bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying Pigment Enclosure in Cosmetic Contact Lenses
Authors: Korde Vrushali , McDow Kimberly , Rollins Dominique , Stinchcomb Rowena , Esposito Heather 
Published: July 2019

Objective:
The presence of surface pigment in cosmetic contact lenses may influence possible ocular health issues and contact lens discomfort. Two in vitro test methods were developed to investigate whether a variety of cosmetic contact lenses are manufactured with a visible clear layer, indicating that the pigment bulk is enclosed within the lens matrix.

Methods:
Two in vitro test methods using bright field microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were developed to assess whether a clear layer in a cosmetic contact lens could be identified. The OCT instrument in this study provided a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.4 μm in the identification of a clear layer. The cross-sectioning microscopy method described in this article requires a trained technician to execute; however, the LOD is smaller at 0.4 μm.

Results:
Both test methods described were used to assess whether a clear layer could be identified on 19 commercially available cosmetic contact lens products across six manufacturers. Only one of the six manufacturers (5 of 19 products) produced lens images in which a clear layer was identified using either method.

Conclusions:
Most of cosmetic contact lenses analyzed in this study contain the bulk of the pigment within 0.4 μm of the surface (beyond the limit of detection of the instruments used in this study) or on the surface itself.
Changing Indications for Corneal Transplantations in Southern Taiwan From 2008 to 2018
Authors: Wang Tso-Wen , Chi Ying-Chen , Hsu Pying-Sing , Kuo Ni-Wen , Chen Jiunn-Liang 
Published: July 2019

Objectives:
To investigate the changing indications for corneal transplantations in southern Taiwan from 2008 to 2018 and compare the results with those of other previous studies.

Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent corneal transplantations from January 2008 to December 2018 at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. The patients' age, sex, indication for corneal transplantation, and the surgical technique were recorded and analyzed.

Results:
In total, 336 patients (421 eyes) were included in our study from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018. The mean age was 63.6±15.3 years; 371 penetrating keratoplasty (88.1%), 35 deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (8.3%), and 15 Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (3.6%) were performed. The leading indication for corneal transplantation was regraft (n=103, 24.5%), followed by bullous keratopathy (n=82, 19.5%), corneal scar and opacity (n=79, 18.8%), keratitis (n=59, 14.0%), corneal dystrophy (n=58, 13.8%), other indications (n=26, 6.2%), and keratoconus (n=14, 3.3%).

Conclusion:
The indications for corneal transplantations changed with time in Taiwan. Regraft was the leading indication, but there was a decreasing trend over time. The proportion of bullous keratopathy increased significantly over the past decade and is the second most common indication, similar to the most developed countries. Both corneal scar and opacity, and keratitis showed a decreasing trend of occurrence compared with a previous study in Taiwan. The proportion of keratoconus remained low, making it the least common indication for corneal transplantation.
Evaluation of the Cancer Control P.L.A.N.E.T. Web Portal
Authors: Percy-Laurry Antoinette , Heurtin-Roberts Suzanne , Norton Wynne E. , McDonnell Cheryl , Uy Annabelle , Chambers David A. 
Published: July 2019

Context:
The Cancer Control P.L.A.N.E.T. (P.L.A.N.E.T.) Web portal was designed to ease access to data and evidence-based resources for cancer control practitioners and researchers focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating cancer control programs.

Objectives:
To determine usability, applicability, and opportunities to improve the P.L.A.N.E.T. Web portal after significant changes to the portal over time.

Design:
The National Cancer Institute surveyed and interviewed cancer control professionals to assess factors influencing utilization of P.L.A.N.E.T. Data were collected from May 2017 to June 2018 via partner agencies, electronic publications, and online links.

Outcome Measures:
Descriptive statistics with χ2 test were used to analyze the quantitative data and examine the relationship among variables. Qualitative interviews further informed the quantitative analysis.

Results:
Of the 724 participants surveyed, 51% were users of P.L.A.N.E.T., with the majority accessing P.L.A.N.E.T. within the last 6 months. Most users felt that P.L.A.N.E.T. effectively met their needs for accessing specific cancer data, identifying evidenced-based programs, and ascertaining details on various cancer topics. There were statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics between users and nonusers of P.L.A.N.E.T., where users were more likely to have more experience in the cancer field, were older in age, and located in southern states.

Conclusion:
Results indicate that P.L.A.N.E.T. is seen as a viable and credible source for cancer control program planning and delivery. A reassessment of P.L.A.N.E.T.'s goals is warranted, which may support reaching out to new audiences, amplifying or removing underutilized resources, and adding additional resources and topics. Consideration for training and tutorials on P.L.A.N.E.T. would benefit partner agencies and build capacity for evidence-based program development.
Right Ventricular Function and Long-Term Outcome in Sepsis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Winkelhorst Jurgen C. , Bootsma Inge T. , Koetsier Peter M. , de Lange Fellery , Boerma Evert C. 
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACT

Background:
Sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction is associated with impaired outcome. Traditionally, in this setting the main focus has been on left ventricular performance. Currently, specific knowledge on the prognostic importance of right ventricular dysfunction is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine whether right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is predictive of long-term mortality in sepsis.

Methods:
Single-centre retrospective cohort study in adult patients admitted to the ICU with severe sepsis and septic shock, and equipped with a pulmonary artery catheter within the first day after admission. RVEF was recorded as an average over the first 24 h (sample rate of 1 per min). Patients were separated a priori into subgroups according to their RVEF: RVEF less than 20% (A), RVEF 20% to 30% (B), and RVEF more than 30% (C). The primary endpoint was 1-year all-cause mortality.

Results:
In a 7-year period, 101 patients fulfilled all entry criteria and 98 were included in the study. One-year all-cause mortality was significantly different between groups: 57% in group A (n = 21), 18% in group B (n = 55), and 23% in group C (n = 22); P = 0.003. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed a clear separation between groups A and B/C (X
2 = 14.00, P = 0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis RVEF, both as a categorical variable (RVEF <20%) and as a continuous variable remained independently associated with the primary endpoint (odds ratio [OR] 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–13.4; P = 0.018 and OR 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85–0.99; P = 0.018, respectively).

Conclusions:
RVEF was independently associated with 1-year all-cause mortality in a highly selected group of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.
A simple model for learning in volatile environments
Authors: Piray Payam , Daw Nathaniel D. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractSound principles of statistical inference dictate that uncertainty shapes learning. In this work, we revisit the question of learning in volatile environments, in which both the first and second-order statistics of observations dynamically evolve over time. We propose a new model, the volatile Kalman filter (VKF), which is based on a tractable state-space model of uncertainty and extends the Kalman filter algorithm to volatile environments. The proposed model is algorithmically simple and encompasses the Kalman filter as a special case. Specifically, in addition to the error-correcting rule of Kalman filter for learning observations, the VKF learns volatility according to a second error-correcting rule. These dual updates echo and contextualize classical psychological models of learning, in particular hybrid accounts of Pearce-Hall and Rescorla-Wagner. At the computational level, compared with existing models, the VKF gives up some flexibility in the generative model to enable a more faithful approximation to exact inference. When fit to empirical data, the VKF is better behaved than alternatives and better captures human choice data in two independent datasets of probabilistic learning tasks. The proposed model provides a coherent account of learning in stable or volatile environments and has implications for decision neuroscience research.
An epigenetic predictor of death captures multi-modal measures of brain health
Authors: Hillary Robert F. , Stevenson Anna J. , Cox Simon R. , McCartney Daniel L. , Harris Sarah E. , Seeboth Anne , Higham Jon , Sproul Duncan , Taylor Adele M. , Redmond Paul , Corley Janie , Pattie Alison , Valdés Hernández Maria del. C , Muñoz-Maniega Susana , Bastin Mark E. , Wardlaw Joanna M. , Horvath Steve , Ritchie Craig W. , Spires-Jones Tara L. , McIntosh Andrew M. , Evans Kathryn L. , Deary Ian J. , Marioni Riccardo E. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIndividuals of the same chronological age exhibit disparate rates of biological ageing. Consequently, a number of methodologies have been proposed to determine biological age and primarily exploit variation at the level of DNA methylation (DNAm) – a commonly studied epigenetic mechanism. A novel epigenetic clock, termed ‘DNAm GrimAge’ has outperformed its predecessors in predicting the risk of mortality as well as a number of age-related morbidities. However, the association between DNAm GrimAge and cognitive or neuroimaging phenotypes remains unknown. We explore these associations in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n=709, mean age 73 years). Higher DNAm GrimAge was strongly associated with all-cause mortality over twelve years of follow-up (Hazard Ratio per standard deviation increase in GrimAge: 1.81, P < 2.0 × 10-16). Higher DNAm GrimAge was associated with lower age 11 IQ (β=-0.11), lower age 73 general cognitive ability (β=-0.18), decreased brain volume (β=-0.25) and increased brain white matter hyperintensities (β=0.17). Sixty-eight of 137 health- and brain-related phenotypes tested were significantly associated with DNAm GrimAge. Adjusting all models for childhood cognitive ability attenuated to non-significance a small number of associations (12/68 associations; 6 of which were cognitive traits), but not the association with general cognitive ability (33.9% attenuation). Higher DNAm GrimAge cross-sectionally associates with lower cognitive ability and brain vascular lesions in older age, independently of early life cognitive ability. Thus, this epigenetic predictor of mortality is also associated with multiple different measures of brain health and may aid in the prediction of age-related cognitive decline.
An integrated brain-machine interface platform with thousands of channels
Authors: Musk Elon ,   Neuralink
Published: July 2019

AbstractBrain-machine interfaces (BMIs) hold promise for the restoration of sensory and motor function and the treatment of neurological disorders, but clinical BMIs have not yet been widely adopted, in part because modest channel counts have limited their potential. In this white paper, we describe Neuralink’s first steps toward a scalable high-bandwidth BMI system. We have built arrays of small and flexible electrode “threads”, with as many as 3,072 electrodes per array distributed across 96 threads. We have also built a neurosurgical robot capable of inserting six threads (192 electrodes) per minute. Each thread can be individually inserted into the brain with micron precision for avoidance of surface vasculature and targeting specific brain regions. The electrode array is packaged into a small implantable device that contains custom chips for low-power on-board amplification and digitization: the package for 3,072 channels occupies less than (23 × 18.5 × 2) mm3. A single USB-C cable provides full-bandwidth data streaming from the device, recording from all channels simultaneously. This system has achieved a spiking yield of up to 70% in chronically implanted electrodes. Neuralink’s approach to BMI has unprecedented packaging density and scalability in a clinically relevant package.
Antifungal potency and modes of action of a novel olive tree defensin against closely related ascomycete fungal pathogens
Authors: Li Hui , Velivelli Siva L. S. , Shah Dilip M. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAntimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role in the innate immunity of plants. Defensins are cysteine-rich antifungal peptides with multiple mechanisms of action (MOA). A novel Oleaceae-specific defensin gene family was discovered in the genome sequences of the wild and cultivated species of a perennial olive tree, Olea europaea. Antifungal properties of an olive tree defensin OefDef1.1 were investigated against a necrotrophic ascomycete fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea in vitro and in planta. OefDef1.1 displayed potent antifungal activity against this pathogen by rapidly permeabilizing the plasma membrane of the conidial and germling cells. Interestingly, it was translocated to the cytoplasm and induced reactive oxygen species in the germlings, but not in the conidia. In medium containing high concentrations of Na1+, antifungal activity of OefDef1.1 against B. cinerea was significantly reduced. In contrast, OefDef1.1_V1 variant in which the γ-core motif of OefDef1.1 was replaced by that of a Medicago truncatula defensin MtDef4 displayed Na1+-tolerant antifungal activity and was more potent in reducing the virulence of B. cinerea in planta. OefDef1.1 also exhibited potent antifungal activity against three hemibiotrophic ascomycete pathogens Fusarium graminearum, F. oxysporum and F. virguliforme. Significant differences were observed among the four pathogens in their responses to OefDef1.1 in growth medium with or without the high concentrations of Na1+. The varied responses of closely related ascomycete pathogens to this defensin have implications for engineering disease resistance in plants.
C6orf203 controls OXPHOS function through modulation of mitochondrial protein biosynthesis
Authors: Palacios-Zambrano Sara , Vázquez-Fonseca Luis , González-Páramos Cristina , Mamblona Laura , Sánchez-Caballero Laura , Nijtmans Leo , Garesse Rafael , Fernández-Moreno Miguel Angel 
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACTMitochondria are essential organelles present in the vast majority of eukaryotic cells. Their central function is to produce cellular energy through the OXPHOS system, and functional alterations provoke so-called mitochondrial OXPHOS diseases. It is estimated that several hundred mitochondrial proteins have unknown functions. Very recently, C6orf203 was described to participate in mitochondrial transcription under induced mitochondrial DNA depletion stress conditions. Here, we describe another role for C6orf203, specifically in OXPHOS biogenesis under regular culture conditions. HEK293T C6orf203-Knockout (KO) cells generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing showed both reduced grow in galactose, as a carbon source, and in their oxygen consumption capability, strongly suggesting an OXPHOS dysfunction. C6orf203-KO also provoked a depletion of OXPHOS proteins and decreased the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. C6orf203 was present in high molecular weight complexes compatible with mitoribosomes, and in vivo labelling of de novo mitochondrial proteins synthesis revealed that C6orf203-KO severely but not completely affected the translation of mitochondrial mRNAs. Taken together, we describe herein a new function for C6orf203, making it a potential OXPHOS disease-related candidate.
An Evolutionarily Conserved Receptor-like Kinases Signaling Module Controls Cell Wall Integrity During Tip-Growth
Authors: Westermann Jens , Streubel Susanna , Franck Christina Maria , Lentz Roswitha , Dolan Liam , Boisson-Dernier Aurélien 
Published: July 2019

AbstractRooting cells and pollen tubes – key adaptative innovations that evolved during the colonization and subsequent radiation of plants on land – expand by tip-growth. Tip-growth relies on a tight coordination between the protoplast growth and the synthesis/remodeling of the external cell wall. In root hairs and pollen tubes of the seed plant Arabidopsis thaliana, cell wall integrity (CWI) mechanisms monitor this coordination through the Malectin-like receptor kinases (MLRs) such as AtANXUR1 and AtFERONIA that act upstream of the AtMARIS PTI1-like kinase. Here, we show that rhizoid growth in the early diverging plant, Marchantia polymorpha, is also controlled by an MLR and PTI1-like signaling module. Rhizoids, root hairs and pollen tubes respond similarly to disruption of MLR and PTI1-like encoding genes. Thus, the MLR/PTI1-like signaling module that controls CWI during tip-growth is conserved between M. polymorpha and A. thaliana suggesting it was active in the common ancestor of land plants.
SEQUIN multiscale imaging of mammalian central synapses reveals loss of synaptic microconnectivity resulting from diffuse traumatic brain injury
Authors: Sauerbeck Andrew D. , Gangolli Mihika , Reitz Sydney J. , Salyards Maverick H. , Kim Samuel H. , Hemingway Christopher , Makkapati Tejaswi , Kerschensteiner Martin , Brody David L. , Kummer Terrance T. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe complex microconnectivity of the mammalian brain underlies its computational abilities, and its vulnerability to injury and disease. It has been challenging to illuminate the features of this synaptic network due in part to the small size and exceptionally dense packing of its elements. Here we describe a rapid and accessible super-resolution imaging and image analysis workflow—SEQUIN—that identifies, quantifies, and characterizes central synapses in animal models and in humans, enabling automated volumetric imaging of mesoscale synaptic networks without the laborious production of large histological arrays. Using SEQUIN, we identify delayed cortical synapse loss resulting from diffuse traumatic brain injury. Similar synapse loss is observed in an Alzheimer disease model, where SEQUIN mesoscale mapping of excitatory synapses across the hippocampus identifies region-specific synaptic vulnerability to neurodegeneration. These results establish a novel, easily implemented and robust nano-to-mesoscale synapse quantification and molecular characterization method. They furthermore identify a mechanistic link—synaptopathy—between Alzheimer neurodegeneration and its best-established epigenetic risk factor, brain trauma.
Unlinked rRNA genes are widespread among Bacteria and Archaea
Authors: Brewer Tess E. , Albertsen Mads , Edwards Arwyn , Kirkegaard Rasmus H. , Rocha Eduardo P. C. , Fierer Noah 
Published: July 2019

AbstractRibosomes are essential to cellular life and the genes for their RNA components are the most conserved and transcribed genes in Bacteria and Archaea. These ribosomal rRNA genes are typically organized into a single operon, an arrangement that is thought to facilitate gene regulation. In reality, some Bacteria and Archaea do not share this canonical rRNA arrangement-their 16S and 23S rRNA genes are not co-located, but are instead separated across the genome and referred to as “unlinked”. This rearrangement has previously been treated as a rare exception or a byproduct of genome degradation in obligate intracellular bacteria. Here, we leverage complete genome and long-read metagenomic data to show that unlinked 16S and 23S rRNA genes are much more common than previously thought. Unlinked rRNA genes occur in many phyla, most significantly within Deinococcus-Thermus, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Euryarchaeota, and occur in differential frequencies across natural environments. We found that up to 41% of the taxa in soil, including dominant taxa, had unlinked rRNA genes, in contrast to the human gut, where all sequenced rRNA genes were linked. The frequency of unlinked rRNA genes may reflect meaningful life history traits, as they tend to be associated with a mix of slow-growing free-living species and obligatory intracellular species. Unlinked rRNA genes are also associated with changes in RNA metabolism, notably the loss of RNaseIII. We propose that unlinked rRNA genes may confer selective advantages in some environments, though the specific nature of these advantages remains undetermined and worthy of further investigation.
The Noise-Resilient Brain: Resting-State Oscillatory Activity Predicts Words-In-Noise Recognition
Authors: Houweling Thomas , Becker Robert , Hervais-Adelman Alexis 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe role of neuronal oscillations in the processing of speech has recently come to prominence. Since resting-state (RS) brain activity has been shown to predict both task-related brain activation and behavioural performance, we set out to establish whether inter-individual differences in spectrally-resolved RS-MEG power are associated with variations in words-in-noise recognition in a sample of 88 participants made available by the Human Connectome Project. Positive associations with resilience to noise were observed with power in the range 21 and 29Hz in a number of areas along the left temporal gyrus and temporo-parietal association areas peaking in left posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). Significant associations were also found in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus in the frequency range 30 to 40Hz. We propose that individual differences in words-in-noise performance are related to baseline excitability levels of the neural substrates of phonological processing.HighlightsPower of resting MEG activity predicts Words-In-Noise recognition performanceSignificant associations in higher beta and lower gamma frequency bandStrongest in left-lateralised perisylvian cluster peaking in posterior STGEffects are spectrally and spatially consistent with phoneme-level processing
Stabilization of cultural innovations depends on population density: testing an epidemiological model of cultural evolution against a global dataset of rock art sites and climate-based estimates of ancient population densities
Authors: Walker Richard , Eriksson Anders , Ruiz Camille , Newton Taylor Howard , Casalegno Francesco 
Published: July 2019

AbstractDemographic models of human cultural evolution have high explanatory potential but weak empirical support. Here we use a global dataset of rock art sites and climate and genetics-based estimates of ancient population densities to test a new model based on epidemiological principles. The model focuses on the process whereby a cultural innovation becomes endemic in a population. It predicts that this cannot occur unless population density exceeds a critical value. Analysis of the data, using a Bayesian statistical framework, shows that the model has stronger empirical support than a null model, where rock art detection rates and population density are independent, or a proportional model where detection is directly proportional to population density. Comparisons between results for different geographical areas and periods yield qualitatively similar results, supporting the robustness of the model. Re-analysis of the rock art data, using a second set of independent population estimates, yields similar results. We conclude that population density above a critical threshold is a necessary condition for the maintenance of rock art as a stable part of a population’s cultural repertoire. Methods similar to those described can be used to test the model for other classes of archaeological artifact and to compare it against other models.