bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of perennation traits in plant community soil frost stress responses
Authors: Lubbe Frederick Curtis , Henry Hugh A L 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackground and AimsHerbaceous plants can survive periods of prolonged freezing as below-ground structures or seed, which can be insulated from cold air by soil, litter or snow. Below-ground perennial structures vary in both form and their exposure to soil frost, and this structural variation thus may be important in determining the responses of plant communities to frost stress.MethodsWe conducted a suite of snow removal experiments in a northern temperate old field over 3 years to examine the relative freezing responses of different plant functional groups based on below-ground perennation traits. A litter removal treatment was added in the third year. Species-level percentage cover data were recorded in May, June and September then pooled by functional group.Key ResultsSnow removal decreased total plant cover, and this response was particularly strong and consistent among years for tap-rooted and rhizomatous species. The snow removal responses of cover for plants with root buds and new recruits from seed varied from positive to negative among years. The cover of rootstock plants consistently increased in response to snow removal. Rhizomatous species were generally the most vulnerable to litter removal.ConclusionsThis study is the first to explore the effects of variation in frost severity on the responses of different plant perennation trait functional groups. The responses of herbaceous species to frost may become increasingly important in northern temperate regions in the coming decades as a result of declining snow cover and increasing temperature variability. Our results reveal substantial variation in responses among perennation trait functional groups, which could drive changes in species abundance in response to variation in soil frost.
Public health investments and mortality risk in Brazilian peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Loesch Gustavo , Cruz June A W , Pecoits-Filho Roberto , Figueiredo Ana E , Barretti Pasqual , de Moraes Thyago P 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treatment is very costly and accounts for a significant percentage of public healthcare expenditures. Beyond direct costs, dialysis patients use other healthcare levels, but the impact of public investment on each of these levels is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between direct financing at different healthcare levels and overall mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Methods
We included all adult incident PD patients from a Brazilian prospective, nationwide PD cohort. Overall mortality was the primary outcome of interest. We used a three-level multilevel survival analysis to investigate whether mortality was associated with the investments destined to different levels of healthcare complexity: (i) primary, (ii) medium and high and (iii) professional healthcare training and community awareness.

Results
We evaluated 5707 incident PD patients from 78 Brazilian cities, which were divided into four quartiles for each healthcare level (Groups I–IV). After taking the highest quartile (Group IV) as a reference, investment in the primary health level was not associated with patient survival. Otherwise, medium and high complexity levels were associated with higher mortality risk. Also, investment in healthcare manager training and community awareness had an impact on patient survival.

Conclusions
Investments in different levels of the healthcare system have distinct impacts on PD patient survival. Investment in healthcare manager training and community awareness seems to be a promising strategy on which to focus, given the relatively low cost and positive impact on outcome.
Thoracic duct identification with indocyanine green fluorescence during minimally invasive esophagectomy with patient in prone position
Authors: Vecchiato Massimo , Martino Antonio , Sponza Massimo , Uzzau Alessandro , Ziccarelli Antonio , Marchesi Federico , Petri Roberto 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Chylothorax is a serious complication of transthoracic esophagectomy. Intraoperative thoracic duct (TD) identification represents a possible tool for preventing or repairing its lesions, and it is most of the time difficult, even during high-definition thoracoscopy. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using near-infrared fluorescence-guided thoracoscopy to identify TD anatomy and check its intraoperative lesions during minimally invasive esophagectomy. A 0.5 mg/kg solution of indocyanine green (ICG) was injected percutaneously in the inguinal nodes of 19 patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy in a prone position, before thoracoscopy. TD anatomy and potential intraoperative lesions were checked with the KARL STORZ OPAL1® Technology. In all of the 19 patients where transthoracic esophagectomy was feasible, the TD was clearly identified after a mean of 52.7 minutes from injection time. The TD was cut for oncological radicality in two patients, and it was successfully ligated under the ICG guide. No postoperative chylothorax or adverse reactions from the ICG injection occurred. The TD identification with indocyanine green fluorescence during minimally invasive esophagectomy is a simple, effective, and non-time-demanding tool; it may become a standard procedure to prevent postoperative chylothorax.
Robotic-assisted single-incision gastric mobilization for minimally invasive oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer: preliminary results
Authors: Huang Yu-Han , Chen Ke-Cheng , Lin Sian-Han , Huang Pei-Ming , Yang Pei-Wen , Lee Jang-Ming 
Published: May 2020

AbstractOBJECTIVESWith the gradual acceptance of robotic-assisted surgery to treat oesophageal cancer and the application of a single-port approach in several abdominal procedures, we adopted a single-port technique in robotic-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy during the abdominal phase for gastric mobilization and abdominal lymph node dissection.METHODSRobotic-assisted oesophagectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection in the chest were followed by robotic-assisted gastric mobilization and conduit creation with abdominal lymph node dissection, which were performed via a periumbilicus single incision. The oesophagogastrostomy was accomplished either in the chest (Ivor Lewis procedure) or neck (McKeown procedure) depending on the status of the proximal resection margin.RESULTSThe procedure was successfully performed on 11 patients with oesophageal cancer from January 2017 to December 2018 in our institute. No surgical or in-hospital deaths occurred, though we had one case each of anastomotic leakage, pneumonia and hiatal hernia (9%).CONCLUSIONSRobotic single-incision gastric mobilization for minimally invasive oesophagectomy for treating oesophageal cancer seems feasible. Its value in terms of perioperative outcome and long-term survival results awaits future evaluation.
Age Discrimination in Hiring Decisions: A Factorial Survey among Managers in Nine European Countries
Authors: Lössbroek Jelle , Lancee Bram , van der Lippe Tanja , Schippers Joop 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThis article analyses old-age discrimination in managers’ hypothetical hiring decisions. We expect that older job candidates are less likely to be hired than equally qualified younger candidates. Statistical discrimination theory argues that when recruiters have more information about the candidate’s skills, age is less important for hiring decisions. Given inconclusive results of previous studies, we elaborate on the theory by focusing on the content rather than the amount of information. We argue that information is primarily influential if it debunks, rather than confirms, ageist stereotypes. To test this argument, a factorial survey was conducted among 482 managers in nine European countries. The findings show that older candidates indeed receive lower hireability scores, and this finding is robust across countries and sectors. However, we do not find that stereotype-rejecting information moderates age discrimination: it does not matter whether recruiters have information that debunks or confirms ageist stereotypes; age is equally important in both situations. Our findings suggest that for hiring decisions, the valuation of applicants’ skills and their age are largely independent.
Global analysis of the slope of forest land
Authors: Lundbäck Mikael , Persson Henrik , Häggström Carola , Nordfjell Tomas 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Forests of the world constitute one-third of the total land area and are critical for e.g. carbon balance, biodiversity, water supply and as source for bio-based products. Although the terrain within forest land has a great impact on accessibility, there is a lack of knowledge about the distribution of its variation in slope. The aim was to address that knowledge gap and create a globally consistent dataset of the distribution and area of forest land within different slope classes. A Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis was performed using the open-source QGIS, GDAL and R software. The core of the analysis was a digital elevation model and a forest cover mask, both with a final resolution of 90 m. The total forest area according to the forest mask was 4.15 billion hectares whereof 82 per cent was on slope &lt; 15°. The remaining 18 per cent was distributed over the following slope classes, with 6 per cent on a 15–20° slope, 8 per cent on a 20–30° slope and 4 per cent on a slope &gt; 30°. Out of the major forestry countries, China had the largest proportion of forest steeper than 15° followed by Chile and India. A sensitivity analysis with 20 m resolution resulted in increased steep areas by 1 per cent point in flat Sweden and by 11 per cent points in steep Austria. In addition to country-specific and aggregated results of slope distribution and forest area, a global raster dataset is also made freely available to cover user-specific areas that are not necessarily demarcated by country borders. Apart from predicting the regional possibilities for different harvesting equipment, which was the original idea behind this study, the results can be used to relate geographical forest variables to slope. The results could also be used in strategic forest fire fighting and large-scale planning of forest conservation and management.
De Novo Genome Assembly of Limpet Bathyacmaea lactea (Gastropoda: Pectinodontidae): The First Reference Genome of a Deep-Sea Gastropod Endemic to Cold Seeps
