bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phytopathogenic organisms and mycotoxigenic fungi: Why do we control one and neglect the other? A biological control perspective in Malaysia
Authors: Yazid Siti Nur Ezzati , Jinap Selamat , Ismail Siti Izera , Magan Naresh , Samsudin Nik Iskandar Putra 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn this review, we present the current information on development and applications of biological control against phytopathogenic organisms as well as mycotoxigenic fungi in Malaysia as part of the integrated pest management (IPM) programs in a collective effort to achieve food security. Although the biological control of phytopathogenic organisms of economically important crops is well established and widely practiced in Malaysia with considerable success, the same cannot be said for mycotoxigenic fungi. This is surprising because the year round hot and humid Malaysian tropical climate is very conducive for the colonization of mycotoxigenic fungi and the potential contamination with mycotoxins. This suggests that less focus has been made on the control of mycotoxigenic species in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium in Malaysia, despite the food security and health implications of exposure to the mycotoxins produced by these species. At present, there is limited research in Malaysia related to biological control of the key mycotoxins, especially aflatoxins, Fusarium‐related mycotoxins, and ochratoxin A, in key food and feed chains. The expected threats of climate change, its impacts on both plant physiology and the proliferation of mycotoxigenic fungi, and the contamination of food and feed commodities with mycotoxins, including the discovery of masked mycotoxins, will pose significant new global challenges that will impact on mycotoxin management strategies in food and feed crops worldwide. Future research, especially in Malaysia, should urgently focus on these challenges to develop IPM strategies that include biological control for minimizing mycotoxins in economically important food and feed chains for the benefit of ensuring food safety and food security under climate change scenarios.
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy of 60 Gy in eight fractions is safe for ultracentral non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Yang Dan , Cui Jianing , Zhao Jun , You Jing , Yu Rong , Yu Huiming , Jiang Leilei , Li Dongming , Xu Bo , Shi Anhui 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundThere is no consensus on the definition or recommended radiotherapy treatment of ultracentral non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we report our institution's experience in treating ultracentral lung cancer patients with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) of 60 Gy in eight fractions.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 21 ultracentral NSCLC patients treated with 60 Gy SABR in eight fractions. We defined ultracentral lung cancer as the planning target volume (PTV) directly abutting or overlapping central structures, including the proximal bronchial tree, heart, and great vessels but not the esophagus. The Kaplan‐Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS) and local control (LC). Toxicity was scored per the CTCAE v4.03.ResultsThe median follow‐up time was 15 months, and the median OS was 15 months. The one‐ and two‐year OS rates were 87.5% and 76.6%, respectively. The one‐ and two‐year PFS rates were 71.1% and 64.0%, respectively. The one‐ and two‐year LC rates were 92.9% and 92.9%, respectively. The rate of grade 2 treatment‐related toxicities was 19.1%. There was no grade ≥ 3 treatment‐related toxicity.ConclusionSABR of 60 Gy in eight fractions is feasible for ultracentral NSCLC.
Totally mechanical linear stapled anastomosis for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy: Operative technique and short‐term outcomes
Authors: Gao Hui‐Jiang , Mu Ju‐Wei , Pan Wei‐Min , Brock Malcolm , Wang Mao‐Long , Han Bin , Ma Kai 
Published: February 2020

BackgroundAnastomosis is one of the important factors affecting anastomotic complications after esophagectomy, and multiple reports have compared anastomotic complications among various techniques. However, there is insufficient evidence in the literature to definitively recommend one anastomotic technique over another.MethodWe retrospectively evaluated 34 consecutive patients who underwent an improved totally mechanical side‐to‐side: posterior‐to‐posterior linear stapled (TM‐STS) technique for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagogastric anastomosis, performed by a single surgeon between February 2015 to November 2017. The operative techniques and short‐term outcomes are analyzed in this study.ResultsThere were no conversions to an open approach and a complete resection was achieved in all patients undergoing this improved procedure. During the first half of the series, the median operation time was 355 minutes, ranging from 257 to 480 minutes. Over the second half of this series, the median operation time was reduced to 256 minutes. There were no mortalities or serious postoperative complications. Only one patient (2.9%) had an anastomotic leak, which resolved without intervention. Another patient (2.9%) experienced transient, delayed conduit emptying which upper gastrointestinal radiography determined was due to a mechanical obstruction caused by an abnormally long gastric tube in the chest cavity.ConclusionsThe results of our study suggest that this improved TM‐STS technique is safe and effective for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy, and can be considered as one of the alternative procedure for patients with lower esophageal as well as Siewert types I/II gastroesophageal junction carcinoma.
Evaluating the target‐tracking performance of scanning avian radars by augmenting data with simulated echoes
Authors: Urmy Samuel S. , Warren Joseph D. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Small scanning radars have been used for many years to track the movements of insects, birds and bats. While the ability to track multiple flying animals simultaneously has numerous applications in basic ecology and applied conservation, translating radar tracks into accurate animal densities and fluxes requires estimates of detection and tracking probabilities. These can be challenging to determine, especially in environments with variable background clutter.

