bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Distribution, Regeneration, Growth and Thicket Formation of Thornless Mimosa tenuiflora in a Caatinga Site of Northeast Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Maria Beatriz , Bakke Olaf Andreas , Sousa Geovana Gomes de , Bakke Ivonete Alves , Azevedo Sebastiana Renata Vilela , Ferreira Wesley Costa
Published: May 2020

Aims: Percentage of native thorny and thornless Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret trees, and their growth, height and/or diameter class distribution and clustering pattern were determined in a pure stand of this species.

Study Design: A survey of the adult and juvenile plants was carried out in a 50 m x 50 m site after 10 years of tree cover regeneration.

Place and Duration of Study: The study site was located at Fazenda Nupearido, Patos-PB, Brazil and data collection occurred in September 2017.

Methodology: Adult plants with trunk circumference at breast height (1.3 m from the soil) > 6 cm (CBH > 6 cm) were measured for height and CBH, and located within the study area. Juvenile plants (i.e.: CBH ≤ 6 cm) were divided into 4 height classes. The position of only the thornless individuals within the study area was determined.

Results: Among the 170 adult plants documented in the area, 95.3% and 4.7% were thorny and thornless, respectively. Height and diameter at breast height averaged higher for thornless than for thorny adult plants (4.13 m and 9.28 cm vs. 3.61 m and 5.90 cm). In contrast, thornless juvenile plants averaged lower for height and basal diameter than the thorny ones. The number of juvenile M. tenuiflora totaled 897 plants, including 58 thornless ones, but percentage of thornless juveniles peaked at 17.6% for 10-to-50 cm high plants. In general, thorny plants showed a clustering pattern of distribution while the thornless plans were randomly distributed.

Conclusion: The density, random distribution and growth of the thornless plants suggest the possibility to form thickets of thornless plants in caatinga sites where this tree predominates. Also, these data show that in forested sites with thorny trees that generate thornless mutants, as observed in the Caatinga Biome for M. tenuiflora and other tree species, it is possible to increase the frequency and abundance of the naturally regenerating thornless plants, making easier the exploitation of forest resources, an approach that may be applied in other types of vegetation.
Proximate and Mineral Composition of Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Seed Grown in South-Western Nigeria
Authors: Ogunyemi T. C. , Ekuma C. M. , Egwu J. E. , Abbey D. M.
Published: May 2020

Luffa cylindrica is locally a source of food, medicinal substances and have other traditional application. This study investigated the proximate and mineral analysis of L. cylindrica. The result of the analysis showed that the seed contain principally protein (35.83%) and fat content (33.93%). The crude fiber, moisture and ash content are 4.58, 5.84 and 6.13% respectively, while 13.67% was found as the carbohydrate content which is determine by different methods. The mineral content showed that phosphorus is the most abundant mineral with 30.63 mg/100 g followed by Magnesium (28.93 mg/100 g). It also contains moderately high amount of other minerals such as Potassium (13.86 mg/100 g), Sodium (8.18 mg/100 g) while Chromium (0.25 mg/100 g) was found to be the lowest. The sample could be useful in preventing high blood pressure. Thus, the research suggests that L. cylindrica seed can serve as a potential source of vegetable protein and mineral in dietary formulation.
Characterization of Recessive Parkinson Disease in a Large Multicenter Study
Authors: Lesage Suzanne , Lunati Ariane , Houot Marion , Romdhan Sawssan Ben , Clot Fabienne , Tesson Christelle , Mangone Graziella , Toullec Benjamin Le , Courtin Thomas , Larcher Kathy , Benmahdjoub Mustapha , Arezki Mohamed , Bouhouche Ahmed , Anheim Mathieu , Roze Emmanuel , Viallet François , Tison François , Broussolle Emmanuel , Emre Murat , Hanagasi Hasmet , Bilgic Basar , Tazir Meriem , Djebara Mouna Ben , Gouider Riadh , Tranchant Christine , Vidailhet Marie , Le Guern Eric , Corti Olga , Mhiri Chokri , Lohmann Ebba , Singleton Andrew , Corvol Jean‐Christophe , Brice Alexis ,   for the French Parkinson Disease Genetics Study Group
Published: May 2020

Studies of the phenotype and population distribution of rare genetic forms of parkinsonism are required, now that gene‐targeting approaches for Parkinson disease have reached the clinical trial stage. We evaluated the frequencies of PRKN, PINK1, and DJ‐1 mutations in a cohort of 1,587 cases. Mutations were found in 14.1% of patients; 27.6% were familial and 8% were isolated. PRKN was the gene most frequently mutated in Caucasians, whereas PINK1 mutations predominated in Arab‐Berber individuals. Patients with PRKN mutations had an earlier age at onset, and less asymmetry, levodopa‐induced motor complications, dysautonomia, and dementia than those without mutations. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:843–850
Dialogical Supervision: A Challenging Child and Family Presentation
Authors: Wand Glen , Pepe Tom
Published: May 2020

