bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Photo-physical characterization of high triplet yield brominated fluoresceins by transient state (TRAST) spectroscopy
Authors: Demirbay Baris , Baryshnikov Glib , Haraldsson Martin , Piguet Joachim , Ågren Hans , Widengren Jerker 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Photo-induced dark transient states of fluorophores can pose a problem in fluorescence spectroscopy. However, their typically long lifetimes also make them highly environment sensitive, suggesting fluorophores with prominent dark-state formation yields to be used as microenvironmental sensors in bio-molecular spectroscopy and imaging. In this work, we analyzed the singlet–triplet transitions of fluorescein and three synthesized carboxy-fluorescein derivatives, with one, two or four bromines linked to the anthracence backbone. Using transient state (TRAST) spectroscopy, we found a prominent internal heavy atom (IHA) enhancement of the intersystem crossing (ISC) rates upon bromination, inferred by density functional theory calculations to take place via a higher triplet state, followed by relaxation to the lowest triplet state. A corresponding external heavy atom (EHA) enhancement was found upon adding potassium iodide (KI). Notably, increased KI concentrations still resulted in lowered triplet state buildup in the brominated fluorophores, due to relatively lower enhancements in ISC, than in the triplet decay. Together with an antioxidative effect on the fluorophores, adding KI thus generated a fluorescence enhancement of the brominated fluorophores. By TRAST measurements, analyzing the average fluorescence intensity of fluorescent molecules subject to a systematically varied excitation modulation, dark state transitions within very high triplet yield (>90%) fluorophores can be directly analyzed under biologically relevant conditions. These measurements, not possible by other techniques such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, opens for bio-sensing applications based on high triplet yield fluorophores, and for characterization of high triplet yield photodynamic therapy agents, and how they are influenced by IHA and EHA effects.
Lower jaw modularity in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii)
Authors: Stevens Maddison , Fabre Anne-Claire , Felice Ryan N 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Modularity describes the degree to which the components of complex phenotypes vary semi-autonomously due to developmental, genetic and functional correlations. This is a key feature underlying the potential for evolvability, as it can allow individual components to respond to different selective pressures semi-independently. The vertebrate lower jaw has become a model anatomical system for understanding modularity, but to date most of this work has focused on the mandible of mammals and other amniotes. In contrast, modularity in the mandible of lissamphibians has been less well studied. Here, we used geometric morphometrics to quantify the static (intraspecific) modularity patterns in Xenopus laevis and Salamandra salamandra gigliolii. We tested developmental and functional hypotheses of modularity and demonstrate that both species exhibit significant modularity. Functional modularity was supported in both Xenopus and Salamandra. Allometry has a small yet significant impact on lower jaw shape in both taxa and sex has a significant effect on shape in Xenopus. The high lower jaw modularity in both species observed here, combined with the well-established modularity of the amphibian cranium, suggests that modularity is a ubiquitous feature of the tetrapod head.
Brain–gut axis mechanism of subthreshold nonsuicidal self-injury addictive features in adolescents
Authors: Niu Zhiang , Luo Huiting , Zhang Xun , Wu Xiaohui , Tang Qiao , Chen Chen , Li Jing 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with an increased risk of suicide. As the diagnostic criteria outlined in DSM-5 and other related clinical studies, a patient must have engaged in self-injurious behavior at least 5 times within the past year. However, patients with fewer than 5 self-injury behaviors should not be ignored. Our study included 46 adolescents aged 10–19 years with subthreshold NSSI (sNSSI), along with a control group of 50 healthy adolescents matched for age and other factors. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and stool samples. The Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory and Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory were used to evaluate self-harm behaviors and addictive features. Local brain activity was assessed using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and brain regions with abnormal fALFF were selected as seeds for whole-brain functional connectivity analysis. Stool samples were identified using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing, and the LDA Effect Size method was used to explore significant differences between grouped samples. Mediation analysis was performed to investigate the brain–gut axis mechanisms of addictive features in sNSSI. We found that compared with healthy controls, sNSSI patients have abnormal fALFF in left thalamus and posterior cingulate cortex, dysconnectivities of left thalamus, and decreased Prevotellaceae. Our results suggested that addictive features of sNSSI may have a brain–gut mechanism. Furtherly, patients with 1–4 NSSI behaviors in the past year should have separate name for identification, such as “subthreshold NSSI”.
Association between subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiac structure and function—results from the UK Biobank Study
Authors: Simon Judit , Fung Kenneth , Raisi-Estabragh Zahra , Aung Nay , Khanji Mohammed Y , Zsarnóczay Emese , Merkely Béla , Munroe Patricia B , Harvey Nicholas C , Piechnik Stefan K , Neubauer Stefan , Leeson Paul , Petersen Steffen E , Maurovich-Horvat Pál 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Aims
Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem and early diagnosis is important. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of HF and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a recognized early measure of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate whether increased carotid IMT is associated with changes in cardiac structure and function in middle-aged participants of the UK Biobank Study without overt cardiovascular disease.

