bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of crystallization on microcellular foaming behavior of polyamide 6 in a supercritical CO2‐assisted route
Authors: Han Shuo , Jiang Can , Yu Kesong , Mi Jianguo , Chen Shihong , Wang Xiangdong
Published: March 2020

Supercritical CO2 as a blowing agent has attracted increasing interest in the preparation of microcellular polyamide 6 (PA6) foams. In this work, we developed the supercritical CO2‐assisted method to prepare a series of different microcellular PA6 foams by controlling its crystallization properties in two steps and carefully investigated the corresponding crystallization properties of modified PA6 and foams using various techniques. Initially, a multifunctional epoxy‐based chain extender (CE) was used to produce high‐melt strength‐modified PA6 with improved foaming ability; then, the resulting PA6 was foamed to prepare the microcellular foams of PA6 using supercritical CO2 as a blowing agent in a batch foaming route. The CE effectively enhanced the melt strength of PA6, and CE usage was optimized to obtain a threshold of high branching without crosslinking. The number of crystals was also adjusted by the saturation temperature. Furthermore, these crystals that formed during the saturation process served as high‐efficiency bubble nucleating agents and then limited the growth of bubbles at the same time. The microcellular foams of PA6 were successfully obtained with a cell size of 10.0 μm, and cell density of 2.0 × 109 cells/cm3 at the saturation temperature of 225°C.
Prioritizing marine invasive alien species in the European Union through horizon scanning
Authors: Tsiamis Konstantinos , Azzurro Ernesto , Bariche Michel , Çinar Melih E. , Crocetta Fabio , De Clerck Olivier , Galil Bella , Gómez Fernando , Hoffman Razy , Jensen Kathe R. , Kamburska Lyudmila , Langeneck Joachim , Langer Martin R. , Levitt‐Barmats Ya'arit , Lezzi Marco , Marchini Agnese , Occhipinti‐Ambrogi Anna , Ojaveer Henn , Piraino Stefano , Shenkar Noa , Yankova Maria , Zenetos Argyro , Žuljević Ante , Cardoso Ana Cristina
Published: March 2020

The disproportionately low presence of marine species in the list of invasive alien species (IAS) of Union concern of the European Union (EU) Regulation 1143/2014 does not fully acknowledge the threat they pose to the EU marine environment.

In this study, the first EU‐scale Horizon Scanning (HS) focusing on marine alien species was performed, aiming to deliver a ranked list of species that should be of high priority for risk assessment (Article 5 of the EU IAS Regulation).

Species absent from or with a limited distribution in EU marine waters were targeted. In total, 363 alien species were initially screened for HS by a panel of experts, including a broad range of taxonomic groups. Species were scored for their likelihood of arrival, establishment, spread, and impact in EU waters.

A consensus workshop ranked 267 species, including a subset of 26 prioritized species. These species are considered to be mainly introduced by shipping (fouling and ballast water), via the Suez Canal, and aquaculture activities. The 26 priority species were also scrutinized in terms of feasibility of their management; 18 of them were suggested for performing risk assessments on the basis of the EU IAS Regulation.

Since biological invasions are dynamic and connected with accelerated globalization and diversified human activities, we recommend HS to be repeated periodically to review the species already listed and assess new ones.
Are circle hooks effective management measures in the pelagic longline fishery for sharks in the Gulf of Gabès?
Authors: Saidi Bechir , Echwikhi Khaled , Enajjar Samira , Karaa Sami , Jribi Imed , Bradai Mohamed N.
Published: March 2020

This study evaluated the circle hook use as a tool for shark management in the pelagic longline fishery in the Gulf of Gabès.

The usual J‐hook No. 2 with 10° offset, which has been traditionally used by the fishery, was compared to the 18/0 non‐offset circle hook in an alternating fashion along the main line. In total, 22 experimental longline sets were deployed through the shark fishing seasons of 2016 and 2017 to examine the effects of hook types on the catch composition, the catch rates, the hooking location, and the status at haulback.

The catch composition differed significantly among hook types. Moreover, an overall increase in catch rates for the main species, the sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus, and the shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus, was observed when using circle hooks.

There was no size‐selective effect of circle hooks for the common species. The circle hooks were not effective at reducing at‐haulback mortality of sandbar shark. Conversely, shortfin mako and smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus showed significantly lower relative mortality at haulback with circle hooks than with J‐hooks. Furthermore, circle hooks were more frequently hooked externally than the J‐hooks for the three shark species.

Results demonstrated that the use of 18/0 non‐offset circle hooks in the pelagic shark longline fishery can reduce mortality at haulback for some species without any benefit for the dominant species, the sandbar shark.

