bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicted Cardiac Hemodynamic Consequences of the Renal Actions of SGLT2i in the DAPA‐HF Study Population: A Mathematical Modeling Analysis
Authors: Yu Hongtao , Tang Weifeng , Greasley Peter J. , Penland Robert C. , Boulton David W. , Hallow K. Melissa 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA‐HF) study demonstrated that dapagliflozin, a sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), reduced heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF‐rEF), with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Multiple potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain this benefit, which may be multifactorial. This study aimed to quantify the contribution of the known natriuretic/diuretic effects of SGLT2is to changes in cardiac hemodynamics, remodeling, and fluid homeostasis in the setting of HF‐rEF. An integrated cardiorenal mathematical model was used to simulate inhibition of SGLT2 and its consequences on cardiac hemodynamics in a virtual population of HF‐rEF patients generated by varying model parameters over physiologically plausible ranges and matching to baseline characteristics of individual DAPA‐HF trial patients. Cardiovascular responses to placebo and SGLT2i over time were then simulated. The baseline characteristics of the HF‐rEF virtual population and DAPA‐HF were in good agreement. SGLT2i‐induced diuresis and natriuresis that reduced blood volume and interstitial fluid volume, relative to placebo within 14 days. This resulted in decreased left ventricular end‐diastolic volume and pressure, indicating reduced cardiac preload. Thereafter, blood volume and interstitial fluid volume again began to accumulate, but pressures and volumes remained shifted lower relative to placebo. After 1 year, left ventricle mass was lower and ejection fraction was higher than placebo. These simulations considered only hemodynamic consequences of the natriuretic/diuretic effects of SGLT2i, as other mechanisms may contribute additional benefits besides those predictions.
An experimental method to characterize the relationship between aperture image and ray directions in microscope optics
Authors: Tran Mai Thi , Oldenbourg Rudolf 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe propose a direct experimental method to calibrate the relationship between ray directions in object space and their positions in the aperture plane of a light field microscope. The calibration improves the interpretation of light field images, which contain information from both types of image planes, the field plane and the aperture plane of the ray path in the microscope. Our method is based on the diffraction of line gratings of known periodicities and provides accurate results with subpixel resolution. The method can be custom‐tailored to most any optical configuration, including standard light microscopy setups, whenever correct mapping between ray parameters in the object/image plane and the aperture plane is needed.
Duration of Pre‐university Education and Labour Market Outcomes: Evidence from a Quasi‐experiment in Ghana
Authors: Boahen Emmanuel Adu , Opoku Kwadwo , Schotte Simone 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis paper provides new evidence on the effect of shortening the duration of pre‐university education on long‐term labour market outcomes in Ghana, expl`oiting the education reform of 1987 as a natural experiment. Our results indicate that the drastic cut in the duration of pre‐tertiary education from 17 to 12 years improved the labour market success of treated cohorts. However, this is driven by a ‘quantity’ effect: the shorter course duration reduced the direct and indirect costs of acquiring post‐primary education and allowed more students to enrol, which provided access to better job opportunities. On aggregate, this has dominated the negative effect on education ‘quality’. © 2020 UNU‐WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Susceptibility of livestock and companion animals to COVID‐19
Authors: Sreenivasan Chithra C. , Thomas Milton , Wang Dan , Li Feng 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWhile the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) continues to wreak havoc, there is little known about the susceptibility of the livestock and companion animals relative to humans. Here, we explore the susceptibility of companion and agricultural animals, in light of the existing information on natural infections, experimental infections, serosurveillance, and in vitro protein‐homology binding interaction studies of the SARS‐CoV‐2 with the proposed receptor angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 from diverse animal species.
