bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive prenatal prediction of fetal haplotype with Spearman rank correlation analysis model
Authors: Hanxiao Du , Luming Sun , Songchang Chen , Jingmin Yang , Yueping Zhang , Shuo Zhang , Hongyan Chen , Ning Jiang , Daru Lu 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBackgroundNoninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been widely used clinically to detect fetal chromosomal aneuploidy with high accuracy rates, gradually replacing traditional serological screening. However, the application of NIPT for monogenic diseases is still in an immature stage of exploration. The detection of mutations in peripheral blood of pregnant women requires precise qualitative and quantitative techniques, which limits its application. The bioinformatic strategies based on the SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) linkage analysis are more practical, which can be divided into two types depending on whether proband information is needed. Hidden Markov Mode (HMM) and Sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) are suitable for families with probands. In contrast, methods based on databases and population demographic information are suitable for families without probands.MethodsIn this study, we proposed a Spearman rank correlation analysis method to infer the fetal haplotypes based on core family information. Allele frequencies of SNPs that were used to construct parental haplotypes were calculated as sets of nonparametric variables, in contrast to their theoretical values represented by a fetal fraction (FF). The effects on the calculation of the fetal concentration of two DNA enrichment methods, multiple‐PCR amplification, and targeted hybrid capture, were compared, and the heterozygosity distribution of SNPs within pedigrees was analyzed to reveal the best conditions for the model application.ResultsPredictions of the paternal haplotype inheritance were in line with expectations for both DNA library construction methods, while for maternal haplotype inheritance prediction, the rates were 96.55% for method multiple‐PCR amplification and 95.8% for method targeted hybrid capture.ConclusionPositive prediction rates showed that the maternal haplotype prediction was not as accurate as paternal one, due to the large amount of maternal noise in the mother's peripheral blood. Although this model is relatively immature, it provides a new perspective for noninvasive prenatal clinical tests of monogenic diseases.
A tissue‐fraction estimation‐based segmentation method for quantitative dopamine transporter SPECT
Authors: Liu Ziping , Moon Hae Sol , Li Zekun , Laforest Richard , Perlmutter Joel S. , Norris Scott A. , Jha Abhinav K. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBackgroundQuantitative measures of dopamine transporter (DaT) uptake in caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus (GP) derived from dopamine transporter–single‐photon emission computed tomography (DaT‐SPECT) images have potential as biomarkers for measuring the severity of Parkinson's disease. Reliable quantification of this uptake requires accurate segmentation of the considered regions. However, segmentation of these regions from DaT‐SPECT images is challenging, a major reason being partial‐volume effects (PVEs) in SPECT. The PVEs arise from two sources, namely the limited system resolution and reconstruction of images over finite‐sized voxel grids. The limited system resolution results in blurred boundaries of the different regions. The finite voxel size leads to TFEs, that is, voxels contain a mixture of regions. Thus, there is an important need for methods that can account for the PVEs, including the TFEs, and accurately segment the caudate, putamen, and GP, from DaT‐SPECT images.PurposeDesign and objectively evaluate a fully automated tissue‐fraction estimation‐based segmentation method that segments the caudate, putamen, and GP from DaT‐SPECT images.MethodsThe proposed method estimates the posterior mean of the fractional volumes occupied by the caudate, putamen, and GP within each voxel of a three‐dimensional DaT‐SPECT image. The estimate is obtained by minimizing a cost function based on the binary cross‐entropy loss between the true and estimated fractional volumes over a population of SPECT images, where the distribution of true fractional volumes is obtained from existing populations of clinical magnetic resonance images. The method is implemented using a supervised deep‐learning‐based approach.ResultsEvaluations using clinically guided highly realistic simulation studies show that the proposed method accurately segmented the caudate, putamen, and GP with high mean Dice similarity coefficients of ∼ 0.80 and significantly outperformed () all other considered segmentation methods. Further, an objective evaluation of the proposed method on the task of quantifying regional uptake shows that the method yielded reliable quantification with low ensemble normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) < 20% for all the considered regions. In particular, the method yielded an even lower ensemble NRMSE of ∼ 10% for the caudate and putamen.ConclusionsThe proposed tissue‐fraction estimation‐based segmentation method for DaT‐SPECT images demonstrated the ability to accurately segment the caudate, putamen, and GP, and reliably quantify the uptake within these regions. The results motivate further evaluation of the method with physical‐phantom and patient studies.
