bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MET receptor serves as a promising target in melanoma brain metastases
Authors: Redmer Torben , Schumann Elisa , Peters Kristin , Weidemeier Martin E. , Nowak Stephan , Schroeder Henry W. S. , Vidal Anna , Radbruch Helena , Lehmann Annika , Kreuzer-Redmer Susanne , Jürchott Karsten , Radke Josefine 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe development of brain metastases hallmarks disease progression in 20–40% of melanoma patients and is a serious obstacle to therapy. Understanding the processes involved in the development and maintenance of melanoma brain metastases (MBM) is critical for the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we generated transcriptome and methylome profiles of MBM showing high or low abundance of infiltrated Iba1high tumor-associated microglia and macrophages (TAMs). Our survey identified potential prognostic markers of favorable disease course and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICi) therapy, among them APBB1IP and the interferon-responsive gene ITGB7. In MBM with high ITGB7/APBB1IP levels, the accumulation of TAMs correlated significantly with the immune score. Signature-based deconvolution of MBM via single sample GSEA revealed enrichment of interferon-response and immune signatures and revealed inflammation, stress and MET receptor signaling. MET receptor phosphorylation/activation maybe elicited by inflammatory processes in brain metastatic melanoma cells via stroma cell-released HGF. We found phospho-METY1234/1235 in a subset of MBM and observed a marked response of brain metastasis-derived cell lines (BMCs) that lacked druggable BRAF mutations or developed resistance to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) in vivo to MET inhibitors PHA-665752 and ARQ197 (tivantinib). In summary, the activation of MET receptor in brain colonizing melanoma cells by stromal cell-released HGF may promote tumor self-maintenance and expansion and might counteract ICi therapy. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of MET possibly serves as a promising strategy to control intracranial progressive disease and improve patient survival.
Increased incidence of motor neuron disease in Sweden: a population-based study during 2002–2021
Authors: Imrell Sofia , Fang Fang , Ingre Caroline , Sennfält Stefan 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Motor neuron diseases (MND), with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis constituting most cases, are rare conditions of unknown etiology. There have been reports of an increase in incidence during the latter half of the twentieth century in various Western countries, including Sweden. This study provides updated data on the incidence of MND in Sweden during the last 20 years.

Methods
Data was obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register on individuals diagnosed with MND from 2002 to 2021 and analysed in relation to group level data for the entire Swedish population. Incidence rates were calculated and presented in relation to year, age, sex, and region.

Results
In the early 2000s, there was a crude incidence rate of 3.5–3.7 per 100,000 person-years, which then increased to 4.0–4.6 from 2008 onward. Age standardization to the starting year (2002) partially mitigated this increase. The incidence rate was greater among men compared to women and was highest within the age range of 70 to 84 years. There were indications of a higher incidence rate in the northernmost parts of the country, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions
The incidence rate of MND in Sweden now seems to have surpassed 4 cases per 100,000 person-years. This is higher when compared to both other European countries and previous Swedish studies. It remains to be determined if this increase reflects an actual increasing incidence of MND in Sweden or is due to other factors such as better registry coverage.
Effects of bovine whey protein on exercise-induced gut permeability in healthy adults: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ulluwishewa Dulantha , Nicholls Grayson , Henderson Harold , Bernstein Daniel , Fraser Karl , Barnett Matthew P. G. , Barnes Matthew J. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Intestinal permeability is a critical component of gut barrier function. Barrier dysfunction can be triggered by certain stressors such as exercise, and if left unmanaged can lead to local and systemic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a specific whey protein fraction in alleviating exercise-induced gut permeability as assessed by recovery of lactulose/rhamnose (L/R) and lactulose/mannitol (L/M) urinary probes.

Methods
Eight males and eight females (aged 18–50) completed two arms of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. For each arm participants performed two baseline intestinal permeability assessments, following which they consumed the treatment (2 g/day of milk powder containing 200 mg of whey protein) or placebo (2 g/day of milk powder) for 14 days, before performing a post-exercise permeability assessment. The exercise protocol involved a 20-min run at 80% of maximal oxygen uptake on a 1% incline.

Results
Mixed model analysis revealed an increase in L/R (23%; P < 0.001) and L/M (20%; P < 0.01) recovery following exercise. However, there was no treatment or treatment × exercise effect.

Conclusion
The exercise protocol utilised in our study induces gut permeability. However, consuming whey protein, at the dose and timing prescribed, is not able to mitigate this effect.
Increased expression of CD70 in relapsed acute myeloid leukemia after hypomethylating agents
Authors: Marques-Piubelli Mario L. , Kumar Bijender , Basar Rafet , Panowski Siler , Srinivasan Surabhi , Norwood Kevin , Prashad Sacha , Szenes Victoria , Balakumaran Arun , Arandhya Akanksha , Lu Wei , Khan Khaja , Duenas Daniela , McAllen Salome , Gomez Javier A , Burks Jared K. , Acharyal Sunil , Borthakur Gautam , Wang Wei-Lien , Wang Wei , Wang Sa , Solis Luisa M. , Marin David , Rezvani Katayoun , Daher May , Vega Francisco 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. While induction chemotherapy leads to remission in most patients, a significant number will experience relapse. Therefore, there is a need for novel therapies that can improve remission rates in patients with relapsed and refractory AML. CD70 is the natural ligand for CD27 (a member of the TNF superfamily) and appears to be a promising therapeutic target. Consequently, there is considerable interest in developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy products that can specifically target CD70 in various neoplasms, including AML. In this study, we employed routine diagnostic techniques, such as immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, to investigate the expression of CD70 in bone marrow samples from treatment-naïve and relapsed AML patients after hypomethylating agents (HMA). Also, we evaluated the impact of HMA on CD70 expression and examined CD70 expression in various leukemic cell subsets and normal hematopoietic progenitors.
Video deepfake detection using Particle Swarm Optimization improved deep neural networks
Authors: Cunha Leandro , Zhang Li , Sowan Bilal , Lim Chee Peng , Kong Yinghui 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAs complexity and capabilities of Artificial Intelligence technologies increase, so does its potential for misuse. Deepfake videos are an example. They are created with generative models which produce media that replicates the voices and faces of real people. Deepfake videos may be entertaining, but they may also put privacy and security at risk. A criminal may forge a video of a politician or another notable person in order to affect public opinions or deceive others. Approaches for detecting and protecting against these types of forgery must evolve as well as the methods of generation to ensure that proper information is supplied and to mitigate the risks associated with the fast evolution of deepfakes. This research exploits the effectiveness of deepfake detection algorithms with the application of a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) variant for hyperparameter selection. Since Convolutional Neural Networks excel in recognizing objects and patterns in visual data while Recurrent Neural Networks are proficient at handling sequential data, in this research, we propose a hybrid EfficientNet-Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) network as well as EfficientNet-B0-based transfer learning for video forgery classification. A new PSO algorithm is proposed for hyperparameter search, which incorporates composite leaders and reinforcement learning-based search strategy allocation to mitigate premature convergence. To assess whether an image or a video is manipulated, both models are trained on datasets containing deepfake and genuine photographs and videos. The empirical results indicate that the proposed PSO-based EfficientNet-GRU and EfficientNet-B0 networks outperform the counterparts with manual and optimal learning configurations yielded by other search methods for several deepfake datasets.
Improving speed control characteristics of PMDC motor drives using nonlinear PI control
Authors: Çelik Emre , Bal Güngör , Öztürk Nihat , Bekiroglu Erdal , Houssein Essam H. , Ocak Cemil , Sharma Gulshan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis paper introduces a nonlinear PI controller for improved speed regulation in permanent magnet direct current (PMDC) motor drive systems. The nonlinearity comes from the exponential (Exp) block placed in front of the classical PI controller, which uses a tunable exponential function to map the speed error nonlinearly. Such a configuration has not been studied till now, thus meriting further investigation. We consider an exponential PI (EXP-PI) controller and to attain the best performance from this controller, its parameters are optimized offline using salp swarm algorithm (SSA), which borrows its inspiration from the way of forage and navigation of salps living in deep oceans. To indicate the credibility of SSA tuned EXP-PI controller convincingly, numerous experiments on speed regulation in PMDC motor have been implemented using DSP of TMS320F28335. The results obtained are also compared to similar results in the literature. It is shown that the proposed approach performs well in practice by ensuring tight tracking of the speed reference and superb torque disturbance rejection for the closed loop control. Furthermore, superior performance is achieved by the proposed nonlinear PI controller with respect to a fixed-gain PI controller.
The association between lumbar lordosis preoperatively and changes in PROMs for lumbar spinal stenosis patients 2 years after spinal surgery: radiological and clinical results from the NORDSTEN-spinal stenosis trial
Authors: Wänman Johan , Åkerstedt Josefin , Banitalebi Hasan , Myklebust Tor Åge , Weber Clemens , Storheim Kjersti , Austevoll Ivar Magne , Hellum Christian , Indrekvam Kari , Brisby Helena , Hermansen Erland 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) sometimes have lower lumbar lordosis (LL), and the incidence of LSS correlates closely with the loss of LL. The few studies that have evaluated the association between LL and clinical outcomes after non-instrumented surgery for LSS show conflicting results. This study investigates the association between preoperative LL and changes in PROMs 2 years after decompressive surgery.

