bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Noise Effect on the Temporal Patterns of Neural Synchrony
Authors: Zirkle Joel , Rubchinsky Leonid L 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNeural synchrony in the brain is often present in an intermittent fashion, i.e., there are intervals of synchronized activity interspersed with intervals of desynchronized activity. A series of experimental studies showed that this kind of temporal patterning of neural synchronization may be very specific and may be correlated with behavior (even if the average synchrony strength is not changed). Prior studies showed that a network with many short desynchronized intervals may be functionally different from a network with few long desynchronized intervals as it may be more sensitive to synchronizing input signals. In this study, we investigated the effect of channel noise on the temporal patterns of neural synchronization. We employed a small network of conductance-based model neurons that were mutually connected via excitatory synapses. The resulting dynamics of the network was studied using the same time-series analysis methods as used in prior experimental and computational studies. While it is well known that synchrony strength generally degrades with noise, we found that noise also affects the temporal patterning of synchrony. Noise, at a sufficient intensity (yet too weak to substantially affect synchrony strength), promotes dynamics with predominantly short (although potentially very numerous) desynchronizations. Thus, channel noise may be one of the mechanisms contributing to the short desynchronization dynamics observed in multiple experimental studies.HighlightsChannel noise alters the temporal pattern of intermittent neural synchronyNoise may alter this pattern without significant change in average synchrony strengthThe resulting patterning is similar to that observed in multiple experiments
Financial incentives facilitate the neural computation of prosocial decisions stronger in low empathic individuals
Authors: Iotzov Vassil , Saulin Anne , Kaiser Jochen , Han Shihui , Hein Grit 
Published: March 2021

AbstractFinancial incentives are commonly used to motivate behaviours. There is also evidence that incentives can decline the behaviour they are supposed to foster, for example, documented by a decrease in blood donations if a financial incentive is offered. Based on these findings, previous studies assumed that prosocial motivation is shaped by incentives. However, so far, there is no direct evidence showing an interaction between financial incentives and a specific prosocial motive. Combining drift-diffusion modelling and fMRI, we investigated the effect of financial incentives on empathy, i.e., one of the key motives driving prosocial decisions. In the empathy-alone condition, participants made prosocial decisions based on empathy, in the empathy-bonus condition, they were offered a financial bonus for prosocial decisions, in addition to empathy induction. On average, the bonus enhanced the information accumulation in empathy-based decision. On the neural level, this enhancement was related to the anterior insula, the same region that also correlated with empathy ratings. Moreover, the effect of the financial incentive on anterior insula activation was stronger the lower a person scored on empathy. These findings show that financial incentives enhance prosocial motivation in the absence of empathy but have little effect on high empathic individuals.
Optogenetic activation of striatal D1/D2 medium spiny neurons differentially engages downstream connected areas beyond the basal ganglia
Authors: Grimm Christina , Frässle Stefan , Steger Céline , von Ziegler Lukas , Sturman Oliver , Shemesh Noam , Bohacek Johannes , Stephan Klaas Enno , Razansky Daniel , Wenderoth Nicole , Zerbi Valerio 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe basal ganglia (BG) are a group of subcortical nuclei responsible for motor control, motor learning and executive function. Central to BG function are striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing D1 and D2 dopamine receptors. D1 and D2 MSNs are typically considered functional antagonists that facilitate voluntary movements and inhibit competing motor patterns, respectively. While their opposite role is well documented for certain sensorimotor loops of the BG-thalamocortical network, it is unclear whether MSNs maintain a uniform functional role across the striatum and which influence they exert on brain areas outside the BG. Here, we addressed these questions by combining optogenetic activation of D1 and D2 MSNs in the mouse ventrolateral caudoputamen (vl CPu) with whole-brain functional MRI (fMRI) recordings. Neuronal excitation of either cell population in the vl CPu evoked distinct activity patterns in key regions of the BG-thalamocortical network including the pallidum, thalamus and motor cortex. Importantly, we report that striatal D1 and D2 MSN stimulation differentially engaged cerebellar and prefrontal regions. We characterised these long-range interactions by computational modelling of effective connectivity and confirmed that changes in D1 / D2 output drive functional relationships between regions within and beyond the BG. These results suggest a more complex functional organization of MSNs across the striatum than previously anticipated and provide evidence for the existence of an interconnected fronto - BG - cerebellar network modulated by striatal D1 and D2 MSNs.Graphical Abstract
Should deep-sequenced amplicons become the new gold-standard for analysing malaria drug clinical trials?
Authors: Jones Sam , Kay Katherine , Hodel Eva Maria , Gruenberg Maria , Lerch Anita , Felger Ingrid , Hastings Ian 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundRegulatory clinical trials are required to ensure the continued supply and deployment of effective antimalarial drugs. Patient follow-up in such trials typically lasts several weeks as the drugs have long half-lives and new infections often occur during this period. “Molecular correction” is therefore used to distinguish drug failures from new infections. The current WHO-recommend method for molecular correction uses length-polymorphic alleles at highly diverse loci but is inherently poor at detecting low density clones in polyclonal infections. This likely leads to substantial underestimates of failure rates, delaying the replacement of failing drugs with potentially lethal consequences. Deep sequenced amplicons (AmpSeq) substantially increase the detectability of low-density clones and may offer a new “gold standard” for molecular correction.MethodsPharmacological simulation of clinical trials was used to evaluate the suitability of AmpSeq for molecular correction. We investigated the impact of factors such as the number of amplicon loci analysed, the informatics criteria used to distinguish genotyping ‘noise’ from real low density signals, the local epidemiology of malaria transmission, and the potential impact of genetic signals from gametocytes.ResultsAmpSeq greatly improved molecular correction and provided accurate drug failure rate estimates. The use of 3 to 5 amplicons was sufficient, and simple, non-statistical, criteria could be used to classify recurrent infections as drug failures or new infections.ConclusionsThese results strongly endorse the deployment of AmpSeq as the standard for molecular correction in regulatory trials, with its potential extension into routine surveillance once the requisite technical support becomes established.
Lie, Cheat, and Steel: Governance and Scandal at ThyssenKrupp
Authors: Shein James B. , Meagher Evan , Darcy Matt , Mitra Abhishek , Willich Barrett 
Published: March 2021

