bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of graphene-like carbon from agricultural side stream with magnesiothermic reduction coupled with atmospheric pressure induction annealing
Authors: Lähde Anna , Haluska Ondrej , Alatalo Sara-Maaria , Sippula Olli , Meščeriakovas Arūnas , Lappalainen Reijo , Nissinen Tuomo , Riikonen Joakim , Lehto Vesa-Pekka 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Generally, large-scale production of graphene is currently not commercially viable due to expensive raw materials, complexity and the high-energy consumption of the processes currently used in the production. The use of biomass precursors and energy efficient procedures for carbonization have been proposed to reduce the cost of the graphene materials. However, low-cost graphene production has not been accomplished yet. Herein, we present a sustainable procedure and renewable starting materials to synthesize carbon nanostructures with graphene-like features. First, a SiC/C composite was synthesized from phytoliths and sucrose through magnesiothermic reduction. The phytoliths were obtained from barley husk that is an abundant side stream of agricultural industry. Second, graphene-like structures were achieved by the graphitization of SiC/C composite with high temperature induction annealing at 2400 °C under atmospheric pressure. The formation of graphene-like carbon was initiated by vaporization of silicon from the pre-ceramic SiC/C. Complete transformation of SiC/C to hollow, spherical graphene-like carbon structures and sheets were verified with thermogravimetry, x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Also, the theoretical thermodynamic consideration of the phase separation of silicon carbide and the role of free carbon in the process has been discussed.
Should we still monitor QTc duration in frail older patients on low-dose haloperidol? A prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Castro Ellen , Körver Frank , Merry Audrey , van Moorsel Fieke , Hazebroek Mark , Smid Machiel , Ploux Sylvain , Bordachar Pierre , Prinzen Frits , Sipers Walther , Strik Marc 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
Haloperidol at high dosage is associated with QTc prolongation and polymorphic ventricular arrhythmia but the effects of low-dose haloperidol remain unknown.

Objective
To evaluate the effects of low-dose haloperidol on QTc-duration in frail hospitalized elderly patients with delirium.

Methods
A prospective observational study including hospitalized patients aged ≥70 years with Groningen Frailty Index-score &gt; 3. We included 150 patients who received haloperidol and 150 age- and frailty-matched control patients. Serial ECG recordings were performed at hospital admission and during hospitalization. QT-interval was corrected according to Framingham (QTc). Patients were grouped according to baseline QTc in normal (nQTc), borderline (bQTc) or abnormal (aQTc). Primary outcome was change in QTc-duration between first and second ECG. Potentially dangerous QTc was defined as QTc &gt;500 ms or an increase of &gt;50 ms.

Results
Patients in the haloperidol group (48% male, mean age 85y, nQT n = 98, bQT n = 31, aQT n = 20) received an average dose of 1.5 mg haloperidol per 24 hours. QTc decreased in patients with borderline (mean − 15 ± 29 ms, P &lt; 0.05) or abnormal (−19 ± 27 ms, P &lt; 0.05) QTc at baseline, no patients developed dangerous QTc-duration. In the control group (41% male, mean age 84y, nQT n = 99 bQT n = 29, aQT n = 22) QTc decreased to a similar extent (bQT −7 ± 16 ms, aQTc −23 ± 20 ms).

Conclusion
A trend to QTc shortening was seen, especially in patients with borderline or abnormal QTc at baseline, regardless of haloperidol use. These findings suggest that ECG monitoring of frail elderly patients who receive low-dose haloperidol, may not be necessary.
