bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep learning workflow in radiology: a primer
Authors: Montagnon Emmanuel , Cerny Milena , Cadrin-Chênevert Alexandre , Hamilton Vincent , Derennes Thomas , Ilinca André , Vandenbroucke-Menu Franck , Turcotte Simon , Kadoury Samuel , Tang An
Published: February 2020

Interest for deep learning in radiology has increased tremendously in the past decade due to the high achievable performance for various computer vision tasks such as detection, segmentation, classification, monitoring, and prediction. This article provides step-by-step practical guidance for conducting a project that involves deep learning in radiology, from defining specifications, to deployment and scaling. Specifically, the objectives of this article are to provide an overview of clinical use cases of deep learning, describe the composition of multi-disciplinary team, and summarize current approaches to patient, data, model, and hardware selection. Key ideas will be illustrated by examples from a prototypical project on imaging of colorectal liver metastasis. This article illustrates the workflow for liver lesion detection, segmentation, classification, monitoring, and prediction of tumor recurrence and patient survival. Challenges are discussed, including ethical considerations, cohorting, data collection, anonymization, and availability of expert annotations. The practical guidance may be adapted to any project that requires automated medical image analysis.
Edge caching strategy design and reward contract optimization for uAV-enabled mobile edge networks
Authors: Lu Weidang , Yin Bin , Huang Guoxiang , Li Bo
Published: February 2020

Edge caching is a promising technology to alleviate the burden on backhaul and improve the quality of experience (QoE) of users in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled mobile edge networks, which has played an important role in wireless communication systems. However, owing to the selfish nature and limited battery life of the user equipments (UEs), only a limited part of the caching resources will be shared by the UEs. To drive the UEs to share more caching resources to improve the social welfare of the UAV-enabled mobile edge network, in this paper, we jointly design an edge caching strategy and reward contract optimization scheme. Aiming to maximize the utility of the UAV, a joint edge caching and contract optimization problem is formulated. Firstly, a novel edge caching strategy is proposed based on the content popularity. Then, an optimal reward contract is designed by reducing the restrictions. Finally, the system performance of the designed caching strategy and reward contract is evaluated compared with two benchmark caching schemes with no incentives. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme performs better than the other two schemes in terms of the utilities of the UAV and UEs, which proves the efficiency of our proposed scheme.
A novel multi-focus image fusion method for improving imaging systems by using cascade-forest model
Authors: He Lin , Yang Xiaomin , Lu Lu , Wu Wei , Ahmad Awais , Jeon Gwanggil
Published: February 2020

Image fusion technology combines information from different source images of the same target and performs extremely effective information complementation, which is widely used for the transportation field, medicine field, and surveillance field. Specifically, due to the limitation of depth of field in imaging device, images cannot focus on all objects and miss partial details. To deal with this problem, an effective multi-focus image fusion method is proposed in this paper. We interpret the production of the focus map as a two-class classification task and solve this problem by using a method based on the cascade-forest model. Firstly, we extract the specific features from overlapping patches to represent the clarity level of source images. To obtain the focus map, feature vectors are fed into the pre-trained cascade-forest model. Then, we utilize consistency check to acquire the initial decision map. Afterward, guided image filtering is used for edge-reservation to refine the decision map. Finally, the result is obtained through pixel-wise weighted average strategy. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method achieves outstanding visual performance and excellent objective indicators.
Two nontrivial solutions for a nonhomogeneous fractional Schrödinger–Poisson equation in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$
Authors: Jiang Ruiting , Zhai Chengbo
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we consider the following nonhomogeneous fractional Schrödinger–Poisson equations:
$$ \textstyle\begin{cases} (-\Delta )^{s}u+V(x)u+\phi u=f(x,u)+g(x)\quad \text{in }\mathbb{R}^{3}, \\ (-\Delta )^{t}\phi =u^{2}\quad \text{in }\mathbb{R}^{3}, \end{cases} $${(−Δ)su+V(x)u+ϕu=f(x,u)+g(x)in R3,(−Δ)tϕ=u2in R3, where $s,t\in (0,1]$s,t∈(0,1], $2t+4s>3$2t+4s>3, $(-\Delta )^{s}$(−Δ)s denotes the fractional Laplacian. By assuming more relaxed conditions on the nonlinear term f, using some new proof techniques on the verification of the boundedness of Palais–Smale sequence, existence and multiplicity of solutions are obtained.
Markups in a two-country monopolistic competition model of trade with heterogeneous consumers
Authors: Osharin Alexander , Verbus Valery , Bakunina Irina , Silaeva Vera , Silaeva Marina
Published: February 2020

The paper develops a two-country monopolistic competition model of trade featuring country-specific consumer tastes. The accounting for heterogeneity in tastes is achieved by assuming different elasticities of substitution in the CES utility function for different country consumers. The proposed framework extends the canonical Krugman’s approach by revealing new effects regarding markups response to consumer heterogeneity and trade liberalization. Specifically, the model predicts that, depending on the preference structure, trade liberalization may lead either to decrease or increase in the level of markups, charged by monopolistically competitive firms across destination countries.
Community recovery dynamics in yellow perch microbiome after gradual and constant metallic perturbations
Authors: Cheaib Bachar , Seghouani Hamza , Ijaz Umer Zeeshan , Derome Nicolas
Published: February 2020

Background

The eco-evolutionary processes ruling post-disturbance microbial assembly remain poorly studied, particularly in host-microbiome systems. The community recovery depends not only on the type, duration, intensity, and gradient of disturbance, but also on the initial community structure, phylogenetic composition, legacy, and habitat (soil, water, host). In this study, yellow perch (Perca flavescens) juveniles were exposed over 90 days to constant and gradual sublethal doses of cadmium chloride. Afterward, the exposure of aquaria tank system to cadmium was ceased for 60 days. The skin, gut and water tank microbiomes in control and treatment groups, were characterized before, during and after the cadmium exposure using 16s rDNA libraries and high throughput sequencing technology (Illumina, Miseq).

Results

Our data exhibited long-term bioaccumulation of cadmium salts in the liver even after two months since ceasing the exposure. The gradient of cadmium disturbance had differential effects on the perch microbiota recovery, including increases in evenness, taxonomic composition shifts, as well as functional and phylogenetic divergence. The perch microbiome reached an alternative stable state in the skin and nearly complete recovery trajectories in the gut communities. The recovery of skin communities showed a significant proliferation of opportunistic fish pathogens (i.e., Flavobacterium). Our findings provide evidence that neutral processes were a much more significant contributor to microbial community turnover in control treatments than in those treated with cadmium, suggesting the role of selective processes in driving community recovery.

Conclusions

The short-term metallic disturbance of fish development has important long-term implications for host health. The recovery of microbial communities after metallic exposure depends on the magnitude of exposure (constant, gradual), and the nature of the ecological niche (water, skin, and gut). The skin and gut microbiota of fish exposed to constant concentrations of cadmium (CC) were closer to the control negative than those exposed to the gradual concentrations (CV). Overall, our results show that the microbial assembly during the community recovery were both orchestrated by neutral and deterministic processes.
Understanding decision making in a food-caching predator using hidden Markov models
Authors: Farhadinia Mohammad S. , Michelot Théo , Johnson Paul J. , Hunter Luke T. B. , Macdonald David W.
Published: February 2020

Background

Tackling behavioural questions often requires identifying points in space and time where animals make decisions and linking these to environmental variables. State-space modeling is useful for analysing movement trajectories, particularly with hidden Markov models (HMM). Yet importantly, the ontogeny of underlying (unobservable) behavioural states revealed by the HMMs has rarely been verified in the field.

Methods

Using hidden Markov models of individual movement from animal location, biotelemetry, and environmental data, we explored multistate behaviour and the effect of associated intrinsic and extrinsic drivers across life stages. We also decomposed the activity budgets of different movement states at two general and caching phases. The latter - defined as the period following a kill which likely involves the caching of uneaten prey - was subsequently confirmed by field inspections. We applied this method to GPS relocation data of a caching predator, Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in northeastern Iran.

Results

Multistate modeling provided strong evidence for an effect of life stage on the behavioural states and their associated time budget. Although environmental covariates (ambient temperature and diel period) and ecological outcomes (predation) affected behavioural states in non-resident leopards, the response in resident leopards was not clear, except that temporal patterns were consistent with a crepuscular and nocturnal movement pattern. Resident leopards adopt an energetically more costly mobile behaviour for most of their time while non-residents shift their behavioural states from high energetic expenditure states to energetically less costly encamped behaviour for most of their time, which is likely to be a risk avoidance strategy against conspecifics or humans.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that plasticity in predator behaviour depending on life stage may tackle a trade-off between successful predation and avoiding the risks associated with conspecifics, human presence and maintaining home range. Range residency in territorial predators is energetically demanding and can outweigh the predator’s response to intrinsic and extrinsic variables such as thermoregulation or foraging needs. Our approach provides an insight into spatial behavior and decision making of leopards, and other large felids in rugged landscapes through the application of the HMMs in movement ecology.
Time-aware domain-based social influence prediction
Authors: Abu-Salih Bilal , Chan Kit Yan , Al-Kadi Omar , Al-Tawil Marwan , Wongthongtham Pornpit , Issa Tomayess , Saadeh Heba , Al-Hassan Malak , Bremie Bushra , Albahlal Abdulaziz
Published: February 2020

Online social networks have established virtual platforms enabling people to express their opinions, interests and thoughts in a variety of contexts and domains, allowing legitimate users as well as spammers and other untrustworthy users to publish and spread their content. Hence, it is vital to have an accurate understanding of the contextual content of social users, thus establishing grounds for measuring their social influence accordingly. In particular, there is the need for a better understanding of domain-based social trust to improve and expand the analysis process and determining the credibility of Social Big Data. The aim of this paper is to determine domain-based social influencers by means of a framework that incorporates semantic analysis and machine learning modules to measure and predict users’ credibility in numerous domains at different time periods. The evaluation of the experiment conducted herein validates the applicability of semantic analysis and machine learning techniques in detecting highly trustworthy domain-based influencers.
Technical note: sensitivity analysis of the SCoRE and SARA methods for determining rotational axes during tibiofemoral movements using optical motion capture
Authors: Keizer Michèle N. J. , Otten Egbert
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The first aim was to report the sensitivity of calculated tibiofemoral movements for the choice of placement of the set of femoral markers. The second aim was to report the influence of accuracy of the motion captured positions of the markers on the calculated tibiofemoral movements.