This paper draws on the concept of dialogue to describe dialogical supervision and its distinction from traditional approaches. It is argued that supervisors have a range of influences on their work, drawing on both traditional and dialogical orientations. These orientations can complement each other to broaden the range of practices available to a supervisor. Traditional and dialogical supervision can be envisaged on a continuum. The authors study four transcript excerpts from a supervision conversation in which they participated. These excerpts are discussed for their dialogical processes and supervision features. One of the excerpts is described as typical of traditional supervision, while the other three have features of dialogical supervision. The aim is to provide an illustrative point of reference regarding dialogical supervision.
Antifouling performance enhancement of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane through increasing charge‐loading capacity over Prussian blue nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Yuan Haikuan , Wang Chengcong , Liu Xiaodi , Lu Jie
Published: May 2020

Prussian blue (PB), as a kind of regulator of charge‐loading capacity, was first used to modify polyethersulfone (PES) membrane, and a novel PB/PES ultrafiltration membrane was prepared by non‐solvent induced phase separation method. The physicochemical properties of PB‐NPs and PB/PES membranes were analyzed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and zeta potential analysis. It was observed that PB‐NPs were uniformly distributed in the PES matrix and a lotus‐seedpod structure was formed inside the membrane. The addition of PB‐NPs improved the charge‐loading capacity of the PES membrane. The permeation and antifouling performance were investigated by filtering bovine serum albumin aqueous solution with different pH values. The results showed that the PB/PES membrane with 0.2‐wt% PB‐NPs content had the excellent antifouling performance and the flux recovery ratio value reached 90.73%. Moreover, the long‐term stability test showed that PB‐NPs did not fall off after continuous pure water filtration, indicating that PB/PES membrane had a good stability.
16S rRNA‐functionalized multi‐HCR concatemers in a signal amplification nanostructure for visual detection of Salmonella
Authors: Qu Guijuan , Sun Xiuwei , Ying Na , Bu Shengjun , Li Zhongyi , Hao Zhuo , Wu Haibo , Wan Jiayu
Published: May 2020

To prevent foodborne diseases and minimize their impacts, it is extremely important to develop a cost‐effective and efficient bacterial detection assay for diagnostics, particularly in resource‐poor settings. In this study, 16S rRNA from foodborne Salmonella was coupled with multiple HCR (hybridization chain reaction) concatemers and functionalized in a signal structure for lateral flow nucleic acid biosensor (LFNAB) detection. The 16S rRNA was incubated with two specific capture probes and multiple helper probes carrying the same initiator, to unwind its secondary structure and form an “initiators‐on‐a‐string” complex. Through use of the initiators, each target 16S rRNA yielded multiple HCR concatemers tethered to numerous biotins, and numerous streptavidin‐labeled gold nanoparticles were introduced on the LFNAB. The limit of detection was 53.65 CFU/mL for Salmonella. Notably, this method has high specificity and applicability for the detection of Salmonella in food and water samples.
Prognostic and predictive values of tumour budding in stage IV colorectal cancer
Authors: Nagata K , Shinto E , Yamadera M , Shiraishi T , Kajiwara Y , Okamoto K , Mochizuki S , Hase K , Kishi Y , Ueno H
Published: May 2020

Background

Tumour budding is an important prognostic feature in early-stage colorectal cancer, but its prognostic significance in metastatic disease has not been fully investigated.

Methods

Patients with stage IV disease who had primary colorectal tumour resection without previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy from January 2000 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Budding was evaluated at the primary site and graded according to the criteria of the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) (BD1, low; BD2, intermediate; BD3, high). Patients were categorized by metastatic (M1a, M1b) and resectional (R0/R1, R2/unresected) status. Subgroups were compared for overall (OS) and recurrence-free (RFS) survival in R0/R1 subgroups; R2/unresected patients were evaluated for the rate of tumour progression, based on change in tumour size from baseline.

Results

Of 371 patients observed during the study, 362 were analysed. Patients with BD3 had a lower 5-year OS rate than those with BD1 + BD2 (18·4 versus 40·5 per cent; P < 0·001). Survival analyses according to metastatic and resection status also showed that BD3 was associated with shorter OS than BD1 + BD2. In multivariable analysis, BD3 (hazard ratio (HR) 1·51, 95 per cent c.i. 1·11 to 2·10; P = 0·009), T4 status (HR 1·39) and R2/unresected status (HR 3·50) were associated with decreased OS. In the R0/R1 subgroup, the 2-year RFS rate was similar for BD3 and BD1 + BD2 according to metastatic status. There was no significant difference between BD3 and BD1 + BD2 for change in tumour size in the R2/unresected subgroup (P = 0·094). Of 141 patients with initially unresectable metastases who had chemotherapy, 35 achieved conversion from unresectable to resectable status. The conversion rate was significantly higher for BD1 + BD2 than for BD3 (36 versus 18 per cent; P = 0·016).

Conclusion

Stage IV colorectal cancer with high-grade tumour budding according to ITBCC criteria correlates with poor prognosis.
Impact of co-morbidities on health-related quality of life 10 years after surgical treatment of oesophageal cancer
Authors: Klevebro F , Johar A , Lagergren P
Published: May 2020

Background

Oesophagectomy for cancer is associated with long-term decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of co-morbidities on HRQoL among survivors of oesophageal or gastro-oesophageal junctional cancers after 10 years or more.

