bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mesoscale structures in the Orinoco basin during an extreme precipitation event in the tropical Andes
Authors: Martinez J. Alejandro , Arias Paola A. , Dominguez Francina , Prein Andreas 
Published: January 2024

During the night of March 31st, 2017, a severe precipitation event affected the city of Mocoa, in the tropical Andes. Total 24-h accumulated precipitation during that day was the fourth largest on record. Satellite data shows that the event was associated with a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) that formed over the Amazon and moved westward, reaching the tropical Andes. Reanalysis data suggests that a rapid intensification of the Orinoco Low-Level Jet (OLLJ) traveling southwestward parallel to the Andes was a precursor that favored the zones of convergence for MCS formation. Upstream intensification of the OLLJ was evident 8 h prior to the Mocoa precipitation event. Given the lack of a dense network of observations in this understudied region, we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) to explore the plausible mesoscale structures in the OLLJ region associated with the initiation and development of the MCS. We study an ensemble of simulations with different grid spacings (12, 4 and 1.3 km) and Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) schemes (YSU, MYNN and QNSE). The more realistic MCSs were obtained with the QNSE and YSU schemes, given that the corresponding simulations included a density current in the lowest levels moving parallel to the Andes, with a sharp line of convergence and large vertical velocities over the leading edge of the mesoscale disturbance. In contrast, the MYNN scheme produced a weaker OLLJ and no density current. It is suggested that the stronger vertical mixing in the MYNN scheme was associated with the vertical dilution of the OLLJ, and with a much weaker low-level traveling perturbation via the upward radiation of energy by gravity waves. Our results help to better understand flood-producing extreme events over the poorly studied Andes-Amazon region and provide the groundwork for improved predictability of such storms.
Dynamic variation and driving mechanisms of land use change from 1980 to 2020 in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China
Authors: Shang Shouwei , Cui Tingting , Wang Yintang , Gao Qitao , Liu Yong 
Published: January 2024

To systematically explore land use/cover change (LUCC) trends and driving mechanisms at the large watershed scale under the background of climate change and rapid urbanization. Taking the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (LRYR) as the research object, based on the land use remote sensing monitoring data from 1980 to 2020, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of LUCC in LRYR were analyzed by adopting the methods of land use dynamics degree (LUDD) and hotspot analysis and used geospatial detectors to quantitatively assess the intensity of the role of the land use change drivers in the LRYR. The results show that: 1) The land-use types in LRYR were dominated by arable land and woodland, accounting for more than 70% of the total area. During the study period, the construction land area increased by 11,835 km2, and became the third largest land-use type in LRYR after 2010 and formed a typical urban contiguous zone along the route from Nanjing to Shanghai. 2) The land use degree comprehensive index (LUDCI) in LRYR at each stage is 270.91, 270.88, 272.22, 272.72, 274.00, 275.57, 276.93 and 280.37, respectively. LUCC in LRYR has become more dramatic, and there is significant spatial heterogeneity. Shanghai has always been a hot area of LUCC and Huangshan and Chizhou are cold spots of LUCC. 3) The driving mechanism of LUCC in LRYR can be divided into three stages. In these three stages, secondary industry output value, precipitation, and elevation are always important factors affecting LUCC. The interaction between driving factors is significant. The strongest interaction is the output value of the secondary industry ∩ precipitation, the interaction reaches above 0.6. The research results are of great significance for promoting the sustainable development of land use in this region.
Primary biliary cirrhosis and psoriasis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhao Diqian , Zhao Qinyu , Xu Fangwei , Zhang Fang , Bai Wenzhe 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundPrimary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and psoriasis are frequently observed to co-occur in clinical settings. However, the causal associations and underlying mechanisms between PBC and psoriasis remain poorly defined.MethodsIn this study, we conducted bidirectional MR analysis to explore the causal relationship between PBC and psoriasis using four MR methods: inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode. Sensitivity analyses were carried out, employing different models and testing methods for comparison to assess the influence of heterogeneity and pleiotropy on our findings and to confirm the robustness of these results.ResultsA causal relationship between the risk of PBC and psoriasis was identified, as confirmed by IVW analysis (OR: 1.081, 95%CI: 1.028~1.137, P&lt;0.05). The other three MR methods also produced similar results. However, psoriasis did not have a causal effect on PBC risk (OR: 1.022, 95%CI: 0.935~1.118, P&gt;0.05). The intercept of MR-Egger regression was 0.0013 (P&gt;0.05), indicating that genetic pleiotropy did not influence the results. Additionally, the leave-one-out analysis demonstrated the robustness of our MR findings.ConclusionThis study reveals a causal relationship between PBC and psoriasis, with PBC increasing the risk of psoriasis, but not the reverse. This potential causal relationship offers a new perspective on the etiology of PBC.
Reduction of retinal vessel density in non-exudative macular neovascularization: a retrospective study
Authors: Gao Yang , Zhang Su , Zhao Yue , Yang Tingting , Moreira Paulo , Sun Guangli 
Published: January 2024

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify predictive activation biomarkers in retinal microvascular characteristics of non-exudative macular neovascularization (MNV) and avoid delayed treatment or overtreatment of subclinical MNV. The main objective is to contribute to the international debate on a new understanding of the role of retinal vessel features in the pathogenesis and progression of non-exudative MNV and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A discussion on revising-related clinical protocols is presented.MethodsIn this retrospective study, the authors included eyes with non-exudative MNV, eyes with exudative AMD, and normal eyes of age-matched healthy subjects. The parameters were obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).ResultsIn total, 21 eyes with exudative AMD, 21 eyes with non-exudative MNV, and 20 eyes of 20 age-matched healthy subjects without retinal pathology were included. Vessel density (VD) of the deep vascular complex (DVC) in eyes with non-exudative MNV was significantly greater than that in eyes with exudative AMD (p = 0.002), while for superficial vascular plexus (SVP) metrics, no VD differences among sectors were observed between eyes with non-exudative MNV and eyes with exudative AMD.ConclusionThe reduction in retinal vessel density, especially in the DVC, seems to be involved in or be accompanied by non-exudative MNV activation and should be closely monitored during follow-up visits in order to ensure prompt anti-angiogenic therapy. A discussion on applicable clinical protocols is presented aiming to contribute to new insights into ophthalmology service development which is directed to this specific type of patient and diagnosis.
Nutrient-dependent cross-kingdom interactions in the hyphosphere of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus
Authors: Faghihinia Maede , Halverson Larry J. , Hršelová Hana , Bukovská Petra , Rozmoš Martin , Kotianová Michala , Jansa Jan 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThe hyphosphere of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is teeming with microbial life. Yet, the influence of nutrient availability or nutrient forms on the hyphosphere microbiomes is still poorly understood.MethodsHere, we examined how the microbial community (prokaryotic, fungal, protistan) was affected by the presence of the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis in the rhizosphere and the root-free zone, and how different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supplements into the root-free compartment influenced the communities.ResultsThe presence of AM fungus greatly affected microbial communities both in the rhizosphere and the root-free zone, with prokaryotic communities being affected the most. Protists were the only group of microbes whose richness and diversity were significantly reduced by the presence of the AM fungus. Our results showed that the type of nutrients AM fungi encounter in localized patches modulate the structure of hyphosphere microbial communities. In contrast we did not observe any effects of the AM fungus on (non-mycorrhizal) fungal community composition. Compared to the non-mycorrhizal control, the root-free zone with the AM fungus (i.e., the AM fungal hyphosphere) was enriched with Alphaproteobacteria, some micropredatory and copiotroph bacterial taxa (e.g., Xanthomonadaceae and Bacteroidota), and the poorly characterized and not yet cultured Acidobacteriota subgroup GP17, especially when phytate was added. Ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas and nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira were significantly suppressed in the presence of the AM fungus in the root-free compartment, especially upon addition of inorganic N. Co-occurrence network analyses revealed that microbial communities in the root-free compartment were complex and interconnected with more keystone species when AM fungus was present, especially when the root-free compartment was amended with phytate.ConclusionOur study showed that the form of nutrients is an important driver of prokaryotic and eukaryotic community assembly in the AM fungal hyphosphere, despite the assumed presence of a stable and specific AM fungal hyphoplane microbiome. Predictable responses of specific microbial taxa will open the possibility of using them as co-inoculants with AM fungi, e.g., to improve crop performance.
Stratified predictions of upper limb motor outcomes after stroke
Authors: Park Chang-hyun , Kim Min-Su 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionLongitudinal observations of upper limb motor recovery after stroke have suggested that certain subgroups may exhibit distinct recovery patterns. Here we sought to examine whether the predictive ability for post-stroke upper limb motor outcomes could be enhanced by applying conventional stratification strategies.MethodFor 60 individuals who suffered the first stroke, upper limb motor impairment was assessed with the upper extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (UE-FMA) at 2 weeks as a baseline and then 3 months post-stroke. Brain structural damage at baseline was assessed by MRI data-derived markers ranging from traditional lesion size to the lesion load and to the disconnectome. Linear regression models for predicting upper limb motor outcomes (UE-FMA score at 3 months post-stroke) based on baseline upper limb motor impairment (UE-FMA score at 2 weeks post-stroke), brain structural damage, and their combinations were generated, and those with the best predictive performance were determined for individual subgroups stratified according to initial impairment (severe and non-severe), lesion location (cortical and non-cortical), and neurophysiological status (motor evoked potential-positive and motor evoked potential-negative).ResultsThe best predictions were made by baseline upper limb motor impairment alone for subgroups with less functional impairment (non-severe) or less structural involvement (non-cortical), but by the combination of baseline upper limb motor impairment and brain structural damage for the other subgroups. The predictive models tailored for subgroups determined according to initial impairment and neurophysiological status yielded a smaller overall error than that for the whole group in upper limb motor outcome predictions.DiscussionThe predictive ability for upper limb motor outcomes could be enhanced beyond the one-size-fits-all model for all individuals with stroke by applying specific stratification strategies, with stratification according to initial impairment being the most promising. We expect that predictive models tailored for individual subgroups could lead closer to the personalized prognosis of upper limb motor outcomes after stroke.
Exploratory analysis on the relationship between dietary live microbe intake and arthritis: a national population based cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Yiping , Xing Yida , Kong Xiaodan 
Published: January 2024

ObjectiveThe pathogenesis of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether the intake of live dietary microbes can be used as an auxiliary means for the treatment of arthritis.MethodsData used in the present research were originated from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003–2018. Participants involved in the present study were categorized into three groups based on the dietary live microbe classification system, namely low, medium, and high dietary live microbe groups. The analyses utilized weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The restricted cubic spline plot was used to explore the relationship between the high dietary live microbe group and the odds of arthritis.Results12,844 participants were included in the present study. The intake of high live dietary microbes in RA group was lower than that in healthy control group and OA group. The proportion of RA patients in the high live dietary microbe group was lower than that in the low and medium live dietary microbe group. Following the comprehensive adjustment for covariates, it was observed that participants in both the high and medium dietary live microbe groups exhibited lower odds of RA compared to those in the low dietary live microbe group (High OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53–0.96; Medium OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.59–1.00, p = 0.02). A restricted cubic spline plot indicates a negative correlation between the quantity of dietary live microbes and the occurrence of RA within the high dietary live microbe group.ConclusionThe results of our study revealed a significant difference in dietary live microbe intake between healthy and RA patients. Higher dietary intake was correlated with a decreased odds of RA. However, no significant association was found between the occurrence of OA and the quantity of dietary live microbes.
Trends in research related to fetal therapy from 2012 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Jia Yang , Liang Xiaoling , Liu Lini , Ma Huixi , Xu Chenhao , Zeng Jingyuan , Xu Rong , Ye Lu , Xie Linjun 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundThe development of prenatal diagnosis technology allows prompt detection of severe fetal diseases. To address adverse factors that threaten fetal survival, fetal therapy came into existence, which aims to preserve the function after birth to a higher degree and improve the quality of life.ObjectiveTo conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of studies on fetal therapy in the past decade and explore the research trends and hotspots in this field.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search on the Web of Science Core Collection to retrieve studies related to fetal therapy published from 2012 to 2022. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the key features of studies, including annual output, countries/regions, institutions, authors, references, research hotspots, and frontiers.ResultsA total of 9,715 articles were included after eliminating duplicates. The annual distribution of the number of articles showed that the number of articles published in fetal therapy had increased in the past decade. Countries and institutions showed that fetal therapy is more mature in the United States. Author analysis showed the core investigators in the field. Keyword analysis showed the clustering and emergence frequency, which helped summarize the research results and frontier hotspots in this field. The cocited references were sorted out to determine the literature with a high ranking of fetal therapy in recent years, and the research trend in recent years was analyzed.ConclusionsThis study reveals that countries, institutions, and researchers should promote wider cooperation and establish multicenter research cooperation in fetal therapy research. Moreover, fetal therapy has been gradually explored from traditional surgical treatment to gene therapy and stem cell therapy. In recent years, fetoscopic laser surgery, guideline, and magnetic resonance imaging have become the research hotspots in the field.
A minimal PBPK model to accelerate preclinical development of drugs against tuberculosis
Authors: Reali Federico , Fochesato Anna , Kaddi Chanchala , Visintainer Roberto , Watson Shayne , Levi Micha , Dartois Véronique , Azer Karim , Marchetti Luca 
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Understanding drug exposure at disease target sites is pivotal to profiling new drug candidates in terms of tolerability and efficacy. Such quantification is particularly tedious for anti-tuberculosis (TB) compounds as the heterogeneous pulmonary microenvironment due to the infection may alter lung permeability and affect drug disposition. Murine models have been a longstanding support in TB research so far and are here used as human surrogates to unveil the distribution of several anti-TB compounds at the site-of-action via a novel and centralized PBPK design framework.Methods: As an intermediate approach between data-driven pharmacokinetic (PK) models and whole-body physiologically based (PB) PK models, we propose a parsimonious framework for PK investigation (minimal PBPK approach) that retains key physiological processes involved in TB disease, while reducing computational costs and prior knowledge requirements. By lumping together pulmonary TB-unessential organs, our minimal PBPK model counts 9 equations compared to the 36 of published full models, accelerating the simulation more than 3-folds in Matlab 2022b.Results: The model has been successfully tested and validated against 11 anti-TB compounds—rifampicin, rifapentine, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, isoniazid, moxifloxacin, delamanid, pretomanid, bedaquiline, OPC-167832, GSK2556286 - showing robust predictability power in recapitulating PK dynamics in mice. Structural inspections on the proposed design have ensured global identifiability and listed free fraction in plasma and blood-to-plasma ratio as top sensitive parameters for PK metrics. The platform-oriented implementation allows fast comparison of the compounds in terms of exposure and target attainment. Discrepancies in plasma and lung levels for the latest BPaMZ and HPMZ regimens have been analyzed in terms of their impact on preclinical experiment design and on PK/PD indices.Conclusion: The framework we developed requires limited drug- and species-specific information to reconstruct accurate PK dynamics, delivering a unified viewpoint on anti-TB drug distribution at the site-of-action and a flexible fit-for-purpose tool to accelerate model-informed drug design pipelines and facilitate translation into the clinic.
P2X4 signalling contributes to hyperactivity but not pain sensitization comorbidity in a mouse model of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Bou Sader Nehme Sarah , Sanchez-Sarasua Sandra , Adel Ramy , Tuifua Marie , Ali Awatef , Essawy Amina E. , Abdel Salam Sherine , Hleihel Walid , Boué-Grabot Eric , Landry Marc 
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity that often persist until adulthood. Frequent comorbid disorders accompany ADHD and two thirds of children diagnosed with ADHD also suffer from behavioural disorders and from alteration of sensory processing. We recently characterized the comorbidity between ADHD-like symptoms and pain sensitisation in a pharmacological mouse model of ADHD, and we demonstrated the implication of the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior insula. However, few studies have explored the causal mechanisms underlying the interactions between ADHD and pain. The implication of inflammatory mechanisms has been suggested but the signalling pathways involved have not been explored.Methods: We investigated the roles of purinergic signalling, at the crossroad of pain and neuroinflammatory pathways, by using a transgenic mouse line that carries a total deletion of the P2X4 receptor.Results: We demonstrated that P2X4 deletion prevents hyperactivity in the mouse model of ADHD. In contrast, the absence of P2X4 lowered thermal pain thresholds in sham conditions and did not affect pain sensitization in ADHD-like conditions. We further analysed microglia reactivity and the expression of inflammatory markers in wild type and P2X4KO mice. Our results revealed that P2X4 deletion limits microglia reactivity but at the same time exerts proinflammatory effects in the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior insula.Conclusion: This dual role of P2X4 could be responsible for the differential effects noted on ADHD-like symptoms and pain sensitization and calls for further studies to investigate the therapeutic benefit of targeting the P2X4 receptor in ADHD patients.
Representative QRS loop of the VCG record evaluation
Authors: Kijonka Jan , Vavra Petr , Penhaker Marek , Kubicek Jan 
Published: January 2024

Introduction: This study proposes an algorithm for preprocessing VCG records to obtain a representative QRS loop.Methods: The proposed algorithm uses the following methods: Digital filtering to remove noise from the signal, wavelet-based detection of ECG fiducial points and isoelectric PQ intervals, spatial alignment of QRS loops, QRS time synchronization using root mean square error minimization and ectopic QRS elimination. The representative QRS loop is calculated as the average of all QRS loops in the VCG record. The algorithm is evaluated on 161 VCG records from a database of 58 healthy control subjects, 69 patients with myocardial infarction, and 34 patients with bundle branch block. The morphologic intra-individual beat-to-beat variability rate is calculated for each VCG record.Results and Discussion: The maximum relative deviation is 12.2% for healthy control subjects, 19.3% for patients with myocardial infarction, and 17.2% for patients with bundle branch block. The performance of the algorithm is assessed by measuring the morphologic variability before and after QRS time synchronization and ectopic QRS elimination. The variability is reduced by a factor of 0.36 for healthy control subjects, 0.38 for patients with myocardial infarction, and 0.41 for patients with bundle branch block. The proposed algorithm can be used to generate a representative QRS loop for each VCG record. This representative QRS loop can be used to visualize, compare, and further process VCG records for automatic VCG record classification.