bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synaptic biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid associate differentially with classical neuronal biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Das Shreyasee , Goossens Julie , Jacobs Dirk , Dewit Nele , Pijnenburg Yolande A. L. , In ‘t Veld Sjors G. J. G. , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Vanmechelen Eugeen 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Background
Loss of synaptic functionality has been recently identified as an early-stage indicator of neurological diseases. Consequently, monitoring changes in synaptic protein levels may be relevant for observing disease evolution or treatment responses in patients. Here, we have studied the relationship between fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration and synaptic dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

Methods
The exploratory cohort consisted of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples (n = 60) from patients diagnosed with AD (n = 20), FTD (n = 20), and SCD (n = 20) from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. We developed two novel immunoassays for the synaptic proteins synaptosomal-associated protein-25 (SNAP25) and vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 (VAMP2). We measured the levels of these biomarkers in CSF, in addition to neuronal pentraxin-2 (NPTX2), glutamate ionotropic receptor-4 (GluR4), and neurogranin (Ng) for this cohort. All in-house immunoassays were validated and analytically qualified prior to clinical application. CSF neurogranin (Ng) was measured using a commercially available ELISA.

Results
This pilot study indicated that SNAP25, VAMP2, and Ng may not be specific biomarkers for AD as their levels were significantly elevated in patients with both AD and FTD compared to SCD. Moreover, the strength of the correlations between synaptic proteins was lower in the AD and FTD clinical groups compared to SCD. SNAP25, VAMP2, and Ng correlated strongly with each other as well as with total Tau (Tau) and phosphorylated Tau (PTau) in all three clinical groups. However, this correlation was weakened or absent with NPTX2 and GluR4. None of the synaptic proteins correlated to neurofilament light (NfL) in any clinical group.

Conclusion
The correlation of the synaptic biomarkers with CSF Tau and PTau but the lack thereof with NfL implies that distinct pathological pathways may be involved in synaptic versus axonal degeneration. Our results reflect the diversity of synaptic pathology in neurodegenerative dementias.
The relationship between market information and entrepreneurial orientation: the case of smallholder honey producers in Northern Uganda
Authors: Amuko Walter , Kalule Stephen W. , Odongo Walter 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of market information on entrepreneurial orientations of smallholder honey producers.

Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study design with sample of 250 honey producers was used. Structural equations modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships.

Findings
Results show that product quality, trader preferences and consumer preferences are the main market information needs that influence entrepreneurial orientation of honey producers. Further, the attributes of market information quality, i.e., information credibility, timeliness, accuracy and usability positively influence entrepreneurial orientation.

Practical implications
Results of this study calls for prioritization of better access to regular, reliable and usable market information for honey producers in development programs and policies so as to enhance farmer entrepreneurial orientations and product development.

Social implications
Smallholder honey producers are more likely to efficiently deliver innovative products if development interventions across the public and non-public sector divide become responsive to their marketing information needs as well the quality of market information provided.

Originality/value
The study uses original data from honey producers to demonstrate the role that marketing information needs as well as market information quality play in catalyzing smallholder farmer entrepreneurial orientation.
Super-rotation independent of horizontal diffusion reproduced in a Venus GCM
Authors: Sugimoto Norihiko , Fujisawa Yukiko , Komori Nobumasa , Kashimura Hiroki , Takagi Masahiro , Matsuda Yoshihisa 
Published: March 2023

AbstractHorizontal diffusion and resolution are important factors to generate and maintain the super-rotation in the general circulation model (GCM) because waves which transport angular momentum are sensitive to them. Here, we investigated how the super-rotation depends on the magnitude of horizontal hyper diffusion using a Venus atmospheric GCM with medium and high resolutions. In both the runs, we found a parameter range where the structure of fully developed super-rotation is almost independent of the magnitude of horizontal diffusion. Spectral analysis shows that unrealistically strong super-rotation is developed when medium-scale disturbances are dissipated by stronger horizontal diffusion. On the other hand, artificially weak super-rotation is also realized because spurious small-scale disturbances are accumulated when the horizontal diffusion is too weak.
Graphical Abstract
How reproducible are clinical measurements in robotic knee surgery?
Authors: Matassi Fabrizio , Bori Edoardo , Giabbani Niccolò , Civinini Roberto , Innocenti Bernardo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPurposeRobotic‐assisted surgery has been recently introduced to improve biomechanical restoration, and thus better clinical and functional outcomes, after knee joint arthroplasty operations. Robotic‐assisted uni‐compartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) aims indeed to improve surgical bone resection and alignment accuracy, optimized component positioning and knee balancing, relying on a series of calibration measurements performed during the surgery. These advantages focus therefore on improving the reproducibility of UKA surgeries, reducing (if not eliminating) eventual differences among high‐ and low‐volume surgeons.The purpose of this study is to investigate and quantify the reproducibility of in‐vivo measurements performed with a robotic system: the intra‐ and inter‐observer variability of a series of measurements was therefore analyzed and compared among differently experienced operators.MethodsFive patients were analyzed and underwent robotic‐assisted UKA using a semi‐active robotic system.Three different observers with different experience levels were involved to independently perform the measurements of two parameters of the preoperative knee (Hip‐Knee‐Ankle angle [HKAa], Internal‐External Rotation) at different degrees of knee flexion. Inter‐observer and intra‐observer comparisons were performed.ResultsThe average variability in the measurements obtained from the intra‐observer and inter‐observer comparisons were always < 0.68° for HKAa and < 2.59° for internal‐external rotation, and the ICCs showed excellent agreement (> 0.75) for most cases and good agreement (> 0.60) in the remaining ones.ConclusionThis study demonstrated high reproducibility of the measurements obtainable in clinical environment with the robotic system. The inter‐observer results furthermore showed that the level of confidence with the robotic system is not significantly influencing the measurement.
Excess pore water pressure generation in fine granular materials under undrained cyclic triaxial loading
Authors: Do Tan Manh , Laue Jan , Mattsson Hans , Jia Qi 
Published: March 2023

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanism of excess pore water pressure generation in subgrades is essential for not only designing but also further maintenance purposes. The primary goal of this research was to investigate excess pore water pressure generation in fine granular materials under cyclic loading. A series of undrained cyclic triaxial tests were performed to study the excess pore water pressure generation in two selected fine granular materials: (1) railway sand and (2) tailings. The excess pore water pressure response of these materials was evaluated in terms of density conditions, number of cycles, and applied cyclic stress ratios (CSR). As a result, excess pore water pressure accumulated over time due to cyclic loading. However, its accumulation was significantly dependent on the governing factors, i.e., densities, CSR values, and material types. The excess pore water pressure exhibited a slight increase at low CSR values, but a sharp increase was observed at higher CSR values, which ultimately led to a failure state after a certain number of cycles. In addition, under the same loading conditions, the samples that had higher relative compaction showed better resistance to cyclic loads as compared to those with lower relative compaction. Finally, a relationship between excess pore water pressure and cyclic axial strain of the fine granular materials was discovered.
Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and overall survival in patients with breast cancer: a cohort study in a Latin-American hospital
Authors: Huamán Córdova Nataly Briyit , Cervera-Ocaña Martha Sofia , Quiñones-Laveriano Dante M. , De La Cruz-Vargas Jhony A. 
Published: March 2023

Background: Breast cancer is a disease of high mortality globally. Inflammatory markers have been proposed as prognostic indicators. Therefore, we seek to find an association between the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and overall survival (OS) of patients with breast cancer in a Latin-American hospital. Methods: An observational, analytical, longitudinal survival study was conducted in 241 female patients with breast cancer, between 2012 and 2014. The dependent variable was OS, the independent variable was the NLR, and the intervening variables were age, clinical stage, and molecular subtype. The Kaplan–Meier method was applied to generate OS functions, and the Cox regression to find crude and adjusted hazard ratio (HR). Results: The mean age was 56.1 years and59.8% of patients had an NLR≥3.According to the Kaplan–Meier estimator, NLR≥3 (p<0.001), age>55 years (p=0.039), and clinical stage (p<0.001), were associated with a lower OS. In the multivariate analysis, the factors significantly associated to a lower OS were NLR≥3 (HRa: 2.00; CI 95%: 1.36–2.95), age>55 years (HRa: 1.64; CI 95%: 1.10–2.44), and clinical stage IV (HRa: 68; CI 95%: 2.28–20.20). Conclusions: The inflammatory marker NLR≥3 was independently associated with a lower OS. Additionally, advanced stage and older age were associated with a lower OS.
Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) standardized root extract on physical endurance and VO2max in healthy adults preforming resistance training: An eight-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Verma Narsingh , Gupta Sandeep Kumar , Patil Sayali , Tiwari Shashank , Mishra Ashok Kumar 
Published: March 2023

Background: Ashwagandha is a well-known Ayurvedic herb used for youthful vigor and wellbeing. This study investigated the effects of 300 mg standardized root extract (>5% withanolides) of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on muscle mass, strength and cardiorespiratory endurance following resistance training. Methods: In this eight-week, parallel-group, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, 80 healthy male and female participants aged 18-45 years, who engaged in regular physical activity were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive Ashwagandha (AG, n=40) 300 mg capsules twice daily for eight weeks, or identical placebo (PB, n=40). Seven (3 AG, 4 PB) participants were excluded due to poor compliance. All participants conducted eight-week resistance training. Study outcomes included muscle strength (1RM bench press and leg extension), muscle size (circumference of arm, chest and upper thigh) and cardio-respiratory endurance (VO2max) assessed at baseline and at eight weeks. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to estimate adjusted differences based on sex, BMI and chest circumference at baseline. Results: AG caused greater improvement in chest press (males: p = 0.0084; females: p = 0.0005), leg press (males: p = 0.0049; females: p = 0.018) and endurance (males: p <0.0001; females: p <0.0001) as compared to PB. Also, greater improvements in muscle girth for arm, chest and thigh were seen in both male and female participants with AG. No adverse events were reported in the study. Conclusions: Eight weeks of AG root extract supplementation along with resistance training is effective in improving muscle strength, growth, endurance and recovery in both male and female participants. AG root extract could be a safer, effective and low-cost alternative for athletes to improve muscle endurance.
Integrated management of Corn Marigold (Glebionis segetum) in Tef Field at Western and Southwestern Shewa zones in Ethiopia
Authors: Hundessa Niguse , Dechassa Nagassa , Bedada Shashitu , Bekele Getachew , Duguma Mosisa 
Published: March 2023

Background: Corn marigold is a serious weed species of agricultural crops in many parts of Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of information on its management in tef fields in the country. Therefore, the current work was designed with the objectives of evaluating integrated management of the weed and determining the most economical integrated weed management options in tef fields. Methods: The field experiment was conducted at naturally Corn marigold infested fields of Chaliya and Waliso districts of Western and Southwestern Ethiopia, respectively during 2020 to 2021 cropping seasons. Results: Different Corn marigold management practices exhibited different responses to different parameters of the target weed and the test crop differently. Application of Pallas 45 OD at a rate of 0.40 l ha-1 supplemented with once-hand weeding and QuelexTM 200 WG sprayed at a rate of 50 g ha-1 supplemented with once-hand weeding increased grain yield by about 70 and 50%, respectively, over weedy check. The marginal revenue and benefit-cost ratio inflicted from the marketing of goods for every one of integrated management of Corn marigold increased by about 42–110 and 32–89%, respectively as compared to a weedy check. Conclusions: The present study revealed the role of integrated management of Corn marigold in improving tef production and productivity by combating the weed. Future research should be directed towards scaling up and popularizing these technologies among end users.
Stress Management Mechanisms in Younger Athletes
Authors: Korobeynikov Georgiy , Korobeinikova Lesia , Korobeinikova Ivanna , Kokhanevich Anatoliy 
Published: March 2023

Background/Purpose: Physiological responses to stress are associated with tension in the autonomic nervous system. One of the physiological reactions to stress is the tension of the autonomic nervous system. Intense physical activity and emotional stress can provoke mental stress in young athletes. Purpose - to study the features of the mechanisms of stress management in young athletes.
Method: Method: 30 younger athletes were examined (Greco-Roman wrestlers, 13-16 years old). Young athletes represented the Kremenchug sports club. Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed using a Fazagraph computer electrocardiograph (Ukraine). The characteristics of the statistical and frequency analysis of heart rate were evaluated. HRV indicators were recorded before and after the competition. The study of statistically significant difference between the obtained results carry out with help Wilcoxon rank sum test.
Results: During the competition the meaning of LF increases with simultaneous a decrease in HF oscillation. This fact is associated with a high level of tension in the regulatory mechanisms of HRV in younger athletes in a competitive state. At the same time, the parasympathetic activity of autonomic regulation is decline. Result shows the development of stress during psycho-emotional strain in competition condition. The stress caused by competitive situation in younger athletes is characterized by an increase in the tension of the autonomic regulation of HRV with deterioration in sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The stress caused by competitive situation in younger athletes is characterized by an increase in the tension of the autonomic regulation of HRV with deterioration in sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.
Conclusion: It was revealed that the conditions of competition among young athletes provoke a stress reaction with a predominance of sympathetic regulation. The mechanism of prevention of competitive stress in younger athletes is associated with a change in the ratio of autonomic regulation of the heart rate.
Numerical study of feature-distribution effects for anti-reflection structured surfaces on binary gratings
Authors: Gadamsetti Praneeth , Poutous Menelaos K. 
Published: March 2023

Suppressing Fresnel reflections from dielectric boundaries using
periodic and random antireflection structured surfaces (ARSSs) has
been vigorously studied as an alternative to thin film coatings for
high-power laser applications. A starting point in the design of ARSS
profiles is effective medium theory (EMT), approximating the ARSS
layer with a thin film of a specific effective permittivity, which has
features with subwavelength transverse-scale dimensions, independent
of their relative mutual positions or distributions. Using rigorous
coupled-wave analysis, we studied the effects of various pseudo-random
deterministic transverse feature distributions of ARSS on diffractive
surfaces, analyzing the combined performance of the quarter-wave
height nanoscale features, superimposed on a binary 50% duty cycle
grating. Various distribution designs were investigated at
633 nm wavelength for TE and TM polarization states at normal
incidence, comparable to EMT fill fractions for a fused silica
substrate in air. The results show differences in performance between
ARSS transverse feature distributions, exhibiting better overall
performance for subwavelength and near-wavelength scaled unit cell
periodicities with short auto-correlation lengths, in comparison to
equivalent effective permittivity designs that have less complicated
profiles. We conclude that structured layers of quarter-wavelength
depth and specific feature distributions can outperform conventional
periodic subwavelength gratings as antireflection treatments on
diffractive optical components.
Global nonlinear approach for mapping parameters of neural mass models
Authors: Dunstan Dominic M. , Richardson Mark P. , Abela Eugenio , Akman Ozgur E. , Goodfellow Marc 
Published: March 2023

Neural mass models (NMMs) are important for helping us interpret observations of brain dynamics. They provide a means to understand data in terms of mechanisms such as synaptic interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations. To interpret data using NMMs we need to quantitatively compare the output of NMMs with data, and thereby find parameter values for which the model can produce the observed dynamics. Mapping dynamics to NMM parameter values in this way has the potential to improve our understanding of the brain in health and disease.
Though abstract, NMMs still comprise of many parameters that are difficult to constrain a priori. This makes it challenging to explore the dynamics of NMMs and elucidate regions of parameter space in which their dynamics best approximate data. Existing approaches to overcome this challenge use a combination of linearising models, constraining the values they can take and exploring restricted subspaces by fixing the values of many parameters a priori. As such, we have little knowledge of the extent to which different regions of parameter space of NMMs can yield dynamics that approximate data, how nonlinearities in models can affect parameter mapping or how best to quantify similarities between model output and data. These issues need to be addressed in order to fully understand the potential and limitations of NMMs, and to aid the development of new models of brain dynamics in the future.
To begin to overcome these issues, we present a global nonlinear approach to recovering parameters of NMMs from data. We use global optimisation to explore all parameters of nonlinear NMMs simultaneously, in a minimally constrained way. We do this using multi-objective optimisation (multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, MOEA) so that multiple data features can be quantified. In particular, we use the weighted horizontal visibility graph (wHVG), which is a flexible framework for quantifying different aspects of time series, by converting them into networks.
We study EEG alpha activity recorded during the eyes closed resting state from 20 healthy individuals and demonstrate that the MOEA performs favourably compared to single objective approaches. The addition of the wHVG objective allows us to better constrain the model output, which leads to the recovered parameter values being restricted to smaller regions of parameter space, thus improving the practical identifiability of the model. We then use the MOEA to study differences in the alpha rhythm observed in EEG recorded from 20 people with epilepsy. We find that a small number of parameters can explain this difference and that, counterintuitively, the mean excitatory synaptic gain parameter is reduced in people with epilepsy compared to control. In addition, we propose that the MOEA could be used to mine for the presence of pathological rhythms, and demonstrate the application of this to epileptiform spike-wave discharges.
The impact of a standardized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing minimally invasive heart valve surgery
Authors: Gebauer Alexander , Konertz Johanna , Petersen Johannes , Brickwedel Jens , Köster Denise , Schulte-Uentrop Leonie , Reichenspurner Hermann , Girdauskas Evaldas 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundAn enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is a multimodal and multi-professional strategy aiming to accelerate postoperative convalescence. Pre-, intra- and postoperative measures might furthermore reduce postoperative complications and hospital length of stay (LOS) in a cost-effective way. We hypothesized that our unique ERAS protocol leads to shorter stays on the intensive care unit (ICU) and a quicker discharge without compromising patient safety.MethodsThis retrospective single center cohort study compares data of n = 101 patients undergoing minimally invasive heart valve surgery receiving a comprehensive ERAS protocol and n = 111 patients receiving routine care. Hierarchically ordered primary endpoints are postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications and ICU LOS.ResultsPatients risk profiles and disease characteristics were comparably similar. Age was relevantly different between the groups (56 (17) vs. 57.5 (13) years, p = 0.015) and therefore adjusted. Postoperative LOS was significantly lower in ERAS group (6 (2) days vs. 7 (1) days, p<0.01). No significant differences, neither in intra- or postoperative complications, nor in the number of readmissions (15.8% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.196) were shown. In hospital LOS (7 (3) days vs. 8 (4) days, p<0.01) and ICU LOS (18.5 (6) hours vs. 26.5 (29) hours, p<0.01) a considerable difference was shown.ConclusionThe ERAS protocol for minimally invasive heart valve surgery is safe and feasible in an elective setting and leads to a quicker hospital discharge without compromising patient safety. However, further investigation in a randomized setting is needed.