bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fragile topological band in the checkerboard antiferromagnetic monolayer FeSe
Authors: Luo Aiyun , Song Zhida , Xu Gang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBy means of the first-principles calculations and magnetic topological quantum chemistry, we demonstrate that the low-energy physics in the checkerboard antiferromagnetic (AFM) monolayer FeSe, very close to an AFM topological insulator that hosts robust edge states, can be well captured by a double-degenerate nearly flat band with fragile topology just below the Fermi level. The Wilson loop calculations identify that such fragile topology is protected by the S4z symmetry, which gives rise to a 2D second-order topological insulator that supports the bound state with fractional charge e/2 at the sample corner. This work provides a platform to study the intriguing properties of magnetic fragile topological electronic states. Previous observations of the edge states and bound states in checkerboard AFM monolayer FeSe can also be well understood in our work.
CDH18 is a fetal epicardial biomarker regulating differentiation towards vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Junghof Julia , Kogure Yuta , Yu Tian , Verdugo-Sivianes Eva María , Narita Megumi , Lucena-Cacace Antonio , Yoshida Yoshinori 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe epicardium is a mesothelial layer covering the myocardium serving as a progenitor source during cardiac development. The epicardium reactivates upon cardiac injury supporting cardiac repair and regeneration. Fine-tuned balanced signaling regulates cell plasticity and cell-fate decisions of epicardial-derived cells (EPCDs) via epicardial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, powerful tools to investigate epicardial function, including markers with pivotal roles in developmental signaling, are still lacking. Here, we recapitulated epicardiogenesis using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and identified type II classical cadherin CDH18 as a biomarker defining lineage specification in human active epicardium. The loss of CDH18 led to the onset of EMT and specific differentiation towards cardiac smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, GATA4 regulated epicardial CDH18 expression. These results highlight the importance of tracing CDH18 expression in hiPSC-derived epicardial cells, providing a model for investigating epicardial function in human development and disease and enabling new possibilities for regenerative medicine.
Neoantigen cancer vaccine augments anti-CTLA-4 efficacy
Authors: Salvatori Erika , Lione Lucia , Compagnone Mirco , Pinto Eleonora , Conforti Antonella , Ciliberto Gennaro , Aurisicchio Luigi , Palombo Fabio 
Published: February 2022

AbstractImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) based on anti-CTLA-4 (αCTLA-4) and anti-PD1 (αPD1) are being tested in combination with different therapeutic approaches including other immunotherapies such as neoantigen cancer vaccines (NCV). Here we explored, in two cancer murine models, different therapeutic combinations of ICI with personalized DNA vaccines expressing neoantigens and delivered by electroporation (EP). Anti-cancer efficacy was evaluated using vaccines with or without CD4 epitopes. Therapeutic DNA vaccines showed synergistic effects in different therapeutic protocols including established large tumors. Flow cytometry (FC) was utilized to measure CD8, CD4, Treg, and switched B cells as well as neoantigen-specific immune responses, which were also measured by IFN-γ ELIspot. Immune responses were augmented in combination with αCTLA4 but not with αPD1 in the MC38 tumor-bearing mice, significantly impacting tumor growth. Similarly, neoantigen-specific T cell immune responses were enhanced in combined treatment with αCTLA-4 in the CT26 tumor model where large tumors regressed in all mice, while monotherapy with αCTLA-4 was less efficacious. In line with previous evidence, we observed an increased switched B cells in the spleen of mice treated with αCTLA-4 alone or in combination with NCV. These results support the use of NCV delivered by DNA-EP with αCTLA-4 and suggest a new combined therapy for clinical testing.
A reusable neural network pipeline for unidirectional fiber segmentation
Authors: Fioravante de Siqueira Alexandre , Ushizima Daniela M. , van der Walt Stéfan J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites are advanced, temperature resistant materials with applications in aerospace engineering. Their analysis involves the detection and separation of fibers, embedded in a fiber bed, from an imaged sample. Currently, this is mostly done using semi-supervised techniques. Here, we present an open, automated computational pipeline to detect fibers from a tomographically reconstructed X-ray volume. We apply our pipeline to a non-trivial dataset by Larson et al. To separate the fibers in these samples, we tested four different architectures of convolutional neural networks. When comparing our neural network approach to a semi-supervised one, we obtained Dice and Matthews coefficients reaching up to 98%, showing that these automated approaches can match human-supervised methods, in some cases separating fibers that human-curated algorithms could not find. The software written for this project is open source, released under a permissive license, and can be freely adapted and re-used in other domains.
An Australian rental housing conditions research infrastructure
Authors: Baker Emma , Daniel Lyrian , Beer Andrew , Bentley Rebecca , Rowley Steven , Baddeley Michelle , London Kerry , Stone Wendy , Nygaard Christian , Hulse Kath , Lockwood Anthony 
Published: February 2022

AbstractEach year the proportion of Australians who rent their home increases and, for the first time in generations, there are now as many renters as outright homeowners. Researchers and policy makers, however, know very little about housing conditions within Australia’s rental housing sector due to a lack of systematic, reliable data. In 2020, a collaboration of Australian universities commissioned a survey of tenant households to build a data infrastructure on the household and demographic characteristics, housing quality and conditions in the Australian rental sector. This data infrastructure was designed to be national (representative across all Australian States and Territories), and balanced across key population characteristics. The resultant Australian Rental Housing Conditions Dataset (ARHCD) is a publicly available data infrastructure for researchers and policy makers, providing a basis for national and international research.
Comparison between headless cannulated screws and partially threaded screws in femoral neck fracture treatment: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Yilin , Han Na , Zhang Dianying , Zhang Peixun , Jiang Baoguo 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe choices of the treatments for femoral neck fractures (FNF) remain controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognoses of the variable pitch fully threaded headless cannulated screws (HCS) in the fixation of femoral neck fractures and to compare them with those of partially threaded cannulated screws (PCS). Between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2016, there were 89 patients with the main diagnose of FNF who accepted the treatment of closed reduction cannulated screw fixation in Peking University People’s Hospital. 34 cases of PCS and 23 cases of HCS met the criterion. The characteristics, prognoses and the imaging changes of all cases were described and the differences between the two groups were compared. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). Mann–Whitney U test, Analysis of Variance and Chi-square test were used. Statistical significance was defined as P value (two sided) less than 0.05. There was no significant difference in the general characteristics, fracture classifications and reduction quality between the two groups. HCS group had a significant lower angle decrease rate (30.4% vs. 58.8%, P = 0.035), femoral neck shortening rate (26.1% vs. 52.9%, P = 0.044) and screw back-sliding rate (21.7% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.032), but a higher screw cut-out rate (21.7% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.008). In non-displacement fracture subgroup, HCS had significant higher Harris Score (92 vs. 90, P = 0.048). Compared with PCS, HCS had a lower screw back-sliding rate, femoral shortening rate, angle decrease rate and similar function score, but would result in more screw cut-outs in displaced FNF. As a conclusion, HCS should not be used in displaced FNF due to its higher screw cut-out rate, and its potential advantage in non-displaced FNF needs to be further proved. Further qualified investigations with a larger scale of patients and longer follow-up are needed in the future.
Electroporation and cell killing by milli- to nanosecond pulses and avoiding neuromuscular stimulation in cancer ablation
Authors: Gudvangen Emily , Kim Vitalii , Novickij Vitalij , Battista Federico , Pakhomov Andrei G. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAblation therapies aim at eradication of tumors with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues. Conventional pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments cause pain and muscle contractions far beyond the ablation area. The ongoing quest is to identify PEF parameters efficient at ablation but not at stimulation. We measured electroporation and cell killing thresholds for 150 ns–1 ms PEF, uni- and bipolar, delivered in 10- to 300-pulse trains at up to 1 MHz rates. Monolayers of murine colon carcinoma cells exposed to PEF were stained with YO-PRO-1 dye to detect electroporation. In 2–4 h, dead cells were labeled with propidium. Electroporation and cell death thresholds determined by matching the stained areas to the electric field intensity were compared to nerve excitation thresholds (Kim et al. in Int J Mol Sci 22(13):7051, 2021). The minimum fourfold ratio of cell killing and stimulation thresholds was achieved with bipolar nanosecond PEF (nsPEF), a sheer benefit over a 500-fold ratio for conventional 100-µs PEF. Increasing the bipolar nsPEF frequency up to 100 kHz within 10-pulse bursts increased ablation thresholds by < 20%. Restricting such bursts to the refractory period after nerve excitation will minimize the number of neuromuscular reactions while maintaining the ablation efficiency and avoiding heating.
Construction and validation of safe Clostridium botulinum Group II surrogate strain producing inactive botulinum neurotoxin type E toxoid
Authors: Nowakowska Maria B. , Selby Katja , Przykopanski Adina , Krüger Maren , Krez Nadja , Dorner Brigitte G. , Dorner Martin B. , Jin Rongsheng , Minton Nigel P. , Rummel Andreas , Lindström Miia 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBotulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum, cause botulism, a rare but fatal illness affecting humans and animals. Despite causing a life-threatening disease, BoNT is a multipurpose therapeutic. Nevertheless, as the most potent natural toxin, BoNT is classified as a Select Agent in the US, placing C. botulinum research under stringent governmental regulations. The extreme toxicity of BoNT, its impact on public safety, and its diverse therapeutic applications urge to devise safe solutions to expand C. botulinum research. Accordingly, we exploited CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to introduce inactivating point mutations into chromosomal bont/e gene of C. botulinum Beluga E. The resulting Beluga Ei strain displays unchanged physiology and produces inactive BoNT (BoNT/Ei) recognized in serological assays, but lacking biological activity detectable ex- and in vivo. Neither native single-chain, nor trypsinized di-chain form of BoNT/Ei show in vivo toxicity, even if isolated from Beluga Ei sub-cultured for 25 generations. Beluga Ei strain constitutes a safe alternative for the BoNT research necessary for public health risk management, the development of food preservation strategies, understanding toxinogenesis, and for structural BoNT studies. The example of Beluga Ei generation serves as template for future development of C. botulinum producing different inactive BoNT serotypes.
