bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A two‐fold optimization framework using hybrid B2 algorithm for resource allocation in long‐term evolution based cognitive radio networks system
Authors: Javar Anjana Devi , V Prasanna Srinivasan 
Published: November 2021

SummaryCognitive radio networks (CRNs) have allowed efficient spectrum sharing while also presenting new challenges to the conventional problems of resource allocation and wireless network interference management. The aim is to provide wireless connectivity to secondary stations on a best‐effort basis while preserving the primary station's service quality. In order to achieve this objective, we have developed a model using hybrid B2 optimization. This method is used for resource allocation in a CRN based on the long‐term evolution (LTE) standard platform of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The hybrid B2 optimization algorithm is formed by integrating the bacterial foraging and black widow optimization algorithm. Initially, to optimize the level of service for primary customers, spectrum resources are allocated to primary stations using our proposed model. Later, the spare capacity of the primary channels is then spread among the secondary stations in order to increase the secondary users' service efficiency. The proposed work is twofold where it handles both the low traffic and high traffic scenarios. To reduce the prediction error in a high traffic and bursty environment, an adaptive weighted least square support vector machine (AWLSSVM) is presented. Furthermore, the proposed model is compared with other existing models to evaluate the system's effectiveness.
Contrasting effects of tree origin and urbanization on invertebrate abundance and tree phenology
Authors: Jensen Johan Kjellberg , Jayousi Sherin , von Post Maria , Isaksson Caroline , Persson Anna S. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe ongoing wide‐scale introduction of nonnative plants across the world may negatively influence native invertebrate fauna, due to a lack of coevolved traits related to the novel plants, e.g., unique phytochemicals or shifted phenology. Nonnative plants, specifically trees, are common in urban environments, areas that already pose novel habitats to plants and wildlife through a wide array of anthropogenic factors. For example, impervious surfaces contribute to increased ambient temperatures, the so‐called urban heat island effect (UHI), which can affect local plant phenology. Yet, few studies have simultaneously studied the effects of urbanization and tree species origin on urban invertebrate communities. We measured the city‐level UHI and phenology of nine native and seven nonnative tree species in five city‐center parks in southern Sweden, as well as four common native species in a rural control forest. We quantified the abundance of invertebrates on a subset of native and nonnative tree species through shake sampling, sticky traps, and frass collection. In the urban environment, nonnative trees hosted significantly fewer invertebrates compared to native trees. Furthermore, the nonnative trees had a delayed phenology compared to native species, while the peak of caterpillars associated with the subset of trees surveyed for this measure was significantly earlier compared to that of the native species studied. The effect of tree species origin on urban invertebrate abundance was of a greater magnitude (effect size) than the effect of urbanization on invertebrate abundance in native tree hosts. Hence, the results indicate that the impact of nonnative vegetation may be a stronger driver of invertebrate declines in urban areas than other factors. As the effect of species origin on tree phenology was at a level comparable to the urban effect, increasing prevalence of nonnative vegetation can potentially obscure effects of urbanization on phenology in large‐scale studies, as well as induce mismatches to invertebrate populations. Since parks harbor a large proportion of urban biodiversity, native trees play a crucial role in such habitats and should not be considered replaceable by nonnative species in terms of conservation value.
Age‐related breeding success in little penguins: a result of selection and ontogenetic changes in foraging and phenology
Authors: Saraux Claire , Chiaradia Andre 
Published: November 2021