Methods

The study included a prospectively collected, population-based cohort, comprising all patients who had surgery for oesophageal or gastro-oesophageal junctional cancer in Sweden in 2001–2005 with follow-up until 31 December 2016. All data regarding patient and tumour characteristics, treatment details and HRQoL were collected using a prospectively created database. Multivariable ANCOVA regression models, adjusting for age, sex, tumour histology, stage and surgical technique, were used to calculate adjusted mean scores with 95 per cent confidence intervals for all HRQoL outcomes.

Results

A total of 92 survivors (88·5 per cent) responded to the questionnaires. Patients were stratified in two groups according to whether they reported a low or high impact of co-morbidities on general health. Patients in the high-impact group had clinically significantly decreased HRQoL and an increased level of symptoms, but differences between these two groups were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Co-morbidities with high impact on general health still contribute to impaired HRQoL 10 years after oesophagectomy for cancer.
Incidence and clinical outcomes of bleeding complications and acute limb ischemia in STEMI and cardiogenic shock
Authors: Pahuja Mohit , Ranka Sagar , Chehab Omar , Mishra Tushar , Akintoye Emmanuel , Adegbala Oluwole , Yassin Ahmed S. , Ando Tomo , Thayer Katherine L. , Shah Palak , Kimmelstiel Carey D. , Salehi Payam , Kapur Navin K.
Published: May 2020

Background

Bleeding complications and acute limb ischemia (ALI) are devastating vascular complications in patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Cardiogenic shock (CS) can further increase this risk due to multiorgan failure. In the contemporary era, percutaneous mechanical circulatory support is commonly used for management of CS. We hypothesized that vascular complications may be an important determinant of clinical outcomes for CS due to STEMI (CS‐STEMI).

Objective

We evaluated 10‐year national trends, resource utilization and outcomes of bleeding complications, and ALI in CS‐STEMI.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of CS‐STEMI patients from a large U.S. national database (National Inpatient Sample) between 2005 and 2014. Events were then divided into four different groups: no MCS, with intra‐aortic balloon pump, percutaneous ventricular assist device includes Impella or Tandem Heart or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Results

Bleeding complications and ALI were observed in 31,389 (18.2%) and 1,628 (0.9%) out of 172,491 admissions with CS‐STEMI, respectively. Between 2005 and 2014, overall trends increased for ALI; however, the number of bleeding events decreased. ALI was associated with increased in‐hospital mortality in comparison to those without any ALI. However, bleeding complications were not associated with increased in‐hospital mortality. Compared to patients without complications, both bleeding and ALI were associated with increased length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs.

Conclusions

Bleeding and ALI are common complications associated with CS‐STEMI in the contemporary era. Both complications are associated with increased hospital costs and LOS. These findings highlight the need to develop algorithms focused on vascular safety in CS‐STEMI.
Post‐dilatation trepidation: Post‐dil is “no big dil”
Authors: Clegg Stacey , Blankenship James C.
Published: May 2020

Key Points

Selective stent post‐dilatation (PD) in a cohort of STEMI patients did not affect major adverse cardiac events but it did decrease device‐oriented composite events, a secondary composite end point of less clear significance.

This study suggests that selective stent PD in STEMI does not increase the incidence of acute no‐reflow or long‐term adverse clinical events.

In primary PCI for STEMI, if the stent appears under‐expanded, then PD, perhaps guided by intravascular imaging (which was not reported in this study), is reasonable.
Solvothermal Doping of Lanthanum on Nanoscale Platinum Surfaces to Improve Oxygen Electroreduction Performance
Authors: Kim Jeonghyeon , Kabiraz Mrinal Kanti , Lee Wonkyun , Hwang Gyo Hyun , Choi Sang‐Il
Published: May 2020

Platinum (Pt) nanocatalysts, doped or alloyed with lanthanum (La), are promising candidates to promote the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics. However, owing to the very low standard reduction potential of La3+ (−2.38 V), most synthetic routes to reduce La are costly and complex. Therefore, the preparation of highly active bimetallic PtLa nanocatalysts by simple and low‐cost synthesis methods is a challenging task. This work offers a feasible synthesis procedure for doping Pt nanocrystals with La in a simple solvothermal method. Elemental mapping and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that metallic La is doped on the Pt catalyst surfaces. The La‐doped Pt nanocatalysts exhibit ORR mass activity of 0.49 A mgPt−1 at 0.9 V, which is 2.3 and 2.7 times compared to Pt nanocatalysts without La dopant and commercial Pt/C, respectively.
Correlated and misclassified binary observations in complex surveys
Authors: So Hon Yiu , Thompson Mary E. , Wu Changbao
Published: May 2020

Misclassifications in binary responses have long been a common problem in medical and health surveys. One way to handle misclassifications in clustered or longitudinal data is to incorporate the misclassification model through the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach. However, existing methods are developed under a non‐survey setting and cannot be used directly for complex survey data. We propose a pseudo‐GEE method for the analysis of binary survey responses with misclassifications. We focus on cluster sampling and develop analysis strategies for analyzing binary survey responses with different forms of additional information for the misclassification process. The proposed methodology has several attractive features, including simultaneous inferences for both the response model and the association parameters. Finite sample performance of the proposed estimators is evaluated through simulation studies and an application using a real dataset from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Speeding tumor genotyping during the SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak through liquid biopsy
Authors: Rolfo Christian , Russo Alessandro , de Miguel‐Pérez Diego
Published: May 2020

This commentary proposes a shift in the current diagnostic workflow for patients with metastatic cancer to incorporate the use of liquid biopsy. This proposal, born in the time of a severe crisis for the health care system, might also be applied when the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) outbreak ends and thereby reduce the turnaround time for results from molecular testing for patients with cancer and increase the number of patients potentially benefiting from highly effective targeted therapies.
Colour fragmentation measurement in a historic area: Using Shanghai Old Town as an example
Authors: Wang Jiangbo , Wang Jun , Gou Aiping
Published: May 2020

Under the background of urban renewal protection and old city transformation, problems such as clutter, distortion, and disorder appear in the historical style area. These problems have greatly impacted and damaged the cultural heritage and historical research of the style area. To carry out the urban renewal movement more reasonably, this article selects the historical features of the Old Town of Shanghai for empirical research, uses the colour patch concept and fragmentation index for a quantitative analysis, and divides the study area fragmentation level. The study found that the number and types of colour patches in the Old Town are many, and the yellow system is highly fragmented in the Old Town, which means that the human environment in the colour style area is lost. The main reasons are the rise of modernist architecture and new materials. Three aspects are involved in the widespread use of policy and out‐of‐control management of the policy; therefore, attention should be paid to the updating of future historical style areas: protecting the authenticity of colours, maintaining colour integrity, and continually retaining colour memories in cities.
Curriculum projects, learner agency and young people’s fullness of life
Authors: Raffo Carlo , Roth Wolff‐Michael , Buck Rob , Hodson Patsy
Published: May 2020

A recent article in this journal suggests that althoughlearner agencyis central to understanding young people's engagement with the curriculum, there is little exploration of such ideas in the field. In response, they argued for an Archerian approach to learner agency and a contextually, interpersonally, intra‐personally and temporally situated curriculum that suggests the centrality of young people's educational reflexivity and associated learner agency for mediating the structural aspects of their educational lives. We reflect on this thinking through the lens of a curriculum project the design of which was similarly inspired by the work of Margaret Archer. We do so through the eyes of Grace, one of the young participants in the project. We learn from Grace that learner agency and curriculum engagement is not, as Archer's framework suggests, a substantively self‐authored reflexive endeavour that can be made amenable to change through a bespoke curriculum project. Rather learner (agency) in young people might be more accurately theorised in pragmatist terms as something embedded in the drama of the fullness of their everyday lives of which the curriculum represents just a tiny part. The implications for the field of learner agency and curriculum studies are discussed.
Imaging Flow Cytometry for Phylogenetic and MorphologicallyBased Functional Group Clustering of a Natural Phytoplankton Community over 1 Year in an Urban Pond
Authors: Dunker Susanne
Published: May 2020

Ponds are an insufficiently studied research object but represent a biodiversity hotspot and have a high value for ecosystem services like recreation, water retention, or angling. Especially urban ponds create a direct contact for citizens experiencing nature. But on the other side, these systems also suffer from several pressures caused by humans, for example, high nutrient and salt influxes or high temperatures. Phytoplankton organisms are a crucial part of ponds ecosystem and an understanding of community composition is crucial especially when eutrophication and high temperatures lead to dominance of unpleasant toxic cyanobacteria. With traditional microscopic methods for phytoplankton analysis, monitoring is not feasible with high spatial resolution and frequency. Therefore, a new approach of imaging flow cytometry to classify phytoplankton species in either taxonomic or morphologically based functional groups (MBFGs) is suggested. In this study, both classifications could be successfully applied to a natural phytoplankton community in an urban pond in Leipzig with minor modifications. Both classifications in combination provide a good mechanistic understanding of phytoplankton community dynamics. In addition, a great advantage of the measurements is the archivability of microscopic images allowing a comprehensive respective data analysis. Two examples of detailed trait and image analysis are demonstrated to investigate single‐cell traits for cyanobacteria and chlorophytes/euglenophytes and to follow the fate of a cyanobacterial bloom affected by a fungal infection. © 2020 The Author. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Development of a new GC–MS/MS method for the determination of metformin in human hair
Authors: Arbouche Nadia , Batt Marie‐Odile , Raul Jean‐Sebastien , Kintz Pascal
Published: May 2020

