bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
From cave geomorphology to Palaeolithic human behaviour: speleogenesis, palaeoenvironmental changes and archaeological insight in the Atxurra‐Armiña cave (northern Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Arriolabengoa Martin , Intxaurbe Inaki , Medina‐Alcaide Mª Ángeles , Rivero Olivia , Rios‐Garaizar Joseba , LÍbano Inaki , Bilbao Peru , Aranburu Arantza , Cheng Hai , Edwards Richard Lawrence , Garate Diego 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTA detailed geomorphological study was performed in the Atxurra‐Armiña cave system (northern Iberian Peninsula) to decode landscape evolution, palaeoenvironmental changes and human use of a cave within an Inner Archaeological Context. The results show an average incision rate of the river of <0.083 mm a–1 for at least the last 419 ka, with interruptions due to sedimentary inputs. Moreover, allostratigraphic units comprising fluviokarstic deposits at the base and flowstone formation at the top have been shown to be climatically controlled, formed either during glacial–interglacial cycles or during interstadial cycles. Finally, when the cave was used by humans in the Late Magdalenian, the lower entrance was closed, and they must therefore have entered the cave through the upper entrance. To reach the sectors selected to decorate the panels, they probably travelled from the upper cave level, as the current crawlway was wider than today, according to our U/Th dating. Once these visitors reached the panels, the floor in the main gallery would have been around 15 cm lower than at present. However, the morphology of the conduit was similar; this has significant implications for understanding and interpreting the human use of the cave during the Palaeolithic.
Using Biophysical Models to Improve Survey Efficiency for Cryptic Ectotherms
Authors: Saleeba Kate , Phillips Ben L. , O'Shea Megan , Kearney Michael R. 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTInefficiencies in monitoring programs waste resources. Ideally, we would predict when and where target species are most detectable and place our effort accordingly. Statistical models can generate predictor functions relating survey conditions to detectability but are phenomenological; they do not incorporate biological constraints and so using them to predict into unsampled time and space is risky. Biophysical ecology allows us to place constraints on detection by identifying abiotic conditions in which the target species cannot be present. We show how such constraint can be incorporated into standard detection models. We use the striped legless lizard (Delma impar), a threatened cryptic species, in southeastern Australia, as a case study, using fortnightly monitoring data collected between June 2016 to May 2017. These lizards are monitored by searching under tiles placed in arrays; we used a biophysical model to simulate the thermal microclimate under tiles and combined this with the striped legless lizard's thermal physiology to predict when tiles could be used. When compared against a large monitoring dataset, lizards were rarely observed at times the model predicted they should not be present, but the model also over‐predicted presences. A statistical occupancy model showed that much of this over‐prediction is explained by a generally low detection probability, and a seasonal trend in detection beyond that captured in the biophysical model. We then replaced the temperature covariates of detection in the statistical model with our biophysical prediction (a categorical variable). The resulting model explained almost the same amount of variance in detections as the original model but using a single variable that captured biological constraints. The biophysical model allowed us to place mechanistic constraints on detection, but it still needed to be informed by observed aspects of the species' behavior that were not influenced by temperature. Hybrid statistical‐biophysical models such as ours offer a powerful tool for forecasting optimal survey conditions for a wide array of species. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
White Matter Hyperintensities Mediate Impact of Dysautonomia on Cognition in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Dadar Mahsa , Fereshtehnejad Seyed‐Mohammad , Zeighami Yashar , Dagher Alain , Postuma Ronald B. , Collins D. Louis 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundPatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) present with a broad spectrum of nonmotor features including autonomic disorders. More severe autonomic dysfunction in PD is associated with increased cognitive deficits. The presence of cerebral small‐vessel disease, measured by T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, is also observed in patients with PD with faster cognitive decline.ObjectiveTo investigate whether baseline orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysfunction in early‐stage PD affect later cognitive decline via mediation through cerebral small‐vessel disease.MethodsDe novo PD patients (N = 365) and age‐matched controls (N = 174) with baseline T2‐weighted/ fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery scans were selected from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative. WMHs were automatically segmented. Mediation analysis was used to assess whether WMH load mediates the effect of orthostatic hypotension and autonomic dysfunction (measured by Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease–Autonomic) on future cognitive decline (measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment) in an average of 4 years of follow‐up.ResultsMediation analysis supported the existence of a full mediation of WMHs on the effect of diastolic orthostatic hypotension in patients with PD and future cognitive decline (average causal mediation effect: ab = −0.032, 95% confidence interval = −0.064 to −0.01, P = 0.01). There was also a partial mediation for overall autonomic dysfunction (ab = −0.027, 95% confidence interval = −0.054 to 0.00, P = 0.02).ConclusionsWMHs fully mediate the effect of diastolic orthostatic hypotension and partially mediate the effect of autonomic dysregulation on future cognitive decline in patients with PD. Our findings support the hypothesis that autonomic dysfunction in early clinical stages predisposes the brain to WMHs through dysregulation of the blood flow in the small vessels. This in turn increases the risk of future cognitive impairment in early PD.
