bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Precipitation measurements by manual and automatic rain gauges and their influence on homogeneity of long‐term precipitation series
Authors: Valík Adam , Brázdil Rudolf , Zahradníček Pavel , Tolasz Radim , Fiala Rostislav 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTThe introduction of automatic instruments for precipitation measurements may have resulted in some differences in results from those taken by previous manual instruments. In the station network of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) this replacement process began in the 1990s, when precipitation measurements taken by the METRA 886 rain gauge gave way to automatic tipping‐bucket rain gauges, the MR3H and later the MR3H‐FC. Continuous simultaneous measurement by both types of rain gauge at the Brno‐Žabovřesky and Ostrava‐Poruba stations in the 2000–2019 period enable differences in recorded daily precipitation totals to be compared. Only those days upon which at least one of the two types of rain gauge recorded precipitation are analysed herein. Although the highest proportion of differences in daily precipitation totals lies between −0.1 and 0.1 mm, there is a distinct tendency towards higher totals in positive deviations as measured by the manual METRA 886, that is, tipping‐bucket rain gauges generally record lower precipitation totals then the ‘standard’ manual rain gauge (the MR3H‐FC undervalues totals to a greater extent than the MR3H). The design and construction of tipping‐bucket rain gauges are reflected in overvaluation of precipitation days with smaller totals and undervaluation of days with high totals when compared with the METRA 886. Series combining measurements by METRA 886 and by tipping‐bucket rain gauges (as held in the CHMI database) and series measured by the METRA 886 alone were created, homogenized and analysed in terms of long‐term fluctuations and annual variations. Homogenisation of precipitation series based on combined measurements leads to generally undervalued totals compared with those measured only by the METRA 886. Results are discussed with respect to other similar articles, sources of errors in both types of precipitation measurement, and with regard to the homogenisation of precipitation series.
Elongation and orientation pattern of the medial patellofemoral ligament during lunging
Authors: Wang Cong , Kernkamp Willem A. , Li Changzhao , Hu Hai , Li Pingyue , Tsai Tsung‐Yuan 
Published: October 2020

AbstractUnfavorable clinical outcomes after medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, such as early osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint, were considered to be associate with tunnel malpositioning. Length change studies have found that small changes in the femoral position can cause great changes in elongation trends. Further studying the MPFL kinematics may help us to understand the consequences of tunnel malpositioning and optimize the reconstruction techniques. Fifteen healthy subjects were studied with a combined computed tomography and biplane fluoroscopic imaging technique during a lunge motion. Five femoral and three patellar attachments were used to simulate different MPFL bundles. Kinematics of MPFL was defined as elongation and orientation changes (i.e., deviation angle and elevation angle). The mean deviation angle was 28.7° (95% confidence interval, 28.0°–29.4°) at full extension and remained nearly unchanged up to 60° of flexion, and increased to 56.5° (54.1°–58.9°) at 110°. The elevation angle decreased linearly from 12.6° (9.3°–15.9°) at full extension to −86.2° (−92.7–79.7°) at 110° of flexion. The MPFL was most stretched anteriorly and laterally relative to femur from full extension to 30° of flexion and remained near isometric beyond 30°. The current study found that proximal and anterior femoral attachments caused excessive lateral stretching of the MPFL at deeper flexion angles. Such abnormal MPFL kinematics may subsequently cause overconstraint and increased cartilage pressures of the medial patellofemoral joint.
Role of YAP1 gene in proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, and apoptosis of human periodontal ligament stem cells induced by TNF‐α
Authors: Dong Tao , Sun Xuemin , Jin He 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundPeriodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in periodontal tissues and can cause tooth loosening and loss in severe cases. As the main effector of downstream of Hippo signaling pathway, yes‐related protein 1 (YAP1) plays an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of YAP1 in periodontitis has not been reported.MethodsCell activity was detected by Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8). YAP1 was overexpressed by cell transfection, and then RT‐qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of YAP1. The cell proliferation was determined by clone formation assay, and the expression of proliferation‐related proteins was determined by western blot. The cell differentiation was detected by ELISA kit of alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and alizarin red staining. Finally, western blot was used to detect the expression of differentiation‐related protein and Hippo signaling pathway‐related proteins. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.ResultsWith the increase of concentration induced by TNF‐α, the cell survival rate of human periodontal ligament stem cells (HPDLSCs) decreased significantly. After the overexpression of YAP1, cell proliferation and proliferation‐related protein expression increased. Overexpression of YAP1 can improve the differentiation and the formation of osteoblasts of HPDLSCs induced by TNF‐α. The expression of Hippo signaling pathway‐related proteins transcriptional coactivators with PDZ binding domains (TAZ), TEA domain family member (TRED) increased and proliferation‐related protein P27 decreased, whereas there was no significant change in the expression of MST1.ConclusionTNF‐α can inhibit proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of HPDLSCs, which can be ameliorated by the YAP1 gene through the Hippo signaling pathway. Our paper suggested that YAP1 may be a potential therapeutic target for periodontitis.
Fecal metabolomics based on mass spectrometry to investigate the mechanism of qishen granules against isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure in rats
Authors: Liu Shuxin , Pi Zifeng , Liu Zhiqiang , Song Fengrui , Liu Shu 
Published: October 2020

AbstractQishen granules, derived from clinical experience formula, has been widely used to improve and treat myocardial ischemic chronic heart failure in China. However, the mechanism of action of Qishen granules in the treatment of chronic heart failure is unclear. This study aimed to discover potential biomarkers of isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure rats and investigate the potential mechanism of Qishen granules treatment of chronic heart failure. The fecal metabolomics method based on ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the therapeutic effect and metabolic changes of Qishen granules on chronic heart failure rats. Totally, 17 potential biomarkers were identified, involving bile acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, inflammatory response, and amino acid metabolism. For bile acid metabolism, we selected 12 bile acids (two of which were potential biomarkers in nontargeted metabolomics) for quantitative analysis. The quantitative results of bile acids showed that after Qishen granules treatment, the contents of bile acids such as ursodeoxycholic acid and glycodeoxycholic acid were similar to those of health group. This study helps to understand the pathogenesis of isoproterenol‐induced chronic heart failure and the therapeutic mechanism of Qishen granules from the perspective of metabolic pathways.
Grassland greening on the Mongolian Plateau despite higher grazing intensity
Authors: Miao Lijuan , Sun Zhanli , Ren Yanjun , Schierhorn Florian , Müller Daniel 
Published: September 2020

AbstractChanges in land management and climate alter vegetation dynamics, but the determinants of vegetation changes often remain elusive, especially in global drylands. Here we assess the determinants of grassland greenness on the Mongolian Plateau, one of the world's largest grassland biomes, which covers Mongolia and the province of Inner Mongolia in China. We use spatial panel regressions to quantify the impact of precipitation, temperature, radiation, and the intensity of livestock grazing on the normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) during the growing seasons from 1982 to 2015 at the county level. The results suggest that the Mongolian Plateau experienced vegetation greening from 1982 to 2015. Precipitation and animal density were the most influential factors contributing to higher NDVI on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. Our results highlight the dominant effect of climate variability, and especially of the precipitation variability, on the grassland greenness in Mongolian drylands. The findings challenge the common belief that higher grazing pressure is the key driver for land degradation. The analysis exemplifies how representative wall‐to‐wall results for large areas can be attained from exploring space–time data and adds empirical insights to the puzzling relationship between grazing intensity and vegetation growth in dryland areas.