Overall, it is difficult to promote the adoption of the use of circle hooks as a management measure in this specialized fishery. Management measures focusing on fishing effort controls, fishing closures in critical habitats, and size limits could have significant benefits for the conservation of shark species and may help to improve the sustainability of the shark fishery in the Gulf of Gabès.
Fuzzy control of self‐balancing robots: A control laboratory project
Authors: Odry Ákos , Fullér Róbert , Rudas Imre J. , Odry Péter
Published: March 2020

This paper presents a novel control laboratory project that provides hands‐on experience in feedback control concepts (embedded control systems) through dedicated assignments, with a particular focus on the design and implementation of fuzzy control. The project is structured around an inexpensive, portable self‐balancing robot (SBR), whose embedded system is realized using commercially available breakout boards as the first assignment. For the stabilization of the plant, students are guided to execute the essential stages of control system design, from system modeling and parameter optimization, over basic or advanced control strategy design in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, to both implementation and validation of the closed loop on the real robot. To demonstrate and foster the application of fuzzy logic, the second part of the paper introduces a simple control strategy based on fuzzy logic controllers. Then, a lookup table‐based implementation technique is described for the demonstration of manual interfacing and embedded coding of fuzzy control strategies. The proposed methods are clear and straightforward; they highly foster the understanding of feedback control techniques and allow students to gain vast knowledge in the practical implementations of control systems.
Mortality and admission to intensive care units after febrile neutropenia in patients with cancer
Authors: Aagaard Theis , Reekie Joanne , Jørgensen Mette , Roen Ashley , Daugaard Gedske , Specht Lena , Sengeløv Henrik , Mocroft Amanda , Lundgren Jens , Helleberg Marie
Published: March 2020

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a critical complication of chemotherapy associated with increased in‐hospital mortality. However, associations with increased mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions during longer follow‐up are not established. Patients treated with standard first‐line chemotherapy for solid cancers at Rigshospitalet, Denmark in 2010‐2016 were included. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of all‐cause, infectious and cardiovascular mortality, and ICU admissions after FN were analyzed by Poisson regression. Risk factors at the time of FN were analyzed in the subpopulation of patients with FN; all‐cause mortality was further stratified by the time periods 0‐30, 31‐365, and 366+ days after FN. We included 9018 patients with gastric (14.4%) and breast (13.1%) cancer being the most common, 51.2% had locally advanced or disseminated disease and the patients had a median Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 0 (interquartile range, 0‐0). During follow‐up, 845 (9.4%) experienced FN and 4483 (49.7%) died during 18 775 person‐years of follow‐up. After adjustment, FN was associated with increased risk of all‐cause mortality, infectious mortality, and ICU admissions with IRRs of 1.39 (95% CI, 1.24‐1.56), 1.94 (95% CI, 1.43‐2.62), and 2.28 (95% CI, 1.60‐3.24). Among those with FN, having a positive blood culture and low lymphocytes were associated with excess risk of death and ICU admissions (predominantly the first 30 days after FN), while elevated C‐reactive protein and low hemoglobin predicted mortality the first year after FN. The risk of death varied according to the time since FN; adjusted IRR per additional risk factor present for the time periods 0‐30, 31‐365, and 366+ days after FN were 2.00 (95% CI, 1.45‐2.75), 1.36 (95% CI, 1.17‐1.57), and 1.17 (95% CI, 0.98‐1.41). FN was associated with increased mortality and risk of ICU admissions. An objectively identifiable subgroup of patients among those with FN carried this excess risk.
Sp2 promotes invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting TRIB3 protein
Authors: Zhu Yue , Cui Jie , Liu Jiatao , Hua Wei , Wei Wei , Sun Guoping
Published: March 2020

Objective

To explore the biological function and molecular mechanism of Sp2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Tissue microarray immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to study the expression of Sp2 in hepatocellular tissue and adjacent non‐neoplastic tissues (ANT). In HCC cell lines, the role of Sp2 was determined by in vitro experiments such as CCK8, clone formation test, Transwell assay, wound‐healing assay, and flow cytometry apoptotic analysis, and its possible mechanism was analyzed.

Results

Compared with ANT, Sp2 expression in HCC tissues was significantly up‐regulated, which was strongly associated with stage of tumor and poor prognosis of patients. TCGA database were further confirmed these results. Besides, functional studies had shown that Sp2 knockdown not only leads to a decrease in cell proliferation and an increase in cell apoptosis but also inhibits the cells' abilities of migration and invasion. Sp2 silencing could inhibit the expression of TRIB3 protein and down‐regulate the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) level of HCC.

Conclusion

Sp2 may play a part in promoting cancer by regulating TRIB3 protein, which may be a factor of prognostic and a potential new therapeutic target for HCC.
Enzymatic Formation of Rufoschweinitzin, a Binaphthalene from the Basidiomycete Cortinarius rufoolivaceus
Authors: Thiele Wiebke , Froede Rita , Steglich Wolfgang , Müller Michael
Published: March 2020

