bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intraspecific trait variation across elevation predicts a widespread tree species' climate niche and range limits
Authors: Van Nuland Michael E. , Vincent John B. , Ware Ian M. , Mueller Liam O. , Bayliss Shannon L. J. , Beals Kendall K. , Schweitzer Jennifer A. , Bailey Joseph K. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractGlobal change is widely altering environmental conditions which makes accurately predicting species range limits across natural landscapes critical for conservation and management decisions. If climate pressures along elevation gradients influence the distribution of phenotypic and genetic variation of plant functional traits, then such trait variation may be informative of the selective mechanisms and adaptations that help define climatic niche limits. Using extensive field surveys along 16 elevation transects and a large common garden experiment, we tested whether functional trait variation could predict the climatic niche of a widespread tree species (Populus angustifolia) with a double quantile regression approach. We show that intraspecific variation in plant size, growth, and leaf morphology corresponds with the species' total climate range and certain climatic limits related to temperature and moisture extremes. Moreover, we find evidence of genetic clines and phenotypic plasticity at environmental boundaries, which we use to create geographic predictions of trait variation and maximum values due to climatic constraints across the western US. Overall, our findings show the utility of double quantile regressions for connecting species distributions and climate gradients through trait‐based mechanisms. We highlight how new approaches like ours that incorporate genetic variation in functional traits and their response to climate gradients will lead to a better understanding of plant distributions as well as identifying populations anticipated to be maladapted to future environments.
Metacommunity robustness of plant–fly–wasp tripartite networks with specialization to habitat loss
Authors: Liao Jinbao , Xi Xinqiang , Bearup Daniel , Sun Shucun 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRecent observations have found plant‐species‐specific fly‐host selection (i.e., specialization) of wasp parasitoids (wasps) in plant–fly–wasp (P–F–W) tripartite networks, yet no study has explored the dynamical implications of such high‐order specialization for the persistence of this network. Here we develop a patch‐dynamic framework for a unique P–F–W tripartite network with specialization observed in eastern Tibetan Plateau and explore its metacommunity robustness to habitat loss. We show that specialization in parasitoidism promotes fly species diversity, while the richness of both plant and wasp decreases. Compared to other two null models, real network structure favors plant species coexistence but increases the extinction risk for both flies and wasps. However, these effects of specialization and network structure would be weakened and ultimately disappear with increasing habitat loss. Interestingly, intermediate levels of habitat loss can maximize the diversity of flies and wasps, while increasing or decreasing habitat loss results in more species losses, supporting intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Finally, we observe that high levels of habitat loss initiate a bottom‐up cascade of species extinction from plants to both flies and wasps, resulting in a rapid collapse of the whole tripartite networks. Overall, this theoretical framework is the first attempt to characterize the dynamics of whole tripartite metacommunities interacting in realistic high‐order ways, offering new insights into complex multipartite networks.
Monozygotic twins with myocarditis and a novel likely pathogenic desmoplakin gene variant
Authors: Kissopoulou Antheia , Fernlund Eva , Holmgren Christina , Isaksson Eira , Karlsson Jan‐Erik , Green Henrik , Jonasson Jon , Ellegård Rada , Årstrand Hanna Klang , Svensson Anneli , Gunnarsson Cecilia 
Published: April 2020

AbstractMyocarditis most often affects otherwise healthy athletes and is one of the leading causes of sudden death in children and young adults. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetically determined heart muscle disorder with increased risk for paroxysmal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The clinical picture of myocarditis and ARVC may overlap during the early stages of cardiomyopathy, which may lead to misdiagnosis. In the literature, we found several cases that presented with episodes of myocarditis and ended up with a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, mostly of the left predominant type. The aim of this case presentation is to shed light upon a possible link between myocarditis, a desmoplakin (DSP) gene variant, and ARVC by describing a case of male monozygotic twins who presented with symptoms and signs of myocarditis at 17 and 18 years of age, respectively. One of them also had a recurrent episode of myocarditis. The twins and their family were extensively examined including electrocardiograms (ECG), biochemistry, multimodal cardiac imaging, myocardial biopsy, genetic analysis, repeated cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and echocardiography over time. Both twins presented with chest pain, ECG with slight ST‐T elevation, and increased troponin T levels. CMR demonstrated an affected left ventricle with comprehensive inflammatory, subepicardial changes consistent with myocarditis. The right ventricle did not appear to have any abnormalities. Genotype analysis revealed a nonsense heterozygous variant in the desmoplakin (DSP) gene [NM_004415.2:c.2521_2522del (p.Gln841Aspfs*9)] that is considered likely pathogenic and presumably ARVC related. There was no previous family history of heart disease. There might be a common pathophysiology of ARVC, associated with desmosomal dysfunction, and myocarditis. In our case, both twins have an affected left ventricle without any right ventricular involvement, and they are carriers of a novel DSP variant that is likely associated with ARVC. The extensive inflammation of the LV that was apparent in the CMR may or may not be the primary event of ARVC. Nevertheless, our data suggest that irrespective of a possible link here to ARVC, genetic testing for arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy might be advisable for patients with recurrent myocarditis associated with a family history of myocarditis.
Electrochemical Sensing of Chemical Warfare Agent Based on Hybrid Material Silver‐aminosilane Graphene Oxide
Authors: Singh Virendra V. , Sharma Pushpendra K. , Shrivastava Anchal , Gutch Pranav K. , Ganesan Kumaran , Boopathi Mannan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe threat from chemical warfare agents (CWAs) imparts an alarming call for the global community not limited to human being but also extends as unprecedented environmental threat, hence, timely detection and degradation in the event of CWAs attack is very crucial. Herein, we describe a hybrid material of 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) modified graphene oxide (GO) on glassy carbon (GC) electrode along with electrodeposited silver nanodendrimers (AgNDs) for the electrochemical detection and degradation of CWA sulphur mustard (HD). The AgNDs/APTES‐GO hybrid material was characterized by SEM, EDX, BET, TGA, Raman, UV‐Vis, XPS and XRD techniques. The AgNDs/APTES‐GO modified GC electrode was also characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical studies indicated presence of electrocatalysis owing to the synergistic effect of AgNDs and GO for sensing CWA HD via reductive dehalogenation. The AgNDs/APTES‐GO modified GC electrode exhibited linearity for CWA HD from 5.3 μM to 42.4 μM. Constant potential electrolysis was performed with modified electrode and degradation products were analysed using GC‐MS, highlighting the great potential of graphene based hybrid material. This new strategy provides an opportunity for the development of “detect and destroy” system for the CWAs and other environmental toxic pollutant, which could help in mitigation of on‐ site events for first responders.
Multi‐criteria decision making for seismic intensity measure selection considering uncertainty
Authors: Qian Jing , Dong You 
Published: April 2020

SummarySeismic intensity measure (IM) selection is associated with consideration of multiple criteria, and there are uncertainties within the selection process. In this paper, a novel multi‐criteria decision making (MCDM) approach by incorporating stochastic multi‐criteria acceptability analysis (SMAA) with technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is proposed to solve the stochastic decision making problem of IM selection. TOPSIS provides an alternative rank function, and the SMAA is used to address the uncertainties within the IM selection. The performance criteria (e.g., efficiency, proficiency, practicality, sufficiency, and correlation) are evaluated for the investigated structural components, and the decision matrix is formulated based on the criteria of each IM alternative. Furthermore, the importance of the component to system reliability is quantified in a probabilistic manner using nonlinear time history analysis and serves as the weighting factors in MCDM stage. The holistic acceptability indices indicating the overall acceptability levels of IM alternatives are computed by the proposed approach. Additionally, the effects of different IMs (e.g., average spectral acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral acceleration) on probabilistic seismic loss and resilience are investigated to further support the IM selection. The proposed approach is illustrated on a highway bridge, and the results are presented.
Influence and analysis of structure design and optimization on the performance of a pit drip irrigation emitter*
Authors: Xu Tianyu , Zhang Lixiang 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis study aimed at enhancing the performance of an emitter by optimizing the flow channel and reducing the flow index, which improves the energy dissipation coefficient and anti‐clogging ability of a pit drip irrigation emitter (PDIE). Methodologies of a flow numerical simulation and a model experiment were used to evaluate the influence of four types of optimized structure schemes of PDIE. The results show that the low‐velocity vortex zone in the flow channel increased the energy dissipation coefficient, and decreased the flow index, in which anti‐clogging ability was decreasing. The optimal design schemes 3 and 4 had a good working performance by reducing the flow area at the upper and lower ends of the PDIE and adding the resistance of the torus edge; the former added two triangles and the latter an arc and a triangle. The flow index was between 0.482 and 0.486, and the energy dissipation coefficient was 843–912. The optimizations improved the anti‐clogging ability by increasing the flow resistance and reducing the low‐velocity vortex zone. The experimental error compared with the numerical simulation for the flow index and the energy dissipation coefficient was less than 3%. This indicated that the analytical method used in this study was reliable. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photocatalytic reforming of glycerol to H2 in a thin film Pt‐TiO2 recirculating photoreactor
Authors: Skillen Nathan , Ralphs Kathryn , Craig David , McCalmont Sam , Muzio Aline F V , O'Rourke Christopher , Manyar Haresh , Robertson Peter K J 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDWith an increase in global bioenergy production, the ‘biorefinery concept’ has now become a significant focus of research. The desire to achieve efficient conversion of biomass material into both energy and value‐added products requires a combination of technologies and processes. As such, the photocatalytic reforming of feedstocks such as glycerol to hydrogen (H2) has a lot of potential.RESULTSReported here is the first example of a thin film‐based photocatalytic system capable of achieving H2 evolution using a glycerol feedstock. Using a titania (TiO2) sol–gel, glass columns were coated with a thin TiO2 layer before using photodeposition to add platinum (Pt) as a co‐catalyst. The coated columns were assembled into a simple yet effective recirculating system which used low power UV irradiation. Under optimum conditions (two coated columns and a 40 mL min−1 flow rate), a steady state of 0.9 μmol min−1 H2 with a photonic efficiency [ηphoton (%)] of 10.22 % was achieved. Furthermore, only one column showed flaking and loss of coating whereas the remaining columns were stable for the duration of the study, which equated to > 100 h of experimental testing including replicates and determining optimal parameters.CONCLUSIONH2 evolution via photocatalytic glycerol reforming in a Pt‐TiO2 thin film catalyst recirculating system has been demonstrated under UV irradiation and ambient conditions. The system developed highlights that it is both catalyst development and reactor engineering that are required to continue to advance the field of photocatalysis. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
