bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Case series of a hybrid closed‐loop system used in pregnancies in clinical practice
Authors: Polsky Sarit , Akturk Halis K. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundHybrid closed‐loop (HCL) therapy is rarely studied in pregnancy. We present three cases of women with type 1 diabetes who used the Medtronic 670G HCL system for most or all of gestation.MethodsThe Medtronic 670G system has a manual mode (no automated insulin delivery) and an auto mode (AM, HCL therapy). Women in this case series used AM off‐label in gestation.ResultsCase 1 started HCL therapy in the second trimester, her sensor glucose time spent <3.9 and >10 mmol/L improved thereafter. Case 1 had average sensor glucose (ASG) levels of 6.4 ± 2.4 mmol/L in the first trimester, 7.0 ± 2.7 mmol/L in the second trimester before HCL use, 7.1 ± 2.1 mmol/L in the second trimester after HCL use, and 6.8 ± 1.9 mmol/L in the third trimester. Case 1 continued AM during operative delivery and post‐partum. Cases 2 and 3 used HCL therapy throughout gestation but with inconsistent time in AM. When they increased time in AM their glycaemic indices improved. Case 2 had ASG of 9.5 ± 3.4, 8.6 ± 2.9, and 7.9 ± 2.5 mmol/L in the first through third trimesters, respectively. Case 3 had ASG of 11.1 ± 4.8 and 3.9 to 10 mmol/L in the first and second trimesters, respectively. Case 2 continued HCL therapy post‐partum, Case 3 did not.ConclusionsCareLink® Clinical Software only reports the non‐pregnant time in range. Nonetheless, this represents the first report of HCL therapy in pregnancy with a system approved by the Food and Drug Administration in non‐pregnant populations.
Detection of black market follistatin 344
Authors: Reichel Christian , Gmeiner Günter , Thevis Mario 
Published: November 2019

AbstractFollistatin, a myostatin‐inhibiting protein, is prohibited according to chapter S4 of the “WADA 2019 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods”. While currently no approved pharmaceutical formulations of follistatin are available, follistatin can be bought on the black market. Most of the products are labeled “follistatin 344” (FS344), a few “follistatin 315”. A study on FS344 black market products was performed and an electrophoretic detection method for serum and urine developed. While only nine of the 17 tested products actually contained follistatin, in some of the others growth promoting peptides were found (e.g. MGF, GHRP‐2). Surprisingly, all nine products contained His‐tagged FS344 and a high degree of its oligomers. The detection method is based on immunomagnetic purification followed by SDS‐PAGE and Western blotting with a monoclonal anti‐His antibody. Alternatively, a monoclonal anti‐follistatin antibody can be used. For immunoprecipitation (IP), a polyclonal anti‐follistatin antibody is applied. An evaluation of suitable antibodies for IP and immunoblotting is also presented. Furthermore, practically all currently available follistatin standards were investigated. The detection limit of the method for black market FS344 in urine is ca 0.1 ng/mL for 10 mL. For a sample volume of 100 μL, an LOD of 5 ng/mL could be achieved for serum. Due to the presence of His‐tags an unambiguous differentiation from endogenous follistatin is possible.
Unfolding the effects of different forestry treatments on microclimate in oak forests: results of a 4‐yr experiment
Authors: Kovács Bence , Tinya Flóra , Németh Csaba , Ódor Péter 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA stable below‐canopy microclimate of forests is essential for their biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. Forest management necessarily modifies the buffering capacity of woodlands. However, the specific effects of different forestry treatments on site conditions, the temporal recovery after the harvests, and the reason for the contrasts between treatments are still poorly understood. The effects of four different forestry treatments (clear‐cutting, retention tree group, preparation cutting, and gap‐cutting) on microclimatic variables were studied within a field experiment in a managed oak‐dominated stand in Hungary, before (2014) and after (2015–2017) the interventions by complete block design with six replicates. From the first post‐treatment year, clear‐cuts differed the most from the uncut control due to the increased irradiance and heat load. Means and variability of air and soil temperature increased, air became dryer along with higher soil moisture levels. Retention tree groups could effectively ameliorate the extreme temperatures but not the mean values. Preparation cutting induced slight changes from the original buffered and humid forest microclimate. Despite the substantially more incoming light, gap‐cutting could retain the cool and humid air conditions and showed the highest increase in soil moisture after the interventions. For most microclimate variables, we could not observe any obvious trend within 3 yr. However, soil temperature variability decreased with time in clear‐cuts, while soil moisture difference continuously increased in gap‐ and clear‐cuts. Based on multivariate analyses, the treatments separated significantly based mainly on the temperature maxima and variability. We found that (1) the effect sizes among treatment levels were consistent throughout the years, (2) the climatic recovery time for variables appears to be far more than 3 yr, and (3) the applied silvicultural methods diverged mainly among the temperature maxima. Based on our study, the spatially heterogeneous and fine‐scaled treatments of continuous cover forestry (gap‐cutting, selection systems) are recommended. By applying these practices, the essential structural elements creating buffered microclimate could be more successfully maintained. Thus, forestry interventions could induce less pronounced alterations in environmental conditions for forest‐dwelling organism groups.
What is known and unknown about the effects of plastic pollution: A meta‐analysis and systematic review
Authors: Bucci K. , Tulio M. , Rochman C. M. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAs a consequence of the global ubiquity of plastic pollution, scientists, decision‐makers, and the public often ask whether macroplastics (>5 mm) and microplastics (<5 mm) have a realized ecological threat. In 2016, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and made a call for further research testing hypotheses about ecological effects. In the subsequent years, the amount of relevant research has risen tremendously. Here, we reassess the literature to determine the current weight of evidence about the effects of plastic pollution across all levels of biological organization. Our data spans marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. We extracted data from 139 lab and field studies testing 577 independent effects across a variety of taxa and with various types, sizes, and shapes of plastic. Overall, 59% of the tested effects were detected. Of these, 58% were due to microplastics and 42% were due to macroplastics. Of the effects that were not detected, 94% were from microplastics and 6% were from macroplastics. We found evidence that whether or not an effect is detected, as well as the severity and direction of the effect, is driven by dose, particle shape, polymer type, and particle size. Based on our analyses, there is no doubt that macroplastics are causing ecological effects, however, the effects of microplastics are much more complex. We also assessed the environmental relevancy of experimental studies by comparing the doses used in each exposure to the concentrations and sizes of microplastics found in the environment. We determined that only 17% of the concentrations used in experimental studies have been found in nature, and that 80% of particle sizes used in experiments fall below the size range of the majority of environmental sampling. Based on our systematic review and meta‐analysis, we make a call for future work that recognizes the complexity of microplastics and designs tests to better understand how different types, sizes, shapes, doses, and exposure durations affect wildlife. We also call for more ecologically and environmentally relevant studies, particularly in freshwater and terrestrial environments.
Fragmentation and thresholds in hydrological flow‐based ecosystem services
Authors: Thomas Amy , Masante Dario , Jackson Bethanna , Cosby Bernard , Emmett Bridget , Jones Laurence 
Published: November 2019

AbstractLoss and fragmentation of natural land cover due to expansion of agricultural areas is a global issue. These changes alter the configuration and composition of the landscape, particularly affecting those ecosystem services (benefits people receive from ecosystems) that depend on interactions between landscape components. Hydrological mitigation describes the bundle of ecosystem services provided by landscape features such as woodland that interrupt the flow of runoff to rivers. These services include sediment retention, nutrient retention and mitigation of overland water flow. The position of woodland in the landscape and the landscape topography are both important for hydrological mitigation. Therefore, it is crucial to consider landscape configuration and flow pathways in a spatially explicit manner when examining the impacts of fragmentation. Here we test the effects of landscape configuration using a large number (>7,000) of virtual landscape configurations. We created virtual landscapes of woodland patches within grassland, superimposed onto real topography and stream networks. Woodland patches were generated with user‐defined combinations of patch number and total woodland area, placed randomly in the landscape. The Ecosystem Service model used hydrological routing to map the “mitigated area” upslope of each woodland patch. We found that more fragmented woodland mitigated a greater proportion of the catchment. Larger woodland area also increased mitigation, however, this increase was nonlinear, with a threshold at 50% coverage, above which there was a decline in service provision. This nonlinearity suggests that the benefit of any additional woodland depends on two factors: the level of fragmentation and the existing area of woodland. Edge density (total edge of patches divided by area of catchment) was the best single metric in predicting mitigated area. Distance from woodland to stream was not a significant predictor of mitigation, suggesting that agri‐environment schemes planting riparian woodland should consider additional controls such as the amount of fragmentation in the landscape. These findings highlight the potential benefits of fragmentation to hydrological mitigation services. However, benefits for hydrological services must be balanced against any negative effects of fragmentation or habitat loss on biodiversity and other services.
Inorganic N addition replaces N supplied to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Jach‐Smith Laura C. , Jackson Randall D. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide many benefits in agroecosystems including improved soil tilth, carbon sequestration, and water and nutrient transfer to plants.AMFare known to affect plant nitrogen (N) dynamics and transfer N to plants, but there have been few studies addressing whether the amount of N transferred to plants byAMFis agronomically relevant. We used δ15N natural abundance methods and δ15N mass balance equations to estimate the amount of plant N derived fromAMFtransfer in perennial grasses managed for bioenergy production under different N addition treatments (0, 56, and 196 kg N/ha). Differentiation of δ15N among plant, soil N, andAMFpools was higher than anticipated leading to calculations of 34–55% of plant N transferred byAMFin the treatments receiving no N addition to 6–22% of plant N transferred to plants in high‐N addition treatments.AMFextra‐radical hyphae biomass was significantly reduced in the high‐N (196 kg N/ha) addition treatments, which was negatively correlated to enriched plant δ15N. Our results suggest that N addition decreasesAMFN transfer to plants. When N was limiting to plant growth,AMFsupplied agronomically significant amounts of plant N, and a higher proportion of overall plant N. Because differentiation between N pools was greater than expected, stable isotope measurements can be used to estimate N transfer toAMFplant hosts.
Drought exacerbates negative consequences of high‐intensity cattle grazing in a semiarid grassland
Authors: Souther Sara , Loeser Matthew , Crews Timothy E. , Sisk Thomas 
Published: November 2019

AbstractGrasslands managed for grazing are the largest land‐use category globally, with a significant proportion of these grasslands occurring in semiarid and arid regions. In such dryland systems, the effect of grazing on native plant diversity has been equivocal, some studies suggesting that grazing reduces native plant diversity, others that grazing increases or has little impact on diversity. One impediment toward generalizing grazing effects on diversity in this region is that high levels of interannual variation in precipitation may obfuscate vegetative response patterns. By analyzing a long‐term data set collected over a 20‐yr period in a semiarid grassland, we explicitly evaluated the role of climate in regulating the effect of cattle grazing on plant communities, finding that climate interacted with grazing intensity to shape grassland communities. Community composition of plots that were intensively grazed varied considerably in response to climatic variation and native species richness was low relative to ungrazed and moderately grazed plots. Following a severe drought in 2002, exotic species richness rapidly increased in the high‐intensity grazing plots. While this pattern was mirrored in the other treatments, exotic species richness increased to a greater extent and was slower to return to pre‐drought levels in the high‐intensity grazing plots. Overall, moderate grazing, even compared to grazing cessation, stabilized grassland communities through time, increased resilience to drought, and maintained the highest levels of native plant diversity and lowest levels of exotic diversity. These findings suggest that grazing, at moderate levels, may support grassland resilience to climate change in semiarid regions. However, grazing that exceeds tolerances, particularly in combination with extreme climatic events, like drought, can alter plant composition over relatively long timescales and possibly increase invasibility by nonnative species.
Behavioral inhibition moderates the association between overvaluation of shape and weight and noncompensatory purging in eating disorders
Authors: Liebman Rachel E. , Coniglio Kathryn A. , Becker Kendra R. , Tabri Nassim , Keshishian Ani C. , Wons Olivia , Keel Pamela K. , Eddy Kamryn T. , Thomas Jennifer J. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjectiveThe cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) model of eating disorders suggests that compensatory purging behaviors (e.g., self‐induced vomiting, inappropriate laxative use) are primarily driven by binge eating. However, many individuals endorse purging in the absence of binge eating (i.e., noncompensatory purging [NCP]). Research is needed to understand why some individuals purge in the absence of objective or subjective binge‐eating episodes.MethodGiven the importance of overvaluation of shape/weight in the CBT model, and the existing evidence linking temperamental characteristics like behavioral inhibition (i.e., the tendency to withdraw in response to threat cues) with purging in general, we tested whether behavioral inhibition moderated the relationship between overvaluation of shape/weight and NCP in a sample of individuals in a residential eating disorder treatment center (N = 143).ResultsOvervaluation was more strongly related to NCP in individuals with high (relative to low) levels of behavioral inhibition. Among individuals low in behavioral inhibition, overvaluation predicted engagement in NCP to a much weaker extent.DiscussionFor those high (relative to low) in behavioral inhibition, both emotional avoidance and overvaluation may be important targets in the treatment of NCP, particularly in the absence of binge eating.
On the hunt for the alternate host of Hemileia vastatrix
Authors: Koutouleas Athina , Jørgen Lyngs Jørgensen Hans , Jensen Birgit , Lillesø Jens‐Peter Barnekow , Junge Alexander , Ræbild Anders 
Published: November 2019

AbstractCoffee leaf rust (CLR), caused by the fungal pathogen Hemileia vastatrix, has plagued coffee production worldwide for over 150 years. Hemileia vastatrix produces urediniospores, teliospores, and the sexual basidiospores. Infection of coffee by basidiospores of H. vastatrix has never been reported and thus far, no alternate host, capable of supporting an aecial stage in the disease cycle, has been found. Due to this, some argue that an alternate host of H. vastatrix does not exist. Yet, to date, the plant pathology community has been puzzled by the ability of H. vastatrix to overcome resistance in coffee cultivars despite the apparent lack of sexual reproduction and an aecidial stage. The purpose of this study was to introduce a new method to search for the alternate host(s) of H. vastatrix. To do this, we present the novel hypothetical alternate host ranking (HAHR) method and an automated text mining (ATM) procedure, utilizing comprehensive biogeographical botanical data from the designated sites of interests (Ethiopia, Kenya and Sri Lanka) and plant pathology insights. With the HAHR/ATM methods, we produced prioritized lists of potential alternate hosts plant of coffee leaf rust. This is a first attempt to seek out an alternate plant host of a pathogenic fungus in this manner. The HAHR method showed the highest‐ranking probable alternate host as Psychotria mahonii, Rubus apetalus, and Rhamnus prinoides. The cross‐referenced results by the two methods suggest that plant genera of interest are Croton, Euphorbia, and Rubus. The HAHR and ATM methods may also be applied to other plant–rust interactions that include an unknown alternate host or any other biological system, which rely on data mining of published data.
Glacial cycles drive rapid divergence of cryptic field vole species
Authors: Fletcher Nicholas K. , Acevedo Pelayo , Herman Jeremy S. , Paupério Joana , Alves Paulo C. , Searle Jeremy B. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractUnderstanding the factors that contribute to the generation of reproductively isolated forms is a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Cryptic species are an especially interesting challenge to study in this context since they lack obvious morphological differentiation that provides clues to adaptive divergence that may drive reproductive isolation. Geographical isolation in refugial areas during glacial cycling is known to be important for generating genetically divergent populations, but its role in the origination of new species is still not fully understood and likely to be situation dependent. We combine analysis of 35,434 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with environmental niche modeling (ENM) to investigate genomic and ecological divergence in three cryptic species formerly classified as the field vole (Microtus agrestis). The SNPs demonstrate high genomic divergence (pairwiseFSTvalues of 0.45–0.72) and little evidence of gene flow among the three field vole cryptic species, and we argue that genetic drift may have been a particularly important mechanism for divergence in the group. The ENM reveals three areas as potential glacial refugia for the cryptic species and differing climatic niches, although with spatial overlap between species pairs. This evidence underscores the role that glacial cycling has in promoting genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation by subdivision into disjunct distributions at glacial maxima in areas relatively close to ice sheets. Future investigation of the intrinsic barriers to gene flow between the field vole cryptic species is required to fully assess the mechanisms that contribute to reproductive isolation. In addition, the Portuguese field vole (M. rozianus) shows a high inbreeding coefficient and a restricted climatic niche, and warrants investigation into its conservation status.
The distribution and spread of naturally occurring Medea selfish genetic elements in the United States
Authors: Cash Sarah A. , Lorenzen Marce D. , Gould Fred 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSelfish genetic elements (SGEs) are DNA sequences that are transmitted to viable offspring in greater than Mendelian frequencies. Medea SGEs occur naturally in some populations of red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and are expected to increase in frequency within populations and spread among populations. The large‐scale U.S. distributions of Medea‐4 (M4) had been mapped based on samples from 1993 to 1995. We sampled beetles in 2011–2014 and show that the distribution of M4 in the United States is dynamic and has shifted southward. By using a genetic marker of Medea‐1 (M1), we found five unique geographic clusters with high and low M1 frequencies in a pattern not predicted by microsatellite‐based analysis of population structure. Our results indicate the absence of rigid barriers to Medea spread in the United States, so assessment of what factors have limited its current distribution requires further investigation. There is great interest in using synthetic SGEs, including synthetic Medea, to alter or suppress pest populations, but there is concern about unpredicted spread of these SGEs and potential for populations to become resistant to them. The finding of patchy distributions of Medea elements suggests that released synthetic SGEs cannot always be expected to spread uniformly, especially in target species with limited dispersal.
The EMPagliflozin compaRative effectIveness and SafEty (EMPRISE) study programme: Design and exposure accrual for an evaluation of empagliflozin in routine clinical care
Authors: Patorno Elisabetta , Najafzadeh Mehdi , Pawar Ajinkya , Franklin Jessica M. , Déruaz‐Luyet Anouk , Brodovicz Kimberly G. , Santiago Ortiz Adrian J. , Bessette Lily G. , Kulldorff Martin , Schneeweiss Sebastian 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe EMPA‐REG OUTCOME trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) in diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease. EMPRISE is a study programme on the effectiveness, safety and healthcare utilization of empagliflozin in routine care, leveraging real‐world data from two commercial and one federal US data sources from 2014 to 2019.ObjectivesTo describe rationale and design of EMPRISE, assess ability to minimize confounding and evaluate the time to reach sufficient statistical power for a key study outcome, HHF, using baseline information from the first year of EMPRISE.MethodsIn 3 claims data sets, we identified a 1:1 propensity score (PS)‐matched cohort of diabetic patients ≥18 years initiating empagliflozin or a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP4i), resulting in 6643 total pairs. The PS model included >140 baseline covariates. We measured covariate balance via standardized differences (SD) and postmatching c‐statistic. We computed the incidence rate (IR) of HHF, predicted exposure accrual over time and calculated expected power.ResultsAfter PS matching, patient characteristics were balanced with SD <0.1 and c‐statistic between 0.54 and 0.59. The population IR of HHF was 4.4 per 1000 person‐years using a specific HHF definition and 14.8 using a broader HHF definition. In our projection, 80%‐powered analyses would require a minimum of 169 HHF events, expected to accumulate by year 3 (specific definition) or year 2 (broader definition).ConclusionBaseline information from EMPRISE provided evidence of solid confounding control and adequate exposure accrual with expected powered analyses for the primary outcomes.