bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Breast cancer screening implications of risk modeling among female relatives of ATM and CHEK2 carriers
Authors: Weidner Anne E. , Liggin Mariel E. , Zuniga Brenda I. , Tezak Ann L. , Wiesner Georgia L. , Pal Tuya 
Published: January 2020

BackgroundWith the increasing use of multigene panel tests, pathogenic and likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants are identified more frequently in the moderate‐penetrance breast cancer genes ATM and CHEK2. Lifetime breast cancer risk among women with P/LP variants in these genes generally exceeds 20%, meeting the threshold at which high‐risk breast cancer screening through breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended.MethodsAmong a registry‐based sample of 56 ATM and 69 CHEK2 carriers, the authors sought to determine the percentage of relatives in whom a P/LP variant would impact breast cancer surveillance. Lifetime breast cancer risks for unaffected, female first‐degree and second‐degree relatives were estimated using the Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm (BOADICEA).ResultsAmong first‐degree relatives of ATM and CHEK2 carriers, only 22.6% and 14.9%, respectively, were found to have lifetime breast cancer risks of ≥20% based on family cancer history alone; however, when including the proband's P/LP variant in the model, these percentages increased significantly to 56.6% and 55.3%, respectively (P < .0001 and P < .0001, respectively). Similar increases in lifetime breast cancer risks were found among second‐degree relatives.ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggest that the majority of female first‐degree and second‐degree relatives of ATM and CHEK2 carriers do not qualify for breast MRI based on family cancer history alone. Therefore, testing for these genes, as well as awareness of positive moderate‐penetrance breast cancer gene results in the family, may impact MRI eligibility. These findings highlight the potential usefulness of and need for breast cancer risk models that incorporate moderate‐penetrance gene positivity to inform screening recommendations among at‐risk family members.
Engineering of the d‐Band Center of Perovskite Cobaltite for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution
Authors: Sun Yiqiang , Zhao Zihan , Wu Si , Li Wenjuan , Wu Bo , Liu Guangning , Chen Guozhu , Xu Bo , Kang Baotao , Li Yue , Li Cuncheng 
Published: January 2020

AbstractGreat efforts have been made to understand and upgrade the kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, a series of V‐doped LaCoO3 (V‐LCO) OER electrocatalysts with optimized d‐band centers are fabricated. When utilized as an electrode for the OER, as‐formed LaCo0.8V0.2O3 (V‐LCO‐II) requires an overpotential of only 306 mV to drive a geometrical catalytic current density of 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, at a given overpotential of 350 mV, the OER current density of V‐LCO‐II is about 22 times that of pure LaCoO3 (LCO) nanoparticles. Tailoring of the d‐band center by V doping facilitates the adsorption of OER intermediates and promotes the formation of amorphous active species on the surface of LCO through the exchange interaction between high‐spin V4+ and low‐spin Co2+. This work may create new opportunities for developing other highly active OER catalysts through d‐band center engineering.
Electrolyte Imbalance Determination of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery by Potential‐Step Analysis of the Initial Charging
Authors: Beyer Kirstin , grosse Austing Jan , Satola Barbara , Di Nardo Timo , Zobel Marco , Agert Carsten 
Published: January 2020

AbstractVanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) suffer from capacity fades owing to side reactions and crossover effects through the membrane. These processes lead to a deviation of the optimal initial average oxidation state (AOS=+3.5) of vanadium species in both half‐cell electrolytes. To rebalance the electrolyte solutions, it is first necessary to determine the current AOS. In this study, a new method was developed that enables an accurate determination of the AOS. A potential‐step analysis was performed with mixed electrolyte solutions of both half‐cells during the initial charging. The potential was recorded with a simple open‐circuit voltage (OCV) cell, and the potential‐steps were analyzed. A correlation between the duration of the potential plateaus in the OCV and the amount of vanadium ions of a certain oxidation state in the half‐cell electrolytes was found and used to precisely determine the AOS with a maximum error of 3.6 %.
Prominent immune signatures of T cells are specifically associated with indolent B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders and predict prognosis
Authors: Yi Shuhua , Zhang Yu , Xiong Wenjie , Chen Weiwei , Hou Zhaohua , Yang Yang , Yan Yuting , Wei Yunbo , Cui Rui , Wang Huijun , Yu Zhen , Li Heng , Li Zengjun , Liu Wei , Lv Rui , Wang Tingyu , Ru Kun , Zou Dehui , Shu Minglei , Qiu Lugui , Yu Di 
Published: January 2020

AbstractObjectivesT cells play an essential role in controlling the development of B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders (BLPDs), but the dysfunction of T cells in BLPDs largely remains elusive.MethodsUsing multiplexed flow cytometry, we quantified all major subsets of CD4+ helper T cells (Th) and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (Tc) in 94 BLPD patients and 66 healthy controls. Statistics was utilised to rank T‐cell signatures that distinguished BLPDs from healthy controls and differentially presented between indolent and aggressive categories.ResultsBy comparing with healthy controls, we found that the indolent but not aggressive type of BLPDs demonstrated a high degree of T‐cell activation, showing the increase in type I helper T (Th1) cells and follicular B‐helper T (Tfh) cells, both of which strongly associated with the enhanced differentiation of exhaustion‐like effector cytotoxic CD8+ T cells expressing PD‐1 (Tc exhaustion‐like) in indolent BLPDs. Random forest modelling selected a module of T‐cell immune signatures best performing binary classification of all BLPD patients. This signature module was composed of low naïve Th cells and high Th1, Tfh and Tc exhaustion‐like cells which efficiently identified > 85% indolent cases and was, therefore, assigned as the Indolent Dominant Module of T‐cell immune signature. In indolent BLPD patients, a strong bias towards such signatures was found to associate with clinical characteristics of worse prognosis.ConclusionOur study identified a prominent signature of T‐cell dysregulation specifically for indolent BLPDs, suggesting Th1, Tfh and Tc exhaustion‐like cells represent potential prognostic biomarkers and targets for immunotherapies.
Multiple myeloma with CD138 changed from positive to negative: A case report
Authors: Yu Jianlin , Tan Liming , Wu Qiong , Rao Yanfei , Ao Jianyun , Yang Weiming , Zou Bei , Chen Juanjuan 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundMultiple myeloma (MM) is a common malignant disease of the blood system, caused by the neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells that accumulate in bone marrow (BM). Here, we report a case of MM patient with CD138 marker changed from positive to negative.MethodsBM and peripheral blood samples from a 48‐year‐old patient with MM were examined and analyzed by conventional morphology, flow cytometry, and immunodetection.ResultsImaging examination and clinical manifestations fulfilled criteria for MM. On the first hospitalization, flow cytometry showed that the cells were CD138+/CD38+/CD19−/CD56+. However, on the fifth hospitalization, flow cytometry revealed that the cells were CD138−/CD38+/CD19−/CD56+.ConclusionsMM is diagnosed on imaging and clinical manifestations, immunophenotype of flow cytometry is also an important method of diagnosing MM. However, the discovery of atypical immunophenotypes cannot prevent the diagnosis of MM, even provide a clue of disease progression.
Flower pollination algorithm‐based energy‐efficient stable clustering approach for WSNs
Authors: Sharma Rajan , Mittal Nitin , Sohi Balwinder Singh 
Published: January 2020

SummaryThe advances in the size, cost of deployment, and user‐friendly interface of wireless sensor devices have given rise to many wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. WSNs need to use protocols for transmitting data samples from event regions to sink through minimum cost links. Clustering is a commonly used method of data aggregation in which nodes are organized into groups to reduce energy consumption. Nonetheless, cluster head (CH) has to bear an additional load in clustering protocols to organize different activities within the cluster. Proper CH selection and load balancing using efficient routing protocol is therefore a critical aspect for WSN's long‐term operation. In this paper, a threshold‐sensitive energy‐efficient cluster‐based routing protocol based on flower pollination algorithm (FPA) is proposed to extend the network's stability period. Using FPA, multihop communication between CHs and base station is used to achieve optimal link costs for load balancing distant CHs and energy minimization. Analysis and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms competitive clustering algorithms in terms of energy consumption, stability period, and system lifetime.
When IRBs Say No to Participating in Research about Single IRBs
Authors: Klitzman Robert , Appelbaum Paul S. , Murray Alexandra , Pivovarova Ekaterina , Stiles Deborah F. , Lidz Charles W. 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTIn response to a policy of the National Institutes of Health and requirements in the revised Common Rule, a protocol for a multisite study must be reviewed by a single institutional review board (IRB), rather than by the IRB at each study site. The goal of the single IRB approach is to increase the efficiency of IRB review of multisite research without jeopardizing protections for research subjects. Yet the extent to which these joint goals are being achieved is unclear. To better understand how single IRBs function, we recruited academic, government, and commercial single IRBs (N = 49) to participate in a study involving observation of protocol review meetings and/or interviews with their members, chairs, and administrators. Twenty (40.8%) agreed to participate, of which 50% agreed to both interviews and observation. While 81.8% (9/11) of academic and 50% (4/8) of government single IRBs participated in some way, only 23.3% (7/30) of commercial single IRBs did so. The four largest commercial single IRBs declined to participate. Because evaluation of single IRBs is important to inform development, implementation, monitoring, and refinement of federal policies, single IRBs should be encouraged to participate in research that examines how they function.
Quantifying the relative predation pressure on bumblebee nests by the European badger (Meles meles) using artificial nests
Authors: Roberts Bethany R. , Cox Ruth , Osborne Juliet L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBumblebee populations are declining. Factors that impact the size and success of colonies act by either limiting resource availability (bottom‐up regulation) or causing mortality, for example, pesticides, disease, and possibly predation (top‐down regulation). The impact of predation has not been quantified, and so, the current study used novel artificial nests as a proxy for wild bumblebee nests to quantify the relative predation pressure from badgers in two habitats: woodland and grassland, and at two nesting depths: surface and underground. Badgers occur across most parts of the UK and are known to predate on bumblebee nests. We found that significantly more artificial nests (pots containing bumblebee nest material) were dug up compared with control pots (pots without bumblebee nest material). This shows that artificial nests have the potential to be used as a method to study the predation of bumblebee nests by badgers. In a location of high badger density, predation pressure was greater in woodland than grassland, whereas no difference was observed in relation to nest depth. Woodland and grassland are shared habitats between bumblebees and badgers, and we suggest that higher predation may relate to activity and foraging behavior of badgers in woodland compared with grassland. We discuss how badger predation in different habitats could impact different bumblebee species according to their nesting behaviors. Understanding the relative impact of badger predation on bumblebee colonies provides key information on how such top‐down regulation affects bumblebee populations.
Synergistic prognostication of left ventricular hypertrophy and three‐dimensional mechanical dyssynchrony in heart failure
Authors: Doi Takahiro , Nakata Tomoaki , Yuda Satoshi , Hashimoto Akiyoshi 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAimsIn this study, we investigated the prognostic interplay of left ventricular hypertrophy and mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD), both of which can be measured three‐dimensionally by gated myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), in patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF).Methods and resultsIn 829 consecutive HF patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50%, LVMD was evaluated as a standard deviation (phase SD) of regional onset of mechanical contraction phase angles. A phase histogram was created by Fourier phase analysis applied to regional time‐activity curves obtained by gated MPI. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was measured by Corridor 4DM version 6.0. Patients were followed up with a primary endpoint of lethal cardiac events (CE) for a mean interval of 34 months. CE were documented in 223 (27%) of the HF patients. The CE group had a greater phase SD and a greater LVMI than those in the non‐CE group. Patients in the CE group had a more advanced age, greater New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular cavity size, and left atrial diameter or septal E/e' and lower kidney or cardiac function than did patients in the non‐CE group. Phase SD > 37 and LVMI > 122.7 g/m2 were identified as optimal cut‐off values by receiver operating characteristic analyses for discrimination of the most increased risk HF subgroup from others (P < 0.0001). When classified into four patient subgroups using both cut‐off values, HF patients with phase SD > 37 (LVMD) and LVMI > 122.7g/m2 had the highest CE rate among the subgroups (P < 0.0001). Univariate analysis and subsequent multivariate analysis with a Cox proportional hazards model showed that phase SD and LVMI were significant independent predictors of CE with hazard ratios of 1.038 (confidence interval [CI], 1.024–1.051, P < 0.0001) and 1.005 (CI, 1.001–1.008, P = 0.0073), respectively, as well as conventional clinical parameters such as age, NYHA class, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and BNP concentration. Patients with increased phase SD and LVMI had incrementally improved prognostic values of clinical parameters including age, NYHA functional class, eGFR, and BNP with increases in the global χ2 value: 5.9 for age; 139.5 for age and NYHA; 157.9 for age, NYHA, and eGFR; 163.9 for age, NYHA, eGFR, and BNP; 183.4 for age, NYHA, eGFR, BNP, and phase SD; and 192.5 for age, NYHA, eGFR, BNP, phase SD, and LVMI.ConclusionsThree‐dimensionally assessed LVMD has independent prognostic values and can improve the risk stratification of chronic HF patients synergistically in combination with conventional clinical parameters.
Mechanical characterization of vesicles and cells: A review
Authors: Morshed Adnan , Karawdeniya Buddini Iroshika , Bandara Y.M. Nuwan D.Y. , Kim Min Jun , Dutta Prashanta 
Published: January 2020

AbstractVesicles perform many essential functions in all living organisms. They respond like a transducer to mechanical stress in converting the applied force into mechanical and biological responses. At the same time, both biochemical and biophysical signals influence the vesicular response in bearing mechanical loads. In recent years, liposomes, artificial lipid vesicles, have gained substantial attention from the pharmaceutical industry as a prospective drug carrier which can also serve as an artificial cell‐mimetic system. The ability of these vesicles to enter through pores of even smaller size makes them ideal candidates for therapeutic agents to reach the infected sites effectively. Engineering of vesicles with desired mechanical properties that can encapsulate drugs and release as required is the prime challenge in this field. This requirement has led to the modifications of the composition of the bilayer membrane by adding cholesterol, sphingomyelin, etc. In this article, we review the manufacturing and characterization techniques of various artificial/synthetic vesicles. We particularly focus on the electric field‐driven characterization techniques to determine different properties of vesicle and its membranes, such as bending rigidity, viscosity, capacitance, conductance, etc., which are indicators of their content and mobility. Similarities and differences between artificial vesicles, natural vesicles, and cells are highlighted throughout the manuscript since most of these artificial vesicles are intended for cell mimetic functions.
Modeling the duration and size of extended attack wildfires as dependent outcomes
Authors: Xi Dexen DZ. , Dean C.B. , Taylor Stephen W. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractUnderstanding the complex relationship between the duration and size of forest fires is important in order to better predict these key characteristics of fires for fire management purposes in a changing climate. Describing this relationship is also important for our fundamental understanding of fire science. Here, we develop and utilize novel techniques for characterizing the distribution of multiple outcomes related to a specific event, placed in the fire science context. In this framework, we jointly model time spent (duration), in days, and area burned (size), in hectares, from ground attack to final control of a fire as a bivariate survival outcome using two broad methodologies: a copula model that connects the two outcomes functionally and a joint modeling framework that connects the two outcomes with a shared random effect. We compare these two methodologies in terms of their utility and predictive power. We also consider how longitudinal environmental variables (e.g., precipitation, drought indices) are best incorporated in this context and the challenges related to the complexity of computation associated with the analysis of two outcomes considered jointly.
Study on failure models and fractal characteristics of shale under seepage‐stress coupling
Authors: Lou Yili , Wu Zhonghu , Sun Wenjibin , Yin Shuai , Wang Anli , Liu Hao , Zuo Yujun 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe existence of bedding in shale plays an important role in the physical properties and destruction processes of shale. In order to study the failure mechanism of shale with different dip angles under the coupling of seepage and stress, the study uses RFPA2D‐Flow software to advance the seepage‐stress coupling numerical simulation for seven groups of different bedding direction shale. Research shows that (1) the compressive strength and elastic modulus of shale are significantly affected by the bedding directions. The compressive strength can be observed with the apparent anisotropy of the shale compressive strength with the change of the bedding angle α; the elastic modulus increase with the increase in α as a whole. (2) The ultimate failure mode of shale under different bedding angles can be divided into V type (0°), inverted V type (15°), multi‐line type (30°), oblique type I (45°, 90°), and oblique N type (60°, 75°); the failure of shale in each group direction is mainly tensile failure with a small amount of shear failure. It can be found that the spatial distribution of acoustic emission (AE) reflected the macroscopic failure mode of shale. (3) The fractal dimension can well reflect the failure mode of the sample. From the trend of the dip‐fractal dimension curve, the fractal dimension of the multi‐line type reach to maximum, which is 1.41 699, and the D value of the oblique type I is the smallest, between 1.28 191 and 1.286 181. And the values of the inverted V type, V type and oblique N type, between 1.286 181 and 1.41 699. Therefore, the larger the value is, the more complex the shale failure mode is.
A new concept for estimating the influence of vegetation on throughfall kinetic energy using aerial laser scanning
Authors: Senn Johannes Antenor , Fassnacht Fabian Ewald , Eichel Jana , Seitz Steffen , Schmidtlein Sebastian 
Published: January 2020

AbstractSoil loss caused by erosion has enormous economic and social impacts. Splash effects of rainfall are an important driver of erosion processes; however, effects of vegetation on splash erosion are still not fully understood. Splash erosion processes under vegetation are investigated by means of throughfall kinetic energy (TKE). Previous studies on TKE utilized a heterogeneous set of plant and canopy parameters to assess vegetation's influence on erosion by rain splash but remained on individual plant‐ or plot‐levels. In the present study we developed a method for the area‐wide estimation of the influence of vegetation on TKE using remote sensing methods. In a literature review we identified key vegetation variables influencing splash erosion and developed a conceptual model to describe the interaction of vegetation and raindrops. Our model considers both amplifying and protecting effect of vegetation layers according to their height above the ground and aggregates them into a new indicator: the Vegetation Splash Factor (VSF). It is based on the proportional contribution of drips per layer, which can be calculated via the vegetation cover profile from airborne LiDAR datasets. In a case study, we calculated the VSF using a LiDAR dataset for La Campana National Park in central Chile. The studied catchment comprises a heterogeneous mosaic of vegetation layer combinations and types and is hence well suited to test the approach. We calculated a VSF map showing the relation between vegetation structure and its expected influence on TKE. Mean VSF was 1.42, indicating amplifying overall effect of vegetation on TKE that was present in 81% of the area. Values below 1 indicating a protective effect were calculated for 19% of the area. For future work, we recommend refining the weighting factor by calibration to local conditions using field‐reference data and comparing the VSF with TKE field measurements. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd