bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Visual marking in mammals first proved by manipulations of brown bear tree debarking
Authors: Penteriani Vincenzo , González-Bernardo Enrique , Hartasánchez Alfonso , Ruiz-Villar Héctor , Morales-González Ana , Ordiz Andrés , Bombieri Giulia , Diaz García Juan , Cañedo David , Bettega Chiara , Delgado María Del Mar 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe rather limited human ability to understand animal vision and visual signalling has frequently clouded our expectations concerning the visual abilities of other animals. But there are multiple reasons to suspect that visual signalling is more widely employed by animals than previously thought. Because visibility of visual marks depends on the background in which they are seen, species spending most of their time living in dark conditions (e.g., in forests and/or having crepuscular and nocturnal habits) may rely on bright signals to enhance visual display. Here, as a result of experimental manipulations, we present, for the first time ever, evidence supporting the use of a new channel of intraspecific communication by a mammal species, i.e., brown bear Ursus arctos adult males relying on visual marks during mating. Bear reactions to our manipulation suggest that visual signalling could represent a widely overlooked mechanism in mammal communication, which may be more broadly employed than was previously thought.
COVID-19 serological survey using micro blood sampling
Authors: Matthews Melissa M. , Kim Tae Gyun , Shibata Satoshi , Shibata Noriko , Butcher Christian , Hyun Jaekyung , Kim Keon Young , Robb Theodore , Jheng Siang Sheng , Narita Masashi , Mori Tomoari , Collins Mary , Wolf Matthias 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDuring August 2020, we carried out a serological survey among students and employees at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Japan, testing for the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. We used a FDA-authorized 2-step ELISA protocol in combination with at-home self-collection of blood samples using a custom low-cost finger prick-based capillary blood collection kit. Although our survey did not find any COVID-19 seropositive individuals among the OIST cohort, it reliably detected all positive control samples obtained from a local hospital and excluded all negatives controls. We found that high serum antibody titers can persist for more than 9 months post infection. Among our controls, we found strong cross-reactivity of antibodies in samples from a serum pool from two MERS patients in the anti-SARS-CoV-2-S ELISA. Here we show that a centralized ELISA in combination with patient-based capillary blood collection using as little as one drop of blood can reliably assess the seroprevalence among communities. Anonymous sample tracking and an integrated website created a stream-lined procedure. Major parts of the workflow were automated on a liquid handler, demonstrating scalability. We anticipate this concept to serve as a prototype for reliable serological testing among larger populations.
Human performance in three-hands tasks
Authors: Noccaro A. , Eden J. , Di Pino G. , Formica D. , Burdet E. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe successful completion of complex tasks like hanging a picture or laparoscopic surgery requires coordinated motion of more than two limbs. User-controlled supernumerary robotic limbs (SL) have been proposed to bypass the need for coordination with a partner in such tasks. However, neither the capability to control multiple limbs alone relative to collaborative control with partners, nor how that capability varies across different tasks, is well understood. In this work, we present an investigation of tasks requiring three-hands where the foot was used as an additional source of motor commands. We considered: (1) how does simultaneous control of three hands compare to a cooperating dyad; (2) how this relative performance was altered by the existence of constraints emanating from real or virtual physical connections (mechanical constraints) or from cognitive limits (cognitive constraints). It was found that a cooperating dyad outperformed a single user in all scenarios in terms of task score, path efficiency and motion smoothness. However, while the participants were able to reach more targets with increasing mechanical constraints/decreasing number of simultaneous goals, the relative difference in performance between a dyad and a participant performing trimanual activities decreased, suggesting further potential for SLs in this class of scenario.
All-optical phase control in nanophotonic silicon waveguides with epsilon-near-zero nanoheaters
Authors: Parra Jorge , Pernice Wolfram H. P. , Sanchis Pablo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA wide variety of nanophotonic applications require controlling the optical phase without changing optical absorption, which in silicon (Si) photonics has been mostly pursued electrically. Here, we investigate the unique light–matter interaction exhibited by epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials for all-optical phase control in nanophotonic silicon waveguides. Thermo-optic all-optical phase tuning is achieved using an ENZ material as a compact, low-loss, and efficient optical heat source. For a 10-$$\upmu $$
μ
m-long ENZ/Si waveguide, insertion loss below 0.5 dB for the transverse electric (TE) polarization is predicted together with a high control efficiency of $$\sim 0.107\uppi $$

∼
0.107
π

$$\hbox {mW}^{-1}$$

mW

-
1

. Our proposal provides a new approach to achieve all-optical, on-chip, and low-loss phase tuning in silicon photonic circuits.
Neck circumference and waist circumference associated with cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes (Beijing Community Diabetes Study 23)
Authors: Yang Guang-Ran , Yuan Ming-Xia , Wan Gang , Zhang Xue-Lian , Fu Han-Jing , Yuan Shen-Yuan , Zhu Liang-Xiang , Xie Rong-Rong , Zhang Jian-Dong , Li Yu-Ling , Sun Yan-Hua , Dai Qin-Fang , Gao Da-Yong , Cui Xue-Li , Gao Jian-Qin , Wang Zi-Ming , Chen Ying-Jun , Li Yong-Jin , Hu Dong-Ming , Gao Juan , Gao Ying , Miao Jie , Chen Yu-Jie , Holman Rury. R. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObesity increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other metabolic diseases. We intended to compare three different anthropometric indicators of obesity, in predicting the incidence of cardiovascular events in Chinese type 2 diabetes. Beijing Community Diabetes Study was a prospective multi-center study conducted in Beijing community health centers. Type 2 diabetes patients from fourteen community health centers were enrolled at baseline. The primary endpoint was cardiovascular events. The upper quartile of neck circumference (NC) was set as greater NC. A total of 3299 diabetes patients were enrolled. In which, 941 (28.52%) had cardiovascular disease at baseline. Logistic analysis showed that central obesity (waist circumference (WC) above 90 cm in men and 85 cm in women) and greater NC were all related to baseline cardiovascular disease (adjusted OR = 1.49, and 1.55). After 10-year follow-up, 340 (10.31%) had cardiovascular events. Compared with patients without cardiovascular events, those having cardiovascular events had higher BMI, larger WC and NC. Cox regression analysis showed that greater WC and NC were all associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events (adjusted HR = 1.41, and 1.38). A higher NC and WC might increase the risk of cardiovascular events by about 40% in type 2 diabetes patients in Beijing communities.
Gastrokine-1, an anti-amyloidogenic protein secreted by the stomach, regulates diet-induced obesity
Authors: Overstreet Anne-Marie C. , Grayson Bernadette E. , Boger Antonia , Bakke Danika , Carmody Erin M. , Bales Cayla E. , Paski Shirley C. , Murphy Stephen F. , Dethlefs Christopher R. , Shannon Kara J. , Adlaka Katie R. , Wolford Claire E. , Campiti Vincent J. , Raghunandan Christina V. , Seeley Randy J. , Boone David L. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObesity and its sequelae have a major impact on human health. The stomach contributes to obesity in ways that extend beyond its role in digestion, including through effects on the microbiome. Gastrokine-1 (GKN1) is an anti-amyloidogenic protein abundantly and specifically secreted into the stomach lumen. We examined whether GKN1 plays a role in the development of obesity and regulation of the gut microbiome. Gkn1−/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis (high fat diet (HFD) fat mass (g) = 10.4 ± 3.0 (WT) versus 2.9 ± 2.3 (Gkn1−/−) p < 0.005; HFD liver mass (g) = 1.3 ± 0.11 (WT) versus 1.1 ± 0.07 (Gkn1−/−) p < 0.05). Gkn1−/− mice also exhibited increased expression of the lipid-regulating hormone ANGPTL4 in the small bowel. The microbiome of Gkn1−/− mice exhibited reduced populations of microbes implicated in obesity, namely Firmicutes of the class Erysipelotrichia. Altered metabolism consistent with use of fat as an energy source was evident in Gkn1−/− mice during the sleep period. GKN1 may contribute to the effects of the stomach on the microbiome and obesity. Inhibition of GKN1 may be a means to prevent obesity.
Selective growth of Ti3+/TiO2/CNT and Ti3+/TiO2/C nanocomposite for enhanced visible-light utilization to degrade organic pollutants by lowering TiO2-bandgap
Authors: Akter Jeasmin , Hanif Md. Abu , Islam Md. Akherul , Sapkota Kamal Prasad , Hahn Jae Ryang 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA convenient route was developed for the selective preparation of two stable nanocomposites, Ti3+/TiO2/CNT (labeled as TTOC-1 and TTOC-3) and Ti3+/TiO2/carbon layer (labeled as TTOC-2), from the same precursor by varying the amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes used in the synthesis. TiO2 is an effective photocatalyst; however, its wide bandgap limits its usefulness to the UV region. As a solution to this problem, our prepared nanocomposites exhibit a small bandgap and wide visible-light (VL) absorption because of the introduction of carbonaceous species and Ti3+ vacancies. The photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposites was examined via the degradation of methylene blue dye under VL. Excellent photocatalytic activity of 83%, 98%, and 93% was observed for TTOC-1, TTOC-2, and TTOC-3 nanocomposites within 25 min. In addition, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of TTOC-2 toward methyl orange, phenol, rhodamine B, and congo red was 28%, 69%, 71%, and 91%, respectively, under similar experimental conditions after 25 min. Higher reusability and structural integrity of the as-synthesized photocatalyst were confirmed within five consecutive runs by photocatalytic test and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. The resulting nanocomposites provide new insights into the development of VL-active and stable photocatalysts with high efficiencies.
Attachment of the levator ani muscle extends to the superior ramus of the pubic bone through electrophysiological and anatomical examinations
Authors: Chin Hung-Yen , Peng Chih-Wei , Wu Ming-Ping , Chen Chih-Hwa , Feng Yu-Ting , Fong Tsorng-Harn 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMyofascial pelvic pain (MFPP) of pelvic floor muscles is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). The pathological mechanisms and treatments of MFPP are complex and still unclear until now. The levator ani muscle (LAM) is the major pelvic floor muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine the fascia and attachment of LAM through the electromyogram (EMG) and cadaver dissection. Electrophysiological stimulation of the obturator fascia above the arcus tendinous levator ani (ATLA) could trigger contraction and electrophysiological changes in LAM insertion. The LAM of embalmed adult cadavers was examined especially in the area above the ATLA. Some skeletal muscle fibers were found above the ATLA within the obturator fascia and were confirmed by Masson’s trichrome section staining. Our electromyography (EMG) and anatomical data implied that the attachment of LAM aponeurosis extended beyond ATLA to the inferior border of the superior ramus of the pubic bone. The new discovered attachment of LAM could provide a reference position for clinical diagnosis and treatment of MFPP or CPP.
Lagged recovery of fish spatial distributions following a cold-water perturbation
Authors: Robertson M. D. , Gao J. , Regular P. M. , Morgan M. J. , Zhang F. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAnomalous local temperature and extreme events (e.g. heat-waves) can cause rapid change and gradual recovery of local environmental conditions. However, few studies have tested whether species distribution can recover following returning environmental conditions. Here, we tested for change and recovery of the spatial distributions of two flatfish populations, American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) and yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea), in response to consecutive decreasing and increasing water temperature on the Grand Bank off Newfoundland, Canada from 1985 to 2018. Using a Vector Autoregressive Spatiotemporal model, we found the distributions of both species shifted southwards following a period when anomalous cold water covered the northern sections of the Grand Bank. After accounting for density-dependent effects, we observed that yellowtail flounder re-distributed northwards when water temperature returned and exceeded levels recorded before the cold period, while the spatial distribution of American plaice has not recovered. Our study demonstrates nonlinear effects of an environmental factor on species distribution, implying the possibility of irreversible (or hard-to-reverse) changes of species distribution following a rapid change and gradual recovery of environmental conditions.
Different characteristics of bloodstream infection during venoarterial and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult patients
Authors: Kim Hyoung Soo , Park Sunghoon , Ko Ho Hyun , Ha Sang Ook , Lee Sun Hee , Kim Yong Kyun 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCurrently, there is scarcity of data on whether differences exist in clinical characteristics and outcomes of bloodstream infection (BSI) between venoarterial (VA) and venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and whether they differ between Candida BSI and bacteremia in adult ECMO patients. We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who required ECMO for > 48 h and had BSIs while receiving ECMO between January 2015 and June 2020. Cases with a positive blood culture result within 24 h of ECMO implantation were excluded. We identified 94 (from 64 of 194 patients) and 38 (from 17 of 56 patients) BSI episodes under VA and VV ECMO, respectively. Fifty nine BSIs of VA ECMO (59/94, 62.8%) occurred in the first 2 weeks after ECMO implantation, whereas 24 BSIs of VV ECMO (24/38, 63.2%) occurred after 3 weeks of ECMO implantation. Gram-negative bacteremia (39/59, 66.1%) and gram-positive bacteremia (10/24, 41.7%) were the most commonly identified BSI types in the first 2 weeks after VA ECMO implantation and after 3 weeks of VV implantation, respectively. Timing of Candida BSI was early (6/11, 54.5% during the first 2 weeks) in VA ECMO and late (6/9, 66.7% after 3 weeks of initiation) in VV ECMO. Compared with bacteremia, Candida BSI showed no differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes during VA and VV ECMO, except the significant association with prior exposure to carbapenem in VA ECMO (vs. gram-negative bacteremia [P = 0.006], vs. gram-positive bacteremia [P = 0.03]). Our results suggest that ECMO modes may affect BSI clinical features and timing. In particular, Candida BSI occurrence during the early course of VA ECMO is not uncommon, especially in patients with prior carbapenem exposure; however, it usually occurs during the prolonged course of VV ECMO. Consequently, routine blood culture surveillance and empiric antifungal therapy might be warranted in targeted populations of adult ECMO patients, regardless of levels of inflammatory markers and severity scores.
Evaluation of clinical performance and survival rate of Straumann dental implants in Saudi Population based on cross-sectional study
Authors: Jasser Reham AL , AlSarhan Mohammed , Alotaibi Dalal , Aloraini Saleh , Koppolu Pradeep , Andreana Sebastiano 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRisk indicators of peri-implantitis is still contradictory and somehow unclear in present literature therefore efforts should be done for better understanding of the exact etiology of peri-implant disease progression. The present study aimed to assess risk indicators associated with peri-implantitis by observing the changes in several periodontal parameters after implant placement. This cross-sectional study included 213 female and 271 male patients aged 26–87 years, who received 484 titanium implants (Straumann, Switzerland) at King Saud University’s Dental College, Saudi Arabia. Patients were called for dental visits. During these visits; full clinical and radiographic assessment of implants were done. The periodontal pocket depth (PPD) was greater around implants placed at grafted sites than non-grafted sites and around bone-level implants than tissue-level implants. The plaque index (PI) was associated with poor oral hygiene. There was a strong association between graft (yes/no) and bleeding on probing (BOP). Patients with good oral hygiene showed high radiographic bone stability. Keratinized tissue width < 2 mm was associated with a higher PPD, higher PI, higher BOP, more edematous gingiva, and more exposed implant threads on radiography. In patients receiving implants, poor oral hygiene status and inadequate keratinized tissue level can be proposed as risk indicators for developing periimplantitis due to strong association found between them and developments of peri-implantitis.
A genomic mutation signature predicts the clinical outcomes of immunotherapy and characterizes immunophenotypes in gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: Jiao Xi , Wei Xin , Li Shuang , Liu Chang , Chen Huan , Gong Jifang , Li Jian , Zhang Xiaotian , Wang Xicheng , Peng Zhi , Qi Changsong , Wang Zhenghang , Wang Yujiao , Wang Yanni , Zhuo Na , Zhang Henghui , Lu Zhihao , Shen Lin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe association between genetic variations and immunotherapy benefit has been widely recognized, while such evidence in gastrointestinal cancer remains limited. We analyzed the genomic profile of 227 immunotherapeutic gastrointestinal cancer patients treated with immunotherapy, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center cohort. A gastrointestinal immune prognostic signature (GIPS) was constructed using LASSO Cox regression. Based on this signature, patients were classified into two subgroups with distinctive prognoses (p < 0.001). The prognostic value of the GIPS was consistently validated in the Janjigian and Pender cohort (N = 54) and Peking University Cancer Hospital cohort (N = 92). Multivariate analysis revealed that the GIPS was an independent prognostic biomarker. Notably, the GIPS-high tumor was indicative of a T-cell-inflamed phenotype and immune activation. The findings demonstrated that GIPS was a powerful predictor of immunotherapeutic survival in gastrointestinal cancer and may serve as a potential biomarker guiding immunotherapy treatment decisions.
Enhancing feature fusion with spatial aggregation and channel fusion for semantic segmentation
Authors: Hu Jie , Kong Huifang , Fan Lei , Zhou Jun 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSemantic segmentation is crucial to the autonomous driving, as an accurate recognition and location of the surrounding scenes can be provided for the street scenes understanding task. Many existing segmentation networks usually fuse high‐level and low‐level features to boost segmentation performance. However, the simple fusion may impose a limited performance improvement because of the gap between high‐level and low‐level features. To alleviate this limitation, we respectively propose spatial aggregation and channel fusion to bridge the gap. Our implementation, inspired by the attention mechanism, consists of two steps: (1) Spatial aggregation relies on the proposed pyramid spatial context aggregation module to capture spatial similarities to enhance the spatial representation of high‐level features, which is more effective for the latter fusion. (2) Channel fusion relies on the proposed attention‐based channel fusion module to weight channel maps on different levels to enhance the fusion. In addition, the complete network with U‐shape structure is constructed. A series of ablation experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our designs, and the network achieves mIoU score of 81.4% on Cityscapes test dataset and 84.6% on PASCALVOC 2012 test dataset.
Kinderschutz in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie
Authors: Mairhofer Andreas , Peucker Christian , Pluto Liane , van Santen Eric 
Published: May 2021

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGDie Corona-Pandemie sowie die Maßnahmen zu deren Eindämmung bestimmen seit über einem Jahr das soziale, kulturelle, wirtschaftliche und politische Leben der Menschen. Auch der organisierte Kinderschutz ist von diesen Maßnahmen betroffen. Die Kinderschutzarbeit der Jugendämter während des Lockdowns sowie die damit verbundenen Herausforderungen sind Gegenstand dieses Beitrags. Er basiert auf einer bundesweiten Befragung aller Jugendämter im Frühjahr 2020. Die Studienergebnisse zeigen, dass die Jugendämter auch während des Lockdowns Aufgaben des Kinderschutzes wahrgenommen haben, und zwar prioritär. Weiter verdeutlichen die Ergebnisse, dass die Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Pandemie strukturelle Herausforderungen der sozialarbeiterischen Kinderschutzarbeit verstärkt haben.
Prior Term Birth Decreases the Risk of Preterm Birth in a Subsequent Twin Gestation
Authors: Ward Clara , Nakagawa Sanae , Cheng Yvonne W. 
Published: May 2021

Objective The aim of the study is to examine the association between the risk of preterm delivery among women with twin pregnancies and their obstetric history.
Study Design We designed a retrospective cohort study of live twin births in 2008 in the United States that delivered after 240/7 weeks. Women were categorized into nulliparas, multiparas with prior term delivery, and multiparas with prior preterm delivery. The incidence of preterm birth was compared using Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression models.
Results A total of 32,895 nulliparous and 64,701 multiparous women with twin pregnancies were included in the study. Of the multiparous women, 2,505 (4%) had a history of a prior preterm delivery. Multiparous women with prior term birth were more likely to deliver at term (43%) in the index twin pregnancy than nulliparous women (40%) and multiparous women with a prior preterm birth (21%; p < 0.001). Compared with nulliparous women, prior term birth was protective against preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.67 [95% confidence interval: 0.60–0.74] for delivery <28 weeks and aOR = 0.79 [0.71–0.77] for delivery <34 weeks).
Conclusion Among multiparous women with twins, a prior term delivery appeared to be protective against preterm delivery compared with nulliparous women with twins.
Key Points