bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fluid dynamics between injections in incomplete anti-VEGF responders within neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a prospective observational study
Authors: Gigon Anthony , Iskandar Antonio , Eandi Chiara Maria , Mantel Irmela 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
The purpose of the study was to investigate the short-term response profile after an intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and incomplete response to anti-VEGF.

Methods
In this monocentric prospective observational study, we recruited patients with incomplete response to anti-VEGF, defined as presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) and/or intraretinal fluid (IRF) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) for at least 6 months despite monthly anti-VEGF treatment. Each patient underwent complete ophthalmic exam and imaging study (including OCT, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, OCT-angiography) the day of their scheduled monthly IVI. Intermediate visits were performed weekly thereafter (comprising ophthalmic exam and OCT), until week 4. Fluid metrics were quantified using an artificial intelligence-based algorithm at baseline and at each subsequent weekly visit. Main outcomes were residual fluid volumes of SRF and IRF for each time point, and its relative change after treatment. Particular interest was given to each patients’ nadir point, which was used for association analysis with imaging parameters.

Results
A total of 28 eyes of 26 patients were included into the study. The maximal response was reached at 1.93 weeks on average. The relative fluid resolution at nadir point was 66 ± 36.7%, with quartile limits at 49.1%, 83%, and 96.1%, respectively. Mean residual fluid volume was 64.9 ± 128.8 µl at nadir point. Residual fluid was positively correlated with baseline SRF (r = 0.76, p < 0.0001) and larger pigment epithelium detachment (r = 0.65, p = 0.0001). Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy was associated with larger residual fluid (p = 0.0013).

Conclusions
Incomplete anti-VEGF responders in nAMD showed significant mean fluid resolution between injections, typically after 2 weeks. However, complete resolution was the exception, and the amount of residual fluid varied greatly. To understand the role of the unresponsive fluid, further studies are needed.
A new protection scheme for PV-wind based DC-ring microgrid by using modified multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis
Authors: Anjaiah Kanche , Dash Pradipta Kishore , Sahani Mrutyunjaya 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis paper presents fault detection, classification, and location for a PV-Wind-based DC ring microgrid in the MATLAB/SIMULINK platform. Initially, DC fault signals are collected from local measurements to examine the outcomes of the proposed system. Accurate detection is carried out for all faults, (i.e., cable and arc faults) under two cases of fault resistance and distance variation, with the assistance of primary and secondary detection techniques, i.e. second-order differential current derivative $$\left( {\frac{{d^{2} I_{3} }}{{dt^{2} }}} \right)$$

d
2

I
3

d

t
2

and sliding mode window-based Pearson’s correlation coefficient. For fault classification a novel approach using modified multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (M-MFDFA) is presented. The advantage of this method is its ability to estimate the local trends of any order polynomial function with the help of polynomial and trigonometric functions. It also doesn’t require any signal processing algorithm for decomposition resulting and this results in a reduction of computational burden. The detected fault signals are directly passed through the M-MFDFA classifier for fault type classification. To enhance the performance of the proposed classifier, statistical data is obtained from the M-MFDFA feature vectors, and the obtained data is plotted in 2-D and 3-D scatter plots for better visualization. Accurate fault distance estimation is carried out for all types of faults in the DC ring bus microgrid with the assistance of recursive least squares with a forgetting factor (FF-RLS). To verify the performance and superiority of the proposed classifier, it is compared with existing classifiers in terms of features, classification accuracy (CA), and relative computational time (RCT).
Surveillance for potentially zoonotic viruses in rodent and bat populations and behavioral risk in an agricultural settlement in Ghana
Authors: Suu-Ire Richard , Obodai Evangeline , Bel-Nono Samuel Otis , Ampofo William Kwabena , Mazet Jonna A. K. , Goldstein Tracey , Johnson Christine Kreuder , Smith Brett , Boaatema Linda , Asigbee Theodore Worlanyo , Awuni Joseph , Opoku Eric ,   PREDICT Consortium, Kelly Terra R. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
In Ghana, the conversion of land to agriculture, especially across the vegetative belt has resulted in fragmented forest landscapes with increased interactions among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.

Methods
We investigated viruses in bats and rodents, key reservoir hosts for zoonotic viral pathogens, in a small agricultural community in the vegetation belt of Ghana. We also administered questionnaires among the local community members to learn more about people’s awareness and perceptions of zoonotic disease risks and the environmental factors and types of activities in which they engage that might influence pathogen transmission from wildlife.

Results
Our study detected the RNA from paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses in rodents and bats, including sequences from novel viruses with unknown zoonotic potential. Samples collected from Epomophorus gambianus bats were significantly more likely to be positive for coronavirus RNA during the rainy season, when higher numbers of young susceptible individuals are present in the population. Almost all community members who responded to the questionnaire reported contact with wildlife, especially bats, rodents, and non-human primates in and around their homes and in the agricultural fields. Over half of the respondents were not aware or did not perceive any zoonotic disease risks associated with close contact with animals, such as harvesting and processing animals for food. To address gaps in awareness and mitigation strategies for pathogen transmission risks, we organized community education campaigns using risk reduction and outreach tools focused around living safely with bats and rodents.

Conclusions
These findings expand our knowledge of the viruses circulating in bats and rodents in Ghana and of the beliefs, perceptions, and practices that put community members at risk of zoonotic virus spillover through direct and indirect contact with bats and rodents. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement in research and interventions focused on mitigating risk and living safely with wildlife.
Cataloging the potential SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) associated with quantitative traits, viz. BMI (body mass index), IQ (intelligence quotient) and BP (blood pressure): an updated review
Authors: Chauhan Waseem , Fatma Rafat , Wahab Afiya , Afzal Mohammad 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants are abundant, persistent and widely distributed across the genome and are frequently linked to the development of genetic diseases. Identifying SNPs that underpin complex diseases can aid scientists in the discovery of disease-related genes by allowing for early detection, effective medication and eventually disease prevention.

Main body
Various SNP or polymorphism-based studies were used to categorize different SNPs potentially related to three quantitative traits: body mass index (BMI), intelligence quotient (IQ) and blood pressure, and then uncovered common SNPs for these three traits. We employed SNPedia, RefSNP Report, GWAS Catalog, Gene Cards (Data Bases), PubMed and Google Scholar search engines to find relevant material on SNPs associated with three quantitative traits. As a result, we detected three common SNPs for all three quantitative traits in global populations: SNP rs6265 of the BDNF gene on chromosome 11p14.1, SNP rs131070325 of the SL39A8 gene on chromosome 4p24 and SNP rs4680 of the COMT gene on chromosome 22q11.21.

Conclusion
In our review, we focused on the prevalent SNPs and gene expression activities that influence these three quantitative traits. These SNPs have been used to detect and map complex, common illnesses in communities for homogeneity testing and pharmacogenetic studies. High blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, as well as BMI, schizophrenia and IQ, can all be predicted using common SNPs. Finally, the results of our work can be used to find common SNPs and genes that regulate these three quantitative features across the genome.
Life in the slow lane: field metabolic rate and prey consumption rate of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) modelled using archival biologgers
Authors: Ste-Marie Eric , Watanabe Yuuki Y. , Semmens Jayson M. , Marcoux Marianne , Hussey Nigel E. 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
Field metabolic rate (FMR) is a holistic measure of metabolism representing the routine energy utilization of a species living within a specific ecological context, thus providing insight into its ecology, fitness and resilience to environmental stressors. For animals that cannot be easily observed in the wild, FMR can also be used in concert with dietary data to quantitatively assess their role as consumers, improving understanding of the trophic linkages that structure food webs and allowing for informed management decisions. Here, we modelled the FMR of Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) equipped with biologger packages or pop-up archival satellite tags (PSATs) in two coastal inlets of Baffin Island (Nunavut) using metabolic scaling relationships for mass, temperature and activity. We estimated that Greenland sharks had an overall mean (±s.d.) FMR of 21.67±2.30 mg O2 h−1 kg−0.84 (n=30; 1–4 day accelerometer package deployments) while residing inside these cold-water fjord systems in the late summer, and 25.48±0.47 mg O2 h−1 kg−0.84 (n=6; PSATs) over an entire year. When considering prey consumption rate, an average shark in these systems (224 kg) requires a maintenance ration of 61–193 g of fish or marine mammal prey daily. As Greenland sharks are a lethargic polar species, these low FMR estimates, and corresponding prey consumption estimates, suggest they require very little energy to sustain themselves under natural conditions. These data provide the first characterization of the energetics and consumer role of this vulnerable and understudied species in the wild, which is essential given growing pressures from climate change and expanding commercial fisheries in the Arctic.
Meta-analytic approaches and effect sizes to account for ‘nuisance heterogeneity’ in comparative physiology
Authors: Noble Daniel W. A. , Pottier Patrice , Lagisz Malgorzata , Burke Samantha , Drobniak Szymon M. , O'Dea Rose E. , Nakagawa Shinichi 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
Meta-analysis is a powerful tool used to generate quantitatively informed answers to pressing global challenges. By distilling data from broad sets of research designs and study systems into standardised effect sizes, meta-analyses provide physiologists with opportunities to estimate overall effect sizes and understand the drivers of effect variability. Despite this ambition, research designs in the field of comparative physiology can appear, at the outset, as being vastly different to each other because of ‘nuisance heterogeneity’ (e.g. different temperatures or treatment dosages used across studies). Methodological differences across studies have led many to believe that meta-analysis is an exercise in comparing ‘apples with oranges’. Here, we dispel this myth by showing how standardised effect sizes can be used in conjunction with multilevel meta-regression models to both account for the factors driving differences across studies and make them more comparable. We assess the prevalence of nuisance heterogeneity in the comparative physiology literature – showing it is common and often not accounted for in analyses. We then formalise effect size measures (e.g. the temperature coefficient, Q10) that provide comparative physiologists with a means to remove nuisance heterogeneity without the need to resort to more complex statistical models that may be harder to interpret. We also describe more general approaches that can be applied to a variety of different contexts to derive new effect sizes and sampling variances, opening up new possibilities for quantitative synthesis. By using effect sizes that account for components of effect heterogeneity, in combination with existing meta-analytic models, comparative physiologists can explore exciting new questions while making results from large-scale data sets more accessible, comparable and widely interpretable.
The mechanics of acoustic signal evolution in field crickets
Authors: Godthi Vamsy , Balakrishnan Rohini , Pratap Rudra 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
Field crickets (Family Gryllidae, Subfamily Gryllinae) typically produce tonal calls with carrier frequencies in the range 3–8 kHz. In this study, we explored the use of a finite element model (FEM) of the stridulatory apparatus of a field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, based on experimental measurements of resonator geometry and mechanical properties, to predict the measured call carrier frequencies of eight other field cricket species, ranging between 3 and 7 kHz. The model allowed accurate predictions of carrier frequencies for all eight species to within a few hundred hertz from morphological measurements of their resonators. We then used the model to explore the plausible evolutionary design space for field cricket call carrier frequency along the axes of resonator size and thickness, and mapped the locations of the nine experimentally measured species in this design space. Although the nine species spanned the evolutionarily conserved spectrum of carrier frequency and body size in field crickets, they were clustered in a small region of the available design space. We then explored the reasons for this apparent evolutionary constraint on field cricket carrier frequencies at both the lower and higher limit. We found that body size and sound radiation efficiency were the main constraints at the lower limits, whereas the energetics of stridulation using the clockwork mechanism may pose a constraint at higher frequencies.
Epigenomics as a paradigm to understand the nuances of phenotypes
Authors: Fanter Cornelia , Madelaire Carla , Genereux Diane P. , van Breukelen Frank , Levesque Danielle , Hindle Allyson 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
Quantifying the relative importance of genomic and epigenomic modulators of phenotype is a focal challenge in comparative physiology, but progress is constrained by availability of data and analytic methods. Previous studies have linked physiological features to coding DNA sequence, regulatory DNA sequence, and epigenetic state, but few have disentangled their relative contributions or unambiguously distinguished causative effects (‘drivers’) from correlations. Progress has been limited by several factors, including the classical approach of treating continuous and fluid phenotypes as discrete and static across time and environment, and difficulty in considering the full diversity of mechanisms that can modulate phenotype, such as gene accessibility, transcription, mRNA processing and translation. We argue that attention to phenotype nuance, progressing to association with epigenetic marks and then causal analyses of the epigenetic mechanism, will enable clearer evaluation of the evolutionary path. This would underlie an essential paradigm shift, and power the search for links between genomic and epigenomic features and physiology. Here, we review the growing knowledge base of gene-regulatory mechanisms and describe their links to phenotype, proposing strategies to address widely recognized challenges.
Colour discrimination thresholds vary throughout colour space in a reef fish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
Authors: Green Naomi F. , Guevara Emily , Osorio Daniel C. , Endler John A. , Marshall N. Justin , Vorobyev Misha , Cheney Karen L. 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
Animals use colour vision in a range of behaviours. Visual performance is limited by thresholds, which are set by noise in photoreceptors and subsequent neural processing. The receptor noise limited (RNL) model of colour discrimination is widely used for modelling colour vision and accounts well for experimental data from many species. In one of the most comprehensive tests yet of colour discrimination in a non-human species, we used Ishihara-style stimulus patterns to examine thresholds for 21 directions at five locations in colour space for the fish Rhinecanthus aculeatus. Thresholds matched RNL model predictions most closely for stimuli near the achromatic point, but exceeded predictions (indicating a decline in sensitivity) with distance from this point. Thresholds were also usually higher for saturation than for hue differences. These changes in colour threshold with colour space location and direction may give insight into photoreceptor non-linearities and post-receptoral mechanisms of colour vision in fish. Our results highlight the need for a cautious interpretation of the RNL model – especially for modelling colours that differ from one another in saturation (rather than hue), and for highly saturated colours distant from the achromatic point in colour space.
Identification of colistin resistance and its bactericidal activity against uropathogenic gram negative bacteria from Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar
Authors: Arif Ambreen , Ullah Ihsan , Ullah Obaid , Zaman Ronaq 
Published: March 2022

Objectives: Identification of colistin resistance and its bactericidal activity against gram-negative bacteria isolated from urinary tract infection (UTI) patients.
Methods: This 6-month cross sectional study was conducted in Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar from January 2019-June2019.. A total of 2000 urine samples were collected and transported to the Health Research Institute, NIH, Research Centre, Khyber Medical College Peshawar. Samples were streaked on different media and incubated at 37C° for 24hrs. Gram negative bacteria were identified through gram staining and Analytical Profile Index (API) 10s. Gram negative bacteria were subjected under antibiotic sensitivity profile through Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Colistin resistance was found through broth microdilution method. Minimum bactericidal activity was performed to find out the lowest concentration of colistin required to kill gram-negative bacteria.
Results: A total of 241(12.05%) uropathogenic gram negative bacteria were isolated and identified from 2000 urine samples while excluding intrinsically resistant bacteria. After broth microdilution, colistin resistance was found in 48(19.9%) Escherichia coli, 4(1.6%) Klebsiella pneumoniae and 3(1.3%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively. Colistin resistant Escherichia coli were resistant to 77% Cephalosporins, 81% to Fluoroquinolones and 70% to Penicillin combinations. Colistin resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were 100% resistant to Cephalosporins, Penicillin combinations and Fluoroquinolones while 75% were resistant to Carbapenems and Monobactams. Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were sensitive to all used antibiotics.
Conclusion: E.coli was the mainly responsible uropathogen causing UTIs. Colistin resistance was found in 22.8% gram negative uropathogens. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates exhibited highest resistance to antibiotics.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.5221
How to cite this:Arif A, Ullah I, Obaid Ullah, Zaman R. Identification of colistin resistance and its bactericidal activity against uropathogenic gram negative bacteria from Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.5221
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Evidence for yeast artificial synthesis in SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 genomic sequences
Authors: Lisewski Andreas Martin 
Published: March 2022

Background: Knowledge about the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary for both a biological and epidemiological understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that a proximal evolutionary ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the bat coronavirus family. However, as further evidence for a direct zoonosis remains limited, alternative modes of SARS-CoV-2 biogenesis should be considered. Results: Here we show that the genomes from SARS-CoV-2 and from SARS-CoV-1 are differentially enriched with short chromosomal sequences from the yeast S. cerevisiae at focal positions that are known to be critical for host cell invasion, virus replication, and host immune response. For SARS-CoV-1, we identify two sites: one at the start of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase gene, and the other at the start of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain; for SARS-CoV-2, one at the start of the viral replicase domain, and the other toward the end of the spike gene past its domain junction. At this junction, we detect a highly specific stretch of yeast DNA origin covering the critical furin cleavage site insert PRRA, which has not been seen in other lineage b betacoronaviruses. As yeast is not a natural host for this virus family, we propose a passage model for viral constructs in yeast cells based on co-transformation of virus DNA plasmids carrying yeast selectable genetic markers followed by intra-chromosomal homologous recombination through gene conversion. Highly differential sequence homology data across yeast chromosomes congruent with chromosomes harboring specific auxotrophic markers further support this passage model. Conclusions: These results provide evidence that among SARS-like coronaviruses only the genomes of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 contain information that points to a synthetic passage in genetically modified yeast cells. Our data specifically allow the identification of the yeast S. cerevisiae as a potential recombination donor for the critical furin cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2.