bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Urinary outcomes of new ultra-minimally invasive treatments for prostate cancers
Authors: De Cillis Sabrina , Osman Nadir , Guillot-Tantay Cyrille , Hervé Francois , Przydacz Mikolaj , Tutolo Manuela , Culha Gokhan , Geretto Paolo , Cancrini Fabiana , Checcucci Enrico , Phé Veronique 
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review
The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the current available literature on urinary outcomes following cryotherapy and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for localized prostate cancer (PCa).

Recent findings
The available literature is heterogeneous in terms of intervention modalities and assessment of urinary outcome measures. Nevertheless, ultra-minimally invasive treatments seem to provide good urinary outcomes. Technological advancement and the adoption of more conservative ablation templates allow for a further reduction of toxicity and better preservation of urinary function. Urinary incontinence occurs in 0-10% of the patients and, is mostly transient. Voiding and storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) mostly occur in the early postoperative period and rarely require surgical treatment. Focal therapies performed with a salvage intent after external beam radiotherapy have a significantly higher impact on patient's urinary function.

Summary
Ultra-minimally invasive treatment for PCa show a good safety profile concerning urinary function, but consensus on when and how best to assess this is still lacking. Efforts should be made to standardize the report of preoperative and postoperative urinary function to provide higher level of evidence.
Focal Cerebral Vasculitis due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection With a Robust Response to Intravenous Steroids
Authors: Reyes Cleo Zarina , Villar Manny , Cheponis Kathryn , Yacoub Hussam A. 
Published: August 2023

Introduction:
Severe and less common neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection include acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, central venous sinus thrombosis, and vasculitis. In this report, we present a case of a 42-year-old man with acute ischemic stroke due to SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated central nervous system vasculitis that improved with steroid therapy.

Case Report:
A 42-year-old man with SARS-CoV-2 infection presented with non-fluent aphasia and right-sided hemiparesis. Computed tomography angiography revealed an occlusion of the proximal left middle cerebral artery (MCA), with acute infarcts in the left posterior parietal, lentiform nucleus, and cortical frontal cortex on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patient developed pulmonary emboli and was discharged on apixaban and atorvastatin. Four weeks later, the patient presented with recurring symptoms and was found to have worsening left MCA stenosis. MRI and MR angiography revealed a penumbra within the left MCA territory and pruning of the distal branches with severe stenosis. Laboratory workup for autoimmune causes of vasculitis was unrevealing. High-dose intravenous steroid treatment was initiated. Subsequent MRI and MR angiography revealed improved flow in the left cerebral vasculature and no novel ischemic infarcts.

Conclusion:
Central nervous system vasculitis is a rare manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This case suggests that high-dose intravenous steroids may have a therapeutic role in this patient population. Steroid use, in combination with vasopressor support to augment cerebral blood flow, may prevent further stroke burden.
Efficient assessment of real-world dynamics of circadian rhythms in heart rate and body temperature from wearable data
Authors: Kim Dae Wook , Mayer Caleb , Lee Minki P. , Choi Sung Won , Tewari Muneesh , Forger Daniel B. 
Published: August 2023

Laboratory studies have made unprecedented progress in understanding circadian physiology. Quantifying circadian rhythms outside of laboratory settings is necessary to translate these findings into real-world clinical practice. Wearables have been considered promising way to measure these rhythms. However, their limited validation remains an open problem. One major barrier to implementing large-scale validation studies is the lack of reliable and efficient methods for circadian assessment from wearable data. Here, we propose an approximation-based least-squares method to extract underlying circadian rhythms from wearable measurements. Its computational cost is ∼ 300-fold lower than that of previous work, enabling its implementation in smartphones with low computing power. We test it on two large-scale real-world wearable datasets:

