bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The online and offline effects of changing movement timing variability during training on a finger-opposition task
Authors: Friedman Jason , Amiaz Assaf , Korman Maria 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn motor learning tasks, there is mixed evidence for whether increased task-relevant variability in early learning stages leads to improved outcomes. One problem is that there may be a connection between skill level and motor variability, such that participants who initially have more variability may also perform worse on the task, so will have more room to improve. To avoid this confound, we experimentally manipulated the amount of movement timing variability (MTV) during training to test whether it improves performance. Based on previous studies showing that most of the improvement in finger-opposition tasks comes from optimizing the relative onset time of the finger movements, we used auditory cues (beeps) to guide the onset times of sequential movements during a training session, and then assessed motor performance after the intervention. Participants were assigned to three groups that either: (a) followed a prescribed random rhythm for their finger touches (Variable MTV), (b) followed a fixed rhythm (Fixed control MTV), or (c) produced the entire sequence following a single beep (Unsupervised control MTV). While the intervention was successful in increasing MTV during training for the Variable group, it did not lead to improved outcomes post-training compared to either control group, and the use of fixed timing led to significantly worse performance compared to the Unsupervised control group. These results suggest that manipulating MTV through auditory cues does not produce greater learning than unconstrained training in motor sequence tasks.
Effects of the coupling of dielectric spherical particles on signatures in infrared microspectroscopy
Authors: Kong Beibei , Brandsrud Maren Anna , Solheim Johanne Heitmann , Nedrebø Ingrid , Blümel Reinhold , Kohler Achim 
Published: August 2022

AbstractInfrared microspectroscopy is a powerful tool in the analysis of biological samples. However, strong electromagnetic scattering may occur since the wavelength of the incident radiation and the samples may be of comparable size. Based on the Mie theory of single spheres, correction algorithms have been developed to retrieve pure absorbance spectra. Studies of the scattering characteristics of samples of different types, obtained by microspectroscopy, have been performed. However, the detailed, microscopic effects of the coupling of the samples on signatures in spectra, obtained by infrared microspectroscopy, are still not clear. The aim of this paper is to investigate how the coupling of spherical samples influences the spectra. Applying the surface integral equation (SIE) method, we simulate small dielectric spheres, arranged as double-spheres or small arrays of spheres. We find that the coupling of the spheres hardly influences the broad oscillations observed in infrared spectra (the Mie wiggles) unless the radii of the spheres are different or the angle between the direction of the incident radiation and the normal of the plane where the spheres are located is large. Sharp resonance features in the spectra (the Mie ripples) are affected by the coupling of the spheres and this effect depends on the polarization of the incident wave. Experiments are performed to verify our conclusions.
Shear behavior of single cast-in anchor simulating characteristics of bridge bearing anchor
Authors: Choi Jin-Seok , Chin Won Jong , Yuan Tian-Feng , Yoon Young-Soo 
Published: August 2022

AbstractA bridge bearing anchor transmits various loads of a superstructure to a substructure. Most anchors are generally designed without consideration of characteristics such as concrete pedestal, grout bedding, and anchor socket. This study investigated the shear behavior of anchors in accordance with the edge distance, embedment depth, compressive strength of concrete, and height of the concrete pedestal in order to simulate the practical characteristics of the bridge bearing anchors. The actual shear capacity of the anchor differs from the shear strengths calculated by the ACI 318 and EN 1992-4; especially, the importance of the embedment depth is underestimated in these codes. An increase in the height of the concrete pedestal has a negative effect on the shear capacity because of the stress concentration. The grout is fractured prior to the occurrence of local damages in concrete, resulting in a secondary moment. As a result, the effect of the level arm is observed. An equation, which can predict the relative cracking degree of concrete, is proposed by analyzing the displacement of grout and concrete. High strain occurs in the stirrups close to the anchor, and the behavior of the strain is more influenced by the embedment depth than the edge distance. The comparison of obtained and analytically evaluated failure loads by calculations according to EN 1992-4, Schmid model and Sharma model was conducted to consider the effect of supplementary reinforcement. Finally, the design equation of concrete breakout strength is modified to predict the more precise shear resistance of a bridge bearing anchor.
