bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modulation of sweet preference by neurosteroid-sensitive, δ-GABAAreceptors in adult mouse gustatory insular cortex
Authors: Yevoo Priscilla E , Fontanini Alfredo , Maffei Arianna 
Published: October 2024

SummaryTaste preference is a fundamental driver of feeding behavior influencing dietary choices and eating patterns. Extensive experimental evidence indicates that the gustatory cortex (GC) is engaged in taste perception, palatability and preference. However, our knowledge of the neural and neurochemical signals regulating taste preference is rather limited. Neuromodulators can affect preferences, though their effects on neural circuits for taste are incompletely understood. Neurosteroids are of particular interest in view of reports that systemic administration of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, a potent modulator of tonic GABAergic inhibition, induces hyperphagia and increases intake of energy rich food in human and animal subjects. Tonic inhibition is a powerful modulator of circuit excitability and is primarily mediated by extrasynaptic GABAAreceptors containing the delta subunit (δ-GABAARs). These receptors are widely distributed in the brain, but information regarding the expression of δ-GABAARs within gustatory circuits is lacking, and their role in taste preference has not been investigated. Here, we focused on GC to investigate whether activation of δ-GABAARs affects sweet taste preference in adult mice. Our data reveal that δ-GABAARs are expressed in multiple cell types within GC. These receptors mediate an allopregnanolone-sensitive tonic current and decrease sweet taste preference by altering the behavioral sensitivity to sucrose concentration in a cell type-specific manner. Our findings demonstrate that taste sensitivity and preference in the adult mammalian brain are modulated by tonic inhibition mediated by neurosteroid-activated δ-GABAARs in GC.
Female-germline specific protein Sakura interacts with Otu and is crucial for germline stem cell renewal and differentiation and oogenesis
Authors: Azlan Azali , Zhu Li , Fukunaga Ryuya 
Published: October 2024

AbstractDuring oogenesis, self-renewal and differentiation of germline stem cells (GSCs) must be tightly regulated. TheDrosophilafemale germline serves as an excellent model for studying these regulatory mechanisms. Here, we report that a previously uncharacterized geneCG14545, which we namedsakura, is essential for oogenesis and female fertility inDrosophila. Sakura is predominantly expressed in the ovaries, particularly in the germline cells, including GSCs.sakuranull mutant female flies display rudimentary ovaries with germline-less and tumorous phenotypes, fail to produce eggs, and are completely sterile. The germline-specific depletion ofsakuraimpairs Dpp/BMP signaling, leading to aberrantbag-of-marbles(bam) expression, resulting in faulty differentiation and loss of GSCs. Additionally,sakurais necessary for normal piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) levels and for proper localization of Ool8 RNA-binding protein (Orb) in developing oocytes. We identified Ovarian Tumor (Otu) as protein binding partner of Sakura, and we found that loss ofotuphenocopies loss ofsakurain ovaries. Thus, we identified Sakura as a crucial factor for GSC renewal and differentiation and oogenesis, and propose that Sakura and Otu function together in these processes.
SATB2 and circ3915 RNA chromatin dysregulation driveKRAS-like oncogenic transformation
Authors: Eleazer Rebekah , George Smitha , Shoemaker Luke , Saintilnord Wesley N. , Lau Kin , Chandler Darrell P. , Fondufe-Mittendorf Yvonne 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTEven though epigenetic factors contribute to oncogenesis, most human cancer models still assume that disease originates from driver DNA mutations. Thus, it is still unclear if non-genetic mechanisms are sufficient to trigger malignant transformation. Special AT-rich binding protein 2 (SATB2) is a chromatin organizer that brings distal DNA elements into close proximity, thus remodeling chromatin structures to reprogram cell-specific and/or developmentally-sensitive gene networks. Here, we discover thatSATB2generates a co-expressedcirc3915RNA that is translated into a peptide and co-locates with SATB2 in the cell nucleus. Ectopic SATB2 or circ3915 over- expression rearranges global chromatin accessibility, generatesKRAS- andNFE2L2-like oncogenic gene expression patterns, and transforms lung epithelial cells independent of driver mutations. Thus, oncogenic pathways can be activated in mammalian cells without pre-disposing mutations in oncogenes or epigenetic regulators.Graphical abstract:
Cholinergic regulation of sleep in the upside-down jellyfishCassiopea
Authors: Abrams Michael J. , Ohdera Aki , Francis Diana A. , Donayre Owen , Chen Henry , Lu Kevin , Harland Richard M. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractPerhaps nothing is stronger evidence of the importance of sleep than its conservation across animals [1], but the extent of its regulatory conservation is unknown. The upside-down jelly-fishCassiopea xamachanasleeps [2], and this behavior is controlled by radially-spaced marginal ganglia. After defining a sleep-wake threshold, we compared gene expression profiles of ganglia from animals sleep-deprived for two nights and found differential expression in many sleep-related genes including GABAergic, melatonergic, and cholinergic receptors. We focused on a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit-like (Chrnal-E), based on its differential expression, and selected animals for a second round of RNAseq that included both light-based and mechanically-based sleep-deprivation. Combining datasets revealed a short list of differentially expressed genes, of whichchrnal-Eis the most recognizable and well-supported, so we investigated its potential role in sleep regulation. First, we found that chemical cholinergic neuromodulators positively regulate pacemaker activity. Then, we showed byin situhybridization thatchrnal-Eis expressed primarily within the ganglia, and that the area of expression expands after sleep deprivation. Next, we developed RNAi for use inCassiopeaand determined that Chrnal-E promotes wakefulness. Finally, we sampled circadian timepoints in the field and found in control conditions,chrnal-Ehas lowest expression late at night, but in sleep deprived animals,chrnal-Epeaks at this time, supporting a link to wakefulness. Our finding thatCassiopeasleep is regulated by the cholinergic system underscores that mechanisms of sleep conservation are deeply conserved in animal evolution.
