bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acetylcholinesterase Activity Staining in Freshwater Planarians
Authors: Rabeler Christina , Gong TaiXi , Ireland Danielle , Cochet‐Escartin Olivier , Collins Eva‐Maria S. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe serine hydrolase acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an important neuronal enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and other choline esters. The breakdown of acetylcholine by AChE terminates synaptic transmission and regulates neuromuscular communication. AChE inhibition is a common mode of action of various insecticides, such as carbamates and organophosphorus pesticides. Freshwater planarians, especially the species Dugesia japonica, have been shown to possess AChE activity and to be a suitable alternative model for studying the effects of pesticides in vivo. AChE activity can be quantified in homogenates using the Ellman assay. However, this biochemical assay requires specialized equipment and large numbers of planarians. Here, we present a protocol for visualizing AChE activity in individual planarians. Activity staining can be completed in several hours and can be executed using standard laboratory equipment (a fume hood, nutator, and light microscope with imaging capability). We describe the steps for preparing the reagents, and the staining and imaging of the planarians. Planarians are treated with 10% acetic acid and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and then incubated in a staining solution containing the substrate acetylthiocholine. After incubation in the staining solution for 3.5 hr on a nutator at 4°C, or stationary on ice, planarians are washed and mounted for imaging. Using exposure to an organophosphorus pesticide as an example, we show how AChE inhibition leads to a loss of staining. Thus, this simple method can be used to qualitatively evaluate AChE inhibition due to chemical exposure or RNA interference, providing a new tool for mechanistic studies of effects on the cholinergic system. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Preparing the staining solutionBasic Protocol 2: Fixing, staining, and imaging whole‐mount planarian specimens for visualization of acetylcholinesterase activity
The impact of low muscle mass on prognosis following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for resectable locally advanced rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hatt Jacob , Smart Thomas F.F. , Hardy Edward J. , Doleman Brett , Lund Jonathan N. , Philips Bethan E. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundSarcopenia is characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass and function. There is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that cancer patients with pre‐existing sarcopenia are at a greater risk of both short‐ and long‐term clinical complications. The aim of this review is to examine the impact of low muscle mass on prognostic outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) prior to surgery.MethodsMEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase databases were searched from inception to October 2021. Any comparative studies relating to the prognostic outcomes of sarcopenic versus non‐sarcopenic patients with LARC who received nCRT prior to surgery were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk Of Bias In Non‐randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS‐I). Meta‐analysis was performed on reported hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using DerSimonian–Laird random‐effects models.ResultsA total of 598 patients from five studies were included in the analysis of hazard ratios for overall survival, whereas 505 patients from four studies were available for analysis of HR for disease‐free survival. Meta‐regression analysis showed a significant association between pre‐existing sarcopenia and worse overall survival (HR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.15–2.48). The association between pre‐existing sarcopenia and shorter disease‐free survival was not statistically significant (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.63–1.82).ConclusionsThe review highlights the role that body composition can play on prognostic outcomes in patients undergoing multimodal cancer treatment. Given the complex underpinnings of sarcopenia progression, more research is needed to develop strategies to mitigate this impact in a physiologically vulnerable population.
Label‐free multiphoton imaging flow cytometry
Authors: Kinegawa Ryo , Gala de Pablo Julia , Wang Yi , Hiramatsu Kotaro , Goda Keisuke 
Published: February 2023

AbstractLabel‐free imaging flow cytometry is a powerful tool for biological and medical research as it overcomes technical challenges in conventional fluorescence‐based imaging flow cytometry that predominantly relies on fluorescent labeling. To date, two distinct types of label‐free imaging flow cytometry have been developed, namely optofluidic time‐stretch quantitative phase imaging flow cytometry and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging flow cytometry. Unfortunately, these two methods are incapable of probing some important molecules such as starch and collagen. Here, we present another type of label‐free imaging flow cytometry, namely multiphoton imaging flow cytometry, for visualizing starch and collagen in live cells with high throughput. Our multiphoton imaging flow cytometer is based on nonlinear optical imaging whose image contrast is provided by two optical nonlinear effects: four‐wave mixing (FWM) and second‐harmonic generation (SHG). It is composed of a microfluidic chip with an acoustic focuser, a lab‐made laser scanning SHG‐FWM microscope, and a high‐speed image acquisition circuit to simultaneously acquire FWM and SHG images of flowing cells. As a result, it acquires FWM and SHG images (100 × 100 pixels) with a spatial resolution of 500 nm and a field of view of 50 μm × 50 μm at a high event rate of four to five events per second, corresponding to a high throughput of 560–700 kb/s, where the event is defined by the passage of a cell or a cell‐like particle. To show the utility of our multiphoton imaging flow cytometer, we used it to characterize Chromochloris zofingiensis (NIES‐2175), a unicellular green alga that has recently attracted attention from the industrial sector for its ability to efficiently produce valuable materials for bioplastics, food, and biofuel. Our statistical image analysis found that starch was distributed at the center of the cells at the early cell cycle stage and became delocalized at the later stage. Multiphoton imaging flow cytometry is expected to be an effective tool for statistical high‐content studies of biological functions and optimizing the evolution of highly productive cell strains.
Dependable and reliable cloud‐based architectures for vehicular communications: A systematic literature review
Authors: Yang Zhe , Li Lingzhi , Gu Fei , Ling Xinghong 
Published: February 2023

SummaryTraffic congestion, air pollution, fuel wastage, and car accidents are all exacerbated by increased traffic. Thus, vehicular communications, which refer to information transmission between cars, pedestrians, and infrastructures, have lately gained popularity and been extensively explored due to their enormous potential to enable intelligent transportation and various safety applications. Manually piloted cars and automated vehicles can acquire relevant information via vehicular communications to enhance traffic security and boost entertainment services. The basic concept of automobile clouds was originally published in the literature not long ago, and several suggested structural approaches have been presented in this study thus far. Several academics have concentrated on the structural layout to address various problems and, as a result, satisfy user expectations in order to give dependable services. We examined various vehicular cloud topologies in this study. We also offered a complete summary of current network layer research on allowing efficient vehicle communications and examined specific security, architectural, and reliability concerns in vehicular clouds. Also, the taxonomy of vehicular networks was discussed in terms of the service link between vehicular networks and cloud computing. Ultimately, we discussed the research prospects available. The results showed that security and privacy challenges are among the most important challenges.
Curalin supplement for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Weinberg Sibony Roni , Wainstein Julio , Ish Shalom Maya , Ganz Tali , Rozenberg Aliza , Yanuv Ilan , Eliyahu Uri , Raz Itamar 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the efficacy and safety of Curalin supplement in patients with type 2 diabetes.Research design and methodsAdult patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized 1:1 to receive Curalin supplement or placebo. The primary endpoint was HbA1c decrease at 1 month. The secondary endpoint was a decrease in HbA1c by more than 0.5% and 1% and a change in 7 daily blood glucose measurements. A satisfaction questionnaire was used as an exploratory endpoint. Safety variables and adverse events were assessed.ResultsAfter 1 month of intervention, HbA1c was reduced by 0.94% in the Curalin arm versus 0.4% in the placebo arm (P = 0.008). 72% of Curalin patients had decreased HbA1c levels >0.5% versus 35% in the placebo arm (P < 0.05). The Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire indicated that Curalin arm patients reported higher overall satisfaction.ConclusionsCuralin treatment significantly reduced HbA1c over a 1‐month period and was well‐tolerated.