Seedling ectomycorrhization is central to conifer forest restoration: a case study from Kashmir Himalaya
Authors: Assad Rezwana , Reshi Zafar Ahmad , Rashid Irfan 
Published: August 2022

AbstractOver the past few decades, many countries have attempted to carry out forest landscape restoration over millions of hectares of degraded land. Such efforts, however, have met with limited success because of several factors, including a lack of adequate emphasis on ectomycorrhization of the nursery seedlings. A similar scenario is seen in the Kashmir Himalaya, where the natural regeneration of degraded forests is poor despite ample restoration efforts by forest managers. To overcome this challenge, we identified two promising ectomycorrhizal species, namelyClitocybe nudaandCortinarius distans, for their use in ectomycorrhization of seedlings of three common conifers, namelyAbies pindrow,Cedrus deodara, andPicea smithiana. Laboratory studies were carried out to investigate the requirements for optimum mycelial growth of these ectomycorrhizal fungi. Best ECM mycelial growth was obtained in the basic MMN medium containing glucose as the source of carbon and nitrogen in ammonium form.C. distansshowed higher growth thanC. nudaacross all the treatments and also proved significantly more effective in enhancing the survival and growth of the conifer host plant seedlings. The present study resulted in standardizing the requirements for mass inoculum production of the two mycobionts which could help in successful forest restoration programmes.
Sulfated glycosaminoglycans inhibit transglutaminase 2 by stabilizing its closed conformation
Authors: Müller Claudia Damaris , Ruiz-Gómez Gloria , Cazzonelli Sophie , Möller Stephanie , Wodtke Robert , Löser Reik , Freyse Joanna , Dürig Jan-Niklas , Rademann Jörg , Hempel Ute , Pisabarro M. Teresa , Vogel Sarah 
Published: August 2022

AbstractTransglutaminases (TGs) catalyze the covalent crosslinking of proteins via isopeptide bonds. The most prominent isoform, TG2, is associated with physiological processes such as extracellular matrix (ECM) stabilization and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of e.g. fibrotic diseases, cancer and celiac disease. Therefore, TG2 represents a pharmacological target of increasing relevance. The glycosaminoglycans (GAG) heparin (HE) and heparan sulfate (HS) constitute high-affinity interaction partners of TG2 in the ECM. Chemically modified GAG are promising molecules for pharmacological applications as their composition and chemical functionalization may be used to tackle the function of ECM molecular systems, which has been recently described for hyaluronan (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS). Herein, we investigate the recognition of GAG derivatives by TG2 using an enzyme-crosslinking activity assay in combination with in silico molecular modeling and docking techniques. The study reveals that GAG represent potent inhibitors of TG2 crosslinking activity and offers atom-detailed mechanistic insights.
Performance and usability testing of an automated tool for detection of peripheral artery disease using electronic health records
Authors: Ghanzouri I. , Amal S. , Ho V. , Safarnejad L. , Cabot J. , Brown-Johnson C. G. , Leeper N. , Asch S. , Shah N. H. , Ross E. G. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common cardiovascular disorder that is frequently underdiagnosed, which can lead to poorer outcomes due to lower rates of medical optimization. We aimed to develop an automated tool to identify undiagnosed PAD and evaluate physician acceptance of a dashboard representation of risk assessment. Data were derived from electronic health records (EHR). We developed and compared traditional risk score models to novel machine learning models. For usability testing, primary and specialty care physicians were recruited and interviewed until thematic saturation. Data from 3168 patients with PAD and 16,863 controls were utilized. Results showed a deep learning model that utilized time engineered features outperformed random forest and traditional logistic regression models (average AUCs 0.96, 0.91 and 0.81, respectively), P < 0.0001. Of interviewed physicians, 75% were receptive to an EHR-based automated PAD model. Feedback emphasized workflow optimization, including integrating risk assessments directly into the EHR, using dashboard designs that minimize clicks, and providing risk assessments for clinically complex patients. In conclusion, we demonstrate that EHR-based machine learning models can accurately detect risk of PAD and that physicians are receptive to automated risk detection for PAD. Future research aims to prospectively validate model performance and impact on patient outcomes.
