bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The regulatory role of nitric oxide in morphine‐induced analgesia in the descending path of pain from the dorsal hippocampus to the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray
Authors: Hashemi Mahboobeh , Karami Manizheh , Zarrindast Mohammadreza 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundNitric oxide (NO) levels in brain nuclei, such as the hippocampus and brainstem, are involved in morphine analgesia, but the relationship between the dorsal hippocampus (dH) and the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray matter (dlPAG) needs to be clarified, which is our goal.MethodsWistar rats were simultaneously equipped with a stereotaxic device with unilateral guide cannula at dH and dlPAG. After recovery, they were divided into control and experimental groups. Formalin (50 μl of 2.5%) was inoculated into the left hind paw of the rat. Morphine (6 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 10 min before formalin injection. L‐Arginine (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 μg/rat), and L‐NAME (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 μg/rat), unrelatedly or with respect in the order of injection were used in the nuclei before morphine injection (i.p.). Activation of the neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in the brains of all animals was measured using NADPH‐diaphorase, a selective biochemical marker of nNOS.ResultsMorphine reduced inflammatory pain in the early and late stages of the rat formalin test. The morphine response was attenuated before injection of single L‐arginine but not L‐NAME in the two target areas. However, the acute phase result was stopped due to L‐NAME pretreatment. When L‐NAME was injected into dlPAG before injecting L‐arginine at dH, the morphine response did not decrease at all, indicating a modulatory role of NO in dlPAG, which was confirmed by NADPH‐d staining.ConclusionsHigh levels of NO in dlPAG may regulate the pain process in downward synaptic interactions.SignificanceNitric oxide is involved in the dH and dlPAG in morphine‐induced analgesia in the rat formalin test. Morphine has analgesic effects in both phases of the rat formalin test. The morphine response is reduced in two stages by injection of the NO precursor L‐arginine but not the nNOS inhibitor L‐NAME in the dH and dlPAG. By injecting L‐NAME before L‐arginine in both nuclei, the morphine‐induced response returns in the early stages. Due to the initial injection of L‐NAME into dlPAG and the subsequent injection of L‐arginine at dH, morphine analgesia is not reduced at all, indicating NO modulation in the pain pathway from dH to dlPAG.
Evaluation of the Acute Effects of Arsenic on Adults of the Neotropical Native Fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus Using a Set of Biomarkers
Authors: González Núñez Ayelén A. , Ferro Juan P. , Campos Liria B. , Eissa Bettina L. , Mastrángelo Martina M. , Ferrari Lucrecia , Ossana Natalia A. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Neotropical fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus were exposed to different sublethal concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg As/L) of sodium arsenite (As III) to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50; 96 h) and to evaluate the response of a set of biomarkers (genotoxic, behavioral, biochemical, and metabolic). At the end of the exposure (96 h), fish were video-recorded for behavior assessment. We used the micronucleus and nuclear abnormality tests and the comet assay in peripheral blood as genotoxicity biomarkers. In regard to biochemical and metabolic biomarkers, we dissected the brain for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity; the liver for glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione content (GSH); the gills for GSH content; and muscle for AChE, energy metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, and the electron transport system activity of the mitochondrial chain. We calculated an index using metabolic biomarkers, to determine the cellular energy allocation. The LC50 value was 7.32 mg As/L. The As affected some swimming parameters in females. No significant differences in micronucleus were found compared with the control, whereas nuclear aberrations increased significantly at 1.0 and 5.0 mg As/L. The genomic damage index and the percentage of cells with DNA damage (measured by the comet assay) showed a significant increase in the As-treated groups, and this technique was the most sensitive for detecting genotoxic damage. The As affected the antioxidant system (mainly GSH, CAT, and GST) and reduced the lipid content. A preliminary baseline was generated for the response of C. decemmaculatus exposed to sublethal concentrations of As, when it alters swimming behavior and the antioxidant system, has genotoxic effects, and reduces lipid content. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1246–1259. © 2022 SETAC
Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals in Wild Alpine Insects: A Methodological Case Study
Authors: Hierlmeier Veronika Rosa , Struck Nils , Krapf Patrick , Kopf Timotheus , Hofinger Anna Malena , Leitner Viktoria , Stromberger Philipp Jakob Ernest , Freier Korbinian Peter , Steiner Florian Michael , Schlick-Steiner Birgit Christiane 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
With their high persistence in the environment and their potential for long-range atmospheric transport, persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs) may be among the numerous anthropogenic threats to insect populations worldwide. The effects of PBTs on insects have been investigated in the laboratory, but topical field studies are scarce. A reason might be the multiple challenges faced by PBT-related field studies on wild insects. We studied two species of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and of ants (Formica spp.) in two high-elevation locations in the Austrian and German Alps to tackle two of these challenges. First, PBTs occur in minuscule concentrations compared with other substances in the environment. Therefore, the practicability of body burden data from pooled individuals was tested. Second, fitness proxies like fecundity, which typically are endpoints for chemical toxicity, are difficult to quantify in the field. Hence, fluctuating asymmetry of bumblebee wings and ant heads was tested as an alternative endpoint. To exclude the possibility that fluctuating asymmetry was caused by genetic stressors, inbreeding levels were estimated using population-genetic markers, and their relationships to fluctuating asymmetry in the same individuals were assessed. We successfully quantified polychlorinated biphenyls and Hg as PBTs using the pooled samples and found PBT data from pooled individuals useful, in that significant correlations to fluctuating asymmetry were identified in bumblebees and ants. This finding confirmed the potential of fluctuating asymmetry to indicate PBT effects in wild insects. Inbreeding did not interfere with PBT links to fluctuating asymmetry in any instance. Our findings contribute to the development of a quantitative methodological framework for investigating the effects of persistent environmental chemicals on wild insects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1215–1227. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Abstract
The bioaccumulation of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals in wild alpine insects was proved via chemical analysis. The data showed some significant correlations with measured asymmetries of the body structures of the insects. Inbreeding, analyzed with genetic markers, did not interfere with these links.
LoRaWAN security issues and mitigation options by the example of agricultural IoT scenarios
Authors: Kuntke Franz , Romanenko Vladimir , Linsner Sebastian , Steinbrink Enno , Reuter Christian 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe Internet of Things (IoT) is a major trend that is seen as a great opportunity to improve efficiency in many domains, including agriculture. This technology could transform the sector, improving the management and quality of agricultural operations, for example, crop farming. The most promising data transmission standard for this domain seems to beLong Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), a popular representative of low power wide area network technologies today. LoRaWAN, like any wireless protocol, has properties that can be exploited by attackers, which has been a topic of multiple research papers in recent years. By conducting a systematic literature review, we build a recent list of attacks, as well as collect mitigation options. Taking a look at a concrete use case (IoT in agriculture) allows us to evaluate the practicality of both exploiting the vulnerabilities and implementing the countermeasures. We detected 16 attacks that we grouped into six attack types. Along with the attacks, we collect countermeasures for attack mitigation. Developers can use our findings to minimize the risks when developing applications based on LoRaWAN. These mostly theoretical security recommendations should encourage future works to evaluate the mitigations in practice.
Detection of sexually antagonistic transmission distortions in trio datasets
Authors: Lucotte Elise A. , Albiñana Clara , Laurent Romain , Bhérer Claude ,   Genome of the Netherland Consortium, Bataillon Thomas , Toupance Bruno 
Published: January 2022

AbstractSexual dimorphisms are widespread in animals and plants, for morphological as well as physiological traits. Understanding the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism and its evolution is crucial for understanding biological differences between the sexes. Genetic variants with sex-antagonistic effects on fitness are expected to segregate in populations at the early phases of sexual dimorphism emergence. Detecting such variants is notoriously difficult, and the few genome-scan methods employed so far have limited power and little specificity. Here, we propose a new framework to detect a signature of sexually antagonistic (SA) selection. We rely on trio datasets where sex-biased transmission distortions can be directly tracked from parents to offspring, and identify signals of SA transmission distortions in genomic regions. We report the genomic location of six candidate regions detected in human populations as potentially under sexually antagonist selection. We find an enrichment of genes associated with embryonic development within these regions. Last, we highlight two candidate regions for SA selection in humans.
Deep Bayesian networks for uncertainty estimation and adversarial resistance of white matter hyperintensity segmentation
Authors: Mojiri Forooshani Parisa , Biparva Mahdi , Ntiri Emmanuel E. , Ramirez Joel , Boone Lyndon , Holmes Melissa F. , Adamo Sabrina , Gao Fuqiang , Ozzoude Miracle , Scott Christopher J. M. , Dowlatshahi Dar , Lawrence‐Dewar Jane M. , Kwan Donna , Lang Anthony E. , Marcotte Karine , Leonard Carol , Rochon Elizabeth , Heyn Chris , Bartha Robert , Strother Stephen , Tardif Jean‐Claude , Symons Sean , Masellis Mario , Swartz Richard H. , Moody Alan , Black Sandra E. , Goubran Maged 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWhite matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently observed on structural neuroimaging of elderly populations and are associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. Many existing WMH segmentation algorithms produce suboptimal results in populations with vascular lesions or brain atrophy, or require parameter tuning and are computationally expensive. Additionally, most algorithms do not generate a confidence estimate of segmentation quality, limiting their interpretation. MRI‐based segmentation methods are often sensitive to acquisition protocols, scanners, noise‐level, and image contrast, failing to generalize to other populations and out‐of‐distribution datasets. Given these concerns, we propose a novel Bayesian 3D convolutional neural network with a U‐Net architecture that automatically segments WMH, provides uncertainty estimates of the segmentation output for quality control, and is robust to changes in acquisition protocols. We also provide a second model to differentiate deep and periventricular WMH. Four hundred thirty‐two subjects were recruited to train the CNNs from four multisite imaging studies. A separate test set of 158 subjects was used for evaluation, including an unseen multisite study. We compared our model to two established state‐of‐the‐art techniques (BIANCA and DeepMedic), highlighting its accuracy and efficiency. Our Bayesian 3D U‐Net achieved the highest Dice similarity coefficient of 0.89 ± 0.08 and the lowest modified Hausdorff distance of 2.98 ± 4.40 mm. We further validated our models highlighting their robustness on “clinical adversarial cases” simulating data with low signal‐to‐noise ratio, low resolution, and different contrast (stemming from MRI sequences with different parameters). Our pipeline and models are available at: https://hypermapp3r.readthedocs.io.
