bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of a low-head weir on multi-scaled movement and behavior of three riverine fish species
Authors: Carpenter-Bundhoo Luke , Butler Gavin L. , Bond Nick R. , Bunn Stuart E. , Reinfelds Ivars V. , Kennard Mark J. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDespite providing considerable benefits to society, dams and weirs threaten riverine ecosystems by disrupting movement and migration of aquatic animals and degrading riverine habitats. Whilst the ecological impacts of large dams are well studied, the ecological effects of low-head weirs that are periodically drowned out by high flows are less well-understood. Here we examine the effects of a low-head weir on fine- and broad-scale movements, habitat use, and breeding behaviour of three species of native freshwater fish in the Nymboida River in coastal eastern Australia. Acoustic telemetry revealed that eastern freshwater cod (Maccullochella ikei) and eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tandanus) made few large-scale movements, but Australian bass (Percalates novemaculeata) upstream of the weir were significantly more mobile than those below the weir. Within the weir pool, all three species displayed distinctive patterns in fine-scale movement behaviour that were likely related the deeper lentic environment created by the weir. No individuals of any species crossed the weir during the study period. Tandanus tandanus nesting behaviour varied greatly above and below the weir, where individuals in the more lentic upstream environment nested in potentially sub-optimal habitats. Our results demonstrate the potential effects of low-head weirs on movement and behaviour of freshwater fishes.
Effect of modeling porous media on the response of gamma-gamma well-logging tool
Authors: Rasouli Fatemeh S. , Masoudi S. Farhad 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe well logging is known as a technique of making petrophysical measurements in the sub-surface earth formations through a drilled borehole to reach the characterization of the physical properties of rocks and fluids. Considering the fact that reservoirs are complex fractured media which the fluid can flow through the porosities, the distribution model of oil in the medium needs to be investigated in detail and to be well quantified. To study this effect, a typical gamma-gamma logging tool containing 137Cs source and two NaI detectors was modeled by using the MCNPX code. The medium was filled with numerous matrix-shaped blocks, each including rectangular cubes for modeling the oil flow in the formation. For an arbitrary set of oil concentrations and various formation materials, the response of the detectors for this model was studied. Taking into account the results corresponding to the traditional homogeneous mixture model for the formation, it was found that the deviations between the count rates for two models reach to about 10% and 22% for short spacing and far spacing detectors, respectively. The results also show that the slopes of the straight-line fits to the count rates, which is important for the evaluation of the density, deviate between about 73.3% and 53.8% for two simulated models. Investigating the effect of the presence of the drilling fluid on the count rate of the proposed model showed that for a given thickness of mudcake and the formation density, both detectors show approximately the same percentage of change in counting rate. However, these counts for the proposed model deviate from those of the mixture model between 5.1% and 28%. It can be concluded that defining a model for describing heterogeneities of a natural porous medium can effectively account for the prediction of density measurement in logging tools.
Coalescing Majorana edge modes in non-Hermitian $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$-symmetric Kitaev chain
Authors: Li C. , Jin L. , Song Z. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractA single unit cell contains all the information about the bulk system, including the topological feature. The topological invariant can be extracted from a finite system, which consists of several unit cells under certain environment, such as a non-Hermitian external field. We present an exact solvable non-Hermitian finite-size Kitaev chain with $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$PT-symmetric chemical potentials at the symmetric point. The straightforward calculation shows that there are two kinds of Majorana edge modes in this model divided by $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$PT symmetry-broken and unbroken. The one appeared in the $${\mathscr{P}}{\mathscr{T}}$$PT symmetry-unbroken region can be seen as the finite-size projection of the conventional degenerate zero modes in a Hermitian infinite system with the open boundary condition. It indicates a possible variant of the bulk-edge correspondence: The number of Majorana edge modes in a finite non-Hermitian system can be the topological invariant to identify the topological phase of the corresponding bulk Hermitian system.
Relationship between radiocaesium in muscle and physicochemical fractions of radiocaesium in the stomach of wild boar
Authors: Saito Rie , Nemoto Yui , Tsukada Hirofumi 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAfter the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, it became important to study radiation dynamics, assess internal radiation exposure and specify factors affecting radionuclide variation in wildlife. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate which physicochemical fractions of radiocaesium (137Cs) are absorbed from ingested material in species with high activity concentrations of 137Cs, such as wild boar. This study analysed the physicochemical fractions of 137Cs in the stomach contents of wild boar to evaluate the transfer from ingested food to muscle. The 137Cs activity concentration in muscle showed a significantly positive relationship with the 137Cs activity concentration in the exchangeable fraction, and the sum of the 137Cs activity concentrations in the exchangeable and bound to organic matter fractions. Seasonal variations were also found in the 137Cs activity concentration in the exchangeable fraction, and the sum of the 137Cs activity concentrations in the exchangeable and bound to organic matter fractions. These findings suggest that the proportions of the physicochemical fractions of 137Cs in the exchangeable and bound to organic matter fractions in the stomach contents are important factors affecting the increases and seasonal dynamics of the activity concentrations of 137Cs in wild boar muscle.
Effect of self-assembling peptide P11-4 on orthodontic treatment-induced carious lesions
Authors: Welk A. , Ratzmann A. , Reich M. , Krey K. F. , Schwahn Ch. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of self-assembling peptide P11-4 (SAP) in the therapy of initial smooth surface caries (white spot lesions, WSL) following orthodontic multibracket treatment. Twenty-three patients (13f/10m; average age 15.4 years) with at least two teeth with WSL were recruited for the randomised controlled clinical trial with split-mouth design. In opposite to the control teeth, the test teeth were treated with SAP on Day 0. The primary endpoint was the impedance measurement of WSL using customised tray to ensure reproducibility of the measurement location. The secondary endpoint was the morphometric measurement of WSL using a semi-automated approach to determine the WSL size in mm2. Treatment effects were adjusted for site-specific baseline values using mixed models adapted from the cross-over design. Test WSL showed a mean baseline impedance value of 46.7, which decreased to 21.1, 18.4, and 19.7 after 45, 90, and 180 days, respectively. Control WSL showed a mean baseline value of 42.0, which decreased to 35.0, 29.5, and 33.7, respectively. The overall treatment contrast was −13.7 (95% CI: −19.6 – −7.7; p < 0.001). For the secondary endpoint, the test WSL size decreased from 8.8 at baseline to 6.5 after 180 days. The control WSL decreased from 6.8 to 5.7, respectively. The related treatment contrast was −1.0 in favour of test WSL (95% CI: −1.6 – −0.5; p = 0.004). The treatment of initial carious lesions with self-assembling peptide P11−4 leads to superior remineralisation of the subsurface lesions compared with the control teeth.
Store-operated Ca2+ entry in primary murine lung fibroblasts is independent of classical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels and contributes to cell migration
Authors: Bendiks Larissa , Geiger Fabienne , Gudermann Thomas , Feske Stefan , Dietrich Alexander 
Published: April 2020

AbstractStromal interaction molecules (STIM1, 2) are acting as sensors for Ca2+ in intracellular stores and activate Orai channels at the plasma membrane for store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), while classical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channel mediate receptor-operated Ca2+ entry (ROCE). Several reports, however, indicate a role for TRPC in SOCE in certain cell types. Here, we analyzed Ca2+ influx and cell function in TRPC1/6-deficient (TRPC1/6−/−) and STIM1/2- deficient (STIM1/2ΔpmLF) primary murine lung fibroblasts (pmLF). As expected, SOCE was decreased in STIM1/2- deficient pmLF and ROCE was decreased in TRPC1/6−/− pmLF compared to control cells. By contrast, SOCE was not significantly different in TRPC1/6−/− pmLF and ROCE was similar in STIM1/2-deficient pmLF compared to Wt cells. Most interestingly, cell proliferation, migration and nuclear localization of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc1 and c3) were decreased after ablation of STIM1/2 proteins in pmLF. In conclusion, TRPC1/6 channels are not involved in SOCE and STIM1/2 deficiency resulted in decreased cell proliferation and migration in pmLF.
Multiple differences in pathogen-host cell interactions following a bacterial host shift
Authors: Dowling Andrea J. , Hill Geoffrey E. , Bonneaud Camille 
Published: April 2020

AbstractNovel disease emergence is often associated with changes in pathogen traits that enable pathogen colonisation, persistence and transmission in the novel host environment. While understanding the mechanisms underlying disease emergence is likely to have critical implications for preventing infectious outbreaks, such knowledge is often based on studies of viral pathogens, despite the fact that bacterial pathogens may exhibit very different life histories. Here, we investigate the ability of epizootic outbreak strains of the bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, which jumped from poultry into North American house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), to interact with model avian cells. We found that house finch epizootic outbreak strains of M. gallisepticum displayed a greater ability to adhere to, invade, persist within and exit from cultured chicken embryonic fibroblasts, than the reference virulent (R_low) and attenuated (R_high) poultry strains. Furthermore, unlike the poultry strains, the house finch epizootic outbreak strain HF_1994 displayed a striking lack of cytotoxicity, even exerting a cytoprotective effect on avian cells. Our results suggest that, at epizootic outbreak in house finches, M. gallisepticum was particularly adept at using the intra-cellular environment, which may have facilitated colonisation, dissemination and immune evasion within the novel finch host. Whether this high-invasion phenotype is similarly displayed in interactions with house finch cells, and whether it contributed to the success of the host shift, remains to be determined.
Ultra-Miniature Circularly Polarized CPW-Fed Implantable Antenna Design and its Validation for Biotelemetry Applications
Authors: Kaim Vikrant , Kanaujia Binod Kumar , Kumar Sachin , Choi Hyun Chul , Kim Kang Wook , Rambabu Karumudi 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe paper presents a coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed ultra-miniaturized patch antenna operating in Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band (2.4–2.5 GHz) for biotelemetry applications. The proposed antenna structure is circular in shape and its ground plane is loaded with a pair of slots for obtaining circular polarization. In the proposed design, asymmetric square slots generate phase condition for right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) radiation. And, by merely changing the position of the slots, either RHCP or left-hand circularly polarized (LHCP) radiation can be excited. In the proposed design, a meandered central strip is used for miniaturization. The simulations of the proposed antenna are carried out using Ansys HFSS software with a single-layer and multilayer human tissue models. The antenna shows good performance for different tissue properties owing to its wide axial ratio bandwidth and impedance bandwidth. The antenna is fabricated and measurements are carried out in skin mimicking phantom and pork. Simulated and measured performances of the antenna are in close agreement. The power link budget is also calculated using an exterior circularly polarized (CP) receiving antenna.
Impacts of Saharan Dust Intrusions on Bacterial Communities of the Low Troposphere
Authors: González-Toril Elena , Osuna Susana , Viúdez-Moreiras Daniel , Navarro-Cid Ivan , Toro Silvia Díaz del , Sor Suthyvann , Bardera Rafael , Puente-Sánchez Fernando , de Diego-Castilla Graciela , Aguilera Ángeles 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWe have analyzed the bacterial community of a large Saharan dust event in the Iberian Peninsula and, for the first time, we offer new insights regarding the bacterial distribution at different altitudes of the lower troposphere and the replacement of the microbial airborne structure as the dust event receeds. Samples from different open-air altitudes (surface, 100 m and 3 km), were obtained onboard the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) C-212 aircrafts. Samples were collected during dust and dust-free air masses as well two weeks after the dust event. Samples related in height or time scale seems to show more similar community composition patterns compared with unrelated samples. The most abundant bacterial species during the dust event, grouped in three different phyla: (a) Proteobacteria: Rhizobiales, Sphingomonadales, Rhodobacterales, (b) Actinobacteria: Geodermatophilaceae; (c) Firmicutes: Bacillaceae. Most of these taxa are well known for being extremely stress-resistant. After the dust intrusion, Rhizobium was the most abundant genus, (40–90% total sequences). Samples taken during the flights carried out 15 days after the dust event were much more similar to the dust event samples compared with the remaining samples. In this case, Brevundimonas, and Methylobacterium as well as Cupriavidus and Mesorizobium were the most abundant genera.
The Lipid Paradox is present in ST-elevation but not in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients: Insights from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry
Authors: Sia Ching-Hui , Zheng Huili , Ho Andrew Fu-Wah , Bulluck Heerajnarain , Chong Jun , Foo David , Foo Ling-Li , Lim Patrick Zhan Yun , Liew Boon Wah , Tan Huay-Cheem , Yeo Tiong-Cheng , Chua Terrance Siang Jin , Chan Mark Yan-Yee , Hausenloy Derek J. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractLowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) levels form the cornerstone approach of cardiovascular risk reduction, and a higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) is thought to be protective. However, in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, higher admission LDL-C and TG levels have been shown to be associated with better clinical outcomes - termed the ‘lipid paradox’. We studied the relationship between lipid profile obtained within 72 hours of presentation, and all-cause mortality (during hospitalization, at 30-days and 12-months), and rehospitalization for heart failure and non-fatal AMI at 12-months in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We included 11543 STEMI and 8470 NSTEMI patients who underwent PCI in the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry between 2008–2015. NSTEMI patients were older (60.3 years vs 57.7 years, p < 0.001) and more likely to be female (22.4% vs 15.0%, p < 0.001). In NSTEMI, a lower LDL-C was paradoxically associated with worse outcomes for death during hospitalization, within 30-days and within 12-months (all p < 0.001), but adjustment eliminated this paradox. In contrast, the paradox for LDL-C persisted for all primary outcomes after adjustment in STEMI. For NSTEMI patients, a lower HDL-C was associated with a higher risk of death during hospitalization but in STEMI patients a lower HDL-C was paradoxically associated with a lower risk of death during hospitalization. For this endpoint, the interaction term for HDL-C and type of MI was significant even after adjustment. An elevated TG level was not protective after adjustment. These observations may be due to differing characteristics and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in NSTEMI and STEMI.
Transcriptional regulation of amino acid metabolism in response to nitrogen deficiency and nitrogen forms in tea plant root (Camellia sinensis L.)
Authors: Yang Tianyuan , Li Huiping , Tai Yuling , Dong Chunxia , Cheng Xunmin , Xia Enhua , Chen Ziping , Li Fang , Wan Xiaochun , Zhang Zhaoliang 
Published: April 2020

AbstractFree amino acids, including theanine, glutamine and glutamate, contribute greatly to the pleasant taste and multiple health benefits of tea. Amino acids in tea plants are mainly synthesized in roots and transported to new shoots, which are significantly affected by nitrogen (N) level and forms. However, the regulatory amino acid metabolism genes have not been systemically identified in tea plants. Here, we investigated the dynamic changes of free amino acid contents in response to N deficiency and forms in tea plant roots, and systemically identified the genes associated amino acid contents in individual metabolism pathways. Our results showed that glutamate-derived amino acids are the most dynamic in response to various forms of N and N deficiency. We then performed transcriptomic analyses of roots treated with N deficiency and various forms of N, and differentially expressed amino acid metabolic genes in each pathway were identified. The analyses on expression patterns and transcriptional responses of metabolic genes to N treatments provided novel insights for the molecular basis of high accumulation of theanine in tea plant root. These analyses also identified potential regulatory genes in dynamic amino acid metabolism in tea plant root. Furthermore, our findings indicated that the dynamic expression levels of CsGDH, CsAlaDC, CsAspAT, CsSDH, CsPAL, CsSHMT were highly correlated with changes of amino acid contents in their corresponding pathways. Herein, this study provides comprehensive insights into transcriptional regulation of amino acid metabolism in response to nitrogen deficiency and nitrogen forms in tea plant root.
Prevalence and psychopathology of vegetarians and vegans – Results from a representative survey in Germany
Authors: Paslakis Georgios , Richardson Candice , Nöhre Mariel , Brähler Elmar , Holzapfel Christina , Hilbert Anja , de Zwaan Martina 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of, and attitudes toward, vegetarianism and veganism. We also assessed the association between vegetarianism/veganism and eating disorder, depressive, and somatic symptoms. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in adults in Germany that was representative in terms of age, gender, and educational level was carried out. Data from 2449 adults (53.5% females) were included. Mean age was 49.6 (SD 17.1) years. A total of 5.4% of participants reported following a vegetarian or vegan diet. While the majority of participants agreed that vegetarian diets are healthy and harmless (56.1%), only 34.8% believed this to be true of vegan diets. The majority of participants also believed that a vegetarian (58.7%) or vegan (74.7%) diet can lead to nutritional deficiency. Female gender, younger age, higher education, lower body mass index (BMI), and higher depressive and eating disorder symptoms were found to be associated with vegetarianism/veganism. We did not find increased physical complaints in the group of vegetarians/vegans. Our results point toward a moderate prevalence of vegetarianism/veganism among the general population. Our findings suggest that health care professionals should keep eating disorder pathology, affective status in mind when dealing with individuals who choose a vegetarian/vegan dietary pattern.
Quality of chest compressions during pediatric resuscitation with 15:2 and 30:2 compressions-to-ventilation ratio in a simulated scenario
Authors: Manrique Gema , González Araceli , Iguiñiz Maitane , Grau Ana , Toledo Blanca , García Miriam , López-Herce Jesús 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe main objetive was to compare 30:2 and 15:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio in two simulated pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) models with single rescuer. The secondary aim was to analyze the errors or omissions made during resuscitation. A prospective randomized parallel controlled study comparing 15:2 and 30:2 ratio in two manikins (child and infant) was developed. The CPR was performed by volunteers who completed an basic CPR course. Each subject did 4 CPR sessions of 3 minutes each one. Depth and rate of chest compressions (CC) during resuscitation were measured using a Zoll Z series defibrillator. Visual assessment of resuscitation was performed by an external researcher. A total of 26 volunteers performed 104 CPR sessions. Between 54–62% and 44–53% of CC were performed with an optimal rate and depth, respectively, with no significant differences. No differences were found in depth or rate of CC between 15:2 and 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio with both manikins. In the assessment of compliance with the ERC CPR algorithm, 69.2–80.8% of the subjects made some errors or omissions during resuscitation, the most frequent was not asking for help and not giving rescue breaths. The conclusions were that a high percentage of CC were not performed with optimal depth and rate. Errors or omissions were frequently made by rescuers during resuscitation.
Addition of Metabolic Syndrome to Albuminuria Provides a New Risk Stratification Model for Diabetic Kidney Disease Progression in Elderly Patients
Authors: Shih Hong-Mou , Chuang Shih-Ming , Lee Chun-Chuan , Liu Sung-Chen , Tsai Ming-Chieh 
Published: April 2020

AbstractElderly patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are more prone to developing diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Patients with DKD can develop albuminuria, and some studies have suggested an association between metabolic syndrome and albuminuria. The prevalence of both metabolic syndrome and albuminuria increases with age. We evaluated the association of these risk factors with worsening renal function and albuminuria progression in 460 T2DM patients with a mean age of 72 years. During the 5-year follow-up period, progression of albuminuria and worsening of renal function were observed in 97 (21.2%) and 23 (5.1%) patients, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, the group with metabolic syndrome had a higher multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for worsening renal function (P = 0.038) and albuminuria progression (P = 0.039) than the group without metabolic syndrome. When patients were divided into four groups according to the presence of metabolic syndrome and/or albuminuria, the HR gradually increased. The group with both albuminuria and metabolic syndrome exhibited the highest cumulative incidence of worsening renal function (P = 0.003). When we redefined metabolic syndrome to exclude the blood pressure (BP) component, similar results were obtained. We concluded that the presence of metabolic syndrome independently predicts the progression of renal disease in elderly patients with T2DM. The use of both metabolic syndrome and albuminuria provides a better risk stratification model for DKD progression than albuminuria alone.