Patient‐derived heterogeneous breast phantoms for advanced dosimetry in mammography and tomosynthesis
Authors: Caballo Marco , Rabin Carolina , Fedon Christian , Rodríguez‐Ruiz Alejandro , Diaz Oliver , Boone John M. , Dance David R. , Sechopoulos Ioannis 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding the magnitude and variability of the radiation dose absorbed by the breast fibroglandular tissue during mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is of paramount importance to assess risks versus benefits. Although homogeneous breast models have been proposed and used for decades for this purpose, they do not accurately reflect the actual heterogeneous distribution of the fibroglandular tissue in the breast, leading to biases in the estimation of dose from these modalities.PurposeTo develop and validate a method to generate patient‐derived, heterogeneous digital breast phantoms for breast dosimetry in mammography and DBT.MethodsThe proposed phantoms were developed starting from patient‐based models of compressed breasts, generated for multiple thicknesses and representing the two standard views acquired in mammography and DBT, that is, cranio‐caudal (CC) and medio‐lateral‐oblique (MLO). Internally, the breast phantoms were defined as consisting of an adipose/fibroglandular tissue mixture, with a nonspatially uniform relative concentration. The parenchyma distributions were obtained from a previously described model based on patient breast computed tomography data that underwent simulated compression. Following these distributions, phantoms with any glandular fraction (1%–100%) and breast thickness (12–125 mm) can be generated, for both views. The phantoms were validated, in terms of their accuracy for average normalized glandular dose (DgN) estimation across samples of patient breasts, using 88 patient‐specific phantoms involving actual patient distribution of the fibroglandular tissue in the breast, and compared to that obtained using a homogeneous model similar to those currently used for breast dosimetry.ResultsThe average DgN estimated for the proposed phantoms was concordant with that absorbed by the patient‐specific phantoms to within 5% (CC) and 4% (MLO). These DgN estimates were over 30% lower than those estimated with the homogeneous models, which overestimated the average DgN by 43% (CC), and 32% (MLO) compared to the patient‐specific phantoms.ConclusionsThe developed phantoms can be used for dosimetry simulations to improve the accuracy of dose estimates in mammography and DBT.
Biodegradation improvement of bioinspired crosslinked and noncrosslinked polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites with cellulose nanocrystals extracted from rice straw through natural soil burial exposure
Authors: Chin Kwok‐Mern , Sam Sung Ting , Ong Hui Lin , Wong Yee Shian , Tan Wai Kian 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPolyvinyl alcohol with different cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) content extracted from rice straw were prepared by using solution casting method and their biodegradability in natural soil burial were studied. Ethanedioic acid (EA) was introduced as a crosslinker. The synthesized noncrosslinked and crosslinked PVOH/CNC nanocomposites films and their biodegradation were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), tensile test, weight loss, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The changes in chemical properties before and after biodegradation were confirmed through FTIR. Tensile test revealed that the tensile strength and elongation at break reduced as time of soil burial increases. Morphological study showed the extent of surface deterioration before and after soil burial, where the addition of CNC displayed greater deterioration. Melting temperature and crystallinity increased with addition of CNC but decreased after crosslinking. However, melting temperature and crystallinity of all nanocomposites increased after biodegradation. PVOH degrading bacteria were isolated and identified to be Bacillus cereus strain CCM 2010 and Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 14579. Biodegradation of the bionanocomposites were concluded to be in the following decreasing order: PVOH/CNC > PVOH/EA/CNC > PVOH > PVOH/EA.
The pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia: How far have we come?
Authors: Rubio Jose M. , Kane John M. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSchizophrenia is a chronic and often severe mental disorder for which antipsychotic drugs are the cornerstone of treatment. Although the essential mechanism of action of these drugs has not changed much since they were first discovered in the 1950s, there have been numerous advances in the context in which these drugs are prescribed, as well as in the considerations for their optimal use. In this review, we summarize five selected issues in which the psychopharmacological treatment of schizophrenia has most evolved. Namely, these are the shift of outcomes of interest from symptoms to recovery, the development of stratified approaches to select the most appropriate treatment for each individual, the recognition of treatment nonadherence as a critical factor determining outcomes, the recommendations for maintenance treatment, and, finally, the promise of new antipsychotic compounds that innovate in their mechanisms of action, improving efficacy/safety profiles. Finally, we discuss how some of these advances have already delivered to improved outcomes in the real world, whereas others have demonstrated efficacy under optimal circumstances yet have not been translated into better outcomes in the community. Thus, the road ahead includes both identifying novel treatments that engage the psychopathology of the illness and improve the efficacy/tolerability profile of currently available agents, as well as developing interventions that mitigate the barriers for the use of novel interventions, some of them already existing, in the real world.