Dimeric polyketides are widespread fungal secondary metabolites. They occur in both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes and, therefore, across fungal phyla. Here we report the isolation of a new binaphthalene, named rufoschweinitzin, from the basidiomycete Cortinarius rufoolivaceus. Rufoschweinitzin consists of two symmetrically 4,4′‐coupled torachrysone‐8‐O‐methyl ether moieties. Furthermore, we have identified a binaphthalene biosynthetic gene cluster in an unrelated fungus, the ascomycete Xylaria schweinitzii. Heterologous expression of the encoded cytochrome P450 enzyme verified its coupling activity: dimerization of torachrysone‐8‐O‐methyl ether led to the formation of rufoschweinitzin alongside a hitherto unknown regioisomer, now named alloschweinitzin. We have thus demonstrated enzymatic formation of the basidiomycete's metabolite rufoschweinitzin and made the regiochemistry of alloschweinitzin accessible with an ascomycete‐derived enzyme.
Management of a complex scalp defect with cryopreserved placental membrane containing viable cells resulted in rapid wound closure
Authors: Fife Tim A. , Thote Tanushree , Saunders Molly C.
Published: March 2020

Reconstructive methods are most commonly used to treat scalp defects. However, patients with complex defects are often not good candidates for surgical procedures due to the severity of the wound, advanced patient age, and multiple comorbidities. In these instances, alternative nonsurgical advanced therapies should be considered.
Excited‐State Electron Transfer in 1,1,4,4‐Tetracyanobuta‐1,3‐diene (TCBD)‐ and Cyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐diylidene‐Expanded TCBD‐Substituted BODIPY‐Phenothiazine Donor–Acceptor Conjugates
Authors: Poddar Madhurima , Jang Youngwoo , Misra Rajneesh , D'Souza Francis
Published: March 2020

A new set of donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugates capable of undergoing ultrafast electron transfer were synthesized using 4,4‐difluoro‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY)‐substituted phenothiazine, SM1–SM3, by a Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction and a [2+2] cycloaddition–electrocyclic ring‐opening reaction. The incorporation of 1,1,4,4‐tetracyanobuta‐1,3‐diene (TCBD) and cyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐diylidene‐expanded TCBD (abbreviated as DCNQ=dicyanodiquinodimethane) in BODIPY‐substituted phenothiazine resulted in significant perturbation of the optical and electronic properties. The absorption spectrum of both SM2 and SM3 showed red shifted absorption as compared to SM1. Additionally, both SM2 and SM3 exhibited a distinct intramolecular charge‐transfer (ICT) transition in the near‐IR region more so for SM3. The electrochemical study revealed multi‐redox processes due to the presence of redox‐active phenothiazine, BODIPY, TCBD or DCNQ entities. Using data from spectral, electrochemical and computational studies, an energy‐level diagram was established to witness excited‐state electron‐transfer events. Finally, evidence of electron transfer and their kinetic information was secured from studies involving a femtosecond transient absorption technique. The time constants for excited‐state electron‐transfer events in the case of SM2 and SM3 were less than 5 ps revealing ultrafast processes.
Hetero‐Coencapsulation within a Supramolecular Cage: Moving away from the Statistical Distribution of Different Guests
Authors: Bravin Carlo , Licini Giulia , Hunter Christopher A. , Zonta Cristiano
Published: March 2020

Beside sensing and delivery, another peculiar property arising from confinement in discrete molecular hosts comes from the possibility to have in close proximity, and in defined position, two different molecules (hetero‐coencapsulation). This phenomenon can be tuned considering steric and electronic properties of the guests. In this work, a study on the parameters affecting homo‐ and hetero‐coencapsulation processes within a supramolecular cage is reported. In particular, different benzoate guests were bound within a supramolecular cage containing two metal‐binding sites and the experimental binding thermodynamics measured. Unexpectedly, from competition experiments it was observed that the maximum concentration of hetero‐coencapsulation is achieved if a weakly binding guest is used to partially displace a strongly binding guest.
Scale‐up of pore‐level relative permeability from micro‐ to macro‐scale
Authors: Bashtani Farzad , Kantzas Apostolos
Published: March 2020

Scaling up relative permeability curves of wetting and nonwetting phase of drainage and imbibition processes from pore scale to macro scale is a challenge. A new method for scaling up relative permeability from micro‐ to macro‐scale is proposed based on electrical analogy of multiphase fluid flow at pore scale. The method is validated against four synthetic porous media generated using homogeneous and heterogeneous grain size distributions, each of which were cut into eight sub‐segments. Single‐phase and two‐phase flow properties were calculated for the main blocks and the subsequent sub‐segments using random network modelling technique. Then, the subsegments were randomly distributed in space to reconstruct the main blocks and the proposed scale‐up method was employed to calculate the relative permeability curves of the reconstructed blocks. Results were compared to the ones obtained directly from the network model of the original blocks and show good agreement between the calculated and scaled‐up relative permeability curves of primary drainage and secondary imbibition. Furthermore, the model was tested on real media. Eight network models were extracted from pore size distribution of core samples obtained from the Green River basin located in the Mesaverde Formation. Flow properties obtained from the network models were validated against experimental data and good agreement was observed. These network models show a higher level of heterogeneity at micro‐scale. Then, the scale‐up methods were employed in order to reconstruct the macro‐scale sample and predict its properties. Scale‐up methods successfully predict the single‐phase and two‐phase flow properties of the sample.
Predicting the Loading Capability of mPEG‐PDLLA to Hydrophobic Drugs Using Solubility Parameters†
Authors: Sun Jiali , Wei Qi , Shen Na , Tang Zhaohui , Chen Xuesi
Published: March 2020