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most important public health challenges. Metformin (1,1‐dimethylbiguanide) represents the “gold standard” for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2. Despite its important role in reducing mortality and morbidity in the diabetic population, metformin is associated with an increased risk of stroke. To document exposure to a drug, hair is considered to be the specimen of choice to complement blood and urine, since it provides historical detail of a subject's chronic exposure to drug(s). Measuring hair concentration of metformin can be important for forensic toxicologists investigating criminal poisoning or Munchausen's syndrome by proxy. In clinical toxicology, drug monitoring using hair to document metformin observance has not yet been described. To document the interest of hair analysis for metformin, the authors have developed and validated a method using a gas‐chromatography tandem mass spectrometry system and applied it to authentic hair obtained from 9 diabetic patients under daily treatment. The validation procedure demonstrated a LOD an LOQ of 1 and 100 pg/mg, respectively and acceptable linearity, repeatability and reproducibility. The hair of the 9 patients tested positive in the low ng/mg range with concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 3.8 ng/mg. It seems obvious, in comparison with other drugs, that metformin is badly incorporated into hair, as the daily dosage varied from 1 to 3 g. Although limited in the number of subjects, the study allowed to postulate a possible correlation between daily dose and concentration in dark hair, while for light hair no correlation was found.
N:P stoichiometric changes via species turnover in arid versus saline desert environments
Authors: Gong Yan‐Ming , Ling Hong‐Bo , Chen Yue , Cao Jing , Guo Zhen‐Jie , Lv Guang‐Hui
Published: May 2020

Aridity and salinity have a key role in driving physiological and ecological processes in desert ecosystems. However, how community‐scale foliar nutrients respond to aridity and salinity, and how these responses might vary with community composition along aridity and salinity gradients is unclear. We hypothesize that the response will be a shift in community stoichiometric values resulting from nutrient variability of shared species and unique species (site‐specific species), but little research has addressed the relative contribution of either component.

We analyzed the community‐scale stoichiometric response of a desert community of perennial plants along an aridity and salinity transect by focusing on foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations and N:P ratios. After evaluating the shared and unique species variability, we determined their relative contribution to the community stoichiometric response to aridity and salinity, reflected by changes in nonweighted and weighted community‐average values.

Community‐scale stoichiometry decreased significantly under aridity and salinity, with significantly consistent changes in nonweighted and weighted community‐average stoichiometry for most shared and unique species measurements. The relative contribution of unique species shifts to the changes in community stoichiometry was greater (15%–77%) than the relative contribution of shared species shifts (7%–45%), excluding the change in weighted P concentration under aridity. Thus, the shifts of unique species amplified the community stoichiometric response to environmental changes.

Synthesis. These results highlighted the need for a more in‐depth consideration of shared and unique species variability to understand and predict the effects of environmental change on the stoichiometry of plant communities. Although variation in community stoichiometry can be expected under extreme aridity and salinity conditions, changes of unique species could be a more important driver of the stoichiometric response of plant communities.
Boosting Energy Storage Capability of Nitrogen‐Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon by Graphitization
Authors: Zeng Rong , Liu Fanghuang , Ding Shunmin , Wu Ling , Zhang Shuang , Zhou Jiale
Published: May 2020

The construction of excellent electrochemical double‐layer capacitors (EDLCs) with high energy density is prospective but still challenging. Herein, a combined strategy of self‐template pyrolysis, KOH activation, and iron‐catalytic graphitization is developed to synthesize nitrogen‐doped hierarchically porous partially graphitic carbon (NHPGC) as electrodes material of EDLCs. The obtained NHPGC presents specific features: containing nitrogen element, hierarchically porous structure with a large surface area (2662 m2 g−1), and graphitic structure. Attributed to the advanced design, the assembled NHPGC//NHPGC supercapacitor shows superior ion transport ability and remarkable cycle long life (96.9% retention after 20 000 cycles). The present strategy for nitrogen‐doped hierarchically porous partially graphitic carbon can be extended to apply for other high‐performance energy storage applications.
Hybrid features and optimization‐driven recurrent neural network for glaucoma detection
Authors: Ajesh F. , Ravi R.
Published: May 2020

Glaucoma is considered as the main source of irrevocable loss of vision. The earlier diagnosis of glaucoma is essential to provide earlier treatment and to reduce vision loss. The fundus images are transfigured in the ophthalmology and are used to visualize the structures of the optic disc. However, accuracy is considered as a major constraint. To increase accuracy, an effective optimization‐driven classifier is developed for glaucoma detection. The proposed Jaya‐chicken swarm optimization (Jaya‐CSO) is employed for training the recurrent neural network (RNN) for glaucoma detection. The proposed Jaya‐CSO is designed by integrating the Jaya algorithm with the chicken swarm optimization (CSO) technique for tuning the weights of the RNN classifier. The method utilized optic disc features, statistical features, and blood vessel features for the determination of the glaucomatous region. The features obtained from the optic disc, blood vessels, and the fundus image is formulated as a feature vector. Finally, the glaucoma classification is done using RNN using the feature vector such that the RNN is trained using the proposed Jaya‐CSO. The proposed Jaya‐CSO outperformed other existing models with maximal accuracy of 0.97, the specificity of 0.97, and sensitivity of 0.97, respectively.
Detection of a novel mutation in a Tunisian child with polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Abdelwahed Mayssa , Hilbert Pascale , Ahmed Asma , Dey Mouna , Kamoun Hassen , Ammar‐Keskes Leila , Belguith Neïla
Published: May 2020

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common monogenic disease that has an adverse impact on the patients' health and quality of life. ADPKD is usually known as “adult‐type disease,” but rare cases have been reported in pediatric patients. We present here a 2‐year‐old Tunisian girl with renal cyst formation and her mother with adult onset ADPKD. Disease‐causing mutation has been searched in PKD1 and PKD2 using Long‐Range and PCR followed by sequencing. Molecular sequencing displayed us to identify a novel likely pathogenic mutation (c.696 T > G; p.C232W, exon 5) in PKD1. The identified PKD1 mutation is inherited and unreported variant, which can alter the formation of intramolecular disulfide bonds essential for polycystin‐1 function. We report here the first mutational study in pediatric patient with ADPKD in Tunisia.
A novel process of anodic water denitrification in an upflow tubular microbial fuel cell: effect of C/N ratio
Authors: Davarpanah Leila , Sarbisheh Farimah , Sharghi Elham Abdollahzadeh
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

A high nitrate concentration in groundwater in some parts of Iran has been detected due to untreated wastewater discharge and agriculture activities. Therefore, the development of treatment technology in this area using a new biological method was carried out.

RESULTS

Activated sludge originating from slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plants and immobilized on graphite granules exhibited noticeable denitrification activity in a double chamber upflow tubular microbial fuel cell (UTMFC). The effects of three C/N values at different initial nitrate concentrations and external resistances on nitrate and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies as well as cell performance were studied at a fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h. Based on nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA, four bacterial strains from anodic biofilm were also identified. The UTMFC operated in a continuous mode with C/N values of 20 and 10 was able to denitrify up to 150 mg L–1 nitrate without more accumulation of nitrite and ammonium ions than is permitted for drinking water. The maximum nitrate removal capacity of 0.25 ± 0.01 kg NO3−‐N/ (m3 net anodic compartment ‘NAC’.day) was achieved at 400 mg L–1 initial nitrate concentration and at C/N = 10. Additionally, the maximum current density and power generation at this ratio were found to be 46.04 A m–3 NAC and 16.96 W/m3 NAC, respectively. No efficient denitrification was observed at C/N = 5 while nitrite/ammonium formation increased.

CONCLUSION

The experimental data documented the feasibility of bioelectricity generation and substrate removal utilizing acetate containing water under the adopted operating conditions of UTMFC, and the proposed system allowed the simultaneous heterotrophic denitrification/electricity generation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
A phase congruency‐based green fluorescent protein and phase contrast image fusion method in nonsubsampled shearlet transform domain
Authors: Tang Wei , Liu Yu , Cheng Juan , Li Chang , Peng Hu , Chen Xun
Published: May 2020

Image fusion technique is an effective way to merge the information contained in different imaging modalities by generating a more informative composite image. Fusion of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and phase contrast images is of great significance to the subcellular localization, the functional analysis of protein, and the expression of gene. In this article, a phase congruency (PC)‐based GFP and phase contrast image fusion method in nonsubsampled shearlet transform (NSST) domain is presented. The input images are decomposed by the NSST to acquire the multiscale and multidirection representations. The high‐frequency coefficients are fused with a strategy based on PC and parameter‐adaptive pulse coupled neural network (PA‐PCNN), while the low‐frequency coefficients are integrated through a local energy (LE)‐based rule. Finally, the fused image is generated by conducting the inverse NSST on the merged high‐ and low‐frequency coefficients. Experimental results illustrate that the presented method outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art GFP and phase contrast image fusion algorithms on both qualitative and quantitative assessments.
Bighorn Sheep Genetic Structure in Wyoming Reflects Geography and Management
Authors: Love Stowell Sierra M. , Gagne Roderick B. , McWhirter Doug , Edwards William , Ernest Holly B.
Published: May 2020

Aligning wildlife management boundaries with accurate biological units promotes effective conservation and management practices that reflect ecological and evolutionary processes. Neutral genetic markers allow for quantitative delineation of population structure without a priori assumptions or biases. In the United States, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are a charismatic component of Wyoming's biodiversity and a species that provides important viewing and hunting opportunities. Bighorn sheep abundances are relatively stable throughout Wyoming, and the species is managed by administrative units identified using expert knowledge, distribution and movement data, and geographic and administrative boundaries. We used a panel of 38 variable microsatellite loci and 512 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA sequence to identify the genetic structure throughout the state and in translocation source herds, quantify the extent of genetic diversity within each genetic cluster, and estimate the degree of gene flow among herds using blood and tissue samples collected 1989–2017. We identified genetic structure of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the major mountain ranges of Wyoming, with strong support for ≥5 genetic clusters using microsatellite loci. These genetic clusters generally aligned with current management units, whereas mitochondrial data showed a more complex mosaic that was not geographically patterned. Genetic variation estimated from both markers was high within each herd and comparable among herds. The assignment of individuals reflected a combination of geographic isolation and translocation, which has been extensive. Our results provide a state‐wide assessment of genetic diversity and structure that will enhance management by understanding the outcomes of translocation, identifying the source of unknown individuals, and parameterizing disease ecology models. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Temperature‐dependent rate coefficients for the gas‐phase OH + furan‐2,5‐dione (C4H2O3, maleic anhydride) reaction
Authors: Chattopadhyay Aparajeo , Papadimitriou Vassileios C. , Marshall Paul , Burkholder James B.
Published: May 2020

