bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Single-cell transcriptomics of the ocular anterior segment: a comprehensive review
Authors: Ahsanuddin Sofia , Wu Albert Y. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractElucidating the cellular and genetic composition of ocular tissues is essential for uncovering the pathophysiology of ocular diseases. Since the introduction of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in 2009, vision researchers have performed extensive single-cell analyses to better understand transcriptome complexity and heterogeneity of ocular structures. This technology has revolutionized our ability to identify rare cell populations and to make cross-species comparisons of gene expression in both steady state and disease conditions. Importantly, single-cell transcriptomic analyses have enabled the identification of cell-type specific gene markers and signalling pathways between ocular cell populations. While most scRNA-seq studies have been conducted on retinal tissues, large-scale transcriptomic atlases pertaining to the ocular anterior segment have also been constructed in the past three years. This timely review provides vision researchers with an overview of scRNA-seq experimental design, technical limitations, and clinical applications in a variety of anterior segment-related ocular pathologies. We review open-access anterior segment-related scRNA-seq datasets and illustrate how scRNA-seq can be an indispensable tool for the development of targeted therapeutics.
Global transportation infrastructure exposure to the change of precipitation in a warmer world
Authors: Liu Kai , Wang Qianzhi , Wang Ming , Koks Elco E. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractTransportation infrastructures are generally designed to have multi-decadal service lives. Transport infrastructure design, however, is largely based on historical conditions. Yet, in the face of global warming, we are likely going to experience more intense and frequent extreme events, which may put infrastructure at severe risk. In this study, we comprehensively analyze the exposure of road and railway infrastructure assets to changes in precipitation return periods globally. Under ~2 degrees of warming in mid-century (RCP 8.5 scenario), 43.6% of the global transportation assets are expected to experience at least a 25% decrease in design return period of extreme rainfall (a 33% increase in exceedance probability), which may increase to 69.9% under ~4 degrees of warming by late-21st century. To accommodate for such increases, we propose to incorporate a safety factor for climate change adaptation during the transportation infrastructure design process to ensure transportation assets will maintain their designed risk level in the future. Our results show that a safety factor of 1.2 would work sufficient for most regions of the world for quick design process calculations following the RCP4.5 path.
Identification of CircRNA signature associated with tumor immune infiltration to predict therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy
Authors: Dong Yu , Gao Qian , Chen Yong , Zhang Zhao , Du Yanhua , Liu Yuan , Zhang Guangxiong , Li Shengli , Wang Gaoyang , Chen Xiang , Liu Hong , Han Leng , Ye Youqiong 
Published: May 2023

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of cancer. However, the clinical implications and regulatory networks of circRNAs in cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint blockades (ICB) have not been fully elucidated. Here, we characterize circRNA expression profiles in two independent cohorts of 157 ICB-treated advanced melanoma patients and reveal overall overexpression of circRNAs in ICB non-responders in both pre-treatment and early during therapy. Then, we construct circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks to reveal circRNA-related signaling pathways in the context of ICB treatment. Further, we construct an ICB-related circRNA signature (ICBcircSig) score model based on progression-free survival-related circRNAs to predict immunotherapy efficacy. Mechanistically, the overexpression of ICBcircSig circTMTC3 and circFAM117B could increase PD-L1 expression via the miR-142-5p/PD-L1 axis, thus reducing T cell activity and leading to immune escape. Overall, our study characterizes circRNA profiles and regulatory networks in ICB-treated patients, and highlights the clinical utility of circRNAs as predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy.
Reconfigurable signal modulation in a ferroelectric tunnel field-effect transistor
Authors: Zhu Zhongyunshen , Persson Anton E. O. , Wernersson Lars-Erik 
Published: May 2023

AbstractReconfigurable transistors are an emerging device technology adding new functionalities while lowering the circuit architecture complexity. However, most investigations focus on digital applications. Here, we demonstrate a single vertical nanowire ferroelectric tunnel field-effect transistor (ferro-TFET) that can modulate an input signal with diverse modes including signal transmission, phase shift, frequency doubling, and mixing with significant suppression of undesired harmonics for reconfigurable analogue applications. We realize this by a heterostructure design in which a gate/source overlapped channel enables nearly perfect parabolic transfer characteristics with robust negative transconductance. By using a ferroelectric gate oxide, our ferro-TFET is non-volatilely reconfigurable, enabling various modes of signal modulation. The ferro-TFET shows merits of reconfigurability, reduced footprint, and low supply voltage for signal modulation. This work provides the possibility for monolithic integration of both steep-slope TFETs and reconfigurable ferro-TFETs towards high-density, energy-efficient, and multifunctional digital/analogue hybrid circuits.