Microvascular changes in the macular and parafoveal areas of multiple sclerosis patients without optic neuritis
Authors: Bostan Mihai , Chua Jacqueline , Sim Yin Ci , Tan Bingyao , Bujor Inna , Wong Damon , Garhöfer Gerhard , Tiu Cristina , Schmetterer Leopold , Popa-Cherecheanu Alina 
Published: August 2022

AbstractRetinal imaging has been proposed as a biomarker for neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Recently, a technique for non-invasive assessment of the retinal microvasculature called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was introduced. We investigated retinal microvasculature alterations in participants with relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) without history of optic neuritis (ON) and compared them to a healthy control group. The study was performed in a prospective, case–control design, including 58 participants (n = 100 eyes) with RRMS without ON and 78 age- and sex-matched control participants (n = 136 eyes). OCTA images of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP) and choriocapillaris (CC) were obtained using a commercial OCTA system (Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 Spectral-Domain OCT with AngioPlex OCTA, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). The outcome variables were perfusion density (PD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) features (area and circularity) in both the SCP and DCP, and flow deficit in the CC. MS group had on average higher intraocular pressure (IOP) than controls (P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, MS participants showed significantly increased PD in SCP (P = 0.003) and decreased PD in DCP (P < 0.001) as compared to controls. A significant difference was still noted when large vessels (LV) in the SCP were removed from the PD calculation (P = 0.004). Deep FAZ was significantly larger (P = 0.005) and less circular (P < 0.001) in the eyes of MS participants compared to the control ones. Neither LV, PD or FAZ features in the SCP, nor flow deficits in the CC showed any statistically significant differences between the MS group and control group (P > 0.186). Our study indicates that there are microvascular changes in the macular parafoveal retina of RRMS patients without ON, showing increased PD in SCP and decreased PD in DCP. Further studies with a larger cohort of MS patients and MRI correlations are necessary to validate retinal microvascular changes as imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and screening of MS.
Association between lifestyle factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the South Korea
Authors: Park Yu Shin , Kang Soo Hyun , Jang Sung-In , Park Eun-Cheol 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThis study aimed to examine the association between lifestyle factors and metabolic syndrome risk in South Korean adults. Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018 data were used. The study included 6,995 subjects (2835 male; 4,160 female). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between the lifestyle factors, including sedentary time, sleep duration, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and dietary intake. Metabolic syndrome prevalence in healthy adults was 25.6% and 12.4% in men and women, respectively. Male with over four lifestyle risk factors had a higher OR for metabolic syndrome risk (over four lifestyle factors: OR 1.97, CI 1.18–3.27). Female with more than one lifestyle risk factor had a higher OR for metabolic syndrome risk (one lifestyle factor: OR 1.58, CI 1.10–2.28; two lifestyle factors: OR 2.08, CI 1.39–3.11; three lifestyle factors: OR 1.94, CI 1.20–3.13). In particular, female with more lifestyle factors had increased likelihood of abdominal obesity, hypertension, and high triglycerides. Male with more lifestyle factors had increased likelihood of high triglycerides. Sedentary time was significantly associated with increased metabolic syndrome in male and female. This study found a significant association between the number of lifestyle risk factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. The greater the number of lifestyle risk factors, the higher the risk of metabolic syndrome in both sexes. People with a greater number of poor lifestyle behaviors tended to exhibit increased likelihood of especially elevated triglyceride levels.
Soil carbon stocks in forest-tundra ecotones along a 500 km latitudinal gradient in northern Norway
Authors: Devos Claire Céline , Ohlson Mikael , Næsset Erik , Bollandsås Ole Martin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAs shrubs and trees are advancing into tundra ecosystems due to climate warming, litter input and microclimatic conditions affecting litter decomposition are likely to change. To assess how the upward shift of high-latitude treeline ecotones might affect soil organic carbon stocks (SOC), we sampled SOC stocks in the surface layers of 14 mountain birch forest-tundra ecotones along a 500 km latitudinal transect in northern Norway. Our objectives were to examine: (1) how SOC stocks differ between forest and tundra soils, and (2) the relative role of topography, vegetation and climate in explaining variability in SOC stock sizes. Overall, forest soils had higher SOC stocks (median: 2.01 kg m−2) than tundra soils (median: 1.33 kg m−2). However, SOC storage varied greatly within and between study sites. Two study sites had higher SOC stocks in the tundra than in the nearby forest, five sites had higher SOC stocks in the forest, and seven sites did not show differences in SOC stocks between forest and tundra soils. Thus, our results suggest that an upwards forest expansion does not necessarily lead to a change in SOC storage at all sites. Further, a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model indicated that elevation, temperature, and slope may be promising indicators for SOC stock size at high-latitude treelines. Precipitation and vegetation were in comparison only of minor importance.
Electrochemical and computational estimations of cephalosporin drugs as eco-friendly and efficient corrosion inhibitors for aluminum in alkaline solution
Authors: Mohamedien Hanaa A. , Kamal Soha M. , El-Deen Ahmed G. , Taha Mohamed , El-Deeb Mohamed M. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn this study, the anionic state of Ceftriaxone sodium (Cefx) and Ceftazidime (Cefz) medication corrosion inhibition capabilities for Al in 0.1 M NaOH solution are explored using various electrochemical analyses. Furthermore, the morphological structure and surface chemical composition of the impact of these drugs on the Al substrate in NaOH are investigated. For the prediction and analysis of interactions between molecule structure and inhibition efficiency, quantum chemical calculations (QC), Monte Carlo simulations (MC), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (MD) are performed. The electrochemical findings reveal that the inhibitory effectiveness increases with increasing drug concentrations and declines with rising temperature, reaching a maximum value of 78.4% for 300 ppm Cefx while 59.5% for 300 ppm Cefz at 293 K, implying that Cefx outperforms for Cefz. In addition, the studied drugs act as cathodic inhibitors, and their adsorption is spontaneous and mixed type adsorption in its nature that obeys Freundlich isotherm for Cefz while Temkin isotherm is the best-fitted one for Cefx. Surface analysis and wettability measurements imply that Cefx and Cefz shield the Al against corrosion by surface adsorption and generating a protective hydrophobic film. Thermodynamic activation parameters in the absence and presence of 300 ppm of the studied drugs are calculated and discussed. The energies of the border molecular orbitals and computed molecular parameters for the investigated drugs revealed that anionic Cefx is more readily adsorbed on the Al surface than Cefz. This finding is validated further using MC and MD simulations. Overall, the proposed cephalosporin drugs delivered a cost-effective and facile approach for boosting the efficiency of corrosion inhibitors for Al under aggressive conditions.
Novel approach to push the limit of temporal resolution in ultrafast electron diffraction accelerators
Authors: Alberdi Esuain Beñat , Hwang Ji-Gwang , Neumann Axel , Kamps Thorsten 
Published: August 2022

AbstractUltrafast electron diffraction techniques that employ relativistic electrons as a probe have been in the spotlight as a key technology for visualizing structural dynamics which take place on a time scale of a few femtoseconds to hundreds femtoseconds. These applications highly demand not only extreme beam quality in 6-D phase space such as a few nanometer transverse emittances and femtosecond duration but also equivalent beam stability. Although these utmost requirements have been demonstrated by a compact setup with a high-gradient electron gun with state-of-the-art laser technologies, this approach is fundamentally restricted by its nature for compressing the electrons in a short distance by a ballistic bunching method. Here, we propose a new methodology that pushes the limit of timing jitter beyond the state-of-the-art by utilizing consecutive RF cavities. This layout already exists in reality for energy recovery linear accelerator demonstrators. Furthermore, the demonstrators are able to provide MHz repetition rates, which are out of reach for most conventional high-gradient electron guns.
Profiles of movement speed and positional variability based on extended LQG for various noises
Authors: Taniai Yoshiaki 
Published: August 2022

AbstractStochastic optimal control has been studied to explain the characteristics of human upper-arm reaching movements. The optimal movement based on an extended linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) demonstrated that control-dependent noise is the essential factor of the speed-accuracy trade-off in the point-to-point reaching movement. Furthermore, the extended LQG reproduced the profiles of movement speed and positional variability. However, the expected value and variance were computed based on the Monte Carlo method in these studies, which is not considered efficient. In this study, I obtained update equations to efficiently compute the expected value and variance based on the extended LQG. Using the update equations, I computed the profiles of simulated movement speed and positional variability for various amplitudes of noises in a point-to-point reaching movement. The profiles of movement speed were basically bell-shaped for the noises. The speed peak was changed by the control-dependent noise and state-dependent observation noise. The positional variability changed for various noises, and the period during which the variability changed differed with the noise type. Efficient computation in stochastic optimal control based on the extended LQG would contribute to the elucidation of motor control under various noises.
Metal deposition and shape reproduction at biological temperatures on cell-level samples
Authors: Takemura Kenshin , Motomura Taisei , Iwasaki Wataru , Matsuda Naoki 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe use of metal deposition has been limited to a limited number of applicable samples due to the increased temperature caused by accelerated electron impact on the substrate surface. The surfaces of various biological samples have a nanoscale structure with specific properties, which have been simulated in numerous studies. However, no examples of nano/microscale reproductions of biological surface features have used moulds. In this study, a mould that imitates the surface shape of a cellular-level biological material was fabricated, for the first time, and the shape was successfully reproduced using the mould. Al thin films were deposited on bovine sperm using magnetron sputtering without thermal denaturation with a cathode operating at a biological temperature. It is difficult to deposit films used as metal coatings on pre-treated biological materials at temperatures below 40 °C during evaporation. The Al thin film was peeled off and used as a mould to reproduce the shape of the sperm with high accuracy using a polymer. The results of this study represent a major innovation in reproducible biomimetic moulding technology, demonstrating biological temperature sputtering. We expect our non-destructive metal deposition and metal nano-moulding methods for biological samples to be the basis for the effective utilization of various biological structures.
Targeting SARS-CoV-2 endoribonuclease: a structure-based virtual screening supported by in vitro analysis
Authors: Ibrahim Ibrahim M. , Elfiky Abdo A. , Fathy Mohamed M. , Mahmoud Sara H. , ElHefnawi Mahmoud 
Published: August 2022

AbstractResearchers are focused on discovering compounds that can interfere with the COVID-19 life cycle. One of the important non-structural proteins is endoribonuclease since it is responsible for processing viral RNA to evade detection of the host defense system. This work investigates a hierarchical structure-based virtual screening approach targeting NSP15. Different filtering approaches to predict the interactions of the compounds have been included in this study. Using a deep learning technique, we screened 823,821 compounds from five different databases (ZINC15, NCI, Drug Bank, Maybridge, and NCI Diversity set III). Subsequently, two docking protocols (extra precision and induced fit) were used to assess the binding affinity of the compounds, followed by molecular dynamic simulation supported by the MM-GBSA free binding energy. Interestingly, one compound (ZINC000104379474) from the ZINC15 database has been found to have a good binding affinity of − 7.68 kcal/Mol. The VERO-E6 cell line was used to investigate its therapeutic effect in vitro. Half-maximal cytotoxic concentration and Inhibitory concentration 50 were determined to be 0.9 mg/ml and 0.01 mg/ml, respectively; therefore, the selectivity index is 90. In conclusion, ZINC000104379474 was shown to be a good hit for targeting the virus that needs further investigations in vivo to be a drug candidate.