bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of a combined intermittent theta-burst stimulation and video game-based dexterity training in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Pastore-Wapp Manuela , Kaufmann Brigitte C. , Nyffeler Thomas , Wapp Simona , Bohlhalter Stephan , Vanbellingen Tim 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often exhibit difficulties with dexterity during the performance of activities of daily living (ADL), inter alia due to dysfunctional supplementary motor area (SMA). Combined intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the SMA followed by video game-based training (VBT) may therefore improve dexterity related ADL. The VBT may induce high flow levels related to high performance during the training. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a combined iTBS-VBT intervention in persons with PD.

Methods
A total of nine persons with PD (mean age 63.3 ± 8.76 years) with self-reported difficulties with dexterity related ADL were included in this pilot iTBS-VBT study. All participants received either iTBS or sham stimulation over the SMA followed by a 45-min VBT, three times a week for a total of three weeks. Feasibility was measured by means of the adherence rate and the system usability (System Usability Scale). Moreover, flow was measured after the last VBT session.

Results
Adherence rate was excellent with 100%. High system usability scores (i.e., mean 80%, range 55–97.5) and a significant Spearman’s correlation with the Flow State Scale (r = .762, p = .017) further point to the high feasibility of the VBT. Neither demographic variables nor difficulties in dexterity related ADL affected the usability of the VBT.

Conclusion
This study demonstrates the high feasibility of a combined iTBS-VBT intervention. Moreover, the level of self-reported usability was related to flow experience. Whether this kind of combined iTBS-VBT intervention improves dexterity will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.
Trial registration clincaltrials.gov NCT04699149, date of registration 1. June 2021
Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor function after spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Jian-Min , Li Xiao-Lu , Pan Qin-He , Yang Ye , Xu Sen-Ming , Xu Jian-Wen 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been used for motor function recovery. However, the effects of NIBS in populations with spinal cord injury (SCI) remain unclear. This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis of the existing evidence on the effects and safety of NIBS against sham groups for motor dysfunction after SCI to provide a reference for clinical decision-making.

Methods
Two investigators systematically screened English articles from PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library for prospective randomized controlled trials regarding the effects of NIBS in motor function recovery after SCI. Studies with at least three sessions of NIBS were included. We assessed the methodological quality of the selected studies using the evidence-based Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. A meta-analysis was performed by pooling the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results
A total of 14 randomized control trials involving 225 participants were included. Nine studies used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and five studies used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The meta-analysis showed that NIBS could improve the lower extremity strength (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.02–1.14, P = 0.004), balance (SMD = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.05–1.24, P = 0.03), and decrease the spasticity (SMD = − 0.64, 95% CI = − 1.20 to − 0.03, P = 0.04). However, the motor ability of the upper extremity in the NIBS groups was not statistically significant compared with those in the control groups (upper-extremity strength: P = 0.97; function: P = 0.56; and spasticity: P = 0.12). The functional mobility in the NIBS groups did not reach statistical significance when compared with the sham NIBS groups (sham groups). Only one patient reported seizures that occurred during stimulation, and no other types of serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion
NIBS appears to positively affect the motor function of the lower extremities in SCI patients, despite the marginal P-value and the high heterogeneity. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to support or refute the use and optimize the stimulation parameters of NIBS in clinical practice.
Individual brain regulation as learned via neurofeedback is related to affective changes in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Klöbl Manfred , Prillinger Karin , Diehm Robert , Doganay Kamer , Lanzenberger Rupert , Poustka Luise , Plener Paul , Konicar Lilian 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Emotions often play a role in neurofeedback (NF) regulation strategies. However, investigations of the relationship between the induced neuronal changes and improvements in affective domains are scarce in electroencephalography-based studies. Thus, we extended the findings of the first study on slow cortical potential (SCP) NF in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by linking affective changes to whole-brain activity during rest and regulation.

Methods
Forty-one male adolescents with ASD were scanned twice at rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Between scans, half underwent NF training, whereas the other half received treatment as usual. Furthermore, parents reported on their child’s affective characteristics at each measurement. The NF group had to alternatingly produce negative and positive SCP shifts during training and was additionally scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging while applying their developed regulation strategies.

Results
No significant treatment group-by-time interactions in affective or resting-state measures were found. However, we found increases of resting activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and right inferior temporal gyrus as well as improvements in affective characteristics over both groups. Activation corresponding to SCP differentiation in these regions correlated with the affective improvements. A further correlation was found for Rolandic operculum activation corresponding to positive SCP shifts. There were no significant correlations with the respective achieved SCP regulation during NF training.

Conclusion
SCP NF in ASD did not lead to superior improvements in neuronal or affective functioning compared to treatment as usual. However, the affective changes might be related to the individual strategies and their corresponding activation patterns as indicated by significant correlations on the whole-brain level.
Trial registration This clinical trial was registered at drks.de (DRKS00012339) on 20th April, 2017.
Circadian rhythms in the blood–brain barrier: impact on neurological disorders and stress responses
Authors: Schurhoff Nicolette , Toborek Michal 
Published: January 2023

AbstractCircadian disruption has become more prevalent in society due to the increase in shift work, sleep disruption, blue light exposure, and travel via different time zones. The circadian rhythm is a timed transcription-translation feedback loop with positive regulators, BMAL1 and CLOCK, that interact with negative regulators, CRY and PER, to regulate both the central and peripheral clocks. This review highlights the functions of the circadian rhythm, specifically in the blood–brain barrier (BBB), during both healthy and pathological states. The BBB is a highly selective dynamic interface composed of CNS endothelial cells, astrocytes, pericytes, neurons, and microglia that form the neurovascular unit (NVU). Circadian rhythms modulate BBB integrity through regulating oscillations of tight junction proteins, assisting in functions of the NVU, and modulating transporter functions. Circadian disruptions within the BBB have been observed in stress responses and several neurological disorders, including brain metastasis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Further understanding of these interactions may facilitate the development of improved treatment options and preventative measures.
Temporal trends in mortality and provision of intensive care in younger women and men with acute myocardial infarction or stroke
Authors: Arslani Ketina , Tontsch Janna , Todorov Atanas , Gysi Bianca , Kaufmann Mark , Kaufmann Fabian , Hollinger Alexa , Wildi Karin , Merdji Hamid , Helms Julie , Siegemund Martin , Gebhard Catherine , Gebhard Caroline E. ,   on behalf of the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Timely management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute stroke has undergone impressive progress during the last decade. However, it is currently unknown whether both sexes have profited equally from improved strategies. We sought to analyze sex-specific temporal trends in intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality in younger patients presenting with AMI or stroke in Switzerland.

Methods
Retrospective analysis of temporal trends in 16,954 younger patients aged 18 to ≤ 52 years with AMI or acute stroke admitted to Swiss ICUs between 01/2008 and 12/2019.

Results
Over a period of 12 years, ICU admissions for AMI decreased more in women than in men (− 6.4% in women versus − 4.5% in men, p < 0.001), while ICU mortality for AMI significantly increased in women (OR 1.2 [1.10–1.30], p = 0.032), but remained unchanged in men (OR 0.99 [0.94–1.03], p = 0.71). In stroke patients, ICU admission rates increased between 3.6 and 4.1% per year in both sexes, while ICU mortality tended to decrease only in women (OR 0.91 [0.85–0.95, p = 0.057], but remained essentially unaltered in men (OR 0.99 [0.94–1.03], p = 0.75). Interventions aimed at restoring tissue perfusion were more often performed in men with AMI, while no sex difference was noted in neurovascular interventions.

Conclusion
Sex and gender disparities in disease management and outcomes persist in the era of modern interventional neurology and cardiology with opposite trends observed in younger stroke and AMI patients admitted to intensive care. Although our study has several limitations, our data suggest that management and selection criteria for ICU admission, particularly in younger women with AMI, should be carefully reassessed.

Graphical Abstract
Artifact-free fat-water separation in Dixon MRI using deep learning
Authors: Basty Nicolas , Thanaj Marjola , Cule Madeleine , Sorokin Elena P. , Liu Yi , Thomas E. Louise , Bell Jimmy D. , Whitcher Brandon 
Published: January 2023

AbstractChemical-shift encoded MRI (CSE-MRI) is a widely used technique for the study of body composition and metabolic disorders, where derived fat and water signals enable the quantification of adipose tissue and muscle. The UK Biobank is acquiring whole-body Dixon MRI (a specific implementation of CSE-MRI) for over 100,000 participants. Current processing methods associated with large whole-body volumes are time intensive and prone to artifacts during fat-water separation performed by the scanner, making quantitative analysis challenging. The most common artifacts are fat-water swaps, where the labels are inverted at the voxel level. It is common for researchers to discard swapped data (generally around 10%), which is wasteful and may lead to unintended biases. Given the large number of whole-body Dixon MRI acquisitions in the UK Biobank, thousands of swaps are expected to be present in the fat and water volumes from image reconstruction performed on the scanner. If they go undetected, errors will propagate into processes such as organ segmentation, and dilute the results in population-based analyses. There is a clear need for a robust method to accurately separate fat and water volumes in big data collections like the UK Biobank. We formulate fat-water separation as a style transfer problem, where swap-free fat and water volumes are predicted from the acquired Dixon MRI data using a conditional generative adversarial network, and introduce a new loss function for the generator model. Our method is able to predict highly accurate fat and water volumes free from artifacts in the UK Biobank. We show that our model separates fat and water volumes using either single input (in-phase only) or dual input (in-phase and opposed-phase) data, with the latter producing superior results. Our proposed method enables faster and more accurate downstream analysis of body composition from Dixon MRI in population studies by eliminating the need for visual inspection or discarding data due to fat-water swaps.
Effect of Oral Contraception on Screening Tests for Primary Aldosteronism: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Yang Jun , Gwini Stella May , Beilin Lawrence J , Schlaich Markus , Stowasser Michael , Young Morag J , Fuller Peter J , Mori Trevor A 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Context
Primary aldosteronism (PA) and oral contraception (OC) can both cause hypertension in young women. However, the effect of OC on the screening test for PA, the aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR), is not clear.

Objective
We evaluated the impact of OC on the screening test for PA.

Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data from the female offspring (Gen2) of women enrolled in the Raine Study, a population-based birth cohort, who had blood pressure (BP) measurements, blood samples, and information about OC use at age 17 years (N = 484) and/or age 27 years (N = 486).

Results
Aldosterone concentration was significantly higher in OC users than nonusers at 17 years (median 486 pmol/L vs 347 pmol/L, P &lt; 0.001). Renin concentration was significantly lower in OC users at both 17 years (13.4 mU/L vs 20.6 mU/L) and 27 years (9.2 mU/L vs 11.8 mU/L), hence the ARR was significantly higher in OC users compared to nonusers at both 17 years (31.5 vs 18.3) and 27 years (27.3 vs 21.1). The proportion of participants with ARR &gt; 70 pmol/mU (current threshold for PA detection) was significantly higher in OC users at both 17 years (12.6% vs 2.1%) and 27 years (6.4% vs 0.4%); however, they had comparable BP to those with ARR &lt; 70. OC use at any age abolished the relationship between ARR and BP that is observed in nonusers.

Conclusion
OC can increase the ARR and cause a false positive PA screening result. Until more reliable criteria for PA screening in OC users are established, alternative contraception should be considered during screening.
Sex Hormones and Diabetes in 45- to 74-year-old Men and Postmenopausal Women: The Hispanic Community Health Study
Authors: Persky Victoria , Abasilim Chibuzor , Tsintsifas Konstantina , Day Tessa , Sargis Robert M , Daviglus Martha L , Cai Jianwen , Freels Sally , Unterman Terry , Chavez Noel , Kaplan Robert , Isasi Carmen R , Pirzada Amber , Meyer Michelle L , Talavera Gregory A , Thyagarajan Bharat , Peters Brandilyn A , Madrigal Jessica M , Grieco Arielle , Turyk Mary E 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated associations of endogenous sex hormones with diabetes. Less is known about their dynamic relationship with diabetes progression through different stages of the disease, independence of associations, and role of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis.
The purpose of this analysis was to examine relationships of endogenous sex hormones with incident diabetes, prediabetes, and diabetes traits in 693 postmenopausal women and 1015 men aged 45 to 74 years without diabetes at baseline participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and followed for 6 years. Baseline hormones included estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and, in men, testosterone and bioavailable testosterone. Associations were analyzed using multivariable Poisson and linear regressions. In men, testosterone was inversely associated with conversion from prediabetes to diabetes (incidence rate ratio [IRR] for 1 SD increase in testosterone: 0.821; 95% CI, 0.676, 0.997; P = 0.046), but not conversion from normoglycemia to prediabetes. Estradiol was positively associated with increase in fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. In women, SHBG was inversely associated with change in glycosylated hemoglobin, postload glucose, and conversion from prediabetes to diabetes (IRR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44, 0.86, P = 0.005) but not from normoglycemia to prediabetes. Relationships with other hormones varied across glycemic measures. Stronger associations of testosterone and SHBG with transition from prediabetes to diabetes than from normoglycemic to prediabetes suggest they are operative at later stages of diabetes development. Biologic pathways by which sex hormones affect glucose homeostasis await future studies.
Going with the flow – how a stream insect, Pteronarcys californica, exploits local flows to increase oxygen availability
Authors: Birrell Jackson H. , Woods H. Arthur 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT
For insects, life in water is challenging because oxygen supply is typically low compared with in air. Oxygen limitation may occur when oxygen levels or water flows are low or when warm temperatures stimulate metabolic demand for oxygen. A potential mechanism for mitigating oxygen shortages is behavior – moving to cooler, more oxygenated or faster flowing microhabitats. Whether stream insects can make meaningful choices, however, depends on: (i) how temperature, oxygen and flow vary at microspatial scales and (ii) the ability of insects to sense and exploit that variation. To assess the extent of microspatial variation in conditions, we measured temperature, oxygen saturation and flow velocity within riffles of two streams in Montana, USA. In the lab, we then examined preferences of nymphs of the stonefly Pteronarcys californica to experimental gradients based on field-measured values. Temperature and oxygen level varied only slightly within stream riffles. By contrast, flow velocity was highly heterogeneous, often varying by more than 125 cm s−1 within riffles and 44 cm s−1 around individual cobbles. Exploiting micro-variation in flow may thus be the most reliable option for altering rates of oxygen transport. In support of this prediction, P. californica showed little ability to exploit gradients in temperature and oxygen but readily exploited micro-variation in flow – consistently choosing higher flows when conditions were warm or hypoxic. These behaviors may help stream insects mitigate low-oxygen stress from climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances.
One size does not fit all: diversity of length–force properties of obliquely striated muscles
Authors: Thompson Joseph T. , Taylor-Burt Kari R. , Kier William M. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT
Obliquely striated muscles occur in 17+ phyla, likely evolving repeatedly, yet the implications of oblique striation for muscle function are unknown. Contrary to the belief that oblique striation allows high force output over extraordinary length ranges (i.e. superelongation), recent work suggests diversity in operating length ranges and length–force relationships. We hypothesize oblique striation evolved to increase length–force relationship flexibility. We predict that superelongation is not a general characteristic of obliquely striated muscles and instead that length–force relationships vary with operating length range. To test these predictions, we measured length–force relationships of five obliquely striated muscles from inshore longfin squid, Doryteuthis pealeii: tentacle, funnel retractor and head retractor longitudinal fibers, and arm and fin transverse fibers. Consistent with superelongation, the tentacle length–force relationship had a long descending limb, whereas all others exhibited limited descending limbs. The ascending limb at 0.6P0 was significantly broader (P&lt;0.001) for the tentacle length–force relationship (0.43±0.04L0; where L0 is the preparation length that produced peak isometric stress, P0) than for the arm (0.29±0.03L0), head retractor (0.24±0.06L0), fin (0.20±0.04L0) and funnel retractor (0.27±0.03L0). The fin's narrow ascending limb differed significantly from those of the arm (P=0.004) and funnel retractor (P=0.012). We further characterized the tentacle preparation's maximum isometric stress (315±78 kPa), maximum unloaded shortening velocity (2.97±0.55L0 s−1) and ultrastructural traits (compared with the arm), which may explain its broader length–force relationship. Comparison of obliquely striated muscles across taxa revealed length–force relationship diversity, with only two species exhibiting superelongation.
Anchor threads can double the insect flight energy absorbed by spider orb webs
Authors: Han Sarah I. , Alicea-Serrano Angela M. , Blackledge Todd A. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT
To successfully capture flying insect prey, a spider's orb web must withstand the energy of impact without the silk breaking. In this study, we examined the anchor threads: the silk lines that anchor the main capture area of the web to the surrounding environment. These anchor threads can account for a large portion of the web, yet are usually excluded from experiments and simulations. We compared projectile capture and kinetic energy absorption between webs with and without access to anchor threads. Webs with anchor threads captured significantly more projectiles and absorbed significantly more energy than those with constrained anchors. This is likely because the anchor threads increase web compliance, resulting in webs with the ability to catch high-energy flying insects without breaking. Anchor threads are one example of how different types of web architecture expand the range of possible prey capture strategies by enabling the web to withstand greater impacts.
Transverse carpal ligament tear at the trapezial ridge without fracture - the “trapezial ridge line” sign: two case reports
Authors: Golay Saroj K , Mansour Ramy , Riley Nicholas , Berkowitz Yaron 
Published: January 2023

A tear of the transverse carpal ligament attachment at the trapezial ridge without associated fracture has not been previously described. We present a detailed description of a 16-year-old Caucasian male patient treated at our institution, and a second supporting case of a 15-year-old Caucasian male patient with a similar mechanism of injury and diagnostic findings. It is important to be aware of this ligament tear, as it may affect clinical management, is occult on computed tomography, and only detectable on magnetic resonance imaging, stressing the worth of magnetic resonance imaging in the setting of acute wrist trauma.