bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left and Right Ventricular Impairment Shortly After Correction of Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Terol Covadonga , Kamphuis Vivian P. , Hazekamp Mark G. , Blom Nico A. , Ten Harkel Arend D. J. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSurgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is usually performed in the first months of life with low early postoperative mortality. During long-term follow-up, however, both right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) performances may deteriorate. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle tracking echocardiography (ST) can unmask a diminished RV and LV performance. The objective of the current study was to assess the cardiac performance before and shortly after corrective surgery in ToF patients using conventional, TDI and ST echocardiographic techniques. Thirty-six ToF patients after surgery were included. Transthoracic echocardiography including TDI and ST techniques was performed preoperatively and at hospital discharge after surgery (10 days to 4 weeks after surgery). Median age at surgery was 7.5 months [5.5–10.9]. Regarding the LV systolic function there was a significant decrease in interventricular septum (IVS) S′ at discharge as compared to preoperatively (pre IVS S′ = 5.4 ± 1.4; post IVS S′ = 3.9 ± 1.2; p < 0.001) and in global longitudinal peak strain (GLS) (pre = − 18.3 ± 3.4; post = − 14.2 ± 4.1; p = 0.003); but not in the fractional shortening (FS). Both conventional and TDI parameters showed a decrease in diastolic function at discharge. Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion and RV S′ were significantly lower before discharge. When assessing the RV diastolic performance, only the TDI demonstrated a RV impairment. There was a negative correlation between age at surgery and postoperative LV GLS (R = − 0.41, p = 0.031). There seems to be an impairment in left and right ventricle performance at discharge after ToF corrective surgery compared to preoperatively. This is better determined with TDI and ST strain imaging than with conventional echocardiography.
Fear of the dark? A mesopredator mitigates large carnivore risk through nocturnality, but humans moderate the interaction
Authors: Haswell Peter M. , Kusak Josip , Jones Katherine A. , Hayward Matt W. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWhile constrained by endogenous rhythms, morphology and ecology, animals may still exhibit flexible activity patterns in response to risk. Temporal avoidance of interspecific aggression can enable access to resources without spatial exclusion. Apex predators, including humans, can affect mesopredator activity patterns. Human context might also modify temporal interactions between predators. We explored activity patterns, nocturnality and the effects of human activity upon a guild of carnivores (grey wolf,Canis lupus; Eurasian lynx,Lynx lynx; red fox,Vulpes vulpes) using travel routes in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Humans were diurnal, foxes nocturnal and large carnivores active during the night, immediately after sunrise and before sunset. Carnivore activity patterns overlapped greatly and to a similar extent for all pairings. Activity curves followed expectations based on interspecific killing, with activity peaks coinciding where body size differences were small (wolf and lynx) but not when they were intermediate (foxes to large carnivores). Carnivore activity, particularly fox, overlapped much less with that of diurnal humans. Foxes responded to higher large carnivore activity by being more nocturnal. Low light levels likely provide safer conditions by reducing the visual detectability of mesopredators. The nocturnal effect of large carnivores was however moderated and reduced by human activity. This could perhaps be due to temporal shielding or interference with risk cues. Subtle temporal avoidance and nocturnality may enable mesopredators to cope with interspecific aggression at shared spatial resources. Higher human activity moderated the effects of top-down temporal suppression which could consequently affect the trophic interactions of mesopredators.Significance statementTemporal partitioning can provide an important mechanism for spatial resource access and species coexistence. Our findings show that carnivores partition the use of shared travel routes in time, using the cover of darkness to travel safely where their suppressors (large carnivores) are more active. We however observed fox nocturnality to be flexible, with responses depending on the activity levels but also the composition of apex predators. High human activity modified the top-down temporal suppression of mesopredators by large carnivores. The use of time by predators can have demographic and trophic consequences. Prey accessibility and susceptibility can be temporally variable. As such, the ecosystem services and the ecological roles of predators may be affected by human time use as well as that of intraguild competitors. Temporal interactions should not be overlooked when evaluating human use and conservation priorities in protected areas.
Behavioural correlations and aggression in praying mantids
Authors: Fisher Adam M. , Holwell Gregory I. , Price Tom A. R. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractDistinct behaviours can co-vary within individuals. As such, the magnitude of certain behaviours may be partly predicted by other behaviours, rather than the environment. This can constrain behaviours, potentially reducing behavioural variability. Pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism, the consumption of potential mates before copulation, can lead to females remaining unmated, particularly if males are rare. One possible explanation for the persistence of pre-copulatory cannibalism is that sexual cannibalism is correlated with high levels of aggression towards prey. Here, we test this in two species of praying mantis: the highly cannibalisticMiomantis caffraand the less cannibalisticOrthodera novaezealandiae. If cannibalism inM. caffrais linked to aggression towards prey, we predicted that (1)M. caffrawould be more aggressive towards prey thanO. novaezealandiae, (2) femaleM. caffrawould be more aggressive than males, (3) aggression towards prey would be correlated across juvenile and adult instars forM. caffrabut notO. novaezealandiae, and (4) aggression towards prey would be associated with a propensity for sexual cannibalism among individualM. caffra. We found evidence supporting predictions one and two, but not predictions three and four. Surprisingly, aggression was shown to be repeatable and correlated across instars forO. novaezealandiaebut notM. caffra. Our results suggest sexual cannibalism is not a product of behavioural co-variation, even in clades where sexual cannibalism is common. This suggests that sexual cannibalism evolves due to the direct benefits it brings to females, rather than being a by-product of high aggression towards heterospecific prey.Significance statementIn some animals, different behaviours co-vary within individuals. This may lead to the emergence of costly behaviours and reduce behavioural plasticity. It is theorized that pre-copulatory cannibalism is a costly behavioural by-product of selection for high levels of aggression towards prey. However, there are very few studies that explicitly test this. Here, we provide a behavioural comparison between two species of praying mantis that vary in their propensity to cannibalize and tested whether general aggression is linked cannibalism. We found that aggression towards prey in adults can be linked to juvenile aggression but not a propensity for cannibalism. Although cannibalism rates were higher in the species that was more aggressive towards prey, aggression towards prey was not linked to cannibalism within individuals. This suggests that pre-copulatory cannibalism is not a behavioural by-product but a result of direct selection.
Gone with the wind: Is signal timing in a neotropical katydid an adaptive response to variation in wind-induced vibratory noise?
Authors: Velilla Estefania , Muñoz Matías , Quiroga Nicol , Symes Laurel , ter Hofstede Hannah M. , Page Rachel A. , Simon Ralph , Ellers Jacintha , Halfwerk Wouter 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Wind, a major source of environmental noise, forces invertebrates that communicate with plant-borne vibrations to adjust their signaling when communicating in windy conditions. However, the strategies that animals use to reduce the impact of wind noise on communication are not well studied. We investigated the effects of wind on the production of tremulatory signals in the neotropical katydid Copiphora brevirostris. First, we recorded katydid signaling activity and natural wind variation in the field. Additionally, we exposed katydid couples during their most active signaling time period to artificial wind of different levels, and we recorded the number of tremulations produced by the males. We found that wind levels are at their lowest between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning, which coincides with peak signaling period for male katydids. Furthermore, we found that males produce significantly fewer tremulations when exposed to wind rather than acoustic noise or silence. Wind velocity significantly affected the number of tremulations produced during the wind treatment, with fewer tremulations produced with higher wind velocities. Our results show that katydids can time their vibratory signaling both in the short- and long-term to favorable sensory conditions, either through behavioral flexibility in response to short-term fluctuations in wind or as a result of an evolutionary process in response to predictable periods of low-wind conditions.

Significance statement
Animal communication can be hampered by noise across all sensory modalities. Most research on the effects of noise and the strategies to cope with it has focused on animals that use airborne sounds to communicate. However, although hundreds of thousands of invertebrates communicate with vibrational signals, we know very little about how noise affects this form of communication. For animals that rely on substrate-borne vibrations, wind represents the major source of environmental noise. Wind velocity levels can be predictable at a long-term scale (hours) but rather unpredictable at a short time scale (seconds). Both scales of variation are important for communication. Using a combination of field observations and lab experiments, we investigated the strategies used by a neotropical katydid Copiphora brevirostris to cope with vibrational noise induced by wind. Our results demonstrate that C. brevirostris times its signals at the long- and short-term range. Katydids signaled more at the times at night when wind velocity was lowest. Moreover, when exposed to wind gusts during their peak time of activity, katydids signaled more during the wind-free gaps.
Comparison of radial and meander-like breast ultrasound with respect to diagnostic accuracy and examination time
Authors: Jäggi-Wickes Claudia , Brasier-Lutz Pascale , Schaedelin Sabine , Burian Rosemarie , Schoenenberger Cora-Ann , Zanetti-Dällenbach Rosanna 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Purpose
To prospectively compare the diagnostic accuracy of radial breast ultrasound (r-US) to that of conventional meander-like breast ultrasound (m-US), patients of a consecutive, unselected, mixed collective were examined by both scanning methods.

Methods
Out of 1948 dual examinations, 150 revealed suspicious lesions resulting in 168 biopsies taken from 148 patients. Histology confirmed breast cancers in 36 cases. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV were calculated for r-US and m-US. The examination times were recorded.

Results
For m-US and r-US, sensitivity (both 88.9%), specificity (86.4% versus 89.4%), accuracy (86.9% versus 89.3%), PPV (64.0% versus 69.6%), NPV (both 98.3%), false-negative rate (both 5.6%), and rate of cancer missed by one method (both 5.6%) were similar. The mean examination time for r-US (14.8 min) was significantly (p < 0.01) shorter than for m-US (22.6 min).

Conclusion
Because the diagnostic accuracy of r-US and m-US are comparable, r-US can be considered an alternative to m-US in routine breast US with the added benefit of a significantly shorter examination time.
COX-2-PGE2-EPs in gynecological cancers
Authors: Ye Yao , Wang Xipeng , Jeschke Udo , von Schönfeldt Viktoria 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and selective COX-2 inhibitors (COXibs) inhibit the progression of endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. However, concerning the adverse effects of NSAIDs and COXibs, it is still urgent and necessary to explore novel and specific anti-inflammation targets for potential chemoprevention. The signaling of cyclooxygenase 2-prostaglandin E2-prostaglandin E2 receptors (COX-2-PGE2-EPs) is the central inflammatory pathway involved in the gynecological carcinogenesis.

Methods
Literature searches were performed to the function of COX-2-PGE2-EPs in gynecological malignancies.

Results
This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of COX-2-PGE2-EPs signaling in endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Many studies demonstrated the upregulated expression of the whole signaling pathway in gynecological malignancies and some focused on the function of COX-2 and cAMP-linked EP2/EP4 and EP3 signaling pathway in gynecological cancer. By contrast, roles of EP1 and the exact pathological mechanisms have not been completely clarified. The studies concerning EP receptors in gynecological cancers highlight the potential advantage of combining COX enzyme inhibitors with EP receptor antagonists as therapeutic agents in gynecological cancers.

Conclusion
EPs represent promising anti-inflammation biomarkers for gynecological cancer and may be novel treatment targets in the near future.
Probabilistic tractography in the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus: cerebellar and pallidal connections
Authors: Pelzer Esther A. , Pauls K. Amande M. , Braun Nina , Tittgemeyer Marc , Timmermann Lars 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe ventrolateral thalamic nucleus (VL), as part of the ‘motor thalamus’, is main relay station of cerebellar and pallidal projections. It comprises anterior (VLa) and posterior (VLpd and VLpv) subnuclei. Though the fibre architecture of cerebellar and pallidal projections to of the VL nucleus has already been focus in a numerous amount of in vitro studies mainly in animals, probabilistic tractography now offers the possibility of an in vivo comparison in healthy humans. In this study we performed a (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative examination of VL-cerebellar and VL-pallidal pathways and compared the probability distributions between both projection fields in the VL after an (I) atlas-based and (II) manual-based segmentation procedure. Both procedures led to high congruent results of cerebellar and pallidal connectivity distributions: the maximum of pallidal projections was located in anterior and medial parts of the VL nucleus, whereas cerebellar connectivity was more located in lateral and posterior parts. The median connectivity for cerebellar connections in both approaches (manual and atlas-based segmentation) was VLa > VLpv > VLpd, whereas the pallidal median connectivity was VLa ~ VLpv > VLpd in the atlas-based approach and VLpv > VLa > VLpd in the manual approach.
Rapid nitrogen loss from ectomycorrhizal pine germinants signaled by their fungal symbiont
Authors: Smith Joshua M. , Whiteside Matthew D. , Jones Melanie D. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractEctomycorrhizal fungi supply their plant partners with nitrogen but can also retain substantial amounts. The concentration of nitrogen in the soil and the amount of carbon supplied from the host seem to influence the proportion of N retained by the fungus. In an experiment designed to determine whether differential supply of nitrogen to two plants influenced nitrogen transfer from fungus to plant within a mycorrhizal network, we observed rapid, substantial loss of nitrogen from pine seedlings. The loss occurred when the mycorrhizal fungus experienced a sudden increase in nitrogen supply. We grewPinus contortaseedlings in association withSuillus tomentosusin low-nitrogen microcosms where some nitrogen was accessible only by hyphae. After 70 days, foliage of some seedlings was treated with nitrogen. Three days later, hyphal nutrient media were replaced with water or a solution containing nitrogen. Foliar treatment did not affect nitrogen transfer by the fungus to shoots, but by day 75, seedling nitrogen contents had dropped by 60% in microcosms where nitrogen had been added to the hyphal compartments. Those seedlings retained only 55% of the nitrogen originally present in the seed. Loss of nitrogen did not occur if water was added or the hyphae were severed. Because of the severing effect, we concluded thatS. tomentosustriggered the loss of seedling nitrogen. Nitrogen may have been lost through increased root exudation or transfer to the fungus. Access to nitrogen from nutrient-rich germinants would benefit rhizosphere microorganisms, including ectomycorrhizal fungi colonizing pine from spores after wildfire.
New insight into the molecular phylogeny of the genus Liparis s.l. (Orchidaceae: Malaxideae) with a new generic segregate: Blepharoglossum
Authors: Li Lin , Chung Shih-Wen , Li Bo , Zeng Song-Jun , Yan Hai-Fei , Li Shi-Jin 
Published: May 2020

AbstractMolecular studies have shown thatLipariss.l. is polyphyletic, with the epiphyticLiparisalliance well separated from the clade representingLiparisin its restricted sense and further forming a phylogenetically heterogeneous assemblage. The generic status ofCestichis, as the key member of the epiphyticLiparisalliance, remains contentious, and the relationships betweenCestichis,StichorkisandPlatystyliparisare still unclear and in need of further studies. We herein employ DNA sequence data from nuclear ITS and plastidmatK regions to clarify the generic boundaries ofCestichisand its relationship to the allied genera. Results from both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis congruently indicate thatCestichisas currently circumscribed is not monophyletic. TheBlepharoglossumclade, corresponding to commonly recognized sect.Blepharoglossum, forms a monophyletic lineage closely related to the genusOberoniainstead of the coreCestichisclade. A re-evaluation of the diagnostic morphological characters reveals that this lineage represents a morphologically distinct group. Based on these results,Blepharoglossumis removed fromCestichisand elevated to generic status. Our study also sheds light on the homoplastic nature of some diagnostic morphological characters used traditionally in the taxonomy of the Malaxidinae.
Tumor Segmentation and Feature Extraction from Whole-Body FDG-PET/CT Using Cascaded 2D and 3D Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Jemaa Skander , Fredrickson Jill , Carano Richard A. D. , Nielsen Tina , de Crespigny Alex , Bengtsson Thomas 
Published: May 2020