Summary of main observation and conclusion

Physical encapsulation of drugs into polymer micelles is a common method of loading hydrophobic drugs. Methoxy polyethylene glycol‐poly(D,L‐lactide) (mPEG‐PDLLA) is one of the most commonly used drug carrier. At present, whether a carrier is suitable for the loading of a certain drug is determined by drug loading experiments. This process costs a lot of time. Therefore, an efficient predicting method to avoid time‐consuming tests is critical. In this study, we prepared mPEG5k‐PDLLA5k and used it to load a series of drugs. Three parameters were used to test the miscibility of mPEG5k‐PDLLA5k with drugs, including absolute difference in Hildebrand solubility parameters (|Δδ|), Flory–Huggins interaction parameter (χ) and the distance (D value) calculated from the two‐dimensional solubility parameters. We found the two‐dimensional solubility parameters obtained from JB2013 group contribution (GC) method was useful. By comparing the drug loading content (DLC) with the D value, we found that when the D value was less than 5.0 (MJ/m3)1/2, the miscibility of drug and mPEG5k‐PDLLA5k was good and drug loading capability was high; when the D value was more than 8.0 (MJ/m3)1/2, the drug was barely loaded. Thus, this work provided a rationale to qualitatively predict the loading capability of mPEG5k‐PDLLA5k for hydrophobic drugs.
Sulfated and Oxygenated Imidazoline Derivatives: Synthesis, Antioxidant Activity and Light‐Mediated Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Faillace Martín S. , Silva Ana P. , Alves Borges Leal Antonio L. , Muratori da Costa Luciana , Barreto Humberto M. , Peláez Walter J.
Published: March 2020

Imidazoline derivatives with different exocyclic substituents were simply prepared from common starting materials. The procedures were carried out in an eco‐friendly manner. The antioxidant activity of these derivatives was explored by different experimental assays, such as ABTS.+ and DPPH. scavenging assay, as well as reducing power assay. The structural differences are discussed in terms of the results. Sulfur analogs showed higher antioxidant activity than their oxygenated counterparts. The same tendency was observed in microbiological studies, in which the same imidazoline compounds were assayed for light‐mediated activity against of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. A light‐enhanced activity was observed for almost all the sulfated imidazolines after exposure to UV‐A (400‐320 nm) light.
An iterative transfer learning framework for cross‐domain tongue segmentation
Authors: Li Lei , Luo Zhiming , Zhang Mengting , Cai Yuanzheng , Li Candong , Li Shaozi
Published: March 2020

Tongue diagnosis is an important clinical examination in Traditional Chinese Medicine. As the first step of the diagnosis, the accuracy of tongue image segmentation directly affects the subsequent diagnosis. Recently, deep learning‐based methods have been applied for tongue image segmentation and achieve promising results. However, these methods usually work well on one dataset and degenerate significantly on different distributed datasets. To deal with this issue, we propose a framework named Iterative cross‐domain tongue segmentation in the study. First, we train a tongue image segmentation U‐Net model on the source dataset. Then, we propose a tongue assessment filter to select satisfying samples based on predictions of the U‐Net model from the target dataset. Following, we fine‐tune the model on the selected samples along with the source domain. Finally, we iterate between the filtering and the fine‐tuning steps until the model is converged. Experimental results on two tongue datasets show that our proposed method can improve the dice score on the target domain from 70.11% to 98.26%, as well as outperform state‐of‐the‐art comparing methods.
Heterogeneous computing with OpenMP and Hydra
Authors: Diener Matthias , Kale Laxmikant V. , Bodony Daniel J.
Published: March 2020

High‐performance computing relies on accelerators (such as GPGPUs) to achieve fast execution of scientific applications. Traditionally, these accelerators have been programmed with specialized languages, such as CUDA or OpenCL. In recent years, OpenMP emerged as a promising alternative for supporting accelerators, providing advantages such as maintaining a single code base for the host and different accelerator types and providing a simple way to extend support for accelerators to existing application codes. Efficiently using this support requires solving several challenges, related to performance, work partitioning, and concurrent execution on multiple device types. In this article, we discuss our experiences with using OpenMP for accelerators and present performance guidelines. We also introduce a library, Hydra, that addresses several of the challenges of using OpenMP for such devices. We apply Hydra to a scientific application, PlasCom2, that has not previously been able to use accelerators. Experiments on three architectures show that Hydra results in performance gains of up to 10× compared with CPU‐only execution. Concurrent execution on the host and GPU resulted in additional gains of up to 20% compared to running on the GPU
only.
Identification of undescribed Relb expression domains in the murine brain by new Relb:cre‐katushka reporter mice
Authors: Engelmann Christian , Riemann Marc , Carlstedt Swen , Grimlowski Randy , Andreas Nico , Koliesnik Ievgen , Meier Elke , Austerfield Phillip , Haenold Ronny
Published: March 2020

Background

Noncanonical NF‐κB signaling through activation of the transcription factor RelB acts as key regulator of cell lineage determination and differentiation in various tissues including the immune system. To elucidate temporospatial aspects of Relb expression, we generated a BAC transgenic knock‐in mouse expressing the fluorescent protein Katushka and the enzyme Cre recombinase under control of the murine Relb promoter (RelbCre‐Kat mice).

