bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Targeted generation of complex temporal pulse profiles
Authors: Guesmi Mariem , Veselá Petra , Žídek Karel 
Published: March 2022

AbstractA targeted shaping of complex femtosecond pulse waveforms and their characterization is essential for many spectroscopic applications. A 4f pulse shaper combined with an advanced pulse characterization technique should, in the idealized case, serve this purpose for an arbitrary pulse shape. This is, however, violated in the real experiment by many imperfections and limitations. Although the complex waveform generation has been studied in-depth, the comparison of the effects of various experimental factors on the actual pulse shape has stayed out of focus so far. In this paper, we present an experimental study on the targeted generation and retrieval of complex pulses by using two commonly-used techniques: spatial-light-modulator (SLM)-based 4f pulse shaper and second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) and cross-correlation FROG (XFROG). By combining FROG and XFROG traces, we analyze the pulses with SLM-adjusted complex random phases ranging from simple to very complex waveforms. We demonstrate that the combination of FROG and XFROG ensures highly consistent pulse retrieval, irrespective of the used retrieval algorithm. This enabled us to evaluate the role of various experimental factors on the agreement between the simulated and actual pulse shape. The factors included the SLM pixelation, SLM pixel crosstalk, finite laser focal spot in the pulse shaper, or interference fringes induced by the SLM. In particular, we observe that including the SLM pixelation and crosstalk effect significantly improved the pulse shaping simulation. We demonstrate that the complete simulation can faithfully reproduce the pulse shape. Nevertheless, even in this case, the intensity of individual peaks differs between the retrieved and simulated pulses, typically by 10–20% of the peak value, with the mean standard deviation of 5–9% of the maximum pulse intensity. We discuss the potential sources of remaining discrepancies between the theoretically expected and experimentally retrieved pulse.
Seasonal distribution of fish larvae in mangrove-seagrass seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania)
Authors: Tarimo Barnabas , Winder Monika , Mtolera Matern S. P. , Muhando Christopher A. , Gullström Martin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractFish larvae supply in nearshore vegetated habitats, such as seagrass meadows and mangroves, contributes significantly to sustainable fish stocks. Yet, little information is available on distribution patterns of fish larvae in mangrove and seagrass habitats of the western Indian Ocean. The present study investigated the abundance, diversity and assemblage composition of fish larvae in mangrove creeks, inshore seagrass meadows (located adjacent to mangroves) and nearshore seagrass meadows (located in-between mangroves and coral reefs) in two coastal seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania) across seasons for 1 year. The highest mean abundances of fish larvae were recorded in mangrove creeks, while nearshore- and inshore seagrass meadows showed similar mean abundance levels. Generally, fish larvae representing 42 families were identified, with the fourteen most abundant families comprising 83% of all specimens. Fish larvae communities were dominated by specimens of the postflexion growth stage in all habitats, except in mangrove creeks in one of the two seascapes (i.e. Chwaka Bay) from April through June when abundances of the preflexion and very small-sized individuals were exceptionally high. Slightly higher fish larvae abundances were observed in mangroves during the southeast monsoon compared to the northeast monsoon, and there were also differences across months within monsoon periods for all three habitats studied. Assemblage composition of larvae did, however, not vary significantly in time or space. Our findings suggest that mangroves and seagrass meadows are highly linked shallow-water habitats with high retention of fish larvae contributing to similarity in assemblage compositions across shallow coastal seascapes. Conservation and management efforts should prioritize connected shallow-water seascapes for protection of fish larvae and to uphold sustainable coastal fisheries.
Cold evoked potentials elicited by rapid cooling of the skin in young and elderly healthy individuals
Authors: Scheuren Paulina Simonne , Nauer Natascha , Rosner Jan , Curt Armin , Hubli Michèle 
Published: March 2022

AbstractCold-evoked potentials (CEPs) constitute a novel electrophysiological tool to assess cold-specific alterations in somatosensory function. As an important step towards the clinical implementation of CEPs as a diagnostic tool, we evaluated the feasibility and reliability of CEPs in response to rapid cooling of the skin (−300 °C/s) and different stimulation sites in young and elderly healthy individuals. Time-locked electroencephalographic responses were recorded from at vertex in fifteen young (20–40 years) and sixteen elderly (50–70 years), individuals in response to 15 rapid cold stimuli (−300 °C/s) applied to the skin of the hand dorsum, palm, and foot dorsum. High CEP proportions were shown for young individuals at all sites (hand dorsum/palm: 100% and foot: 79%) and elderly individuals after stimulation of the hand dorsum (81%) and palm (63%), but not the foot (44%). Depending on the age group and stimulation site, test–retest reliability was “poor” to “substantial” for N2P2 amplitudes and N2 latencies. Rapid cooling of the skin enables the recording of reliable CEPs in young individuals. In elderly individuals, CEP recordings were only robust after stimulation of the hand, but particularly challenging after stimulation of the foot. Further improvements in stimulation paradigms are warranted to introduce CEPs for clinical diagnostics.
Effect of nest composition, experience and nest quality on nest-building behaviour in the Bonelli’s Eagle
Authors: Martínez José E. , Zuberogoitia Íñigo , Calvo José F. , Álvarez Mario , Margalida Antoni 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn bi-parentally built nests, there is evidence to suggest that nests are extended phenotypic signals that accurately indicate the quality of the building parent/s. Raptors often use a variety of materials to build their nests (natural, such as branches, but also non-natural objects), presumably due to their insulating properties, their suitability to advertise occupancy of the nest, and to decrease pathogen and parasite loads. However, in raptors where both sexes collaborate in nest construction, it is unclear whether nest building (taking the amount of material carried to the nest as the potential predictor) is an indicator of parental quality, and whether the effort expended by both sexes could constitute an honest signal of parental quality to their partners. Between 2011 and 2016, we monitored 16 nests of Bonelli’s Eagles (Aquila fasciata), and we examined data on sex, type of material brought to the nest, breeding experience, nest quality, timing, and nest-building investment prior to egg-laying from 32 identifiable Bonelli’s Eagles during the pre-laying period to investigate the relative contribution of the sexes to the amount of nest material gathered. Our results indicate that sex is not a determining factor in nest-building effort, and that females did not increase their parental effort in response to the male’s contribution, and supply of materials did not increase during the pre-laying period. In contrast, our models showed that: (1) the type of material supplied to the nest by both sexes varied significantly throughout the pre-laying period and (2) nest-building effort was determined by individual experience and nest quality. Therefore, our study suggests that male nest-building behaviour and investment by Bonelli’s Eagles cannot be considered as an extended phenotypic signal. The differential use of hard and green material by both sexes in the early and late stages of nest-building period, and the fact that the more experienced individuals contributed a larger amount of material on low quality nests, are discussed in the contexts of signaling nest occupancy to conspecifics and competitors and the decrease of ectoparasite loads during the pre-laying period.
MicroRNA signature for estimating the survival time in patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Yerukala Sathipati Srinivasulu , Tsai Ming-Ju , Shukla Sanjay K. , Ho Shinn-Ying , Liu Yi , Beheshti Afshin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBladder urothelial carcinoma (BLC) is one of the most common cancers in men, and its heterogeneity challenges the treatment to cure this disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) gained promising attention as biomarkers due to their potential roles in cancer biology. Identifying survival-associated miRNAs may help identify targets for therapeutic interventions in BLC. This work aims to identify a miRNA signature that could estimate the survival in patients with BLC. We developed a survival estimation method called BLC-SVR based on support vector regression incorporated with an optimal feature selection algorithm to select a robust set of miRNAs as a signature to estimate the survival in patients with BLC. BLC-SVR identified a miRNA signature consisting of 29 miRNAs and obtained a mean squared correlation coefficient and mean absolute error of 0.79 ± 0.02 and 0.52 ± 0.32 year between actual and estimated survival times, respectively. The prediction performance of BLC-SVR had a better estimation capability than other standard regression methods. In the identified miRNA signature, 14 miRNAs, hsa-miR-432-5p, hsa-let-7e-3p, hsa-miR-652-3p, hsa-miR-629-5p, and hsa-miR-203a-3p, hsa-miR-129-5p, hsa-miR-769-3p, hsa-miR-570-3p, hsa-miR-320c, hsa-miR-642a-5p, hsa-miR-496, hsa-miR-5480-3p, hsa-miR-221-5p, and hsa-miR-7-1-3p, were found to be good biomarkers for BLC diagnosis; and the six miRNAs, hsa-miR-652-5p, hsa-miR-193b-5p, hsa-miR-129-5p, hsa-miR-143-5p, hsa-miR-496, and hsa-miR-7-1-3p, were found to be good biomarkers of prognosis. Further bioinformatics analysis of this miRNA signature demonstrated its importance in various biological pathways and gene ontology annotation. The identified miRNA signature would further help in understanding of BLC diagnosis and prognosis in the development of novel miRNA-target based therapeutics in BLC.
Heterogeneity and the determinants of PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Xia Siyou , Liu Xiaojie , Liu Qing , Zhou Yannan , Yang Yu 
Published: March 2022

AbstractHaze has reached epidemic levels in many Chinese cities in recent years. Few studies have explored the determinants and heterogeneity of PM2.5. This paper investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM2.5 through spatial analytical methods based on aerosol optical depth data from the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) between 2000 and 2017. Geographically weighted regression and geodetector models were applied to assess the heterogeneity of key factors influencing PM2.5. The results indicate that the annual concentrations of PM2.5 in the YREB were 23.49–37.37 μg/m3, with an initial increase and a later decrease. PM2.5 pollution showed a diagonal high spatial distribution pattern in the northeast and a low spatial distribution in the southwest, as well as a noticeable spatial convergence. The spatial variability of PM2.5 was enlarged, and its main fractal dimension was in the northeast-southwest direction. There were clear spatiotemporal variations in the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on PM2.5. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact mechanisms of PM2.5 and the geographic factors that form persistent and highly polluted areas and imply that more specific coping strategies need to be implemented in various areas toward successful particulate pollution prevention and control.
Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant is lethal in aged BALB/c mice
Authors: Yasui Fumihiko , Matsumoto Yusuke , Yamamoto Naoki , Sanada Takahiro , Honda Tomoko , Munakata Tsubasa , Itoh Yasushi , Kohara Michinori 
Published: March 2022

AbstractModels of animals that are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can usefully evaluate the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we demonstrate that infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant (TY8-612 strain) induces bodyweight loss and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production in wild-type laboratory mice (BALB/c and C57BL/6 J mice). Furthermore, compared to their counterparts, BALB/c mice had a higher viral load in their lungs and worse symptoms. Importantly, infecting aged BALB/c mice (older than 6 months) with the TY8-612 strain elicited a massive and sustained production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and led to universal mortality. These results indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant-infected mice exhibited symptoms ranging from mild to fatal depending on their strain and age. Our data provide insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and may be useful in developing prophylactics and therapeutics.
Unfolding the effects of decontamination treatments on the structural and functional integrity of N95 respirators via numerical simulations
Authors: Sharma Sumit , Wang Fang , Rao P. V. Kameswara , Agrawal Ashwini K. , Jassal Manjeet , Szenti Imre , Kukovecz Ákos , Rawal Amit , Schiller Ulf D. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractFiltering facepiece respirators (FFRs) provide effective protection against diseases spread through airborne infectious droplets and particles. The widespread use of FFRs during the COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to supply shortages, but the disposal of single-use facemasks also threatens the environment with a new kind of plastic pollution. While limited reuse of filtering facepiece respirators has been permitted as a crisis capacity strategy, there are currently no standard test methods available for decontamination before their repeated use. The decontamination of respirators can compromise the structural and functional integrity by reducing the filtration efficiency and breathability. Digital segmentation of X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) scans of the meltblown nonwoven layers of a specific N95 respirator model (Venus-4400) after treatment with one and five cycles of liquid hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet radiation, moist heat, and aqueous soap solution enabled us to perform filtration simulations of decontaminated respirators. The computed filtration efficiencies for 0.3 µm particles agreed well with experimental measurements, and the distribution of particle penetration depths was correlated with the structural changes resulting from decontamination. The combination of X-ray microCT imaging with numerical simulations thus provides a strategy for quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of decontamination treatments for a specific respirator model.