Methods

Tibiofemoral kinematics during single leg hops for distance were calculated. For the first aim, an experiment was conducted in which four different setups of the femoral markers were used to calculated tibiofemoral movements. For the second aim, an experiment was conducted in which all raw marker positions were mathematically moved independently with the known Vicon position error with a distance and in a random direction in each frame, repeated a hundred times. Each time, the tibiofemoral movements were calculated.

Results

The first experiment yields that the standard deviation of the calculated anterior tibia translation between marker setups was 0.88 mm and the standard deviation of the external tibia rotation between marker setups was 0.76 degrees. The second experiment yields that the standard deviation was 0.76 mm for anterior tibia translation and 0.38 degrees for external tibia rotation.

Conclusion

A combined standard deviation of both experiments revealed that transients in anterior tibia translation less than 2.32 mm and external tibia rotations less than 1.70 degrees should be taken with caution. These results are 19.42% of the range of the anterior tibia translation and 13.51% of the rotation range during the jump task. The marker setup should be chosen carefully.
Resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: association between preoperative CT texture features and metastatic nodal involvement
Authors: Fang Wei Huan , Li Xu Dong , Zhu Hui , Miao Fei , Qian Xiao Hua , Pan Zi Lai , Lin Xiao Zhu
Published: February 2020

Background

To explore the relationship between the lymph node status and preoperative computed tomography images texture features in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

A total of 155 operable pancreatic cancer patients (104 men, 51 women; mean age 63.8 ± 9.6 years), who had undergone contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the arterial and portal venous phases, were enrolled in this retrospective study. There were 73 patients with lymph node metastases and 82 patients without nodal involvement. Four different data sets, with thin (1.25 mm) and thick (5 mm) slices (at arterial phase and portal venous phase) were analysed. Texture analysis was performed by using MaZda software. A combination of feature selection algorithms was used to determine 30 texture features with the optimal discriminative performance for differentiation between lymph node positive and negative groups. The prediction performance of the selected feature was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

There were 10 texture features with significant differences between two groups and significance in ROC analysis were identified. They were WavEnLH_s-2(wavelet energy with rows and columns are filtered with low pass and high pass frequency bands with scale factors 2) from wavelet-based features, 135dr_LngREmph (long run emphasis in 135 direction) and 135dr_Fraction (fraction of image in runs in 135 direction) from run length matrix-based features, and seven variables of sum average from coocurrence matrix-based features (SumAverg). The ideal cutoff value for predicting lymph node metastases was 270 for WavEnLH_s-2 (positive likelihood ratio 2.08). In addition, 135dr_LngREmph and 135dr_Fraction were correlated with the ratio of metastatic to examined lymph nodes.

Conclusions

Preoperative computed tomography high order texture features provide a useful imaging signature for the prediction of nodal involvement in pancreatic cancer.
Training attention control of very preterm infants: protocol for a feasibility study of the Attention Control Training (ACT)
Authors: Perra Oliver , Wass Sam , McNulty Alison , Sweet David , Papageorgiou Kostas , Johnston Matthew , Patterson Aaron , Bilello Delfina , Alderdice Fiona
Published: February 2020

Background

Children born preterm may display cognitive, learning, and behaviour difficulties as they grow up. In particular, very premature birth (gestation age between 28 and less than 32 weeks) may put infants at increased risk of intellectual deficits and attention deficit disorder. Evidence suggests that the basis of these problems may lie in difficulties in the development of executive functions. One of the earliest executive functions to emerge around 1 year of age is the ability to control attention. An eye-tracking-based cognitive training programme to support this emerging ability, the Attention Control Training (ACT), has been developed and tested with typically developing infants. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using the ACT with healthy very preterm (VP) infants when they are 12 months of age (corrected age). The ACT has the potential to address the need for supporting emerging cognitive abilities of VP infants with an early intervention, which may capitalise on infants’ neural plasticity.

Methods/design

The feasibility study is designed to investigate whether it is possible to recruit and retain VP infants and their families in a randomised trial that compares attention and social attention of trained infants against those that are exposed to a control procedure. Feasibility issues include the referral/recruitment pathway, attendance, and engagement with testing and training sessions, completion of tasks, retention in the study, acceptability of outcome measures, quality of data collected (particularly, eye-tracking data). The results of the study will inform the development of a larger randomised trial.

Discussion

Several lines of evidence emphasise the need to support emerging cognitive and learning abilities of preterm infants using early interventions. However, early interventions with preterm infants, and particularly very preterm ones, face difficulties in recruiting and retaining participants. These problems are also augmented by the health vulnerability of this population. This feasibility study will provide the basis for informing the implementation of an early cognitive intervention for very preterm infants.