AbstractReproductive performance typically improves with age, reaching a plateau at middle age and subsequently declining in older age classes (senescing individuals). Three potential non‐exclusive mechanisms can explain the improvement in reproductive performance with age: (1) selection (poor quality individuals are removed from the population with increasing age), (2) constraint (individual efficiency increases through experience), and (3) restraint (reproductive investment increases with age as the residual reproductive value decreases). While all three mechanisms received strong empirical support, few studies have aimed at teasing apart those hypotheses and understanding their underlying functioning. In little penguins (Eudyptula minor), we used a 19‐yr longitudinal dataset on breeding and foraging of more than 450 individuals to investigate the effect of age on breeding success. We separated within‐individual from among‐individual age effects using state‐of‐the‐art statistical methods (within‐subject centering and population change decomposition). We then assessed whether within‐individual changes in breeding resulted from ontogenetic changes in foraging performances, breeding phenology or access to mates and nest sites. Fidelity and assortative pairing explained the high correlation in male and female ages within a pair. Breeding performances followed a typical bell‐shaped curve with performance increasing up to 8 yr old, before reaching a plateau and subsequently declining after age 16. Both selection and within‐individual processes occurred, although within‐individual changes dominated differences in age‐dependent breeding success. The selective appearance had almost no effect (apart from ages 2–3), and selective disappearance mostly affected changes at old ages (above 16), although they were also responsible for the slight increase in reproductive performances from ages 5–8. Focusing on within‐individual changes, birds exhibited higher performances at middle ages, with birds foraging better, laying earlier and changing partner and nest less often. Their reproductive investment did not vary with age for females and slightly decreased for males. This supports the constraint hypothesis but not the restraint one. Finally, the increase in breeding performances at young ages was explained by the age‐related increase in foraging performances during chick‐rearing and advancement of laying. In contrast, reproductive senescence was defined by a general decrease in bird performances.
Investigating the application of Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material in sedimentary lithic artifacts for archaeological provenancing applications in the Canadian Rockies
Authors: Allan Timothy E. , McMillan Rhy 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe chemical compositions of toolstones composed of clastic and chemical sedimentary rock are often not distinct among procurement locations. However, sedimentary toolstone sources may show variations in the structural characteristics of the included carbonaceous material (CM) related to differences in their postdepositional histories, providing a potential proxy by which procurement locations, rather than individual rock units, can be assessed as raw material sources for archaeological lithics. Here, we apply a well‐established method for investigating the nature of CM in sedimentary rocks, Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material (RSCM), to an archaeological case study. We test if the technique can be used to differentiate among toolstones from two procurement areas along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains potentially used by pre‐European contact Indigenous inhabitants of the Hummingbird Creek Site (FaPx‐1). Artifacts found during excavations at Hummingbird Creek visually appear to match toolstone‐grade rocks in the site's vicinity. We analyzed source material from two localities: (1) the local toolstone around FaPx‐1 and (2) a toolstone procurement area ~45 km away associated with many precontact workshop sites. To test if the artifacts have compositions consistent with the local toolstones, we analyzed artifacts and potential source materials with RSCM as well as their major, minor, and trace element composition using X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). Our work is guided by the elimination of source locations using indirect geochemical proxies in accordance with the exclusionary Provenance Hypothesis. Both the structural and the chemical characteristics of the artifacts are similar to those of geologic samples from the nonlocal source location and are not consistent with samples collected locally, permitting the exclusion of local materials and suggesting that the inhabitants of FaPx‐1 used a variety of toolstones to manufacture the artifacts from materials that do not appear to be readily available near the site.
To be or not to be: Future lives in economic evaluation
Authors: Luyten Jeroen , Verbeke Evelyn , Schokkaert Erik 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSometimes healthcare will affect the health of people living in the future, or their chance of coming into existence. Should such outcomes be valued in health‐economic evaluation? Guidelines implicitly recommend their inclusion but this rule has counterintuitive implications and is not consistently applied in practice. We suggest making a distinction between “necessary” and “potential” future lives in Health Technology Assessment. Necessary lives will exist independent of our healthcare choices and should be included. Potential lives are choice‐dependent and should be excluded. This rule offers intuitive solutions within the HTA framework, and it changes the cost‐effectiveness of several interventions where necessary future lives are affected.
Immunomodulation and RNA interference alter hepatitis B virus–specific CD8 T‐cell recognition of infected HepG2‐NTCP
Authors: Kuipery Adrian , Sanchez Vasquez Juan Diego , Mehrotra Aman , Feld Jordan J. , Janssen Harry L. A. , Gehring Adam J. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background and Aims
CD8 T cells are essential in controlling HBV infection. Viral control is dependent on efficient recognition of HBV‐infected hepatocytes by CD8 T cells, which can induce direct lysis of infected hepatocytes. In addition, CD8 T cells produce interferon (IFN)‐γ, which mediates noncytopathic viral clearance. Innate immunomodulators and HBV‐targeted RNA interference (RNAi) are being developed to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but may modify HBV antigen presentation and impact CD8 T‐cell recognition, in addition to their primary mechanisms of action.