Burden of Peripheral Artery Disease on Mortality and Incident Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Unkart Jonathan T , Allison Matthew A , Araneta Maria Rosario G , Ix Joachim H , Matsushita Kunihiro , Criqui Michael H 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (United States, 2000–2015), 6,527 racially/ethnically diverse adults (mean age, 62 (standard deviation, 10) years) free of known cardiovascular (CVD) had ankle brachial index (ABI) assessment of their bilateral dorsalis pedis/posterior tibial arteries (4 vessels total) and were followed for total mortality and incident CVD events/mortality. Individuals were classified into categories of 0-, 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-vessel peripheral artery disease (PAD) (ABI of ≤0.9). There were 1,202 deaths (18%), 656 incident CVD events (10%), and 282 CVD deaths (4.3%). Of the 6,527 individuals, 5,711 (87.5%) had 0-, 460 (7.0%) had 1-, 218 (3.3%) had 2-, 69 (1.1%) had 3-, and 69 (1.1%) had 4-vessel PAD, respectively. In multivariable Cox models, higher number of vessels with PAD was associated with higher risk of mortality (P for trend &lt;0.001), CVD events (P for trend = 0.002), and CVD mortality (P for trend = 0.001). Compared with individuals who had 0-vessel disease, hazard ratios for mortality were 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.59) for 1-, 1.45 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.86) for 2-, 1.58 (95% CI: 1.13, 2.21) for 3-, and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.58, 2.94) for 4-vessel disease. A similar pattern was seen for CVD events/mortality. These results suggest the importance of accounting for ABI values of all 4 leg arteries in clinical practice and research.
Multipopulation harmony search algorithm for the detection of high-order SNP interactions
Authors: Tuo Shouheng , Liu Haiyan , Chen Hao 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMotivationRecently, multiobjective swarm intelligence optimization (SIO) algorithms have attracted considerable attention as disease model-free methods for detecting high-order single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interactions. However, a strict Pareto optimal set may filter out some of the SNP combinations associated with disease status. Furthermore, the lack of heuristic factors for finding SNP interactions and the preference for discrimination approaches to disease models are considerable challenges for SIO. In this study, we propose a multipopulation harmony search (HS) algorithm dedicated to the detection of high-order SNP interactions (MP-HS-DHSI). This method consists of three stages. In the first stage, HS with multipopulation (multiharmony memories) is used to discover a set of candidate high-order SNP combinations having an association with disease status. In HS, multiple criteria [Bayesian network-based K2-score, Jensen–Shannon divergence, likelihood ratio and normalized distance with joint entropy (ND-JE)] are adopted by four harmony memories to improve the ability to discriminate diverse disease models. A novel evaluation criterion named ND-JE is proposed to guide HS to explore clues for high-order SNP interactions. In the second and third stages, the G-test statistical method and multifactor dimensionality reduction are employed to verify the authenticity of the candidate solutions, respectively.ResultsWe compared MP-HS-DHSI with four state-of-the-art SIO algorithms for detecting high-order SNP interactions for 20 simulation disease models and a real dataset of age-related macular degeneration. The experimental results revealed that our proposed method can accelerate the search speed efficiently and enhance the discrimination ability of diverse epistasis models.Availability and implementationhttps://github.com/shouhengtuo/MP-HS-DHSI.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
CARTR Plus: the creation of an ART registry in Canada
Authors: Lanes A , Fell DB , Teitelbaum M , Sprague AE , Johnson M , Wang H , Elliott M , Guo Y , Meng L , Yuzpe A , Bissonnette F , Leveille MC , Walker MC 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

STUDY QUESTION
What is the status of fertility treatment and birth outcomes documented over the first 6 years of the Canadian Assisted Reproductive Technologies Register (CARTR) Plus registry?

SUMMARY ANSWER
The CARTR Plus registry is a robust database containing comprehensive Canadian fertility treatment data to assist with providing evidence-based rationale for clinical practice change.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
The rate of infertility is increasing globally and having data on fertility treatment cycles and outcomes at a population level is important for accurately documenting and effecting changes in clinical practice.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
This is a descriptive manuscript of 183 739 fertility treatment cycles from 36 Canadian clinics over 6 years from the CARTR Plus registry.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Canadian ART treatment cycles from 2013 through 2018 were included. This manuscript described trends in type of fertility treatment cycles, pregnancy rates, multiple pregnancy rates, primary transfer rates and birth outcomes.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Over the 6 years of the CARTR Plus registry, the number of treatment cycles performed ranged from less than 200 to greater than 1000 per clinic. Patient age and the underlying cause of infertility were two of the most variable characteristics across clinics. Similar clinical pregnancy rates were found among IVF and frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles with own oocytes (38.9 and 39.7% per embryo transfer cycle, respectively). Fertility treatment cycles that used donor oocytes had a higher clinical pregnancy rate among IVF cycles compared with FET cycles (54.9 and 39.8% per embryo transfer cycle, respectively). The multiple pregnancy rate was 7.4% per ongoing clinical pregnancy in 2018, which reflected a decreasing trend across the study period. Between 2013 and 2017, there were 31 811 pregnancies that had live births from all ART treatment cycles, which corresponded to a live birth rate of 21.4% per cycle start and 89.1% of these pregnancies were singleton live births. The low multiple pregnancy rate and high singleton birth rate are associated with the increase in single embryo transfers.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
There is potential for misclassification of data, which is present in all administrative health databases.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
The CARTR Plus registry is a robust resource for ART data in Canada. It provides easily accessible aggregated data for Canadian fertility clinics, and it contains data that are internationally comparable.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
There was no funding provided for this study. The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Norm Sabotage: Conceptual Reflection on a Phenomenon That Challenges Well-Established Norms
Authors: Schneiker Andrea 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis article is concerned with conceptualizing those actors who seek to undo the collective normative standard that has already been achieved. I call these actors norm saboteurs. Unlike norm entrepreneurs, who promote a new norm, or norm antipreneurs, who resist a new norm, saboteurs seek to obstruct the implementation of an already accepted norm. They not only oppose a norm, but also seek to prevent others from maintaining the normative status quo, i.e., from implementing a norm. In order to do so, saboteurs can apply a variety of strategies, relying on persuasion, blocking or obfuscation. The analysis shows that norms assumed to be the most robust—those having achieved a taken-for-granted quality—can actually lack resilience. Actors that follow widely accepted norms might even be sanctioned by saboteurs for upholding the normative status quo.
Effects of heat stress on the gut health of poultry
Authors: Rostagno Marcos H 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Stress is a biological adaptive response to restore homeostasis, and occurs in every animal production system, due to the multitude of stressors present in every farm. Heat stress is one of the most common environmental challenges to poultry worldwide. It has been extensively demonstrated that heat stress negatively impacts the health, welfare, and productivity of broilers and laying hens. However, basic mechanisms associated with the reported effects of heat stress are still not fully understood. The adaptive response of poultry to a heat stress situation is complex and intricate in nature, and it includes effects on the intestinal tract. This review offers an objective overview of the scientific evidence available on the effects of the heat stress response on different facets of the intestinal tract of poultry, including its physiology, integrity, immunology, and microbiota. Although a lot of knowledge has been generated, many gaps persist. The development of standardized models is crucial to be able to better compare and extrapolate results. By better understanding how the intestinal tract is affected in birds subjected to heat stress conditions, more targeted interventions can be developed and applied.
Improved simple T-cannula technique to facilitate surgery and daily skin care of growing pigs
Authors: Metzler-Zebeli Barbara U , Rosenfelder-Kuon Pia , Brehm Helga , Eklund Meike , Mosenthin Rainer 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
In order to further increase the stability of the cannula behind the ribs and to facilitate cannula exteriorization in growing pigs, the present study aimed to evaluate whether elongation of the cannula flange could increase the stability of the cannula behind the ribs and to develop a tool to improve the exteriorization of the cannula through the ribs. Moreover, it was assessed whether a special skin protection paste and soft polyurethane foam material used in daily skin care could prevent erythema around the fistula. The feasibility of both, the modified simple T-cannula and daily skin care procedure, was evaluated in a digestibility experiment. Simple T-cannulae were made of high-molecular-weight polyethylene and inserted into the distal ileum of eight growing pigs (average body weight at surgery 30 kg). Modifications in the cannula design included a longer flange (11 cm) that was narrowed from the center to the ends and a bending of the flange to adapt it to the curve of the costal arch. In order to reduce the damage to the thread on the outer cannula barrel during surgery, a special surgical plug in conjunction with a screw thread on the inside of the barrel was developed. With respect to the daily cleaning of the fistula, a special skin protection paste was applied on the skin around the fistula to create a waterproof film that entirely sealed the skin. Additionally, foam material was inserted between the retaining ring and the skin to absorb the leaking digesta. Monitoring of the pigs throughout the trial showed that modifications in cannula design proved to be useful as they facilitated exteriorization of the cannula through the ribs and stability of the cannula behind the ribs. Moreover, the use of the skin protection paste and foam material during postsurgical treatment of growing pigs effectively prevented skin irritation around the flank area.
Mosquito Community Composition, Seasonal Distributions, and Trap Bias in Northeastern Florida
Authors: Giordano Bryan V , Bartlett Suzanne K , Falcon Drake A , Lucas Raymond P , Tressler Miranda J , Campbell Lindsay P 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMosquito control agencies monitor mosquito diversity and abundance through a variety of trap types. Although various long-term ecological data sets exist, little work has been done to address the sampling effort required to capture mosquito community diversity by trap type and few spatiotemporal distributions of vector species have been described. Here, we describe the seasonal distributions of vector species of importance, assess trapping effort needed to capture the diversity of the mosquito community, and use a partial redundancy analysis to identify trap bias from four commonly deployed adult mosquito traps in Volusia County, Florida. Collections were made with American Biophysics Corporation (ABC) light traps, Biogents Sentinel (BGS) traps, chicken coop exit traps, and gravid traps. We collected a total of 238,301 adult female mosquitoes belonging to 11 genera and 36 species, 12 of which we deemed to be vector species of epidemiological importance. We found that ABC traps not only yielded the greatest abundance and diversity but also captured several nonvector species. BGS and gravid traps yielded the highest proportions of vector species; exit traps recorded the lowest abundances and species richness. Wintertime abundances of several species demonstrated a need for year-round surveillance in the study area; partial redundancy analysis revealed that trap type explained a significant proportion of the variance in our data set, with certain vector species associated with specific trap types. Increased awareness regarding the amount of trapping effort needed to detect vector species diversity will help to optimize efforts in the field, leading to more effective resource allocation.
Rapid Tree Diameter Computation with Terrestrial Stereoscopic Photogrammetry
Authors: Eliopoulos Nicholas J , Shen Yezhi , Nguyen Minh Luong , Arora Vaastav , Zhang Yuxin , Shao Guofan , Woeste Keith , Lu Yung-Hsiang 
Published: March 2020

AbstractForest inventorying is time-consuming and expensive. Recent research involving photogrammetry promises to reduce the cost of inventorying. Existing photogrammetry methods require substantial data-processing time, however. Our aim was to reduce data-acquisition and processing times while obtaining relatively accurate diameter estimates compared to manual and other digital measurements. We developed an algorithm to identify the ground and measure diameter at breast height (dbh) or any height along a stem from the recorded video footage of trees taken with a stereo camera. Footage acquisition time, dbh root mean square error, and mean absolute error were used as comparison metrics with other methods. The time to perform three recordings for 40 trees was about 30 minutes. We recorded data at 1 m, 3 m, and 5 m from the trunk, and our dbh root mean square errors were 1.28 cm (0.50 in.), 1.47 cm (0.58 in.), and 2.57 cm (1.01 in.), respectively, using manual measures as the control. This terrestrial stereoscopic photogrammetric method is much more efficient computationally than popular terrestrial structure-from-motion photogrammetry and substantially lowers time, costs, and complexity for data acquisition and processing compared with terrestrial laser scanning.
Timber Use, Processing Capacity, and Capability within the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region Timber-Processing Area
Authors: Simmons Eric A , Morgan Todd A , Hayes Steven W , Ng Kawa , Berg Erik C 
Published: March 2020

AbstractOver the past two decades, more than half a million acres of forested land has experienced extensive insect- and disease-caused tree mortality within the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region 2 (R2) of the National Forest System. To plan for timber harvest treatments needed to restore forest health, managers need information on forest product facility capacity and capability to profitably process timber of various size classes. To answer this need, the authors summarized timber harvest volumes by state and county group, identified facilities in the R2 area, quantified timber-processing capacities and size class capabilities, and analyzed the geographic variability of timber flows from county of harvest to mill. Results showed that nearly 285.5 million board feet Scribner of timber flowed from the study area to 101 processors throughout the R2 timber-processing area. Approximately 70 percent of annual milling capacity can profitably process trees ≧10 in. dbh, whereas just 8 percent can process timber &lt;7 in. dbh. When planning forest-management activities, land managers should balance the need to remove small and/or dead trees with the local industry’s ability to profitably use that material.
Effects of warming on soil respiration during the non-growing seasons in a semiarid temperate steppe
Authors: Miao Yuan , Liu Mengzhou , Xuan Juan , Xu Wei , Wang Shilin , Miao Renhui , Wang Dong , Wu Wei , Liu Yinzhan , Han Shijie 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAimsThe response pattern of terrestrial soil respiration to warming during non-growing seasons is a poorly understood phenomenon, though many believe that these warming effects are potentially significant. This study was conducted in a semiarid temperate steppe to examine the effects of warming during the non-growing seasons on soil respiration and the underlying mechanisms associated therewith.MethodsThis experiment was conducted in a semiarid temperate grassland and included 10 paired control and experimental plots. Experimental warming was achieved with open top chambers (OTCs) in October 2014. Soil respiration, soil temperature and soil moisture were measured several times monthly from November 2014 to April 2015 and from November 2015 to April 2016. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and available nitrogen content of soil were measured from 0 to 20 cm soil depth. Repeated measurement ANOVAs and paired-sample t tests were conducted to document the effect of warming, and the interactions between warming and time on the above variables. Simple regressions were employed to detect the underlying causality for the observed effects.Important FindingsSoil respiration rate was 0.24 µmol m−2 s−1 in the control plots during the non-growing seasons, which was roughly 14.4% of total soil carbon flux observed during growing seasons. Across the two non-growing seasons, warming treatment significantly increased soil temperature and soil respiration by 1.48°C (P &lt; 0.001) and 42.1% (P &lt; 0.01), respectively, when compared with control plots. Warming slightly, but did not significantly decrease soil moisture by 0.66% in the non-growing seasons from 2015 to 2016. In the non-growing seasons 2015–16, experimental warming significantly elevated MBC and MBN by 19.72% and 20.99% (both P &lt; 0.05), respectively. In addition, soil respiration responses to warming were regulated by changes in soil temperate, MBC and MBN. These findings indicate that changes in non-growing season soil respiration impact other components in the carbon cycle. Additionally, these findings facilitate projections regarding climate change–terrestrial carbon cycling.
Urinary bladder-containing incarcerated inguinoscrotal hernia: a case report
Authors: Karanikas Michael , Kofina Konstantinia , Foutzitzi Soultana , Deftereos Savas , Effraemidou Eleni , Lyratzopoulos Nikolaos , Polychronidis Alexandros 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Inguinoscrotal hernia containing the urinary bladder is a rare entity found in 1–4% of inguinal hernias, while patients rarely present symptoms of urinary dysfunction. We present the case of a 79-year-old Caucasian male with acute renal dysfunction and incarcerated inguinoscrotal hernia containing the entire urinary bladder. The patient presented in the surgical emergency department due to an incarcerated right inguinoscrotal hernia and deteriorated renal function. Preoperatively, ultrasound imaging was performed, which showed the presence of the whole bladder in the hernia sac. The bladder was repositioned to its anatomic position and hernia was repaired through a modified Lichtenstein technique. In patients with inguinoscrotal hernia and acute urinary tract symptoms, surgeons should be aware of the possibility of inguinal bladder hernia. Preoperative imaging can help in preventing intraoperative bladder damage.