bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NanoSIMS sample preparation decreases isotope enrichment: magnitude, variability and implications for single‐cell rates of microbial activity
Authors: Meyer Nicolette R. , Fortney Julian L. , Dekas Anne E. 
Published: October 2020

SummaryThe activity of individual microorganisms can be measured within environmental samples by detecting uptake of isotope‐labelled substrates using nano‐scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS). Recent studies have demonstrated that sample preparation can decrease 13C and 15N enrichment in bacterial cells, resulting in underestimates of activity. Here, we explore this effect with a variety of preparation types, microbial lineages and isotope labels to determine its consistency and therefore potential for correction. Specifically, we investigated the impact of different protocols for fixation, nucleic acid staining and catalysed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD‐FISH) on >14 500 archaeal and bacterial cells (Methanosarcina acetivorans, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Pseudomonas putida) enriched in 13C, 15N, 18O, 2H and/or 34S. We found these methods decrease isotope enrichments by up to 80% – much more than previously reported – and that the effect varies by taxa, growth phase, isotope label and applied protocol. We make recommendations for how to account for this effect experimentally and analytically. We also re‐evaluate published nanoSIMS datasets and revise estimated microbial turnover times in the marine subsurface and nitrogen fixation rates in pelagic unicellular cyanobacteria. When sample preparation is accounted for, cell‐specific rates increase and are more consistent with modelled and bulk rates.
FgPal1 regulates morphogenesis and pathogenesis in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Yin Jinrong , Hao Chaofeng , Niu Gang , Wang Wei , Wang Guanghui , Xiang Ping , Xu Jin‐Rong , Zhang Xue 
Published: October 2020

SummaryAscospores are the primary inoculum in Fusarium graminearum, a causal agent of wheat head blight. In a previous study, FgPAL1 was found to be upregulated in the Fgama1 mutant and important for ascosporogenesis. However, the biological function of this well‐conserved gene in filamentous ascomycetes is not clear. In this study, we characterized its functions in growth, differentiation and pathogenesis. The Fgpal1 mutant had severe growth defects and often displayed abnormal hyphal tips. It was defective in infectious growth in rachis tissues and spreading in wheat heads. The Fgpal1 mutant produced conidia with fewer septa and more nuclei per compartment than the wild type. In actively growing hyphal tips, FgPal1‐GFP mainly localized to the subapical collar and septa. The FgPal1 and LifeAct partially co‐localized at the subapical region in an interdependent manner. The Fgpal1 mutant was normal in meiosis with eight nuclei in developing asci but most asci were aborted. Taken together, our results showed that FgPal1 plays a role in maintaining polarized tip growth and coordination between nuclear division and cytokinesis, and it is also important for infectious growth and developments of ascospores by the free cell formation process.
Do females on boards affect acquisition outcomes and target selection: a replication and extension of Levi, Li and Zhang (2014)
Authors: Bachmann Rebecca L. , Spiropoulos Helen 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe replicate and extend the 2014 study by Levi, Li and Zhang in the Australian setting and examine whether female representation on corporate boards affects acquisition outcomes. Consistent with the original study, we find that bidders with female representation on their boards make fewer acquisitions and pay lower premiums, on average. We also document that bidders with female representation on their boards prefer to select target firms that also have female representation on their boards. These results are robust to propensity score matching and instrumental variable estimation.
Awake endoscopic assessment of the upper airway during tidal breathing: Definition of anatomical features and comparison with drug‐induced sleep endoscopy
Authors: Van de Perck Eli , Vroegop Anneclaire V. , Op de Beeck Sara , Dieltjens Marijke , Verbruggen Annelies E. , Van de Heyning Paul H. , Braem Marc J. , Vanderveken Olivier M. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectivesAwake nasopharyngoscopy is routinely performed in the assessment of patients who require treatment for sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB). However, the applicability and accuracy of Müller's manoeuvre, the main evaluation method for this purpose, are disputable. The current study aimed to introduce an alternative method for awake nasopharyngoscopy in patients with SDB.DesignWe defined qualitative anatomical features during tidal breathing at the levels of the soft palate, oropharynx, tongue base, epiglottis and hypopharynx, and compared these awake features to the sites and patterns of collapse as observed during drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE).SettingTertiary care academic centre.ParticipantsSeventy‐three patients diagnosed with SDB.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was the Kendall's tau correlation coefficient (τ) between observations during awake nasopharyngoscopy and DISE. Kappa‐statistics (κ) were calculated to assess the agreement on awake endoscopic features with a second observer.ResultsIn contrast to epiglottis shape, the modified Cormack‐Lehane scale was significantly associated with epiglottis collapse during DISE (P < .0001; τ = .45). Other upper airway features that were correlated with DISE collapse were the position of the soft palate (P = .007; τ = .29), crowding of the oropharynx (P = .026; τ = .32) and a posteriorly located tongue base (P = .046; τ = .32). Interobserver agreement of endoscopic features during tidal breathing was moderate (0.60 ≤ κ < 0.80).ConclusionThe current study introduces a comprehensive and reliable assessment method for awake nasopharyngoscopy based on anatomical features that are compatible with DISE collapse patterns.