Possible vertical transmission and antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 among infants born to mothers with COVID‐19: A living systematic review
Authors: Bwire George M. , Njiro Belinda J. , Mwakawanga Dorkasi L. , Sabas Deodatus , Sunguya Bruno F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractCurrent evidence suggests that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is predominantly transmitted from human‐to‐human. However, evidence on vertical transmission and natural passive immunity among the newborns exposed to COVID‐19 is scanty and varies. This poses a challenge on preventive interventions for the newborns. We conducted a systematic review to first, determine the likelihood of vertical transmission among COVID‐19 exposed infants and second, determine whether antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 were generated among COVID‐19 vertically exposed but negative infants. This review registered in PROSPERO searched evidence from PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar, among others. About 517 studies were pooled, where 33 articles (5.8%) met the inclusion criteria such as infection prevention and control measures at birth. A total of 205 infants born to COVID‐19 positive mothers were studied. Overall, 6.3% (13/205; 95% CI: 3.0%–9.7%) of the infants tested positive for COVID‐19 virus at birth. Of 33 eligible studies, six studies (18.8%) reported about immunoglobulin G/M (IgG/IgM) against SARS‐CoV‐2. IgG/IgM were detected in 90% infants (10/11; 95% CI: 73.9%–107.9%) who tested negative for COVID‐19 virus. The median antibody levels detected were 75.49 AU/ml (range, 7.25–140.32 AU/ml) and 3.79 AU/ml (range, 0.16–45.83 AU/ml), p = .0041 for IgG and IgM, respectively. In conclusion, the current evidence revealed a low possibility of vertical transmission of COVID‐19 and antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 were detected among vertically exposed but negative infants. Further studies on transplacental transmission and the magnitude of natural passive immunity in infants born to mothers with COVID‐19 are warranted.
Disrupted brain functional networks in patients with end‐stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Wu Baolin , Li Xuekun , Zhang Meng , Zhang Feifei , Long Xipeng , Gong Qiyong , Jia Zhiyun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPatterns of change in whole‐brain functional networks remain poorly understood in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD). We conducted a prospective research to investigate the topological properties of whole‐brain functional networks in those patients using a graph‐based network analysis. Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 51 ESRD patients (25 HD and 26 nondialysis patients) and 36 healthy controls (HCs). We compared the topological properties of brain functional networks among the three groups, and analyzed the relationships between those significant parameters and clinical variables in ESRD patients. Progressively disrupted global topological organizations were observed from nondialysis patients to HD patients compared with HCs (all p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction). HD patients, relative to HCs, showed significantly decreased nodal centralities in the left temporal pole: superior temporal gyrus, bilateral median cingulate and paracingulate gyri, bilateral hippocampus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral amygdala, and showed increased nodal centralities in the orbital part of the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left cuneus, and left superior occipital gyrus (all p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Furthermore, nodal centralities in the bilateral hippocampus were significantly decreased in HD patients compared with nondialysis patients (p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Dialysis duration negatively correlated with global efficiency in ESRD patients undergoing HD (r = −0.676, FDR q = 0.004). This study indicates that ESRD patients exhibit disruptions in brain functional networks, which are more severe in HD patients, and these alterations are correlated with cognitive performance and clinical markers.
Independent impact of periodontitis and cardiovascular disease on elevated soluble urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels
Authors: Isola Gaetano , Polizzi Alessandro , Alibrandi Angela , Williams Ray C. , Leonardi Rosalia 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that a soluble urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) plays an essential function in leukocytes and endothelial homeostasis and, therefore, in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) and periodontitis. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of gingival health, periodontitis, and CHD on suPAR levels in plasma and saliva and to evaluate suPAR as a biomarker of periodontitis and CHD.MethodsHealthy controls (n = 33), patients with periodontitis (n = 31), CHD (n = 29), and a combination of periodontitis + CHD (n = 29) were enrolled in the present study. All patients were clinically and periodontally evaluated and regularly assessed for socioeconomic status, serum lipids, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), and for plasma and salivary suPAR levels.ResultsPatients with periodontitis (P <.001) and with periodontitis + CHD (P <.001) presented higher median plasma and salivary suPAR levels compared with CHD and healthy controls. Moreover, univariate regression analysis demonstrated that hs‐CRP (P <.001) and periodontitis (P <.001) had a significant negative direct effect on both plasma and salivary suPAR levels. The multivariate regression analysis showed that periodontitis was the only significant predictor of plasma suPAR (P = .035) while hs‐CRP was the only significant predictor of salivary suPAR (P <.001).ConclusionsThe results of the present study demonstrated that patients with periodontitis and periodontitis + CHD presented higher suPAR levels in both plasma and saliva in comparison with healthy controls and CHD. Moreover, periodontitis and hs‐CRP were the only significant predictors of the augmented suPAR levels in plasma and saliva, respectively.
A high‐resolution speleothem proxy record of the Late Glacial in the European Alps: extending the NALPS19 record until the beginning of the Holocene
Authors: Li Hanying , Spötl Christoph , Cheng Hai 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTPrevious research has shown that speleothems from the northern rim of the European Alps captured submillennial‐scale climate change during the last glacial period with exceptional sensitivity and resolution, mimicking Greenland ice‐core records. Here we extend this so‐called NALPS19 record across the Late Glacial using two stalagmites which grew continuously into the Holocene. Both specimens show the same high‐amplitude δ18O signal as Greenland ice cores down to decadal resolution. The start of the warming at the onset of the equivalent of Greenland Interstadial (GI) GI‐1e at 14.66 ± 0.18 ka agrees with the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) (14.64 ± 0.28 ka) and comprised a temperature rise of about 5–6 °C. The transition from the equivalent of GI‐1a into the equivalent of Greenland Stadial (GS) GS‐1 (broadly equivalent to the Younger Dryas) commenced at 13.02 ± 0.13 ka which is consistent with NGRIP (12.80 ± 0.26 ka) within errors. The onset of the Holocene started at 11.78 ± 0.14 ka (11.65 ± 0.10 ka at NGRIP) and involved a warming of about 4–5 °C. In contrast to δ18O, δ13C values show no response to (sub)millennial climate shifts due to strong rock‐buffering and only record a long‐term trend of soil development starting with the rapid warming at 14.7 ka.
Predation Management and Spatial Structure Moderate Extirpation Risk and Harvest of Northern Bobwhite
Authors: Yeiser John M. , Jackson Alexander L. , Sisson D. Clay , Terhune Theron M. , Martin James A. 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTDensity dependence, immigration, and emigration can considerably influence wildlife population demographics. Population models used to evaluate common actions like predator management and harvest in the absence of these processes may lead to poor management decisions. We built a novel population simulation model for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) that included implicit spatial structure (ingress and egress of individuals), density dependence, and harvest. We used 42 years of data (1970–2012) from a relatively stable population to create and validate the simulation model. We then used this simulation model to predict the effect of meso‐mammal trap and removal, a management action that increases bobwhite fecundity, on population abundance, cumulative harvest through 50 years, and extirpation risk. We conducted a population sensitivity analysis to understand the implications of meso‐mammal trap and removal to populations with varying vital rates. Incorporating ingress and egress of individuals and density dependence improved the understanding of bobwhite population dynamics and reduced the uncertainty about the efficacy of predator management across a range of environmental conditions. Increased number of immigration sources decreased extirpation risk and increased bobwhite abundance. A key outcome of our modeling process was that density‐dependent processes did not fully compensate for harvest. Cumulative harvest through 50 years increased with increasing harvest rate but started to decline when harvest rate was >0.35 for populations with meso‐mammal removal and 0.25–0.30 for populations without meso‐mammal removal. Meso‐mammal removal increased the harvest capacity of populations and produced greater harvest opportunity over time. Meso‐mammal removal also buffered populations from extirpation risk resulting from too few immigration sources. Practitioners often ignore the contribution of immigration and emigration to local demographics or assume density‐independent vital rates; however, recent literature reviews and our study indicate that these processes are important to the understanding of animal ecology and management. In the interest of the conservation of species that are hunted and at risk of extirpation in some geographies, predator management may increase hunter success and be a tool to reduce extirpation risk, although the degree of effectiveness likely varies geographically. This manuscript could serve as a framework for predicting the effects of management on bobwhite at the population level. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Implications from Monitoring Gopher Tortoises at Two Spatial Scales
Authors: Goessling Jeffrey M. , Stober Jonathan M. , Gyengo Sybil G. , Hermann Sharon M. , Tuberville Tracey D. , Guyer Craig 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTConservation biologists need to effectively monitor species given resource limitations and the inherent challenges of assessing long‐term demographic processes. We assessed gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) abundance at a landscape scale and at the scale of 3 local populations within the Conecuh National Forest (CNF), Alabama, USA, between 1991 and 2017. We collected landscape‐level data from line transect distance sampling arranged uniformly across the CNF during a single season (2011); we obtained data for local populations from long‐term mark‐recapture of individuals at 3 sites selected based on prior knowledge of high density at each. At a landscape scale, we estimated 5,242 (95% CI = 3,538–7,768) tortoises occurred across the approximately 34,000‐ha forest, yielding a density of 0.14–0.32 tortoises/ha. These low densities across the landscape suggest that, on average, management activities across the property have not allowed tortoise populations to retain the social structure needed for long‐term persistence. The 3 local populations, however, contained 25–60 individuals and densities of 1.9–6.9 tortoises/ha. Over the study period, populations at 2 sites were stable and the third experienced significant population growth. Mean annual survival of individuals was 0.89 and invariant across size classes. Overall, line transect distance sampling is important for assessing landscape‐scale abundance of tortoises but may fail to detect local clusters of high‐density sites important for population persistence. Our mark‐recapture efforts at the local scale revealed that small populations on these high‐density sites can exhibit long‐term stability or growth even though they do not meet current established criteria for viability. Improved models that incorporate immigration and emigration and better reflect the dynamics of peripheral populations would assist in determining how such populations best contribute to species recovery and regional conservation targets. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
SP1‐induced lncRNA DANCR contributes to proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer
Authors: Cui Peng‐Hua , Li Zhi‐Yan , Li Da‐Hai , Han Shu‐Yu , Zhang Yu‐Juan 
Published: October 2020

AbstractTranscription factor SP1 could manipulate pathways involved in ovarian cancer progression. LncRNAs are involved in SP1‐mediated tumorigenesis. LncRNA DANCR could promote metastasis of ovarian cancer. However, the regulatory function and involvement of SP1‐induced lncRNA DANCR in ovarian cancer remain elusive. Data from this study showed that SP1 was up‐regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cells (CAOV3, SKOV3, A2780), and SP1 could bind to the promoter region of DANCR through chromatin immunoprecipitation and leuciferase activity assays. Therefore, DANCR was transcriptionally induced by SP1 in ovarian cancer tissues and cells (CAOV3, SKOV3, A2780). Functionally, reduced expression of DANCR suppressed cell viability, migration and invasion of CAOV3, while enhanced DANCR expression contributed to SKOV3 growth. Over‐expression of SP1 reversed the suppressive effects of DANCR interference on ovarian cancer progression. In conclusion, SP1‐induced DANCR contributed to oncogenic potential of ovarian cancer, suggesting a promising therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
Onset of Mechanochromic Response in the High Strain Rate Uniaxial Compression of Spiropyran Embedded Silicone Elastomers
Authors: Shannahan Logan S. , Lin Yangju , Berry James F. , Barbee Meredith H. , Fermen‐Coker Müge , Craig Stephen L. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe molecular processes that accompany dynamic mechanical response to large deformations at high strain rate (≈1000 s−1 or higher) underlie the early stages of damage in materials, but understanding of material response in this regime is typically limited to macroscopic constitutive equations. Here, spiropyran mechanophores are embedded in very short, stress‐bearing strands in silicone elastomers, and their mechanochromic response to uniaxial compression is explored in a Split Hopkinson Pressure (or Kolsky) Bar. At strain rates of 1000 s−1, the onset of mechanochromism occurs at lower strains, but higher stresses, than in the same materials under quasi‐static loading. Similar to quasi‐static loading, however, a negligible effect of mechanophore structure on the critical strain for colorimetric onset is observed. The results suggest that nonequilibrium, inhomogeneous local tension distributions in the elastomers lead to greater stress in individual strands than at the same strains under equilibrium loading, but that within the regions of force concentration, mechanochromic onset is determined primarily by a limiting local strain threshold.
Effective antitumor activity of 5T4‐specific CAR‐T cells against ovarian cancer cells in vitro and xenotransplanted tumors in vivo
Authors: Guo Cuiyu , Dong E , Lai Qinhuai , Zhou Shijie , Zhang Guangbing , Wu Mengdan , Yue Xiaozhu , Tao Yiran , Peng Yujia , Ali Jamel , Lu Ying , Fu Yuyin , Lai Weirong , Zhang Zhixiong , Ma Fanxin , Yao Yuqin , Gou Lantu , Yang Hanshuo , Yang Jinliang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractOvarian cancer is considered to be the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, and despite the development of conventional therapies and new therapeutic approaches, the patient's survival time remains short because of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, effective methods to control tumor progression are urgently needed. The oncofetal tumor‐associated antigen 5T4 (trophoblast glycoprotein, TPBG) represents an appealing target for adoptive T‐cell immunotherapy as it is highly expressed on the surface of various tumor cells, has very limited expression in normal tissues, and spreads widely in malignant tumors throughout their development. In this study, we generated second‐generation human chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells with redirected specificity to 5T4 (5T4 CAR‐T) and demonstrated that these CAR‐T cells can elicit lytic cytotoxicity in targeted tumor cells, in addition to the secretion of cytotoxic cytokines, including IFN‐γ, IL‐2, and GM‐CSF. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of 5T4 CAR‐T cells significantly delayed tumor formation in xenografts of peritoneal and subcutaneous animal models. These results demonstrate the potential efficacy and feasibility of 5T4 CAR‐T cell immunotherapy and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical study of future immunotherapies targeting 5T4 for ovarian cancer.