Trial registration

Registered Registration ID:NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov).
Predicting academic success in higher education: literature review and best practices
Authors: Alyahyan Eyman , Düştegör Dilek
Published: February 2020

Student success plays a vital role in educational institutions, as it is often used as a metric for the institution’s performance. Early detection of students at risk, along with preventive measures, can drastically improve their success. Lately, machine learning techniques have been extensively used for prediction purpose. While there is a plethora of success stories in the literature, these techniques are mainly accessible to “computer science”, or more precisely, “artificial intelligence” literate educators. Indeed, the effective and efficient application of data mining methods entail many decisions, ranging fromhow to define student’s success, throughwhich student attributes to focus on, up towhich machine learning method is more appropriate to the given problem. This study aims to provide a step-by-step set of guidelines for educators willing to apply data mining techniques to predict student success. For this, the literature has been reviewed, and the state-of-the-art has been compiled into a systematic process, where possible decisions and parameters are comprehensively covered and explained along with arguments. This study will provide to educators an easier access to data mining techniques, enabling all the potential of their application to the field of education.
Fatal injury by air gun: a case report
Authors: Dumenčić Boris , Rajc Jasmina , Pavoković Deni , Damjanović Tena
Published: February 2020

Background

The popularity of air weapons is increasing. They are often viewed as toys, rather than potentially lethal weapons. Regulations on purchase and ownership of air weapons differ from country to country. The majority of fatal and non-fatal air gun accidents involve children less than 16 years of age.

Case presentation

In this report, we present a fatal case resulting from an accident involving an air gun. An accident happened between two brothers aged 9 and 7 and was initially considered to be a traumatic wound inflicted by falling on a scooter handle. Upon the arrival of an experienced police inspector, the cause of child’s death was called into question and it was discovered that unlicensed, loaded air gun was left unattended in a backyard shed. It was later established that the cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound to the chest and a pointed lead pellet was found in the boy’s liver.

Conclusions

The public and governments should be advised that air guns can be dangerous weapons which may cause serious injuries and even death. We believe that air guns should be regulated by the same laws that apply to firearms.
Quantifying the roles of water pH and hardness levels in development and biological fitness indices of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Ukubuiwe Azubuike Christian , Ojianwuna Chioma Cynthia , Olayemi Israel Kayode , Arimoro Francis Ofurum , Ukubuiwe Chinenye Catherine
Published: February 2020

Background

The present study was designed to quantify the contributions of water pH and hardness required for development and adult fitness indices ofCulex quinquefasciatus(Cx. quinquefasciatus) mosquitoes. To this end, seven water pH conditions (pH 4.0–10.0) and five hardness levels (0, 30, 90, 150 and 210 mg/L CaCO3) were simulated following standard protocols. Day-old larvae ofCulex quinquefasciatuswere reared in these simulated water-media conditions till emergence. Entomological indices for immature developmental success and adult biological fitness parameters were measured.

Result

The results revealed significant effects of pH and water levels on the entomological parameters measured for the species. pH values of 4 and 10 and high hardness values ≥ 150 mg/L CaCO3reduced immature developmental successes and adult biological fitness indices. The optimum range of values for the development of the species is respectively pH 5–8 and 0–90 mg/L CaCO3.

Conclusion

The present study reveals the significant negative influence of extreme pH and hardness levels on mosquito development and fitness indices; thus, it may be providing baseline information for developing sustainable robust vector control strategies for disease reduction through habitat manipulation.
Parrotfish predation drives distinct microbial communities in reef-building corals
Authors: Ezzat Leïla , Lamy Thomas , Maher Rebecca L. , Munsterman Katrina S. , Landfield Kaitlyn M. , Schmeltzer Emily R. , Clements Cody S. , Vega Thurber Rebecca L. , Burkepile Deron E.
Published: February 2020

Background

Coral-associated microbial communities are sensitive to multiple environmental and biotic stressors that can lead to dysbiosis and mortality. Although the processes contributing to these microbial shifts remain inadequately understood, a number of potential mechanisms have been identified. For example, predation by various corallivore species, including ecologically-important taxa such as parrotfishes, may disrupt coral microbiomes via bite-induced transmission and/or enrichment of potentially opportunistic bacteria. Here, we used a combination of mesocosm experiments and field-based observations to investigate whether parrotfish corallivory can alter coral microbial assemblages directly and to identify the potentially relevant pathways (e.g. direct transmission) that may contribute to these changes.

Results

Our mesocosm experiment demonstrated that predation by the parrotfishChlorurus spilurusonPorites lobatacorals resulted in a 2-4x increase in bacterial alpha diversity of the coral microbiome and a shift in bacterial community composition after 48 h. These changes corresponded with greater abundance of both potentially beneficial (i.e.Oceanospirillum) and opportunistic bacteria (i.e. Flammeovirgaceae, Rhodobacteraceae) in predated compared to mechanically wounded corals. Importantly, many of these taxa were detectable inC. spilurusmouths, but not in corals prior to predation. When we sampled bitten and unbitten corals in the field, corals bitten by parrotfishes exhibited 3x greater microbial richness and a shift in community composition towards greater abundance of both potential beneficial symbionts (i.e.Ruegeria) and bacterial opportunists (i.e. Rhodospiralles,Glaciecola). Moreover, we observed 4x greater community variability in naturally bitten vs. unbitten corals, a potential indicator of dysbiosis. Interestingly, some of the microbial taxa detected in naturally bitten corals, but not unbitten colonies, were also detected in parrotfish mouths.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that parrotfish corallivory may represent an unrecognized route of bacterial transmission and/or enrichment of rare and distinct bacterial taxa, both of which could impact coral microbiomes and health. More broadly, we highlight how underappreciated pathways, such as corallivory, may contribute to dysbiosis within reef corals, which will be critical for understanding and predicting coral disease dynamics as reefs further degrade.
Can urinary CTX-II be a biomarker for knee osteoarthritis?
Authors: Arunrukthavon Piti , Heebthamai Danai , Benchasiriluck Prapasri , Chaluay Supinda , Chotanaphuti Thanainit , Khuangsirikul Saradej
Published: February 2020

Background

Early diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA) remains a diagnostic challenge. Urinary C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen (urinary CTX-II) is one of the potential OA biomarkers. However, conclusive evidence regarding the use of this biomarker as a tool for early diagnosis is still lacking. The purposes of this study were to compare urinary CTX-II levels in patients with knee OA and in healthy controls, to evaluate the correlation between urinary CTX-II levels, radiographic severity of OA, and patient-reported outcomes and to evaluate the effect of age and gender on urinary CTX-II levels in the Asian populations.

Methods

Two groups were studied. The OA group included 78 patients with knee OA aged > 40 years who met the diagnostic criteria for knee OA described by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The control group consisted of 51 healthy participants age > 40 years without clinical or radiographic evidence of knee OA. Bilateral knee radiographs were taken and classified according to the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grading system. Urinary CTX-II was measured using a competitive ELISA test and Western Ontario and Mcmaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) was also recorded in all participants.

Results

Urinary CTX-II was significantly higher in the OA group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The severe knee OA group (KL grade 3 and 4) had higher urinary CTX-II levels than mild knee OA group (KL grade 2) but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.2). There was a moderate correlation between urinary CTX-II levels and KL grades (r = 0.405, p < 0.001) and a weak correlation between urinary CTX-II levels and WOMAC index scores (r = 0.367, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that urinary CTX-II was independently associated with KL grades. Whereas age, gender, and WOMAC index had no statistically significant influence on the urinary CTX-II levels.

Conclusions

Patients with knee OA had higher urinary CTX-II levels than healthy controls. Moreover, levels of urinary CTX-II were independently correlated with radiographic severity of knee OA. Age, gender, and patient-reported outcomes exerted no effect on the urinary CTX-II levels.

Level of evidence

Diagnostic Level III.
Modeling and data-driven isolation of two-way wavefield constituents
Authors: Elison Patrick , Börsing Nele , van Manen Dirk-Jan , Robertsson Johan O. A.
Published: February 2020

Synthesizing individual wavefield constituents (such as primaries, first-order scattering, and free-surface or internal multiples) is important in the development of seismic data processing algorithms, for instance, for seismic multiple removal and imaging. A range of methods that allow for the computation of such wavefield constituents exist, but they are generally restricted to relatively simple, horizontally layered media. For wave simulations on more complex models, a straightforward and performant alternative are finite-difference methods. They are, however, generally not perceived as being capable of delivering isolated wavefield constituents. Based on recent advances, we found how this can be achieved for (nonhorizontally) piecewise constant layered media. For example, we were able to accurately retrieve the isolated direct arrival of the transmission response (including tunneled waves), primary reflection data (without internal multiples), and all events related to a single (or multiple) interface(s) in a medium. Our methods required detailed knowledge of discretized medium parameters. Alternatively, if a medium is known only implicitly via recordings of reflection data, interface-related events can still be isolated through a combination of subdomain-related wavefields. We found how Marchenko redatuming can be used to derive these, which enables data-driven identification (and removal) of interface-related events from surface data.
The Lifeact-EGFP mouse is a translationally controlled fluorescent reporter of T cell activation
Authors: Galeano Niño Jorge Luis , Tay Szun S. , Tearle Jacqueline L. E. , Xie Jianling , Govendir Matt A. , Kempe Daryan , Mazalo Jessica , Drew Alexander P. , Colakoglu Feyza , Kummerfeld Sarah K. , Proud Christopher G. , Biro Maté
Published: February 2020

It has become increasingly evident that T cell functions are subject to translational control in addition to transcriptional regulation. Here, by using live imaging of CD8+ T cells isolated from the Lifeact-EGFP mouse, we show that T cells exhibit a gain in fluorescence intensity following engagement of cognate tumour target cells. The GFP signal increase is governed by Erk1/2-dependent distal T cell receptor (TCR) signalling and its magnitude correlates with IFN-γ and TNF-α production, which are hallmarks of T cell activation. Enhanced fluorescence was due to increased translation of Lifeact-EGFP protein, without an associated increase in its mRNA. Activation-induced gains in fluorescence were also observed in naïve and CD4+ T cells from the Lifeact-EGFP reporter, and were readily detected by both flow cytometry and live cell microscopy. This unique, translationally controlled reporter of effector T cell activation simultaneously enables tracking of cell morphology, F-actin dynamics and activation state in individual migrating T cells. It is a valuable addition to the limited number of reporters of T cell dynamics and activation, and opens the door to studies of translational activity and heterogeneities in functional T cell responses in situ.
Cardiovascular responses to progressive hypoxia in ducks native to high altitude in the Andes
Authors: Lague Sabine L. , Ivy Catherine M. , York Julia M. , Chua Beverly A. , Alza Luis , Cheek Rebecca , Dawson Neal J. , Frappell Peter B. , Farrell Anthony P. , McCracken Kevin G. , Scott Graham R. , Milsom William K.
Published: February 2020

The cardiovascular system is critical for delivering O2 to tissues. Here we examine the cardiovascular responses to progressive hypoxia in four high-altitude Andean duck species compared to four related low-altitude populations in North America, tested at their native altitude. Ducks were exposed to stepwise decreases in inspired partial pressure of O2 while we monitored heart rate, O2 consumption rate, blood O2 saturation, haematocrit (Hct), and blood haemoglobin concentration [Hb]. We calculated O2 pulse (the product of stroke volume and the arterial-venous O2 content difference), blood O2 concentration, and heart rate variability. Regardless of altitude, all eight populations maintained O2 consumption rate with minimal change in heart rate or O2 pulse, indicating that O2 consumption was maintained by either a constant arterial-venous O2 content difference (an increase in the relative O2 extracted from arterial blood) or by a combination of changes in stroke volume and the arterial-venous O2 content difference. Three high-altitude taxa (yellow-billed pintails, cinnamon teal, and speckled teal) had higher Hct and [Hb], increasing the O2 content of arterial blood, and potentially providing a greater reserve for enhancing O2 delivery during hypoxia. Hct and [Hb] between low- and high-altitude populations of ruddy duck were similar, representing a potential adaptation to diving life. Heart rate variability was generally lower in high-altitude ducks, concurrent with similar or lower heart rates than low-altitude ducks, suggesting a reduction in vagal and sympathetic tone. These unique features of the Andean ducks differ from previous observations in both Andean geese and bar-headed geese, neither of which exhibit significant elevations in Hct or [Hb] compared to their low-altitude relatives, revealing yet another avian strategy for coping with high altitude.
Acceleration-triggered animal-borne videos show a dominance of fish in the diet of female northern elephant seals
Authors: Yoshino Kaori , Takahashi Akinori , Adachi Taiki , Costa Daniel P. , Robinson Patrick W. , Peterson Sarah H. , Hückstädt Luis A. , Holser Rachel R. , Naito Yasuhiko
Published: February 2020

Knowledge of the diet of marine mammals is fundamental to understanding their role in marine ecosystems and response to environmental change. Recently, animal-borne video cameras have revealed the diet of marine mammals that make short foraging trips. However, novel approaches that allocate video time to target prey capture events is required to obtain diet information for species that make long foraging trips over great distances. We combined satellite telemetry and depth recorders with newly developed date/time-, depth-, and acceleration-triggered animal-borne video cameras to examine the diet of female northern elephant seals during their foraging migrations across the eastern North Pacific. We obtained 48.2 hours of underwater video, from cameras mounted on the head (n=12) and jaw (n=3) of seals. Fish dominated the diet (78% of 697 prey items recorded) across all foraging locations (range: 37–55°N, 122–150°W), diving depths (range: 238–1167 m) and water temperatures (range: 3.2–7.4 °C), while squid comprised only 7% of the diet. Identified prey included fishes such as myctophids, Merluccius sp., and Icosteus aenigmaticus, and squids such as Histioteuthis sp., Octopoteuthis sp., and Taningia danae. Our results corroborate fatty acid analysis, which also found that fish are more important in the diet and contrasts to stomach content analyses that found cephalopods to be the most important component of the diet. Our work shows that in-situ video observation is a useful method for studying the at-sea diet of long-ranging marine predators.
Hyperbaric tracheobronchial compression in cetaceans and pinnipeds
Authors: Denk Michael A. , Fahlman Andreas , Dennison-Gibby Sophie , Song Zhongchang , Moore Michael
Published: February 2020

Assessment of the compressibility of marine mammal airways at depth is crucial to understanding vital physiologic processes such as gas exchange during diving. Very few studies have directly assessed changes in cetacean and pinniped trachea-bronchial shape, and none have quantified changes in volume with increasing pressure. A freshly deceased harbor seal, grey seal, harp seal, harbor porpoise, and common dolphin were imaged post mortem via CT in a radiolucent hyperbaric chamber as previously described in Moore et al (2011). Volume reconstructions were performed of segments of the trachea and bronchi of the pinnipeds and bronchi of the cetaceans for each pressure treatment. All specimens examined demonstrated significant decreases in volume with increasing pressure, with the harbor seal and common dolphin nearing complete collapse at the highest pressures. The common dolphin bronchi demonstrated distinctly different compression dynamics between 50% and 100% lung inflation treatments, indicating the importance of air in maintaining patent airways, and collapse occurred caudally to cranially in the 50% treatment. Dynamics of the harbor seal and grey seal airways indicated that the trachea was less compliant than the bronchi. These findings indicate potential species-specific variability in airway compliance, and cessation of gas exchange may occur at greater depths than those predicted in models assuming rigid airways. This may potentially increase the likelihood of decompression sickness in these animals during diving.
The mechanics of air-breathing in gray tree frog tadpoles, Hyla versicolor LeConte, 1825 (Anura: Hylidae)
Authors: Phillips Jackson R. , Hewes Amanda E. , Schwenk Kurt
Published: February 2020