Central medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice
Authors: Li Jia-Ni , Wu Xue-Mei , Zhao Liu-Jie , Sun Han-Xue , Hong Jie , Wu Feng-Ling , Chen Si-Hai , Chen Tao , Li Hui , Dong Yu-Lin , Li Yun-Qing 
Published: May 2023

AbstractItch is an annoying sensation consisting of both sensory and emotional components. It is known to involve the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), but the following transmission nodes remain elusive. The present study identified that the PBN-central medial thalamic nucleus (CM)-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pathway is essential for itch signal transmission at the supraspinal level in male mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of the CM-mPFC pathway attenuates scratching behavior or chronic itch-related affective responses. CM input to mPFC pyramidal neurons is enhanced in acute and chronic itch models. Specifically chronic itch stimuli also alter mPFC interneuron involvement, resulting in enhanced feedforward inhibition and a distorted excitatory/inhibitory balance in mPFC pyramidal neurons. The present work underscores CM as a transmit node of the itch signal in the thalamus, which is dynamically engaged in both the sensory and affective dimensions of itch with different stimulus salience.
Cortico-cortical feedback engages active dendrites in visual cortex
Authors: Fişek Mehmet , Herrmann Dustin , Egea-Weiss Alexander , Cloves Matilda , Bauer Lisa , Lee Tai-Ying , Russell Lloyd E. , Häusser Michael 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSensory processing in the neocortex requires both feedforward and feedback information flow between cortical areas1. In feedback processing, higher-level representations provide contextual information to lower levels, and facilitate perceptual functions such as contour integration and figure–ground segmentation2,3. However, we have limited understanding of the circuit and cellular mechanisms that mediate feedback influence. Here we use long-range all-optical connectivity mapping in mice to show that feedback influence from the lateromedial higher visual area (LM) to the primary visual cortex (V1) is spatially organized. When the source and target of feedback represent the same area of visual space, feedback is relatively suppressive. By contrast, when the source is offset from the target in visual space, feedback is relatively facilitating. Two-photon calcium imaging data show that this facilitating feedback is nonlinearly integrated in the apical tuft dendrites of V1 pyramidal neurons: retinotopically offset (surround) visual stimuli drive local dendritic calcium signals indicative of regenerative events, and two-photon optogenetic activation of LM neurons projecting to identified feedback-recipient spines in V1 can drive similar branch-specific local calcium signals. Our results show how neocortical feedback connectivity and nonlinear dendritic integration can together form a substrate to support both predictive and cooperative contextual interactions.
The temporal precision of audiovisual integration is associated with longitudinal fall incidents but not sensorimotor fall risk in older adults
Authors: O’Dowd Alan , Hirst Rebecca J. , Setti Annalisa , Donoghue Orna A. , Kenny Rose Anne , Newell Fiona N. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSustained multisensory integration over long inter-stimulus time delays is typically found in older adults, particularly those with a history of falls. However, the extent to which the temporal precision of audio-visual integration is associated with longitudinal fall or fall risk trajectories is unknown. A large sample of older adults (N = 2319) were grouped into longitudinal trajectories of self-reported fall incidents (i.e., decrease, stable, or increase in number) and, separately, their performance on a standard, objective measure of fall risk, Timed Up and Go (TUG; stable, moderate decline, severe decline). Multisensory integration was measured once as susceptibility to the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI) across three stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs): 70 ms, 150 ms and 230 ms. Older adults with an increasing fall number showed a significantly different pattern of performance on the SIFI than non-fallers, depending on age: For adults with increasing incidents of falls, those aged 53–59 years showed a much smaller difference in illusion susceptibility at 70 ms versus 150 ms than those aged 70 + years. In contrast, non-fallers showed a more comparable difference between these SOA conditions across age groups. There was no association between TUG performance trajectories and SIFI susceptibility. These findings suggests that a fall event is associated with distinct temporal patterns of multisensory integration in ageing and have implications for our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning brain health in older age.