First‐trimester treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy using a cervical ripening—double‐balloon catheter: A case report
Authors: Spazzini Maria Donata , Villa Antonella , Maffioletti Cristina , Mariuzzo Federica , Calì Giuseppe 
Published: April 2020

AbstractCesarean scar pregnancies are relatively rare. In the first trimester, if the decision is made to terminate the pregnancy, it should be done as soon as possible to avoid complications. We report a successful termination of a live, 6 weeks and 4 days cesarean scar pregnancy using a double‐balloon cervical ripening catheter in a patient with two previous cesarean deliveries.
A characterization of nonfeasible sets in matching covered graphs
Authors: Liu Qinghai , Cui Qing , Feng Xing , Lu Fuliang 
Published: April 2020

AbstractLet be a matching covered graph and let . Then is called feasible if there exist two perfect matchings and in such that ; otherwise, it is nonfeasible. For any vertex , the switching operation of in is defined as the symmetric difference of and , where denotes the set of all edges in incident with . Two sets are switching‐equivalent if can be obtained from by a series of switching operations and vice visa. Lukot'ka and Rollová showed that if is a regular bipartite graph, then is nonfeasible if and only if is switching‐equivalent to (as well as ). In this paper, we give a complete characterization of nonfeasible sets in matching covered graphs. We prove that if is a matching covered graph and is an arbitrary nonfeasible set of , then is switching‐equivalent to both and if and only if is bipartite, and is switching‐equivalent to either or (but not both) if and only if is nonbipartite and has an ear decomposition with exactly one double ear. We also show that for any two integers and with and , there exist infinitely many ‐regular simple graphs of class 1 with arbitrarily large brick number, connectivity and a nonfeasible set such that is not switching‐equivalent to either or . This gives negative answers to two problems proposed by Lukot'ka and Rollová and by He et al, respectively.
Learning the developments in EMTALA jurisprudence through the lens of John West's “case law update”
Authors: Bitterman Robert A. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis article covers three recurring issues concerning the federal law known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that keep popping up in John West's Case Law Update case updates, and consistently bedevil hospital risk managers. First, what exactly constitutes an “appropriate” medical screening examination; second, when is a patient actually “stabilized’ under EMTALA; and third, does the EMTALA obligation really “disappear” when a patient is admitted to the hospital? The editors wanted to analyze topics that challenge the courts to “get it right” on the law and that drive risk managers crazy. EMTALA is the “poster child” for such a topic.
Response of shallow soil temperature to climate change on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Xiqiang , Chen Rensheng , Han Chuntan , Yang Yong , Liu Junfeng , Liu Zhangwen , Guo Shuhai , Song Yaoxuan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractUnder climate change, soil temperature change remarkably influences regional landscapes, ecosystems, hydrological processes, and other parameters. Based on daily soil temperature data from 56 stations from 1965 to 2014, the spatiotemporal variations in shallow soil temperature (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm) on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were investigated. The mean shallow soil temperature decreased obviously with altitude both annually and seasonally, except in winter. Primarily dependent on station latitude, the spatial distribution of winter soil temperature was significantly affected by the snow cover conditions. As the soil depth increased, the soil temperature showed a cooling trend in spring and summer but a warming trend in autumn and winter. In the past 50 years, the shallow soil temperature increased considerably on the QTP both annually and seasonally. The warming rate of soil temperature was greatly dependent on station altitude in winter and dependent on latitude in summer and longitude in autumn. Unlike the increasing air temperature that was contributed mainly by winter, the warming rate of soil temperature in winter at depths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm was obviously lower than that in other seasons and air temperature in winter. This occurrence may be caused by relatively less snow cover in winter, which produces a weak insulation effect and further makes the soils more vulnerable to cooling from cold air. For the entire region, the soil temperature variability was strongly correlated with the change in air temperature but weakly correlated with precipitation. Although the warming rate in shallow soil tended to be low (high) at stations with a high amount of precipitation (snow cover), the influence of precipitation (including snow) on shallow soil temperature was limited on the QTP in the past few decades.