Investigation of cellular and molecular changes linked with neuropathic pain in healthy and injured human trigeminal nerves
Authors: Morchio Martina , Sankaranarayanan Ishwarya , Tavares-Ferreira Diana , Wong Natalie , Atkins Simon , Sher Emanuele , Price Theodore J , Lambert Daniel W , Boissonade Fiona M 
Published: October 2024

AbstractInjuries to the trigeminal nerve, responsible for sensory innervation to the face, may occur during routine dental procedures, resulting in the formation of a neuroma accompanied by loss of sensation and/or symptoms of pain. In order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning the sensory changes, single nuclei RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics were employed to profile the transcriptional landscape at single cell resolution of human trigeminal nerves and neuromas. Cellular and transcriptional changes were identified that correlated with the presence of pain, including an expansion of endothelial cells with a pro-inflammatory phenotype and over-expression ofHLA-A,CXCL2andCXCL8. Interactome analysis highlighted signalling changes linked with the presence of pain. HLA-A protein expression was confirmed in neuromas and positively correlated with symptoms of pain. The atlas generated represents a valuable resource for pain research, highlighting the role of inflammation, endothelial cell dysfunction and chemokine signalling in neuropathic pain.
Development of a National Stroke Audit to Enhance the Quality of Acute Stroke Care in Ireland: A Scoping Review and Delphi Consensus Synthesis
Authors: Moran Catherine Nora , Jeffares Isabelle , McCormack Joan , Merriman Niamh A. , Bruen Carlos , Jonsson Agnes , Murphy Paul J. , Rabbi Khyber Afridi , Harbison Joseph , Williams David J , Kelly Peter J. , Collins Rónán , Sexton Eithne , Horgan Frances , Bheacáin Máirín Ní , Byrne Elaine , Thornton John , Tully Collette , Hickey Anne 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackgroundPopulation ageing, treatment advances, evolving models of care, and between-hospital heterogeneity in patient outcomes underscore the need for continual audit to ensure the delivery of high-quality, equitable, and evidence-based stroke care. This study aimed to develop a core minimum dataset for acute stroke care in Ireland, for integration into the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS), benchmarked against, and aligned with, international best practice.MethodsThis scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Medline Ovid, Embase, CINAHL EBSCOhost, and pertinent grey literature were searched from 2010 to identify national and continuous stroke audits. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were assessed for eligibility. Audit documentation was retrieved from identified eligible audits and stroke care data items were extracted, translated, and charted. Data charting enabled comparison of existing Irish audit items with frequently collected international items to identify commonalities and/or gaps in coverage. Acute stroke care items were then reviewed by key stakeholders in a three-round Delphi consultation.ResultsTwenty-one eligible international stroke audits and registries were identified, containing ∼4,500 audit items. Key stakeholders were consulted for their expert perspectives on the existing Irish (n=103), frequently collected international (n=97), and additional expert-suggested (n=22) acute items regarding their potential inclusion in INAS. Following consensus, a core minimum dataset comprising 86 acute care and 35 thrombectomy items was finalised.ConclusionsThe findings of this scoping review represent the “ideal” core outcomes dataset for acute stroke care in Ireland, derived from international benchmarking and stakeholder consultation. This dataset serves as the “gold standard” for monitoring acute stroke care in Ireland, aimed at enhancing patient outcomes, and supporting local and national quality improvement initiatives.