Methods and results
Participants of the UK Biobank who underwent CMR and carotid ultrasound examinations were included in this study. Patients with heart failure, angina, atrial fibrillation, and history of myocardial infarction or stroke were excluded. We used multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index, body surface area, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, and laboratory parameters. In total, 4301 individuals (61.6 ± 7.5 years, 45.9% male) were included. Multivariable linear regression analyses showed that increasing quartiles of IMT was associated with increased left and right ventricular (LV and RV) and left atrial volumes and greater LV mass. Moreover, increased IMT was related to lower LV end-systolic circumferential strain, torsion, and both left and right atrial ejection fractions (all P &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion
Increased IMT showed an independent association over traditional risk factors with enlargement of all four cardiac chambers, decreased function in both atria, greater LV mass, and subclinical LV dysfunction. There may be additional risk stratification that can be derived from the IMT to identify those most likely to have early cardiac structural/functional changes.
Unemployment and Development
Authors: Feng Ying , Lagakos David , Rauch James E 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
We draw on household survey data from countries of all income levels and document that average unemployment rates increase with gross domestic product per capita. This is accounted for almost entirely by low—rather than high—educated workers. We interpret these facts in a model with frictional labour markets, a traditional self-employment sector, skill-biased productivity differences across countries, and unemployment benefits that become more generous with development. A calibrated version of the model does well in explaining the cross-country patterns that we document. Counterfactual exercises point to skill-biased productivity differences as the most important factor in explaining the cross-country unemployment patterns.
Transcriptomic landscape of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) skin
Authors: Sveen Lene R , Robinson Nicholas , Krasnov Aleksei , Daniels Rose Ruiz , Vaadal Marianne , Karlsen Christian , Ytteborg Elisabeth , Robledo Diego , Salisbury Sarah , Dagnachew Binyam , Lazado Carlo C , Tengs Torstein 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
In this study, we present the first spatial transcriptomic atlas of Atlantic salmon skin using the Visium Spatial Gene Expression protocol. We utilized frozen skin tissue from 4 distinct sites, namely the operculum, pectoral and caudal fins, and scaly skin at the flank of the fish close to the lateral line, obtained from 2 Atlantic salmon (150 g). High-quality frozen tissue sections were obtained by embedding tissue in optimal cutting temperature media prior to freezing and sectioning. Further, we generated libraries and spatial transcriptomic maps, achieving a minimum of 80 million reads per sample with mapping efficiencies ranging from 79.3 to 89.4%. Our analysis revealed the detection of over 80,000 transcripts and nearly 30,000 genes in each sample. Among the tissue types observed in the skin, the epithelial tissues exhibited the highest number of transcripts (unique molecular identifier counts), followed by muscle tissue, loose and fibrous connective tissue, and bone. Notably, the widest nodes in the transcriptome network were shared among the epithelial clusters, while dermal tissues showed less consistency, which is likely attributable to the presence of multiple cell types at different body locations. Additionally, we identified collagen type 1 as the most prominent gene family in the skin, while keratins were found to be abundant in the epithelial tissue. Furthermore, we successfully identified gene markers specific to epithelial tissue, bone, and mesenchyme. To validate their expression patterns, we conducted a meta-analysis of the microarray database, which confirmed high expression levels of these markers in mucosal organs, skin, gills, and the olfactory rosette.
Bayesian denoising of structured sources and its implications on learning-based denoising
Authors: Zhou Wenda , Wabnig Joachim , Jalali Shirin 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Denoising a stationary process $(X_{i})_{i \in \mathbb{Z}}$ corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise $(Z_{i})_{i \in \mathbb{Z}}$ is a classic, well-studied and fundamental problem in information theory and statistical signal processing. However, finding theoretically founded computationally efficient denoising methods applicable to general sources is still an open problem. In the Bayesian set-up where the source distribution is known, a minimum mean square error (MMSE) denoiser estimates $X^{n}$ from noisy measurements $Y^{n}$ as $\hat{X}^{n}=\mathrm{E}[X^{n}|Y^{n}]$. However, for general sources, computing $\mathrm{E}[X^{n}|Y^{n}]$ is computationally very challenging, if not infeasible. In this paper, starting from a Bayesian set-up, a novel denoising method, namely, quantized maximum a posteriori (Q-MAP) denoiser is proposed and its asymptotic performance is analysed. Both for memoryless sources, and for structured first-order Markov sources, it is shown that, asymptotically, as $\sigma _{z}^{2} $ (noise variance) converges to zero, ${1\over \sigma _{z}^{2}} \mathrm{E}[(X_{i}-\hat{X}^{\mathrm{QMAP}}_{i})^{2}]$ converges to the information dimension of the source. For the studied memoryless sources, this limit is known to be optimal. A key advantage of the Q-MAP denoiser, unlike an MMSE denoiser, is that it highlights the key properties of the source distribution that are to be used in its denoising. This key property leads to a new learning-based denoising approach that is applicable to generic structured sources. Using ImageNet database for training, initial simulation results exploring the performance of such a learning-based denoiser in image denoising are presented.
Near-optimal estimation of linear functionals with log-concave observation errors
Authors: Foucart Simon , Paouris Grigoris 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This note addresses the question of optimally estimating a linear functional of an object acquired through linear observations corrupted by random noise, where optimality pertains to a worst-case setting tied to a symmetric, convex and closed model set containing the object. It complements the article ‘Statistical Estimation and Optimal Recovery’ published in the Annals of Statistics in 1994. There, Donoho showed (among other things) that, for Gaussian noise, linear maps provide near-optimal estimation schemes relatively to a performance measure relevant in Statistical Estimation. Here, we advocate for a different performance measure arguably more relevant in Optimal Recovery. We show that, relatively to this new measure, linear maps still provide near-optimal estimation schemes even if the noise is merely log-concave. Our arguments, which make a connection to the deterministic noise situation and bypass properties specific to the Gaussian case, offer an alternative to parts of Donoho’s proof.
‘Unorthodox’ Usages of the Term xabar in the Early Arabic Grammatical Tradition
Authors: Kasher Almog 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This paper examines the term xabar. It focuses on cases where xabar, or the dyad ism-xabar, is used at variance with canonical theory. These cases suggest that the triad X + X's ism + X's xabar (familiar when X = ʾinna, kāna and their ‘sisters’) was used to accommodate tripartite configurations whose so-called xabar is not a predicate, or whose ism and xabar are generally taken to be mubtadaʾ and xabar. This syntactic model, which differs significantly from the canonical theory of sentence types in the Arabic grammatical tradition, was most probably designed for pedagogical aims. This alternative model analyzes sentences according to their surface structure, with focus on initial constituents, whereas canonical syntactic model's point of departure is a distinction between sentence types, based on the concept of predication and taking into consideration word order variation. An appendix on the little-known grammarian al-Quhunduzī examines the history of the figure, who has in modern scholarship been confused with another author. Pinning down his identity and the period in which he lived dispels confusion about the figure, allowing us to better place his work in the scholarly record.
Several Genizah Fragments of Saadya Gaon's Translation of the Pentateuch Copied by Yedutun ben Levi
Authors: Zewi Tamar , Ashur Amir 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This article presents several Genizah fragments containing passages of Saadya Gaon's translation of the Pentateuch in the handwriting of a copyist identified as Yedutun Ha-Levi ben Levi He-Ḥaver, who was active in the first half of the thirteenth century. These passages are transcribed in full in the article, together with a critical apparatus which compares them with early important manuscripts of Saadya Gaon's translation of the Pentateuch and the popular critical Derenbourg edition. The textual and grammatical analysis following these passages shows that their language should be regarded as post-Classical, and that both text and language broadly correspond with the early version of this translation, represented in MS St. Petersburg, RNL, MS Yevr. II C 1—the earliest inclusive manuscript of Saadya Gaon's translation of the Pentateuch copied by Samuel ben Jacob at the beginning of the eleventh century.
Monte Carlo Regression for Evaluating Children’s Role in the Pandemic Spread on the Example of Delta COVID-19 Wave
Authors: Mańdziuk Joanna , Okarska-Napierała Magdalena , Woźniak Weronika , Hryniewicka Ada , Radziński Piotr , Gambin Anna , Podsiadły Edyta , Demkow Urszula , Kuchar Ernest 
Published: September 2023

Background:
The children’s role in transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the familial settings is uncertain. We aimed to assess how often children were the index cases transmitting SARS-CoV-2 into their households during the Delta wave, and to identify risk factors of children being the index case.

Methods:
In this prospective survey study, we collected information regarding household members of SARS-CoV-2-positive children tested in a single tertiary hospital. Some patients were tested with polymerase chain reaction and those samples were typed and classified as Delta or non-Delta variant. We have used the Monte Carlo approach to assess predictors of children being the index case in the household.

Results:
We surveyed 629 families and 515 of them fulfilled inclusion criteria. The child was the index case in 359 (69.71%) households. Attending childcare facilities in all age groups was positively associated with being the index case in the household [nursery, estimate = 1.456, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.456–1.457, P < 0.001; kindergarten, estimate = 0.899, 95% CI: 0.898–0.900, P = 0.003; school, estimate = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.229–1.231, P = 0.001]. The same association was present in the subgroup of the families with the predominant Delta variant, but not in the subgroup with the predominant non-Delta variant.

Conclusions:
Attending childcare and educational facilities might be a significant predictor of a child being the SARS-CoV-2 index case in their household. Children’s role in driving the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic changes in consecutive waves. The Monte Carlo approach can be applied to assess risk factors of infectious agents’ spread in future epidemics.
Epidemiology and Burden of Influenza in Children 0–14 Years Over Ten Consecutive Seasons in Italy
Authors: Barbieri Elisa , Porcu Gloria , Donà Daniele , Cavagnis Sara , Cantarutti Luigi , Scamarcia Antonio , McGovern Ian , Haag Mendel , Giaquinto Carlo , Cantarutti Anna 
Published: September 2023

Background:
In Europe, influenza vaccination coverage in the pediatric population is low. This study describes the influenza incidence and associated healthcare utilization in the pediatric population in Italy.

Methods:
Deidentified data from electronic medical records for children 0–14 years old seen by >150 family pediatricians in the Pedianet network in Italy were evaluated for 10 influenza seasons spanning 2010–2020. Incidence of influenza (cases per 1000 person-months), related sequelae and associated healthcare resource use were determined using diagnostic, prescription and medical examination data.

Results:
Over 10 seasons, an average of 8892 influenza cases (range, 4700–12,419; total 88,921) were diagnosed in a cohort of 1,432,384 children 0–14 years of age. Influenza vaccination coverage was 3.6% among children with an influenza diagnosis and 6.8% among children without. Influenza-related healthcare resource utilization included 1.58 family pediatrician visits per influenza episode and 220 ED and 111 hospital admissions, with the highest resource usage among children 1–4 years and lowest among children <6 months old. The most common influenza complications were acute otitis media (2.9% of influenza cases) and pneumonia (0.5%). Antibiotics were prescribed in 38.7% of influenza cases; no antiviral agents were prescribed. One intensive care unit admission and 2 cases requiring ventilatory support were documented. No influenza-related deaths were reported.

Conclusion:
Pediatric influenza vaccination was low despite the burden and healthcare use related to seasonal influenza in the pediatric population during a 10-year period in Italy.
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Osteoarthritis in Two Preterm Infants Treated With Ceftazidime-avibactam
Authors: Pu Weicong , Fan Lili , Zhang Yudong , You Dianping , Li Mei , Ma Li 
Published: September 2023

Background:
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a major threat to global public health. CRKP infections are challenging to treat owing to the limited number of antibiotic species, especially in preterm infants. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) is a novel antibiotic with activity against CRKP. At present, there have been no reports of using CAZ-AVI to treat osteoarthritis in premature infants.

Methods:
We describe 2 preterm infants with CRKP osteoarthritis treated with CAZ-AVI in a tertiary children’s hospital in China. Clinical characteristics, laboratory and microbiologic data, treatment and follow-up information were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Results:
The 2 cases were both premature infants who contracted sepsis and CRKP osteoarthritis. Meropenem and polymyxin B were initially chosen for the first infant. CAZ-AVI was then used due to persistent infection. The second infant was commenced immediately on CAZ-AVI after receipt of antimicrobial susceptibility on the 4th day after admission. Both recovered with CAZ-AVI (50 mg/kg q8h) and surgical incision and drainage. Neither had a joint deformity or limb length discrepancy at 36 and 34 months, respectively.

Conclusions:
This is the first report on the use of CAZ-AVI to treat CRKP osteoarthritis in premature infants. Successful treatment depends on prompt recognition of the pathogen and treatment with a combination of antibiotics with or without surgery. Further study is needed to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CAZ-AVI for treating preterm infants with serious CRKP osteoarthritis.