bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Template subtraction based methods for non-invasive fetal electrocardiography extraction
Authors: Jaros Rene , Tomicova Eva , Martinek Radek 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAssessment of fetal heart rate (fHR) through non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) is challenging task. This study compares the performance of five template subtraction (TS) methods on Labor (12 5-min recordings) and Pregnancy datasets (10 20-min recordings). The methods include TS without adaptation, TS using singular value decomposition (TS$$_{\textrm{SVD}}$$

SVD

), TS using linear prediction (TS$$_{\textrm{LP}}$$

LP

), TS using scaling factor (TS$$_{\textrm{SF}}$$

SF

), and sequential analysis (SA). The influence of the chosen maternal wavelet for the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) detector is also compared. The F1 score was used to measure performance. Each recording in both datasets consisted of four signals, resulting in a total comparison of 88 signals for the TS-based methods. The study reported the following results: F1 = 95.71% with TS, F1 = 95.93% with TS$$_{\textrm{SVD}}$$

SVD

, F1 = 95.30% with TS$$_{\textrm{LP}}$$

LP

, F1 = 95.82% with TS$$_{\textrm{SF}}$$

SF

, and F1 = 95.99% with SA. The study identified gaus3 as the suitable maternal wavelet for fetal R-peak detection using the CWT detector. Furthermore, the study classified signals from the tested datasets into categories of high, medium, and low quality, providing valuable insights for subsequent fECG signal extraction. This research contributes to advancing the understanding of non-invasive fECG signal processing and lays the groundwork for improving fetal monitoring in clinical settings.
FGL2 promotes tumour growth and attenuates infiltration of activated immune cells in melanoma and ovarian cancer models
Authors: Galpin Kristianne J. C. , Rodriguez Galaxia M. , Maranda Vincent , Cook David P. , Macdonald Elizabeth , Murshed Humaira , Zhao Shan , McCloskey Curtis W. , Chruscinski Andrzej , Levy Gary A. , Ardolino Michele , Vanderhyden Barbara C. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe tumour microenvironment is infiltrated by immunosuppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), which contribute to tumour escape and impede immunotherapy outcomes. Soluble fibrinogen-like protein 2 (sFGL2), a Treg effector protein, inhibits immune cell populations, via receptors FcγRIIB and FcγRIII, leading to downregulation of CD86 in antigen presenting cells and limiting T cell activation. Increased FGL2 expression is associated with tumour progression and poor survival in several different cancers, such as glioblastoma multiforme, lung, renal, liver, colorectal, and prostate cancer. Querying scRNA-seq human cancer data shows FGL2 is produced by cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME), particularly monocytes and macrophages as well as T cells and dendritic cells (DCs), while cancer cells have minimal expression of FGL2. We studied the role of FGL2 exclusively produced by cells in the TME, by leveraging Fgl2 knockout mice. We tested two murine models of cancer in which the role of FGL2 has not been previously studied: epithelial ovarian cancer and melanoma. We show that absence of FGL2 leads to a more activated TME, including activated DCs (CD86+, CD40+) and T cells (CD25+, TIGIT+), as well as demonstrating for the first time that the absence of FGL2 leads to more activated natural killer cells (DNAM-1+, NKG2D+) in the TME. Furthermore, the absence of FGL2 leads to prolonged survival in the B16F10 melanoma model, while the absence of FGL2 synergizes with oncolytic virus to prolong survival in the ID8-p53−/−Brca2−/− ovarian cancer model. In conclusion, targeting FGL2 is a promising cancer treatment strategy alone and in combination immunotherapies.
Acquiring of photosensitivity by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro and inside infected macrophages is associated with accumulation of endogenous Zn–porphyrins
Authors: Shleeva Margarita O. , Linge Irina A. , Gligonov Ivan A. , Vostroknutova Galina N. , Shashin Denis M. , Tsedilin Andrey M. , Apt Alexander S. , Kaprelyants Arseny S. , Savitsky Alexander P. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is able to transition into a dormant state, causing the latent state of tuberculosis. Dormant mycobacteria acquire resistance to all known antibacterial drugs and can survive in the human body for decades before becoming active. In the dormant forms of M. tuberculosis, the synthesis of porphyrins and its Zn-complexes significantly increased when 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was added to the growth medium. Transcriptome analysis revealed an activation of 8 genes involved in the metabolism of tetrapyrroles during the Mtb transition into a dormant state, which may lead to the observed accumulation of free porphyrins. Dormant Mtb viability was reduced by more than 99.99% under illumination for 30 min (300 J/cm2) with 565 nm light that correspond for Zn–porphyrin and coproporphyrin absorptions. We did not observe any PDI effect in vitro using active bacteria grown without ALA. However, after accumulation of active cells in lung macrophages and their persistence within macrophages for several days in the presence of ALA, a significant sensitivity of active Mtb cells (ca. 99.99%) to light exposure was developed. These findings create a perspective for the treatment of latent and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by the eradication of the pathogen in order to prevent recurrence of this disease.
Analysis of multipacting threshold sensitivity to the random distributions of the secondary electron yield parameters
Authors: Kazemi Firozeh , Mostajeran Maryam , Romanov Gennady 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe way multipacting develops, depends strongly on the secondary emission property of the surface material. The knowledge of secondary electron yield is crucial for accurate prediction of the multipacting threshold. Variations in secondary electron yield parameters from experimental measurements create uncertainty, stemming from handling and surface preparation, and these uncertainties significantly affect multipacting threshold predictions. Despite their significance, the previous studies on the multipacting phenomenon did not adequately address the effect of an assumed random distribution of the secondary emission parameters on the multipacting threshold. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive statistical study on how the different random distributions of the secondary emission parameters and, as a result, the uncertainty in the secondary electron yield affect multipacting thresholds. We focus on three commonly used distributions, namely uniform, normal, and truncated normal distributions, to define the uncertainty of random inputs. We use the chaos polynomial expansion method to determine how much each of the random parameters contributes to the multipacting threshold uncertainty. Additionally, we calculate Sobol sensitivity indices to evaluate the impact of the individual parameters or groups of parameters on the model outputs and study how different random distributions of these parameters affected the Sobol index results.
Comparative effectiveness of moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe therapy versus high-intensity statin monotherapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Jang Ji-Yong , Kim Seonji , Cho Jaehyeong , Chun Sung-youn , You Seng Chan , Kim Jung-Sun 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe long-term outcome of first-line moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe combination therapy for secondary prevention after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared to high-intensity statin monotherapy remains elusive. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of moderate-intensity statin and ezetimibe combination therapy with high-intensity statin monotherapy. We conducted a nationwide, population-based, retrospective, cohort study of patients with ACS from 2013 to 2019. The patients using combination therapy were matched (1:1) to those using monotherapy. The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke and all-cause mortality. We estimated the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the Cox proportional hazards regression. After propensity score matching, 10,723 pairs were selected. Men accounted for 70% of the patients and 37% aged > 70 years. The primary endpoint occurred in 1297 patients (12.1%) in the combination group and in 1426 patients (13.3%) in the monotherapy group, and decreased risk (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78–0.92, P < 0.001) in the combination group. Among the patients with ACS, moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe combination therapy was associated with decreased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes compared with high-intensity statin monotherapy in a nationwide population-based study representing routine clinical practice.
Characterization of immunomodulating agents from Staphylococcus aureus for priming immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancers
Authors: Liu Chin-Chih , Wolf Matthew , Ortego Ruth , Grencewicz Dennis , Sadler Tammy , Eng Charis 
Published: January 2024