The two faces of Janus: Processes can be both exogenous forcings and endogenous feedbacks with wind as a case study
Authors: Payne Sarah A. R. , Okin Gregory S. , Bhattachan Abinash , Fischella Michael R. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractJanus is the Roman god of transitions. In many environments, state transitions are an important part of our understanding of ecological change. These transitions are controlled by the interactions between exogenous forcing factors and stabilizing endogenous feedbacks. Forcing factors and feedbacks are typically considered to consist of different processes. We argue that during extreme events, a process that usually forms part of a stabilizing feedback can behave as a forcing factor. And thus, like Janus, a single process can have two faces. The case explored here pertains to state change in drylands where interactions between wind erosion and vegetation form an important feedback that encourages grass‐to‐shrub state transitions. Wind concentrates soil resources in shrub‐centered fertile islands, removes resources through loss of fines to favor deep‐rooted shrubs, and abrades grasses' photosynthetic tissue, thus further favoring the shrub state that, in turn, experiences greater aeolian transport. This feedback is well documented but the potential of wind to act also as a forcing has yet to be examined. Extreme wind events have the potential to act like other drivers of state change, such as drought and grazing, to directly reduce grass cover. This study examines the responses of a grass‐shrub community after two extreme wind events in 2019 caused severe deflation. We measured grass cover and root exposure due to deflation, in addition to shrub height, grass patch size, and grass greenness along 50‐m transects across a wide range of grass cover. Root exposure was concentrated in the direction of erosive winds during the storms and sites with low grass cover were associated with increased root exposure and reduced greenness. We argue that differences between extreme, rare wind events and frequent, small wind events are significant enough to be differences in kind rather than differences in degree allowing extreme winds to behave as endogenous forcings and common winds to participate in an endogenous stabilizing feedback. Several types of state change in other ecological systems in are contextualized within this framework.
Environmental refuges from disease in host–parasite interactions under global change
Authors: Gsell Alena S. , Biere Arjen , de Boer Wietse , de Bruijn Irene , Eichhorn Götz , Frenken Thijs , Geisen Stefan , van der Jeugd Henk , Mason‐Jones Kyle , Meisner Annelein , Thakur Madhav P. , van Donk Ellen , Zwart Mark P. , Van de Waal Dedmer B. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe physiological performance of organisms depends on their environmental context, resulting in performance–response curves along environmental gradients. Parasite performance–response curves are generally expected to be broader than those of their hosts due to shorter generation times and hence faster adaptation. However, certain environmental conditions may limit parasite performance more than that of the host, thereby providing an environmental refuge from disease. Thermal disease refuges have been extensively studied in response to climate warming, but other environmental factors may also provide environmental disease refuges which, in turn, respond to global change. Here, we (1) showcase laboratory and natural examples of refuges from parasites along various environmental gradients, and (2) provide hypotheses on how global environmental change may affect these refuges. We strive to synthesize knowledge on potential environmental disease refuges along different environmental gradients including salinity and nutrients, in both natural and food‐production systems. Although scaling up from single host–parasite relationships along one environmental gradient to their interaction outcome in the full complexity of natural environments remains difficult, integrating host and parasite performance–response can serve to formulate testable hypotheses about the variability in parasitism outcomes and the occurrence of environmental disease refuges under current and future environmental conditions.
The short and long‐term characteristics and outcomes of patients with grade 1 myocardial uptake on cardiac scintigraphy
Authors: Itzhaki Ben Zadok Osnat , Ruhrman‐Sahar Noa , Mats Israel , Vaxman Iuliana , Shiyovich Arthur , Aviv Yaron , Vaturi Mordehai , Wiessman Maya , Shochat Tzippy , Kandinov Irit , Kornowski Ran , Hamdan Ashraf 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAimsThis study aimed to characterize the final diagnosis and prognosis of patients with grade 1 myocardial scintigraphy uptake, which is an unequivocal result for the diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR‐CA) requiring further invasive investigation with tissue biopsy.Methods and resultsWe retrospectively compared the clinical and imaging parameters of patients suspected for ATTR‐CA (based on clinical and echocardiographic parameters) with grade 1 vs. grades 2/3 technetium pyrophosphate uptake on cardiac scintigraphy. Prospectively, grade 1 patients underwent re‐evaluation for ATTR‐CA at long term. Of the 132 ATTR‐CA suspected patients, 89 (67%) were diagnosed as grade 1 and 43 (33%) as grades 2/3 uptake. Grade 1 vs. grades 2/3 patients were younger and female predominant with lower biomarker levels and left ventricular mass. Based on available imaging and pathology findings, only 6 out of the 89 patients with grade 1 uptake (7%) were finally diagnosed with light‐chain cardiac amyloidosis, whereas no patient was diagnosed with ATTR‐CA. At 2 [interquartile range (IQR) 0.75, 3.25] years of follow‐up, the survival of patients with grade 1 vs. grades 2/3 uptake was significantly better [hazard ratio 0.271 (95% confidence interval 0.130 to 0.563, P = 0.0005)]. Prospectively, 30 patients with grade 1 uptake were re‐evaluated at a median follow‐up of 3.2 (IQR 2.2, 3.9) years. Their New York Heart Association class, biomarker levels, and echocardiography findings remained stable. No patient (0/25) demonstrated grades 2/3 uptake at repeated long‐term scintigraphy.ConclusionsPatients with suspected ATTR‐CA and a grade 1 scintigraphy uptake demonstrate a stable clinical, laboratory, imaging, and scintigraphy phenotype along with a benign survival profile at long‐term follow‐up. Larger studies should define the optimal evaluation strategy in this population.
Adaptive coding of pain prediction error in the anterior insula
Authors: Hoskin Robert , Talmi Deborah 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding the mechanisms behind the influence of expectation and context on pain perception is crucial for improving analgesic treatments. Prediction error (PE) signals how much a noxious stimulus deviates from expectation and is therefore crucial for our understanding of pain perception. It is thought that the brain engages in ‘adaptive coding’ of pain PE, such that sensitivity to unexpected outcomes is modulated by contextual information. While there is behavioural evidence that pain is coded adaptively, and evidence that reward PE signals are coded adaptively, controversy remains regarding the underlying neural mechanism of adaptively‐coded pain PEs.MethodsA cued‐pain task was performed by 19 healthy adults while undergoing FMRI scanning. BOLD responses to the task were tested using an axiomatic approach to identify areas that may code pain PE adaptively.ResultsThe left dorsal anterior insula demonstrated a pattern of response consistent with adaptively‐coded pain PE. Signals from this area were sensitive to both predicted pain magnitudes on the instigation of expectation, and the unexpectedness of pain delivery. Crucially however, the response at pain delivery was consistent with the local context of the pain stimulation, rather than the absolute magnitude of delivered pain, a pattern suggestive of an adaptively‐coded PE signal.ConclusionsThe study advances our understanding of the neural basis of pain prediction. Alongside existing evidence that the periaqueductal grey codes pain PE and the posterior insula codes pain magnitude, the results highlight a distinct contribution of the left dorsal anterior insula in the processing of pain.SignificanceAlthough there is behavioural evidence that pain is coded adaptively, the neural mechanisms serving this process are not well understood. This study used functional MRI to provide the first evidence that the left dorsal anterior insula, an area associated with aversive learning, responds to pain in a manner consistent with the adaptive coding of pain prediction error. This study aids our understanding of the neural basis of subjective pain representation, and thus can contribute to the advancement of analgesic treatments.
Environmental data science: Part 2
Authors: Burr Wesley S. , Newlands Nathaniel K. , Zammit‐Mangion Andrew 
Published: February 2023

SummaryEnvironmental data science is a multi‐disciplinary and mature field of research at the interface of statistics, machine learning, information technology, climate and environmental science. The two‐part special issue ‘Environmental Data Science’ comprises a set of research articles and opinion pieces led by statisticians who are at the forefront of the field. This editorial identifies and discusses common research themes that appear in the contributions to Part 2, which focuses on applications. These include spatio‐temporal modeling; the problem of aggregation and sparse sampling; the importance of community‐building and training for the next generation of specialists in environmental data science; and the need to look forward at the challenges that lie ahead for the discipline. This editorial complements that of Part 1, which largely focuses on statistical methodology; see Zammit‐Mangion, Newlands, and Burr (2023).
New estimation methods for extremal bivariate return curves
Authors: Murphy‐Barltrop C. J. R. , Wadsworth J. L. , Eastoe E. F. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractIn the multivariate setting, estimates of extremal risk measures are important in many contexts, such as environmental planning and structural engineering. In this paper, we propose new estimation methods for extremal bivariate return curves, a risk measure that is the natural bivariate extension to a return level. Unlike several existing techniques, our estimates are based on bivariate extreme value models that can capture both key forms of extremal dependence. We devise tools for validating return curve estimates, as well as representing their uncertainty, and compare a selection of curve estimation techniques through simulation studies. We apply the methodology to two metocean data sets, with diagnostics indicating generally good performance.
Seismic damage evaluation of unanchored nonstructural components under combined effects of horizontal and vertical near‐fault ground motions
Authors: Wang Jianze , Chen Weiwei , Dai Kaoshan , Li Tao , Tesfamariam Solomon , Lu Yang 
Published: February 2023

AbstractWith consideration of seismic resilience, damage of nonstructural components (NSCs) attracts significant attentions. Most previous studies focused on dynamic behaviors of NSCs under horizontal excitations. Near‐fault earthquakes, however, have strong vertical ground motion components, but few studies assessed their influence on seismic damage of NSCs. In this study, the seismic responses of unanchored NSCs under near‐fault earthquakes with strong vertical components are investigated. Response history analyses of steel moment frames with different heights under near‐fault earthquakes are performed and the derived floor acceleration responses are taken as the inputs of unanchored NSCs. The sliding and rocking responses of NSCs under horizontal and vertical excitations are used to quantify the influence of near‐fault earthquake characteristics. The results highlighted that bidirectional excitations (horizontal & vertical) would elevate the uncertainty in the sliding demands of NSCs and more likely to induce the occurrence of overturning failures for slender NSCs. The relation between rocking demands of NSCs and common intensity measures like PFA would be weakened due to the presence of vertical excitations.
Dexamphetamine influences funneling illusion based on psychometric score
Authors: Kassim Faiz M. , Mark Lim J. H. , Albrecht Matthew A. , Martin‐Iverson Mathew T. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectivesOur team previously showed that like the experience of the rubber hand illusion (RHI) in people with schizophrenia and their offspring¸ dexamphetamine administration to healthy volunteers increases the stimulus binding windows (BWs) in RHI. It is not clear if similar expansions of BWs are present for unimodal illusions. Studies have also shown that subjective or objective effects of amphetamine would be linked to between‐person variations in personality measures. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effect of dexamphetamine (DEX), a dopamine‐releasing stimulant, on illusory perception using unimodal sensory stimuli (Tactile Funneling Illusion [TFI]) across both temporal and spatial variables. We further examined the relationship between changes in psychometric scores and changes in illusion perception induced by dexamphetamine.MethodsHealthy subjects (N = 20) participated in a randomized, double‐blind, counter‐balanced, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over study. The effects of dexamphetamine (0.45 mg/kg, PO, q.d.) on funneling and error of spatial localization (EL) were examined using TFI. Psychotomimetic effects were assessed using a battery of psychological measures.ResultsDexamphetamine did not significantly increased the funneling illusion (p = 0.88) or EL (p = 0.5), relative to placebo. However, the degree of change in psychometric scores following dexamphetamine positively correlated with changes in funneling (ρ = 0.48, p = 0.03, n = 20), mainly at 0 ms delay condition (ρ = 0.6, p = 0.004, n = 20).ConclusionUnlike multimodal illusions, alteration of BWs does not occur for unimodal illusions after administration of a dopamine‐releasing agent. However, our findings indicate that moderate release of dopamine, through its psychotomimetic effect, indirectly influences unimodal illusion.