Study on preparation and field induction mechanism of organic silicon composites based on aligned carbon nanotubes
Authors: Liu Canqun , Zhou Xiaosong , Zhou Xunfu , Ruan Wenke , Wu Zhijun 
Published: May 2022

AbstractHigh thermal conductivity materials are an urgent need for high power, microelectronic components and equipment, but are limited by low thermal conductivity of the traditional silicone materials. 4‐Cyano‐4′‐n‐octyl biphenyl (8OCB) was synthesized to modify carbon nanotubes, and silicone was used as the matrix. In the curing process of the composite, an electric field was applied and the liquid crystal induced the orientation of carbon nanotubes in the direction of 8OCB liquid crystal. The morphology, structure and properties of modified carbon nanotubes and composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, polarized microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermal conductivity, and so on. The 8OCB liquid crystal can improve the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in silicone composites. When the mass fraction of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was 11 wt%, the thermal conductivity of 8OCB‐MWCNTs/silicone composite after electric field was 2.39 W/(m K), which is 6.4 times that of MWCNTs/silicone composite after electric field and 15.5 times that of pure silicone matrix. A method to obtain highly ordered filled thermal conductive materials by applying an electric field to induce the orientation of carbon nanotubes is demonstrated.
Arabidopsis SPA2 represses seedling de‐etiolation under multiple light conditions
Authors: Su Liang , Zhou Peng , Guo Lin , Jia Xiaolin , Wang Shaoci , Gao Jianwei , Li Hongyu , Liu Bin , Song Meifang , Yang Jianping 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn Arabidopsis, phytochrome (phy) A, phyB, and cryptochrome 1 (cry1) are representative far‐red, red, and blue light photoreceptors, respectively. Members of the SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA‐105 (SPA) protein family (SPA1–SPA4) form E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes with CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1), which mediates the degradation of photomorphogenesis‐promoting factors to desensitize light signaling. SPA2 has been reported to promote seedling etiolation in the dark. However, the unique roles of SPA2 and its three functional domains in suppressing photomorphogenesis under different light conditions are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of the full‐length or the central coiled‐coil and C‐terminal WD‐repeat domains of SPA2 cause hyper‐etiolation phenotypes under several light conditions. The SPA2 central coiled‐coil and C‐terminal WD‐repeat domains are necessary and sufficient for repressing seedling de‐etiolation, cotyledon unfolding, and promoting hypocotyl negative gravitropism under several light conditions. Furthermore, phyA, phyB, cry1, and COP1 repress protein accumulation or nuclear translocation of SPA2 through direct interactions with its kinase‐like and coiled‐coil domains located in the N‐terminus in response to far‐red, red, and blue light treatments, respectively. Taken together, our results demonstrate that SPA2 functions under multiple light conditions; moreover, light‐activated photoreceptors rapidly suppress SPA2 activity via direct interactions in response to different light treatments.
Effect of post‐warming culture time on the live birth rate after frozen embryo transfer
Authors: Pham Huy H. , Vu Trinh M. , Nguyen Chau H. , Le Anh H. , Nguyen Dung P. , Pham Toan D. , Ho Tuong M. , Vuong Lan N. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPurposeThis study evaluated the influence of post‐warming culture time on the live birth rate in day‐3 and day‐5 frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles.MethodsThis multicenter, retrospective cohort study was performed at IVFMD, My Duc Hospital and IVFMD Phu Nhuan, My Duc Phu Nhuan Hospital in Vietnam between October 2019 and October 2020. Women who underwent FET cycles with the transfer of ≤2 day‐3 or day‐5 embryos were included in the study. FET cycles were divided into four groups based on the quartiles for the time between embryo warming and embryo transfer. The primary outcome was live birth after FET.ResultsOf 2548 FET cycles, 885 and 1663 cycles, respectively, had transfer of day‐3 or day‐5 embryos. Post‐warming culture time ranged from 0.07 to 6.1 h. There were no significant differences between the post‐warming culture time quartiles with respect to the number of embryos thawed, the number of embryos transferred, and the number of top‐quality embryos transferred. Post‐warming culture time was not significantly associated with the live birth rate in FET cycles using either day‐3 or day‐5 embryos.ConclusionsPost‐warming culture time did not affect live birth rate in FET cycles. Therefore, IVF centers should consider scheduling workflows to best suit the patient.
The generalized super‐twisting algorithm with adaptive gains
Authors: Borlaug Ida‐Louise G. , Pettersen Kristin Y. , Gravdahl Jan Tommy 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn this article, a novel adaptive generalized super‐twisting algorithm (GSTA) is proposed for a class of systems whose perturbations and uncertain control coefficients may depend on both time and state. The proposed approach uses dynamically adapted control gains, and it is proven that this ensures global finite‐time convergence. A nonsmooth strict Lyapunov function is used to obtain the conditions for global finite‐time stability. A simulation and experimental case study is performed using an articulated intervention autonomous underwater vehicle (AIAUV). It is also shown that the adaptive GSTA causes the tracking errors of the AIAUV to converge to zero in finite time. In the case study, we use the singularity‐robust multiple task‐priority method to create a continuous trajectory for the AIAUV to follow. The simulation and experimental results validate and verify that the proposed approach is well suited for controlling an AIAUV. We also perform a comparison with the super‐twisting algorithm with adaptive gains and the original GSTA to evaluate whether adding adaptive gains to the GSTA actually improves the tracking capabilities by combining the theoretical advantages afforded by the GSTA with the practical advantages afforded by adaptive gains. Based on this comparison, the adaptive GSTA yields the best tracking results overall without increasing the energy consumption, and the simulations and experiments thus indicate that adding adaptive gains to the GSTA does indeed improve the consequent tracking results and capabilities.
The value of flexibility in multi‐business firms
Authors: Dickler Teresa A. , Folta Timothy B. , Giarratana Marco S. , Santaló Juan 
Published: May 2022

AbstractResearch SummaryWhether diversified firms have advantages over their single‐business counterparts is the focus of much research in strategic management. Indeed, there is sparse evidence that corporate advantage exists, on average. We explore one potential driver of corporate advantage—that multi‐business firms have more flexibility than single‐business firms to cope with uncertainty, because they can internally redeploy resources across businesses. Using Compustat data, we show that uncertainty increases the relative advantage of multi‐business firms, a finding robust to controls for endogeneity. Consequently, the paper provides important insight and evidence around when corporate advantage might obtain. Moreover, we find that growth option value is accentuated in the presence of switching flexibility. Finally, multi‐business firms with redeployment experience and businesses with more inversely correlated returns benefit more from uncertainty.Managerial SummaryMulti‐business firms have a flexibility advantage over single‐business firms as they can reallocate firm resources from one business unit to another depending on inducements. What is the impact of this flexibility on firm value? In this paper, we test whether such a flexibility advantage translates into greater economic returns in more volatile markets. We expect that resource redeployment creates value if it amplifies business‐specific positive shocks while alleviating business‐specific downturns. Consistent with this argument, we find empirical evidence that with increasing stock market volatility, multi‐business firms benefit significantly more in terms of firm value than their single‐business counterparts. In particular, in highly volatile stock markets, monthly adjusted returns are 2.3 times higher for multi‐business firms than for single‐business firms.
Synergistic Lysosomal Impairment and ER Stress Activation for Boosted Autophagy Dysfunction Based on Te Double‐Headed Nano‐Bullets
Authors: Wang Tingting , Xiao Guangxu , Lu Qianglan , Zhou Yue , Wang Siyu , Liang Xiaoyang , Song Yilin , Xu Min , Zhu Yan , Li Nan 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTo overcome the autophagy compromised mechanism of protective cellular processes by “eating”/“digesting” damaged organelles or potentially toxic materials with autolysosomes in tumor cells, lysosomal impairment can be utilized as a traditional autophagy dysfunction route for tumor therapy; however, this conventional one‐way autophagy dysfunction approach is always limited by the therapeutic efficacy. Herein, an innovative pharmacological strategy that can excessively provoke autophagy via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is implemented along with lysosomal impairment to enhance autophagy dysfunction. In this work, the prepared tellurium double‐headed nanobullets (TeDNBs) with controllable morphology are modified with human serum albumin (HSA) which facilitates internalization by tumor cells. On the one hand, ER stress can be stimulated by upregulating the phosphorylation eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (P‐eIF2α) owing to the production of tellurite (TeO32−) in the specifical hydrogen peroxide‐rich tumor environment; thus, autophagy overstimulation occurs. On the other hand, OME can deacidify and impair lysosomes by downregulating lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), therefore blocking autolysosome formation. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the synthesized TeDNBs‐HSA/OME (TeDNBs‐HO) exhibit excellent therapeutic efficacy by autophagy dysfunction through ER stress induction and lysosomal damnification. Thus, TeDNBs‐HO is verified to be a promising theranostic nanoagent for effective tumor therapy.
Application of community‐based system dynamics for the management of rural households' vulnerability to the drying of Urmia Lake
Authors: Maleki Rasoul , Nooripoor Mehdi , Sharifi Zeinab , Petrescu Dacinia Crina 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe drying of Urmia Lake, the largest inland lake in Iran, is one of the greatest ecological disasters in Iran, and it was repeatedly included on the agenda of national and international conventions. The aim of the current study was to apply the system dynamics methodology to analyse rural households' vulnerability to the Urmia Lake drying. The result of the first phase (strategy collection) indicated that five strategies were proposed by stakeholders: ‘To reduce the population of the region’, ‘To reduce the crop area and agricultural activities’, ‘To modify the cultivation pattern and growing crops with low water needs’, ‘To use new irrigation systems’ and ‘To create alternative agricultural livelihoods with less dependence on damaged resources’. The second phase used Vensim software and indicated that the best strategy to reduce households' vulnerability to the drying of Urmia Lake was ‘To create alternative agricultural livelihoods with less dependence on damaged resources’.