AbstractImmunotherapy, specifically immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), has revolutionized the treatment paradigm of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). However, a subset of TNBCs devoid of tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) or PD-L1 expression generally has a poor response to immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to sensitize TNBCs to ICB by harnessing the immunomodulating potential of S. aureus, a breast-resident bacterium. We show that intratumoral injection of spent culture media from S. aureus recruits TILs and suppresses tumor growth in a preclinical TNBC model. We further demonstrate that α-hemolysin (HLA), an S. aureus-produced molecule, increases the levels of CD8+ T cells and PD-L1 expression in tumors, delays tumor growth, and triggers tumor necrosis. Mechanistically, while tumor cells treated with HLA display Gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavage and a cellular phenotype resembling pyroptosis, splenic T cells incubated with HLA lead to selective expansion of CD8+ T cells. Notably, intratumoral HLA injection prior to ICB augments the therapeutic efficacy compared to ICB alone. This study uncovers novel immunomodulatory properties of HLA and suggests that intratumoral administration of HLA could be a potential priming strategy to expand the population of TNBC patients who may respond to ICB.
Antihypertensive effects of the combined extract of Sorghum bicolor, Vigna angularis, and Eleusine coracana in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Jeong Eunwoo , Yun Damin , Baek Youjin , Kim Hyun-Joo , Lee Hyeon Gyu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis study investigated the antihypertensive effects of the combined extract of sorghum, adzuki bean, and finger millet (SAFE) on spontaneously hypertensive rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): WKY, SHR, SAFE (500 mg/kg SAFE), and CAP (50 mg/kg captopril). SAFE significantly decreased the lean-to-fat mass ratio with no notable changes in body weight, food intake, or food efficiency ratio, and it effectively lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, comparable to CAP. Moreover, it significantly reduced the cardiac mass index and alleviated cardiac fibrosis. SAFE did not induce hepatotoxicity, as indicated by the maintenance of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in the normal range, confirming its safety. Taken together, these findings suggested that SAFE can be used as a dietary supplement for blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular disease prevention.
Time in target range of systolic blood pressure and clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients: results of the COOL-AF registry
Authors: Krittayaphong Rungroj , Chichareon Ply , Komoltri Chulalak , Yindeengam Ahthit , Lip Gregory Y. H. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe aimed to investigate the relationship between time in target range of systolic blood pressure (SBP-TTr) and clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We analyzed the results from multicenter AF registry in Thailand. Blood pressure was recorded at baseline and at every 6 monthly follow-up visit. SBP-TTr were calculated using the Rosendaal method, based on a target SBP 120–140 mmHg. The outcomes were death, ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (SSE), major bleeding, and heart failure. A total of 3355 patients were studied (mean age 67.8 years; 41.9% female). Average follow-up time was 32.1 ± 8.3 months. SBP-TTr was classified into 3 groups according to the tertiles. The incidence rates of all-cause death, SSE, major bleeding, and heart failure were 3.90 (3.51–4.34), 1.52 (1.27–1.80), 2.2 (1.90–2.53), and 2.83 (2.49–3.21) per 100 person-years, respectively. Patients in the 3rd tertile of SBP-TTr had lower rates of death, major bleeding and heart failure with adjusted hazard ratios 0.62 (0.48–0.80), p < 0.001, 0.64 (0.44–0.92), p = 0.016, and 0.61 (0.44–0.84), p = 0.003, respectively, compared to 1st SBP-TTr tertile. In conclusion, high SBP-TTr was associated with better clinical outcomes compared to other groups with lower SBP-TTr. This underscores the importance of good blood pressure control in AF patients.
Effects of ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate on cardiac and mitochondrial function during donation after circulatory death heart transplantation
Authors: Seefeldt Jacob Marthinsen , Libai Yaara , Berg Katrine , Jespersen Nichlas Riise , Lassen Thomas Ravn , Dalsgaard Frederik Flyvholm , Ryhammer Pia , Pedersen Michael , Ilkjaer Lars Bo , Hu Michiel A. , Erasmus Michiel E. , Nielsen Roni R. , Bøtker Hans Erik , Caspi Oren , Eiskjær Hans , Moeslund Niels 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNormothermic regional perfusion (NRP) allows assessment of therapeutic interventions prior to donation after circulatory death transplantation. Sodium-3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) increases cardiac output in heart failure patients and diminishes ischemia–reperfusion injury, presumably by improving mitochondrial metabolism. We investigated effects of 3-OHB on cardiac and mitochondrial function in transplanted hearts and in cardiac organoids. Donor pigs (n = 14) underwent circulatory death followed by NRP. Following static cold storage, hearts were transplanted into recipient pigs. 3-OHB or Ringer’s acetate infusions were initiated during NRP and after transplantation. We evaluated hemodynamics and mitochondrial function. 3-OHB mediated effects on contractility, relaxation, calcium, and conduction were tested in cardiac organoids from human pluripotent stem cells. Following NRP, 3-OHB increased cardiac output (P < 0.0001) by increasing stroke volume (P = 0.006), dP/dt (P = 0.02) and reducing arterial elastance (P = 0.02). Following transplantation, infusion of 3-OHB maintained mitochondrial respiration (P = 0.009) but caused inotropy-resistant vasoplegia that prevented weaning. In cardiac organoids, 3-OHB increased contraction amplitude (P = 0.002) and shortened contraction duration (P = 0.013) without affecting calcium handling or conduction velocity. 3-OHB had beneficial cardiac effects and may have a potential to secure cardiac function during heart transplantation. Further studies are needed to optimize administration practice in donors and recipients and to validate the effect on mitochondrial function.
A new representation method of the relative position between objects in the image based on the histogram of position sensing forces
Authors: Tian Zeyu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractLet the computer apprehend and describe the representation of the relative position between objects of the image by the way of the common intuition of the human is an important task of the computer vision and pattern recognition. To complete this task, the position sensing parameter and histogram of position sensing forces are proposed in this paper. The position sensing parameter can represent the spatial relative position of the point with regard to the reference object, and the point is from the argument object. The histogram of position sensing forces is composed of the position sensing parameter of each point in the argument object and the gravitational forces between each point of the argument object and each point of the reference object. The histogram of position sensing forces can simulate the human perception for the directional spatial relations between the argument object and reference object of the image, considering the shape, size, angular and metric information of the spatial object.
Circulating exosomal miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p are associated with bladder fibrosis of diabetic cystopathy
Authors: Xue Bo , Kadeerhan Gaohaer , Sun Li-bin , Chen Yong-quan , Hu Xiao-feng , Zhang Zi-kuan , Wang Dong-wen 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDiabetic cystopathy (DCP) is a prevalent etiology of bladder dysfunction in individuals with longstanding diabetes, frequently leading to bladder interstitial fibrosis. Research investigating the initial pathological alterations of DCP is notably scarce. To comprehend the development of fibrosis and find effective biomarkers for its diagnosis, we prepared streptozotocin-induced long-term diabetic SD rats exhibiting a type 1 diabetes phenotype and bladder fibrosis in histology detection. After observing myofibroblast differentiation from rats’ primary bladder fibroblasts with immunofluorescence, we isolated fibroblasts derived exosomes and performed exosomal miRNA sequencing. The co-differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMis) (miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p) were screened through a joint analysis of diabetic rats and long-term patients’ plasma data (GES97123) downloaded from the GEO database. Then two co-DEMis were validated by quantitative PCR on exosomes derived from diabetic rats’ plasma. Following with a series of analysis, including target mRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) prediction, hubgenes identification, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction and gene enrichment analysis, a miRNA-mediated genetic regulatory network consisting of two miRNAs, nine TFs, and thirty target mRNAs were identified in relation to fibrotic processes. Thus, circulating exosomal miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p are associated with bladder fibrosis of DCP, and the crucial genes in regulatory network might hold immense significance in studying the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis, which deserves further exploration.
Neural substrates of cough control during coughing
Authors: Sugi Takafumi , Inubushi Tomoo , Ohno Tomohisa , Onishi Yuya , Isobe Takashi , Shigematsu Takashi , Hanai Satoshi , Okada Yoshiro , Takahashi Ryosuke , Tawara Yuichi , Suzuki Chie , Kanno Toshihiko , Magata Yasuhiro , Fujishima Ichiro , Yoshikawa Etsuji , Ouchi Yasuomi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCough is known as a protective reflex to keep the airway free from harmful substances. Although brain activity during cough was previously examined mainly by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with model analysis, this method does not capture real brain activity during cough. To obtain accurate measurements of brain activity during cough, we conducted whole-brain scans during different coughing tasks while correcting for head motion using a restraint-free positron emission tomography (PET) system. Twenty-four healthy right-handed males underwent multiple PET scans with [15O]H2O. Four tasks were performed during scans: “resting”; “voluntary cough (VC)”, which simply repeated spontaneous coughing; “induced cough (IC)”, where participants coughed in response to an acid stimulus in the cough‐inducing method with tartaric acid (CiTA); and “suppressed cough (SC)”, where coughing was suppressed against CiTA. The whole brain analyses of motion-corrected data revealed that VC chiefly activated the cerebellum extending to pons. In contrast, CiTA-related tasks (IC and SC) activated the higher sensory regions of the cerebral cortex and associated brain regions. The present results suggest that brain activity during simple cough is controlled chiefly by infratentorial areas, whereas manipulating cough predominantly requires the higher sensory brain regions to allow top-down control of information from the periphery.
The stiffness adjustable wheel mechanism based on compliant spoke deformation
Authors: Yoon Hyeungyu , Lee KangYub , Lee Jongmyeong , Kwon Joonhyuk , Seo TaeWon 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis study proposes a variable-stiffness mechanism for non-pneumatic tires such that can actively adapt to various environments. Non-pneumatic tire is a compliant wheel structure that offers superior robustness and adaptability compared to pneumatic tires. However, the tire designed for certain terrain exhibits relatively high rolling resistance and inadequate suspension. To address these problems, a stiffness-adjustable wheel (SAW) that can modify the force applied to the contact surface is introduced in this study. In addition, the shape of SAW is optimized to maintain a desirable range of stiffness under different conditions. The optimization is conducted with experimental method, because nonlinear response of material and interference between components make it difficult to predict the characteristic of the wheel at large deformation. The SAW has potential for application in various mobile platforms to provide adequate stiffness for a variety of terrains and driving conditions.
The Cavin-1/Caveolin-1 interaction attenuates BMP/Smad signaling in pulmonary hypertension by interfering with BMPR2/Caveolin-1 binding
Authors: Tomita Shinya , Nakanishi Naohiko , Ogata Takehiro , Higuchi Yusuke , Sakamoto Akira , Tsuji Yumika , Suga Takaomi , Matoba Satoaki 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCaveolin-1 (CAV1) and Cavin-1 are components of caveolae, both of which interact with and influence the composition and stabilization of caveolae. CAV1 is associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type 2 receptor (BMPR2) is localized in caveolae associated with CAV1 and is commonly mutated in PAH. Here, we show that BMP/Smad signaling is suppressed in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells of CAV1 knockout mice. Moreover, hypoxia enhances the CAV1/Cavin-1 interaction but attenuates the CAV1/BMPR2 interaction and BMPR2 membrane localization in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Both Cavin-1 and BMPR2 are associated with the CAV1 scaffolding domain. Cavin-1 decreases BMPR2 membrane localization by inhibiting the interaction of BMPR2 with CAV1 and reduces Smad signal transduction in PAECs. Furthermore, Cavin-1 knockdown is resistant to CAV1-induced pulmonary hypertension in vivo. We demonstrate that the Cavin-1/Caveolin-1 interaction attenuates BMP/Smad signaling and is a promising target for the treatment of PAH.
Increased urinary creatinine during hibernation and day roosting in the Eastern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus) in Korea
Authors: Ryu Heungjin , Kinoshita Kodzue , Joo Sungbae , Choi Yu-Seong , Kim Sun-Sook 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTorpor and arousal cycles, both daily and seasonal (e.g. hibernation), are crucial for small mammals, including bats, to maintain the energy and water balance. The alternation between torpor and arousal leads to metabolic changes, leaving traceable evidence of metabolic wastes in urine. In this study we investigated urinary creatinine and acetoacetate (a ketone body) in the Eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus) in Mungyeong, South Korea. We found an increase in urinary creatinine during torpor in summer, indicating changes in renal water reabsorption rates during the active season. Although we could not confirm ketonuria in hibernating bats due to a methodological limitation caused by the small amount of urine, we verified an increase in urinary creatinine concentration during hibernation. This finding suggests that managing water stress resulting from evaporative water loss is one of key reasons for arousal during hibernation in Eastern bent-wing bats.