bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Osteosarcoma pleural effusion: A diagnostic challenge with some cytologic hints
Authors: AbdullGaffar Badr 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPleural effusions can be the first manifestation, recurrence, or metastasis of small round cell sarcomas in children. The most common are Ewing sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The cytomorphology is variable, the cells can be cohesive, single cells, small or large, morphologically mimicking lymphomas, carcinomas, melanomas, and mesothelioma depending on the sarcoma involved. Osteosarcomas are rare. Their rarity, variable histomorphologic features, immunophenotypic heterogeneity, being of osseous or extraosseous origin and focality of malignant osteoid matrix make their cytologic recognition a diagnostic challenge. They can be confused with small round cell sarcomas, may be misinterpreted as degenerative inflammatory cells, or masked by florid reactive mesothelial hyperplasia particularly in pleural effusions. However, attention to certain cytomorphologic features in smears and cellblock sections should raise suspicion. We report a case of a 9‐year‐old child who presented with cough, chest pain and breathing difficulty, left pleural effusion, a collapsed consolidated lower lung lobe, and a clinical impression of pneumonia. Pleural fluid cytology was initially reported as inflammatory effusion with florid reactive mesothelial hyperplasia. Tissue biopsy of the lung mass showed histomorphologic features consistent with osteosarcoma. A careful look at the cytology materials and cellblock sections showed helpful cytomorphologic features that were masked by florid reactive mesothelial cells and misinterpreted as degenerative inflammatory lymphocytes. An extracellular matrix was a helpful hint. Malignant pleural effusion secondary to osteosarcoma is rare. Cytologic examination may help reach the correct diagnosis if the smears and cellblock sections are carefully evaluated for certain helpful cytomorphologic features, particularly osteoid matrix.
Activation of the μ‐opioid receptor by alicyclic fentanyls: Changes from high potency full agonists to low potency partial agonists with increasing alicyclic substructure
Authors: Åstrand Anna , Vikingsson Svante , Jakobsen Ingrid , Björn Niclas , Kronstrand Robert , Gréen Henrik 
Published: August 2020

AbstractFentanyl analogs represent an important group of new psychoactive substances and knowing their efficacy and potency might assist in interpreting observed concentrations. The potency of fentanyl analogs can be estimated from in vitro studies and can be used to establish structure–activity relationships. In this study, recombinant CHO‐K1 cells (AequoScreen) expressing the human μ‐opioid receptor were used to establish dose–response curves via luminescent analysis for cyclopropyl‐, cyclobutyl‐, cyclopentyl‐, cyclohexyl‐, and 2,2,3,3‐tetramethylcyclopropylfentanyl (TMCPF), on three separate occasions, using eight different concentrations in an eight‐fold serial dilution in triplicates starting at ~60 μM. Fentanyl was used as a full agonist reference while morphine and buprenorphine were included for comparison. Cyclopropylfentanyl (EC50 = 4.3 nM), cyclobutylfentanyl (EC50 = 6.2 nM), and cyclopentylfentanyl (EC50 = 13 nM) were full agonists slightly less potent than fentanyl (EC50 = 1.7 nM). Cyclohexylfentanyl (EC50 = 3.1 μM, efficacy 48%) and TMCPF (EC50 = 1.5 μM, efficacy 65%) were partial agonists less potent than morphine (EC50 = 430 nM). Based on the results, cyclopropyl‐, cyclobutyl‐, and cyclopentylfentanyl would be expected to induce intoxication or cause fatal poisonings at similar concentrations to fentanyl, while the toxic or fatal concentrations of cyclohexylfentanyl and TMCPF would be expected to be much higher.
The frugivory network properties of a simplified ecosystem: Birds and plants in a Neotropical periurban park
Authors: Salazar‐Rivera Gabriela I. , Dáttilo Wesley , Castillo‐Campos Gonzalo , Flores‐Estévez Norma , Ramírez García Brenda , Ruelas Inzunza Ernesto 
Published: August 2020

AbstractFrugivory networks exhibit a set of properties characterized by a number of network theory‐derived metrics. Their structures often form deterministic patterns that can be explained by the functional roles of interacting species. Although we know lots about how these networks are organized when ecosystems are in a complete, functional condition, we know much less about how incomplete and simplified networks (such as those found in urban and periurban parks) are organized, which features are maintained, which ones are not, and why. In this paper, we examine the properties of a network between frugivorous birds and plants in a small Neotropical periurban park. We found a frugivory network composed of 29 species of birds and 23 of plants. The main roles in this network are played by four species of generalist birds (three resident, one migratory: Myiozetetes similis, Turdus grayi, Chlorospingus flavopectus, and Dumetella carolinensis) and three species of plants (one exotic, two early successional: Phoenix canariensis, Phoradendron sp., and Witheringia stramoniifolia). When compared to reference data from other locations in the Neotropics, species richness is low, one important network‐level metric is maintained (modularity) whereas another one is not (nestedness). Nestedness, a metric associated with network specialists, is a feature this network lacks. Species‐level metrics such as degree, species strength, and module roles, are not maintained. Our work supports modularity as the most pervasive network‐level metric of altered habitats. From a successional point of view, our results suggest that properties revealed by species‐level indices may be developed at a later time, lagging the acquisition of structural elements.
Investigating population‐scale allelic differential expression in wild populations of Oithona similis (Cyclopoida, Claus, 1866)
Authors: Laso‐Jadart Romuald , Sugier Kevin , Petit Emmanuelle , Labadie Karine , Peterlongo Pierre , Ambroise Christophe , Wincker Patrick , Jamet Jean‐Louis , Madoui Mohammed‐Amin 
Published: August 2020

AbstractAcclimation allowed by variation in gene or allele expression in natural populations is increasingly understood as a decisive mechanism, as much as adaptation, for species evolution. However, for small eukaryotic organisms, as species from zooplankton, classical methods face numerous challenges. Here, we propose the concept of allelic differential expression at the population‐scale (psADE) to investigate the variation in allele expression in natural populations. We developed a novel approach to detect psADE based on metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from environmental samples. This approach was applied on the widespread marine copepod, Oithona similis, by combining samples collected during the Tara Oceans expedition (2009–2013) and de novo transcriptome assemblies. Among a total of 25,768 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of O. similis, 572 (2.2%) were affected by psADE in at least one population (FDR < 0.05). The distribution of SNVs under psADE in different populations is significantly shaped by population genomic differentiation (Pearson r = 0.87, p = 5.6 × 10−30), supporting a partial genetic control of psADE. Moreover, a significant amount of SNVs (0.6%) were under both selection and psADE (p < .05), supporting the hypothesis that natural selection and psADE tends to impact common loci. Population‐scale allelic differential expression offers new insights into the gene regulation control in populations and its link with natural selection.
Meiofauna promotes litter decomposition in stream ecosystems depending on leaf species
Authors: Wang Fang , Lin Dunmei , Li Wei , Dou Pengpeng , Han Le , Huang Mingfen , Qian Shenhua , Yao Jingmei 
Published: August 2020

AbstractLitter decomposition, a fundamental process of nutrient cycling and energy flow in freshwater ecosystems, is driven by a diverse array of decomposers. As an important component of the heterotrophic food web, meiofauna can provide a trophic link between leaf‐associated microbes (i.e., bacteria and fungi)/plant detritus and macroinvertebrates, though their contribution to litter decomposition is not well understood. To investigate the role of different decomposer communities in litter decomposition, especially meiofauna, we compared the litter decomposition of three leaf species with different lignin to nitrogen ratios in litter bags with different mesh sizes (0.05, 0.25, and 2 mm) in a forested stream, in China for 78 days. The meiofauna significantly enhanced the decomposition of leaves of high‐and medium‐ quality, while decreasing (negative effect) or increasing (positive effect) the fungal biomass and diversity. Macrofauna and meiofauna together contributed to the decomposition of low‐quality leaf species. The presence of meiofauna and macrofauna triggered different aspects of the microbial community, with their effects on litter decomposition varying as a function of leaf quality. This study reveals that the meiofauna increased the trophic complexity and modulated their interactions with microbes, highlighting the important yet underestimated role of meiofauna in detritus‐based ecosystems.
Carbon budget of the Harvard Forest Long‐Term Ecological Research site: pattern, process, and response to global change
Authors: Finzi Adrien C. , Giasson Marc‐André , Barker Plotkin Audrey A. , Aber John D. , Boose Emery R. , Davidson Eric A. , Dietze Michael C. , Ellison Aaron M. , Frey Serita D. , Goldman Evan , Keenan Trevor F. , Melillo Jerry M. , Munger J. William , Nadelhoffer Knute J. , Ollinger Scott V. , Orwig David A. , Pederson Neil , Richardson Andrew D. , Savage Kathleen , Tang Jianwu , Thompson Jonathan R. , Williams Christopher A. , Wofsy Steven C. , Zhou Zaixing , Foster David R. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractHow, where, and why carbon (C) moves into and out of an ecosystem through time are long‐standing questions in biogeochemistry. Here, we bring together hundreds of thousands of C‐cycle observations at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts, USA, a mid‐latitude landscape dominated by 80–120‐yr‐old closed‐canopy forests. These data answered four questions: (1) where and how much C is presently stored in dominant forest types; (2) what are current rates of C accrual and loss; (3) what biotic and abiotic factors contribute to variability in these rates; and (4) how has climate change affected the forest’s C cycle? Harvard Forest is an active C sink resulting from forest regrowth following land abandonment. Soil and tree biomass comprise nearly equal portions of existing C stocks. Net primary production (NPP) averaged 680–750 g C·m−2·yr−1; belowground NPP contributed 38–47% of the total, but with large uncertainty. Mineral soil C measured in the same inventory plots in 1992 and 2013 was too heterogeneous to detect change in soil‐C pools; however, radiocarbon data suggest a small but persistent sink of 10–30 g C·m−2·yr−1. Net ecosystem production (NEP) in hardwood stands averaged ~300 g C·m−2·yr−1. NEP in hemlock‐dominated forests averaged ~450 g C·m−2·yr−1until infestation by the hemlock woolly adelgid turned these stands into a net C source. Since 2000, NPP has increased by 26%. For the period 1992–2015, NEP increased 93%. The increase in mean annual temperature and growing season length alone accounted for ~30% of the increase in productivity. Interannual variations in GPP and NEP were also correlated with increases in red oak biomass, forest leaf area, and canopy‐scale light‐use efficiency. Compared to long‐term global change experiments at the Harvard Forest, the C sink in regrowing biomass equaled or exceeded C cycle modifications imposed by soil warming, N saturation, and hemlock removal. Results of this synthesis and comparison to simulation models suggest that forests across the region are likely to accrue C for decades to come but may be disrupted if the frequency or severity of biotic and abiotic disturbances increases.
Prioritizing symptom management in the treatment of chronic heart failure
Authors: Koshy Aaron O. , Gallivan Elisha R. , McGinlay Melanie , Straw Sam , Drozd Michael , Toms Anet G. , Gierula John , Cubbon Richard M. , Kearney Mark T. , Witte Klaus K. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractChronic heart failure (CHF) is a chronic, progressive disease that has detrimental consequences on a patient's quality of life (QoL). In part due to requirements for market access and licensing, the assessment of current and future treatments focuses on reducing mortality and hospitalizations. Few drugs are available principally for their symptomatic effect despite the fact that most patients' symptoms persist or worsen over time and an acceptance that the survival gains of modern therapies are mitigated by poorly controlled symptoms. Additional contributors to the failure to focus on symptoms could be the result of under‐reporting of symptoms by patients and carers and a reliance on insensitive symptomatic categories in which patients frequently remain despite additional therapies. Hence, formal symptom assessment tools, such as questionnaires, can be useful prompts to encourage more fidelity and reproducibility in the assessment of symptoms. This scoping review explores for the first time the assessment options and management of common symptoms in CHF with a focus on patient‐reported outcome tools. The integration of patient‐reported outcomes for symptom assessment into the routine of a CHF clinic could improve the monitoring of disease progression and QoL, especially following changes in treatment or intervention with a targeted symptom approach expected to improve QoL and patient outcomes.
CD8+ T cells are crucial for humoral immunity establishment by SA14‐14‐2 live attenuated Japanese encephalitis vaccine in mice
Authors: Kalia Anurag , Agrawal Mona , Gupta Nimesh 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe live attenuated SA14‐14‐2 Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine is a historical vaccine that protects against JE. Despite its extensive use, the mechanism of protective immunity conferred by the SA14‐14‐2 vaccine is not well established. Here, we used mouse models to understand the mechanism of the development of humoral immunity against the vaccine. The vaccine induces robust GC responses within a week postimmunization. In lethal virus challenge, we show that CD4+ T cells alone, but not CD8+ T cells, are sufficient to confer vaccine‐mediated protection. However, the CD4‐mediated protection was potentiated in the presence of vaccine‐primed CD8+ T cells. Employing CD8‐deficient mice, we show that both the protective traits of CD4+ T cells and the quality of antibody response to the vaccine are impaired in absence of CD8+ T cells. We further demonstrate that the poor protective immune response induced by the vaccine in absence of CD8+ T cells is mainly due to the impaired differentiation and function of follicular Th cells, leading to suboptimal GC reaction. Our study highlights an unprecedented role of CD8+ T cells in the establishment of humoral responses to the vaccine. By elucidating underlying cellular determinants of vaccine‐induced protective immunity, our work has implications for rational design of vaccines against JE virus and related flaviviruses.
Influence of spectral acceleration correlation models on conditional mean spectra and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
Authors: Rodríguez‐Castellanos Ali , Ruiz Sonia E. , Bojórquez Edén , Reyes‐Salazar Alfredo 
Published: August 2020

SummaryInnovative engineering applications are proposed to satisfy the current necessities of earthquake engineering, which are well established from a conceptual perspective, and frequently, the development of some missing inputs is only required to employ them, such as the case of the correlations between spectral values at different vibration periods. Accordingly, we computed the correlation between spectral accelerations at two vibration periods using ground motions from interplate and, alternatively, intraslab events, recorded in firm ground of Mexico City. Results show that the spreading of correlation values depends on the rupture mechanism. Then, based on hypothesis test analyses, we used four correlation models available in the literature to predict our correlation values. According to the findings, we proposed a predictive correlation mathematical model for interplate and, separately, for intraslab seismic events. We evaluated the influence of the predictive correlation models on the results corresponding to two earthquake engineering applications. The first refers to compute conditional mean spectra and the second to perform probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) using INp and, alternatively, Saavg, intensity measures. We found that while the conditional mean spectra might be affected in the region of short vibration periods, the computations of the PSHA with improved intensity measures are not affected significantly.
The pressure behind corporate social performance: Ownership and institutional configurations
Authors: Desender Kurt , Epure Mircea 
Published: August 2020

AbstractResearch summaryDrawing on the “varieties of capitalism” literature, we develop an actor‐centered framework that explains firm‐level corporate social performance (CSP) by emphasizing the importance of considering owners' and other stakeholders' motives toward CSP—which can be instrumental, relational or moral—and their salience in the national institutional setting. Results from an international panel show that investment company (government) ownership has a stronger negative (positive) relationship with CSP in liberal markets, in which owners are the key stakeholder, as compared to coordinated markets, which counterbalance the interests of multiple stakeholders. Family and company ownership have weaker links to CSP across institutional settings. We discuss implications for research and practice and argue that CSP policies may hold more relevance in liberal rather than coordinated market economies.Managerial summaryExisting debates focus on the impact of corporate social performance (CSP) on firm outcomes. Less is known about the motives and pressures behind CSP, which may explain its variability across firms and institutional settings. We argue that powerful owners' motives are important for explaining CSP in liberal markets, where shareholders are the most important stakeholder, as compared to coordinated markets, which confer prominence to multiple stakeholders. Owners' motives are not homogenous and depending on the type of owners the link between ownership concentration and CSP can be negative (for investment companies) or positive (for governments). In coordinated markets, owners have a weaker impact on CSP, which is mostly attributable to their lower salience relative to stakeholders, rather than to a change in their motives.
Order aggressiveness and flash crashes
Authors: Rzayev Khaladdin , Ibikunle Gbenga 
Published: August 2020

AbstractWe present a novel framework illustrating the links between order aggressiveness and flash crashes. Our framework involves a trading sequence beginning with significant increases in aggressive sell orders relative to aggressive buy orders until instruments' prices fall to their lowest levels. Thereafter, a rise in aggressive buy orders propels prices back to their pre‐crash levels. Using a sample of S&P 500 stocks trading during the May 6, 2010, flash crash, we show that our framework is correctly specified and provide a basis for linking flash crashes to aggressive strategies, which are found to be more profitable during flash crashes.
Interest rate as the last link of chain during crisis
Authors: Kudar Alibey 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn the literature, there are studies which conclude that interest rates have either positive or negative effect on exchange rates during financial crises in emerging markets. These results are in accordance with the traditional or revisionist views respectively. However, in the literature, there are also researches which result in interest rates not having influence on exchange rates, signalling that there might be an alternative to these two approaches. In this study, it is investigated whether interest rates can be cause of exchange rates by taking stock market into consideration and using the data of 2001 financial crisis in Turkey. In the analysis, ARDL co‐integration, VECM and Granger causality methods are applied and it is reached that the relationship was from stock market and exchange rates to interest rates, not vice versa.
Optimized parameters for the preparation of silk fibroin drug‐loaded microspheres based on the response surface method and a genetic algorithm–backpropagation neural network model
Authors: Zhang Xujing , Zhou Jianping , Xu Yan 
Published: August 2020

AbstractUsing silk fibroin as the base material, the drug‐loaded microspheres are prepared by an emulsification method. In order to determine the drug‐loading and drug‐release performance parameters of the microspheres, the central composite design method is used to design and investigate the effects of the parameters of the microsphere preparation process, such as the oil–water ratio, stirring temperature, and stirring rate, on the microsphere particle size, drug‐loading rate, and drug release rate. The “overall desirability” is taken as a comprehensive evaluation index, and the response surface method (RSM) and genetic algorithm–backpropagation (GA–BP) neural network GA–BP model are used to predict and evaluate the parameters of the drug‐loaded microsphere preparation process. The root‐mean‐square error values obtained from the RSM and BP–GA model experiments are 0.000325 and 0.00022, respectively. The results show that the BP–GA model has better prediction accuracy and optimization ability than the RSM. The optimal microsphere preparation process conditions were determined to be as follows: a water–oil ratio of 10:1, at a temperature of 45°C with stirring at a speed of 400 rpm, the particle size of the microspheres is 1.392 μm, the drug‐loading rate is 3.218%, and the drug release rate is 51.991%. The results of this study indicate that this approach is an effective method for the optimization of the parameters of the drug‐loaded microsphere preparation process.