Structure, function, and defect tolerance with maturation of the radial tie fiber network in the knee meniscus
Authors: Bansal Sonia , Peloquin John M. , Keah Niobra M. , O'Reilly Olivia C. , Elliott Dawn M. , Mauck Robert L. , Zgonis Miltiadis H. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe knee menisci are comprised of two orthogonal collagenous networks—circumferential and radial—that combine to enable efficient load bearing by the tissue in adults. Here, we assessed how the structural and functional characteristics of these networks developed over the course of skeletal maturation and determined the role of these fiber networks in defect tolerance with tissue injury. Imaging of the radial tie fiber (RTF) collagen structure in medial bovine menisci from fetal, juvenile, and adult specimens showed increasing heterogeneity, anisotropy, thickness, and density with skeletal development. The mechanical analysis showed that the tensile modulus in the radial direction did not change with skeletal development, though the resilience (in the radial direction) increased and the tolerance to defects in the circumferential direction decreased, in adult compared to fetal tissues. This loss of defect tolerance correlated with increased order in the RTF network in adult tissue. These data provide new insights into the role of the radial fiber network in meniscus function, will lead to improved clinical decision‐making in the presence of a tear and may improve engineering efforts to reproduce this critical load‐bearing structure in the knee.
Biochemical changes of the pericellular matrix and spatial chondrocyte organization—Two highly interconnected hallmarks of osteoarthritis
Authors: Danalache Marina , Erler Anna‐Lisa , Wolfgart Julius M. , Schwitalle Maik , Hofmann Ulf K. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDuring osteoarthritis, chondrocytes change their spatial arrangement from single to double strings, then to small and big clusters. This change in pattern has recently been established as an image‐based biomarker for osteoarthritis. The pericellular matrix (PCM) appears to degrade together alongside cellular reorganization. The aim of this study was to characterize this PCM‐degradation based on different cellular patterns. We additionally wanted to identify the earliest time point of PCM‐breakdown in this physiopathological model. To this end, cartilage samples were selected according to their predominant cellular pattern. Qualitative analysis of PCM degradation was performed immunohistochemically by analysing five main PCM components: collagen type VI, perlecan, collagen type III, biglycan, and fibrillin‐1 (n = 6 patients). Their protein content was quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (127 patients). Accompanying spatial cellular rearrangement, the PCM is progressively destroyed, with a pericellular signal loss in fluorescence microscopy for collagen type VI, perlecan, and biglycan. This loss in protein signal is accompanied by a reduction in total protein content from single strings to big clusters (P < .001 for collagen type VI, P = .003 for perlecan, and P < .001 for biglycan). As a result of an increase in the number of cells from single strings to big clusters, the amount of protein available per cell also decreases for collagen type III and fibrillin‐1, where total protein levels remain constant. Biochemical changes of the PCM and cellular rearrangement are thus highly interconnected hallmarks of osteoarthritis. Interestingly, the earliest point in time for a relevant PCM impairment appears to be at the transition to small clusters.
Bioactive polymeric scaffolds for osteogenic repair and bone regenerative medicine
Authors: Amiryaghoubi Nazanin , Fathi Marziyeh , Pesyan Nader Noroozi , Samiei Mohammad , Barar Jaleh , Omidi Yadollah 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe loss of bone tissue is a striking challenge in orthopedic surgery. Tissue engineering using various advanced biofunctional materials is considered a promising approach for the regeneration and substitution of impaired bone tissues. Recently, polymeric supportive scaffolds and biomaterials have been used to rationally promote the generation of new bone tissues. To restore the bone tissue in this context, biofunctional polymeric materials with significant mechanical robustness together with embedded materials can act as a supportive matrix for cellular proliferation, adhesion, and osteogenic differentiation. The osteogenic regeneration to replace defective tissues demands greater calcium deposits, high alkaline phosphatase activity, and profound upregulation of osteocalcin as a late osteogenic marker. Ideally, the bioactive polymeric scaffolds (BPSs) utilized for bone tissue engineering should impose no detrimental impacts and function as a carrier for the controlled delivery and release of the loaded molecules necessary for the bone tissue regeneration. In this review, we provide comprehensive insights into different synthetic and natural polymers used for the regeneration of bone tissue and discuss various technologies applied for the engineering of BPSs and their physicomechanical properties and biological effects.