divided into control group, HG group, HG + CGRP group, HG + CGRP + asiatic acid (AA, p-p38 activator) group, CGRP group, AA group, HG + CGRP + CGRP-8-37 (CGRP receptor antagonist) group and HG + LY2228820 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) group. The cell viability, apoptosis, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels of BSMCs were observed by the relevant detection kits. The expressions of α-SM-actin, p38 and p-p38 were detected by qRT-PCR or Western blot analysis. Compared with the control group, the cell viability, SOD and α-SM-actin levels of BSMCs were decreased and apoptotic cells, MDA and p-p38 levels were increased after HG treatment, while these changes could be partly reversed when BSMCs were treated with HG and CGRP or LY2228820 together. Moreover, AA or CGRP-8-37 could suppress the effect of CGRP on BSMCs under HG condition. Our data indicate that CGRP protects BSMCs from oxidative stress induced by HG in vitro, and inhibit the α-SM-actin expression decrease through inhibiting the intracellular p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Deep learning approach for automatic landmark detection and alignment analysis in whole-spine lateral radiographs
Authors: Yeh Yu-Cheng , Weng Chi-Hung , Huang Yu-Jui , Fu Chen-Ju , Tsai Tsung-Ting , Yeh Chao-Yuan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractHuman spinal balance assessment relies considerably on sagittal radiographic parameter measurement. Deep learning could be applied for automatic landmark detection and alignment analysis, with mild to moderate standard errors and favourable correlations with manual measurement. In this study, based on 2210 annotated images of various spinal disease aetiologies, we developed deep learning models capable of automatically locating 45 anatomic landmarks and subsequently generating 18 radiographic parameters on a whole-spine lateral radiograph. In the assessment of model performance, the localisation accuracy and learning speed were the highest for landmarks in the cervical area, followed by those in the lumbosacral, thoracic, and femoral areas. All the predicted radiographic parameters were significantly correlated with ground truth values (all p < 0.001). The human and artificial intelligence comparison revealed that the deep learning model was capable of matching the reliability of doctors for 15/18 of the parameters. The proposed automatic alignment analysis system was able to localise spinal anatomic landmarks with high accuracy and to generate various radiographic parameters with favourable correlations with manual measurements.
Rapid eye movement sleep and slow wave sleep rebounded and related factors during positive airway pressure therapy
Authors: Cheng Jin-Xiang , Ren Jiafeng , Qiu Jian , Jiang Yingcong , Zhao Xianchao , Sun Shuyu , Su Changjun 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and predictors of increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or slow wave sleep (SWS) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) following positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. The study retrospectively analyzed data from patients with OSA who underwent both diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) and pressure titration PSG at the Tangdu Hospital Sleep Medicine Center from 2011–2016. Paired diagnostic PSG and pressure titration studies from 501 patients were included. REM rebound was predicted by a higher oxygen desaturation index, lower REM proportion, higher arousal index, lower mean pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), higher Epworth sleepiness score and younger age (adjusted R2 = 0.482). The SWS rebound was predicted by a longer total duration of apneas and hypopneas, lower N3 duration, lower SpO2 nadir, lower REM proportion in diagnostic PSG and younger age (adjusted R2 = 0.286). Patients without REM rebound or SWS rebound had a high probability of comorbidities with insomnia and mood complaints. Some parameters (subjective and objective insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, age and OSA severity) indicate changes in REM sleep and SWS between diagnostic and titration PSG tests. Treatment of insomnia and mood disorders in patients with OSA may helpful to improve the use PAP.
Postnatal structural development of mammalian Basilar Membrane provides anatomical basis for the maturation of tonotopic maps and frequency tuning
Authors: Tani Tomomi , Koike-Tani Maki , Tran Mai Thi , Shribak Michael , Levic Snezana 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe basilar membrane (BM) of the mammalian cochlea constitutes a spiraling acellular ribbon that is intimately attached to the organ of Corti. Its graded stiffness, increasing from apex to the base of the cochlea provides the mechanical basis for sound frequency analysis. Despite its central role in auditory signal transduction, virtually nothing is known about the BM’s structural development. Using polarized light microscopy, the present study characterized the architectural transformations of freshly dissected BM at time points during postnatal development and maturation. The results indicate that the BM structural elements increase progressively in size, becoming radially aligned and more tightly packed with maturation and reach the adult structural signature by postnatal day 20 (P20). The findings provide insight into structural details and developmental changes of the mammalian BM, suggesting that BM is a dynamic structure that changes throughout the life of an animal.
Toughening and polymerization stress control in composites using thiourethane-treated fillers
Authors: Fugolin Ana Paula Piovezan , Costa Ana Rosa , Correr-Sobrinho Lourenco , Crystal Chaw R. , Lewis Steven , Ferracane Jack Liborio , Pfeifer Carmem Silvia 
Published: April 2021

AbstractFiller particle functionalization with thiourethane oligomers has been shown to increase fracture toughness and decrease polymerization stress in dental composites, though the mechanism is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to systematically characterize the effect of the type of filler surface functionalization on the physicochemical properties of experimental resin composites containing fillers of different size and volume fraction. Barium glass fillers (1, 3 and 10 µm) were functionalized with 2 wt% thiourethane-silane (TU-Sil) synthesized de novo and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis. Fillers treated with 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MA-Sil) and with no surface treatment (No-Sil) served as controls. Fillers (50, 60 and 70 wt%) were incorporated into BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2) containing camphorquinone/ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (0.2/0.8 wt%) and 0.2 wt% di-tert-butyl hydroxytoluene. The functionalized particles were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and a representative group was tagged with methacrylated rhodamine B and analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Polymerization kinetics were assessed by near-IR spectroscopy. Polymerization stress was tested in a cantilever system, and fracture toughness was assessed with single edge-notched beams. Fracture surfaces were characterized by SEM. Data were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The grafting of thiourethane oligomer onto the surface of the filler particles led to reductions in polymerization stress ranging between 41 and 54%, without affecting the viscosity of the composite. Fracture toughness increased on average by 35% for composites with the experimental fillers compared with the traditional methacrylate-silanized groups. SEM and confocal analyses demonstrate that the coverage of the filler surface was not homogeneous and varied with the size of the filler. The average silane layer for the 1 µm particle functionalized with the thiourethane was 206 nm, much thicker than reported for traditional silanes. In summary, this study systematically characterized the silane layer and established structure–property relationships for methacrylate and thiourethane silane-containing materials. The results demonstrate that significant stress reductions and fracture toughness increases are obtained by judiciously tailoring the organic–inorganic interface in dental composites.
Discovery of CASP8 as a potential biomarker for high-risk prostate cancer through a high-multiplex immunoassay
Authors: Liu Shiqin , Garcia-Marques Fernando , Zhang Chiyuan Amy , Lee Jordan John , Nolley Rosalie , Shen Michelle , Hsu En-Chi , Aslan Merve , Koul Kashyap , Pitteri Sharon J. , Brooks James D. , Stoyanova Tanya 
Published: April 2021

AbstractProstate cancer remains the most common non-cutaneous malignancy among men in the United States. To discover potential serum-based biomarkers for high-risk prostate cancer, we performed a high-multiplex immunoassay utilizing patient-matched pre-operative and post-operative serum samples from ten men with high-grade and high-volume prostate cancer. Our study identified six (CASP8, MSLN, FGFBP1, ICOSLG, TIE2 and S100A4) out of 174 proteins that were significantly decreased after radical prostatectomy. High levels of CASP8 were detected in pre-operative serum samples when compared to post-operative serum samples and serum samples from patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). By immunohistochemistry, CASP8 protein was expressed at higher levels in prostate cancer tissues compared to non-cancerous and BPH tissues. Likewise, CASP8 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in prostate cancer when compared to benign prostate tissues in four independent clinical datasets. In addition, mRNA levels of CASP8 were higher in patients with recurrent prostate cancer when compared to patients with non-recurrent prostate cancer and high expression of CASP8 was associated with worse disease-free survival and overall survival in renal cancer. Together, our results suggest that CASP8 may potentially serve as a biomarker for high-risk prostate cancer and possibly renal cancer.