bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A new bin size index method for statistical analysis of multimodal datasets from materials characterization
Authors: Jiang Tao , Luo Shengmin , Wang Dongfang , Li Yucheng , Wu Yongkang , He Li , Zhang Guoping 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThis paper presents a normalized standard error-based statistical data binning method, termed “bin size index” (BSI), which yields an optimized, objective bin size for constructing a rational histogram to facilitate subsequent deconvolution of multimodal datasets from materials characterization and hence the determination of the underlying probability density functions. Totally ten datasets, including four normally-distributed synthetic ones, three normally-distributed ones on the elasticity of rocks obtained by statistical nanoindentation, and three lognormally-distributed ones on the particle size distributions of flocculated clay suspensions, were used to illustrate the BSI’s concepts and algorithms. While results from the synthetic datasets prove the method’s accuracy and effectiveness, analyses of other real datasets from materials characterization and measurement further demonstrate its rationale, performance, and applicability to practical problems. The BSI method also enables determination of the number of modes via the comparative evaluation of the errors returned from different trial bin sizes. The accuracy and performance of the BSI method are further compared with other widely used binning methods, and the former yields the highest BSI and smallest normalized standard errors. This new method particularly penalizes the overfitting that tends to yield too many pseudo-modes via normalizing the errors by the number of modes hidden in the datasets, and also eliminates the difficulty in specifying criteria for acceptable values of the fitting errors. The advantages and disadvantages of the new method are also discussed.
Analysis of convolutional neural networks reveals the computational properties essential for subcortical processing of facial expression
Authors: Lim Chanseok , Inagaki Mikio , Shinozaki Takashi , Fujita Ichiro 
Published: July 2023

AbstractPerception of facial expression is crucial for primate social interactions. This visual information is processed through the ventral cortical pathway and the subcortical pathway. However, the subcortical pathway exhibits inaccurate processing, and the responsible architectural and physiological properties remain unclear. To investigate this, we constructed and examined convolutional neural networks with three key properties of the subcortical pathway: a shallow layer architecture, concentric receptive fields at the initial processing stage, and a greater degree of spatial pooling. These neural networks achieved modest accuracy in classifying facial expressions. By replacing these properties, individually or in combination, with corresponding cortical features, performance gradually improved. Similar to amygdala neurons, some units in the final processing layer exhibited sensitivity to retina-based spatial frequencies (SFs), while others were sensitive to object-based SFs. Replacement of any of these properties affected the coordinates of the SF encoding. Therefore, all three properties limit the accuracy of facial expression information and are essential for determining the SF representation coordinate. These findings characterize the role of the subcortical computational processes in facial expression recognition.
Cascading effects of drought in Xilin Gol temperate grassland, China
Authors: Ma Jingzhao , Gao Jingmin 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn the context of global climate change, the cascading risk of compound natural hazards is becoming increasingly prominent. Taking Xilin Gol grassland as study area, we used the Mann–Kendall trend method, the maximum Pearson correlation coefficient method, and Partial least squares structural equations modeling to detect the characteristics of spatiotemporal pattern changes of the three types of droughts. The propagation characteristics and the cascade effects among the three types of droughts was also identified. The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, standardized evapotranspiration drought index, and soil moisture index were selected as indicators of meteorological drought, ecohydrological drought, and soil drought, respectively. The results show that the warm and dry trend in Xilin Gol grassland was obvious in the past 30 years. The seasonal propagation of different drought was prominent, with stronger spread relationships in summer. Persistent meteorological drought was more likely to trigger the other two types of droughts. The intensity and range both increased during the propagation from meteorological drought to ecohydrological drought. The cascade effect was differed in different time scales. The multi-year persistent climatic drought has an overwhelming cascade effect on soil drought and ecohydrological drought. For seasonal or annual drought, vegetation cover change has an amplifying or mitigating impact on the cascade effect, where soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), and their relationship all play important roles. In eastern areas with better vegetation cover, the reduction of vegetation in the early stage aggravated the cascading effect of meteorological drought to ecohydrological drought through reducing ET. In the northwestern sparsely vegetated areas, ET was mainly influenced by meteorological factors, and the cascade effect of meteorological factors to ecohydrological drought was more obvious than that of soil drought.
The anterior insular cortex processes social recognition memory
Authors: Min Ji-You , Park Sanggeon , Cho Jeiwon , Huh Yeowool 
Published: July 2023

AbstractImpaired social abilities are characteristics of a variety of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder. Studies consistently implicated the relationship between the anterior insular cortex (aIC) and social ability, however, how the aIC involves in processing specific subtypes of social ability was uninvestigated. We, therefore, investigated whether the absence or presence of the aIC affects the social behaviors of mice. We found that electrolytic lesions of the aIC specifically impaired mice’s ability to recognize a novel stranger mouse, while the sociability of the aIC-lesioned mice was intact. Interestingly, the aIC-lesioned mice were still distinguished between a mouse that had been housed together before the aIC lesion and a novel mouse, supporting that retrieval of social recognition memory may not involve the aIC. Additional behavioral tests revealed that this specific social ability impairment induced by the aIC lesion was not due to impairment in olfaction, learning and memory, locomotion, or anxiety levels. Together our data suggest that the aIC is specifically involved in processing social recognition memory, but not necessarily involved in retrieving it.
Influence of extent of surgical resection on post-hepatectomy shoulder pain: an observational study
Authors: Yang Yuecheng , Zhang Yunkui , Dai ShengLing , Wang Lu , Zhang Jun 
Published: July 2023

AbstractShoulder pain frequently follows hepatectomy. However, the influence of surgical procedures on shoulder pain is unclear. In this observational study, patients who underwent hepatectomy were enrolled in Shanghai Cancer Center. Shoulder pain and surgical pain were assessed using the numeric rating scale 2 days after surgery. The incidence of shoulder pain was the outcome of the cohort study. Nested case–control analyses were further applied. Three hundred and twelve patients were finally enrolled in this study. Nested case–control analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the number of surgical segments between the two groups (P = 0.09). In addition, minor hepatectomy did not reduce the incidence of shoulder pain compared with major hepatectomy (P = 0.37). The drainage volume within 2 days after surgery was significantly more in those patients with shoulder pain (P = 0.017). In open surgery, surgical sites involving the right anterior lobe (OR (95% CI) 2.021 (1.075, 3.802), P = 0.029) and right posterior lobe (OR (95% CI) 2.322 (1.193, 4.522), P = 0.013) were both independent risk factors for shoulder pain. Left shoulder pain also occurred in patients who did not receive left lateral hepatectomy. The preventive phrenic nerve block was not suitable for post-hepatectomy shoulder pain. Stronger preventative intervention should be used in those high-risk patients.
Intramolecular interaction kinetically regulates fibril formation by human and mouse α-synuclein
Authors: Ohgita Takashi , Kono Hiroki , Morita Izumi , Oyama Hiroyuki , Shimanouchi Toshinori , Kobayashi Norihiro , Saito Hiroyuki 
Published: July 2023

AbstractRegulation of α-synuclein (αS) fibril formation is a potent therapeutic strategy for αS-related neurodegenerative disorders. αS, an intrinsically disordered 140-residue intraneural protein, comprises positively charged N-terminal, hydrophobic non-amyloid β component (NAC), and negatively charged C-terminal regions. Although mouse and human αS share 95% sequence identity, mouse αS forms amyloid fibrils faster than human αS. To evaluate the kinetic regulation of αS fibrillation, we examined the effects of mismatched residues in human and mouse αS on fibril formation and intramolecular interactions. Thioflavin T fluorescence assay using domain-swapped or C-terminal-truncated αS variants revealed that mouse αS exhibited higher nucleation and fibril elongation than human αS. In mouse αS, S87N substitution in the NAC region rather than A53T substitution is dominant for enhanced fibril formation. Fӧrester resonance energy transfer analysis demonstrated that the intramolecular interaction of the C-terminal region with the N-terminal and NAC regions observed in human αS is perturbed in mouse αS. In mouse αS, S87N substitution is responsible for the perturbed interaction. These results indicate that the interaction of the C-terminal region with the N-terminal and NAC regions suppresses αS fibril formation and that the human-to-mouse S87N substitution in the NAC region accelerates αS fibril formation by perturbing intramolecular interaction.
Productivity gains in vegetables from rice husk biochar application in nutrient-poor soils in Timor-Leste
Authors: Williams Rob , Belo Joao Bosco , Lidia Julieta , Soares Salvador , Ribeiro Decio , Moreira Celestino L. , Almeida Luis , Barton Louise , Erskine William 
Published: July 2023

AbstractResponse to fertilisation with biochar is greatest in field crops on acidic tropical soils, but limited information is available for vegetable crops. As a case-study using vegetable production in Timor-Leste, we assessed if biochar alleviates nutritional constraints to vegetables in low-nutrient soils. Field trials on vegetable crops were conducted with fertiliser combinations of rice husk biochar, phosphate and local fertiliser at three sites. A pot soil incubation trial of biochar was undertaken with soil from the acid site, where rice husk biochar had a larger effect on productivity than the other fertilisers in chili pepper, tomato and soybean with an average yield increase with biochar of 230% over control. Combining phosphate with biochar augmented the yield over biochar alone in chili pepper, tomato and soybean. At neutral and alkaline sites, fertilisation with biochar lifted mean yield over the control. Soil constraints alleviated by fertiliser were primarily from P and Zn deficiencies. Marked increases in vegetable yields, among the highest globally, were achieved with fertilisation with biochar individually and in combination with phosphate in low nutrient soil in Timor-Leste. Clearly, rice husk biochar is a promising avenue to fertilise the soil with P and Zn and increase crop productivity in Timor-Leste.
SNP application improves drought tolerance in soybean
Authors: Zhou Qi , Tian Yumei , Li Xiaomei , Wu Zihao , Wang Xiyue , Dong Shoukun 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAs an important bioactive molecule, nitric oxide (NO) can effectively alleviate the effects of drought stress on crops. However, it is still unclear whether it can increase the stress resistance of soybean. Therefore, in this study, our objective was to explore the effect of exogenous NO application on the physiological characteristics of soybean seedlings under drought stress. As test material, two soybean varieties, HN65 and HN44, were used, while sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of 100 μmol L−1, 200 μmol L−1, 500 μmol L−1, 1000 μmol L−1 served as an exogenous NO donor, and PEG-6000 as an osmotic regulator to simulate drought stress. The effects of irrigation with different SNP concentrations for different days on the physiological characteristics of the soybean seedlings under drought conditions were then investigated. The results obtained showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes, osmotic regulator contents, as well as the abscisic acid and salicylic acid contents of the plant leaves increased with increasing SNP concentration and treatment time. However, we observed that excessively high SNP concentrations decreased the activities of key nitrogen metabolism enzymes significantly. This study provides a theoretical basis for determining a suitable exogenous NO concentration and application duration. It also highlights strategies for exploring the mechanism by which exogenous NO regulates crop drought resistance.
The role of TOP2A in immunotherapy and vasculogenic mimicry in non-small cell lung cancer and its potential mechanism
Authors: Wu Jiatao , Zhang Lei , Li Wenjuan , Wang Luyao , Jia Qianhao , Shi Fan , Li Kairui , Liao Lingli , Shi Yuqi , Wu Shiwu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractType IIA topoisomerase (TOP2A) is significantly associated with malignant tumor development, invasion, treatment and its prognosis, and has been shown to be a therapeutic target against cancer. In contrast, the role of TOP2A in the immunotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer as well as in Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation and its potential mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of TOP2A in proliferation, skeleton regulation, motility and VM production in non-small cell lung cancer and its mechanisms by using bioinformatics tools and molecular biology experiments. Subgroup analysis showed that the low-risk group had a better prognosis, while the high-risk group was positively correlated with high tumor mutational load, M1-type macrophage infiltration, immune checkpoint molecule expression, and immunotherapy efficacy. As confirmed by further clinical specimens, the presence of TOP2A and VM was significantly and positively correlated with poor prognosis. Our study established a model based on significant co-expression of TOP2A genes, which significantly correlated with mutational load and immunotherapy outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Further mechanistic exploration suggests that TOP2A plays an important role in immunotherapy and VM formation in NSCLC through upregulation of Wnt3a and PD-L1 expression.
ASC- and caspase-1-deficient C57BL/6 mice do not develop demyelinating disease after infection with Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus
Authors: Li Dandan , Bühler Melanie , Runft Sandra , Gerold Gisa , Marek Katarzyna , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Strowig Till , Gerhauser Ingo 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTheiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces an acute polioencephalomyelitis and a chronic demyelinating leukomyelitis in SJL mice. C57BL/6 (B6) mice generally do not develop TMEV-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) due to virus elimination. However, TMEV can persist in specific immunodeficient B6 mice such as IFNβ−/− mice and induce a demyelinating process. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 are activated by the inflammasome pathway, which consists of a pattern recognition receptor molecule sensing microbial pathogens, the adaptor molecule Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), and the executioner caspase-1. To analyze the contribution of the inflammasome pathway to the resistance of B6 mice to TMEV-IDD, ASC- and caspase-1-deficient mice and wild type littermates were infected with TMEV and investigated using histology, immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western Blot. Despite the antiviral activity of the inflammasome pathway, ASC- and caspase-1-deficient mice eliminated the virus and did not develop TMEV-IDD. Moreover, a similar IFNβ and cytokine gene expression was found in the brain of immunodeficient mice and their wild type littermates. Most importantly, Western Blot showed cleavage of IL-1β and IL-18 in all investigated mice. Consequently, inflammasome-dependent activation of IL-1β and IL-18 does not play a major role in the resistance of B6 mice to TMEV-IDD.
An insight into Capella (α Aurigae): From the extent of core overshoot to its evolutionary history
Authors: Marini E. , Ventura C. , Tailo M. , Ventura P. , Dell’Agli F. , Castellani M. 
Published: July 2023

Context. The binary star α Aurigae (otherwise known as Capella) is extremely important to understanding the core hydrogen and helium burning phases of stars, as its primary star is likely evolving through the core helium burning phase. Moreover, the masses of the star’s two components are ∼2.5 M⊙ and ∼2.6 M⊙, meaning they fall into a mass range in which the extension of the core overshoot during the main sequence phase is uncertain.
Aims. We aim to derive the extent of the core overshoot experienced during the core burning phases and to test the efficiency of the convective transport of energy in the external envelope of Capella by comparing results from stellar evolution modelling with the results from observations.
Methods. We considered evolutionary tracks calculated expressly for the present work, that is, for the primary and secondary stars of Capella. We determined the extent of the extra mixing from the core during the main sequence evolution and the age of the system by requiring that the effective temperatures and surface gravities of the model stars reproduce those derived from the observations at the same epoch. We further checked the consistency between the observed and predicted surface chemistry of the stars.
Results. The consistency between results from stellar evolution modelling and the observations of Capella is found when extra mixing from the core is assumed, the extent of the extra-mixed zone being of the order of 0.25 HP. The age of the system is estimated to be 710 Myr. These results allow the observed surface chemistry to be well reproduced, particularly the recent determination of the 12C/13C ratio based on Large Binocular Telescope and Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope observations.
Esophageal Atresia Associated with Congenital Duodenal Obstruction: Turkish Esophageal Atresia Registry (TEAR) Evaluation
Authors: Durakbaşa Çiğdem Ulukaya , Soyer Tutku , İlhan Hüseyin , Oztan Mustafa Onur , Uzunlu Osman , Firinci Binali , Özcan Rahşan , Oral Akgun , Ciftci Ilhan , Ozcakir Esra , Akkoyun Ibrahim , Güney Doğuş , Ozden Onder , Gul Cengiz , Ozcan Coskun , Parlak Ayse , Aydın Emrah 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Introduction Coexistent congenital duodenal obstruction and esophageal atresia (EA) is known to have significant morbidity and mortality. Management strategies are not well-defined for this association. The data from the Turkish EA registry is evaluated.
Materials and Methods A database search was done for the years 2015 to 2022.
Results Among 857 EA patients, 31 (3.6%) had congenital duodenal obstruction. The mean birth weight was 2,104 (± 457) g with 6 babies weighing less than 1,500 g. Twenty-six (84%) had type C EA. The duodenal obstruction was complete in 15 patients and partial in 16. Other anomalies were detected in 27 (87%) patients. VACTERL-H was present in 15 (48%), anorectal malformation in 10 (32%), a major cardiac malformation in 6 (19%), and trisomy-21 in 3 (10%). Duodenal obstruction diagnosis was delayed in 10 (32%) babies for a median of 7.5 (1–109) days. Diagnosis for esophageal pathologies was delayed in 2. Among 19 babies with a simultaneous diagnosis, 1 died without surgery, 6 underwent triple repair for tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), EA, and duodenal obstruction, and 3 for TEF and duodenal obstruction in the same session. A staged repair was planned in the remaining 9 patients. In total, 15 (48%) patients received a gastrostomy, the indication was long-gap EA in 8. Twenty-five (77%) patients survived. The cause of mortality was sepsis (n = 3) and major cardiac malformations (n = 3).
Conclusion Congenital duodenal obstruction associated with EA is a complex problem. Delayed diagnosis is common. Management strategies regarding single-stage repairs or gastrostomy insertions vary notably depending on the patient characteristics and institutional preferences.
Reflections Towards the Future of Medical Informatics
Authors: Haux Reinhold 
Published: July 2023

Objective: To provide guidance on the future development and role of medical informatics, or biomedical and health informatics, in form of reflections.
Method: To report on the author’s previous activities as a medical informatician, which spans almost half a century. It began in 1973 when he started to study medical informatics. In 1978, more than four decades ago, his professional work started. He retired at the end of summer semester 2021. This was the occasion to prepare this farewell lecture.
Results: In twenty reflections, thoughts are presented on professional careers (R1 – ‘places’), on medical informatics as discipline (R2 – ‘interdisciplinarity’, R3 – ‘focuses’, R4 – ‘affiliations’), on research (R5 – ‘duality’, R6 – ‘confluences’, R7 – ‘correlations’, R8 – ‘collaboration’), on education (R9 – ‘community’, R10 – ‘competencies’, R11 – ‘approaches’), on academic self-governance (R12 – ‘autonomy’), on engagement (R13 – ‘Sisyphos’, R14 – ‘professional societies’, R15 – ‘respect’, R16 – ‘tightrope walk’), and on good scientific practice (R17 – ‘time invariants’, R18 – ‘Zeitgeist’, R19 – ‘knowledge gain’, R20 – ‘exercising’).
Conclusions: It has been a pleasure for me to participate in medical informatics activities for almost fifty years. During that time, there have been significant advances, including in medicine and in informatics, and also in medical informatics itself. And now it is the turn of others. While keeping in mind that tradition is not preserving the ashes, but passing on the fire, this report with its reflections may be of some help.