Graph‐convolutional‐network‐based interactive prostate segmentation in MR images
Authors: Tian Zhiqiang , Li Xiaojian , Zheng Yaoyue , Chen Zhang , Shi Zhong , Liu Lizhi , Fei Baowei 
Published: June 2020

PurposeAccurate and robust segmentation of the prostate from magnetic resonance (MR) images is extensively applied in many clinical applications in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this study is the development of a robust interactive segmentation method for accurate segmentation of the prostate from MR images.MethodsWe propose an interactive segmentation method based on a graph convolutional network (GCN) to refine the automatically segmented results. An atrous multiscale convolutional neural network (CNN) encoder is proposed to learn representative features to obtain accurate segmentations. Based on the multiscale feature, a GCN block is presented to predict the prostate contour in both automatic and interactive manners. To preserve the prostate boundary details and effectively train the GCN, a contour matching loss is proposed. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated on 41 in‐house MR subjects and 30 PROMISE12 test subjects.ResultThe proposed method yields mean Dice similarity coefficients of 93.8 ± 1.2% and 94.4 ± 1.0% on our in‐house and PROMISE12 datasets, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art segmentation methods.ConclusionThe proposed interactive segmentation method based on the GCN can accurately segment the prostate from MR images. Our method has a variety of applications in prostate cancer imaging.
First experience with ATOMS system implant in neurogenic stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Ammirati Enrico , Manassero Alberto , Mosiello Giovanni , Falcone Marco , Geretto Paolo , Giammò Alessandro 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAimTo evaluate efficacy and safety of ATOMS implant in neurogenic patients with stress incontinence performing clean intermittent catheterization (CIC).MethodsWe included all patients with neurogenic sacral/subsacral lesion and stress urinary incontinence, treated with ATOMS implant between January 2018 and March 2019. All patients received anamnesis, 24‐hour pad test and pad count, physical examination, video urodynamic evaluation, Qualiveen questionnaire. All patients were followed up at 12 months after implantation. Patients were considered “continent” when dry or when wearing a security pad (social continence).ResultsWe treated eight male patients with a median age of 25 years, four affected by myelomeningocele, and four by cauda equine syndrome. The median preoperative 24‐hour pad test was 225 g (interquartile range [IQR]: 180‐275). During the surgical procedure, we did not fill the cushion to prevent postoperative urethral injuries when performing CIC in the early postoperative time. At a 12‐month follow‐up, we had a significant reduction in postoperative 24‐hour pad test (median value: 7.5 g; IQR: 0‐16.25; P < .05). All patients reached continence. We had a significant reduction in the Qualiveen scores (P < .05). Patients demonstrated to be satisfied with the results of the intervention at the PGI‐I questionnaire. The only complications were four cases of temporary scrotal edema (Clavien‐Dindo 1) treated with conservative therapy. All patients resumed CIC without urethral traumatism nor catheter insertion difficulties. We had no cases of device infection nor device removal.ConclusionsImplantation of ATOMS device seems to be an effective and safe minimally invasive procedure also in neurological patients with a low rate of postoperative complications.
