bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Illegal killing of nongame wildlife and recreational shooting in conservation areas
Authors: Katzner Todd E. , Carlisle Jay D. , Poessel Sharon A. , Thomason Eve C. , Pauli Benjamin P. , Pilliod David S. , Belthoff James R. , Heath Julie A. , Parker Kristina J. , Warner Kevin S. , Hayes Heather M. , Aberg Madeline C. , Ortiz Patricia A. , Amdor Sandra M. , Alsup Steven E. , Coates Stephanie E. , Miller Tricia A. , Duran Zoe K. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIllegal killing of nongame wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. The prevalence and ecological consequences of illegal killing are often underestimated or completely unknown. We review the practice of legal recreational shooting and present data gathered from telemetry, surveys, and observations on its association with illegal killing of wildlife (birds and snakes) within conservation areas in Idaho, USA. In total, 33% of telemetered long‐billed curlews (Numenius americanus) and 59% of other bird carcasses found with known cause of death (or 32% of total) were illegally shot. Analysis of spatial distributions of illegal and legal shooting is consistent with birds being shot illegally in the course of otherwise legal recreational shooting, but snakes being intentionally sought out and targeted elsewhere, in locations where they congregate. Preliminary public surveys indicate that most recreational shooters find abhorrent the practice of illegal killing of wildlife. Viewed through this lens, our data may imply only a small fraction of recreational shooters is responsible for this activity. This study highlights a poorly known conservation problem that could have broad implications for some species and populations of wildlife.
Effect of SLCO1B1 Polymorphisms on High‐Dose Methotrexate Clearance in Children and Young Adults With Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
Authors: Schulte Rachael R. , Choi Leena , Utreja Nipun , Van Driest Sara L. , Stein C. Michael , Ho Richard H. 
Published: September 2020

High‐dose (HD) methotrexate (MTX) is a critical component of treatment for hematologic malignancies in children and young adults. Therapeutic drug monitoring is necessary due to substantial interindividual variation in MTX clearance. Common function‐altering polymorphisms in SLCO1B1 (encodes OATP1B1, which transports MTX) may contribute to clearance variability. We performed pharmacokinetic modeling using data for 106 children and young adults treated with HD MTX for hematologic malignancies; of 396 total courses of HD MTX, 360 consisted of 5 g/m2 over 24 hours. We evaluated the contribution of clinical covariates and SLCO1B1 genotype (388A>G and 521T>C) to MTX clearance variability. Of the clinical covariates studied, patient weight improved the pharmacokinetic model most significantly (P < 0.001). The addition of the SLCO1B1 variants individually further improved the model (P < 0.05 for each). An interaction between these variants was suggested when both were included (P = 0.017). SLCO1B1 genotype should be considered in efforts to personalize HD MTX dosing.
Diagnosis of gastric lesions through a deep convolutional neural network
Authors: Zhang Liming , Zhang Yang , Wang Li , Wang Jiangyuan , Liu Yulan 
Published: September 2020

Background and AimsA deep convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to achieve fast and accurate artificial intelligence (AI)‐assisted diagnosis of early gastric cancer (GC) and other gastric lesions based on endoscopic images.MethodsA CNN‐based diagnostic system based on a ResNet34 residual network structure and a DeepLabv3 structure was constructed and trained using 21,217 gastroendoscopic images of five gastric conditions, peptic ulcer (PU), early gastric cancer (EGC) and high‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), advanced gastric cancer (AGC), gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs), and normal gastric mucosa without lesions. The trained CNN was evaluated using a test dataset of 1091 images. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the CNN were calculated. The CNN diagnosis was compared with those of 10 endoscopists with over 8 years of experience in endoscopic diagnosis.ResultsThe diagnostic specificity and PPV of the CNN were higher than that of the endoscopists for the EGC and HGIN images (specificity: 91.2% vs. 86.7%, by 4.5%, 95% CI 2.8–7.2%; PPV: 55.4% vs. 41.7%, by 13.7%, 95% CI 11.2–16.8%) and the diagnostic accuracy of the CNN was close to those of the endoscopists for the lesion‐free, EGC and HGIN, PU, AGC, and SMTs images. The CNN had image recognition time of 42 s for all the test set images.ConclusionThe constructed CNN system could be used as a rapid auxiliary diagnostic instrument to detect EGC and HGIN, as well as other gastric lesions, to reduce the workload of endoscopists.