On March 7, 2013, ThyssenKrupp Group CEO Heinrich Hiesinger was shocked to receive a resignation letter from Gerhard Cromme, chairman of the company's supervisory board.
Hiesinger had been CEO since 2010. Early in his tenure, ThyssenKrupp incurred massive losses from disastrous steel investments and faced allegations of colluding with other companies to fix prices in its railway steel operations. As a result, Hiesinger had been forced to dismiss three executive board members, one for violating company policy. After a supervisory board member also was dismissed for violating company policy, the company's offices were raided in an investigation of price-fixing in steel contracts to the automotive industry.
Cromme had been sharply criticized by shareholders and analysts as an impediment to the cultural, strategic, and governance changes Hiesinger was trying to make to address the scandals at ThyssenKrupp, but for months he defiantly had resisted calls for his removal. With no warning, he resigned without naming a successor or creating a plan to select one.
Now that he no longer needed to deal with the distractions created by Cromme's presence, Hiesinger was free to finalize a plan to address the defects in ThyssenKrupp's governance.
The U‐shaped pattern of size‐dependent mortality and its correlated factors in a subtropical monsoon evergreen forest
Authors: Lu Ruiling , Qiao Yang , Wang Jing , Zhu Chen , Cui Erqian , Xu Xiaoni , He Yi , Zhao Zexuan , Du Ying , Yan Liming , Shen Guochun , Yang Qingsong , Wang Xihua , Xia Jianyang 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Tree mortality is an important ecological process influencing multiple functions of forest ecosystems. Previous studies have shown two basic size–mortality patterns, including a competition‐driven declining and a disturbance‐driven increasing mortality rate with tree size. Subtropical forests, which have a high species diversity and subject to frequent monsoon disturbances, are widely distributed in eastern Asia. However, the tree size–mortality pattern in the mature subtropical forests remains unclear.

Here we analysed patterns of size‐dependent mortality from tree species to forest community using a 5‐year inventory data from 117 species and 163,612 individuals in a 20‐ha forest dynamic plot in a mature subtropical monsoon evergreen forest in eastern China. To explain the spatial variability in mortality patterns, two major biotic drivers (competition and tree size) and multiple local‐scale environmental factors were further analysed.

Our results showed that tree size was the best predictor of tree mortality at the scales of both species and community. A species‐level analysis identified four size–mortality patterns that are shaped by species‐specific attributes such as maximum size and life form. For 27 out of 92 species that comprised 59% of tree individuals, the relationship between size and mortality exhibited a U‐shaped pattern of a first decline followed by an increase. An overall community‐scale size‐dependent mortality also showed a U‐shaped pattern.

Tree mortality was also influenced by the competition and environmental conditions, but the relative importance varied widely across tree sizes and species. The competition showed significant correlations with the mortality of small trees while the effect of environmental conditions on mortality was strongest for large trees. A principal component analysis showed that a combination of biotic and abiotic factors explained 42.3% of the spatial variation in mortality at large sizes.

Synthesis. Our results reveal four identifiable size‐dependent mortality patterns that differ across diverse species, jointly leading to a U‐shaped size–mortality pattern at the community level. This finding calls for the need to establish the details of every potential size–mortality pattern with consideration of the different effects of biotic and abiotic factors on tree mortality of specific size.
Characterization of a novel roseophage and the morphological and transcriptional response of the sponge symbiont Ruegeria AU67 to infection
Authors: Baum Lisa , Nguyen Mary T. H. D. , Jia Yunke , Biazik Joanna , Thomas Torsten 
Published: March 2021

SummarySponges have recently been recognized to contain complex communities of bacteriophages; however, little is known about how they interact with their bacterial hosts. Here, we isolated a novel phage, called Ruegeria phage Tedan, and characterized its impact on the bacterial sponge symbiont Ruegeria AU67 on a morphological and molecular level. Phage Tedan was structurally, genomically and phylogenetically characterized to be affiliated with the genus Xiamenvirus of the family Siphoviridae. Through microscopic observations and transcriptomic analysis, we show that phage Tedan upon infection induces a process leading to metabolic and morphological changes in its host. These changes would render Ruegeria AU67 better adapted to inhabit the sponge holobiont due to an improved utilization of ecologically relevant energy and carbon sources as well as a potential impediment of phagocytosis by the sponge through cellular enlargement. An increased survival or better growth of the bacterium in the sponge environment will likely benefit the phage reproduction. Our results point towards the possibility that phages from host‐associated environments require, and have thus evolved, different strategies to interact with their host when compared to those phages from free‐living or planktonic environments.
Can agglomeration of producer services reduce urban–rural income inequality? The case of China
Authors: Zhao Jun , Dong Xiucheng , Dong Kangyin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this study, we construct a theoretical model and investigate the impact of agglomeration of producer services (APS) on urban–rural income inequality in China. The mediating effects are explored. Results indicate that the growth of APS can not only narrow China's urban–rural income gap directly, but also have an indirect negative effect on income inequality by promoting urbanisation evolution and human capital accumulation. Furthermore, the agglomeration of six sub‐industries is conducive to reducing the income gap. Among them, the agglomeration of the traffic, transport, storage and post has the greatest effect, while the effect of information transfer, computer services and software agglomeration is not significant. In addition, the results of regional heterogeneity show that only in the low APS region can APS and income inequality show bidirectional causality.
Operational Modeling with Health Economics to Support Decision Making for COPD Patients
Authors: Yakutcan Usame , Demir Eren , Hurst John R. , Taylor Paul C. , Ridsdale Heidi A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the impact of interventions for improving the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), specifically increased use of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on patient outcomes and cost‐benefit analysis.Data SourcesWe used the national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) datasets in England, local data and experts from the hospital setting, National Prices and National Tariffs, reports and the literature around the effectiveness of PR programs.Study DesignThe COPD pathway was modeled using discrete event simulation (DES) to capture the patient pathway to an adequate level of detail as well as randomness in the real world. DES was further enhanced by the integration of a health economic model to calculate the net benefit and cost of treating COPD patients based on key sets of interventions.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsA total of 150 input parameters and 75 distributions were established to power the model using the HES dataset, outpatient activity data from the hospital and community services, and the literature.Principal FindingsThe simulation model showed that increasing referral to PR (by 10%, 20%, or 30%) would be cost‐effective (with a benefit‐cost ratio of 5.81, 5.95, and 5.91, respectively) by having a positive impact on patient outcomes and operational metrics. Number of deaths, admissions, and bed days decreased (ie, by 3.56 patients, 4.90 admissions, and 137.31 bed days for a 30% increase in PR referrals) as well as quality of life increased (ie, by 5.53 QALY among 1540 patients for the 30% increase).ConclusionsNo operational model, either statistical or simulation, has previously been developed to capture the COPD patient pathway within a hospital setting. To date, no model has investigated the impact of PR on COPD services, such as operations, key performance, patient outcomes, and cost‐benefit analysis. The study will support policies around extending availability of PR as a major intervention.
GRP75‐mediated upregulation of HMGA1 stimulates stage I lung adenocarcinoma progression by activating JNK/c‐JUN signaling
Authors: Qiao Guo‐Bing , Wang Ren‐Tao , Wang Shu‐Nan , Tao Shao‐Lin , Tan Qun‐You , Jin Hua 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundRecurrence is a major challenge in early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) treatment. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of high‐mobility group AT‐hook 1 (HMGA1) and glucose‐regulated protein 75‐kDa (GRP75) in stage I LUAD and evaluated their potential as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and prognosis of stage I LUAD.MethodsThe TCGA dataset was used to investigate the clinical significance of HMGA1 and GRP75 in early‐stage LUAD. The biological functions of HMGA1 and GRP75 in LUAD were investigated both in vitro and in vivo through overexpression and knockdown experiments. The interaction and regulation between HMGA1 and GRP75 were evaluated with coimmunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays. The downstream signaling pathway of the GRP75/HMGA1 axis was investigated by mRNA‐sequencing analysis.ResultsBoth HMGA1 expression levels and GRP75 expression levels were associated with recurrence in stage I LUAD patients. In particular, HMGA1 had potential as an independent prognostic factor in stage I LUAD patients. Overexpression of GRP75 or HMGA1 significantly stimulated LUAD cell growth and metastasis, while silencing GRP75 or HMGA1 inhibited LUAD cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, GRP75 inhibited ubiquitination‐mediated HMGA1 degradation by directly binding to HMGA1, thereby causes HMGA1 upregulation in LUAD. In addition, the GRP75/HMGA1 axis played its role by activating JNK/c‐JUN signaling in LUAD.ConclusionsThe activation of GRP75/HMGA1/JNK/c‐JUN signaling is an important mechanism that promotes the progression of stage I LUAD, and a high level of HMGA1 is a novel biomarker for predicting recurrence and a poor prognosis in stage I LUAD patients.
Healthcare provision inside immigration removal centres: A social identity analysis of trust, legitimacy and disengagement
Authors: Këllezi Blerina , Wakefield Juliet , Bowe Mhairi , Stevenson Clifford , McNamara Niamh 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe stressors of immigration detention and negative host country experiences make effective access to health care vital for migrant detainees, but little is known regarding the health experiences of this populations and the barriers to healthcare access. The present research investigates immigration detainees’ experiences of health‐related help‐seeking in the distressing and stigmatised environment of UK immigration removal centres (IRCs), as well as staff members’ experiences of providing help. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 40 detainees and 21 staff and analysed using theoretical thematic analysis guided by the social identity approach. The findings indicate that the practical constraints on help provision (e.g. lack of time and resources, the unpredictable nature of detention) are exacerbated by the complex and conflictual intergroup relationships within which these helping transactions occur. These transactions are negatively affected by stigma, mutual distrust and reputation management concerns, as well as detainees’ feelings of powerlessness and confusion around eligibility to receive health care. Some detainees argued that the help ignores the systematic inequalities associated with their detainee status, thereby making it fundamentally inappropriate and ineffective. The intergroup context (of inequality and illegitimacy) shapes the quality of helping transactions, care experiences and health service engagement in groups experiencing chronic low status, distress and uncertainty.
Millennial‐scale deglaciation across the European Alps at the transition between the Younger Dryas and the Early Holocene – evidence from a new cosmogenic nuclide chronology
Authors: Protin Marie , Schimmelpfennig Irene , Mugnier Jean‐Louis , Buoncristiani Jean‐François , Le Roy Melaine , Pohl Benjamin , Moreau Luc ,   ASTER Team
Published: March 2021