A scoring system for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma risk in alcoholic cirrhosis
Authors: Lee Kyunghan , Choi Gwang Hyeon , Jang Eun Sun , Jeong Sook-Hyang , Kim Jin-Wook 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe role of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is being questioned in alcoholic cirrhosis because of the relative low HCC risk. This study aimed to assess the risk and predictors of HCC in Korean patients with alcoholic cirrhosis by using competing risk analysis. A total of 745 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were recruited at a university-affiliated hospital in Korea and randomly assigned to either the derivation (n = 507) and validation (n = 238) cohort. Subdistribution hazards model of Fine and Gray was used with deaths and liver transplantation treated as competing risks. Death records were confirmed from Korean government databases. A nomogram was developed to calculate the Alcohol-associated Liver Cancer Estimation (ALICE) score. The cumulative incidence of HCC was 15.3 and 13.3% at 10 years for derivation and validation cohort, respectively. Age, alpha-fetoprotein level, and albumin level were identified as independent predictors of HCC and incorporated in the ALICE score, which discriminated low, intermediate, and high risk for HCC in alcoholic cirrhosis at the cut-off of 60 and 100. The risk of HCC can be stratified by using a combination of readily available clinical parameters (age, AFP level, and albumin level) in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.
Neuropeptidergic regulation of compulsive ethanol seeking in C. elegans
Authors: Salim Chinnu , Kan Ann Ke , Batsaikhan Enkhzul , Patterson E. Clare , Jee Changhoon 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDespite the catastrophic consequences of alcohol abuse, alcohol use disorders (AUD) and comorbidities continue to strain the healthcare system, largely due to the effects of alcohol-seeking behavior. An improved understanding of the molecular basis of alcohol seeking will lead to enriched treatments for these disorders. Compulsive alcohol seeking is characterized by an imbalance between the superior drive to consume alcohol and the disruption or erosion in control of alcohol use. To model the development of compulsive engagement in alcohol seeking, we simultaneously exploited two distinct and conflictingCaenorhabditis elegansbehavioral programs, ethanol preference and avoidance of aversive stimulus. We demonstrate that theC. elegansmodel recapitulated the pivotal features of compulsive alcohol seeking in mammals, specifically repeated attempts, endurance, and finally aversion-resistant alcohol seeking. We found that neuropeptide signaling via SEB-3, a CRF receptor-like GPCR, facilitates the development of ethanol preference and compels animals to seek ethanol compulsively. Furthermore, our functional genomic approach and behavioral elucidation suggest that the SEB-3 regulates another neuropeptidergic signaling, the neurokinin receptor orthologue TKR-1, to facilitate compulsive ethanol-seeking behavior.
Quantification metrics for telangiectasia using optical coherence tomography
Authors: Cardinell Jillian L. , Ramjist Joel M. , Chen Chaoliang , Shi Weisong , Nguyen Nhu Q. , Yeretsian Tiffany , Choi Matthew , Chen David , Clark Dewi S. , Curtis Anne , Kim Helen , Faughnan Marie E. , Yang Victor X. D. ,   the Brain Vascular Malformation Consortium HHT Investigator Group, Chakinala Murali , Clancy Marianne S. , Faughnan Marie , Gossage James R. , Henderson Katharine , Iyer Vivek , Kasthuri Raj S. , Kim Helen , Krings Timo , Lawton Michael T. , Lin Doris , Mager Johannes Jurgen , Marchuk Douglas A. , McWilliams Justin P. , McDonald Jamie , Pawlikowska Ludmila , Pollak Jeffrey , Ratjen Felix , Swanson Karen , Vethanayagam Dilini , White Andrew J. , Wilcox Pearce 
Published: February 2022

AbstractHereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes vascular malformations throughout the body. The most prevalent and accessible of these lesions are found throughout the skin and mucosa, and often rupture causing bleeding and anemia. A recent increase in potential HHT treatments have created a demand for quantitative metrics that can objectively measure the efficacy of new and developing treatments. We employ optical coherence tomography (OCT)—a high resolution, non-invasive imaging modality in a novel pipeline to image and quantitatively characterize dermal HHT lesion behavior over time or throughout the course of treatment. This study is aimed at detecting detailed morphological changes of dermal HHT lesions to understand the underlying dynamic processes of the disease. We present refined metrics tailored for HHT, developed from a pilot study using 3 HHT patients and 6 lesions over the course of multiple imaging dates, totalling to 26 lesion images. Preliminary results from these lesions are presented in this paper alongside representative OCT images. This study provides a new objective method to analyse and understand HHT lesions using a minimally invasive, accessible, cost-effective, and efficient imaging modality with quantitative metrics describing morphology and blood flow.
Assessing assemblage-wide mammal responses to different types of habitat modification in Amazonian forests
Authors: Almeida-Maués Paula C. R. , Bueno Anderson S. , Palmeirim Ana Filipa , Peres Carlos A. , Mendes-Oliveira Ana Cristina 
Published: February 2022

AbstractTropical forests are being heavily modified by varying intensities of land use ranging from structural degradation to complete conversion. While ecological responses of vertebrate assemblages to habitat modification are variable, such understanding is critical to appropriate conservation planning of anthropogenic landscapes. We assessed the responses of medium/large-bodied mammal assemblages to the ecological impacts of reduced impact logging, secondary regrowth, and eucalyptus and oil palm plantations in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia. We used within-landscape paired baseline-treatment comparisons to examine the impact of different types of habitat modification in relation to adjacent primary forest. We examined assemblage-wide metrics including the total number of species, number of primary forest species retained in modified habitats, abundance, species composition, and community integrity. We ranked all types of habitat modification along a gradient of assemblage-wide impact intensity, with oil palm and eucalyptus plantations exerting the greatest impact, followed by secondary regrowth, and selectively logging. Selectively-logged and secondary forests did not experience discernible biodiversity loss, except for the total number of primary forest species retained. Secondary forests further experienced pronounced species turnover, with loss of community integrity. Considering the biodiversity retention capacity of anthropogenic habitats, this study reinforces the landscape-scale importance of setting aside large preserved areas.
Behavioural traits of rainbow trout and brown trout may help explain their differing invasion success and impacts
Authors: McGlade Ciara L. O. , Dickey James W. E. , Kennedy Richard , Donnelly Shannon , Nelson Clare-Ann , Dick Jaimie T. A. , Arnott Gareth 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAnimal behaviour is increasingly recognised as critical to the prediction of non-native species success and impacts. Rainbow trout and brown trout have been introduced globally, but there appear to be differences in their patterns of invasiveness and ecological impact. Here, we investigated whether diploid rainbow trout and diploid and triploid brown trout differ among several key behavioural measures linked to invasiveness and impact. We assessed activity, boldness, aggression, and feeding, using open field, novel object, shelter, mirror, feeding, and functional response experiments. We also tested within each fish type for behavioural syndromes comprising correlations among activity, boldness and aggression. Rainbow trout were more active and aggressive but less bold than diploid and triploid brown trout. In small groups, however, rainbow trout were bolder than both types of brown trout. Diploid brown trout were more active and bolder than triploids when tested individually, and had a higher functional response than both rainbow trout and triploid brown trout. In terms of behavioural syndromes, there was no association between activity and boldness in rainbow trout, however, there was in both brown trout types. The increased activity and aggression of rainbow trout may reflect an increased stress response to novel situations, with this response reduced in a group. These results suggest that rainbow trout do not manage their energy budgets effectively, and may explain why they have limited survival as invaders. In addition, the lower functional response of rainbow trout may explain why they are implicated in fewer ecological impacts, and the triploidy treatment also appears to lower the potential impact of brown trout. Comparative analyses of multiple behaviours of invasive species and genetic variants may thus be key to understanding and predicting invader success and ecological impacts.
Entropy generation from convective–radiative moving exponential porous fins with variable thermal conductivity and internal heat generations
Authors: Din Zia Ud , Ali Amir , De la Sen Manuel , Zaman Gul 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe performance and thermal properties of convective–radiative rectangular and moving exponential porous fins with variable thermal conductivity together with internal heat generation are investigated. The second law of thermodynamics is used to investigate entropy generation in the proposed fins. The model is numerically solved using shooting technique. It is observed that the entropy generation depends on porosity parameter, temperature ratio, temperature distribution, thermal conductivity and fins structure. It is noted that entropy generation for a decay exponential fin is higher than that of a rectangular fin which is greater than that of a growing exponential fin. Moreover, entropy generation decreases as thermal conductivity increases. The results also reveal that entropy generation is maximum at the fin’s base and the average entropy production depends on porosity parameters and temperature ratio. It is further reveal that the temperature ratio has a smaller amount of influence on entropy as compared to porosity parameter. It is concluded that when the temperature ratio is increases from 1.1 to 1.9, the entropy generation number is also increase by $$30\%$$

30
%

approximately. However, increasing porosity from 1 to 80 gives 14-fold increase in average entropy generation.