Dental Composite Performance Prediction Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Rivera Karla Paniagua , Whang Kyumin , Joshi Krishna , Son Hyeonwi , Kim Yu Shin , Flores Mario 
Published: October 2024

AbstractObjectiveThere is a need to increase the performance and longevity of dental composites and accelerate the translation of novel composites to the market. This study explores artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning (ML), to predict the performance outcomes (POs) of dental composites from their composite attributes (CAs).MethodsAn extensive dataset from over 200 publications was built and refined to 233 samples with 17 CAs and 7 POs. Nine ML models were evaluated for PO prediction performance using classified data, and Five ML models were evaluated for PO regression analysis.ResultsThe KNN model excelled in predicting flexural modulus (FlexMod), Decision Tree model in flexural strength (FlexStr) and volumetric shrinkage (ShrinkV), and Logistic Regression and SVM models in shrinkage stress (ShrinkStr). Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC) analysis confirmed these results but found that Random Forest was more effective for FlexStr and ShrinkV, suggesting the possibility of Decision Tree overfitting the data. Regression analysis revealed that the Voting Regressor was superior for FlexMod and ShrinkV predictions, while Decision Tree Regression was optimal for FlexStr and ShrinkStr. Feature importance analysis indicated TEGDMA is a key contributor to FlexMod and ShrinkV, BisGMA and UDMA to FlexStr, and depth of cure, degree of monomer-to-polymer conversion, and filler loading to ShrinkStr.SignificanceThere is a need to conduct a full analysis using multiple ML models because different models predict different POs better, and for a large, comprehensive dataset to train robust AI models to facilitate the prediction and optimization of composite properties and support the development of new dental materials.
Mental health patterns and associated social determinants among university and college students in Sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic era: A Scoping Review Protocol
Authors: Muturiki Memory , Mapukata Nontsikelelo , Chauke Lawrence , Jewett Sara 
Published: October 2024

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this scoping review is to identify and map the literature that documents student mental health patterns and associated social determinants during the COVID-19 pandemic era in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) universities and colleges.IntroductionThe rationale for the scoping review is to identify gaps in existing literature. Most of the current data on student mental health and the prevalence of mental disorders in universities and colleges during the COVID-19 years is from the global north. There is limited data for Sub- Saharan African universities on student mental health and the extent to which social determinants contribute. The review will also provide areas for further research among Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the SSA region.Eligibility criteriaOnly documents published during the years 2020 to 2023 from SSA will be included and documents from outside the period and outside the geographic region will not be considered. HEIs will be post-school education universities and colleges, and so school level reports will be excluded.MethodsThis scoping review will be conducted using various search engines on existing data for student mental health and social determinants in the era of COVID-19 (years 2020 to 2023). Search engines will include MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycInfo, EMBASE (Ovid), African Index Medicus, Open Access Journals, CINAHL, JBI Library, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library (Ovid), and Grey Literature (various relevant health related websites). Search limits will only consider documents written in English language. Search terms will be student mental health, university mental health services, social determinants of health, social determinants of mental health and Sub-Saharan Africa. Documents searched will be uploaded into EndNote 21 and will be coded, and themes will be generated using NVivo-12.ResultsResults will be reported using the Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines (Wits-JBI evidence synthesis procedure) and presented as tables and graphs. The key findings of the scoping review in together with the research question will be reported once completed.ConclusionsA conclusion based on the scoping review findings along with the objectives will be provided when the review is completed. Main implications of the findings (if any) will also be conveyed.
Testing new versions of ChatGPT in terms of physiology and electrophysiology of hearing: improved accuracy but not consistency
Authors: Jędrzejczak W. Wiktor , Skarżyński Henryk , Kochanek Krzysztof 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIntroductionChatGPT has revolutionized many aspects of modern life, including scientific ones. Since its introduction, new versions have been introduced and advertised as having better performance. But is this true? This study aimed to assess the accuracy and consistency of six versions of ChatGPT (3.5, 4, 4o mini, 4o, 4o1 mini, and 4o1 preview). Of interest was the variability of responses given to asking the same question multiple times.MethodsWe evaluated 6 versions of ChatGPT based on their responses to 30 single-answer, multiple-choice exam questions from a 1-year course on objective methods of testing hearing. The questions were posed 10 times to each version of ChatGPT across two days (5 times each day). The accuracy of the responses was evaluated in terms of a response key. To evaluate consistency (repeatability) of the responses over time, percent agreement and Cohen’s Kappa were calculated.ResultsThe overall accuracy of ChatGPT increased with each version, starting from around 53% for version 3.5 and rising to 86% for version 4o1 preview. The greatest improvement in accuracy and repeatability came with the introduction of version 4o. Repeatability progressively rose with newer releases with the exception of version 4o1 mini. While the current top version 4o1 preview has similar repeatability to 4o, the faster version, 4o1 mini, had significantly lower repeatability than the older 4o mini.ConclusionNewer versions of ChatGPT generally show improvement in terms of accuracy, but not in repeatability. The variability of responses is probably the current main limitation of ChatGPT for professional applications. Users must be especially careful with version 4o1 mini.
Validation of DoriVac (DNA origami vaccine) efficacy in a metastatic melanoma model
Authors: Rajwar Anjali , Dembele Hawa , Graveline Amanda R. , Vernet Andyna , Sanchez Melinda , Bardales Sarai , Kwon Ick Chan , Ryu Ju Hee , Shih William M. , Zeng Yang Claire 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMetastatic cancer, particularly metastatic melanoma, poses a significant therapeutic challenge due to its resistance to standard treatments and low five-year survival rate of 20–27%. Current therapies show limited success, highlighting the urgent need for novel interventions. Recent advances in cancer vaccine research show great promise in reducing disease recurrence, but these approaches still face challenges pertaining to antigen selection, ease of production, and programmability. To address some of these challenges, we have adapted the DoriVac platform to serve as a cancer vaccine against metastatic melanoma. DoriVac is a DNA origami-based vaccine platform that allows for the codelivery of antigens of choice and the CpG immune adjuvant at an optimal nanospacing to promote Th1 immune polarization. In our study, we observed a significant reduction in lung tumor nodules for mice treated with DoriVac in both the B16OVA and B16F10 melanoma mouse models. DoriVac also appears to be a safe and effective treatment, with no anti-drug antibodies, as indicated by lower anti-dsDNA levels. Importantly, we observed an amplified effect when DoriVac was combined with αPD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade, leading to an even greater reduction in metastatic lung tumor nodules. Our results also indicate an increased activation of antigen presenting cells, NK cells, CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells. These findings suggest that DoriVac, particularly in combination with the αPD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade, can serve as a promising immunotherapy against metastatic cancer.
Cost-effectiveness of screening with transcriptional signatures for incipient TB among U.S. migrants
Authors: Hsieh Yuli Lily , Horsburgh C Robert , Cohen Ted , Miller Jeffrey W , Salomon Joshua A , Menzies Nicolas A 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTIntroductionHost-response-based transcriptional signatures (HrTS) have been developed to identify “incipient tuberculosis (TB)”. No study has reported the cost-effectiveness of HrTS for post-arrival migrant screening programs in low-incidence countries.ObjectivesTo assess the potential health impact and cost-effectiveness of HrTS for post-arrival TB infection screening among new migrants in the United States.MethodsWe used a discrete-event simulation model to compare four strategies: (1) no screening for TB infection or incipient TB; (2) ‘IGRA-only’, screen all with interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), provide TB preventive treatment for IGRA-positives; (3) ‘IGRA-HrTS’, screen all with IGRA followed by HrTS for IGRA-positives, provide incipient TB treatment for individuals testing positive with both tests; and (4) ‘HrTS-only’, screen all with HrTS, provide incipient TB treatment for HrTS-positives. We assessed outcomes over the lifetime of migrants entering the U.S. in 2019, assuming HrTS met the WHO Target Product Profile (TPP) optimal criteria. We conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of results.ResultsThe IGRA-only strategy dominated the HrTS-based strategies under both healthcare sector and societal perspectives, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $78,943 and $89,431 per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) gained, respectively. This conclusion was robust to varying costs ($15–300) and characteristics of HrTS, and the willingness-to-pay threshold ($30,000–150,000/ QALY gained), but sensitive to the rate of decline in TB progression risk after U.S. entry.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that HrTS meeting the WHO TPP is unlikely to be a cost-effective component of post-arrival screening for migrants entering the U.S.
Ageing and Decision-making: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ee Nicole , Brady Brooke , Sinclair Craig , Anstey Kaarin J. , Peters Ruth 
Published: October 2024

AbstractObjectivesThis systematic review aimed to synthesise the evidence on potential differences in financial, social, health and safety-related decision-making between younger and older adults.MethodsTrial, experimental, and prospective studies including older (60+) and younger adults that reported on quantitative decision-making outcome measures (i.e., performance in relation to achieving a specific prespecified goal) were included.ResultsDecision-making was significantly poorer (i.e., further from prespecified goals) in older compared to younger adults (k = 57,drandom= -0.17, 95% CI -0.29, -0.04,I2= 92.92%), with high heterogeneity between studies. Age differences were observed for financial and social but not health decision-making domains.DiscussionOlder adults performed more ‘poorly’ on financial and social decision-making than younger adults. Reasons for observed differences may vary (e.g., different motivation and values) and require exploration in future research. This has implications for how people of different ages are supported, especially at times of important decision-making.