A hybrid recurrent neural network‐logistic chaos‐based whale optimization framework for heart disease prediction with electronic health records
Authors: Priyanga P. , Pattankar Veena V. , Sridevi S. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractHeart disease, known interchangeably as “Cardio Vascular Disease,” blocks the blood vessels in the heart and causes heart attack, chest pain, and stroke. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and it is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality globally and a trending topic in clinical data analysis. Assessing risk factors related to heart disease is considered as an important step in diagnosing the disease at an early stage. Clinical data present in the form of electronic health records (EHR) can be extracted with the aid of machine learning (ML) algorithms to provide valuable decisions and predictions. ML approaches also play a vital role in early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of heart disease. Several research works have been carried out recently to predict heart disease. To this end, we propose a novel hybrid recurrent neural network (RNN)‐logistic chaos‐based whale optimization (LCBWO) structured hybrid framework for predicting heart disease within 5 years using EHR data. Meanwhile, in the hybrid model established multilayer bidirectional LSTM is used for feature selection, LCBWO algorithm for structural improvement and fast convergence, and LSTM for disease prediction. This research used 10 cross‐validations to obtain generalized accuracy and error values. The findings and observations provided here are focused on the knowledge obtained from the EHR report. The results show that the proposed novel hybrid RNN‐LCBWO framework achieves a higher accuracy of 98%, a specificity of 99%, precision of 96%, Mathews correlation coefficient of 91%, F‐measure of 0.9892, an area under the curve value of 98%, and a prediction time of 9.23 seconds. The accurate predictions obtained from the comparative analysis shows the significant performance of our proposed framework.
Alcohol consumption in India: A rising burden and a fractured response
Authors: Gururaj Gopalkrishna , Gautham Melur S. , Arvind Banavaram A. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIssuesTo review the burden of alcohol use in India, examine current policy initiatives and programs specific to India and provide a roadmap for future actions.ApproachA literature search was undertaken to review available published research papers, unpublished reports and anecdotal media information in the period 2000–2020 to assess the burden and pattern of alcohol use and appraise alcohol control policies in India.Key FindingsThe per‐capita alcohol consumption among individuals aged 15+ years was 5.7 L, which increased over time. Prevalence of alcohol use varied across states with considerable impact on the nation. Regulatory policies and alcohol control programs vary across Indian states, with poor enforcement and implementation. Taxation and pricing policies are revenue oriented. Policies are needed to address the aggressive and innovative marketing strategies of the alcohol industry. The system for regular monitoring of alcohol burden and conducting alcohol policy analysis needs strengthening.ImplicationsAlcohol use and its public health impact would continue to increase in India in the absence of effective policy and programs; the country may not achieve its stated goal of relative reduction of alcohol use prevalence by 10% by 2025.ConclusionThe prevailing alcohol control policies and programs in India have been less than fully effective in controlling the burden of alcohol use and its associated impact. There is a need for comprehensive, evidence‐based and consensus‐driven national alcohol control policy to appropriately guide and support the Indian states in regulating alcohol and reducing the associated burden. Effective implementations of such policies are central to its success.
Assessing the exposure of three diving bird species to offshore wind areas on the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf using satellite telemetry
Authors: Stenhouse Iain J. , Berlin Alicia M. , Gilbert Andrew T. , Goodale M. Wing , Gray Carrie E. , Montevecchi William A. , Savoy Lucas , Spiegel Caleb S. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAimThe United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has considerable offshore wind energy potential. Capturing that resource is part of a broader effort to reduce CO2 emissions. While few turbines have been constructed in U.S. waters, over a dozen currently planned offshore wind projects have the potential to displace marine birds, potentially leading to effective habitat loss. We focused on three diving birds identified in Europe to be vulnerable to displacement. Our research aimed to determine their potential exposure to areas designated or proposed for offshore wind development along the Atlantic OCS.MethodsSatellite tracking technology was used to determine the spatial and temporal use and movement patterns of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata), Red‐throated Loons (Gavia stellata) and Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus), and calculate their exposure to each offshore wind area. We tagged 236 adults in 2012–2015 on the Atlantic OCS from New Jersey to North Carolina; an additional 147 birds tagged in previous tracking studies were integrated into our analyses. Tracking data were analysed in two‐week intervals using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models to develop composite spatial utilization distributions. For each species, these distributions were then used to calculate the spatio‐temporal exposure to each offshore wind area.ResultsSurf Scoters and Red‐throated Loons were exposed to offshore wind areas almost exclusively during migration because these species were distributed among coastal and inshore waters during winter months. In contrast, Northern Gannets ranged over a much larger area, reaching farther offshore and south in winter, thus exhibited the greatest exposure to extant offshore wind areas.ConclusionsResults of this study provide better understanding of how diving birds use current and potential future offshore wind areas on the Atlantic OCS, and can inform permitting, risk assessment and pre‐ and post‐construction impact assessments of offshore energy infrastructure.
Association of a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor gene variant with glucose response to a mixed meal
Authors: Mashayekhi Mona , Wilson Jessica R. , Jafarian‐Kerman Scott , Nian Hui , Yu Chang , Shuey Megan M. , Luther James M. , Brown Nancy J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors increase endogenous glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1). We hypothesized that genetic variation in the gene encoding the GLP‐1 receptor (GLP1R) could affect the metabolic response to DPP‐4 inhibition. To evaluate the relationship between the GLP1R rs6923761 variant (G‐to‐A nucleic acid substitution) and metabolic responses, we performed mixed meal studies in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension after 7‐day treatment with placebo and the DPP‐4 inhibitor sitagliptin. This analysis is a substudy of NCT02130687. The genotype frequency was 13:12:7 GG:GA:AA among individuals of European ancestry. Postprandial glucose excursion was significantly decreased in individuals carrying the rs6923761 variant (GA or AA) as compared with GG individuals during both placebo (P = 0.001) and sitagliptin treatment (P = 0.045), while intact GLP‐1 levels were similar among the genotype groups. In contrast, sitagliptin lowered postprandial glucose to a greater degree in GG as compared with GA/AA individuals (P = 0.035). The relationship between GLP1R rs6923761 genotype and therapies that modulate GLP‐1 signalling merits study in large populations.
Pollen composition significantly impacts the development and survival of the native small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata
Authors: Lawson Sarah P. , Kennedy Kiley B. , Rehan Sandra M. 
Published: October 2020

As native bee populations decrease, there is a need to better understand their nutritional requirements to sustain healthy pollinator populations. A common native bee to eastern North America is the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata. Previous studies have shown that the primary pollen sources for C. calcarata consist of clover and rose.
The aim of this study is to compare the effects of diet composition on body size, development and survival. Artificial pollen diets were created using five different ratios of commercially available clover and rose pollen.
Diets containing higher ratios of clover pollen produced larger individuals with increased survival rates and faster development times. To examine this further, the macronutrient profiles of clover and rose pollen were characterised comparing: protein, sugar, fatty acid, and amino acid content. Results indicated that rose pollen contained significantly higher protein and sugar content, while clover pollen had higher concentrations of essential amino acids. These are crucial to bee health and development, which helps to explain the increased survivorship observed on high clover diet treatments.
Taken together, these results show that clover pollen provides a higher quality diet for larval development and survival of the native small carpenter bee. This research indicates that diet has a significant effect on the health of the native pollinator community and more research is needed to further explore the balance between pollen quality and availability, including essential macronutrients and the availability of these floral sources for wild bees.
Ocean acidification causes variable trait‐shifts in a coral species
Authors: Teixidó Núria , Caroselli Erik , Alliouane Samir , Ceccarelli Chiara , Comeau Steeve , Gattuso Jean‐Pierre , Fici Pietro , Micheli Fiorenza , Mirasole Alice , Monismith Stephen G. , Munari Marco , Palumbi Stephen R. , Sheets Elizabeth , Urbini Lidia , De Vittor Cinzia , Goffredo Stefano , Gambi Maria Cristina 
Published: October 2020

AbstractHigh pCO2 habitats and their populations provide an unparalleled opportunity to assess how species may survive under future ocean acidification conditions, and help to reveal the traits that confer tolerance. Here we utilize a unique CO2 vent system to study the effects of exposure to elevated pCO2 on trait‐shifts observed throughout natural populations of Astroides calycularis, an azooxanthellate scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean. Unexpected shifts in skeletal and growth patterns were found. Colonies shifted to a skeletal phenotype characterized by encrusting morphology, smaller size, reduced coenosarc tissue, fewer polyps, and less porous and denser skeletons at low pH. Interestingly, while individual polyps calcified more and extended faster at low pH, whole colonies found at low pH site calcified and extended their skeleton at the same rate as did those at ambient pH sites. Transcriptomic data revealed strong genetic differentiation among local populations of this warm water species whose distribution range is currently expanding northward. We found excess differentiation in the CO2 vent population for genes central to calcification, including genes for calcium management (calmodulin, calcium‐binding proteins), pH regulation (V‐type proton ATPase), and inorganic carbon regulation (carbonic anhydrase). Combined, our results demonstrate how coral populations can persist in high pCO2 environments, making this system a powerful candidate for investigating acclimatization and local adaptation of organisms to global environmental change.
Moisture availability mediates the relationship between terrestrial gross primary production and solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence: Insights from global‐scale variations
Authors: Chen Anping , Mao Jiafu , Ricciuto Daniel , Xiao Jingfeng , Frankenberg Christian , Li Xing , Thornton Peter E. , Gu Lianhong , Knapp Alan K. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractEffective use of solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) to estimate and monitor gross primary production (GPP) in terrestrial ecosystems requires a comprehensive understanding and quantification of the relationship between SIF and GPP. To date, this understanding is incomplete and somewhat controversial in the literature. Here we derived the GPP/SIF ratio from multiple data sources as a diagnostic metric to explore its global‐scale patterns of spatial variation and potential climatic dependence. We found that the growing season GPP/SIF ratio varied substantially across global land surfaces, with the highest ratios consistently found in boreal regions. Spatial variation in GPP/SIF was strongly modulated by climate variables. The most striking pattern was a consistent decrease in GPP/SIF from cold‐and‐wet climates to hot‐and‐dry climates. We propose that the reduction in GPP/SIF with decreasing moisture availability may be related to stomatal responses to aridity. Furthermore, we show that GPP/SIF can be empirically modeled from climate variables using a machine learning (random forest) framework, which can improve the modeling of ecosystem production and quantify its uncertainty in global terrestrial biosphere models. Our results point to the need for targeted field and experimental studies to better understand the patterns observed and to improve the modeling of the relationship between SIF and GPP over broad scales.
The effect of freeze‐drying, pasteurisation and high‐intensity ultrasound on gastrointestinal stability and antioxidant activity of blueberry phenolics
Authors: Liović Nikolina , Bratanić Andre , Zorić Zoran , Pedisić Sandra , Režek Jambrak Anet , Krešić Greta , Bilušić Tea 
Published: October 2020

SummaryThe influence of freeze‐drying, pasteurisation and high‐intensity ultrasound on gastrointestinal stability and antioxidant activity of cultivated blueberry phenolics was investigated. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were done before and after a two‐phase in vitro digestion by human digestive enzymes. Antioxidant capacity of blueberry phenolics before and after simulated digestion was evaluated using DPPH and the FRAP assays. After the simulated gastric digestion phase, high stability of phenolics was determined, especially after freeze‐drying. During the simulated duodenal digestion, the most affected compounds were anthocyanins. The average loss of quercetin derivatives was 60%, while in all ultrasound‐treated samples, a 3‐fold increase in the concentration of phenolic acids was observed. The highest antioxidant activity after in vitro gastric and duodenal digestion was determined in a freeze‐dried sample. The results after in vitro digestion demonstrated that the use of freeze‐drying and high‐intensity ultrasound can ensure better gastrointestinal stability and higher antioxidant activity of blueberry phenolics.
The integration of Sysmex XN‐9100’ WPC channel reflex testing in the detection of reactive versus malignant blood samples
Authors: Blomme Siska , Boeckx Nancy , Brusselmans Caroline , Claerhout Helena , Van Laer Christine 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIntroductionSysmex XN‐9100™ (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) system has an optional White Progenitor Cell (WPC) channel. While the White Differentiation (WDF) channel reports a combined flag for blasts/abnormal lymphocytes, WPC channel specifies flagging into a separate flag for each cell type or removes the flag entirely. Aim of this study was to evaluate the added value of this WPC channel in the detection of malignant samples.MethodsRoutine blood samples analyzed on Sysmex XE‐5000 with flagging for either blasts, abnormal lymphocytes, or atypical lymphocytes (n = 630) were selected for testing on Sysmex XN‐9100, resulting in a reflex WPC analysis in 420 samples. All samples were microscopically evaluated with DI‐60 digital cell imaging analyzer.ResultsWPC reflex testing resulted in a suspect flag ("blasts" and/or "abnormal lymphocytes") in 334 samples, which was confirmed microscopically in 38% (128/334). In all true positive samples, WPC correctly classified the initial WDF flag in either "blasts" flag or "abnormal lymphocytes?" flag in 75%. Only 12% (50/420) of WDF "blasts/abnormal lymphocytes" positive samples became negative after WPC reflex testing. Subgroup analysis showed differences between the "pediatric" versus "adult" groups and the "hematological/chemotherapy" versus "nonhematological/nonchemotherapy" groups in specificity and smear reduction.ConclusionOverall, WPC reflex testing showed good sensitivity (99%); however, the specificity remains poor (29%). Using reflex WPC to the WDF channel resulted in a 12% reduction of the smear review rate. Although the WPC channel offers different interesting advantages, additional topics and a specific workflow should be applied to optimize the use of this channel.