The association between food desert severity, socioeconomic status, and metabolic state during pregnancy in a prospective longitudinal cohort
Authors: Wood Elizabeth K. , Stamos Gayle , Mitchell A J , Gonoud Rose , Horgan Angela M. , Nomura Olivia , Young Anna , Nigg Joel T. , Gustafsson Hanna C. , Sullivan Elinor L. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPoor metabolic health during pregnancy is associated with health concerns for pregnant individuals and their offspring. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is one risk factor for poor metabolic health, and may be related to limited access to healthful and affordable foods (e.g., living in a food desert). This study evaluates the respective contributions of SES and food desert severity on metabolic health during pregnancy. The food desert severity of 302 pregnant individuals was determined using the United States Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas. SES was measured using total household income adjusted for household size, years of education, and amount of reserve savings. Information about participants’ glucose concentrations one hour following an oral glucose tolerance test during the second trimester was extracted from medical records and percent adiposity during the second trimester was assessed using air displacement plethysmography. Information about participants’ nutritional intake during the second trimester was obtained by trained nutritionists via three unannounced 24-h dietary recalls. Structural equation models showed that lower SES predicted higher food desert severity (β = − 0.20, p = 0.008) and higher adiposity (β = − 0.27, p = 0.016) and consumption of a more pro-inflammatory diet (β = − 0.25, p = 0.003) during the second trimester of pregnancy. Higher food desert severity also predicted higher percent adiposity during the second trimester (β = 0.17, p = 0.013). Food desert severity significantly mediated the relationship between lower SES and higher percent adiposity during the second trimester (βindirect = − 0.03, 95% CI [− 0.079, − 0.004]). These findings indicate that access to healthful and affordable foods is a mechanism by which SES contributes to adiposity during pregnancy and may inform interventions intended to improve metabolic health during pregnancy.
A neural network based global traveltime function (GlobeNN)
Authors: Taufik Mohammad H. , Waheed Umair bin , Alkhalifah Tariq A. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractGlobal traveltime modeling is an essential component of modern seismological studies with a whole gamut of applications ranging from earthquake source localization to seismic velocity inversion. Emerging acquisition technologies like distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) promise a new era of seismological discovery by allowing a high-density of seismic observations. Conventional traveltime computation algorithms are unable to handle virtually millions of receivers made available by DAS arrays. Therefore, we develop GlobeNN—a neural network based traveltime function that can provide seismic traveltimes obtained from the cached realistic 3-D Earth model. We train a neural network to estimate the traveltime between any two points in the global mantle Earth model by imposing the validity of the eikonal equation through the loss function. The traveltime gradients in the loss function are computed efficiently using automatic differentiation, while the P-wave velocity is obtained from the vertically polarized P-wave velocity of the GLAD-M25 model. The network is trained using a random selection of source and receiver pairs from within the computational domain. Once trained, the neural network produces traveltimes rapidly at the global scale through a single evaluation of the network. As a byproduct of the training process, we obtain a neural network that learns the underlying velocity model and, therefore, can be used as an efficient storage mechanism for the huge 3-D Earth velocity model. These exciting features make our proposed neural network based global traveltime computation method an indispensable tool for the next generation of seismological advances.
Applying novel economic simple green sample preparation procedures on natural and industrial specimens for chromatographic determination of insecticidal residues
Authors: Hegazy Amira M. , Mahmoud Hamada M. , Elsayed Mohamed A. , Ali Nouruddin W. , Abdelfatah Rehab M. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSpraying a tertiary blend of the insecticides (hexythiazox, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam), on tomato fruits, is a routine in agriculture-attentive countries. A simple green sample preparation technique was developed and applied to the field samples. Specific HP-TLC and RP-HPLC methodologies are established to estimate the residual insecticides and applied to the prepared field specimens. In the planner chromatographic methodology, methanol:chloroform:glacial acetic acid:triethyl amine (8.5:1.5:0.2:0.1, v/v) is recommended as a mobile system. The other one is columnar chromatography; acetonitrile: water (20:80, v/v), pH 2.8, is recommended as a mobile system. The validation parameters were examined following the ICH rules. The means percentages and standard deviations of the accuracy of the HP-TLC method for the determined compounds were 99.66 ± 0.974, 99.41 ± 0.950, and 99.89 ± 0.983, correspondingly. The values were 99.24 ± 0.921, 99.69 ± 0.681, and 99.20 ± 0.692, correspondingly, when they were determined by the RP-HPLC method. The relative standard deviation percentages of the methods’ repeatability and intermediate precision ranged from 0.389 to 0.920. Both methods were highly specific having resolution factors of ≥ 1.78 and selectivity factors of ≥ 1.71. They were applied to the field samples perfectly.
Machine learning based on computational fluid dynamics enables geometric design optimisation of the NeoVAD blades
Authors: Nissim Lee , Karnik Shweta , Smith P. Alex , Wang Yaxin , Frazier O. Howard , Fraser Katharine H. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe NeoVAD is a proposed paediatric axial-flow Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), small enough to be implanted in infants. The design of the impeller and diffuser blades is important for hydrodynamic performance and haemocompatibility of the pump. This study aimed to optimise the blades for pump efficiency using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), machine learning and global optimisation. Meshing of each design typically included 6 million hexahedral elements and a Shear Stress Transport turbulence model was used to close the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations. CFD models of 32 base geometries, operating at 8 flow rates between 0.5 and 4 L/min, were created to match experimental studies. These were validated by comparison of the pressure-flow and efficiency-flow curves with those experimentally measured for all base prototype pumps. A surrogate model was required to allow the optimisation routine to conduct an efficient search; a multi-linear regression, Gaussian Process Regression and a Bayesian Regularised Artificial Neural Network predicted the optimisation objective at design points not explicitly simulated. A Genetic Algorithm was used to search for an optimal design. The optimised design offered a 5.51% increase in efficiency at design point (a 20.9% performance increase) as compared to the best performing pump from the 32 base designs. An optimisation method for the blade design of LVADs has been shown to work for a single objective function and future work will consider multi-objective optimisation.
Association of superficial macular vessel density with visual field progression in open-angle glaucoma with central visual field damage
Authors: Yoon Jooyoung , Lee Anna , Song Woo Keun , Kim Ko Eun , Kook Michael S. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractIdentifying the clinical relevance of superficial versus deep layer macular vessel density (mVD) in glaucoma is important for monitoring glaucoma patients. Our current retrospective longitudinal study investigated the association of superficial and deep layer mVD parameters with glaucomatous visual field (VF) progression in mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes with central visual field (CVF) damage. Serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography-derived mVD measurements were obtained in 182 mild to moderate OAG eyes (mean deviation ≥ -10 decibels). Forty-eight eyes (26.4%) showed VF progression during a mean follow-up of 3.5 years. The parafoveal and perifoveal mVDs of both superficial and deep layers showed significantly faster reduction rates in the VF progressors than in the non-progressors according to linear mixed effects models (P < 0.05). Cox and linear regression analyses showed that greater reduction rates of both the superficial layer parafoveal and perifoveal mVDs, but not their deep layer counterparts, were significant predictors of VF progression and faster VF loss (P < 0.05). In conclusion, faster rates of change in superficial but not deep layer mVD parameters are significantly associated with subsequent VF progression and faster VF deterioration in mild to moderate OAG eyes with CVF damage.
Northernmost (Subarctic) and deepest record of Paleodictyon: paleoecological and biological implications
Authors: Miguez-Salas Olmo , Rodríguez-Tovar Francisco J. , Ekdale Allan A. , Kaiser Stefanie , Brandt Angelika , Gooday Andrew J. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPaleodictyon is one of the most iconic and widespread of trace fossils in the geological record. However, modern examples are less well known and restricted to deep-sea settings at relatively low latitudes. Here, we report the distribution of Paleodictyon at six abyssal sites near the Aleutian Trench. This study reveals for the first time the presence of Paleodictyon at Subarctic latitudes (51°–53°N) and at depths over 4500 m, although the traces were not observed at stations deeper than 5000 m suggesting that there is some bathymetric constraint for the trace maker. Two small Paleodictyon morphotypes were recognized (average mesh size of 1.81 cm), one having a central hexagonal pattern, the other being characterized by a non-hexagonal pattern. Within the study area, Paleodictyon shows no apparent correlation with local environmental parameters. Finally, based on a worldwide morphological comparison, we conclude that the new Paleodictyon specimens represent distinct ichnospecies that are associated with the relatively eutrophic conditions in this region. Their smaller size may reflect this more eutrophic setting in which sufficient food can be obtained from a smaller area in order to satisfy the energetic requirements of the tracemakers. If so, then Paleodictyon size may provide some assistance when interpreting paleoenvironmental conditions.
Ultraviolet exposure regulates skin metabolome based on the microbiome
Authors: Patra Vijaykumar , Bordag Natalie , Clement Yohann , Köfeler Harald , Nicolas Jean-Francois , Vocanson Marc , Ayciriex Sophie , Wolf Peter 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSkin metabolites (< 1500 Da) play a critical role in barrier function, hydration, immune response, microbial invasion, and allergen penetration. We aimed to understand the global metabolic profile changes of the skin in relation to the microbiome and UV exposure and exposed germ-free (devoid of microbiome), disinfected mice (partially devoid of skin microbiome) and control mice with intact microbiome to immunosuppressive doses of UVB radiation. Targeted and untargeted lipidome and metabolome profiling was performed with skin tissue by high-resolution mass spectrometry. UV differentially regulated various metabolites such as alanine, choline, glycine, glutamine, and histidine in germ-free mice compared to control mice. Membrane lipid species such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin were also affected by UV in a microbiome-dependent manner. These results shed light on the dynamics and interactions between the skin metabolome, microbiome, and UV exposure and open new avenues for the development of metabolite- or lipid-based applications to maintain skin health.