Understanding the relationship between type 2 diabetes and depression: lessons from genetically informative study designs
Authors: Bergmans R. S. , Rapp A. , Kelly K. M. , Weiss D. , Mezuk Briana 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimsTo conduct a systematic review in order to comprehensively synthesize the findings from a diverse range of genetically informative studies on comorbid depression and type 2 diabetes.MethodsDatabase searches (1 January 2008 to 1 June 2020) in PubMed and EMBASE were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligible reports employed any type of genetically informed design, including twin modelling, Mendelian randomization, genome‐wide association studies, polygenetic risk scores, or linkage disequilibrium score regression. Searches generated 451 unique citations, and 16 manuscripts met the inclusion criteria.ResultsThe included studies addressed three aetiological models of the depression–diabetes relationship: uni‐ or bi‐directional phenotypic causation; shared genetic liability; or gene–environment interaction. From these studies, there is modest evidence that type 2 diabetes is causally related to risk of developing depression, but much more limited evidence that depression is causally related to risk of diabetes. There is little evidence of shared genetic liability between depression and diabetes or of gene–environment interaction.ConclusionsFindings from genetically informed studies are mixed but provide some support for the uni‐ or bi‐directional phenotypic model of depression and type 2 diabetes. Future studies should also explore the hypothesis that this relationship may be influenced by shared environmental risk factors. Findings can inform multifaceted approaches to diabetes prevention and care that reflect how psychosocial factors contribute to type 2 diabetes risk and outcomes.
Prognostic utility of quantitative offline 2D‐echocardiography in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19 disease
Authors: Bursi Francesca , Santangelo Gloria , Sansalone Dario , Valli Federica , Vella Anna Maria , Toriello Filippo , Barbieri Andrea , Carugo Stefano 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPurposeTo assess the prognostic utility of quantitative 2D‐echocardiography, including strain, in patients with COVID‐19 disease.MethodsCOVID‐19‐infected patients admitted to the San Paolo University Hospital of Milan that underwent a clinically indicated echocardiographic examination were included in the study. To limit contamination, all measurements were performed offline. Quantitative measurements were obtained by an operator blinded to the clinical data.ResultsAmong the 49 patients, nonsurvivors (33%) had worse respiratory parameters, index of multiorgan failure, and worse markers of lung involvement. Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (as assessed by conventional and 2‐dimensional speckle tracking) was a common finding and a powerful independent predictor of mortality. At the ROC curve analyses, RV free wall longitudinal strain (LS) showed an AUC 0.77 ± 0.08 in predicting death, P = .008, and global RV LS (RV‐GLS) showed an AUC 0.79 ± 0.04, P = .004. This association remained significant after correction for age (OR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.01–1.34, P = .029 for RV free wall LS and OR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.01–1.42, P = .033 for RV‐GLS), for oxygen partial pressure at arterial gas analysis/fraction of inspired oxygen (OR = 1.28, 95%CI 1.04–1.57, P = .021 for RV free wall‐LS and OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.04–1.62, P = .020 for RV‐GLS) and for the severity of pulmonary involvement measured by a computed tomography lung score (OR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.02–1.19, P = .034 for RV free wall LS and OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.04–1.63, P = .022 for RV‐GLS).ConclusionsIn patients hospitalized with COVID‐19, offline quantitative 2D‐echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function is feasible. Parameters of RV function are frequently abnormal and have an independent prognostic value over markers of lung involvement.
From statistical regularities in multisensory inputs to peripersonal space representation and body ownership: Insights from a neural network model
Authors: Bertoni Tommaso , Magosso Elisa , Serino Andrea 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPeripersonal space (PPS), the interface between the self and the environment, is represented by a network of multisensory neurons with visual (or auditory) receptive fields anchored to specific body parts, and tactile receptive fields covering the same body parts. Neurophysiological and behavioural features of hand PPS representation have been previously modelled through a neural network constituted by one multisensory population integrating tactile inputs with visual/auditory external stimuli. Reference frame transformations were not explicitly modelled, as stimuli were encoded in pre‐computed hand‐centred coordinates. Here we present a novel model, aiming to overcome this limitation by including a proprioceptive population encoding hand position. We confirmed behaviourally the plausibility of the proposed architecture, showing that visuo‐proprioceptive information is integrated to enhance tactile processing on the hand. Moreover, the network's connectivity was spontaneously tuned through a Hebbian‐like mechanism, under two minimal assumptions. First, the plasticity rule was designed to learn the statistical regularities of visual, proprioceptive and tactile inputs. Second, such statistical regularities were simply those imposed by the body structure. The network learned to integrate proprioceptive and visual stimuli, and to compute their hand‐centred coordinates to predict tactile stimulation. Through the same mechanism, the network reproduced behavioural correlates of manipulations implicated in subjective body ownership: the invisible and the rubber hand illusion. We thus propose that PPS representation and body ownership may emerge through a unified neurocomputational process; the integration of multisensory information consistently with a model of the body in the environment, learned from the natural statistics of sensory inputs.
Chronic immunoglobulin maintenance therapy in myasthenia gravis
Authors: Alcantara M. , Sarpong E. , Barnett C. , Katzberg H. , Bril V. 
Published: September 2020

Background and purposeLong‐term treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) includes symptomatic and course‐modifying therapies that target the immune system. Recently, both intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) have emerged as viable options for chronic therapy, considering the favourable safety–efficacy profile and possible immunosuppressant sparing properties. The aim was to investigate the outcomes of the long‐term care of generalized MG with immunoglobulin (Ig).MethodsThis is a retrospective, repeated‐measures design study. Charts of generalized MG patients, treated with IVIG/SCIG for at least 6 months, from January 2015 to January 2020, were analysed. The primary outcome was the mean change in Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index (MGII) after treatment with Ig, comparing baseline to IVIG and SCIG treatment periods. Secondary outcomes included the changes in pyridostigmine, immunosuppressive medications and patient‐reported outcome ‘percentage of normal’ (0%–100%).ResultsThirty‐four patients were treated with chronic Ig therapy (30 IVIG/SCIG, three SCIG, one IVIG). The mean durations of IVIG and SCIG periods were 21.8 ± 19.4 (range 3–64) months and 19.5 ± 11.3 (range 5–45) months respectively. There was a significant reduction in MGII scores (27.7 ± 15.7 baseline; 22.0 ± 17.4 IVIG period; 19.5 ± 18.1 SCIG period;F = 17.9; d.f. = 1.7;P < 0.01), pyridostigmine and immunosuppressant use (P = 0.00). The outcome ‘percentage of normal’ had a significant positive association with both treatments (P = 0.00).ConclusionOur study results suggest that patients can be successfully transitioned to IVIG and from IVIG to SCIG in the chronic treatment of generalized MG with reductions in impairments and use of other medications and improvement in overall status with Ig therapy. Prospective, randomized studies are needed to clarify costs and comparative effectiveness.
Overnight switch from rasagiline to safinamide in Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations: a tolerability and safety study
Authors: Stocchi F. , Vacca L. , Grassini P. , Tomino C. , Caminiti G. , Casali M. , D'Antoni V. , Volterrani M. , Torti M. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackground and purposeWhen switching between monoamine oxidase type B (MAO‐B) inhibitors, a 15‐day suspension period is a precautionary measure to avoid a serotonin syndrome and hypertensive crisis. However, this indication results in a major inconvenience for parkinsonian patients because of the worsening of their clinical condition. In routine clinical practice, neurologists often perform a substitution of these two drugs without solution of continuity (i.e. overnight), to avoid worsening of fluctuations and prolonged OFF periods. Therefore, a safety open label study was performed to investigate the possible risks of switching overnight from rasagiline to safinamide.MethodsThe study population included 20 advanced patients with Parkinson's disease on stable treatment with rasagiline and levodopa (alone or in combination with other anti‐parkinsonian medication). The possible occurrence of serotonin syndrome and hypertension was monitored through a strict clinical observation and a 24‐h Holter recording (ABPM) performed twice, whilst subjects were on rasagiline and immediately after switching to safinamide.ResultsNo cases of serotonin syndrome or hypertensive crisis occurred during the study. Changes that were not significant occurred in the primary end‐point: 24‐h mean blood pressure (BP) had a mild +4.4% increase in the ABPM2 versus ABPM1 (P = 0.17), 24‐h systolic and diastolic BP values were slightly higher at ABPM2 compared to ABPM1 (respectively +3.3%, P = 0.13; and 5.4%, P = 0.08) and 24‐h systolic BP variability was unchanged between the two ABPM evaluations (from 8.6 ± 2.9 to 8.9 ± 1.8; P = 0.27).ConclusionThe results of the present study confirm that the overnight switch from rasagiline to safinamide is safe and well tolerated by patients.
Epilepsy syndromes, etiologies, and the use of next‐generation sequencing in epilepsy presenting in the first 2 years of life: A population‐based study
Authors: Stödberg Tommy , Tomson Torbjörn , Barbaro Michela , Stranneheim Henrik , Anderlid Britt‐Marie , Carlsson Sofia , Åmark Per , Wedell Anna 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivePopulation‐based data on epilepsy syndromes and etiologies in early onset epilepsy are scarce. The use of next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has hitherto not been reported in this context. The aim of this study is to describe children with epilepsy onset before 2 years of age, and to explore to what degree whole exome and whole genome sequencing (WES/WGS) can help reveal a molecular genetic diagnosis.MethodsChildren presenting with a first unprovoked epileptic seizure before age 2 years and registered in the Stockholm Incidence Registry of Epilepsy (SIRE) between September 1, 2001 and December 31, 2006, were retrieved and their medical records up to age 7 years reviewed. Children who met the epilepsy criteria were included in the study cohort. WES/WGS was offered in cases of suspected genetic etiology regardless of whether a structural or metabolic diagnosis had been established.ResultsOne hundred sixteen children were included, of which 88 had seizure onset during the first year of life and 28 during the second, corresponding to incidences of 139 and 42/100 000 person‐years, respectively. An epilepsy syndrome could be diagnosed in 54% of cases, corresponding to a birth prevalence of 1/1100. Structural etiology was revealed in 34% of cases, a genetic cause in 20%, and altogether etiology was known in 65% of children. The highest diagnostic yield was seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with 65% revealing an etiology. WES/WGS was performed in 26/116 cases (22%), with a diagnostic yield of 58%.SignificanceEpilepsy syndromes can be diagnosed and etiologies revealed in a majority of early onset cases. NGS can identify a molecular diagnosis in a substantial number of children, and should be included in the work‐up, especially in cases of epileptic encephalopathy, cerebral malformation, or metabolic disease without molecular diagnosis. A genetic diagnosis is essential to genetic counselling, prenatal diagnostics, and precision therapy.
Subpolar gyre and temperature drive boreal fish abundance in Greenland waters
Authors: Post Søren , Werner Karl Michael , Núñez‐Riboni Ismael , Chafik Léon , Hátún Hjálmar , Jansen Teunis 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAs result of ocean warming, marine boreal species have shifted their distribution poleward, with increases in abundance at higher latitudes, and declines in abundance at lower latitudes. A key to predict future changes in fish communities is to understand how fish stocks respond to climate variability. Scattered field observations in the first half of the 20th century suggested that boreal fish may coherently invade Greenland waters when temperatures rise, but this hypothesis has remained untested. Therefore, we studied how local temperature variability and the dynamics of the subpolar gyre, a large‐scale driver of oceanic conditions in the North Atlantic, affect abundance of boreal fishes in a region that sharply defines their lower thermal boundary. We analysed information from demersal trawl surveys from 1981 to 2017, for species distributed from shallow shelf to depths of 1,500 m, collected at over 10,000 stations along ~3,000 km of Greenland. Our results show that local temperature and variability of Labrador and Irminger Sea water in the subpolar gyre region drive interdecadal variability of boreal fish abundance in Greenland waters. Although temperature fluctuations were higher in shallow than deep regions, fish abundance changed as quickly in great depths as in shallow depths. This link between physics and biology provides an opportunity for prediction of future trends, which is of utility in Greenland, where fisheries constitute more than 90% of the national export value.
Transient benefits of climate change for a high‐Arctic polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulation
Authors: Laidre Kristin L. , Atkinson Stephen N. , Regehr Eric V. , Stern Harry L. , Born Erik W. , Wiig Øystein , Lunn Nicholas J. , Dyck Markus , Heagerty Patrick , Cohen Benjamin R. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractKane Basin (KB) is one of the world's most northerly polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulations, where bears have historically inhabited a mix of thick multiyear and annual sea ice year‐round. Currently, KB is transitioning to a seasonally ice‐free region because of climate change. This ecological shift has been hypothesized to benefit polar bears in the near‐term due to thinner ice with increased biological production, although this has not been demonstrated empirically. We assess sea‐ice changes in KB together with changes in polar bear movements, seasonal ranges, body condition, and reproductive metrics obtained from capture–recapture (physical and genetic) and satellite telemetry studies during two study periods (1993–1997 and 2012–2016). The annual cycle of sea‐ice habitat in KB shifted from a year‐round ice platform (~50% coverage in summer) in the 1990s to nearly complete melt‐out in summer (<5% coverage) in the 2010s. The mean duration between sea‐ice retreat and advance increased from 109 to 160 days (p = .004). Between the 1990s and 2010s, adult female (AF) seasonal ranges more than doubled in spring and summer and were significantly larger in all months. Body condition scores improved for all ages and both sexes. Mean litter sizes of cubs‐of‐the‐year (C0s) and yearlings (C1s), and the number of C1s per AF, did not change between decades. The date of spring sea‐ice retreat in the previous year was positively correlated with C1 litter size, suggesting smaller litters following years with earlier sea‐ice breakup. Our study provides evidence for range expansion, improved body condition, and stable reproductive performance in the KB polar bear subpopulation. These changes, together with a likely increasing subpopulation abundance, may reflect the shift from thick, multiyear ice to thinner, seasonal ice with higher biological productivity. The duration of these benefits is unknown because, under unmitigated climate change, continued sea‐ice loss is expected to eventually have negative demographic and ecological effects on all polar bears.
Beyond structural determinism: advantages and challenges of qualitative social network analysis for studying social capital of migrants
Authors: Sommer Elena , Gamper Markus 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn this article we address the challenges and advantages of studying social capital of migrant entrepreneurs, applying a mixed‐method research design involving qualitative semi‐structured interviews and standardized network map data collection. Despite some limitations discussed in the article, the study illustrates that an applied methodological approach has a potential to overcome some of the pitfalls of ‘structural determinism’ by looking both at structural and contextual aspects as well as actors’ active role in accessing and (re)shaping their business‐related networks across different geographic spaces. The article demonstrates that qualitative social network analysis is particularly valuable for emphasizing the role of human agency and temporal changes of social relations both in terms of network composition and network content as well as for exploring the meaning attached to social ties, potential access barriers to certain types of social capital and strategies to overcome these barriers.