Bacterioplankton dynamics driven by interannual and spatial variation in diatom and dinoflagellate spring bloom communities in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Camarena‐Gómez María Teresa , Ruiz‐González Clara , Piiparinen Jonna , Lipsewers Tobias , Sobrino Cristina , Logares Ramiro , Spilling Kristian 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn parts of the Baltic Sea, the phytoplankton spring bloom communities, commonly dominated by diatoms, are shifting toward the co‐occurrence of diatoms and dinoflagellates. Although phytoplankton are known to shape the composition and function of associated bacterioplankton communities, the potential bacterial responses to such a decrease of diatoms are unknown. Here we explored the changes in bacterial communities and heterotrophic production during the spring bloom in four consecutive spring blooms across several sub‐basins of the Baltic Sea and related them to changes in environmental variables and in phytoplankton community structure. The taxonomic structure of bacterioplankton assemblages was partially explained by salinity and temperature but also linked to the phytoplankton community. Higher carbon biomass of the diatoms Achnanthes taeniata, Skeletonema marinoi, Thalassiosira levanderi, and Chaetoceros spp. was associated with more diverse bacterial communities dominated by copiotrophic bacteria (Flavobacteriia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria) and higher bacterial production. During dinoflagellate dominance, bacterial production was low and bacterial communities were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, mainly SAR11. Our results suggest that increases in dinoflagellate abundance during the spring bloom will largely affect the structuring and functioning of the associated bacterial communities. This could decrease pelagic remineralization of organic matter and possibly affect the bacterial grazers communities.
Early Predictors of Short‐Term Prognosis in Acute and Acute Severe Autoimmune Hepatitis
Authors: Biewenga Maaike , Inderson Akin , Tushuizen Maarten E. , Crobach A. Stijn L.P. , van Hoek Bart 
Published: September 2020

Presentation of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) can differ from nonacute to acute autoimmune hepatitis (A‐AIH) with jaundice and acute severe autoimmune hepatitis (AS‐AIH) with jaundice and coagulopathy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short‐term prognosis of different presentations of AIH and the influence of liver function improvement on short‐term prognosis. In this single‐center retrospective cohort study, AIH patients with repeatedly tested liver function at diagnosis and during at least 1 year of follow‐up were included. A‐AIH was defined as bilirubin >45 µmol and international normalized ratio (INR) <1.5. AS‐AIH was defined as bilirubin level >45 µmol/L and INR ≥1.5. Of the 81 included patients, 17 (21%) presented with A‐AIH, and 14 (17%) presented with AS‐AIH. After the start of immunosuppressive therapy, bilirubin, albumin, and INR normalized in 70%, 77%, and 69%, respectively, in a median of 2.6 months, 3 months, and 4 weeks, respectively, in patients with A‐AIH and AS‐AIH. Liver transplantation (LT)–free survival rate was 100% in nonacute AIH, 94% in A‐AIH, and 57% in AS‐AIH at 12 months after diagnosis. An increase of INR or bilirubin at 2 weeks was the best predictive factor for the need of LT within 12 months with a Youden’s index of 0.85. A‐AIH was present in 21%, and AS‐AIH was present in 17% of AIH patients. In the majority of patients, bilirubin, albumin, and INR normalized in the first months of treatment. Deterioration of liver function after 2 weeks of treatment should lead to rapid evaluation for LT and consideration of second‐line medication.
Further results on the in situ anaerobic corrosion of carbon steel and copper in compacted bentonite exposed to natural Opalinus Clay porewater containing native microbial populations
Authors: Reddy Bharti , Padovani Cristiano , Smart Nick R. , Rance Andrew P. , Cook Angus , Milodowski Antoni , Field Lorraine , Kemp Simon , Diomidis Nikitas 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSince 2012, a long‐term in situ corrosion experiment (IC‐A) is being conducted in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland to investigate the corrosion behaviour of candidate canister materials in conditions representative of the Swiss concept for the disposal of high‐level waste and spent nuclear fuel. To date, carbon steel and various types of copper coatings have been retrieved after different exposure periods of up to 3 years, and characterised to establish the composition of the corrosion product, the morphology of the corroded surface, the nature of the interaction between the metal and the surrounding bentonite, and the microbial populations in the bentonite and surrounding porewater. For carbon steel specimens, a complex corrosion product was identified, consisting predominantly of magnetite. Much less alteration on either the metal or the bentonite was observed in the case of copper samples. Low average anaerobic corrosion rates were measured for carbon steel and a very modest amount of alteration was identified on copper. The density and the initial form of the bentonite had a small influence on the rate of corrosion, across all materials. This paper summarises the results of the experimental programme obtained to date and discusses the relationship observed between exposure time and the evolution of the metal–bentonite interface for both carbon steel and copper.
Overview of anaerobic corrosion of carbon steel radioactive waste packages in alkaline media in support of the Belgian supercontainer concept
Authors: Kursten Bruno , Smart Nick R. , Senior Nicholas A. , Macdonald Digby D. , Caes Sébastien , de Souza Valdir , Gaggiano Roberto 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe so‐called supercontainer concept is currently being considered as the reference design for the final disposal of vitrified high‐level radioactive waste and spent fuel in Belgium. It comprises a prefabricated Portland cement‐based buffer that completely surrounds a carbon steel overpack. In this highly alkaline environment (pH ~13.6), and under normal conditions (i.e., without the ingress of aggressive species), the carbon steel overpack will be protected by a passive oxide film, which is expected to result in very low uniform corrosion rates. Considering the long timescales applicable to waste disposal, determining accurate and reliable estimates of the uniform corrosion rate under anoxic conditions forms a very important part of the safety and feasibility strategy. It is also crucial to demonstrate that no other form of corrosion apart from uniform corrosion takes place. This paper presents the progress of the research that has been made since the LTC2016 Workshop (Toronto, Canada) on uniform corrosion, pitting corrosion and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of P355 QL2 grade carbon steel exposed to an artificial concrete pore water solution.
Atmospheric corrosion behavior of 7A09 aluminum alloy exposed to an industrial environment
Authors: Wang Ling , Wang Bin , Luo Laizheng , Jiang Hua , Liu Jie 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe corrosion behavior of 7A09 alloys exposed to an industrial atmosphere for 36 months was studied by weight loss method, morphology observation, electrochemical method, and loss in mechanical properties. Under the condition of exposure to an industrial atmosphere, the 7A09 alloy suffers obvious pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion (IGC), and a charge transfer process controls the corrosion reaction. The corrosion rate presents a decreasing tendency with exposure time, which is mainly due to the enhancement of the protective ability of the corrosion product layer. The occurrence of IGC of this alloy is mainly caused by the preferential dissolution of the grain boundary precipitates Mg(ZnAlCu)2 and the precipitate‐free zone along grain boundaries, and which leads to the reduction of the mechanical properties. In addition, the morphology and composition of the corrosion product layer were identified, and the corrosion mechanism was also discussed.
Differences in the Presentation and Progression of Parkinson's Disease by Sex
Authors: Iwaki Hirotaka , Blauwendraat Cornelis , Leonard Hampton L. , Makarious Mary B. , Kim Jonggeol J. , Liu Ganqiang , Maple‐Grødem Jodi , Corvol Jean‐Christophe , Pihlstrøm Lasse , van Nimwegen Marlies , Smolensky Luba , Amondikar Ninad , Hutten Samantha J. , Frasier Mark , Nguyen Khanh‐Dung H. , Rick Jacqueline , Eberly Shirley , Faghri Faraz , Auinger Peggy , Scott Kirsten M. , Wijeyekoon Ruwani , Van Deerlin Vivianna M. , Hernandez Dena G. , Gibbs Raphael J. , Day‐Williams Aaron G. , Brice Alexis , Alves Guido , Noyce Alastair J. , Tysnes Ole‐Bjørn , Evans Jonathan R. , Breen David P. , Estrada Karol , Wegel Claire E. , Danjou Fabrice , Simon David K. , Andreassen Ole A. , Ravina Bernard , Toft Mathias , Heutink Peter , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Weintraub Daniel , Barker Roger A. , Williams‐Gray Caroline H. , van de Warrenburg Bart P. , Van Hilten Jacobus J. , Scherzer Clemens R. , Singleton Andrew B. , Nalls Mike A. 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundPrevious studies reported various symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with sex. Some were conflicting or confirmed in only one study.ObjectivesWe examined sex associations to PD phenotypes cross‐sectionally and longitudinally in large‐scale data.MethodsWe tested 40 clinical phenotypes, using longitudinal, clinic‐based patient cohorts, consisting of 5946 patients, with a median follow‐up of 3.1 years. For continuous outcomes, we used linear regressions at baseline to test sex‐associated differences in presentation, and linear mixed‐effects models to test sex‐associated differences in progression. For binomial outcomes, we used logistic regression models at baseline and Cox regression models for survival analyses. We adjusted for age, disease duration, and medication use. In the secondary analyses, data from 17 719 PD patients and 7588 non‐PD