A neural network constitutive model for hyperelasticity based on molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Chung Ingyun , Im Sunyoung , Cho Maenghyo 
Published: June 2020

SummaryNumerical analysis of the hyperelastic behavior of polymer materials has drawn significant interest from within the field of mechanical engineering. Currently, hyperelastic models based on the energy density function, such as the Neo‐Hookean, Mooney‐Rivlin, and Ogden models, are used to investigate the hyperelastic responses of materials. Conventionally, constants relating to materials were determined from experimental data by using global least‐squares fitting. However, formulating a constitutive equation to capture the complex behavior of hyperelastic materials was difficult owing to the limitations of the analytical model and experimental data. This study addresses these limitations by using a system of neural networks (NNs) to design a data‐driven surrogate model without a specific function formula, and employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to calculate the massive amount of combined loading data of hyperelastic materials. Thus, MD simulations were used to propose an NN constitutive model for hyperelasticity to derive the constitutive equation to model the complex hyperelastic response. In addition, the probability distributions of the numerical solutions of hyperelasticity are used to characterize the uncertainty of the MD models. These statistical finite element results not only present numerical results with reliability ranges but also scattered distributions of the solution obtained from the MD‐based probability distributions.
Existence of optimal control for an integro‐differential Bolza problem
Authors: Idczak Dariusz , Walczak Stanisław 
Published: June 2020

SummaryIn the article, we derive an existence theorem for a Bolza problem described by a nonlinear integro‐differential system of Volterra type. We use an approach based on the lower closure theorem for orientor fields due to Cesari and measurable selection theorem of Fillipov type due to Rockafellar. Paper is a continuation of [D. Idczak, S. Walczak, Necessary optimality conditions for an integro‐differential Bolza problem via Dubovitskii‐Miljutin method, DCDS‐B 24 (5) (2019), 2281‐2292; DOI:10.3934/dcdsb.2019095].
Effects of polyether titanate coupling agent on the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of soft poly(vinyl chloride)/basic magnesium carbonate composites
Authors: Ma Xiaohong , Lu Yunhua , Dang Li , Xu Shiai 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this paper, a new polyether titanate coupling agent (Ti4000) was used to modify basic magnesium carbonate (BMC), and Ti4000 modified BMC (Ti4000‐BMC) was characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Then, PVC composites were prepared by adding BMC or Ti4000‐BMC into soft PVC matrix via melt blending, and their flame retardancy was examined by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 test, and cone calorimeter test. The results show that BMC can effectively improve flame resistance and suppress smoke production of pure soft PVC. As a result, the LOI is increased from 23.9% for pure soft PVC to 29.2% for Ti4000‐BMC/PVC composite with 50 phr Ti4000‐BMC (50%Ti4000‐BMC/PVC), and the composite passes the V0 rating in UL‐94 test, the peak heat release rate, total heat release, peak smoke production rate, and total smoke production are decreased from 343.10 kW/m2, 94.50 MJ/m2, 0.17 m2/s, and 27.20 m2/kg for pure soft PVC to 234.20 kW/m2, 70.20 MJ/m2, 0.02 m2/s, and 2.30 m2/kg for 50%Ti4000‐BMC/PVC composite, respectively. The analysis of char residues suggests that Ti4000‐BMC/PVC composites form the most compact char layer structure, indicating that the soft PVC composites show better char forming ability. In addition, the yield strength is increased from 4.4 MPa for pure soft PVC to 12.9 MPa for 50%Ti4000‐BMC/PVC composite, with an increase of 193.2%, and it shows good reinforcement effect on the soft PVC matrix.
On the machining behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polyimide and PEEK thermoplastic composites
Authors: Xu Jinyang , Huang Xianghui , Davim J. Paulo , Ji Min , Chen Ming 
Published: June 2020

AbstractPolyimide (PI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are superior high‐performance thermoplastics being extensively used in the fields of fiber‐reinforced polymer composites. However, there is very limited literature addressing the machining behavior of the PI and PEEK composites. The present paper aims to conduct a comparative study into the machining characteristics of these two representative high‐performance thermoplastic matrix composites under varying cutting conditions. Machinability aspects of the carbon/PI and carbon/PEEK thermoplastic composites were evaluated in terms of drilling forces, machining temperatures, delamination damage, surface morphologies, hole dimensional accuracy and tool wear. The results indicate that the carbon/PEEK composites generally show a much poorer machinability than the carbon/PI composites in terms of higher drilling forces, higher cutting temperatures, larger delamination extents and excessive tool wear. Since the carbon/PEEK composites exhibit certain ductility leading to the continuous chip formation, the cut hole surface morphologies and dimensional accuracy are much better than those gained in the carbon/PI composites. Both the cutting speed and the feed rate affect significantly the drilling forces and the resulting delamination damage. The fundamental wear mechanisms of drilling carbon/PI composites are abrasion wear in the form of edge rounding and slight chip adhesion, while for the carbon/PEEK composites, they are abrasion, serious chip adhesion because of the high drilling temperatures promoted at the drill‐work interface and catastrophic failures of coating peeling and edge fracture.
Exploitation of acetalization process of poly(vinyl alcohol) for the formation of crosslinked poly(vinyl formal) foams
Authors: Liao Honghui , Liu Yuan , Lin Shudong 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn the present work, poly(vinyl formal) (PVF) foams were prepared using water as the pore‐forming agent and formaldehyde as the crosslinking agent. The acetalization process of poly(vinyl alcohol) was exploited in depth in order to obtain a precise guidance on the preparation of PVF foams with adjustable properties. With the increasing of formaldehyde, the crosslinking degree was gradually increased and the prepared PVF foams changed to be amorphous. Morphology observation showed that the porous structure of PVF foams was successfully created using water as the blowing agent and it was strongly affected by the crosslinking agent and polymer concentration, leading to an easily tuned pore size from hundreds of microns to few microns. The prepared foams were proved to have small apparent density below 0.27 g/cm−3and excellent mechanical strength, with the largest specific compressive strength of 11.54 MPa·cm3·g−1. Based on the results, it is believed that this study can provide a scientific basis for the design and optimization of PVF foams with controllable structure and properties.
What We See, What We Do Not See, and What We Do Not Want to See in HLA Class I Immunopeptidomes
Authors: Mishto Michele 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe identification of peptides bound to human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA‐I) molecules—that is, the HLA‐I immunopeptidome—is a useful tool in the hunt for epitopes suitable for vaccinations and immunotherapies. These peptides are mainly generated by proteasomes through peptide hydrolysis and peptide splicing. In this issue, Nicastri and colleagues compared different methods for the elution of HLA class I‐associated peptides. It is demonstrated that the choice of HLA‐associated peptide enrichment and purification strategy affects peptide yields and creates a bias in detected sequence repertoire. The author carried out this technical brief through the analysis of canonical non‐spliced peptides. However, their study left out any analysis of post‐translationally spliced peptides, thereby missing an opportunity to shed light on the persistent debate of the frequency of these unconventional peptides.
Noncovalent functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes using poly(2,7‐carbazole)s
Authors: Rice Nicole A. , Bodnaryk William J. , Tamblyn Isaac , Jakubek Zygmunt J. , Lefebvre Jacques , Lopinski Greg , Adronov Alex , Homenick Christa M. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractTo fully actualize the potential of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), it is necessary to overcome the inherent insolubility of this nanomaterial. Drawing on the successes realized in the analogous carbon nanotube field, noncovalent functionalization with conjugated polymers offers a simple, scalable route toward the production of stable dispersions of BNNTs. 2,7‐carbazoles were chosen as our core monomer based on density functional theory (DFT) predictions, which suggest superior interactions with BNNTs when compared to fluorene‐BNNT interactions. Homo poly(2,7‐carbazole)s and copolymers with fluorenes were synthesized and used successfully to disperse BNNTs into organic solvents. Thermogravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy results confirm the proficiency of these polymers to disperse large amounts (> 80% by weight) of individualized BNNTs. Analysis of absorbance data shows that the choice of solvent is critical, with stability enhanced in THF compared to CHCl3 due to the more efficient planarization of polymer chains on the surface of BNNTs, particularly for the homopolymers. The utility of these highly‐soluble poly(2,7‐carbazole)‐BNNT complexes for printed electronics and transparent composites was demonstrated by the fabrication of simple capacitors and incorporation into poly(methyl methacrylate) composites, respectively.