Results

Co‐expression of Katushka and Relb in fibroblast cultures and tissues of transgenic mice revealed highly specific reporter functions of the transgene. Crossing RelbCre‐Kat mice with ROSA26R reporter mice that allow for Cre‐mediated consecutive β‐galactosidase or YFP synthesis identified various Relb expression domains in perinatal and mature mice. Besides thymus and spleen, highly specific expression patterns were found in different neuronal domains, as well as in other nonimmune organs including skin, skeletal structures and kidney. De novo Relb expression in the mature brain was confirmed in conditional knockout mice with neuro‐ectodermal Relb deletion.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate the usability of RelbCre‐Kat reporter mice for the detection of de novo and temporarily restricted Relb expression including cell and lineage tracing of Relb expressing cells. Relb expression during mouse embryogenesis and at adulthood suggests, beyond immunity, important functions of this transcription factor in neurodevelopment and CNS function.
Shifts in species interactions and farming contexts mediate net effects of birds in agroecosystems
Authors: Olimpi E. M. , Garcia K. , Gonthier D. J. , De Master K. T. , Echeverri A. , Kremen C. , Sciligo A. R. , Snyder W. E. , Wilson‐Rankin E. E. , Karp D. S.
Published: March 2020

Some birds are viewed as pests and vectors of foodborne pathogens in farmlands, yet birds also benefit growers by consuming pests. While many growers seek to prevent birds from accessing their farms, few studies have attempted to quantify the net effects of bird services and disservices, let alone how net effects shift across farm management strategies. We quantified the net effect of birds on crop production across 20 California strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) farms that varied in local management practices and landscape context. We surveyed farms for berry damage and bird droppings (as potential sources of pathogens) and implemented a large‐scale exclusion experiment to quantify the impact of birds on production. We found that birds had only a slightly negative overall impact on strawberry production, reducing economic value by 3.6%. Direct bird damage and intraguild predation contributed equally to this net effect, underscoring the importance of indirect trophic interactions that may be less apparent to growers. In simple landscapes (e.g., low proportions of surrounding seminatural habitat), birds provided pest control in the interiors of farm fields, and costs from bird damage to crops peaked at field edges. In complex landscapes (e.g., high proportions of seminatural habitat), birds were more likely to disrupt pest control by feeding as intraguild predators. Nonetheless, seminatural habitat dampened bird services and disservices, and our models predicted that removing habitat around farm fields would increase costs from bird damage to crops by up to 76%. Fecal contamination of crops was extremely rare (0.01%). However, both fecal contamination and bird damage did increase on farms with higher densities of fencing and wires, where birds often perch. Our results demonstrate that maintaining seminatural habitat around farms may enhance bird diversity and mitigate bird damage without increasing food safety risks. We also show that the net effects of birds depend on farming context and vary in complex ways in relation to locations within a farm, local farm attributes, and the surrounding landscape. This context‐specific variation must be considered in order to optimize the management of wild birds in agroecosystems.
Using large‐scale tropical dry forest restoration to test successional theory
Authors: Werden Leland K. , Calderón‐Morales Erick , Alvarado J. Pedro , Gutiérrez L. Milena , Nedveck Derek A. , Powers Jennifer S.
Published: March 2020

Microclimatic conditions change dramatically as forests age and impose strong filters on community assembly during succession. Light availability is the most limiting environmental factor in tropical wet forest succession; by contrast, water availability is predicted to strongly influence tropical dry forest (TDF) successional dynamics. While mechanisms underlying TDF successional trajectories are not well understood, observational studies have demonstrated that TDF communities transition from being dominated by species with conservative traits to species with acquisitive traits, the opposite of tropical wet forest. Determining how functional traits predict TDF tree species’ responses to changing environmental conditions could elucidate mechanisms underlying tree performance during TDF succession. We implemented a 6‐ha restoration experiment on a degraded Vertisol in Costa Rica to determine (1) how TDF tree species with different resource‐use strategies performed along a successional gradient and (2) how ecophysiological functional traits correlated with tree performance in simulated successional stages. We used two management treatments to simulate distinct successional stages including: clearing all remnant vegetation (early‐succession), or interplanting seedlings with no clearing (mid‐succession). We crossed these two management treatments (cleared/interplanted) with two species mixes with different resource‐use strategies (acquisitive/conservative) to examine their interaction. Overall seedling survival after 2 yr was low, 15.1–26.4% in the four resource‐use‐strategy × management‐treatment combinations, and did not differ between the management treatments or resource‐use‐strategy groups. However, seedling growth rates were dramatically higher for all species in the cleared treatment (year 1, 69.1% higher; year 2, 143.3% higher) and defined resource‐use strategies had some capacity to explain seedling performance. Overall, ecophysiological traits were better predictors of species’ growth and survival than resource‐use strategies defined by leaf and stem traits such as specific leaf area. Moreover, ecophysiological traits related to water use had a stronger influence on seedling performance in the cleared, early‐successional treatment, indicating that the influence of microclimatic conditions on tree survival and growth shifts predictably during TDF succession. Our findings suggest that ecophysiological traits should be explicitly considered to understand shifts in TDF functional composition during succession and that using these traits to design species mixes could greatly improve TDF restoration outcomes.
All or nothing: Switch to high current reproductive investment under risk of starvation in male kelp crab
Authors: Pretterebner Katrin , Pardo Luis M.
Published: March 2020

One of the key features in reproduction of polygynous species is seminal recovery after mating. However, it is poorly known how environmental factors affect the recuperation period of seminal material. This study aims to test plasticity in recovery of seminal reserves in response to distinct environmental conditions of the kelp crab Taliepus dentatus. Male crabs were maintained after depletion of seminal reserves in one of eight different treatments in a factorial design of temperature (12 and 16°C), food availability (with alimentation and food deprivation), and time period (15 and 30 days), simulating different environmental situations in the laboratory to which the crab might be exposed to along its distribution. Temperature and food availability modulated the seminal recovery period in T. dentatus. Complete replenishment was reached within 30 days in all treatments (i.e., 12 and 16°C each with alimentation and food deprivation), but the highest recovery index was found in crabs without food provision (16°C). In this condition, the recovery index was twice as high compared with males maintained at a similar temperature but with feeding. Prolonged starvation at 16°C may be extremely stressful conditions for male crabs, during which risk to die probably triggered a concentration of the reproductive effort in favor of immediate reproduction. This suggests that plasticity of energy allocation toward reproduction may be expressed during extremely suboptimal conditions, which might be a similar strategy as proposed by the terminal investment hypothesis. The generally relatively fast seminal recovery regardless of the temperature may explain the kelp crab's continuous mating throughout the year.
Lasting the distance: The survival of alien birds shipped to New Zealand in the 19th century
Authors: Pipek Pavel , Blackburn Tim M. , Delean Steven , Cassey Phillip , Şekercioğlu Çağan H. , Pyšek Petr
Published: March 2020

Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity and human activities, providing a strong incentive to understand the processes by which alien invasion occurs. While it is important to understand the determinants of success at each of several invasion stages—transport, introduction, establishment, and spread—few studies have explored the first of these stages. Here, we quantify and analyze variation in the success of individual animals in surviving the transport stage, based on shipping records of European passerines destined for New Zealand. We mined the original documents of Acclimatisation Societies, established in New Zealand for the purpose of introducing supposedly beneficial alien species, in combination with recently digitized newspaper archives, to produce a unique dataset of 122 ships that carried passerines from Europe to New Zealand between 1850 and 1885. For 37 of these shipments, data on the survival of individual species were available. Using generalized linear mixed models, we explored how survival was related to characteristics of the shipments and the species. We show that species differed greatly in their survival, but none of the tested traits accounted for these differences. Yet, survival increased over time, which mirrors the switch from early haphazard shipments to larger organized shipments. Our results imply that it was the quality of care received by the birds that most affected success at this stage of the invasion process.
Allometric escape from acoustic constraints is rare for frog calls
Authors: Tonini João Filipe Riva , Provete Diogo B. , Maciel Natan M. , Morais Alessandro Ribeiro , Goutte Sandra , Toledo Luís Felipe , Pyron Robert Alexander
Published: March 2020

Allometric constraint is a product of natural selection and physical laws, particularly with respect to body size and traits constrained by properties thereof, such as metabolism, longevity, and vocal frequency. Allometric relationships are often conserved across lineages, indicating that physical constraints dictate scaling patterns in deep time, despite substantial genetic and ecological divergence among organisms. In particular, acoustic allometry (sound frequency ~ body size) is conserved across frogs, in defiance of massive variation in both body size and frequency. Here, we ask how many instances of allometric escape have occurred across the frog tree of life using a Bayesian framework that estimates the location, number, and magnitude of shifts in the adaptive landscape of acoustic allometry. Moreover, we test whether ecology in terms of calling site could affect these relationships. We find that calling site has a major influence on acoustic allometry. Despite this, we identify only four major instances of allometric escape, potentially deriving from ecomorphological adaptations to new signal modalities. In these instances of allometric escape, the optima and strength of the scaling relationship are different than expected for most other frog species, representing new adaptive regimes of body size ~ call frequency. Allometric constraints on frog calls are highly conserved and have rarely allowed escape, despite frequent invasions of new adaptive regimes and dramatic ecomorphological divergence. Our results highlight the rare instances in which natural and sexual selection combined can overcome physical constraints on sound production.
Habitat transitions alter the adaptive landscape and shape phenotypic evolution in needlefishes (Belonidae)
Authors: Kolmann Matthew A. , Burns Michael D. , Ng Justin Y. K. , Lovejoy Nathan R. , Bloom Devin D.
Published: March 2020

Habitat occupancy can have a profound influence on macroevolutionary dynamics, and a switch in major habitat type may alter the evolutionary trajectory of a lineage. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary transitions between marine and freshwater habitats affect macroevolutionary adaptive landscapes, using needlefishes (Belonidae) as a model system. We examined the evolution of body shape and size in marine and freshwater needlefishes and tested for phenotypic change in response to transitions between habitats. Using micro‐computed tomographic (µCT) scanning and geometric morphometrics, we quantified body shape, size, and vertebral counts of 31 belonid species. We then examined the pattern and tempo of body shape and size evolution using phylogenetic comparative methods. Our results show that transitions from marine to freshwater habitats have altered the adaptive landscape for needlefishes and expanded morphospace relative to marine taxa. We provide further evidence that freshwater taxa attain reduced sizes either through dwarfism (as inferred from axial skeletal reduction) or through developmental truncation (as inferred from axial skeletal loss). We propose that transitions to freshwater habitats produce morphological novelty in response to novel prey resources and changes in locomotor demands. We find that repeated invasions of different habitats have prompted predictable changes in morphology.
Transcatheter edge‐to‐edge tricuspid repair for recurrence of valvular regurgitation after left ventricular assist device and tricuspid ring implantation
Authors: Andreas Martin , Russo Marco , Werner Paul , Schneider Matthias , Wittmann Franziska , Scherzer Sabine , Mascherbauer Julia , Kocher Alfred , Laufer Guenther , Wiedemann Dominik , Zimpfer Daniel
Published: March 2020

Tricuspid regurgitation in patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has a significant impact on prognosis and quality of life, and its effects on liver and renal function could negatively impact planned heart transplantation. The aim of the present case is to report the feasibility and the clinical impact of tricuspid transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair in LVAD patients as adjunctive bridge to transplantation strategy. A 59‐year‐old female patient previously treated with LVAD implantation (HeartMate III) and tricuspid valve repair with 32 mm rigid ring (Medtronic Contour 3D) as bridge to transplantation developed recurrence of significant tricuspid regurgitation with right ventricular decompensation needing inotropic support. Preoperative echo showed torrential tricuspid valve regurgitation Effective regurgitant orifice area(EROA 1.4 cm2) with suspicious of partial detachment of the prosthetic ring. The patient was successfully treated with transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair with the MitraClip XTR device. Tricuspid regurgitation was reduced by 50% (postoperative EROA 0.7 cm2). She remained stable under continuous inotropic support with no other episodes of right ventricular decompensation and was successfully transplanted 30 days after the clipping procedure. Transcatheter treatment of tricuspid regurgitation in a patient with LVAD was an effective strategy to gain time and bridge the patient to heart transplantation.
Variation in clinical and patient‐reported outcomes among complex heart failure with preserved ejection fraction phenotypes
Authors: Flint Kelsey M. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Lewis Eldrin F. , Kao David P.
Published: March 2020

Aims

The aim of this study is to use six previously described heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) phenotypes to describe differences in (i) the biological response to spironolactone, (ii) clinical endpoints, and (iii) patient‐reported health status by HFpEF phenotype and treatment arm in the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial (TOPCAT).

Methods and results

We analysed 1767 patients in TOPCAT from the Americas. Using 11 clinical variables, patients were classified according to six HFpEF phenotypes previously identified in the I‐PRESERVE and CHARM‐Preserved studies. Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) measured health status. All phenotypes showed increase in potassium with spironolactone, although only three phenotypes showed significant increase in creatinine, and two phenotypes showed significant decrease in systolic blood pressure. Rate of the TOPCAT primary outcome (cardiovascular death, aborted cardiac arrest, or heart failure hospitalization) differed by HFpEF phenotype (P < 0.001) but not by treatment arm within each HFpEF phenotype. Baseline KCCQ score differed by HFpEF phenotype (P < 0.001), although some phenotypes with poor health status had lower rates of the TOPCAT primary outcome, and some phenotypes with better health status had higher rates of the TOPCAT primary outcome. However, within 3/6 phenotypes, higher baseline KCCQ score was associated with lower risk of the TOPCAT primary outcome. Change in KCCQ scores at 4 and 12 months did not differ among HFpEF phenotypes overall or by treatment arm.

Conclusions

Complex, data‐driven HFpEF phenotypes differ according to biological response to spironolactone, baseline health status, and clinical endpoints. These differences may inform the design of targeted clinical trials focusing on improvement in outcomes most relevant for specific HFpEF phenotypes.
Microfluidic applications on circulating tumor cell isolation and biomimicking of cancer metastasis
Authors: Xu Xiawei , Jiang Zhenqi , Wang Jing , Ren Yong , Wu Aiguo
Published: March 2020

The prognosis of malignant tumors is challenged by insufficient means to effectively detect tumors at early stage. Liquid biopsy using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as biomarkers demonstrates a promising solution to tackle the challenge, because CTCs play a critical role in cancer metastatic process via intravasation, circulation, extravasation, and formation of secondary tumor. However, the effectiveness of the solution is compromised by rarity, heterogeneity, and vulnerability associated with CTCs. Among a plethora of novel approaches for CTC isolation and enrichment, microfluidics leads to isolation and detection of CTCs in a cost‐effective and operation‐friendly way. Development of microfluidics also makes it feasible to model the cancer metastasis in vitro using a microfluidic system to mimick the in vivo microenvironment, thereby enabling analysis and monitor of tumor metastasis. This paper aims to review the latest advances for exploring the dual‐roles microfluidics has played in early cancer diagnosis via CTC isolation and investigating the role of CTCs in cancer metastasis; the merits and drawbacks for dominating microfluidics‐based CTC isolation methods are discussed; biomimicking cancer metastasis using microfluidics are presented with example applications on modelling of tumor microenvironment, tumor cell dissemination, tumor migration, and tumor angiogenesis. The future perspectives and challenges are discussed.
Separation of micro and sub‐micro diamagnetic particles in dual ferrofluid streams based on negative magnetophoresis
Authors: Xue Chun‐Dong , Sun Zhong‐Ping , Li Yong‐Jiang , Chen Jian‐Feng , Liu Bo , Qin Kai‐Rong
Published: March 2020

In the present study, we numerically demonstrate an approach for separation of micro and sub‐micro diamagnetic particles in dual ferrofluid streams based on negative magnetophoresis. The dual streams are constructed by an intermediate sheath flow, after which the negative magnetophoretic force induced by an array of permanent magnets dominates the separation of diamagnetic particles. A simple and efficient numerical model is developed to calculate the motions of particles under the action of magnetic field and flow field. Effects of the average flow velocity, the ratio of sheath fluid flow to sample fluid flow, the number of the magnet pair as well as the position of magnet pair are investigated. The optimal parametric condition for complete separation is obtained through the parametric analysis, and the separation principle is further elucidated by the force analysis. The separation of smaller micro and sub‐micro diamagnetic particles is finally demonstrated. This study provides an insight into the negative magnetophoretic phenomenon and guides the fabrication of feasible, low‐cost diagnostic devices for sub‐micro particle separation.
Semiology of spontaneous generalized tonic‐clonic seizures in the epileptic baboon
Authors: Szabó Charles Ákos , González David Andrés , Koneru Sreekanth
Published: March 2020

Objective

The epileptic baboon provides an animal model for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), demonstrating spontaneous generalized tonic‐clonic seizures (GTCS) in addition to generalized myoclonic, absence and multifocal seizures. While photoconvulsive responses have been described in this model, spontaneous GTCS have not been characterized.

Methods

In this study, we characterized 46 seizures in 7 epileptic baboons (5 females, 12 ± 3 years old) by video recording. While housed in single cages, the baboons were monitored for a median of 2 (range 1‐10) weeks, with high‐resolution, infrared‐capable camera systems. Each GTCS was evaluated for evidence of preconvulsive ictal symptoms, focal convulsive behaviors, duration of the preconvulsive and convulsive periods, postictal immobility, and recovery of an upright posture. The circadian pattern of GTCS was also for each baboon.

Results

More than half of GTCS occurred in sleep, beginning from an upright position in all but one tethered baboon. Focal semiological findings were noted in 19 (41%) GTCS, and these included preconvulsive focal ictal motor behaviors as well as lateralized motor activity during the convulsions. The convulsive portion lasted 47 ± 10 seconds, whereas the entire seizure lasted 54 ± 21 seconds. Postictally, the baboons remained immobile for a median latency of 40 (range 14‐347) seconds, recovering an upright posture after 173 (range 71‐1980) seconds. GTCS demonstrated circadian patterns in all but one baboon, with 34 (74%) all seizures occurring between 1‐9 am.

Significance

GTCS in the baboon revealed intersubject variability, but semiology remained stereotyped in a given baboon. Similar to GTCS in people with JME, focal symptoms were also observed in epileptic baboons. The postictal recovery period, characterized by postictal immobility and myoclonus as well as time to recumbency, also varied among baboons.
Mainshock‐consistent ground motion record selection for aftershock sequences
Authors: Papadopoulos Athanasios N. , Kohrangi Mohsen , Bazzurro Paolo
Published: March 2020

In recent years, the additional risk posed to the built environment due to aftershock sequences and triggered events has been brought to attention, and several efforts have been directed towards developing fragility functions for structures in damaged conditions. Despite this rise of interest, a rather fundamental component for such tasks, namely that of aftershock ground motion record selection, has remained under‐scrutinized. Herein, we propose a pragmatic procedure that can be applied for the selection of mainshock‐aftershock ground motion pairs using consistent causal parameters and accounting for the correlation between their spectral accelerations. In addition, a structural analysis strategy that can be employed for the analytical derivation of damage‐dependent fragility functions is outlined and presented through a case study. A more conventional back‐to‐back IDA analysis is also carried out in order to compare the derived damage‐dependent fragility functions with the ones obtained with the proposed procedure. The results indicate that record selection remains a crucial factor even when assessing the structural vulnerability of damaged buildings, and should thus be treated cautiously.