Rate coefficients, k1(T), for the gas‐phase reaction of the OH radical with furan‐2,5‐dione (maleic anhydride (MA), C4H2O3), a biomass burning related compound, were measured under pseudo–first‐order conditions in OH using the pulsed laser photolysis–laser‐induced fluorescence method over a range of temperature (283‐374 K) and bath gas pressure (50‐200 Torr; He or N2). k1(T) was found to be independent of pressure over this range with k1(283‐374 K) = (1.55 ± 0.20) × 10−12 exp[(−410 ± 44)/T) cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and k1(296 K) = (3.93 ± 0.28) × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, where the uncertainties are 2σ and the preexponential term includes the estimated systematic error. The atmospheric lifetime of MA with respect to OH reactive loss is estimated to be ∼15 days. The present results are compared with a previous room temperature relative rate study of the OH + MA reaction, and the significant discrepancy between the studies is discussed; the present results are approximately a factor of 4 lower. It is also noteworthy that the experimentally measured k1(296 K) value obtained in this work is nearly a factor of 110 less than estimated by a structure activity relationship based on trends in ionization potential. Based in part on a computational evaluation, an atmospheric degradation mechanism of MA is proposed.
Association Between Breathing Route, Oxygen Desaturation, and Upper Airway Morphology
Authors: Hsu Yen‐Bin , Lan Ming‐Ying , Huang Yun‐Chen , Kao Ming‐Chang , Lan Ming‐Chin
Published: May 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

This study aimed to assess the role of capnography in objectively evaluating breathing routes during drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and further elucidate the relationship between breathing route, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity, and DISE findings.

Study Design

Prospective observational study.

Methods

Nighty‐five patients with established OSA were recruited for this study from May 2017 to May 2019. DISE was performed in the operating room. Sedation was maintained with propofol using a target‐controlled infusion system and the depth of sedation was monitored based on the bispectral index. The breathing routes, which included oral breathing, oronasal breathing, and nasal breathing, were detected using capnography. DISE findings were recorded using the VOTE (velum, oropharynx, base of tongue, and epiglottis) classification.

Results

Patients with mouth breathing were associated with increased OSA severity, worse oximetric variables, and higher body mass index in comparison with those with other breathing routes. Mouth breathing was associated with a higher degree and higher prevalence of lateral pharyngeal wall collapse and tongue base collapse during DISE.

Conclusions

Mouth breathing was significantly associated with worse oxygen desaturation and increased degree of upper airway collapse. Therefore, patients with mouth breathing during propofol‐based intravenous anesthesia should be carefully monitored.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E659–E664, 2021
Trends in Oyster Populations in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico: An Assessment of River Discharge and Fishing Effects over Time and Space
Authors: Moore J. F. , Pine W. E. , Frederick P.C. , Beck S. , Moreno M. , Dodrill M. J. , Boone M. , Sturmer L. , Yurek S.
Published: May 2020

Within the Big Bend region of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, one of the least developed coastlines in the continental USA, intertidal and subtidal populations of eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (hereafter referred to as “oyster”) are a critical ecosystem and important economic constituent. We assessed trends in intertidal oyster populations, river discharge, and commercial fishing activity in the Suwannee River estuary within the Big Bend region using fisheries-independent data from irregular monitoring efforts and publicly available environmental data. We used generalized linear models to evaluate counts of oysters from line-transect surveys over time and space. We assessed model performance using simulation to understand potential bias and then evaluated whether these counts were related to freshwater inputs from the Suwannee River and commercial oyster fishing effort and landings at different time lags. We found that intertidal oyster counts have declined over time and that most of these declines are found in inshore intertidal oyster bars, which are becoming degraded. We also found a significant relationship between oyster counts and a 1-year lag on mean daily Suwannee River discharge, but including commercial fishery trips or landings did not improve model fit. It is unclear whether declines in intertidal oyster bars are offset by formation of new oyster reefs elsewhere. These results quantify rapid declines in intertidal oyster reefs in a region of coastline with high conservation value that can be used to inform ongoing and proposed restoration projects in the region.
A Monte Carlo‐based analytic model of neutron dose equivalent for a mevion gantry‐mounted passively scattered proton system for craniospinal irradiation
Authors: Baradaran‐Ghahfarokhi Milad , Reynoso Francisco , Sun Baozhou , Darafsheh Arash , Prusator Michael T. , Mutic Sasa , Zhao Tianyu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To calculate in‐ and out‐of‐field neutron spectra and dose equivalent, using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, for a Mevion gantry‐mounted passively scattered proton system in craniospinal irradiation. An analytical model based on the MC calculations that estimates in‐ and out‐of‐field neutron dose equivalent from proton Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) was also developed.

Methods

The MCNPX MC code was used to simulate a Mevion S250 proton therapy system. The simulated proton depth doses and profiles for pristine and spread‐out Bragg peaks were benchmarked against the measured data. Previous measurements using extended‐range Bonner spheres were used to verify the calculated neutron spectra and dose equivalent. Using the benchmarked results as a reference condition, a correction‐based analytical model was reconstructed by fitting the data to derive model parameters at 95% confidence interval. Sensitivity analysis of brass aperture opening, thickness of the Lucite (PMMA) range compensator, and modulation width was performed to obtain correction parameters for nonreference conditions.

Results

For the neutron dose equivalent per therapeutic proton dose, the MCNPX calculated dose equivalent matched the measured values to within 8%. The benchmarked neutron dose equivalent at the isocenter was 41.2 and 20.8 mSv/Gy, for cranial and spinal fields, respectively. For in‐ and out‐of‐field neutron dose calculations, the correction‐based analytical model showed up to 17% discrepancy compared to the MC calculations. The correction factors may provide a conservative estimation of neutron dose, especially for depth ≤ 5 cm and regions underneath the brass aperture.

Conclusion

The proposed analytical model can be used to estimate the contribution of the neutron dose to the overall CSI treatment dose. Moreover, the model can be employed to estimate the neutron dose to the implantable cardiac electronic devices.
Evaluation of a deep learning‐based computer‐aided diagnosis system for distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules in ultrasound images
Authors: Sun Chao , Zhang Yukang , Chang Qing , Liu Tianjiao , Zhang Shaohang , Wang Xi , Guo Qianqian , Yao Jinpeng , Sun Weidong , Niu Lijuan
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) systems assist in solving subjective diagnosis problems that typically rely on personal experience. A CAD system has been developed to differentiate malignant thyroid nodules from benign thyroid nodules in ultrasound images based on deep learning methods. The diagnostic performance was compared between the CAD system and the experienced attending radiologists.

Methods

The ultrasound image dataset for training the CAD system included 651 malignant nodules and 386 benign nodules while the database for testing included 422 malignant nodules and 128 benign nodules. All the nodules were confirmed by pathology results. In the proposed CAD system, a support vector machine (SVM) is used for classification and fused features which combined the deep features extracted by a convolutional neural network (CNN) with the hand‐crafted features such as the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG), local binary patterns (LBP), and scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) were obtained. The optimal feature subset was formed by selecting these fused features based on the maximum class separation distance and used as the training sample for the SVM.

Results

The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CAD system were 92.5%, 96.4%, and 83.1%, respectively, which were higher than those of the experienced attending radiologists. The areas under the ROC curves of the CAD system and the attending radiologists were 0.881 and 0.819, respectively.

Conclusions

The CAD system for thyroid nodules exhibited a better diagnostic performance than experienced attending radiologists. The CAD system could be a reliable supplementary tool to diagnose thyroid nodules using ultrasonography. Macroscopic features in ultrasound images, such as the margins and shape of thyroid nodules, could influence the diagnostic efficiency of the CAD system.
The prognostic strength of serum LDH and serum ferritin in children with neuroblastoma: A report from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) project
Authors: Moroz Veronica , Machin David , Hero Barbara , Ladenstein Ruth , Berthold Frank , Kao Paige , Obeng Yaa , Pearson Andrew D.J. , Cohn Susan L. , London Wendy B.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Age,MYCNstatus, stage, and histology have been used as neuroblastoma (NB) risk factors for decades. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum ferritin are reproducible, easily obtained, and prognostic, though never used in risk stratification, except one German trial. We analyzed the prognostic strength of LDH and ferritin, overall, within high‐risk NB, and by era, using the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Data Commons.

Patients and methods

Children with NB (1990‐2016) were categorized into LDH (n = 8867) and ferritin (n = 8575) risk groups using EFS. Cox models compared the prognostic strength of LDH and ferritin to age,MYCNstatus, and INSS stage.

Results

Higher LDH conferred worse EFS, overall (5‐year EFS) (100‐899 IU/L: 76 ± 0.6%; 0‐99 or 900‐1399 IU/L: 60 ± 1.2%; ≥1400 IU/L: 36 ± 1.2%;P < .0001), and in high‐risk NB post‐2009 (3‐year EFS) (117‐381 IU/L: 67 ± 8.9%; 382‐1334 IU/L: 58 ± 4.4%; 0‐116 or ≥1335 IU/L: 46 ± 3.9%;P = .003). Higher ferritin conferred worse EFS, overall (5‐year EFS) (1‐29 ng/mL: 87 ± 0.9%; 0 or 30‐89 ng/mL: 74 ± 0.8%; ≥90 ng/mL: 48 ± 0.9%;P < .0001), and in high‐risk NB post‐2009 (3‐year EFS) (1‐53 ng/mL: 71 ± 9.3%; 0 or 54‐354 ng/mL: 55 ± 4.7%; ≥355 ng/mL: 34 ± 6.1%;P = .0008). In multivariable analyses adjusting for age,MYCN, and stage, LDH and ferritin maintained independent prognostic ability (P < .0001; adjusted HRs (95% CI): 1.7 (1.5‐1.9), 2.3 (2.0‐2.7), respectively).

Conclusions

LDH and ferritin are strongly prognostic in NB, overall and within high‐risk NB patients treated post‐2009 with modern therapy. LDH and ferritin show promise for (a) identifying ultra‐high‐risk; (b) refining risk stratification; and (c) clinical utility in low‐/middle‐income countries. Routine collection of LDH and ferritin should be reinitiated for evolving NB risk stratification.