Rhythm perception is shared between audio and haptics
Authors: Bernard Corentin , Monnoyer Jocelyn , Wiertlewski Michaël , Ystad Sølvi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractA surface texture is perceived through both the sound and vibrations produced while being explored by our fingers. Because of their common origin, both modalities have a strong influence on each other, particularly at above 60 Hz for which vibrotactile perception and pitch perception share common neural processes. However, whether the sensation of rhythm is shared between audio and haptic perception is still an open question. In this study, we show striking similarities between the audio and haptic perception of rhythmic changes, and demonstrate the interaction of both modalities below 60 Hz. Using a new surface-haptic device to synthesize arbitrary audio-haptic textures, psychophysical experiments demonstrate that the perception threshold curves of audio and haptic rhythmic gradients are the same. Moreover, multimodal integration occurs when audio and haptic rhythmic gradients are congruent. We propose a multimodal model of rhythm perception to explain these observations. These findings suggest that audio and haptic signals are likely to be processed by common neural mechanisms also for the perception of rhythm. They provide a framework for audio-haptic stimulus generation that is beneficial for nonverbal communication or modern human-machine interfaces.
Regulating the discriminatory response to antigen by T-cell receptor
Authors: Gangopadhyay Kaustav , Roy Swarnendu , Sen Gupta Soumee , Chandradasan Athira C. , Chowdhury Subhankar , Das Rahul 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe cell-mediated immune response constitutes a robust host defense mechanism to eliminate pathogens and oncogenic cells. T cells play a central role in such a defense mechanism and creating memories to prevent any potential infection. T cell recognizes foreign antigen by its surface receptors when presented through antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and calibrates its cellular response by a network of intracellular signaling events. Activation of T-cell receptor (TCR) leads to changes in gene expression and metabolic networks regulating cell development, proliferation, and migration. TCR does not possess any catalytic activity, and the signaling initiates with the colocalization of several enzymes and scaffold proteins. Deregulation of T cell signaling is often linked to autoimmune disorders like severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. The TCR remarkably distinguishes the minor difference between self and non-self antigen through a kinetic proofreading mechanism. The output of TCR signaling is determined by the half-life of the receptor antigen complex and the time taken to recruit and activate the downstream enzymes. A longer half-life of a non-self antigen receptor complex could initiate downstream signaling by activating associated enzymes. Whereas, the short-lived, self-peptide receptor complex disassembles before the downstream enzymes are activated. Activation of TCR rewires the cellular metabolic response to aerobic glycolysis from oxidative phosphorylation. How does the early event in the TCR signaling cross-talk with the cellular metabolism is an open question. In this review, we have discussed the recent developments in understanding the regulation of TCR signaling, and then we reviewed the emerging role of metabolism in regulating T cell function.
Regenerative Plasma- und Zelltherapien in der Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie
Authors: Maleitzke Tazio , Niemann Marcel , Zhou Sijia , Lauterbach Luis , Geissler Sven , Ort Melanie , Duda Georg N. , Perka Carsten , Stöckle Ulrich , Winkler Tobias 
Published: March 2022

ZusammenfassungRegenerative Therapien in der Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (O&U) werden zur Behandlung akuter Verletzungen oder degenerativer Gewebeschäden eingesetzt. Insbesondere die Therapie
verschiedener Arthroseformen und Tendinopathien mittels Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) nimmt mittlerweile einen zentralen Platz in der ambulanten Versorgung ein. Es fehlt bis dato allerdings an
robusten Daten zur Wirksamkeit und Produktcharakterisierung. Mesenchymale Zelltherapien werden ebenfalls zur Geweberegeneration durch parakrine Immunmodulation eingesetzt und befinden sich
aktuell noch in präklinischen und klinischen Forschungsstadien. In den kommenden Jahren wird neben der Sicherheit insbesondere die langfristige Wirksamkeit von Plasma- und Zelltherapien im
Fokus der Wissenschaft stehen, um regenerative Therapien klinisch und evidenzbasiert in der O&U zu verankern.
Berufliche Teilhabe nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation aufgrund
neurologischer Erkrankungen
Authors: Streibelt Marco , Zollmann Pia , Rasch Lisa , Schimichowski Jana , Schmitz Sandra 
Published: March 2022

Zusammenfassung
Ziel der Studie Für das deutsche Rehabilitationssystem existieren
nur wenige repräsentative Erkenntnisse zur beruflichen
Wiedereingliederung nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation. Für
Personen, die aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung eine Rehabilitation in
Trägerschaft der Deutschen Rentenversicherung (DRV) absolvierten, soll
deshalb ermittelt werden, (a) welche sozialmedizinischen Risiken im Vorfeld der
Rehabilitation bestehen, (b) wie gut die berufliche Teilhabe im Anschluss
gelingt und (c) welche Informationen mit der beruflichen Teilhabe assoziiert
sind.
Methodik Die Fragen wurden anhand der Reha-Statistik-Datenbasis der DRV
beantwortet. Eingeschlossen wurden Rehabilitand*innen, die in 2016 eine
medizinische Rehabilitation aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung
abgeschlossen hatten. Die Analysen wurden für die Gesamtgruppe sowie
differenziert nach den beiden Diagnosegruppen Zerebrovaskuläre
Erkrankungen (ZE) und Multiple Sklerose (MS) durchgeführt. Berufliche
Teilhabe wurde sowohl über eine monatliche Zustandsvariable bis 24
Monate nach der Rehabilitation als auch als Quote aller Personen, die nach 12
respektive 24 Monaten im Erhebungsmonat und den 3 vorhergehenden Monaten
sozialversicherungspflichtig beschäftigt waren, operationalisiert.
Für die Analyse der Einflussfaktoren auf stabile berufliche Teilhabe
wurden multiple logistische Regressionsmodelle mit schrittweisem Einschluss,
getrennt für die Quoten nach 12 und 24 Monaten, kalkuliert.
Ergebnisse Insgesamt flossen 42.230 Datensätze in die Analyse ein
(ZE: n=18.368, 44%; MS: n=6.343, 15%).
Neurologische Rehabilitand*innen waren durchschnittlich 50 Jahre alt;
43% waren weiblich. Etwa 15% wiesen keine Fehlzeiten,
17% wenigstens sechs monatige Fehlzeiten im Jahr vor der Reha auf. Bei
31 bzw. 44% wurde eine psychische bzw. kardiologische
Komorbidität dokumentiert. Rund 48% der
Rehabilitand*innen mit ZE kehrte bis zwei Jahre nach der Rehabilitation
in Arbeit zurück; bei MS-Rehabilitand*innen waren es
54%. Die stärksten Einflussfaktoren auf stabile berufliche
Teilhabe waren die Fehlzeiten und das Entgelt vor Rehabilitation sowie die
Arbeitsfähigkeit bei Aufnahme.
Schlussfolgerung Etwa die Hälfte aller Personen mit neurologischen
Erkrankungen kehrt nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation in Deutschland wieder
stabil zurück in Arbeit. Insbesondere die Arbeitsunfähigkeit
sowie der Verdienst vor der Rehabilitation determinieren dies. Die Analyse
stellt erstmals repräsentative Daten zur beruflichen Wiedereingliederung
nach medizinischer Rehabilitation aufgrund einer neurologischen Erkrankung
vor.