Coping with complexity in the COVID pandemic: An exploratory study of intensive care units
Authors: Saurin Tarcisio Abreu , Wachs Priscila , Bueno Wagner Pietrobelli , de Souza Kuchenbecker Ricardo , Boniatti Márcio Manozzo , Zani Carolina Melecardi , Clay‐Williams Robyn 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAlthough the COVID pandemic has challenged the resilience of health services in general, this impact has been most visible in intensive care units (ICUs). This paper presents an exploratory study of how ICUs in Brazil have coped with the complexity stemming from the pandemic. Five guidelines for coping with complexity were adopted as analytical framework. The guidelines were concerned with slack resources, diversity of perspectives, visibility, work‐as‐done, and unintended consequences. There were three main sources of data: (i) a survey with respondents from 33 ICUs, which indicated their agreement with 23 statements related to the use of the complexity guidelines; (ii) semistructured interviews with seven survey respondents and two public health officials; and (iii) 20 h of observations of the meetings of a municipal bed management committee. Seventy resilience practices were identified from these data sources. Most of these practices (n = 30) were related to the guideline on slack resources, which were commonly obtained from other hospital units. As for the survey data, the statement related to the availability of extra or standby human resources obtained the lowest score, reinforcing the key role of slack resources. Five lessons learned for coping with complexity in ICUs were drawn from our data; one lesson for each guideline. Furthermore, the survey questionnaire is a potential ICU assessment tool, which can be adapted to other health services.
Genetic syndromes, neuroconstuctivism and replicable research; challenges and future directions
Authors: Farran Emily K. , Scerif Gaia 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWith growing awareness of problems with replicability and reproducibility within the field of genetic syndrome research, we outline why and how, as a field, we can collectively reform our practice with the goal of research improvement. We advocate that our research is of most impact when researchers investigate how developmental pathways and phenotypic profiles unfold. However, this neuroconstructivist approach and more traditional approaches bring many challenges, not least the problem of statistical power. Here, we outline the challenges to research in our field, and suggest solutions. In recognition that solutions can require substantial resource, we have also included less resource‐intensive solutions where possible. The challenges and solutions discussed include sample size, individual differences, cross‐disorder comparisons, multi‐disciplinary expertise, measurement sensitivity and longitudinal data. Key recommendations include transparency and collaboration. For our field to produce rigorous, replicable research, researchers should strive to present protocols and data transparently (where possible) and collaborate to collect (multi‐disciplinary) data as a collective effort.
Lolium arundinaceum leaf and root developmental temperatures influence its allelopathic potency on Poa annua
Authors: Koo Daewon , Gonçalves Clebson G. , Askew Shawn D. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAllelopathy is a commonly recognized but not fully understood method that could be utilized for weed management. Controlled environment studies in a growth chamber were conducted at Virginia Tech's Glade Road Research Facility in Blacksburg, VA, to determine whether aqueous leaf or root extracts from two Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb) Darbysh (tall fescue) cultivars grown under different growing temperature conditions affected the seed germination and growth of Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass). Two cultivars (‘Falcon III’ and ‘Kentucky 31’) of L. arundinaceum were maintained at cold (day/night 4.4:–1.1°C) or warm (day/night 32.2:26.7°C) conditions for 20 d. Leaf and root extracts were collected via destructive methods and applied to P. annua seed placed in petri dishes. The results indicated that aqueous leaf extracts of L. arundinaceum could inhibit P. annua seed germination, though there was no significant germination reduction with the root extract of L. arundinaceum. The results suggest that temperature may interact with other factors, such as L. arundinaceum cultivar, to influence its allelopathic potency on P. annua seed germination. These results further demonstrate that different cultivars of L. arundinaceum might have different allelopathic effects on P. annua germination.
Strong coloring 2‐regular graphs: Cycle restrictions and partial colorings
Authors: McDonald Jessica , Puleo Gregory J. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractLet be a graph with , and let be obtained from by gluing in vertex‐disjoint copies of . We prove that if contains at most one odd cycle of length exceeding 3, or if contains at most three triangles, then . This proves the Strong Coloring Conjecture for such graphs . For graphs with that are not covered by our theorem, we prove an approximation result towards the conjecture.
Maximum spectral radius of outerplanar 3‐uniform hypergraphs
Authors: Ellingham M. N. , Lu Linyuan , Wang Zhiyu 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we study the maximum spectral radius of outerplanar 3‐uniform hypergraphs. Given a hypergraph , the shadow of is a graph with and . A graph is outerplanar if it can be embedded in the plane such that all its vertices lie on the outer face. A 3‐uniform hypergraph is called outerplanar if its shadow has an outerplanar embedding such that every hyperedge of is the vertex set of an interior triangular face of the shadow. Cvetković and Rowlinson conjectured in 1990 that among all outerplanar graphs on vertices, the graph attains the maximum spectral radius. We show a hypergraph analogue of the Cvetković–Rowlinson conjecture. In particular, we show that for sufficiently large , the ‐vertex outerplanar 3‐uniform hypergraph of maximum spectral radius is the unique 3‐uniform hypergraph whose shadow is .
Titling and the value of land in Tanzania
Authors: Aikaeli Jehovaness , Markussen Thomas 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWe use household survey data to investigate the relationship between formal, private property rights to agricultural land and agricultural investment, land valuation and access to credit in Tanzania. Results show that landownership documents are associated with substantial increases in the market value of land (more than 25%). One reason appears to be that well‐documented private property rights facilitate the use of land as collateral for loans and therefore ease access to credit. The findings suggest that there are potentially significant, economic returns to systematic land titling in Tanzania and other countries.
CAR NK-92 cells targeting DLL3 kill effectively small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Liu Manting , Huang Wensou , Guo Yongjian , Zhou Yubo , Zhi Cheng , Chen Jingwu , Li Junping , He Jinping , Lian Hui , Zhou Jingwen , Ye Xiaodie , Hu Yuling , Hu Hong , Liu Zhaoyuan , Huang Jingjun , Lin Liteng , Cai Mingyue , Wang Xiaobin , Huang Jingzhen , Zhang Zhenfeng , Zhu Kangshun , Zhao Qi , Cao Bihui 
Published: January 2022

AbstractSmall cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a high relapse rate, drug tolerance, and limited treatment choices. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified NK cells represent a promising immunotherapeutic modality for cancer treatment. However, their potential applications have not been explored in SCLC. Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) has been reported to be overexpressed in SCLC and may be a rational target for CAR NK immunotherapy. In this study, we developed DLL3-specific NK-92 cells and explored their potential in the treatment of SCLC. A coculture of DLL3+ SCLC cell lines with DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity and cytokine production. DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells induced tumor regression in an H446-derived pulmonary metastasis tumor model under a good safety threshold. The potent antitumor activities of DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells were observed in subcutaneous tumor models of SCLC. Moreover, obvious tumor-infiltrated DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells were detected in DLL3+ SCLC xenografts. These findings indicate that DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells might be a potential strategy for the treatment of SCLC.
The impact of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies on the outcomes of COVID‐19 outpatients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lin Wei‐Ting , Hung Shun‐Hsing , Lai Chih‐Cheng , Wang Cheng‐Yi , Chen Chao‐Hsien 
Published: January 2022

AbstractTo assess the clinical efficacy and safety of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mABs) for outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) databases were searched from inception to July 19, 2021. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of neutralizing mABs in the treatment of COVID‐19 outpatients were included. The Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included RCTs. The primary outcome was the risk of COVID‐19‐related hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visits. The secondary outcomes were the risk of death and adverse events (AEs). Five articles were included, in which 3309 patients received neutralizing mAB and 2397 patients received a placebo. A significantly lower rate of hospitalization or ED visits was observed among patients who received neutralizing mABs than those who received a placebo (1.7% vs. 6.5%, odds ratios (OR): 0.26; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19–0.36; I2 = 0%). In addition, the rate of hospitalization was significantly lower in the patients who received neutralizing mABs than in the control group (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.17−0.34; I2 = 0%). The mortality rate was also significantly lower in the patients who received neutralizing mABs than in the control group (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05−0.58; I2 = 3%). Neutralizing mABs were associated with a similar risk of any AE (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.64–1.01; I2 = 52%) and a lower risk of serious AEs (OR: 0.37; 97% CI: 0.19–0.72; I2 = 45%) compared with a placebo. Neutralizing mABs can help reduce the risk of hospitalization or ED visits in COVID‐19 outpatients. For these patients, neutralizing mABs are safe and not associated with a higher risk of AEs than a placebo.