Method
This prospective cohort study obtained preoperative and postoperative data for 401 patients from the multicenter randomized controlled spinal stenosis trial as part of the NORwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal STENosis (NORDSTEN) study. Before surgery, the radiological sagittal alignment parameter LL was measured using standing X-rays. The association between LL and 2-year postoperative changes was analyzed using the oswestry disability index (ODI), a numeric rating scale (NRS) for low back and leg pain, the Zurich claudication questionnaire (ZCQ), and the global perceived effect (GPE) score. The changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery for quintiles of lumbar lordosis were adjusted for the respective baseline PROMs: age, sex, smoking, and BMI. The Schizas index and the Pfirrmann index were used to analyze multiple regressions for changes in PROMs.

Results
There were no associations in the adjusted and unadjusted analyses between preoperative LL and changes in ODI, ZCQ, GPE, and NRS for back and leg pain 2 years after surgery.

Conclusion
LL before surgery was not associated with changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery. Lumbar lordosis should not be a factor when considering decompressive surgery for LSS.
Whiplash trauma did not predict jaw pain after 2 years: an explorative study
Authors: Böthun Alicia , Lövgren Anna , Stålnacke Britt-Marie , Lampa Ewa , Österlund Catharina , Häggman-Henrikson Birgitta , Hellström Fredrik 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Objectives
To explore predictive factors for the development and maintenance of jaw pain over a 2-year period.

Methods
One hundred nineteen cases (73 women) and 104 controls (59 women), mean age 34.9 years (SD 13.9), attended baseline and 2-year follow-up examinations. The whiplash cases visited the emergency department at Umeå University Hospital, Sweden, with neck pain within 72 h following a car accident, and baseline questionnaires were answered within a month after trauma. Controls were recruited via advertising. Inclusion criteria were age 18–70 years, living in Umeå municipality and Swedish speaking. The exclusion criterion was neck fracture for cases and a previous neck trauma for controls. Validated questionnaires recommended in the standardized Research Diagnostic Criteria for temporomandibular disorders were used. Jaw pain was assessed by two validated screening questions answered with “yes” or “no.” A logistic regression analysis was used to predict the outcome variable jaw pain (yes/no) after 2 years.

Results
Whiplash trauma did not increase the odds of development of jaw pain over a 2-year period (OR 1.97, 95% CI 0.53–7.38). However, non-specific physical symptoms (OR 8.56, 95% CI 1.08–67.67) and female gender (OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.09–22.02) did increase the odds for jaw pain after 2 years.

Conclusion
The development and maintenance of jaw pain after whiplash trauma are primarily not related to the trauma itself, but more associated with physical symptoms.

Clinical relevance
The development of jaw pain in connection with a whiplash trauma needs to be seen in a biopsychosocial perspective, and early assessment is recommended.
Monitoring of spatio-temporal properties with nonlinear SAT solvers
Authors: Matos Pedro André , Silva Tomás , Sequeira Tiago , Lourenço João , Seco João Costa , Ferreira Carla 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe automotive industry is increasingly dependent on computing systems with different critical requirements. The verification and validation methods for these systems are now leveraging complex AI methods, for which the decision algorithms introduce non-determinism, especially in autonomous driving. This paper presents a runtime verification technique agnostic to the target system, which focuses on monitoring spatio-temporal properties that abstract the evolution of objects’ behavior in their spatial and temporal flow. First, a formalization of three known traffic rules (from the Vienna convention on road traffic) is presented, where a spatio-temporal logic fragment is used. Then, these logical expressions are translated to a monitoring model written in first-order logic, where they are processed by a non-linear satisfiability solver. Finally, the translation allows the solver to check the validity of the encoded properties according to an instance of a specific traffic scenario (a trace). The results obtained from our tool, which automatically generates a monitor from a formula, show that our approach is feasible for online monitoring in a real-world environment.
Bolder together: conformity drives behavioral plasticity in eastern gartersnakes
Authors: Skinner Morgan , Nagabaskaran Gokulan , Gantert Tom , Miller Noam 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Personality traits drive individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across time and context. Personality limits behavioural plasticity, which could lead to maladaptive choices if animals cannot adapt their behavior to changing conditions. Here, we assessed consistency and flexibility in one personality trait, boldness, across non-social and social contexts in eastern gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Snakes explored a novel open arena either alone or in a pair. Pairs were assigned based on the data from the solo trials, such that each snake was paired once with a bolder and once with a less bold partner. We predicted that snakes would conform when in a social context, displaying plasticity in their personality, and causing boldness scores to converge. We found that snakes were consistent within contexts (solo or paired), but changed their behavior across contexts (from solo to paired). Plasticity in boldness resulted from an interaction between conformity and repeatable individual differences in plasticity. In line with some data on other species, snakes conformed more when they were the less bold partner. Personality reflects a consistent bias in decision-making, but our results highlight that the cognitive processes that drive the expression of personality traits in behavior are flexible and sensitive to social context. We show that both consistency and plasticity combine to shape snake social behavior in ways that are responsive to competition. This pattern of behavior may be particularly beneficial for species in which group-living is seasonal.
Emergence of a clinical Salmonella enterica serovar 1,4,[5], 12: i:-isolate, ST3606, in China with susceptibility decrease to ceftazidime-avibactam carrying a novel blaCTX-M-261 variant and a blaNDM-5
Authors: Wei Jie , Shen Shimei , Zhang Qinghuan , Lu Jinping , Mao Shenglan , Zou Chunhong , Zhou Hua , Wei YeLin , Ou Xingyi , Huang Jinyu , Wang Deqiang , Li Xiaobin , Wan Qun , Shan Baoju , Zhang Zhenlin 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The detection rate of Salmonella enterica serovar 1,4,[5], 12: i: - (S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: -) has increased as the most common serotype globally. A S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: - strain named ST3606 (sequence type 34), isolated from a fecal specimen of a child with acute diarrhea hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in China, was firstly reported to be resistant to carbapenem and ceftazidime-avibactam. The aim of this study was to characterize the whole-genome sequence of S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: - isolate, ST3606, and explore its antibiotic resistance genes and their genetic environments.

Methods
The genomic DNA of S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: - ST3606 was extracted and performed with single-molecule real-time sequencing. Resistance genes, plasmid replicon type, mobile elements, and multilocus sequence types (STs) of ST3606 were identified by ResFinder 3.2, PlasmidFinder, OriTfinder database, ISfinder database, and MLST 2.0, respectively. The conjugation experiment was utilized to evaluate the conjugation frequency of pST3606-2. Protein expression and enzyme kinetics experiments of CTX-M were performed to analyze hydrolytic activity of a novel CTX-M-261 enzyme toward several antibiotics.

Results
Single-molecule real-time sequencing revealed the coexistence of a 109-kb IncI1-Iα plasmid pST3606-1 and a 70.5-kb IncFII plasmid pST3606-2. The isolate carried resistance genes, including blaNDM-5, sul1, qacE, aadA2, and
dfrA12 in pST3606-1, blaTEM-1B, aac(3)-lld, and blaCTX-M-261, a novel
blaCTX-M-1 family member, in pST3606-2, and aac(6')-Iaa in chromosome. The
blaCTX-M-261 was derived from blaCTX-M-55 by a single-nucleotide mutation 751G>A leading to amino acid substitution of Val for Met at position 251 (Val251Met), which conferred CTX-M increasing resistance to ceftazidime verified by antibiotics susceptibility testing of transconjugants carrying pST3606-2 and steady-state kinetic parameters of CTX-M-261. pST3606-1 is an IncI1-α incompatibility type that shares homology with plasmids of pC-F-164_A-OXA140, pE-T654-NDM-5, p_dm760b_NDM-5, and p_dmcr749c_NDM-5. The conjugation experiment demonstrated that pST3606-2 was successfully transferred to the Escherichia coli recipient C600 with four modules of OriTfinder.

Conclusion
Plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer plays an important role in blaNDM-5 and blaCTX-M-261 dissemination, which increases the threat to public health due to the resistance to most β-lactam antibiotics. This is the first report of blaCTX-M-261 and blaNDM-5 in S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: -. The work provides insights into the enzymatic function and demonstrates the ongoing evolution of CTX-M enzymes and confirms urgency to control resistance of S. 1,4,[5], 12: i: -.
In vitro susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to netilmicin and etimicin in comparison to gentamicin and other aminoglycosides
Authors: Gross Sonja , Herren Sebastian , Gysin Marina , Rominski Anna , Roditscheff Anna , Risch Martin , Imkamp Frank , Crich David , Hobbie Sven N. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Single doses of gentamicin have demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of urogenital gonorrhea, but lower cure rates for oropharyngeal and anorectal gonorrhea. Formulations selectively enriched in specific gentamicin C congeners have been proposed as a less toxic alternative to gentamicin, potentially permitting higher dosing to result in increased plasma exposures at the extragenital sites of infection. The purpose of the present study was to compare the antibacterial activity of individual gentamicin C congeners against Neisseria gonorrhoeae to that of other aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Methods
Antimicrobial susceptibility of three N. gonorrhoeae reference strains and 152 clinical isolates was assessed using standard disk diffusion, agar dilution, and epsilometer tests.

Results
Gentamicin C1, C2, C1a, and C2a demonstrated similar activity against N. gonorrhoeae. Interestingly, susceptibility to the 1-N-ethylated aminoglycosides etimicin and netilmicin was significantly higher than the susceptibility to their parent compounds gentamicin C1a and sisomicin, and to any other of the 25 aminoglycosides assessed in this study. Propylamycin, a 4’-propylated paromomycin analogue, was significantly more active against N. gonorrhoeae than its parent compound, too.

Conclusion
Selectively enriched gentamicin formulations hold promise for a less toxic but equally efficacious alternative to gentamicin. Our study warrants additional consideration of the clinically established netilmicin and etimicin for treatment of genital and perhaps extragenital gonorrhea. Additional studies are required to elucidate the mechanism behind the advantage of alkylated aminoglycosides.