bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immune and behavioral correlates of protection against symptomatic post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Goguet Emilie , Olsen Cara H. , Meyer William A. , Ansari Sara , Powers John H. , Conner Tonia L. , Coggins Si’Ana A. , Wang Wei , Wang Richard , Illinik Luca , Sanchez Edwards Margaret , Jackson-Thompson Belinda M. , Hollis-Perry Monique , Wang Gregory , Alcorta Yolanda , Wong Mimi A. , Saunders David , Mohammed Roshila , Balogun Bolatito , Kobi Priscilla , Kosh Lakeesha , Bishop-Lilly Kimberly , Cer Regina Z. , Arnold Catherine E. , Voegtly Logan J. , Fitzpatrick Maren , Luquette Andrea E. , Malagon Francisco , Ortega Orlando , Parmelee Edward , Davies Julian , Lindrose Alyssa R. , Haines-Hull Hannah , Moser Matthew S. , Samuels Emily C. , Rekedal Marana S. , Graydon Elizabeth K. , Malloy Allison M. W. , Tribble David R. , Burgess Timothy H. , Campbell Wesley , Robinson Sara , Broder Christopher C. , O’Connell Robert J. , Weiss Carol D. , Pollett Simon , Laing Eric D. , Mitre Edward 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionWe sought to determine pre-infection correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccine inzfections (PVI) acquired during the first Omicron wave in the United States.MethodsSerum and saliva samples from 176 vaccinated adults were collected from October to December of 2021, immediately before the Omicron wave, and assessed for SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific IgG and IgA binding antibodies (bAb). Sera were also assessed for bAb using commercial assays, and for neutralization activity against several SARS-CoV-2 variants. PVI duration and severity, as well as risk and precautionary behaviors, were assessed by questionnaires.ResultsSerum anti-Spike IgG levels assessed by research assay, neutralization titers against Omicron subvariants, and low home risk scores correlated with protection against PVIs after multivariable regression analysis. Commercial assays did not perform as well as research assay, likely due to their lower dynamic range.DiscussionIn the 32 participants that developed PVI, anti-Spike IgG bAbs correlated with lower disease severity and shorter duration of illness.
Uterine macrophages and NK cells exhibit population and gene-level changes after implantation but maintain pro-invasive properties
Authors: Mani Sneha , Garifallou James , Kim Se-jeong , Simoni Michael K. , Huh Dan Dongeun , Gordon Scott M. , Mainigi Monica 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionPrior to pregnancy, hormonal changes lead to cellular adaptations in the endometrium allowing for embryo implantation. Critical for successful pregnancy establishment, innate immune cells constitute a significant proportion of uterine cells prior to arrival of the embryo and throughout the first trimester in humans and animal models. Abnormal uterine immune cell function during implantation is believed to play a role in multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. Current work in humans has focused on uterine immune cells present after pregnancy establishment, and limited in vitro models exist to explore unique functions of these cells.MethodsWith single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq), we comprehensively compared the human uterine immune landscape of the endometrium during the window of implantation and the decidua during the first trimester of pregnancy.ResultsWe uncovered global and cell-type-specific gene signatures for each timepoint. Immune cells in the endometrium prior to implantation expressed genes associated with immune metabolism, division, and activation. In contrast, we observed widespread interferon signaling during the first trimester of pregnancy. We also provide evidence of specific inflammatory pathways enriched in pre- and post-implantation macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells in the uterine lining. Using our novel implantation-on-a-chip (IOC) to model human implantation ex vivo, we demonstrate for the first time that uterine macrophages strongly promote invasion of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), a process essential for pregnancy establishment. Pre- and post-implantation uterine macrophages promoted EVT invasion to a similar degree as pre- and post-implantation NK cells on the IOC.ConclusionsThis work provides a foundation for further investigation of the individual roles of uterine immune cell subtypes present prior to embryo implantation and during early pregnancy, which will be critical for our understanding of pregnancy complications associated with abnormal trophoblast invasion and placentation.
Proteome-wide Mendelian randomization identifies therapeutic targets for ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Zhao Wenlong , Fang Peng , Lai Chengteng , Xu Xiaoyu , Wang Yang , Liu Hao , Jiang Hui , Liu Xiaozhou , Liu Jun 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundAnkylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder which can lead to considerable pain and disability. Mendelian randomization (MR) has been extensively applied for repurposing licensed drugs and uncovering new therapeutic targets. Our objective is to pinpoint innovative therapeutic protein targets for AS and assess the potential adverse effects of druggable proteins.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive proteome-wide MR study to assess the causal relationships between plasma proteins and the risk of AS. The plasma proteins were sourced from the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP) database, encompassing GWAS data for 2,940 plasma proteins. Additionally, GWAS data for AS were extracted from the R9 version of the Finnish database, including 2,860 patients and 270,964 controls. The colocalization analysis was executed to identify shared causal variants between plasma proteins and AS. Finally, we examined the potential adverse effects of druggable proteins for AS therapy by conducting a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) utilizing the extensive Finnish database in version R9, encompassing 2,272 phenotypes categorized into 46 groups.ResultsThe findings revealed a positive genetic association between the predicted plasma levels of six proteins and an elevated risk of AS, while two proteins exhibited an inverse association with AS risk (Pfdr &lt; 0.05). Among these eight plasma proteins, colocalization analysis identified AIF1, TNF, FKBPL, AGER, ALDH5A1, and ACOT13 as shared variation with AS(PPH3+PPH4&gt;0.8), suggesting that they represent potential direct targets for AS intervention. Further phenotype-wide association studies have shown some potential side effects of these six targets (Pfdr &lt; 0.05).ConclusionOur investigation examined the causal connections between six plasma proteins and AS, providing a comprehensive understanding of potential therapeutic targets.
Transcranial electrical stimulation during functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with genetic generalized epilepsy: a pilot and feasibility study
Authors: Cohen Zachary , Steinbrenner Mirja , Piper Rory J. , Tangwiriyasakul Chayanin , Richardson Mark P. , Sharp David J. , Violante Ines R. , Carmichael David W. 
Published: March 2024

ObjectiveA third of patients with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite receiving adequate antiseizure medication. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) might be a viable adjunct treatment option, having been shown to reduce epileptic seizures in patients with focal epilepsy. Evidence for the use of tDCS in genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) is scarce. We aimed to establish the feasibility of applying tDCS during fMRI in patients with GGE to study the acute neuromodulatory effects of tDCS, particularly on sensorimotor network activity.MethodsSeven healthy controls and three patients with GGE received tDCS with simultaneous fMRI acquisition while watching a movie. Three tDCS conditions were applied: anodal, cathodal and sham. Periods of 60 s without stimulation were applied between each stimulation condition. Changes in sensorimotor cortex connectivity were evaluated by calculating the mean degree centrality across eight nodes of the sensorimotor cortex defined by the Automated Anatomical Labeling atlas (primary motor cortex (precentral left and right), supplementary motor area (left and right), mid-cingulum (left and right), postcentral gyrus (left and right)), across each of the conditions, for each participant.ResultsSimultaneous tDCS-fMRI was well tolerated in both healthy controls and patients without adverse effects. Anodal and cathodal stimulation reduced mean degree centrality of the sensorimotor network (Friedman’s ANOVA with Dunn’s multiple comparisons test; adjusted p = 0.02 and p = 0.03 respectively). Mean degree connectivity of the sensorimotor network during the sham condition was not different to the rest condition (adjusted p = 0.94).ConclusionApplying tDCS during fMRI was shown to be feasible and safe in a small group of patients with GGE. Anodal and cathodal stimulation caused a significant reduction in network connectivity of the sensorimotor cortex across participants. This initial research supports the feasibility of using fMRI to guide and understand network modulation by tDCS that might facilitate its clinical application in GGE in the future.
Predicting carob tree physiological parameters under different irrigation systems using Random Forest and Planet satellite images
Authors: Garofalo Simone Pietro , Giannico Vincenzo , Lorente Beatriz , García Antonio José García , Vivaldi Gaetano Alessandro , Thameur Afwa , Salcedo Francisco Pedrero 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionIn the context of climate change, monitoring the spatial and temporal variability of plant physiological parameters has become increasingly important. Remote spectral imaging and GIS software have shown effectiveness in mapping field variability. Additionally, the application of machine learning techniques, essential for processing large data volumes, has seen a significant rise in agricultural applications. This research was focused on carob tree, a drought-resistant tree crop spread through the Mediterranean basin. The study aimed to develop robust models to predict the net assimilation and stomatal conductance of carob trees and to use these models to analyze seasonal variability and the impact of different irrigation systems.MethodsPlanet satellite images were acquired on the day of field data measurement. The reflectance values of Planet spectral bands were used as predictors to develop the models. The study employed the Random Forest modeling approach, and its performances were compared with that of traditional multiple linear regression.Results and discussionThe findings reveal that Random Forest, utilizing Planet spectral bands as predictors, achieved high accuracy in predicting net assimilation (R² = 0.81) and stomatal conductance (R² = 0.70), with the yellow and red spectral regions being particularly influential. Furthermore, the research indicates no significant difference in intrinsic water use efficiency between the various irrigation systems and rainfed conditions. This work highlighted the potential of combining satellite remote sensing and machine learning in precision agriculture, with the goal of the efficient monitoring of physiological parameters.
Dissection of quantitative trait nucleotides and candidate genes associated with agronomic and yield-related traits under drought stress in rapeseed varieties: integration of genome-wide association study and transcriptomic analysis
Authors: Salami Maryam , Heidari Bahram , Alizadeh Bahram , Batley Jacqueline , Wang Jin , Tan Xiao-Li , Dadkhodaie Ali , Richards Christopher 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionAn important strategy to combat yield loss challenge is the development of varieties with increased tolerance to drought to maintain production. Improvement of crop yield under drought stress is critical to global food security.MethodsIn this study, we performed multiomics analysis in a collection of 119 diverse rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) varieties to dissect the genetic control of agronomic traits in two watering regimes [well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS)] for 3 years. In the DS treatment, irrigation continued till the 50% pod development stage, whereas in the WW condition, it was performed throughout the whole growing season.ResultsThe results of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 52,157 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed 1,281 SNPs associated with traits. Six stable SNPs showed sequence variation for flowering time between the two irrigation conditions across years. Three novel SNPs on chromosome C04 for plant weight were located within drought tolerance-related gene ABCG16, and their pleiotropically effects on seed weight per plant and seed yield were characterized. We identified the C02 peak as a novel signal for flowering time, harboring 52.77% of the associated SNPs. The 288-kbps LD decay distance analysis revealed 2,232 candidate genes (CGs) associated with traits. The CGs BIG1-D, CAND1, DRG3, PUP10, and PUP21 were involved in phytohormone signaling and pollen development with significant effects on seed number, seed weight, and grain yield in drought conditions. By integrating GWAS and RNA-seq, 215 promising CGs were associated with developmental process, reproductive processes, cell wall organization, and response to stress. GWAS and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of leaf and seed in the yield contrasting accessions identified BIG1-D, CAND1, and DRG3 genes for yield variation.DiscussionThe results of our study provide insights into the genetic control of drought tolerance and the improvement of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for breeding high-yield and drought-tolerant varieties.
Decline in unmet needs for cataract surgery among the ageing population in India: findings from LASI, wave-1
Authors: Das Sasmita , Sinha Abhinav , Kanungo Srikanta , Pati Sanghamitra 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionCataracts are the leading cause of blindness among older people, but they can be treated with corrective surgery. India boasts the oldest blindness control programme in the world. We aimed to assess the prevalence of cataract surgery, and we compared the determinants of undergoing cataract surgery and identified the unmet needs for cataract surgery among older adults in India.MethodsWe included 52,380 individuals aged ≥50 years from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, wave-1. The primary outcome measures of our study were the prevalence of cataract surgery and the unmet need for cataract surgery. Multivariate analysis was executed to investigate the association between socio-demographic variables and outcomes, expressing the results as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe overall prevalence of cataracts was 14.85%. The coverage of cataract surgery was 76.95%, with 23% having unmet needs for cataract surgery. Notably, cataract surgery coverage was higher at 78.30% (95% CI: 76.88–79.48) among participants aged 66–80 years, while the percentage of those who did not undergo cataract surgery was higher at 24.62% (95% CI: 23.09–26.20) among participants aged 50–60 years. The most deprived group had a higher odds ratio [adjusted odds ratio: 1.20 (95% CI: 1.00–1.44)] (p &lt; 0.05) of having unmet needs for cataract surgery.ConclusionsThere is a considerable burden of age-related cataracts in India. While the coverage of cataract surgery is high, the unmet need for cataract surgery cannot be overlooked. The existing blindness control programme has contributed significantly to increasing the coverage of cataract surgery, but it still needs to be strengthened, especially to reach the most deprived sections of society.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage-associated brain injury and neurobehavioral deficits are reversed with synthetic adropin treatment through sustained Ser1179 phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Dodd William S. , Patel Devan , Laurent Dimitri , Lucke-Wold Brandon , Hosaka Koji , Johnson Richard D. , Chalouhi Nohra , Butler Andrew A. , Candelario-Jalil Eduardo , Hoh Brian L. 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundSubarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening vascular condition without satisfactory treatment options. The secreted peptide adropin is highly expressed in the human brain and has neuroprotective effects in brain injury models, including actions involving the cerebrovasculature. Here, we report an endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-dependent effect of synthetic adropin treatment that reverses the deleterious effects of SAH.MethodsWe tested the molecular, cellular, and physiological responses of cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells and two mouse models of SAH to treatment using synthetic adropin peptide or vehicle.ResultsSAH decreases adropin expression in cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells and in murine brain tissue. In two validated mouse SAH models, synthetic adropin reduced cerebral edema, preserved tight junction protein expression, and abolished microthrombosis at 1 day post-SAH. Adropin treatment also prevented delayed cerebral vasospasm, decreased neuronal apoptosis, and reduced sensorimotor deficits at seven days post-SAH. Delaying initial treatment of adropin until 24 h post-SAH preserved the beneficial effect of adropin in preventing vasospasm and sensorimotor deficits. Mechanistically, adropin treatment increased eNOS phosphorylation (Ser1179) at 1 &amp; 7 days post-SAH. Treating eNOS−/− mice with adropin failed to prevent vasospasm or behavioral deficits, indicating a requirement of eNOS signaling.ConclusionsAdropin is an effective treatment for SAH, reducing cerebrovascular injury in both the acute (1 day) and delayed (7 days) phases. These findings establish the potential of adropin or adropin mimetics to improve outcomes following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Application of modified porcine xenograft by collagen coating in the veterinary field: pre-clinical and clinical evaluations
Authors: Jo Hyun Min , Jang Kwangsik , Shim Kyung Mi , Bae Chunsik , Park Jung Bok , Kang Seong Soo , Kim Se Eun 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionThis study aimed to identify a collagen-coating method that does not affect the physicochemical properties of bone graft material. Based on this, we developed a collagen-coated porcine xenograft and applied it to dogs to validate its effectiveness.MethodsXenografts and collagen were derived from porcine, and the collagen coating was performed through N-ethyl-N’-(3- (dimethylamino)propyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) activation. The physicochemical characteristics of the developed bone graft material were verified through field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), brunauer emmett teller (BET), attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and water absorption test. Subsequently, the biocompatibility and bone healing effects were assessed using a rat calvarial defect model.ResultsThe physicochemical test results confirmed that collagen coating increased bone graft materials’ surface roughness and fluid absorption but did not affect their porous structure. In vivo evaluations revealed that collagen coating had no adverse impact on the bone healing effect of bone graft materials. After confirming the biocompatibility and effectiveness, we applied the bone graft materials in two orthopedic cases and one dental case. Notably, successful fracture healing was observed in both orthopedic cases. In the dental case, successful bone regeneration was achieved without any loss of alveolar bone.DiscussionThis study demonstrated that porcine bone graft material promotes bone healing in dogs with its hemostatic and cohesive effects resulting from the collagen coating. Bone graft materials with enhanced biocompatibility through collagen coating are expected to be widely used in veterinary clinical practice.
Robust Fluorometric Aptamer Assay for Direct and Rapid Detection of Clinical Isolates of Candida spec.
Authors: Zhang Yiting , Xing Hu , Bolotnikov Grigory , Krämer Markus , Bozdogan Anil , Kissmann Ann-Kathrin , Weil Tanja , Spellerberg Barbara , Stenger Steffen , Rosenau Frank 
Published: March 2024

Infections caused by yeasts of the genus Candida are likely to occur not only in immunocompromised patients but also in healthy individuals, leading to infections of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and respiratory tract. Due to the rapid increase in the frequency of reported Candidiasis cases in recent years, diagnostic research has become the subject of many studies, and therefore, we developed a polyclonal aptamer library-based fluorometric assay with high specificity and affinity towards Candida spec. to quantify the pathogens in clinical samples with high sensitivity. We recently obtained the specific aptamer library R10, which explicitly recognized Candida and evolved it by mimicking an early skin infection model caused by Candida using the FluCell-SELEX system. In the follow-up study presented here, we demonstrate that the aptamer library R10-based bioassay specifically recognizes invasive clinical Candida isolates, including not only C. albicans but also strains like C. tropcialis, C. krusei, or C. glabrata. The next-generation fluorometric bioassay presented here can reliably and easily detect an early Candida infection and could be used for further clinical research or could even be developed into a full in vitro diagnostic tool.
DCEF2-YOLO: Aerial Detection YOLO with Deformable Convolution–Efficient Feature Fusion for Small Target Detection
Authors: Shin Yeonha , Shin Heesub , Ok Jaewoo , Back Minyoung , Youn Jaehyuk , Kim Sungho 
Published: March 2024

Deep learning technology for real-time small object detection in aerial images can be used in various industrial environments such as real-time traffic surveillance and military reconnaissance. However, detecting small objects with few pixels and low resolution remains a challenging problem that requires performance improvement. To improve the performance of small object detection, we propose DCEF 2-YOLO. Our proposed method enables efficient real-time small object detection by using a deformable convolution (DFConv) module and an efficient feature fusion structure to maximize the use of the internal feature information of objects. DFConv preserves small object information by preventing the mixing of object information with the background. The optimized feature fusion structure produces high-quality feature maps for efficient real-time small object detection while maximizing the use of limited information. Additionally, modifying the input data processing stage and reducing the detection layer to suit small object detection also contributes to performance improvement. When compared to the performance of the latest YOLO-based models (such as DCN-YOLO and YOLOv7), DCEF 2-YOLO outperforms them, with a mAP of +6.1% on the DOTA-v1.0 test set, +0.3% on the NWPU VHR-10 test set, and +1.5% on the VEDAI512 test set. Furthermore, it has a fast processing speed of 120.48 FPS with an RTX3090 for 512 × 512 images, making it suitable for real-time small object detection tasks.