The impact of long‐term androgen deprivation therapy on cognitive function and socioeconomic decision making in prostate cancer patients
Authors: Holtfrerich Sarah Katharina Charlotte , Knipper Sophie , Purwins Janna , Castens Jasmin , Beyer Burkhard , Schlomm Thorsten , Diekhof Esther Kristina 
Published: June 2020

AbstractObjectiveAndrogen deprivation therapy (ADT) enhances survival of advanced prostate cancer patients and is therefore used as a concomitant therapy. However, ADT has been reported to cause negative side effects on cognition and emotional processing. So far, research referred to the effects of short‐term treatment. Since the brain may adapt to androgen deprivation, we were especially interested in the long‐term effects of ADT on cognitive and socioeconomic decision making.MethodsParticipants underwent a battery of tests that have been associated with testosterone. We compared the results of three matched test groups: (1) prostate cancer patients with ADT up to 20 years, (2) prostate cancer controls without treatment and (3) healthy controls. We further measured the morning testosterone content in participants' saliva.ResultsTestosterone concentration was positively associated with visuospatial performance across and within the test groups. Patients with long‐term ADT showed an overall decline in cognitive performance. Compared with untreated patients, ADT was also associated with a reduced intergroup bias during socioeconomic decision making, which was in line with previous observations in young men suggesting that testosterone may promote ingroup favoritism. Finally, depression scores were increased in ADT, while quality of life was negatively associated with the treatment.ConclusionThese findings conform to results made after short‐term treatment. ADT promotes negative side effects on cognitive function. We also show for the first time that testosterone deprivation may affect socioeconomic decision making. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that these effects cannot outweigh the previously described advantages of ADT in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Ribavirin targets sugar transporter 6 to suppress acquisition and transmission of rice stripe tenuivirus by its vector Laodelphax striatellus
Authors: Hajano Jamal‐U‐Ddin , Raza Ahmed , Zhang Lu , Liu Wenwen , Wang Xifeng 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDRice stripe tenuivirus (RSV) is one of the most destructive pathogens of rice and other cereal crops. The virus is transmitted by the small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus) in a circulative‐propagative manner. Thus, blocking transmission by the insect vector would provide an effective strategy to prevent epidemic outbreaks of the disease.RESULTSIn this study, we explored the effect of ribavirin on acquisition and transmission of the virus by specifically inhibiting the expression of sugar transporter 6 (LsSt‐6), which was recently reported as a key vector component for RSV transmission. Ribavirin at the highest concentration tested (250 μmol L‐1) significantly reduced RSV acquisition and transmission efficiency by SBPHs through inhibiting LsSt‐6 messenger RNA (mRNA) level. Survival of the model insect Spodoptera frugiperda cell line (Sf9) was 95.0 ± 2.2 and 85.6 ± 2.1% after exposure to 250 μmol L‐1 ribavirin or 8‐azaguanine, respectively. Further study confirmed that 250 μmol L‐1 ribavirin also significantly reduced LsSt‐6 mRNA and protein levels in Sf9 cells. However, 8‐azaguanine did not significantly inhibit viral infectivity and LsSt‐6 mRNA levels in SBPH or the Sf9 cell line.CONCLUSIONThis result provides evidence that ribavirin has the potential to disrupt LsSt‐6 expression but not others like viral RNAs to prevent acquiring RSV, which leads to less viral accumulation in SBPH tissues and thereby lower transmission efficiency. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry