bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bioaccumulation of Lead (Pb) in the macroalgae Padina australis Hauck in Makassar Marine Waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Supardi Wahyu , Puspito Nugroho Andhika 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Marine pollution is a global problem that occurs in coastal areas. Pb lead pollutants derived from waste discharges and Makassar community activities can accumulate on the macroalgae Padina australis Hauck. This study determined the accumulation of Pb on P. australis and assessed the abundance of P. australis in three stations in Makassar marine waters of Lae-lae, Samalona and Barranglompo from November-April 2018. Sampling P. australis was done by purposive sampling method. Data of P. australis abundance was taken using the line transect method. Physico-chemical parameters measured were temperature, salinity, pH, light penetration, current, DO, and BOD. Pb analysis was done using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed difference of Pb content in P. australis was found from each research station. The content of Pb at Station I is in the range of 0.0964-0.1388 ppm, Station II 0.0496-0.1050 ppm, and station III 0.0597-0.1035 ppm which has exceeded the water limit specified (> 0.008) ppm. The average concentration of Pb at station I was compared to other stations because Station I was closer to the mainland, with potentially greater entry of heavy metal Pb. Abundance of P. australis at station I were 92 ind/m2, station II 152 ind/m2 and station III were 319 ind/m2. Correlation analysis data showed no significant value (ρ = 0.384, p > 0.05) which meant that the Pb concentration did not affect P. australis abundance.
Experimental evidence of monolayer arsenene: an exotic 2D semiconducting material
Authors: Shah J , Wang W , Sohail H M , Uhrberg R I G 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Group V element analogues of graphene have attracted a lot of attention recently due to their semiconducting band structures and several other interesting properties predicted by theoretical investigations in the literature. In this study, we present atomic and electronic structure data of an arsenic (As) layer on Ag(1 1 1). Low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy data provide evidence for an ordered layer with a lattice constant of 3.6 Å. This value fits with the theoretical range of 3.54–3.64 Å for buckled arsenene, which is the structure consistently predicted by various theoretical studies. The electronic structure obtained by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy shows the existence of three 2D electron bands within 4 eV below the Fermi level. The number of bands and the agreement between experimental band dispersions and the theoretical band structure provide further evidence for the formation of monolayer buckled arsenene on Ag(1 1 1).
Influence of ultrasonication power on grain refinement, mechanical properties and wear behaviour of AZ91D/nano-Al2O3 composites
Authors: Gnanavelbabu A , Sunu Surendran K T , Kumar S 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
In this study, magnesium alloy (AZ91D) matrix composites reinforced with 1 wt% of nano alumina (n-Al2O3) were fabricated using novel Ultrasonic Treatment (UST) assisted squeeze casting method. UST was carried out at four different levels of ultrasonic power namely, 0 W (without UST), 1500 W, 2000 W and 2500 W at constant frequency and time. The composites were heat-treated at T6 condition under argon gas protected environment. Microstructural analysis was done using optical microscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Physical, mechanical and tribological properties of the composites were evaluated. A significant refinement in grain structure and improvement in porosity was seen on an increase in UST power. Improvement was seen in micro-hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and % of elongation of the composite fabricated at 2500 W by 18%, 48%, 28%, and 10% respectively compared to an untreated composite. The composite fabricated at 2500 W showed less wear rate and coefficient of friction when compared to other composites at all sliding conditions. Scanning electron microscope images of the worn surface of the composite pins revealed that the wear mechanisms dominated were abrasion, adhesion, oxidation and delamination.
Microstructural analysis of weld nugget properties on resistance spot-welded advance high strength dual phase (α+α/) steel joints
Authors: Rajarajan C , Sivaraj P , Balasubramanian V 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
This research work focuses on production of sound weld by Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) process and correlate the mechanical properties of Dual Phase (DP) steel joints with its microstructural features. The main application of resistance spot welding was used to build white body assembly in automotive industry. The welded joint recorded maximum value of 21.3 kN in TSFL and 18.3 kN in CTSFL. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Optical Microscope (OM) of the Nugget Zone (NZ) revealed lath/needle like microstructures with effect of severe cooling rate. The TEM microstructure exposed the formation of martensite (α
/) in the Nugget Zone (NZ) and tempered martensite (Tα
/) in Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), which accounts for superior joint strength of DP lap shear joints. Furthermore, crystallography studies reported the phase composition and crystallinity in weldments as cementite and magnesium carbide in [101] and [200] indices that accounts for high hardness of 584 Hv in the weldments.
ShinyGO: a graphical gene-set enrichment tool for animals and plants
Authors: Ge Steven Xijin , Jung Dongmin , Yao Runan 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Motivation
Gene lists are routinely produced from various omic studies. Enrichment analysis can link these gene lists with underlying molecular pathways and functional categories such as gene ontology (GO) and other databases.

Results
To complement existing tools, we developed ShinyGO based on a large annotation database derived from Ensembl and STRING-db for 59 plant, 256 animal, 115 archeal and 1678 bacterial species. ShinyGO’s novel features include graphical visualization of enrichment results and gene characteristics, and application program interface access to KEGG and STRING for the retrieval of pathway diagrams and protein–protein interaction networks. ShinyGO is an intuitive, graphical web application that can help researchers gain actionable insights from gene-sets.

Availability and implementation
http://ge-lab.org/go/.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
qgg: an R package for large-scale quantitative genetic analyses
Authors: Rohde Palle Duun , Fourie Sørensen Izel , Sørensen Peter 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Summary
Here, we present the R package qgg, which provides an environment for large-scale genetic analyses of quantitative traits and diseases. The qgg package provides an infrastructure for efficient processing of large-scale genetic data and functions for estimating genetic parameters, and performing single and multiple marker association analyses and genomic-based predictions of phenotypes.

Availability and implementation
The qgg package is freely available. For the latest updates, user guides and example scripts, consult the main page http://psoerensen.github.io/qgg. The current release is available from CRAN (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=qgg) for all major operating systems.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
On the effects of EU trade policy: agricultural tariffs still matter
Authors: Cipollina Maria , Salvatici Luca 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
We capitalise on the latest development in the empirical structural gravity literature to examine the question of whether and how much the European Union (EU) agricultural tariffs affect agricultural imports. We capture both the protectionist and preferential nature of EU trade policies by measuring the effects of multilateral, bilateral and unilateral agreements on international trade relative to intra-EU trade. The computation of bilateral protection and preference margins is used to determine which countries/sectors are most negatively/positively affected. On average, EU agricultural tariffs have decreased international trade by 14 per cent. We also find that EU preferences have been effective in promoting trade by about 10 per cent.
Introduction to the special issue entitled ‘Heart failure management of the elderly patient: focus on frailty, sarcopenia, cachexia, and dementia’
Authors: Seferović Petar M 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
This is a special issue focused on heart failure management of the elderly patient with a focus on frailty, sarcopaenia, cachexia, and dementia, all common problems in the contemporary older heart failure (HF) patient. The Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has brought together experts to discuss these topical and clinically difficult areas. There are papers on ageing, demographics, and heart failure, drug treatment of the older patient, the frail heart failure patient and how to recognize frailty and screen for it without the risk segmenting these patients in a form of discrimination of them as less worthy of treatment through ‘frailtyism’. This is also discussion of the common problems affecting skeletal muscle, both sarcopaenia and cachexia, as well as dementia and cognitive decline and the crucial issue of planning health care for the older patient with HF most effectively by the use of care plans.
Heart failure management of the elderly patient: focus on frailty, sarcopaenia, cachexia, and dementia: conclusions
Authors: Coats Andrew J Stewart 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
With the ageing of populations heart failure is becoming more common and more complex. It is affecting ever older patients and the number of prevalent comorbidities is rising. Even as we continue to gain success in large-scale clinical trials with more effective therapies so our patients are becoming more complex. One of the biggest challenges is the effect of age. Frailty, comorbidity, sarcopaenia, cachexia, polypharmacy, and cognitive decline are all challenging our patients as never before and these challenges will be difficult for cash strapped health care systems to manage. For these reasons, the Heart Failure Association brought together a panel of experts to debate and review this complex area, championing the need for us to establish better ways of caring for the patients of the future.
Frailty in patients with heart failure
Authors: Vitale Cristiana , Uchmanowicz Izabella 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The importance of frailty in heart failure (HF) patients has been increasingly recognized because of its high prevalence and its significantly adverse impact on prognosis and quality of life. Due to the impact of frailty on both prognosis and treatment of HF patients, all patients with HF, regardless of their chronological age, should be evaluated for the presence of, or the risk for developing frailty. However, although several instruments are available, there is still no consensus as to which is the best method to assess frailty in patients with HF. Therefore, a validated and easy to apply instrument to assess frailty in HF patients in daily practice is warranted.
Cardiac cachexia
Authors: Lena Alessia , Ebner Nicole , Anker Markus S 
Published: December 2019

AbstractCachexia is a multifactorial disease characterized by a pathologic shift of metabolism towards a more catabolic state. It frequently occurs in patients with chronic diseases such as chronic heart failure and is especially common in the elderly. In patients at risk, cardiac cachexia is found in about 10% of heart failure patients. The negative impact of cardiac cachexia on mortality, morbidity, and quality of life demonstrates the urgent need to find new effective therapies against cardiac cachexia. Furthermore, exercise training and nutritional support can help patients with cardiac cachexia. Despite ongoing efforts to find new therapies for cachexia treatment, also new preventive strategies are needed.