Abstract18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is commonly used in clinical practice and clinical drug development to identify and quantify metabolically active tumors. Manual or computer-assisted tumor segmentation in FDG-PET images is a common way to assess tumor burden, such approaches are both labor intensive and may suffer from high inter-reader variability. We propose an end-to-end method leveraging 2D and 3D convolutional neural networks to rapidly identify and segment tumors and to extract metabolic information in eyes to thighs (whole body) FDG-PET/CT scans. The developed architecture is computationally efficient and devised to accommodate the size of whole-body scans, the extreme imbalance between tumor burden and the volume of healthy tissue, and the heterogeneous nature of the input images. Our dataset consists of a total of 3664 eyes to thighs FDG-PET/CT scans, from multi-site clinical trials in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tumors were segmented and reviewed by board-certified radiologists. We report a mean 3D Dice score of 88.6% on an NHL hold-out set of 1124 scans and a 93% sensitivity on 274 NSCLC hold-out scans. The method is a potential tool for radiologists to rapidly assess eyes to thighs FDG-avid tumor burden.
Age matters: substrate-specific colonization patterns of benthic invertebrates on installed large wood
Authors: Dossi Florian , Leitner Patrick , Graf Wolfram 
Published: May 2020

AbstractLarge wood (LW) is an indispensable element in riverine ecosystems, especially in lower river parts. The presence of LW significantly shapes local hydraulics, morphology, the nutrient budget; promotes overall river dynamics; and additionally presents a unique habitat for numerous benthic invertebrate species. Therefore, LW is recognized as valuable asset for river restoration measures. Experiences from previous projects show that ecological responses on LW implementation measures vary greatly. That complicates comparisons and estimations on the success of planned measures. Methodological inconsistencies and thus reduced transferability of the results is one major issue. Additionally, wood quality aspects are suspected to be important factors affecting benthic invertebrate colonization patterns. The focus of this study is therefore to consistently assess the ecological significance of installed LW and concrete samples of similar size and shape in terms of benthic invertebrate colonization and to further test, if the condition of wood affects the benthic invertebrate colonization. Our results show that (1) installed LW serves as an abundantly and heterogeneously colonized habitat, (2) the state of decay of LW pieces significantly affects benthic invertebrate colonization in terms of density and diversity and (3) even rare or threatened taxa closely associated to LW were abundantly present on the installed logs, emphasizing the suitability of the chosen approach.
Apatinib, a novel VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for relapsed and refractory nasopharyngeal carcinoma: data from an open-label, single-arm, exploratory study
Authors: Li Ling , Kong Fei , Zhang Lei , Li Xin , Fu Xiaorui , Wang Xinhua , Wu Jingjing , Zhang Fangwen , Ren Liangliang , Zhang Mingzhi 
Published: May 2020

SummaryPurpose Apatinib, a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, has shown promising efficacy against several solid cancers, but evidence of its efficacy against relapsed and refractory nasopharyngeal carcinoma is limited. We investigated the efficacy and safety of apatinib for relapsed and refractory nasopharyngeal carcinoma in an open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial. Fifty-one patients with relapsed and refractory nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. All patients received apatinib at an initial dose of 500 mg daily (1 cycle = 28 days). The primary and secondary endpoints were overall response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival. We evaluated treatment effects and recorded apatinib-related adverse events by performing regular follow-ups and workup. The overall response rate (complete and partial responses) was 31.37% (16/51). The median overall survival and progression-free survival were 16 (95% CI, 9.32–22.68) and 9 months (95% CI, 5.24–12.76), respectively. Most patients tolerated treatment-related adverse events of grades 1 and 2; hypertension (29, 56.86%), proteinuria (25, 49.02%), and hand–foot syndrome (27, 52.94%) were the most common adverse events. There were no treatment-related deaths. Apatinib showed good efficacy and safety in patients with relapsed and refractory NPC.