Authors: Liu Ruoyu , Wang Kun , Liu Jun , Xu Wenjie , Zhou Yang , Zhu Chenglong , Wu Baosheng , Li Yongxin , Wang Wen , He Shunping , Feng Chenguang , Zhang Haibin 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Cold seeps, characterized by the methane, hydrogen sulfide, and other hydrocarbon chemicals, foster one of the most widespread chemosynthetic ecosystems in deep sea that are densely populated by specialized benthos. However, scarce genomic resources severely limit our knowledge about the origin and adaptation of life in this unique ecosystem. Here, we present a genome of a deep-sea limpet Bathyacmaea lactea, a common species associated with the dominant mussel beds in cold seeps. We yielded 54.6 gigabases (Gb) of Nanopore reads and 77.9-Gb BGI-seq raw reads, respectively. Assembly harvested a 754.3-Mb genome for B. lactea, with 3,720 contigs and a contig N50 of 1.57 Mb, covering 94.3% of metazoan Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. In total, 23,574 protein-coding genes and 463.4 Mb of repetitive elements were identified. We analyzed the phylogenetic position, substitution rate, demographic history, and TE activity of B. lactea. We also identified 80 expanded gene families and 87 rapidly evolving Gene Ontology categories in the B. lactea genome. Many of these genes were associated with heterocyclic compound metabolism, membrane-bounded organelle, metal ion binding, and nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism. The high-quality assembly and in-depth characterization suggest the B. lactea genome will serve as an essential resource for understanding the origin and adaptation of life in the cold seeps.
Transcriptome-Wide Comparisons and Virulence Gene Polymorphisms of Host-Associated Genotypes of the Cnidarian Parasite Ceratonova shasta in Salmonids
Authors: Alama-Bermejo Gema , Meyer Eli , Atkinson Stephen D , Holzer Astrid S , Wiśniewska Monika M , Kolísko Martin , Bartholomew Jerri L 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Ceratonova shasta is an important myxozoan pathogen affecting the health of salmonid fishes in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Ceratonova shasta exists as a complex of host-specific genotypes, some with low to moderate virulence, and one that causes a profound, lethal infection in susceptible hosts. High throughput sequencing methods are powerful tools for discovering the genetic basis of these host/virulence differences, but deep sequencing of myxozoans has been challenging due to extremely fast molecular evolution of this group, yielding strongly divergent sequences that are difficult to identify, and unavoidable host contamination. We designed and optimized different bioinformatic pipelines to address these challenges. We obtained a unique set of comprehensive, host-free myxozoan RNA-seq data from C. shasta genotypes of varying virulence from different salmonid hosts. Analyses of transcriptome-wide genetic distances and maximum likelihood multigene phylogenies elucidated the evolutionary relationship between lineages and demonstrated the limited resolution of the established Internal Transcribed Spacer marker for C. shasta genotype identification, as this marker fails to differentiate between biologically distinct genotype II lineages from coho salmon and rainbow trout. We further analyzed the data sets based on polymorphisms in two gene groups related to virulence: cell migration and proteolytic enzymes including their inhibitors. The developed single-nucleotide polymorphism-calling pipeline identified polymorphisms between genotypes and demonstrated that variations in both motility and protease genes were associated with different levels of virulence of C. shasta in its salmonid hosts. The prospective use of proteolytic enzymes as promising candidates for targeted interventions against myxozoans in aquaculture is discussed. We developed host-free transcriptomes of a myxozoan model organism from strains that exhibited different degrees of virulence, as a unique source of data that will foster functional gene analyses and serve as a base for the development of potential therapeutics for efficient control of these parasites.
Effect of a Practice-wide Anti-TNF Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Program on Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Lyles John L , Mulgund Aditi A , Bauman Laura E , Su Weizhe , Fei Lin , Chona Deepika L , Sharma Puneet , Etter Renee K , Hellmann Jennifer , Denson Lee A , Minar Phillip , Dykes Dana M , Rosen Michael J 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
Reports on the feasibility and effectiveness of translating proactive, antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for inflammatory bowel disease into practice-wide quality improvement (QI) are lacking. We aimed to determine whether a TDM QI program improved outcomes at a large academic pediatric gastroenterology practice.

Methods
We instituted local anti-TNF TDM practice guidelines to proactively monitor and optimize drug levels (goal &gt;5 μg/mL). We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort analysis of patient outcomes before (pre-TDM) and after (post-TDM) guideline institution and assessed the independent effect by multivariable regression. Primary outcome was sustained clinical remission (SCR22-52), defined as physician global assessment (PGA) of inactive from 22 to 52 weeks and off corticosteroids at 52 weeks.

Results
We identified 108 pre-TDM and 206 post-TDM patients. The SCR22-52 was achieved in 42% of pre-TDM and 59% of post-TDM patients (risk difference, 17.6%; 95% CI, 5.4–29%; P = 0.004). The post-TDM group had an increased adjusted odds of achieving SCR22-52 (odds ratio, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.27–3.26; P = 0.003). The adjusted risk of developing high titer antidrug antibodies (ADAs) was lower in the post-TDM group (hazard ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.09–0.35; P &lt; 0.001). Although the risk of anti-TNF cessation for any reason was not significantly different, there was a lower adjusted risk of cessation related to any detectable ADA in the post-TDM group (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26–0.77; P = 0.003).

Conclusions
A practice-wide proactive anti-TNF TDM QI program improved key clinical outcomes at our institution, including sustained clinical remission, incidence of high titer ADA, and anti-TNF cessation related to ADA.
Post-occupancy evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort in hot arid zone
Authors: Shawesh Rawan , Mohamed Mady 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Human comfort and healthy environments lie at the core of every debate about outdoor spaces nowadays. Thermal comfort is a vital concern for planners and designers in order to produce a healthy and thermally comfortable environment, since the influence of different climates and user groups has been found to greatly alter the range of responses for thermal comfort calculations. This requires Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) with an integration of the appropriate outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) index. This paper presents the results of a detailed assessment for the OTC in hot arid zone (HAZ) using the most suitable thermal index. A case study was selected from Effat Campus, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to represent the HAZ. Subjective assessment employed the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and the predictive mean vote (PMV) thermal indices in analysing the results of online and self-directed questionnaires while objective assessment employed a hand-held anemometer that was used to measure wind speed, whereas the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) SD Card Logger with a black globe thermometer 75 mm in diameter and emissivity of 0.95 was used to measure the globe temperature. The physical measurements were later used to calculate the mean radiant temperature (MRT) and consequently the PET index using RayMan Software. The results confirmed the significance of the shading strategy on OTC. The study revealed that there is no percentage as shading is permitting people to use the space; otherwise, in hot arid zone, the space would be completely unusable under the sun while the PET is more suitable than the PMV index.
Feasibility of hybrid renewable heating system application in poultry house: a case study of East Midlands, UK
Authors: Cui Yuanlong , Theo Elmer , Gurler Tugba , Su Yuehong , Saffa Riffat 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Currently, there has been an obvious lack of innovation within poultry houses heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system design that deals with both energy efficiency and poultry welfare issues. This paper presents an innovative and renewable heating system for poultry house application to meet the welfare living environment requirement for breeding, to improve the energy efficiency of HVAC system and to decrease fossil fuel consumption and harmful gas emissions. The purpose of this study is to design, develop and test the highly efficient hybrid heating system via an integrated photovoltaic/thermal array with polyethylene heat exchanger coupled to geothermal heat pump system based on the East Midlands’ climate conditions in the UK. The numerical model is established based on finite volume method and solved by using Engineering Equation Solver, and a good agreement with less than 15% difference between the numerical and experimental results is achieved. The results indicate that the annual electrical and thermal output are 11867 kWh and 30245 kWh, respectively, which not only could fulfil the poultry house electrical need, but also can provide ~43.5% electricity demand of the heat pump compressor operating.
Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 But Not A(H3N2) Virus Infection Induces Durable Seroprotection: Results From the Ha Nam Cohort
Authors: Hoa Le Nguyen Minh , Sullivan Sheena G , Mai Le Quynh , Khvorov Arseniy , Phuong Hoang Vu Mai , Hang Nguyen Le Khanh , Thai Pham Quang , Thanh Le Thi , Carolan Louise , Anh Dang Duc , Duong Tran Nhu , Bryant Juliet E , van Doorn H Rogier , Wertheim Heiman F L , Horby Peter , Fox Annette 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
The extent to which influenza recurrence depends upon waning immunity from prior infection is undefined. We used antibody titers of Ha-Nam cohort participants to estimate protection curves and decay trajectories.