Seasonal, medium-term and daily patterns of tree diameter growth in response to climate
Authors: Vospernik Sonja , Nothdurft Arne , Mehtätalo Lauri 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Tree growth is expected to be responsive to climatic drivers across a spectrum of temporal scales, ranging from yearly growth to daily water use and photosynthesis. Automatic dendrometers offer the potential to provide continuous high-resolution measurements of tree radius changes. The signal recorded contains three components: (1) a long-term seasonal growth component, (2) a mid-term component representing swelling after rainfall and subsequent drying and (3) daily cycles of water-uptake related to tree transpiration. For 91 trees at 4 sites (Picea abies: 58, Pinus cembra: 17, Fagus sylvatica: 14, Pinus sylvestris: 2) monitored in Austria between 2012 and 2015, we simultaneously modelled these three processes using a hierarchical nonlinear mixed-effects model represented by two logistic growth curves. The focus was on the mid-term and daily component, and therefore long-term growth that is typically modelled by including tree size, competition or site variables was represented by random effects only. Both mid-term and short-term components were species-specific. In general, P. cembra and F. sylvatica were less sensitive to climate variables than P. abies. For all species, the mid-term component was best represented using a 14-day moving average difference between rainfall and potential evapotranspiration, a 24-h moving average of precipitation and its 1–3 days lags, a 24-h moving average temperature and its 1–3 days lags. The daily cycles of water uptake were best related to hourly humidity and its 3-h lag, and interactions with the 14-day moving average difference between rainfall and potential evapotranspiration accounted for attenuating cycles after rainy events and increasing cycles in dry periods.
Presidential Risk Propensity and Intervention in Interstate Conflicts
Authors: Keller Jonathan W , Grant Keith A , Foster Dennis M 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWhat explains a state's decision to intervene in ongoing interstate conflicts? Intervention is a risky proposition, potentially incurring audience costs if the effort is unsuccessful or if casualties and other costs mount. Various domestic political factors and features of the international environment certainly shape the risks surrounding intervention, but recent work in political psychology suggests that individual leaders’ risk-taking propensity, as measured by their locus of control (LOC), greatly influences their willingness to engage in potentially risky actions. In this paper, we examine the link between US presidents’ risk propensity and the frequency with which they intervene internationally. Our analysis of the period 1946–2001 reveals that presidents with an internal LOC are generally more likely to intervene in ongoing conflicts. Moreover, such leaders are specifically more likely to engage in unilateral interventions and those geared toward harming the interests of interstate rivals, indicating a particular predilection toward risk-taking in their decision-making surrounding interventions.
GERIATRIC TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE SHARE SIMILAR PATTERNS OF WHITE MATTER DEGRADATION
Authors: Irimia Andrei , Rostowsky Kenneth , Chaudhari Nikhil , Calvillo Maria , Lee Sean 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Although mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are associated with white matter (WM) degradation, the nature of these alterations and the outcomes of their comparison have not been elucidated. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been utilized in both conditions, and has uncovered decreases in the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the corpus callosum and cingulum bundle, compared to healthy control (HC) volunteers [1, 2]. Despite mTBI being a potential risk factor for AD, no systematic quantitative comparison has been drawn between their WM degradation patterns. Here we investigated WM FA differences using DTI and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) between age- and sex-matched adults: 33 chronic mTBI patients, 67 AD patients and 81 HC participants. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DTI were acquired at 3T. mTBI patients were scanned acutely and ~6 months post-injury. FSL software was used for artefact correction, FA computation and TBSS implementation. Statistical comparison of WM FA patterns between mTBI and AD patients was achieved by two one-sided t tests (TOSTs) of statistical equivalence, with equivalence bounds defined where Cohen’s d &lt; 0.3. A significant difference was found between the FA means of mTBI vs. HC groups, and the AD vs. HC groups (p &lt; 0.01, corrected). Mean FA differences between mTBI and AD were statistically equivalent in the corpus callosum and in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (p &lt; 0.05, corrected). Future research should focus on clarifying the similarities between mTBI and AD, potentially leading to novel hypotheses and improved AD diagnosis.
