bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparing walking with knee-ankle-foot orthoses and a knee-powered exoskeleton after spinal cord injury: a randomized, crossover clinical trial
Authors: Rodríguez-Fernández Antonio , Lobo-Prat Joan , Tarragó Rafael , Chaverri Diego , Iglesias Xavier , Guirao-Cano Lluis , Font-Llagunes Josep M. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractRecovering the ability to stand and walk independently can have numerous health benefits for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Wearable exoskeletons are being considered as a promising alternative to conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) for gait training and assisting functional mobility. However, comparisons between these two types of devices in terms of gait biomechanics and energetics have been limited. Through a randomized, crossover clinical trial, this study compared the use of a knee-powered lower limb exoskeleton (the ABLE Exoskeleton) against passive orthoses, which are the current standard of care for verticalization and gait ambulation outside the clinical setting in people with SCI. Ten patients with SCI completed a 10-session gait training program with each device followed by user satisfaction questionnaires. Walking with the ABLE Exoskeleton improved gait kinematics compared to the KAFOs, providing a more physiological gait pattern with less compensatory movements (38% reduction of circumduction, 25% increase of step length, 29% improvement in weight shifting). However, participants did not exhibit significantly better results in walking performance for the standard clinical tests (Timed Up and Go, 10-m Walk Test, and 6-min Walk Test), nor significant reductions in energy consumption. These results suggest that providing powered assistance only on the knee joints is not enough to significantly reduce the energy consumption required by people with SCI to walk compared to passive orthoses. Active assistance on the hip or ankle joints seems necessary to achieve this outcome.
Anti-neoplastic sulfonamides alter the metabolic homeostasis and disrupt the suppressor activity of regulatory T cells
Authors: Gedaly Roberto , Cornea Virgilius , Turcios Lilia , Edmisson Jacob S. , Harris Dwight D. , Watt David S. , Chapelin Fanny , Khurana Aman , Mei Xiaonan , Liu Chunming , Taylor Isaac , Gonzalez-Valdivieso Juan , Mitchel Hunter , Ruffing Alexis , Chishti Asir , Orozco Gabriel , Zwischenberger Joseph , Evers B. Mark , Marti Francesc 
Published: November 2022

AbstractRegulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential to maintain self-tolerance and immune homeostasis but, as components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), are also a major barrier to effective cancer immunosurveillance and immunotherapy. FH535 and its derivative Y3 are two N-aryl-benzene-sulfonamides (NABs) that inhibit HCC cell proliferation and tumor progression. However, the impact of NABs on the immune cells in the TME is not yet known. Analyses of explanted livers from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) showed that high levels of tumor-infiltrating Tregs were associated with poor tumor differentiation. These results lead us to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of NABs in regulatory and effector T cells. Exposure of primary human Tregs to NABs induced a rapid but temporary increase of cell expansion, a gradual disruption of suppressor activity, and concomitant bioenergetics and autophagic flux dysregulations. In contrast to Tregs, no gross effects were observed in effector T cells. Addition of Rapamycin prevented the functional decay of Tregs and restored their metabolic profile, suggesting that NAB effects require the integrity of the mTOR pathway. This study revealed the immunomodulatory properties of NABs with a preferential impact on Treg activity and provided novel insights into the anti-tumor potential of sulfonamides.
Comparison study of the energy and instability of ion-acoustic solitary waves in magnetized electron–positron–ion quantum plasma
Authors: El-Taibany W. F. , Karmakar P. K. , Beshara A. A. , El-Borie M. A. , Gwaily S. A. , Atteya A. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractNotably, solitary waves that emerge from the nonlinear properties of plasmas are the main focus of many current studies of localized disturbances in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. By applying the reductive perturbation method, we derive the nonlinear homogeneous quantum Zakharov–Kuznetsov (QZK) equation in three-component collisionless quantum plasma consisting of electrons, positrons, and ions in the presence of an external static magnetic field. The solitary wave structures are dependent on the Bohm potential, magnetic field, obliqueness, species Fermi temperatures, and densities. The soliton’s electric field and energy are also derived and investigated, which were found to be reduced as the magnetic field increases. The instability growth rate is also derived by using the small-k perturbation expansion method. The previous parameters affect the instability growth rate as well. A comparison of the energy and instability growth rate behaviour against system parameters is carried out. Large energy and large instability growth rate occur at large values of positron density or lower values of ion density. At zero or small rotation angle, both decrease as the magnetic field increases. Our findings could help us understand the dynamics of magnetic white dwarfs, pulsar magnetospheres, semiconductor plasma, and high-intensity laser-solid matter interaction experiments where e-p-i plasma exists.
A randomized pharmacological fMRI trial investigating d-cycloserine and brain plasticity mechanisms in learned pain responses
Authors: Thomaidou Mia A. , Blythe Joseph S. , Veldhuijzen Dieuwke S. , Peerdeman Kaya J. , van Lennep Johan P. A. , Giltay Erik J. , Cremers Henk R. , Evers Andrea W. M. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractLearning and negative outcome expectations can increase pain sensitivity, a phenomenon known as nocebo hyperalgesia. Here, we examined how a targeted pharmacological manipulation of learning would impact nocebo responses and their brain correlates. Participants received either a placebo (n = 27) or a single 80 mg dose ofd-cycloserine (a partial NMDA receptor agonist;n = 23) and underwent fMRI. Behavioral conditioning and negative suggestions were used to induce nocebo responses. Participants underwent pre-conditioning outside the scanner. During scanning, we first delivered baseline pain stimulations, followed by nocebo acquisition and extinction phases. During acquisition, high intensity thermal pain was paired with supposed activation of sham electrical stimuli (nocebo trials), whereas moderate pain was administered with inactive electrical stimulation (control trials). Nocebo hyperalgesia was induced in both groups (p < 0.001). Nocebo magnitudes and brain activations did not show significant differences betweend-cycloserine and placebo. In acquisition and extinction, there were significantly increased activations bilaterally in the amygdala, ACC, and insula, during nocebo compared to control trials. Nocebo acquisition trials also showed increased vlPFC activation. Increased opercular activation differentiated nocebo-augmented pain aggravation from baseline pain. These results support the involvement of integrative cognitive-emotional processes in nocebo hyperalgesia.
Development of prognostic model for preterm birth using machine learning in a population-based cohort of Western Australia births between 1980 and 2015
Authors: Wong Kingsley , Tessema Gizachew A. , Chai Kevin , Pereira Gavin 
Published: November 2022

AbstractPreterm birth is a global public health problem with a significant burden on the individuals affected. The study aimed to extend current research on preterm birth prognostic model development by developing and internally validating models using machine learning classification algorithms and population-based routinely collected data in Western Australia. The longitudinal retrospective cohort study involved all births in Western Australia between 1980 and 2015, and the analytic sample contains 81,974 (8.6%) preterm births (< 37 weeks of gestation). Prediction models for preterm birth were developed using regularised logistic regression, decision trees, Random Forests, extreme gradient boosting, and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Predictors included maternal socio-demographics and medical conditions, current and past pregnancy complications, and family history. Class weight was applied to handle imbalanced outcomes and stratified tenfold cross-validation was used to reduce overfitting. Close to half of the preterm births (49.1% at 5% FPR, 95% CI 48.9%,49.5%) were correctly classified by the best performing classifier (MLP) for all women when current pregnancy information was available. The sensitivity was boosted to 52.7% (95% CI 52.1%,53.3%) after including past obstetric history in a sub-population of births from multiparous women. Around half of the preterm birth can be identified antenatally at high specificity using population-based routinely collected maternal and pregnancy data. The performance of the prediction models depends on the available predictor pool that is individual and time specific.
A green protocol for the one-pot synthesis of 3,4-disubstituted isoxazole-5(4H)-ones using modified β-cyclodextrin as a catalyst
Authors: Tajbakhsh Mahdieh , Naimi-Jamal Mohammad Reza , Balalaie Saeed , Rezaeian Mohadeseh 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis manuscript reports an impressive and facile strategy for synthesizing isoxazole derivatives using immobilized Cu (I) in metformin-functionalized β-cyclodextrin as a catalyst. The architecture of this catalyst was characterized by different analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The catalyst showed remarkable reusability even after 7 consecutive runs.
Movement behaviors during COVID-19 among Latin American/Latino toddlers and pre-schoolers in Chile, Mexico and the US
Authors: Jáuregui Alejandra , Salvo Deborah , Aguilar-Farias Nicolas , Okely Anthony 
Published: November 2022

AbstractMovement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We report changes in and factors that influenced movement behaviors during COVID-19 among Latin American/Latino children aged 1 to 5 years in Chile, Mexico, and the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study between April and August 2020. Caregivers of 4,136 children (mean age [SD], 3.1 [1.4] years; 51% boys) reported family and household characteristics and changes in their child’s movement behaviors. The proportion of children who met the WHO Guidelines decreased significantly in all countries, with the largest declines in meeting the physical activity and screen time guidelines. Factors associated with negative changes in movement behaviors were being an older child, unable to attend an early childhood education and care service, higher parental education levels, not having the opportunity to play with someone, and not having access to spaces to play. The findings highlight the need to minimize disparities faced by families by providing access to early childhood education and care and safe places for children to play.
Digital access constraints predict worse mental health among adolescents during COVID-19
Authors: Metherell Thomas E. , Ghai Sakshi , McCormick Ethan M. , Ford Tamsin J. , Orben Amy 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing social restrictions disrupted young people’s social interactions and resulted in several periods during which school closures necessitated online learning. We hypothesised that digitally excluded young people would demonstrate greater deterioration in their mental health than their digitally connected peers during this time. We analysed representative mental health data from a sample of UK 10–15-year-olds (N = 1387) who completed a mental health inventory in 2017–2019 and thrice during the pandemic (July 2020, November 2020 and March 2021). We employed longitudinal modelling to describe trajectories of adolescent mental health for participants with and without access to a computer or a good internet connection for schoolwork. Adolescent mental health symptoms rose early in the COVID-19 pandemic, with the highest mean Total Difficulties score around December 2020. The worsening and subsequent recovery of mental health during the pandemic was greatly pronounced among those without access to a computer, although we did not find evidence for a similar effect among those without a good internet connection. We conclude that lack of access to a computer is a tractable risk factor that likely compounds other adversities facing children and young people during periods of social isolation or educational disruption.
The effect of immediate postoperative intravenous administration of ferric carboxymaltose after autologous free-flap breast reconstruction
Authors: Park Joseph Kyu-hyung , Lee Seungjun , Heo Chan Yeong , Jeong Jae Hoon , Myung Yujin 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIntravenous ferric carboxymaltose (IV-FCM) can effectively correct perioperative anemia in patients undergoing major surgeries. However, its efficacy and side effects in patients undergoing free flap-based breast reconstruction are yet to be investigated. At our institution, from year 2020, patients with breast cancer undergoing abdominal free flap-based breast reconstruction were injected 500 mg of IV-FCM immediately post-operation. Propensity-matched 82 IV-FCM injected (study group) and 164 historical control group patients were retrospectively analyzed for transfusion rates, changes in hematological parameters, and flap or donor-site related complications. The major and minor complication rates related to the operation site were similar between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the transfusion rate between the two groups (control 29.9% vs. study 32.9%, p = 0.71). However, the total amount of transfusion required was significantly higher in the historical control group (control—53.2% 1 pack, 42.6% 2 packs, 4.3% 3 packs of RBC vs. Study—66.7% 1 pack, 33.3% 2 packs, p = 0.02) than in the study group. Additionally, the historical control group showed a significantly higher drop in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels from postoperative days 1–2 and 2–3 compared to the study group. Immediate postoperative use of IV-FCM in free flap-based breast reconstruction was well tolerated by patients and reduced overall transfusion volume.
Biological soft matter: intrinsically disordered proteins in liquid–liquid phase separation and biomolecular condensates
Authors: Fonin Alexander V. , Antifeeva Iuliia A. , Kuznetsova Irina M. , Turoverov Konstantin K. , Zaslavsky Boris Y. , Kulkarni Prakash , Uversky Vladimir N. 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The facts that many proteins with crucial biological functions do not have unique structures and that many biological processes are compartmentalized into the liquid-like biomolecular condensates, which are formed via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and are not surrounded by the membrane, are revolutionizing the modern biology. These phenomena are interlinked, as the presence of intrinsic disorder represents an important requirement for a protein to undergo LLPS that drives biogenesis of numerous membrane-less organelles (MLOs). Therefore, one can consider these phenomena as crucial constituents of a new IDP–LLPS–MLO field. Furthermore, intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), LLPS, and MLOs represent a clear link between molecular and cellular biology and soft matter and condensed soft matter physics. Both IDP and LLPS/MLO fields are undergoing explosive development and generate the ever-increasing mountain of crucial data. These new data provide answers to so many long-standing questions that it is difficult to imagine that in the very recent past, protein scientists and cellular biologists operated without taking these revolutionary concepts into account. The goal of this essay is not to deliver a comprehensive review of the IDP–LLPS–MLO field but to provide a brief and rather subjective outline of some of the recent developments in these exciting fields.
Butyrate-producing colonic clostridia: picky glycan utilization specialists
Authors: Leth Maria Louise , Pichler Michael Jakob , Abou Hachem Maher 
Published: November 2022

AbstractButyrate-producing human gut microbiota members are recognized for their strong association with a healthy immune-homeostasis and protection from inflammatory disorders and colorectal cancer. These effects are attributed to butyrate, the terminal electron sink of glycan fermentation by prevalent and abundant colonic Firmicutes from the Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae families. Remarkably, our insight into the glycan utilization mechanisms and preferences of butyrogenic Firmicutes remains very limited as compared with other gut symbionts, especially from the Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus genera. Here, we summarize recent findings on the strategies that colonic butyrate producers have evolved to harvest energy from major dietary fibres, especially plant structural and storage glycans, such as resistant starch, xylans, and mannans. Besides dietary fibre, we also present the unexpected discovery of a conserved protein apparatus that confers the growth of butyrate producers on human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are unique to mother’s milk. The dual dietary fibre/HMO utilization machinery attests the adaptation of this group to both the infant and adult guts. These finding are discussed in relation to the early colonization of butyrogenic bacteria and the maturation of the microbiota during the transition from mother’s milk to solid food. To date, the described butyrogenic Firmicutes are glycan utilization specialists that target only a few glycans in a highly competitive manner relying on co-regulated glycan utilization loci. We describe the common pillars of this machinery, highlighting butyrate producers as a source for discovery of biochemically and structurally novel carbohydrate active enzymes.
Effects of Critical Distance and Reverberation on Listening Effort in Adults
Authors: Huang Haiping , Ricketts Todd A. , Hornsby Benjamin W. Y. , Picou Erin M. 
Published: November 2022

Purpose:Mixed historical data on how listening effort is affected by reverberation and listener-to-speaker distance challenge existing models of listening effort. This study investigated the effects of reverberation and listener-to-speaker distance on behavioral and subjective measures of listening effort: (a) when listening at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and (b) at SNRs that were manipulated so that word recognition would be comparable across different reverberation times and listening distances. It was expected that increased reverberation would increase listening effort but only when listening outside critical distance.Method:Nineteen adults (21–40 years) with no hearing loss completed a dual-task paradigm. The primary task was word recognition and the secondary task was timed word categorization; response times indexed behavioral listening effort. Additionally, participants provided subjective ratings in each condition. Testing was completed at two reverberation levels (moderate and high, RT30= 469 and 1,223 ms, respectively) and at two listener-to-speaker distances (inside and outside critical distance for the test room, 1.25 and 4 m, respectively).Results:Increased reverberation and listening distances worsened word recognition performance and both behavioral and subjective listening effort. The effect of reverberation was exacerbated when listeners were outside critical distance. Subjective experience of listening effort persisted even when word recognition was comparable across conditions.Conclusions:Longer reverberation times or listening outside the room's critical distance negatively affected behavioral and subjective listening effort. This study extends understanding of listening effort in reverberant rooms by highlighting the effect of listener's position relative to the room's critical distance.
An Acoustic-Phonetic Approach to Effects of Face Masks on Speech Intelligibility
Authors: Kim Yunjung , Thompson Austin 
Published: November 2022

Purpose:
This study aimed to examine the effects of wearing a face mask on speech acoustics and intelligibility, using an acoustic-phonetic analysis of speech. In addition, the effects of speakers' behavioral modification while wearing a mask were examined.

Method:
Fourteen female adults were asked to read a set of words and sentences under three conditions: (a) conversational, mask-off; (b) conversational, mask-on; and (c) clear, mask-on. Seventy listeners rated speech intelligibility using two methods: orthographic transcription and visual analog scale (VAS). Acoustic measures for vowels included duration, first (F1) and second (F2) formant frequency, and intensity ratio of F1/F2. For consonants, spectral moment coefficients and consonant–vowel (CV) boundary (intensity ratio between consonant and vowel) were measured.

Results:
Face masks had a negative impact on speech intelligibility as measured by both intelligibility ratings. However, speech intelligibility was recovered in the clear speech condition for VAS but not for transcription scores. Analysis of orthographic transcription showed that listeners tended to frequently confuse consonants (particularly fricatives, affricates, and stops), rather than vowels in the word-initial position. Acoustic data indicated a significant effect of condition on CV intensity ratio only.

Conclusions:
Our data demonstrate a negative effect of face masks on speech intelligibility, mainly affecting consonants. However, intelligibility can be enhanced by speaking clearly, likely driven by prosodic alterations.
Reconfigurable adaptive polarisation‐sensitive array optimisation for multiple interferences elimination in satellite communication
Authors: Sun Yandong , Xie Jian , Han Chuang , Gong Yanyun , Wang Ling 
Published: November 2022

AbstractPolarisation‐sensitive array (PSA) has earned extensive attention in satellite communication owing to excellent anti‐interference performance. Nevertheless, the configuration of traditional PSA where each polarised antenna requires multiple radio frequency (RF) front‐ends makes it much more costly in terms of hardware and software for system design. In this paper, resorting to RF switches, a novel reconfigurable PSA optimisation technique is developed that utilises fewer RF front‐ends, which can considerably decrease computational expenditure and achieve high anti‐jamming performance. An RF switch switching (RFSS) scheme is devised to guide the implementation of PSA reconfiguration. To accurately demonstrate the effect of the array configuration on interference rejection performance, the polarisation‐spatial subspace correlation coefficient (PSC) is presented. Then the relationship between the optimal signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and the PSC based on adaptive processing is formulated. Aiming to acquire the optimal reconstructed PSA outputting the maximum SINR, the mathematical model of the PSA reconfiguration problem is established. Subsequently, two optimisation methods are provided to address the problem efficiently, thereby gaining the optimal configuration of the reconstructed PSA and implementing the reconfiguration by RF switches. Numerical and experimental simulations verify the correctness and reliability of the developed scheme and approaches.