We describe air-breathing mechanics in gray tree frog tadpoles (Hyla versicolor). We found that H. versicolor tadpoles breathe by ‘bubble-sucking’, a breathing mode typically employed by tadpoles too small to break the water's surface tension in which a bubble is drawn into the buccal cavity and compressed into the lungs. In most tadpoles, bubble-sucking is replaced by breach-breathing (breaking the surface to access air) at larger body sizes. In contrast, H. versicolor tadpoles bubble-suck throughout the larval period, despite reaching body sizes at which breaching is possible. H. versicolor tadpoles exhibit two bubble-sucking behaviors: ‘single bubble-sucking’, previously described in other tadpole species, is characterized by a single suction event followed by a compression phase to fill the lungs. ‘Double bubble-sucking’ is a novel, apparently derived form of bubble-sucking that adds a second suction event. H. versicolor tadpoles transition from single bubble-sucking to double bubble-sucking at approximately 5.7 mm SVL, which corresponds to a period of rapid lung maturation when they transition from low to high vascularization (6.0 mm SVL). Functional, behavioral, and morphological evidence suggest that double bubble-sucking increases the efficiency of pulmonary gas exchange by separating expired, deoxygenated air from freshly inspired air to prevent mixing. H. versicolor and possibly other hylid tadpoles, may have specialized for bubble-sucking in order to take advantage of this increased efficiency. Single- and double bubble-sucking represent two- and four-stroke ventilation systems, which we discuss in the context of other anamniote air-breathing mechanisms.
Foot thermometry with mHeath-based supplementation to prevent diabetic foot ulcers: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lazo-Porras Maria , Bernabe-Ortiz Antonio , Taype-Rondan Alvaro , Gilman Robert H. , Malaga German , Manrique Helard , Neyra Luis , Calderon Jorge , Pinto Miguel , Armstrong David G. , Montori Victor M. , Miranda J. Jaime
Published: February 2020

Background: Three previous clinical trials have found that thermometry use reduced diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) incidence four- to ten-fold among individuals with diabetes at high-risk of developing a DFU. However, these benefits depend on patient adherence to self-assessment. Therefore, novel approaches to improve self-management thermometry adherence are needed. Our objective was to compare incidence of DFUs in the thermometry plus mobile health (mHealth) reminders intervention arm vs. thermometry-only control arm.

Methods: We conducted a randomized trial, enrolling adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus at risk of foot ulcers (risk groups 2 or 3) but without foot ulcers at the time of recruitment and allocating them to control (instruction to use a liquid crystal-based foot thermometer daily) or intervention (same instruction supplemented with text and voice messages with reminders to use the device and messages to promote foot care) groups and followed for 18 months. The primary outcome was time to occurrence of DFU. A process evaluation was also conducted.

Results: A total of 172 patients (63% women, mean age 61 years) were enrolled; 86 to each study group. More patients enrolled in the intervention arm had a history of DFU (66% vs. 48%). Follow-up for the primary endpoint was complete for 158 of 172 participants (92%). DFU cumulative incidence was 24% (19 of 79) in the intervention arm and 11% (9 of 79) in the control arm. After adjusting for history of foot ulceration and study site, the Hazard Ratio (HR) for DFU was 1.44 (95% CI 0.65, 3.22). Adherence to ≥80% of daily temperature measurements was 87% (103 of 118) among the study participants who returned the logbook, with no difference between the intervention and control arms.

Conclusions: This trial contributes to the evidence about the value of mHealth in preventing diabetes foot ulcers.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02373592 (27/02/2015)
WOOD SPECIES AND THE QUESTION OF ORIGIN: REASSESSING THE SCULPTURE PRODUCTION IN THE DIOCESE OF TURKU (ÅBO) DURING THE 14TH CENTURY
Authors: Vuola Katri
Published: February 2020

This paper deals with choices of wood species in the 14th centurypolychrome sculptures in the diocese of Turku (Åbo), Finland, theeasternmost part of the Swedish Realm in the Middle Ages. The aim ofthe article is to draw an overall picture of the wood use in sculptureand discuss the emergence of the local workshops in the diocese.This is done by presenting new wood definitions and by taking theseinto account the when analysing the sculptures’ style and form.The emphasis on the research is on sculptures previously definedas carved from birch and which thus are determined as Finnish orNordic of their origin. The methods for defining the wood specieshave been ocular observation and microscopy analysis. The choiceof wood is approached from the perspective of the wood speciesavailability in the area and suitability for carving. The results of theinvestigation indicate that in addition to oak, and instead of birch,particularly alder (Alnus) was used in the locally manufactured sacralsculptures, and in some cases using oak sculptures as models. Alderwas possibly favored due to its good availability and inexpensivenessas well as workability. It can, however not be ruled out, that sculpturesof alder may have been imported to the bishopric as well.
Gender dysphoria, gender incongruence and gender nonconformity in adolescence – changes and challenges in diagnosis
Authors: Dora Marta , Grabski Bartosz , Dobroczyński Bartłomiej
Published: February 2020

Specjaliści z zakresu psychiatrii, psychoterapii i seksuologii zajmujący się leczeniem i wspieraniem pacjentów nastoletnich, w swojej praktyce mogą dostrzec znaczny wzrost zgłoszeń dotyczących nieakceptowania płci przypisanej przy urodzeniu, kwestionowania jej, odrzucania lub na różne sposoby przeżywania. Chociaż praca z osobami dorosłymi znajdującymi się w spektrum transpłciowości ma historię sięgającą lat 20-tych XX wieku, dysforia płciowa u młodzieży, zwłaszcza w ostatnich latach, jest zjawiskiem, które w swojej złożoności wymyka się próbom ujednolicenia podejść i działań. Wiążące się z tą tematyką kontrowersje często skutkują pochopnymi wnioskami i mylnymi - w ocenie Autorów niniejszego artykułu założeniami - że populacja młodzieży doświadczającej dysforii lub niezgodności płciowej, jest homogeniczna. Tekst porusza następujące aspekty: omówienie zmian w zakresie diagnoz związanych z tożsamością płciową, które zaszły w ostatnich dekadach w klasyfikacjach DSM oraz ICD; zdrowie psychiczne i neuroróżnorodność pacjentów zgłaszających dysforię, dominujące obecnie modele leczenia, wraz z ich zaletami i wadami oraz wyzwania diagnostyczne i terapeutyczne w pracy z tą populacją.
Tunneled central venous catheterization, a viable option for long-term venous access in pediatric burn patients
Authors: Wagner Clayton , Hess Andrea , Olascoaga Jose , Van Spronsen Nicole , Griswold John
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Pediatric patients with severe burns often require long-term venous access over the course of their recovery. The need for long-term venous access in these critically ill patients often necessitates the placement of a central venous catheter (CVC). Many techniques exist for the establishment of a CVC in pediatric burn patients, and each technique poses its own set of inherent risks. No studies to date have clearly delineated the risk associated with tunneled central venous catheterization in the pediatric burn patient population. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the use of tunneled CVCs in pediatric burn patients at the University Medical Center Hospital in Lubbock, Texas.
Methods: To evaluate this method of central venous catheterization, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of pediatric burn patients who received a tunneled CVC to determine the incidence of specific complications associated with this catheterization technique. We present our findings here in a case series format.
Results: Our initial search of patient charts yielded 86 potential candidates for inclusion in the study. After reviewing each chart, 26 pediatric patients were found to have received a CVC. Of these 26 patients, five met all of the inclusion criteria of our study. In these five patients, eight tunneled CVCs were placed. The average age of the patients in this series at the time of their respective burn injuries was 3.9 years old. Mean percent TBSA involvement was 38% with an average length of stay totaling 64.6 days. The average dwell time of the tunneled CVCs in this series was 28 days, and our analysis of the data revealed one tunneled catheterrelated infection and one hemodynamic complication.
Conclusions: Overall, our data show that placement of long-term tunneled CVCs in pediatric burn patients appears to be a relatively safe practice. However, our small sample size warrants more investigation into this topic.Keywords: pediatrics, burns, central vein catheters
Eosinophilic pleural effusion: A case and a review
Authors: Lacy Mark
Published: February 2020

A previously healthy middle-aged woman presented with evanescent skin lesions and bilateral pleural effusions with an eosinophilic predominance. Following this case summary, a description of eosinophilic pleuritis, the epidemiology, etiologic considerations, and selected therapies for this syndrome are discussed. Eosinophilic pleural effusion is caused by myriad etiologies and is a therapeutic challenge.
Keywords: pleural effusion, eosinophilic effusion, dermatitis
Acute kidney injury related to wild mushrooms intoxication
Authors: Marchelek-Myśliwiec Małgorzata , Wilk Aleksandra , Turoń-Skrzypińska Agnieszka , Nowosiad-Magda Monika , Dutkiewicz Grazyna , Dołęgowska Barbara , Stępniewska Joanna , Ciechanowski Kazimierz , Wiszniewska Barbara
Published: February 2020

The problem of mushroom intoxication has been brought up more often in both scientific journals and media, particularly in autumn – the period when mushroom hunting is most intense. Mushroom intoxication is mainly perceived as being associated with acute hepatic insufficiency. However, apart from strong hepatotoxic effects, some mushroom species are characterized by effects that lead to renal damage, sometimes irreversible in character. This article relates to the toxic mushroom species considered to be nephrotoxic and discusses different mechanisms and symptoms of kidney injury as well as methods of treatment