Reconstructing the spatial and temporal response of mountain glaciers to rapid climate change in the past provides access to the effects of current climate change. Yet, the spatial and temporal variability of past glacier fluctuations is not fully understood. In this study, we focus on the timing of glacier fluctuations in the European Alps during the Younger Dryas/Early Holocene (YD/EH) transition. In an effort to elucidate whether glacier fluctuations were synchronous during this period, we present a new chronology of the Alpine Talèfre glacier, based on 14 new 10Be ages of moraines and roches moutonnées. The retreat of Talèfre glacier was initiated during the mid‐YD (~12.4 ka), then it experienced a gradual retreat punctuated by at least three oscillations until ∼11 ka before shrinking substantially within its Little Ice Age limits (13th−19th centuries). Comparison of our findings with published glacier chronologies in the Alpine region highlights broadly synchronous behaviour of glaciers across the Alps between 12 and 10 ka. The coeval glacier fluctuations at a regional scale suggest that common regional climate conditions had a major impact on Alpine glacier variations during the YD/EH transition. The similarity of glacier behaviour and independent temperature records in both the Alpine region and the northern high latitudes suggests a teleconnection between these regions, but differences in the amplitude of the mean annual temperature signals relative to summer temperature indicate pronounced changes in seasonality between the YD and the EH.
Transfers in the gravity equation
Authors: Kruse Hendrik W. , Martínez‐Zarzoso Inmaculada 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis study integrates development aid into a theoretically founded structural gravity model that considers primary and secondary effects of aid as an income transfer and as a bilateral trade cost determinant. We identify the parameters of our model using a two‐stage approach that includes a state‐of‐the‐art Poisson pseudo‐maximum likelihood gravity estimation for a sample of 132 countries over the period 1995 to 2012. The main findings indicate that bilateral aid only increases bilateral trade for countries that do not have a common language, a past colonial relationship or an RTA. On average, 1 USD of additional foreign aid from all donors increases recipients’ net imports by around 0.36 USD. Our comparative statics indicate that donors experience a reduction in real consumption due to aid and recipients an increase. We also analyze the effect on third countries. The modelling framework also applies to the study of other transfers such as remittances.