bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF DOSES FROM INGESTION OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES K-40 AND RA-226 IN RICE CONSUMED IN TAIWAN
Authors: Huang Wei-Hsiang , Liu Yung-Yu , Lin Sheng-Chi , Yeh Yi-Lung , Chen Ting-Chien 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis study investigated natural gamma emitting radionuclides 40K and 226Ra in rice consumed in Taiwan. Thirty rice samples, collected from local markets, included 24 local rice and 6 imported rice samples. Radionuclide activities were 24.05 ± 10.21 and 0.62 ± 0.61 Bq/kg for 40Kand 226Ra for all rice samples. The activity of each radionuclide was insignificantly different for local and imported samples (p = 0.33 and 0.52 for 40K and 226Ra, respectively). The annual effective doses from rice consumption were estimated to be 6.80 ± 2.89 and 7.86 ± 7.81 μSv/y for 40K and 226Ra, respectively, and the sum ingestion dose of 226Ra and 40K was 14.66 ± 8.57 μSv/y. These values were one order of magnitude less than the 290 μSv/y world average of the ingestion exposure from natural sources. The results suggest that rice consumption in Taiwan is radiologically safe for the investigated radionuclides.
Noninvasive positive pressure in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Nathani Avantika , Hatipoğlu Umur , Mireles-Cabodevila Eduardo 
Published: January 2023

Purpose of review
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV) is standard of care for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). We review the most current evidence and highlight areas of uncertainty and ongoing research. We highlight key concepts for the clinician caring for patients with AECOPD which require NIV.

Recent findings
Implementation of NIV in AECOPD is not uniform in spite of the evidence and guidelines. Initiation of NIV should be done early and following protocols. Low-intensity NIV remains the standard of care, although research and guidelines are evaluating higher intensity NIV. Scores to predict NIV failure continue to be refined to allow early identification and interventions. Several areas of uncertainty remain, among them are interventions to improve tolerance, length of support and titration and nutritional support during NIV.

Summary
The use of NIV in AECOPD is the standard of care as it has demonstrated benefits in several patient-centered outcomes. Current developments and research is related to the implementation and adjustment of NIV.
Topical Review: Impact of Central Vision Loss on Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance while Walking
Authors: Cloutier Melissa , DeLucia Patricia R. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

SIGNIFICANCE
Individuals with central vision loss are at higher risk of injury when walking and thus may limit trips outside the home. Understanding the mobility challenges associated with central vision loss (CVL) can lead to more effective interventions.
A systematic literature review focusing on mobility in CVL was conducted. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method, 2424 articles were identified in 4 databases (PsycINFO, APA PsycArticles, PubMed, and Web of Science). To be included within this review, the study methodology needed to be related to the three components of walking: (1) navigation, defined as the ability to reach a target destination; (2) obstacle avoidance, defined as the ability to avoid collisions with obstacles located at various heights and directions; and (3) street crossing, defined as the ability to both navigate a path and avoid collisions in a traffic environment. The methodology also needed to be empirical. Case studies, unstructured observational studies, studies based on self-report, research proposals, and existing systematic reviews were excluded. Titles, abstracts, and full text of identified articles were screened, yielding 26 articles included in the review. Results showed that, in many tasks, individuals with CVL can accomplish a level of performance comparable with individuals with normal vision. Differences between normal and impaired vision were due to either age or how the groups completed the task. For example, individuals with CVL could cross a street successfully but did so less safely (i.e., smaller safety margins) than individuals with normal vision. To identify new interventions for CVL, future research should focus on the differences in the mechanisms underlying mobility between individuals with normal and impaired vision rather than solely on performance differences.
Spatial Interactions in Interocular and Monocular “Blur Suppression”
Authors: Qian Jin , Patel Saumil S. , Bedell Harold E. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

SIGNIFICANCE
The suppression of blurred images in one eye by clear images in the other eye is thought to contribute to the success of monovision correction. We show that interocular suppression occurs also for low-contrast targets that are not blurred and, to a lesser extent, when clear and low-contrast targets are presented to the same eye.

PURPOSE
A blurred target presented to one eye may be suppressed when a clear target is presented to the other eye. We sought to determine how this interocular suppression varies according to the separation between the blurred and clear targets and the magnitude of imposed blur. In addition, we examined whether a similar suppression occurs when the clear and blurred targets are imaged in the same eye.

METHODS
Subjects (N = 4) viewed a clear 20/40 Sloan letter surrounded by four 2 × 10 min-arc flanking bars. In different blocks of trials, the gap between the letter and flanking bars varied from 0.5 to 4 bar widths. In addition, the flanking bars were either clear or spatially filtered to simulate 0.5 to 2 D of blur. The contrast required to detect the flanking bars was determined when the letter and flanking bars were presented either dichoptically or monoptically and compared with the thresholds for the bar targets presented alone.

RESULTS
In both dichoptic and monoptic viewing conditions, detection thresholds for the blurred flanking bars are highest for the smallest spatial gap and decrease systematically as the gap increases. Thresholds are uniformly higher during dichoptic than monocular viewing, but the proportional change with the bar-to-letter separation is similar in both conditions. Surprisingly, the magnitude of imposed blur has very little influence on the magnitude of threshold elevation in either the dichoptic or monoptic viewing conditions.

CONCLUSIONS
Because threshold elevation is nearly the same in the presence of 0 to 2 D of blur, we prefer to designate the phenomenon we studied as “contrast suppression.” The similar spatial characteristics of suppression during dichoptic and monoptic viewing are consistent with contributions from a common neural mechanism.
Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Tumor Thrombus in the Inferior Vena Cava or Right Atrium
Authors: Ichida Akihiko , Kokudo Takashi , Shimada Shingo , Hatano Etsuro , Kubo Shoji , Kato Yutaro , Ishikawa Yoshiya , Mori Akira , Baba Hideo , Matsuyama Yutaka , Endo Itaru , Yamaue Hiroki , Yamamoto Masakazu , Kokudo Norihiro , Hasegawa Kiyoshi 
Published: January 2023

Objective:
To clarify the short and long-term postoperative outcomes and surgical indications for patients accompanied by hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombus (TT) in the inferior vena cava (IVC) or right atrium (RA).

Background:
These patients are known to have an extremely poor prognosis; however, the postoperative outcomes have not been fully verified because of the rarity of this disease.

Methods:
We contacted 211 specialized centers in Japan and collected data on liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with TT in the IVC or RA from centers with experience performing surgery for such patients. The patient characteristics, operative procedures, and surgical outcomes were then analyzed.

Results:
A total of 119 patients from 23 institutions were enrolled; 49 patients had TT in the IVC below the diaphragm (type I), 42 had TT in the IVC above the diaphragm (type II), and 28 had TT entering the RA (type III). The severity and frequency of postoperative complications did not differ among the 3 groups. There was one surgery-related death in the type III group. The median survival times were 2.47 years in the type I group, 1.77 years in the type II group, and 1.02 years in the type III group. Multivariate analysis identified an indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes >15% and ≥3 tumors as prognostic factors affecting survival, whereas the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and ≥3 tumors were risk factors for recurrence.

Conclusions:
As the postoperative prognosis of patients with type I or type II disease and of patients with no risk factors is relatively good, surgery should be considered for these patient populations.
The Identification of Key Genes and Biological Pathways in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and its Complications by Next Generation Squancing (NGS) and Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Vastrad Basavaraj , Vastrad Chanabasayya 
Published: January 2023

AbstractPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is is associated with infertility, obesity, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular problems, neurological and psychological problems and cancer. The specific mechanism of PCOS and its complications remains unclear. The aim of this study was to apply a bioinformatics approach to reveal related pathways or genes involved in the development of PCOS and its complications. The next generation squancing (NGS) datset GSE199225 was downloaded from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis was performed using DESeq2. The g:Profiler was utilized to analyze the functional enrichment, gene ontology (GO) and REACTOME pathway of the differentially expressed genes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and module analysis was performed using HiPPIE and cytoscape. The miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network were also constructed for research. The expression of the hub genes was validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We have identified 957 DEGs in total, including 478 up regulated genes and 479 down regulated gene. GO and REACTOME illustrated that DEGs in PCOS were significantly enriched in regulation of molecular function, developmental process, interferon signaling and platelet activation, signaling and aggregation. Finally, through analyzing the PPI network, modules, miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network, we screened hub genes HSPA5, PLK1, RIN3, DBN1, CCDC85B, DISC1, AR, MTUS2, LYN and TCF4 by the Cytoscape software. This study uses a series of bioinformatics technologies to obtain hug genes and key pathways related to PCOS and its complications. These analysis results provide us with novel ideas for finding biomarkers and treatment methods for PCOS and its complications.
Cellular Immune Responses Induced by Subretinal AAV Gene Transfer can be Restrained by the Subretinal Associated Immune Inhibition Mechanism
Authors: Vendomèle Julie , Chauveau Gaëlle Anne , Dalkara Deniz , Galy Anne , Fisson Sylvain 
Published: January 2023

AbstractFor more than a decade, AAV-mediated gene transfer has been tested successfully in clinical trials to treat inherited retinal diseases. Despite the eye’s immune-privileged status and the use of corticoids as an adjunct treatment, some patients display inflammatory events which led us to question the immune consequences of a subretinal AAV administration. We first characterized anti-transgene immune responses induced in the periphery by injecting increasing doses of AAV8 encoding reporter proteins fused with the HY male antigen into the subretinal space of female C57BL/6 and rd10 mice. Transgene expression was monitored over time with bioluminescence imaging and T-cell immune responses in the spleen were analyzed by IFNγ ELISpot and cytokine multiplex assays. Our data show that an AAV8 injection causes proinflammatory T-cell immune response against the transgene product, correlated with the transgene expression level at 2.109vg and above. Additionally, co-injection of immunodominant peptides from the transgene product, along with AAV8, modulates the immune response at all AAV doses tested. Taken together, our data suggest that injection of AAV8 in the subretinal space induces proinflammatory peripheral T-cell responses to the transgene product that can be modulated by the subretinal associated immune inhibition (SRAII) mechanism.
Sex allocation plasticity in response to resource and pollination availability in the annual plantBrassica rapa(Brassicaceae)
Authors: Kostur Nikolet , Wadgymar Susana M. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACTPremise of researchHermaphroditic plants reproduce as females by maturing seeds from fertilized ovules and as males by fertilizing the ovules of other plants. Sex allocation theory predicts a trade-off between investment in male and female function. Thus, to maximize fitness, selection should favor plasticity in resource allocation among individuals or flowers of the same plant in response to environmental conditions. As female reproduction is typically more costly while male reproduction is mate-limited, we predict greater investment in female function when resources are plentiful and in male function when pollination is limited.MethodologyWe investigated plasticity in sex allocation in the rapid cycling lineage of the hermaphroditic mustard species,Brassica rapa, in response to resource availability (altered pot size) and the pollination environment (unpollinated or fully pollinated). We assess investment in male function (anther length) and female function (ovary length) in flower buds produced at the onset of reproduction and in buds produced approximately 15 days later. We also measured traits often correlated with increased allocation to female (plant size) and male (flower size) function.Pivotal ResultsLarger plants had longer anthers, longer ovaries, and larger flowers at the onset of reproduction, resulting in similar anther:ovary length ratios across plants of different sizes. Independent of plant-size, plants produced smaller anthers at the onset of reproduction in the low resource treatment and larger flowers over the course of reproduction in the pollen-absent treatment. Furthermore, larger plants produced increasingly longer ovaries over the course of reproduction compared to smaller plants.ConclusionsOur findings underscore the influence of condition on changes in sex allocation and correlated traits over time. Furthermore, we provide some additional supporting evidence that resource availability and the pollination environment can influence sex allocation and contribute cautionary advice on effective methods for experimentally eliciting and measuring sex allocation plasticity.
Evaluating the neural underpinnings of motivation for walking exercise
Authors: Doren Sarah , Schwab Sarah M. , Bigner Kaitlyn , Calvelage Jenna , Preston Katie , Laughlin Abigail , Drury Colin , Tincher Brady , Carl Daniel , Awosika Oluwole O. , Boyne Pierce 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundMotivation is critically important for rehabilitation, exercise, and motor performance, but its neural basis is poorly understood. Recent correlational research suggests that superior frontal gyrus medial area 9 (SFG9m) may be involved in motivation for walking activity. This study experimentally evaluated brain activity changes in periods of additional motivation during walking exercise, and tested how these brain activity changes relate to self-reported exercise motivation and walking speed.MethodsNon-disabled adults (N=26; 65% female; 25 ± 5 years old) performed a vigorous exercise experiment involving 20 trials of maximal speed overground walking. Half of the trials were randomized to include ‘extra motivation’ stimuli (lap timer, tracked best lap time and verbal encouragement). Wearable nearinfrared spectroscopy measured oxygenated hemoglobin responses (ΔHbO2) from frontal lobe regions, including the SFG9m, primary motor, dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior prefrontal, supplementary motor and dorsal premotor cortices.ResultsCompared with standard trials, participants walked faster during ‘extra-motivation’ trials (2.67 vs. 2.43 m/s; p<0.0001) and had higher ΔHbO2in all tested brain regions. This extra motivation effect on ΔHbO2was greatest for SFG9m (+703 µM) compared with other regions (+45 to +354 µM; p≤0.04). Greater SFG9m activity was correlated with more self-determined motivation for exercise and faster walking speed.ConclusionsSimple motivational stimuli during walking exercise seem to upregulate widespread brain regions, especially SFG9m. This could help explain the positive effects of motivational feedback on gait outcomes observed in prior rehabilitation research. Thus, these findings provide a potential biologic basis for the benefits of motivational stimuli, elicited with clinically-feasible methods during walking exercise. Future clinical studies could build on this information to develop prognostic biomarkers and test novel brain stimulation targets for enhancing exercise motivation (e.g. SFG9m).
AgamPrimer: Primer Design inAnopheles gambiaeinformed by range-wide genomic variation
Authors: Nagi Sanjay Curtis , Miles Alistair , Donnelly Martin J 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe major malaria mosquito,Anopheles gambiae s.l, is one of the most studied organisms in medical research and also one of the most genetically diverse. When designing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or hybridisation-based molecular assays, reliable primer and probe design is crucial. However, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in primer binding sites can prevent primer binding, leading to null alleles, or bind suboptimally, leading to preferential amplification of specific alleles. Given the extreme genetic diversity ofAn. gambiae, researchers need to consider this genetic variation when designing primers and probes to avoid amplification problems. In this note, we present a python package, AgamPrimer, which exploits the AG1000G dataset and allows users to rapidly design primers inAn. gambiae, whilst summarising genetic variation in the primer binding sites and visualising the position of primer pairs. AgamPrimer allows the design of both genomic DNA and cDNA primers and hybridisation probes. By coupling this python package with Google Colaboratory, AgamPrimer is an open and accessible platform for primer and probe design, hosted in the cloud for free. AgamPrimer is available herehttps://github.com/sanjaynagi/AgamPrimerand we hope it will be a useful resource for the community to design probe and primer sets that can be reliably deployed across theAn. gambiaespecies range.
Qualitative assessment of cryo-EM map reconstruction
Authors: Kutumbarao Nidamarthi. H. V. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractWith the rapid advancement of Cryo-EM technique in deciphering structural features of biological molecules, it is a necessity to develop and explore different parameters which help us in critical evaluation of different aspects of reconstruction. In this age of ever-increasing automation and number of particles used in reconstruction to achieve high resolution maps, assessment parameters help in validation of reconstruction process. Here, we have employed one such quality parameter which quantitatively assess the presence of non-particles in the reconstructed map.
Induced Alpha And Beta Electroencephalographic Rhythms Covary With Single-Trial Speech Intelligibility In Competition
Authors: Viswanathan Vibha , Bharadwaj Hari M. , Heinz Michael G. , Shinn-Cunningham Barbara G. 
Published: January 2023

1.AbstractNeurophysiological studies suggest that intrinsic brain oscillations influence sensory processing, especially of rhythmic stimuli like speech. Prior work suggests that brain rhythms may mediate perceptual grouping and selective attention to speech amidst competing sound, as well as more linguistic aspects of speech processing like predictive coding. However, we know of no prior studies that have directly tested, at the single-trial level, whether brain oscillations relate to speech-in-noise outcomes. Here, we combined electroencephalography while simultaneously measuring intelligibility of spoken sentences amidst two different interfering sounds: multi-talker babble or speech-shaped noise. We find that induced parieto-occipital alpha (7–15 Hz; thought to modulate attentional focus) and frontal beta (13–30 Hz; associated with maintenance of the current sensorimotor state and predictive coding) oscillations covary with trial-wise percent-correct scores; importantly, alpha and beta power provide significant independent contributions to predicting single-trial behavioral outcomes. These results can inform models of speech processing and guide noninvasive measures to index different neural processes that together support complex listening.
Atheroprone shear stress stimulates noxious endothelial extracellular vesicle uptake by MCAM and PECAM-1 cell adhesion molecules
Authors: Coly Pierre-Michaël , Chatterjee Shruti , Mezine Fariza , Jekmek Christelle El , Devue Cécile , Nipoti Thomas , Corona Maribel Lara , Dingli Florent , Loew Damarys , van Niel Guillaume , Boulanger Chantal M. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAtherosclerotic lesions mainly form in arterial areas exposed to low shear stress (LSS), where endothelial cells express a senescent and inflammatory phenotype. Conversely, high shear stress (HSS) has atheroprotective effects on the endothelium. Endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles have been shown to regulate inflammation, senescence and angiogenesis and therefore play a crucial role in vascular homeostasis and disease. While previous studies have shown links between hemodynamic forces and extracellular vesicle release, the exact consequences of shear stress on the release and uptake of endothelial EVs remains elusive. Our aim is therefore to decipher the interplay between these processes in endothelial cells exposed to atheroprone or atheroprotective shear stress.Confluent human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to either LSS or HSS for 24 hours. Large and small EVs were isolated from conditioned medium by sequential centrifugation and size exclusion chromatography. They were characterized by TEM, Western blot analysis of EV markers, tunable resistive pulse sensing, flow cytometry and proteomics. Uptake experiments were performed using fluorescently-labeled EVs and differences between groups were assessed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.We found that levels of large and small EVs in HUVEC conditioned media were fifty and five times higher in HSS than in LSS conditions, respectively.In vivoandin vitrouptake experiments revealed greater EV incorporation by cells exposed to LSS conditions compared to HSS. Additionally, endothelial LSS-EVs appeared to have a greater affinity for HUVECs than HSS-EVs or EVs derived from platelets, red blood cells, granulocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Proteomic analysis revealed that LSS-EVs were enriched in adhesion proteins such as PECAM1, MCAM, which were involved in EV uptake by endothelial cells. LSS-EVs also carried mitochondrial material, which may be involved in elevating reactive oxygen species levels in recipient cells.These findings suggest that endothelial shear stress has a significant impact during EV biogenesis and uptake. Given the major role of EVs and shear stress in vascular health, deciphering the relation between these processes may yield innovative strategies for the early detection and treatment of endothelial dysfunction.