EARLY TIME RESTRICTED FEEDING IMPROVES HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN FUNCTION IN GERIATRIC MONKEYS
Authors: Kavanagh Kylie , Bashore Alexander , Davis Matthew , Sherrill Chrissy , Parks John 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Ageing conveys the greatest risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) development, which is the dominant cause of mortality in developed nations. High density lipoprotein (HDL) particles mediate reverse cholesterol transport, are anti-inflammatory and their function predicts CVD. We observed lower plasma cholesterol efflux capacity in geriatric vervet monkeys (p=0.03) when consuming either healthy or Western diets. Adult (n=16) and geriatric (n=19) monkeys were stratified into groups fed Western diet on ad libitum (Ad Lib) or early time restricted feeding (eTFR) schedules. eTRF supplied excess food only between 6am to 2pm. Housing, seasonality and fasting conditions for data and sample collections were equivalent. After 6 months, cholesterol efflux to HDL was greater in eTRF monkeys (p=0.01), with no age by group interaction. Efflux media and plasma was chromatographically separated to confirm labelled cholesterol, and enzymatically measured cholesterol, respectively, was affiliated with HDL particles. eTRF monkeys had higher total plasma cholesterol levels (p=0.03) which was due to greater cholesterol amounts associated with only HDL, and resulted in HDL particles that were larger. eTRF resulted in robustly better HDL function such that measures from geriatric individuals were comparable to younger adults. Additionally, no differences in adiposity was observed in eTRF monkeys. Few interventions are known to raise HDL levels, and more importantly, are confirmed to improve HDL function. Our study is to date the largest, longest, controlled eTRF evaluation in primates and we show that positive biological effects are observable in HDL isolated from both adult and geriatric individuals independently of weight change.
THE IMPACT OF AN EARLY-STAGE DYADIC CARE PLANNING INTERVENTION ON CAREGIVER BURDEN
Authors: Orsulic-Jeras Silvia , Whitlatch Carol , Johnson Justin 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Evidence supports the development of proactive, dyadic interventions for used in early-stage dementia. This type of intervention leads to more effective decision making which can reduce subsequent caregiver stress and burden. SHARE (Support, Health, Activities, Resources, Education), a six-session counseling-based intervention, encourages and supports care dyads to have important discussions about health care preferences that are often delayed or avoided until later-stage dementia. Typically, both the PWD and caregiver assume that most of the help will be delivered by the caregiver. SHARE aims to expand the network of care by evenly distributing care task responsibilities from the caregiver alone to other potential sources of support: family/friends and paid service providers. Early-stage dyads (n=63) successfully created a balanced and manageable plan of care with the help of their SHARE Counselor over a 6-month period. Follow-up interviews assessed care dyads from 1.5 to 2 years after their participation in SHARE ended. Analyses determined change in PWD ADL needs from enrollment (T1) to two years later (T2) and impact on caregiver task burden. Paired samples t-tests indicated a significant increase in PWD need for assistance with 18 ADLs, from a T1 mean of 8.76 to a T2 mean of 11.34 (t=-6.72, p=.000). This paper examines: 1) the benefits and challenges of creating a Care Plan in the early stages of dementia, 2) how SHARE dyads utilized their Care Plans when PWDs needed assistance, and 3) if reliance on family/friend and paid service provider options were realistic over time.
THE FORECASTING OF POPULATION SUPER-AGING AND POLICY SIMULATION OF LONG-TERM CARE IN CHINA (2019-2070)
Authors: Chen Chen 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a policy simulation of Long-Term Care based on the aging population forecast for China, focusing on the super-aging and oldest-old segments of the population. As a developing country, it is a challenge for China to increase its wealth with the financial implications of an aging nation. The study identified two significant turning points for population development: 1) The multi-pilot program of long-term care policy reform must be executed between 2016 – 2020. This reform is time dependent because the multi-state longevity development period is from 2016 to 2030 and in the year 2030, the oldest-old population will be part of China’s society. 2) The year 2060 will be representative of a stable period in China, as the age of China’s population will no longer be accelerating.
Improved method for the catheterization of the right ventricle in a rat model of pulmonary artery hypertension
Authors: Tontodonati Marcello , Ridley Debbie , Remie René , Clements Peter 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Ventricle catheterization in the rat is widely practiced in cardiopulmonary research. The catheters deployed are either fluid filled or solid tip pressure or pressure–volume catheters. The access to the right ventricle is through the right jugular vein, most commonly without direct visualization such as fluoroscopy. Advancement of the catheter tip is aided by visualizing the pressure signals of the monitoring/recording systems used. This approach may present challenges due to various reasons, including the stiffness of new catheters, their dimensions or anatomical changes associated with the animal disease model. In this article, we present a novel approach, which has been optimized, successfully validated surgically and adopted in current projects. It has been shown to improve both the overall quality of the signals recorded and the time to access the right ventricle, thus reducing the overall time of surgery. The method presented in this article is safe, easy to reproduce and does not require additional skills compared to a more ‘standard’ approach.