Methods
Households (270) participated in influenza-like–illness (ILI) surveillance and provided blood at intervals spanning laboratory–confirmed virus transmission. Sera were tested in hemagglutination inhibition assay. Infection was defined as influenza virus-positive ILI and/or seroconversion. Median protective titers were estimated using scaled-logistic regression to model pretransmission titer against infection status in that season, limiting analysis to households with infection(s). Titers were modelled against month since infection using mixed-effects linear regression to estimate decay and when titers fell below protection thresholds.

Results
From December 2008–2012, 295 and 314 participants were infected with H1N1pdm09-like and A/Perth/16/09-like (H3N2Pe09) viruses, respectively. The proportion protected rose more steeply with titer for H1N1pdm09 than for H3N2Pe09, and estimated 50% protection titers were 19.6 and 37.3, respectively. Postinfection titers started higher against H3N2Pe09 but decayed more steeply than against H1N1pdm09. Seroprotection was estimated to be sustained against H1N1pdm09 but to wane by 8-months for H3N2Pe09.

Conclusions
Estimates indicate that infection induces durable seroprotection against H1N1pdm09 but not H3N2Pe09, which could in part account for the younger age of A(H1N1) versus A(H3N2) cases.
The effectiveness of full and partial travel bans against COVID-19 spread in Australia for travellers from China during and after the epidemic peak in China
Authors: Costantino Valentina , Heslop David J , MacIntyre C Raina 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
Australia implemented a travel ban on China on 1 February 2020, while COVID-19 was largely localized to China. We modelled three scenarios to test the impact of travel bans on epidemic control. Scenario one was no ban; scenario two and three were the current ban followed by a full or partial lifting (allow over 100 000 university students to enter Australia, but not tourists) from the 8th of March 2020.

Methods
We used disease incidence data from China and air travel passenger movements between China and Australia during and after the epidemic peak in China, derived from incoming passenger arrival cards. We used the estimated incidence of disease in China, using data on expected proportion of under-ascertainment of cases and an age-specific deterministic model to model the epidemic in each scenario.

Results
The modelled epidemic with the full ban fitted the observed incidence of cases well, predicting 57 cases on March 6th in Australia, compared to 66 observed on this date; however, we did not account for imported cases from other countries. The modelled impact without a travel ban results in more than 2000 cases and about 400 deaths, if the epidemic remained localized to China and no importations from other countries occurred. The full travel ban reduced cases by about 86%, while the impact of a partial lifting of the ban is minimal and may be a policy option.

Conclusions
Travel restrictions were highly effective for containing the COVID-19 epidemic in Australia during the epidemic peak in China and averted a much larger epidemic at a time when COVID-19 was largely localized to China. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of travel bans applied to countries with high disease incidence. This research can inform decisions on placing or lifting travel bans as a control measure for the COVID-19 epidemic.