bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nest Site Selection Influences Cinnamon Teal Nest Survival in Colorado
Authors: Setash Casey M. , Kendall William L. , Olson David 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTNest survival of ducks is partially a function of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the site at which a bird chooses to nest. Nest survival is also a fundamental component of population growth in waterfowl but is relatively unstudied for cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera). We investigated cinnamon teal nest survival in a managed wetland complex in southern Colorado, USA, and assessed nest site selection to determine whether nest site characteristics were adaptive. We monitored 85 nests in 2015–2017 on Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado and did not detect a difference in nest survival across years. Based on nest site selection data from 2017, cinnamon teal selected nest sites characterized by a lower proportion of forbs than available sites. The relationships between habitat characteristics and nest survival were variable. Microhabitat characteristics exhibited only weak effects on nest survival during the laying stage. Nest survival during incubation was negatively related to the proportion of forbs at the nest site and, to a lesser extent, the proportion of grasses. Nest site selection was predictive of future nest survival based on the percent of forbs and grasses around the nest site, suggesting teal select nest locations to benefit reproductive success. These results have the potential to guide local habitat management actions for breeding waterfowl. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
A Modern Case Sheds Light on a Classical Enigma: Beethoven's Deafness
Authors: Brotto Davide , Fellin Renato , Sorrentino Flavia , Gheller Flavia , Trevisi Patrizia , Bovo Roberto 
Published: January 2020

Two hundred and fifty years have passed since the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, and the enigma about his hearing loss and overall health status seems to be not completely solved. However, the admission to the hospital of a 64‐year‐old woman in 2018 with symptoms extremely similar to those experienced by the great composer may add further evidence to a theory previously underestimated. The health issues of the modern patient were found to be due to chronic lead intoxication. The lead was released during daily cooking using a ceramic‐coated frying pan with worn surface that poisoned her breakfast most probably for years.Abdominal pain, asthenia, and hearing loss affecting the high frequencies with a many impact on speech intelligibility tormented the patient, as they had Beethoven.An extensive review of the music and medical literature was performed, as well as re‐examination of manuscripts, correspondence, and autopsy reports of the famous composer; and great similarities have been found. The soundness of the most‐cited classical theories about Beethoven's hearing loss will be discussed. After close scrutiny of the theories, our analysis points toward a progressive sensorineural hearing loss due to lead intoxication as the most probable cause of not only Beethoven's hypoacusis but his overall health status as well. Laryngoscope, 131:179–185, 2021
Molecular ecological network analysis of the response of soil microbial communities to depth gradients in farmland soils
Authors: Yu Hang , Xue Dongmei , Wang Yidong , Zheng Wei , Zhang Guilong , Wang Zhong‐Liang 
Published: January 2020

AbstractSoil microorganisms are considered to be important indicators of soil fertility and soil quality. Most previous studies have focused solely on surface soil, but there were numerous active cells in deeper soil layers. However, studies regarding microbial communities in deeper soil layers were not comprehensive and sufficient. In this study, phylogenetic molecular ecological networks (pMENs) based on the 16S rRNA Miseq sequencing technique were applied to study the response of soil microbial communities to depth gradients and the changes of key genera along 3 meter depth gradients (0–0.2 m, 0.2–0.4 m 0.4–0.6 m, 0.6–0.8 m, 0.8–1.0 m, 1.0–1.3 m, 1.3–1.6 m, 1.6–2.0 m, 2.0–2.5 m, and 2.5–3.0 m). The results showed that the modularity of microbial communities was consistently high in all soil layers and each layer was similar, which indicated that microbial communities were more resistant to depth changes. The pMENs further demonstrated that microbial community interactions were stable as the depth increased and they cooperated well to adapt to changes in different soil gradients. This was evidenced by similar positive links, average degree, and average clustering coefficient. In addition, key genera were obtained by analyzing module hubs in the pMENs. There may be at least one dominant genus in each layer that adapted to and resisted changes in the soil environment. It seems microbial communities demonstrate a stable and strong adaptability to depth gradients in farmland soils.
A de novo MAPRE2 variant in a patient with congenital symmetric circumferential skin creases type 2
Authors: Feng Jincai , Lan Xiaoping , Shen Jun , Song Xiaozhen , Tang Xiaojun , Xu Wuhen , Ren Xiang , Zhang Hong , Yu Guangjun , Wu Shengnan 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundCongenital symmetric circumferential skin creases (CSCSC) was initially described five decades ago. Exome sequencing has recently revealed the genetic etiology of CSCSC. Pathogenic variants in TUBB (OMIM# 191130) and MAPRE2 (OMIM# 605789) have been linked to CSCSC1 (OMIM# 156610) and CSCSC2 (OMIM# 616734), respectively, in an autosomal dominant manner. Four pathogenic variants in MAPRE2 have been previously reported to be associated with CSCSC2.MethodsWhole‐exome sequencing (WES) has been performed and an in‐house pipeline was used to conduct a phenotype‐driven data analysis. All candidate variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing.ResultsHere we report a 2‐year‐old boy characterized by absent expressive speech, normal to mild over growth, facial dysmorphic features, remarkable circumferential skin creases on both forearms and ankles. WES disclosed a de novo missense MAPRE2 variant, c.518G>A (p.Arg173Gln), as the molecular cause of this complex phenotype. We described detailed clinical characterization of this patient and compared the available clinical data of individuals with MAPRE2 variants to demonstrate the phenotypic spectrum.ConclusionOur study reports the first patient of Asian origin with CSCSC2 due to a pathogenic mutation of MAPRE2 and expands the clinical and genetic spectrum of CSCSC2.
A dual‐porosity model considering the displacement effect for incompressible two‐phase flow
Authors: Zheng Huan , Shi An‐Feng , Liu Zhi‐Feng , Wang Xiao‐Hong 
Published: January 2020

SummaryThe dual‐porosity model is usually employed to simulate the flow in fractured reservoirs. However, its original form for the multiphase flow does not consider the displacement effect under macropressure gradient. Especially for the incompressible multiphase flow, it predicts zero transfer term between fracture and matrix, which is unreasonable. To improve this, a modified double‐porosity model is proposed for incompressible two‐phase flow, in which the displacement effect is considered and the corresponding shape factor is derived. For the anisotropic case, the shape factor of displacement depends upon the velocity direction. The accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed dual‐porosity model are indicated through numerical tests.
Sleep in mothers of children with epilepsy and its relation to their children's sleep
Authors: Tsai Shao‐Yu , Lee Wang‐Tso , Lee Chien‐Chang , Jeng Suh‐Fang , Weng Wen‐Chin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe conducted a cross‐sectional study to examine sleep in mothers of children with epilepsy and its relation to their children's sleep. A total of 133 dyads of mothers and children with epilepsy aged 1.5–6 years were recruited between 2015 and 2018 from a children's hospital in northern Taiwan. Participating families provided demographic and health information, with children wearing an actigraphy monitor for 7 days and mothers completing sleep and depressive mood questionnaires. We found that 76 (57.1%) of the mothers had poor sleep quality, with 65 (48.9%) mothers having a clinically significant depressive symptom score. Mean actigraphic wake after sleep onset in children was 1.42 (standard deviation = 0.51) hours, with 126 (94.7%) of the children having a clinically significant sleep disturbance score. Multivariate regression analyses showed that higher depressive symptom scores in mothers (β = 0.14; p < .01) and higher sleep disturbance scores in children (β = 0.07; p = .04) were associated with poorer maternal sleep quality, even when maternal demographic characteristics and the child's clinical and epilepsy variables were considered. Findings from our study suggest that sleep disturbances are a shared problem for mothers and their children with epilepsy. Sleep in both mothers and their children with epilepsy should be evaluated in pediatric neurologic practices, with maternal depressive symptoms screened concurrently. Future pediatric epilepsy studies are warranted to examine whether a family‐based intervention program would be effective to improve sleep in mother‐child dyads and to promote better health and functioning of the entire family.
Comparison of Anthropometric Measures in US Military Personnel in the Classification of Overweight and Obesity
Authors: Shams‐White Marissa M. , Chui Kenneth , Deuster Patricia A. , McKeown Nicola M. , Must Aviva 
Published: January 2020

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine (1) the level of agreement between BMI, circumference‐based equation (CBE) measures, waist circumference (WC), and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures and (2) whether BMI, CBE measures, or WC alone or in combination adequately reflects adiposity in military personnel compared with BIA.MethodsBMI from measured height and weight (using military overweight cutoffs in men [BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2] and World Health Organization overweight cutoffs [BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2]), BMI body fat percentage (BF%), WC, CBE BF%, and BIA BF% were collected. Respondents (N = 389, 78% men) were categorized with normal fat versus overweight, obesity, or overfat. Levels of agreement and standard screening performance measures were compared between anthropometric measures and BIA.ResultsWorld Health Organization BMI and BIA BF% classified the most men and women with overweight/obesity; WC with BMI (BMI + WC) and WC alone classified the fewest men and women with overweight/obesity. Levels of agreement were all statistically significant and highest for BMI (men: Cohen's κ = 0.711; women: Cohen's κ = 0.814) and lowest for WC and BMI + WC (all Cohen's κ ≤ 0.270). BMI + CBE performed best overall (sensitivity = 50.9%, false discovery rate = 5.4%).ConclusionsOur findings support BMI + CBE as an easy‐to‐implement combination to assess adiposity in the military.
Lessons from New York City's Small Schools of Choice about High School Features that Promote Graduation for Disadvantaged Students
Authors: Bloom Howard S. , Unterman Rebecca , Zhu Pei , Reardon Sean F. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe present paper uses a rich dataset based on naturally‐occurring lotteries for 68 new small non‐selective high schools in New York City, which we refer to as small schools of choice (SSCs), to address two related questions: (1) What high school features are promising levers for increasing graduation rates for disadvantaged students? and (2) What high school features helped to produce SSCs’ positive impacts on graduation rates? Our findings provide suggestive evidence that school leadership quality, teacher empowerment, teacher mutual support, teacher evaluation and feedback, teacher professional development, data‐driven instruction, teacher/parent communication, academic rigor, personalized learning, and teacher/student respect are promising levers for increasing graduation rates for disadvantaged students. Our findings also provide suggestive evidence that many of these school features explain part of the total average SSC effect on graduation rates, although most of this average effect remains unexplained. Lastly, our findings indicate that SSCs are clearly distinguishable from their counterfactual counterparts in terms of school features that were emphasized by SSC funders.
Synergistic effects of expandable graphite and ammonium pentaborate octahydrate on the flame‐retardant, thermal insulation, and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam
Authors: Akdogan Emre , Erdem Murat , Ureyen Mustafa Erdem , Kaya Metin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe use of flame retardants (FRs) to improve the flame retardancy but also having good insulation and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) has become significant due to the increasing demand in both the industry and academia. In the present study, a series of RPUF composites containing expandable graphite (EG), ammonium pentaborate (APB) octahydrate, and their binary blends were prepared with one‐shot and free‐rise methods. The effects of FRs on the FR and physical‐mechanical properties of RPUFs were investigated. The results show that both EG and APB could improve the flame retardancy of RPUFs and reduced the smoke production. The FR effect of EG was better than APB and more importantly, synergistic effect was found between EG and APB. The best results were obtained by the foam in the composition of 15E and 5A. The cone calorimeter test results showed that the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total smoke release (THR) of 15E/5A foam were lower than the foams of 20E and 20A. The pHRR and THR values of 15E/5A foam decreased about 57.5% and 42.8% compared to the neat RPUF, respectively. Total smoke production (m2) also reduced about 77.0% by 20E and 83.6% by 15E/5A foams. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the char residue of 15E/5A foam increased to 39.5%, which provided better flame retardancy. The foam composites have high compressive strength (105‐150 kPa) and low thermal conductivity values (19.9‐21.3 mW/mK). While the thermal conductivity of 15E/5A foam increased by 0.5%, its compressive strength increased by 6.1%.
Polynorbornene‐g‐poly(ethylene oxide) Through the Combination of ROMP and Nitroxide Radical Coupling Reactions
Authors: Nicolas Clémence , Zhang Wenhao , Choppé Émilie , Fontaine Laurent , Montembault Véronique 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTGrafting‐onto and grafting‐through strategies for preparing polynorbornene‐g‐poly(ethylene oxide)s (PNB‐g‐PEO) have been developed through a combination of ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and nitroxide radical coupling (NRC). 2‐Bromoisobutyrate‐functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) monomethyl ether 2000 (PEO45‐Br) was successfully anchored on a 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐1‐oxy (TEMPO)‐containing polynorbornene backbone of number‐average degree of polymerization () of 100 through the grafting‐onto strategy, resulting in PNB‐g‐PEO with a grafting yield ranging up to 90%. ROMP of ω‐exo‐norbornenyl PEO45 monomethyl ether macromonomer issued from NRC between a nitroxide‐functionalized norbornene and PEO45‐Br has allowed to reach a well‐defined bottlebrush copolymer with a backbone of 100 while retaining a low dispersity of 1.09. The effect of the grafting‐onto versus grafting‐through strategy and, consequently, of the grafting density, was investigated by thermal analyses and self‐assembly properties of the PNB100‐g‐PEO45. A substantial reduction of crystallinity was observed for PNB‐g‐PEO prepared via the grafting‐through route. Preliminary study of the self‐assembling properties has shown that the graft copolymers form monodisperse spherical particles in aqueous solution. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020, 58, 645–653
SIRPB1 promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation via Akt activation
Authors: Song Qiong , Qin Siyuan , Pascal Laura E. , Zou Chunlin , Wang Wenchu , Tong Haibo , Zhang Jian , Catalona William J. , Dhir Rajiv , Morrell Megan , Balasubramani Goundappa K. , Lu Yi , Wang Zhou 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundSignal regulatory protein β1 (SIRPB1) is a signal regulatory protein member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and is capable of modulating receptor tyrosine kinase‐coupled signaling. Copy number variations at the SIRPB1 locus were previously reported to associate with prostate cancer aggressiveness in patients, however, the role of SIRPB1 in prostate carcinogenesis is unknown.MethodsFluorescence in situ hybridization and laser‐capture microdissection coupled with quantitative polymerase chain reaction was utilized to determine SIRPB1 gene amplification and messenger RNA expression in prostate cancer specimens. The effect of knockdown of SIRPB1 by RNA interference in PC3 prostate cancer cells on cell growth in colony formation assays and cell mobility in wound‐healing, transwell assays, and cell cycle analysis was determined. Overexpression of SIPRB1 in C4‐2 prostate cancer cells on cell migration, invasion, colony formation and cell cycle progression and tumor take rate in xenografts was also determined. Western blot assay of potential downstream SIRPB1 pathways was also performed.ResultsSIRPB1 gene amplification was detected in up to 37.5% of prostate cancer specimens based on in silico analysis of several publicly available datasets. SIRPB1 gene amplification and overexpression were detected in prostate cancer specimens. The knockdown of SIRPB1 significantly suppressed cell growth in colony formation assays and cell mobility. SIRPB1 knockdown also induced cell cycle arrest during the G0/G1 phase and enhancement of apoptosis. Conversely, overexpression of SIPRB1 in C4‐2 prostate cancer cells significantly enhanced cell migration, invasion, colony formation, and cell cycle progression and increased C4‐2 xenograft tumor take rate in nude mice. Finally, this study presented evidence for SIRPB1 regulation of Akt phosphorylation and showed that Akt inhibition could abolish SIRPB1 stimulation of prostate cancer cell proliferation.ConclusionsThese results suggest that SIRPB1 is a potential oncogene capable of activating Akt signaling to stimulate prostate cancer proliferation and could be a biomarker for patients at risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
Binding and adsorption energy of Cd in soils and its environmental implication for Cd bioavailability
Authors: Wang Yu‐Jun , Fan Ting‐Ting , Cui Pei‐Xin , Sun Qian , Zhou Dong‐Mei , Li Cheng‐Bao , Wang Guo‐Qing , Lin Yu‐Suo , Zhang Sheng‐Tian , Yang Xin‐Ping , Zhao Fang‐Jie , Friedman Shmulik P. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe interaction of Cd and other heavy metals with soil colloidal particles controls the sequestration, mobility and bioavailability of Cd in soils. In this study, the binding (△Gbi) and adsorption (△Gad) energies of Cd on colloidal particles of 18 soils were determined by the Wien effect method. The binding energy of Cd on soil colloidal particles varied from 5.3 to 9.9 kJ mol−1, depending on the soil characteristics including pH, Mn‐oxide content and dissolved organic carbon in the soil. The Cd adsorption energy correlated positively with Mn‐oxide content and pH. In parallel, the extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy was used to determine the speciation of Cd in Cd‐saturated soil samples, which revealed that the outer‐sphere Cd was the predominant species, accounting for 32.2–73.7% of the total adsorbed Cd, and positively correlated to the binding and adsorption energies. Humic acid‐Cd (10.4–42.2%) and montmorillonite‐Cd (2.5–51.2%) were also major species that were identified by EXAFS spectroscopy. The toxicity (log EC50) of Cd in soils to three organisms (earthworm, Collembola and Chinese cabbage) was found to correlate positively with the binding energies, indicating the predictive capability of using binding energies of Cd in different soils as an indicator for evaluating Cd bioavailability and toxicity in soils.
Characterization of a Vimentinhigh/Nestinhigh proteome and tissue regenerative secretome generated by human pancreas-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Cooper Tyler T. , Sherman Stephen E. , Bell Gillian I. , Ma Jun , Kuljanin Miljan , Jose Shauna E. , Lajoie Gilles A. , Hess David A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMultipotent/mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) exist within a variety of postnatal tissues; however, global proteomic analyses comparing tissue-specific MSC are limited. Using human bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs as a gold standard, we used label-free mass spectrometry and functional assays to characterize the proteome, secretome, and corresponding function of human pancreas-derived MSCs (Panc-MSCs) with a classical phenotype (CD90+/CD73+/CD105+/CD45−/CD31−). Both MSC subtypes expressed mesenchymal markers vimentin, α-SMA, and STRO-1; however, expression of nestin was increased in Panc-MSCs. Accordingly, these Vimentinhigh/Nestinhigh cells were isolated from fresh human pancreatic islet and non-islet tissues. Next, we identified expression of &gt;60 CD markers shared between Panc-MSCs and BM-MSCs, including validated expression of CD14. An additional 19 CD markers were differentially expressed, including reduced pericyte-marker CD146 expression on Panc-MSCs. Panc-MSCs also showed reduced expression of proteins involved in lipid and retinoid metabolism. Accordingly, Panc-MSCs showed restricted responses to adipogenic stimuli in vitro, although both MSC types demonstrated trilineage differentiation. In contrast, Panc-MSCs demonstrated accelerated growth kinetics and competency to pro-neurogenic stimuli in vitro. The secretome of Panc-MSCs was highly enriched for proteins associated with vascular development, wound healing and chemotaxis. Similar to BM-MSCs, Panc-MSCs conditioned media augmented endothelial cell survival, proliferation, and tubule formation in vitro. Importantly, the secretome of both MSC types was capable of stimulating chemotactic infiltration of murine endothelial cells in vivo and reduced hyperglycemia in STZ-treated mice following intrapancreatic injection. Overall, this study provides foundational knowledge to develop Panc-MSCs as a unique MSC subtype with functional properties beneficial in regenerative medicine for diabetes and vascular disease.
Determinantal Structures in Space-Inhomogeneous Dynamics on Interlacing Arrays
Authors: Assiotis Theodoros 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe introduce a space-inhomogeneous generalization of the dynamics on interlacing arrays considered by Borodin and Ferrari (Commun Math Phys 325:603–684, 2014). We show that for a certain class of initial conditions the point process associated with the dynamics has determinantal correlation functions, and we calculate explicitly, in the form of a double contour integral, the correlation kernel for one of the most classical initial conditions, the densely packed. En route to proving this, we obtain some results of independent interest on non-intersecting general pure-birth chains, that generalize the Charlier process, the discrete analogue of Dyson’s Brownian motion. Finally, these dynamics provide a coupling between the inhomogeneous versions of the TAZRP and PushTASEP particle systems which appear as projections on the left and right edges of the array, respectively.