participants from an online‐only, self‐assessment PD cohort were cross‐sectionally evaluated to determine whether the sex‐associated differences identified in the primary analyses were consistent and unique to PD.ResultsFemale PD patients had a higher risk of developing dyskinesia early during the follow‐up period, with a slower progression in activities of daily living difficulties, and a lower risk of developing cognitive impairments compared with male patients. The findings in the longitudinal, clinic‐based cohorts were mostly consistent with the results of the online‐only cohort.ConclusionsWe observed sex‐associated contributions to PD heterogeneity. These results highlight the necessity of future research to determine the underlying mechanisms and importance of personalized clinical management. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A compact flexible fractal ultra‐wideband antenna with band notch characteristic
Authors: Zou Qiang , Jiang Shiyu 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA compact flexible fractal ultra‐wideband antenna with band notch characteristic is presented. The antenna is printed on a 12.5 μm flexible polyimide substrate, and an impedance bandwidth of 15.48 GHz (3.6‐19.08 GHz) is achieved along with an overall antenna size of 20.5 × 13.9 mm2. The design of the hexagonal radiator in the fourth iteration effectively enhances the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. By arranging two symmetrical complementary split ring resonators on the ground plane, the band rejection of the X‐band uplink frequency from 7.9 to 8.41 GHz is achieved. The average gain of the antenna can reach 3 dBi in the pass band, while the gain in the notch band is greatly reduced to below 0 dBi. Compared with the existing structure, the antenna has a larger bandwidth and a smaller size. Furthermore, the antenna is tested under bending effects. Test results show that this antenna can be used for integration on flexible electronic devices.
Artificial intelligence‐based framework in evaluating intrafraction motion for liver cancer robotic stereotactic body radiation therapy with fiducial tracking
Authors: Liang Zhiwen , Zhou Qichao , Yang Jing , Zhang Lian , Liu Dong , Tu Biao , Zhang Sheng 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThis study aimed to design a fully automated framework to evaluate intrafraction motion using orthogonal x‐ray images from CyberKnife.MethodsThe proposed framework includes three modules: (a) automated fiducial marker detection, (b) three‐dimensional (3D) position reconstruction, and (c) intrafraction motion evaluation. A total of 5927 images from real patients treated with CyberKnife fiducial tracking were collected. The ground truth was established by labeling coarse bounding boxes manually, and binary mask images were then obtained by applying a binary threshold and filter. These images and labels were used to train a detection model using a fully convolutional network (fCN). The output of the detection model can be used to reconstruct the 3D positions of the fiducial markers and then evaluate the intrafraction motion via a rigid transformation. For a patient test, the motion amplitudes, rotations, and fiducial cohort deformations were calculated used the developed framework for 13 patients with a total of 52 fractions.ResultsThe precision and recall of the fiducial marker detection model were 98.6% and 95.6%, respectively, showing high model performance. The mean (±SD) centroid error between the predicted fiducial markers and the ground truth was 0.25 ± 0.47 pixels on the test data. For intrafraction motion evaluation, the mean (±SD) translations in the superior–posterior (SI), left–right (LR), and anterior–posterior (AP) directions were 13.1 ± 2.2 mm, 2.0 ± 0.4 mm, and 5.2 ± 1.4 mm, respectively, and the mean (±SD) rotations in the roll, pitch and yaw directions were 2.9 ± 1.5°, 2.5 ± 1.5°, and 3.1 ± 2.2°. Seventy‐one percent of the fractions had rotations larger than the system limitations. With rotation correction during rigid registration, only 2 of the 52 fractions had residual errors larger than 2 mm in any direction, while without rotation correction, the probability of large residual errors increased to 46.2%.ConclusionWe developed a framework with high performance and accuracy for automatic fiducial marker detection, which can be used to evaluate intrafraction motion using orthogonal x‐ray images from CyberKnife. For liver patients, most fractions have fiducial cohort rotations larger than the system limitations; however, the fiducial cohort deformation is small, especially for the scenario with rotation correction.