∼
600

days

of body temperature data from cancer patients and ∼ 184 000 days of heart rate and activity data collected from the ‘Social Rhythms’ mobile application. This shows successful extraction of real-world dynamics of circadian rhythms. We also identify a reasonable harmonic model to analyse wearable data. Lastly, we show our method has broad applicability in circadian studies by embedding it into a Kalman filter that infers the state space of the molecular clocks in tissues. Our approach facilitates the translation of scientific advances in circadian fields into actual improvements in health.
Erosive balanitis caused by Staphylococcus haemolyticus in a healthy, circumcised adult male.
Authors: Mazuecos-Blanca José , Mazuecos-Gutiérrez José Rafael , Jiménez-Gil Ana 
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans penis and balanoposthitis involves both the glans penis and prepuce. After candida infections, aerobic bacteria are the second etiological cause of infectious balanoposthitis, mainly streptococci, groups B and D, and staphylococci, usually S. aureus.
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are commensal skin bacteria, but are also recognized pathogens of the genitourinary system, mainly related to urinary tract infections. Staphylococcus haemolyticus is one of the main species of CoNS that also causes other infections of the male urogenital tract, such as chronic prostatitis and epididymo-orchitis, but it has not been associated with balanitis.
Case presentation. A 45-year-old man reports having suffered several episodes of balanoposthitis in the last 3 years, which were treated with topical antifungal treatments alone or associated with corticosteroids. For this reason, he underwent a postectomy by his urologist 8 months ago to avoid further recurrences.
The patient consulted for an episode of painful, erosive, and exudative lesions on the glans penis lasting 5 days. He had no urinary discomfort or inguinal lymphadenopathy. A complete blood count, biochemical analysis, and urinalysis were normal. Abundant growth of Staphylococcus haemolyticus was obtained in the culture in standard bacterial media of the sample taken from the genital lesion. The fungal culture was negative. Based on the antimicrobial susceptibility study, treatment with oral ciprofloxacin and topical mupirocin was started, and the genital infection was completely cured.
Conclusion. We present a healthy, non-diabetic, circumcised male patient with severe, erosive, and painful balanitis probably due to S. haemolyticus.
Survival trends among people living with human immunodeficiency virus on antiretroviral treatment in two rural districts in Ghana
Authors: Sackeya Eugene , Beru Martin Muonibe , Angmortey Richard Nomo , Boakye Kingsley , Baatira Musah , Yakubu Mohammed Sheriff , Opoku Douglas Aninng , Mohammed Aliyu , Ayisi-Boateng Nana Kwame , Boateng Daniel , Nakua Emmanuel Kweku , Edusei Anthony Kweku 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused a lot of havoc since the early 1970s, affecting 37.6 million people worldwide. The 90-90-90 treatment policy was adopted in Ghana in 2015 with the overall aim to end new infections by 2030, and to improve the life expectancy of HIV seropositive individuals. With the scale-up of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), the lifespan of People Living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretrovirals (ARVs) is expected to improve. In rural districts in Ghana, little is known about the survival probabilities of PLWH on ARVs hence, this study was conducted to estimate the survival trends of PLWH on ARVs for the periods between 2016 to 2020.MethodsA retrospective evaluation of data gathered across ARV centers within Tatale and Zabzugu districts in Ghana from 2016 to 2020 among PLWH on ARVs. The census technique was employed and a total of 261 participants were recruited for the study. The data was analyzed using STATA software version 16.0. Lifetable analysis and Kaplan-Meier graph were used to assess the survival probabilities. “Stptime” per 1000 person-years and the competing risk regression was used to evaluate mortality rates and risk of mortality.ResultsThe cumulative survival probability was 0.8847 (95% CI: 0.8334-0.9209). The overall mortality rate was 51.89 (95% CI: 36.89-72.97) per 1000 person-years. WHO stage III and IV [AHR: 4.25 (95%CI: 1.6-9.71) p = 0.001] as well as age group (50+years) [AHR: 5.02 (95% CI: 1.78-14.13) p=0.002] were associated with mortality.ConclusionSurvival probabilities is high among the population of PLWH in Ghana with declining mortality rates. Clinicians should provide critical attention and care to patients at HIV WHO stages III and IV and intensify HIV screening at all entry points since early diagnosis is associated with high survival probabilities.
Divergence of variant binding/neutralizing antibodies following SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccines in myeloma: Impact of hybrid immunity
Authors: Moreno Alberto , Manning Kelly , Azeem Maryam I. , Nooka Ajay K. , Ellis Madison , Manalo Renee Julia , Switchenko Jeffrey M. , Wali Bushra , Kaufman Jonathan L. , Hofmeister Craig C. , Joseph Nisha S. , Lonial Sagar , Dhodapkar Kavita M. , Dhodapkar Madhav V. , Suthar Mehul S. 
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACTWe characterized virus-neutralization and spike-binding antibody profiles in myeloma patients following monovalent or bivalent-SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination. Vaccination improves the breadth of binding antibodies but not neutralization activity against current variants. Hybrid immunity and immune imprinting impact vaccine-elicited immunity.
Latitudinal patterns of flowering phenology of three widespread tropical species from public media and data repositories
Authors: Kriti Bhavya , Sankaran Sidharth , Ramaswami Geetha 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPlant phenology encompasses the study of periodic events in biological life cycles of plants and the influence of seasonal changes, climate, temperature and other environmental factors on these events. In order to understand the role of the environment and the changing climate on the life cycle of plants, data suggesting long term trends are required as a baseline to compare against future changes. This study aims to analyze the spatial flowering pattern of the plant species -Bombax ceiba, Butea monosperma and Cassia fistula across India, through images uploaded on public media repositories like citizen science portals and social media. Citizen science is rapidly emerging as a reliable source of supplementary scientific information, and can be utilized to understand broad patterns of tree behavior. We found that for all three species, flowering phenology is longer, and begins earlier in southern latitudes as compared to the northern latitudes. We conclude that publicly available images of flowering trees are a good source to supplement baseline data on tree phenology across India.
Multiplecis-regulatory elements controlprox1aexpression in distinct lymphatic vascular beds
Authors: Panara Virginia , Yu Hujun , Peng Di , Staxäng Karin , Hodik Monika , Filipek-Gorniok Beata , Kazenwadel Jan , Skoczylas Renae , Mason Elizabeth , Allalou Amin , Harvey Natasha L. , Haitina Tatjana , Hogan Benjamin M. , Koltowska Katarzyna 
Published: August 2023

AbstractLymphatic vessels play a role in several physiological and pathological processes including tissue fluid homeostasis, dietary fat absorption, immunosurveillance, and immunomodulation. During embryonic development, lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) precursors are distinguished from blood endothelial cells by the expression of the transcription factor Prospero-related homeobox 1(PROX1). PROX1 is essential for lymphatic vascular network formation in mouse and zebrafish. The initiation of PROX1 expression precedes LEC sprouting and migration, serving as the definitive marker of specified LECs. Despite its crucial role in lymphatic development, the upstream regulation ofPROX1in LECs remains to be uncovered. SOX18 and COUP-TFII are thought to regulateProx1expression in mice by binding to its promoter region. However, how the specificity ofProx1expression to LECs is achieved remains to be studied in detail.In this study, we analysed evolutionary conservation and chromatin accessibility to identify enhancer sequences located in the proximity of zebrafishprox1aactive in developing LECs. We confirmed the functional role of the identified sequences through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of a lymphatic valve enhancer. The deletion of this genomic region results in impaired valve morphology and function. Overall, our results reveal the intricate control ofprox1aexpression through a collection of enhancers. Ray-finned fish-specific distal enhancers drive pan-lymphatic expression, while vertebrate-conserved proximal enhancers refine expression in functionally distinct subsets of lymphatic vessels.Graphical Abstract
Correlating stress reduction and eye movement patterns in a world famous Kyoto Japanese garden
Authors: Goto Seiko , Takase Hiroki , Yamaguchi Keita , Kato Tomoki , Sun Minkai , Koga Aoi , Tiankai Liang , Poy Isamu A. , Herrup Karl 
Published: August 2023

AbstractVisual stimuli have been repeatedly shown to elicit significant non-visual responses. In a continuing effort to explore the unique effects of viewing a Japanese garden on the physiological and psychological metrics of stress, we gained access to the world famous Murin-an garden in Kyoto, Japan. This well-maintained observation garden was designed to be viewed while seated at a single vantage point to maximize the impact of the visual scene. As a control, we used a public garden on the campus of Kyoto University that was designed in a similar style. Sixteen college age students were asked to view both gardens while we monitored their pulse rates and tracked their eye movements. We used the POMS questionnaire to determine the effect of the garden viewing on the mood of the participants. We found that the Murin-an garden was more effective in decreasing pulse rate and improving mood than the University garden. The eye tracking data showed that during their Murin-an viewing the participants gaze ranged far more broadly across the visual field both the X-Y plane and in depth, and the speed with which the eyes moved from point-to-point was greater. Taken together, our data suggest that no one element in the garden was dominant in eliciting the changes in heart rate and mood. Rather, it was the breadth and rapidity of the shifts in gaze that drove the effects, a conclusion with implications for other interventions aimed stress reduction.SignificanceViews of nature and natural phenomena have a well-recognized calming effect on humans that has recognized therapeutic value in both medical and psychological settings. Our work explores the source of this effect by having participants view Murin-an, a world-famous Japanese style garden. Using both psychological and physiological measures, we confirm and extend earlier findings showing that a well constructed garden can effectively lower heart rate and improve mood within minutes. We also find, by analogy with eye movement desensitization and reprograming (EMDR), that it is participants’ rapidly shifting gaze rather than a single specific visual object is the most likely source of the calming effect.
Shh from mossy cells contributes to preventing NSC pool depletion after seizure-induced neurogenesis and in aging
Authors: Noguchi Hirofumi , Arela Jessica Chelsea , Ngo Thomas T. , Cocas Laura , Pleasure Samuel J. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractEpileptic seizures induce aberrant neurogenesis from resident neural stem cells (NSCs) in the dentate gyrus of the adult mouse hippocampus, which has been implicated in depletion of the NSC pool and impairment of hippocampal function. However, the mechanisms regulating neurogenesis after seizures remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that Shh from mossy cells is a major source of Shh signaling activity after seizures, by which mossy cells contribute to seizure-induced neurogenesis and maintenance of the NSC pool. Deletion of Shh from mossy cells attenuates seizure-induced neurogenesis. Moreover, in the absence of Shh from mossy cells, NSCs pool are prematurely depleted after seizure-induced proliferation, and NSCs have impaired self-renewal. Likewise, lack of Shh from mossy cells accelerates age-related decline of the NSC pool with accompanying reduction of self-renewal of NSCs outside the context of pathology such as seizures. Together, our findings indicate that Shh from mossy cells is critical to maintain NSCs and to prevent exhaustion from excessive consumption in aging and after seizures.
Rule-based modulation of a sensorimotor transformation across cortical areas
Authors: Chang Yi-Ting , Finkel Eric A. , Xu Duo , O’Connor Daniel H. 
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACTFlexible responses to sensory stimuli based on changing rules are critical for adapting to a dynamic environment. However, it remains unclear how the brain encodes rule information and uses this information to guide behavioral responses to sensory stimuli. Here, we made single-unit recordings while head-fixed mice performed a cross-modal sensory selection task in which they switched between two rules in different blocks of trials: licking in response to tactile stimuli applied to a whisker while rejecting visual stimuli, or licking to visual stimuli while rejecting the tactile stimuli. Along a cortical sensorimotor processing stream including the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory areas, and the medial (MM) and anterolateral (ALM) motor areas, the single-trial activity of individual neurons distinguished between the two rules both prior to and in response to the tactile stimulus. Variable rule-dependent responses to identical stimuli could in principle occur via appropriate configuration of pre-stimulus preparatory states of a neural population, which would shape the subsequent response. We hypothesized that neural populations in S1, S2, MM and ALM would show preparatory activity states that were set in a rule-dependent manner to cause processing of sensory information according to the current rule. This hypothesis was supported for the motor cortical areas by findings that (1) the current task rule could be decoded from pre-stimulus population activity in ALM and MM; (2) neural subspaces containing the population activity differed between the two rules; and (3) optogenetic disruption of pre-stimulus states within ALM and MM impaired task performance. Our findings indicate that flexible selection of an appropriate action in response to a sensory input can occur via configuration of preparatory states in the motor cortex.HIGHLIGHTSTask rules are reflected in preparatory activity in sensory and motor cortices.Neural subspaces for processing tactile signals depend on the current task rule.Motor cortical activity tracks rule switches and is required for flexible rule-guided behavior.
Efficient computation by molecular competition networks
Authors: Cai Haoxiao , Wei Lei , Zhang Xiaoran , Qiao Rong , Wang Xiaowo 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMost biomolecular systems exhibit computation abilities, which are often achieved through complex networks such as signal transduction networks. Particularly, molecular competition in these networks can introduce crosstalk and serve as a hidden layer for cellular information processing. Despite the increasing evidence of competition contributing to efficient cellular computation, how this occurs and the extent of computational capacity it confers remain elusive. In this study, we introduced a mathematical model for Molecular Competition Networks (MCNs) and employed a machine learning-based optimization method to explore their computational capacity. Our findings revealed that MCNs, when compared to their non-competitive counterparts, demonstrate superior performance in both discrete decision-making and analog computation tasks. Furthermore, we examined how real biological constraints influence the computational capacity of MCNs, and highlighted the nonnegligible role of weak interactions. The study suggested the potential of MCNs as efficient computational structures in bothin vivoandin silicoscenarios, providing new insights into the understanding and application of cellular information processing.
Controlling biases in targeted plant removal experiments
Authors: Monteux Sylvain , Blume-Werry Gesche , Gavazov Konstantin , Kirchhoff Leah K. , Krab Eveline J. , Lett Signe , Pedersen Emily Pickering , Väisänen Maria 
Published: August 2023

SummaryTargeted removal experiments are a powerful tool to assess the effects of plant species or (functional) groups on ecosystem functions. However, removing plant biomass in itself can bias the observed responses. This bias is commonly addressed by waiting until ecosystem recovery, but this is inherently based on unverified proxies or anecdotal evidence. Statistical control methods are efficient, but restricted in scope by underlying assumptions.We propose accounting for such biases within the experimental design, using a gradient of biomass removal controls. We demonstrate the relevance of this design by presenting i) conceptual examples of suspected biases and ii) how to observe and control for these biases.Using data from a mycorrhizal association-based removal experiment we show that ignoring biomass removal biases (including by assuming ecosystem recovery) can lead to incorrect, or even contrary conclusions (e.g., false positive and false negative). Our gradient design can prevent such incorrect interpretations, whether aboveground biomass has fully recovered or not.Our approach provides more objective and quantitative insights, independently assessed for each variable, than using a proxy to assume ecosystem recovery. Our approach circumvents the strict statistical assumptions of e.g. ANCOVA and thus offers greater flexibility in data analysis.
Conserved switch genes regulate a novel cannibalistic morph after whole genome duplication
Authors: Wighard Sara , Witte Hanh , Sommer Ralf J. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDevelopmental plasticity facilitates morphological and behavioural novelty, but associated regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Nematodes have emerged as a powerful model to study developmental plasticity and its evolution. Here, we show the predatory nematodeAllodiplogaster sudhausievolved an additional third mouth morph, concomitant with whole genome duplication (WGD) and a strong increase in body size. The three mouth morphs are induced by different diets; bacteria, fungi and nematodes. CRISPR experiments indicate that regulation of the third morph involves co-option of a conserved developmental switch gene, which through WGD resulted in two mouth-form regulators. Gene dosage studies revealed a diverged role of these developmental switches, with functional redundancy and quantitative effects in the two mouth-form decisions, respectively. The third morph is cannibalistic and kills kin, whereas the other two morphs do not. Thus, the recent evolution of a new morph relies on pre-existing regulatory mechanisms and adds behavioural and social complexity.One-Sentence SummaryExperimental genetics in a nematode reveals a key role for developmental plasticity in the evolution of nutritional diversity