In order to assess radar tracking probabilities, we added echoes from simulated bird tracks to sequences of scans collected with an X‐band marine radar at a colony of common and roseate terns (Sterna hirundo and S. dougallii) on Great Gull Island, New York, USA in the summers of 2014 and 2015. Automated detection, classification and tracking algorithms were used to extract the trajectories of terns from the radar data. The proportion of simulated tracks recovered by these procedures could then be used to estimate the tracking probabilities for real birds. Stationary telescope transects provided visual ground truth.

The radar could track individual birds up to 3 km away, performing best between 0.5 and 1.2 km, where 38% of simulated birds were correctly detected and tracked in each scan. Overall, 94% of all simulated birds were tracked over at least part of their trajectories. Tracking performance was limited by weak bird echoes, backscatter from the sea surface and the inherent challenges of multi‐target tracking.

This simulation‐based method provides a low‐cost, flexible approach for estimating radar‐tracking probabilities in complex, cluttered environments. Knowledge of these probabilities in turn allows the animal densities and fluxes to be corrected for imperfect detection. Despite their limitations, small scanning radars can track hundreds of birds simultaneously over tens of km2, giving a view of animal movement unavailable with other techniques.
A simple, reliable method for long‐term, in‐stream data logger installation using rock‐climbing hardware
Authors: Fogg S. Kathleen , O’Daniel Scott J. , Poole Geoffrey C. , Reinhold Ann Marie , Hyman Amanda A. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Long‐term deployment of in‐stream data loggers provides valuable information about stream conditions, particularly at times when streams are difficult to sample manually. However, in streams with high water velocities and substantial shear stress, the detachment of loggers from their installation points is a common problem. Thus, successful logger retrieval requires a durable installation method.

We present a method for data logger installation using rock‐climbing hardware that is simple to assemble, economical and minimally invasive. The method is applicable in streams with exposed bedrock or boulders, which serve as attachment points for loggers.

Installed loggers are capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions. After deploying 18 loggers for approximately 15 months in six different streams with snowmelt‐dominated hydrographs, we retrieved 16 of the 18 loggers originally deployed. Where loggers were not recovered, hardware failure at installation sites was not likely the cause.

In addition to application in streams, the use of rock‐climbing hardware may be well‐suited to securing long‐term data logger installations on rock substrates in any extreme environment.
Chipper: Open‐source software for semi‐automated segmentation and analysis of birdsong and other natural sounds
Authors: Searfoss Abigail M. , Pino James C. , Creanza Nicole 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Audio recording devices have changed significantly over the last 50 years, making large datasets of recordings of natural sounds, such as birdsong, easier to obtain. This increase in digital recordings necessitates an increase in high‐throughput methods of analysis for researchers. Specifically, there is a need in the community for open‐source methods that are tailored to recordings of varying qualities and from multiple species collected in nature.

We developed Chipper, a Python‐based software to semi‐automate both the segmentation of acoustic signals and the subsequent analysis of their frequencies and durations. For avian recordings, we provide widgets to best determine appropriate thresholds for noise and syllable similarity, which aid in calculating note measurements and determining song syntax. In addition, we generated a set of synthetic songs with various levels of background noise to test Chipper's accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility.

Chipper provides an effective way to quickly generate quantitative, reproducible measures of birdsong. The cross‐platform graphical user interface allows the user to adjust parameters and visualize the resulting spectrogram and signal segmentation, providing a simplified method for analysing field recordings.

Chipper streamlines the processing of audio recordings with multiple user‐friendly tools and is optimized for multiple species and varying recording qualities. Ultimately, Chipper supports the use of citizen‐science data and increases the feasibility of large‐scale multi‐species birdsong studies.
An investigation into student satisfaction, approaches to learning and the learning context in Auditing
Authors: Chiang Christina , Wells Paul K. , Fieger Peter , Sharma Divesh S. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractArguably, the audit course is one of the most challenging as it links prior accounting knowledge with new audit knowledge that students are generally not exposed to. A mini‐audit group project was implemented at a New Zealand university, and a learning approach and learning experience survey instrument was administered. Responses from 98 students suggest that they perceived the learning experience positively and were encouraged to adopt a deep approach to learning. The findings have implications for accounting educators in the design and development of learning and assessment strategies in an audit course.
Ex vivo excimer laser ablation of cornea guttata and ROCK inhibitor‐aided endothelial recolonization of ablated central cornea
Authors: Kassumeh Stefan , von Studnitz Annabel , Priglinger Siegfried G. , Fuchshofer Rudolf , Luft Nikolaus , Moloney Gregory , Dirisamer Martin , Ohlmann Andreas 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPurposeTo determine whether excimer laser ablation of guttae is a viable strategy for removal of diseased tissue in Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) on excised human Descemet membranes and whether an excimer laser‐created wound on healthy human corneas ex vivo is recolonized with corneal endothelial cells.MethodsDescemet membranes of FECD patients and corneal endothelium of normal human corneas were ablated ex vivo using an excimer laser licensed for glaucoma surgery. Specimens were kept in cell culture medium supplemented with 10 μm of rho‐kinase inhibitor ripasudil. Corneal endothelial cell regeneration was observed using light and electron scanning microscopy. Furthermore, the whole corneal samples were evaluated by haematoxylin/eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against Na+/K+‐ATPase.ResultsGuttae and corneal endothelium could be ablated with an excimer laser without total ultrastructural damage to the Descemet membrane or stroma. Nearly complete endothelial wound closure was accomplished after 26–38 days in treated corneas. Light and electron scanning microscopy suggested the establishment of a layer of flat endothelial cells. Additionally, Na+/K+‐ATPase expression could only be observed on the inner side of the Descemet membrane.ConclusionOur proof of concept study demonstrated that excimer lasers can be used to ablate diseased tissue from excised FECD Descemet membranes ex vivo. Additionally, corneal endothelial cells recolonize a previously ablated endothelial area in healthy human corneas ex vivo under treatment with ripasudil. Thus, our results are the first experimental basis to further investigate the feasibility of an excimer laser ablation as a graftless FECD treatment option.
On symmetric semiparametric two‐sample problem
Authors: Li Moming , Diao Guoqing , Qin Jing 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe consider a two‐sample problem where data come from symmetric distributions. Usual two‐sample data with only magnitudes recorded, arising from case‐control studies or logistic discriminant analyses, may constitute a symmetric two‐sample problem. We propose a semiparametric model such that, in addition to symmetry, the log ratio of two unknown density functions is modeled in a known parametric form. The new semiparametric model, tailor‐made for symmetric two‐sample data, can also be viewed as a biased sampling model subject to symmetric constraint. A maximum empirical likelihood estimation approach is adopted to estimate the unknown model parameters, and the corresponding profile empirical likelihood ratio test is utilized to perform hypothesis testing regarding the two population distributions. Symmetry, however, comes with irregularity. It is shown that, under the null hypothesis of equal symmetric distributions, the maximum empirical likelihood estimator has degenerate Fisher information, and the test statistic has a mixture of χ2‐type asymptotic distribution. Extensive simulation studies have been conducted to demonstrate promising statistical powers under correct and misspecified models. We apply the proposed methods to two real examples.
Reducing resistance to repeating a wiki activity: What can teachers do?
Authors: Fraj‐Andrés Elena , Lucia‐Palacios Laura , Pérez‐López Raúl 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWiki activities are among the most common online learning activities examined by previous research due to the collaborative learning properties wikis offer; however, students are not always satisfied with such activities. Due to this dissatisfaction, learners may finish the wiki activities but not repeat them. While wikis are primarily used to collate content, the wiki activity proposed in this study is used foremost as a discussion forum. Drawing on the value‐based adoption model, this study examines the influence of perceived benefits, enjoyment, peer interaction, ease of use, and time and effort costs to explain students' reluctance to repeat the wiki activity. Furthermore, it assesses the moderating effect of peer interaction on the other variables. A survey was conducted, and 110 valid responses obtained. The findings reveal that the need to invest a lot of time and effort into the activity is the main reason for not repeating the activity proposed, while peer interaction and enjoyment help to reduce these perceived costs. Therefore, teachers should emphasize the benefits of in‐group wiki activities with regard to not only the final learning performance but also the activities' hedonic and social value. Furthermore, teachers should offer a training session and a user's guide for each specific activity, as well as courses about the team management.
Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic

Students are often unsatisfied with wiki activities, which may reduce their intention to repeat them.
Continuation or repetition of a learning activity depends on its value in terms of the cost–benefit trade off.
Most previous research has focused on the benefits of content creation within wikis, paying little attention to the use of such platforms as a discussion forum.
What this paper adds

According to the value‐based adoption model, the main reason for not repeating the proposed wiki activity is the high perceived time and effort that must be invested in the activity.
Peer interaction not only has a direct effect on reducing resistance to repeating the wiki activity, but also has an indirect effect on reducing resistance through enjoyment.
Usefulness, enjoyment and peer interaction can act as moderators and reduce the perceived time and effort that must be invested in the wiki activity.
Implications for practice and/or policy

Time and effort costs are the main barriers to repeating the wiki activity, so teachers should offer courses on how to work effectively as a team.
Teachers should emphasize the usefulness of the activity, as well as the benefits of peer interaction in the discussion forum.
Before creating the wiki activity, teachers should think about how to generate enjoyment for students.
From an experimental paper to a playful screen: How the essence of materiality modulates the process of creation
Authors: Sintonen Sara 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe article seeks to develop a better understanding of the contribution of materiality in a discourse between a creator (content producer) and an interface, dealing with analogue and digital artefacts. Focus is in the materiality of the two different art‐creation learning processes, acrylic painting and digital painting. The objective of this paper is to consider especially the affect and meaning of these two different content creation modalities and intra‐action within that. Through reflective autoethnographic consideration, the purpose is to consider the essences of materials manifesting and modulating the processes of content creation as a posthumanist phenomenon. It will be shown that the creation processes with paper are more experimental whereas the processes with digital screen are more playful. There is a growing need to deeper understand the cultural change of material cultures and the people’s intra‐action with the materials also enabling arts creation. This paper will widen our limited understanding and deepen our theoretical perspectives of the essence of materials which then avails confronting analogue and digital when developing teaching and learning in the posthuman era especially in early education.
Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic

There is a growing interest in the new materialism and posthuman thinking amongst educational technology research and development.
Reading analogue versus digital is well‐documented.
What this paper adds

New materialist thinking offers a useful perspective in education for looking at the essence of analogue and digital materiality modulating content creation.
Characterising the nuances in analogue and digital production can help in evaluating their educational potential.
Implications for practice and/or policy

As practitioners we should critically question the political vision of education digitalisation especially concerning early childhood education.
There is a need to move beyond debates about analogue versus digital to look at more specific examples of their advantages (and disadvantages) in developing posthumanist education and intra‐active pedagogy especially for young children.
Efficacy of R‐BAC in relapsed, refractory mantle cell lymphoma post BTK inhibitor therapy
Authors: McCulloch Rory , Visco Carlo , Eyre Toby A. , Frewin Rebecca , Phillips Neil , Tucker David L. , Quaglia Francesca M. , McMillan Annabel , Lambert Jonathan , Crosbie Nicola , Rule Simon 
Published: February 2020

SummaryPatients with mantle cell lymphoma progressing on Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) have very poor prognosis and there is currently no standard of care. In this retrospective cohort study, patients progressing on BTKi received R‐BAC (rituximab, bendamustine, cytarabine). Overall response rate was 83% (complete response 60%) and 31% were bridged to allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT). Median progression‐free survival was 10.1 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 6·9–13·3) and median overall survival was 12·5 months (95% CI 11·0–14·0). In those consolidated with alloSCT only one patient relapsed. R‐BAC demonstrates a high response rate in the post‐BTKi setting and in transplant eligible patients is an effective bridge to alloSCT.
Tamsulosin and placebo vs tamsulosin and tadalafil in male lower urinary tract symptoms: a double‐blinded, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Nagasubramanian Santhosh , John Nirmal Thampi , Antonisamy Belavendra , Mukha Rajiv Paul , Jeyachandra Berry Chandra Singh , Kumar Santosh , Devasia Antony , Kekre Nitin Sudhakar 
Published: February 2020

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin vs the combination of tamsulosin and tadalafil in male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).Patients and MethodsThis was a double‐blinded, parallel‐arm randomised controlled trial. Men aged >45 years with moderate LUTS and a maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) of 5–15 mL/s were included. One arm received 0.4 mg tamsulosin only (Group‐A), while the second received 5 mg tadalafil with tamsulosin (Group‐B). The primary outcome was the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Secondary outcomes were IPSS quality of life (QoL) score, five‐item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5) score, Qmax, and post‐void residual urine (PVR). Block randomisation was used. Placebo was used for blinding and allocation concealment. Intention‐to‐treat analysis was used for outcome measures.ResultsOf the 183 men screened, 140 were randomised (71 in Group‐A, 69 in Group‐B); 116 (82.85%) (61 in Group‐A, 55 in Group‐B) completed the study. Baseline characteristics were comparable. The improvements in the IPSS, IPSS QoL score, IIEF score and Qmax were −1.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.4 to −2.0), −0.70 (95% CI −0.60 to −0.80), 3.8 (95% CI 3.4–4.2) and 1.8 mL/s (95% CI 1.1–2.4) respectively, in favour of the combination group. The difference in PVR was not significant. There were no serious adverse events (AEs). The dropout rate due to AEs was 2.85%. Myalgia (five patients) was the commonest AE in the combination group.ConclusionThe combination of tamsulosin and tadalafil produced significantly better improvements in LUTS, QoL, erectile function and Qmax compared to monotherapy with tamsulosin, without an increase in AEs.