Approach and Results
HBV‐infected HepG2‐NTCP cells were treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists, TLR7/8 conditioned media (CM) collected from immune cells, or RNAi using short interfering RNAs. The effect of these treatments on antigen presentation was measured through coculture with CD8 T cells recognizing human leukocyte antigen–A0201 restricted epitopes, HBc18‐27 or HBs183‐191. Cytokine profiles of TLR7/8 CM were measured using a cytometric bead array. TDF reduced viral replication, but not CD8 T‐cell recognition, of infected cells. Direct exposure of infected HepG2‐NTCP to TLR7/8 agonists had no impact on T‐cell recognition. Exposure of infected HepG2‐NTCP to TLR7/8 CM enhanced HBV‐specific CD8 T‐cell recognition through type 1 interferon (IFN) and IFN‐γ‐dependent mechanisms. RNAi rapidly suppressed HBV‐DNA, HBcAg, and HBsAg expression, impairing recognition by HBV‐specific CD8 T cells.

Conclusions
Immunomodulation and RNAi, but not nucleos(t)ide analogues, alter the recognition of infected HepG2‐NTCP by HBV‐specific CD8 T cells. Understanding these changes will inform combination treatments for CHB.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Intravenous Ferric Pyrophosphate Citrate: Equivalence to Administration via Dialysate
Authors: Marbury Thomas , van Heuveln Fred , van der Horst Eric , Pratt Raymond D. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFerric pyrophosphate citrate (FPC) is indicated to maintain hemoglobin in patients with stage 5 hemodialysis‐dependent chronic kidney disease on chronic hemodialysis by addition to the dialysate. An intravenous (IV) FPC presentation containing 6.75 mg of iron in 4.5 mL was developed. The objective was to establish the equivalence of iron delivery via dialysate and IV infusion using a pharmacokinetic approach. An open‐label, randomized, multiple‐period, single‐dose, crossover study was conducted in 27 patients with CKD‐5HD. Each patient received (1) a basal iron profile over 12 hours, (2) FPC 6.75 mg Fe IV predialyzer, (3) FPC 6.75 mg Fe IV postdialyzer, and (4) FPC 2 μM (110 μg Fe/L of hemodialysate). Serum and plasma iron was analyzed for total Fe and transferrin bound iron (TBI). Equivalence was determined by comparing maximum observed concentration and area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 to the last observation of 110 μg Fe/L of hemodialysate (reference) and test treatments Fe predialyzer and postdialyzer iron profiles. The main outcome measure was the measurement of bioequivalence between the reference and test treatments. Bioequivalence parameters showed that infusion of FPC iron IV, predialyzer and postdialyzer delivered equivalent iron as via hemodialysate. The increment in serum total Fe from predialysis to postdialysis was the same as observed in the long‐term clinical studies of FPC. FPC IV was well tolerated. IV infusion of 6.75 mg iron as FPC during 3 hours of HD delivers an equivalent amount of iron as when Triferic is delivered via hemodialysate. The IV presentation of FPC extends the ability to provide FPC iron to all patients receiving hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration.
Cholecystectomy in a patient with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria undergoing ravulizumab maintenance treatment
Authors: Moriyama Mitsuru , Aota Yasuo , Okabe Masahiro , Osaka Yoshiaki , Katagiri Seiichiro , Akahane Daigo , Gotoh Akihiko 
Published: November 2021

AbstractA 47‐year‐old male with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) controlled with routine ravulizumab administration suffered a massive haemolytic crisis due to choledocholithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed 6 weeks after a regular ravulizumab infusion. After surgery, the patient presented with anaemia without marked elevation in lactate dehydrogenase and required two blood transfusions. Tumour necrosis factor‐α increased more than twofold with reticulocyte suppression after surgery, suggesting the involvement of myelosuppressive cytokines. This case suggests that laparoscopic surgery may be safely performed in patients with PNH receiving ravulizumab maintenance treatment. However, attention should be paid to postoperative anaemia, regardless of breakthrough haemolysis.
Impact of ABO and Rhesus blood groups on COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity: A case‐control study
Authors: Kerbage Anthony , Haddad Sara F. , Nasr Lewis , Riachy Albert , Mekhael Elio , Nassim Nabil , Hoyek Karim , Sleilaty Ghassan , Nasr Fadi , Riachy Moussa 
Published: November 2021

AbstractEarly evidence from China suggested that blood groups may be involved in susceptibility to COVID‐19. Several subsequent studies reported controversial results. We conducted a retrospective matched case‐control study that aims to investigate the association between blood groups and the risk and/or severity of COVID‐19. We compared the blood groups distribution of 474 patients admitted to the hospital for COVID‐19 between March 2020 and March 2021, to that of a positive control group of outpatients infected with COVID‐19 and matched them for sex and age, as well as to the distribution in the general population. Three hundred and eighteen HC+ pairs with available blood group information were matched. The proportion of group A Rh+ in hospitalized patients (HC+) was 39.9% (CI 35.2%–44.7%), compared to 44.8% (CI 39.8%–49.9%) and 32.3% in the positive outpatient controls (C+) and the general population (C−), respectively. Both COVID‐19‐positive groups (HC+ and C+) had significantly higher proportions of group A Rh+ compared to the general population (p = 0.0019 and p < 0.001, respectively), indicating that group A Rh+ increases susceptibility to COVID‐19. Although blood group A Rh+ was more frequent in the outpatients C+ compared to the hospitalized group HC+, the association did not reach statistical significance, indicating that blood group A Rh+ is not associated with severity. There was no significant relationship between COVID‐19 and other blood groups. Our findings indicate that blood group A Rh+ increases the susceptibility for COVID‐19 but is not associated with higher disease severity.
Combining meta‐epidemiological study datasets on commercial funding of randomised clinical trials: Database, methods, and descriptive results of the COMFIT study
Authors: Nejstgaard Camilla Hansen , Lundh Andreas , Abdi Suhayb , Clayton Gemma , Gelle Mustafe Hassan Adan , Laursen David Ruben Teindl , Olorisade Babatunde Kazeem , Savović Jelena , Hróbjartsson Asbjørn ,   COMFIT Consortium
Published: November 2021

AbstractRandomised trials are often funded by commercial companies and methodological studies support a widely held suspicion that commercial funding may influence trial results and conclusions. However, these studies often have a risk of confounding and reporting bias. The risk of confounding is markedly reduced in meta‐epidemiological studies that compare fairly similar trials within meta‐analyses, and risk of reporting bias is reduced with access to unpublished data. Therefore, we initiated the COMmercial Funding In Trials (COMFIT) study aimed at investigating the impact of commercial funding on estimated intervention effects in randomised clinical trials based on a consortium of researchers who agreed to share meta‐epidemiological study datasets with information on meta‐analyses and trials included in meta‐epidemiological studies. Here, we describe the COMFIT study, its database, and descriptive results. We included meta‐epidemiological studies with published or unpublished data on trial funding source and results or conclusions. We searched five bibliographic databases and other sources. We invited authors of eligible meta‐epidemiological studies to join the COMFIT consortium and to share data. The final construction of the COMFIT database involves checking data quality, identifying trial references, harmonising variable categories, and removing non‐informative meta‐analyses as well as correlated meta‐analyses and trial results. We included data from 17 meta‐epidemiological studies, covering 728 meta‐analyses and 6841 trials. Seven studies (405 meta‐analyses, 3272 trials) had not published analyses on the impact of commercial funding, but shared unpublished data on funding source. On this basis, we initiated the construction of a combined database. