bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicting the effects of degradation on viscoelastic relaxation time using model transient networks
Authors: Kobayashi Ryunosuke , Naito Mitsuru , Miyata Kanjiro , Sakai Takamasa , Chung Ung-il , Katashima Takuya 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn this study, we utilized tetra-armed polyethylene glycol (Tetra-PEG) slimes, which are model transient networks with well-controlled structures, to predict the effects of long-term degradation on the viscoelastic properties of liquids. Viscoelastic liquids, such as sodium hyaluronate, are frequently used in biomedical applications within the human body. However, precisely controlling the viscoelastic properties of these liquids in the long-term is challenging, as the main chains of the liquids undergo stochastic degradation. To establish a predictable model for studying long-term degradation effects, we employed Tetra-PEG slime, and modifications were performed to introduce specific cleavage sites in areas with connections. The Tetra-PEG slimes were characterized by single relaxation modes, and these modes were independent from the degree of degradation, which was determined by hydrolyzing the cleavage sites. Overall, this work provides a universal design for viscoelastic liquids with precisely-controllable degradation.
Nanopore analysis of salvianolic acids in herbal medicines
Authors: Fan Pingping , Zhang Shanyu , Wang Yuqin , Li Tian , Zhang Hanhan , Zhang Panke , Huang Shuo 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNatural herbs, which contain pharmacologically active compounds, have been used historically as medicines. Conventionally, the analysis of chemical components in herbal medicines requires time-consuming sample separation and state-of-the-art analytical instruments. Nanopore, a versatile single molecule sensor, might be suitable to identify bioactive compounds in natural herbs. Here, a phenylboronic acid appended Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore is used as a sensor for herbal medicines. A variety of bioactive compounds based on salvianolic acids, including caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, protocatechualdehyde, salvianic acid A, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B are identified. Using a custom machine learning algorithm, analyte identification is performed with an accuracy of 99.0%. This sensing principle is further used with natural herbs such as Salvia miltiorrhiza, Rosemary and Prunella vulgaris. No complex sample separation or purification is required and the sensing device is highly portable.
Improved modeling of human vision by incorporating robustness to blur in convolutional neural networks
Authors: Jang Hojin , Tong Frank 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWhenever a visual scene is cast onto the retina, much of it will appear degraded due to poor resolution in the periphery; moreover, optical defocus can cause blur in central vision. However, the pervasiveness of blurry or degraded input is typically overlooked in the training of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). We hypothesized that the absence of blurry training inputs may cause CNNs to rely excessively on high spatial frequency information for object recognition, thereby causing systematic deviations from biological vision. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing standard CNNs with CNNs trained on a combination of clear and blurry images. We show that blur-trained CNNs outperform standard CNNs at predicting neural responses to objects across a variety of viewing conditions. Moreover, blur-trained CNNs acquire increased sensitivity to shape information and greater robustness to multiple forms of visual noise, leading to improved correspondence with human perception. Our results provide multi-faceted neurocomputational evidence that blurry visual experiences may be critical for conferring robustness to biological visual systems.
Functional analysis of the human perivascular subarachnoid space
Authors: Eide Per Kristian , Ringstad Geir 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe human subarachnoid space harbors the cerebrospinal fluid, which flows within a landscape of blood vessels and trabeculae. Functional implications of subarachnoid space anatomy remain far less understood. This study of 75 patients utilizes a cerebrospinal fluid tracer (gadobutrol) and consecutive magnetic resonance imaging to investigate features of early (i.e. within 2-3 h after injection) tracer propagation within the subarachnoid space. There is a time-dependent perivascular pattern of enrichment antegrade along the major cerebral artery trunks; the anterior-, middle-, and posterior cerebral arteries. The correlation between time of first enrichment around arteries and early enrichment in nearby cerebral cortex is significant. These observations suggest the existence of a compartmentalized subarachnoid space, where perivascular ensheathment of arteries facilitates antegrade tracer passage towards brain tissue. Periarterial transport is impaired in subjects with reduced intracranial pressure-volume reserve capacity and in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients who also show increased perivascular space size.
Contact-separation-induced self-recoverable mechanoluminescence of CaF2:Tb3+/PDMS elastomer
Authors: Wang Wenxiang , Wang Shanwen , Gu Yan , Zhou Jinyu , Zhang Jiachi 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCentrosymmetric-oxide/polydimethylsiloxane elastomers emit ultra-strong non-pre-irradiation mechanoluminescence under stress and are considered one of the most ideal mechanoluminescence materials. However, previous centrosymmetric-oxide/polydimethylsiloxane elastomers show severe mechanoluminescence degradation under stretching, which limits their use in applications. Here we show an elastomer based on centrosymmetric fluoride CaF2:Tb3+ and polydimethylsiloxane, with mechanoluminescence that can self-recover after each stretching. Experimentation indicates that the self-recoverable mechanoluminescence of the CaF2:Tb3+/polydimethylsiloxane elastomer occurs essentially due to contact electrification arising from contact-separation interactions between the centrosymmetric phosphors and the polydimethylsiloxane. Accordingly, a contact-separation cycle model of the phosphor–polydimethylsiloxane couple is established, and first-principles calculations are performed to model state energies in the contact-separation cycle. The results reveal that the fluoride–polydimethylsiloxane couple helps to induce contact electrification and maintain the contact-separation cycle at the interface, resulting in the self-recoverable mechanoluminescence of the CaF2:Tb3+/polydimethylsiloxane elastomer. Therefore, it would be a good strategy to develop self-recoverable mechanoluminescence elastomers based on centrosymmetric fluoride phosphors and polydimethylsiloxane.
Genome-wide association analyses of ovarian cancer patients undergoing primary debulking surgery identify candidate genes for residual disease
Authors: Ramachandran Dhanya , Tyrer Jonathan P. , Kommoss Stefan , DeFazio Anna , Riggan Marjorie J. ,   AOCS Group, Bowtell David , Fereday Sian , Traficante Nadia , Hung Jillian , Webb Penelope M. , Fasching Peter A. , Lambrechts Diether , García María J. , Rodríguez-Antona Cristina , Goodman Marc T. , Modugno Francesmary , Moysich Kirsten B. , Karlan Beth Y. , Lester Jenny , Kjaer Susanne K. , Jensen Allan , Høgdall Estrid , Goode Ellen L. , Cliby William A. , Kumar Amanika , Wang Chen , Cunningham Julie M. , Winham Stacey J. , Monteiro Alvaro N. , Schildkraut Joellen M. , Cramer Daniel W. , Terry Kathryn L. , Titus Linda , Bjorge Line , Thomsen Liv Cecilie Vestrheim ,   OPAL Study Group, Friedlander Michael , Obermair Andreas , Grant Peter , Beesley Vanessa , Blomfield Penelope , Brand Alison , Davis Alison , Leung Yee , Nicklin James , Quinn Michael , Livingstone Karen , O’Neill Helen , Williams Merran , Pejovic Tanja , Høgdall Claus K. , McNeish Iain A. , May Taymaa , Huntsman David G. , Pfisterer Jacobus , Canzler Ulrich , Park-Simon Tjoung-Won , Schröder Willibald , Belau Antje , Hanker Lars , Harter Philipp , Sehouli Jalid , Kimmig Rainer , de Gregorio Nikolaus , Schmalfeldt Barbara , Baumann Klaus , Hilpert Felix , Burges Alexander , Winterhoff Boris , Schürmann Peter , Speith Lisa-Marie , Hillemanns Peter , Berchuck Andrew , Johnatty Sharon E. , Ramus Susan J. , Chenevix-Trench Georgia , Pharoah Paul D. P. , Dörk Thilo , Heitz Florian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSurvival from ovarian cancer depends on the resection status after primary surgery. We performed genome-wide association analyses for resection status of 7705 ovarian cancer patients, including 4954 with high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSOC), to identify variants associated with residual disease. The most significant association with resection status was observed for rs72845444, upstream of MGMT, in HGSOC (p = 3.9 × 10−8). In gene-based analyses, PPP2R5C was the most strongly associated gene in HGSOC after stage adjustment. In an independent set of 378 ovarian tumours from the AGO-OVAR 11 study, variants near MGMT and PPP2R5C correlated with methylation and transcript levels, and PPP2R5C mRNA levels predicted progression-free survival in patients with residual disease. MGMT encodes a DNA repair enzyme, and PPP2R5C encodes the B56γ subunit of the PP2A tumour suppressor. Our results link heritable variation at these two loci with resection status in HGSOC.
Chromosome-scale genome assemblies of Himalopsyche anomala and Eubasilissa splendida (Insecta: Trichoptera)
Authors: Ge Xinyu , Peng Lang , Deng Zhen , Du Jie , Sun Changhai , Wang Beixin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTrichoptera is one of the most evolutionarily successful aquatic insect lineages and is highly valued value in adaptive evolution research. This study presents the chromosome-level genome assemblies of Himalopsyche anomala and Eubasilissa splendida achieved using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi-C sequencing. For H. anomala and E. splendida, assembly sizes were 663.43 and 859.28 Mb, with scaffold N50 lengths of 28.44 and 31.17 Mb, respectively. In H. anomala and E. splendida, we anchored 24 and 29 pseudochromosomes, and identified 11,469 and 10,554 protein-coding genes, respectively. The high-quality genomes of H. anomala and E. splendida provide critical genomic resources for understanding the evolution and ecology of Trichoptera and performing comparative genomics analyses.
HEvOD: A database of hurricane evacuation orders in the United States
Authors: Anand Harsh , Alemazkoor Negin , Shafiee-Jood Majid 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAssessing and improving the effectiveness of evacuation orders is critical to improving hurricane emergency response, particularly as the frequency of hurricanes increases in the United States. However, our understanding of causal relationships between evacuation orders and evacuation decision-making is still limited, in large part due to the lack of standardized, high-temporal-resolution data on historical evacuation orders. To overcome this gap, we developed the Hurricane Evacuation Order Database (HEvOD) – a comprehensive database of hurricane evacuation orders issued in the United States between 2014 and 2022. The database features evacuation orders that were systematically retrieved and compiled from a wide range of resources and includes information on order type, announcement time, effective time, and evacuation area. The rich collection of attributes and the resolution of the data in the database will allow researchers to systematically investigate the impact of evacuation orders, as a vital public policy instrument, and can serve as an important resource to identify gaps in current policies, leading to more effective policy design in response to hurricanes.
Chromosome-level genome assembly of Platycarya strobilacea
Authors: Zhou Huijuan , Zhang Xuedong , Liu Hengzhao , Ma jiayu , Hao Fan , Ye Hang , Wang Yaling , Zhang Shuoxin , Yue Ming , Zhao Peng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPlatycarya strobilacea belongs to the walnut family (Juglandaceae), is commonly known as species endemic to East Asia, and is an ecologically important, wind pollinated, woody deciduous tree. To facilitate this ancient tree for the ecological value and conservation of this ancient tree, we report a new high-quality genome assembly of P. strobilacea. The genome size was 677.30 Mb, with a scaffold N50 size of 45,791,698 bp, and 98.43% of the assembly was anchored to 15 chromosomes. We annotated 32,246 protein-coding genes in the genome, of which 96.30% were functionally annotated in six databases. This new high-quality assembly of P. strobilacea provide valuable resource for the phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of the walnut family and angiosperm.
Adaptive estimation of the Gutenberg–Richter b value using a state space model and particle filtering
Authors: Iwata Daichi , Nanjo Kazuyoshi Z. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractEarthquakes follow an exponential distribution referred to as the Gutenberg–Richter law, which is characterized by thebvalue that represents a ratio of the number of large earthquakes to that of small earthquakes. Spatial and temporal variation in thebvalue is important for assessing the probability of a larger earthquake. Conventionally, thebvalue is obtained by a maximum-likelihood estimation based on past earthquakes with a certain sample size. To properly assess the occurrence of earthquakes and understand their dynamics, determining this parameter with a statistically optimal method is important. Here, we discuss a method that uses a state space model and a particle filter, as a framework for time-series data, to estimate temporal variation in thebvalue. We then compared our output with that of a conventional method using data of earthquakes that occurred in Tohoku and Kumamoto regions in Japan. Our results indicate that the proposed method has the advantage of estimating temporal variation of thebvalue and forecasting magnitude. Moreover, our research suggests no heightened probability of a large earthquake in the Tohoku region, in contrast to previous studies. Simultaneously, there is the potential of a large earthquake in the Kumamoto region, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring.
Identifying childhood malaria hotspots and risk factors in a Nigerian city using geostatistical modelling approach
Authors: Bayode Taye , Siegmund Alexander 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMalaria ranks high among prevalent and ravaging infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The negative impacts, disease burden, and risk are higher among children and pregnant women as part of the most vulnerable groups to malaria in Nigeria. However, the burden of malaria is not even in space and time. This study explores the spatial variability of malaria prevalence among children under five years (U5) in medium-sized rapidly growing city of Akure, Nigeria using model-based geostatistical modeling (MBG) technique to predict U5 malaria burden at a 100 × 100 m grid, while the parameter estimation was done using Monte Carlo maximum likelihood method. The non-spatial logistic regression model shows that U5 malaria prevalence is significantly influenced by the usage of insecticide-treated nets—ITNs, window protection, and water source. Furthermore, the MBG model shows predicted U5 malaria prevalence in Akure is greater than 35% at certain locations while we were able to ascertain places with U5 prevalence > 10% (i.e. hotspots) using exceedance probability modelling which is a vital tool for policy development. The map provides place-based evidence on the spatial variation of U5 malaria in Akure, and direction on where intensified interventions are crucial for the reduction of U5 malaria burden and improvement of urban health in Akure, Nigeria.
General model of nonradiative excitation energy migration on a spherical nanoparticle with attached chromophores
Authors: Kułak L. , Schlichtholz A. , Bojarski P. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTheory of multistep excitation energy migration within the set of chemically identical chromophores distributed on the surface of a spherical nanoparticle is presented. The Green function solution to the master equation is expanded as a diagrammatic series. Topological reduction of the series leads to the expression for emission anisotropy decay. The solution obtained behaves very well over the whole time range and it remains accurate even for a high number of the attached chromophores. Emission anisotropy decay depends strongly not only on the number of fluorophores linked to the spherical nanoparticle but also on the ratio of critical radius to spherical nanoparticle radius, which may be crucial for optimal design of antenna-like fluorescent nanostructures. The results for mean squared excitation displacement are provided as well. Excellent quantitative agreement between the theoretical model and Monte–Carlo simulation results was found. The current model shows clear advantage over previously elaborated approach based on the Padé approximant.
The influence of left bundle branch block on myocardial T1 mapping
Authors: Petersen Antonia , Nagel Sebastian Niko , Hamm Bernd , Elgeti Thomas , Schaafs Lars-Arne 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTissue characterisation using T1 mapping has become an established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to detect myocardial diseases. This retrospective study aimed to determine the influence of left bundle branch block (LBBB) on T1 mapping at 1.5 T. Datasets of 36 patients with LBBB and 27 healthy controls with T1 mapping (Modified Look-Locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI), 5(3)3 sampling) were included. T1 relaxation times were determined on mid-cavity short-axis images. R2 maps were generated as a pixel-wise indicator for the goodness of the fit of T1 maps. R2 values were significantly lower in patients with LBBB than in healthy controls (whole myocardium/septum, 0.997, IQR, 0.00 vs. 0.998, IQR, 0.00; p = 0.008/0.998, IQR, 0.00 vs. 0.999, IQR, 0.00; p = 0.027). Manual correction of semi-automated evaluation tended to improve R2 values but not significantly. Strain analysis was performed and the systolic dyssynchrony index (SDIglobal) was calculated as a measure for left ventricular dyssynchrony. While MRI is generally prone to artefacts, lower goodness of the fit in LBBB may be mainly attributable to asynchronous contraction. Therefore, careful checking of the source data and, if necessary, manual post-processing is important. New techniques might improve the goodness of the fit of T1 mapping by reducing sampling in the motion prone diastole of LBBB patients.
Association between BMI z-score and body composition indexes with blood pressure and grip strength in school-age children: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Miranda-Alatriste Paola Vanessa , Colin-Ramirez Eloisa , Inda Icaza Patricia , Ponce-Martínez Xóchitl , Shor Mochón Anette , Martinsanchez Vázquez Natalia , García-Arreola Berenice , Espinosa-Cuevas María de los Ángeles 
Published: March 2024

AbstractChildhood obesity is linked to diverse health outcomes, including elevated blood pressure (EBP). Emerging evidence showed that excess fat mass (FM) may have a deleterious impact on blood pressure even in normal-weight children. The primary objective of this study was to assess the association between body weight status by BMI z-score and body composition parameters by conventional bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). Also, we aimed to explore the performance of BMI z-score, %FM, and FM index (FMI) in discriminating EBP in a sample of school-age Mexican children. Children were classified as having normal weight, overweight or obesity according to WHO criteria for BMI z-score. FMI was considered high when above 75th percentile, and fat free mass index (FFMI) was considered low when below 25th percentile of the reference population. Body composition was also classified according to the BIVA method and EBP was determined when systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90th percentile. BMI z-score groups were compared by Student´s t-test or the Mann–Whitney U test, or by the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Receiving operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. 61 children were included (52.5% boys, median age 9.8 (25th, 75th percentiles: 8.5, 11.0)) years. High FMI was observed in 32.3% of children with normal weight. Low FFMI was present in 93.5% of children with normal weight and 53.3% of those with overweight/obesity. According to BIVA, 58.1% and 43.3% of children with normal weight and overweight/obesity were classified as having cachexia. All the three adiposity indicators showed significant areas under the ROC curve (AURC) greater than 0.775 for EBP, with the largest one displayed for FM% (0.794). Hight FMI and low FFMI are common in children with normal weight. Identifying deficiency of FFM might be limited by using solely BMI indicators. Cachexia by BIVA was present in a high proportion of children with either normal weight or overweight/obesity. Both BMI z-score and FM (% and FMI) performed well at discriminating EBP, with a numerically greater AURC observed for FM%. Body composition in pediatric population is relevant for identifying body composition abnormalities at early age.
Metabolic cost of unloading pedalling in different groups of patients with pulmonary hypertension and volunteers
Authors: Ittermann Till , Kaczmarek Sabine , Obst Anne , Könemann Raik , Bahls Martin , Dörr Marcus , Stubbe Beate , Heine Alexander , Habedank Dirk , Ewert Ralf 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRecently, the parameter internal work (IW) has been introduced as change in oxygen uptake (VO2) between resting and unloading workload in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). The proportional IW (PIW) was defined as IW divided by VO2 at peak exercise. A second option is to calculate the PIW based on the workload [PIW (Watt)] by considering the aerobic efficiency. The aim of our study was to investigate whether IW and PIW differ between patients with and without pulmonary hypertension and healthy controls. Our study population consisted of 580 patients and 354 healthy controls derived from the Study of Health in Pomerania. The PIW was slightly lower in patients (14.2%) than in healthy controls (14.9%; p = 0.030), but the PIW (Watt) was higher in patients (18.0%) than in the healthy controls (15.9%; p = 0.001). Such a difference was also observed, when considering only the submaximal workload up to the VAT (19.8% in patients and 15.1% in healthy controls; p < 0.001). Since the PIW (Watt) values were higher in patients with pulmonary hypertension, this marker may serve as a useful CPET parameter in clinical practice. In contrast to most of the currently used CPET parameters, the PIW does not require a maximal workload for the patient. Further studies are needed to validate the prognostic significance of the PIW.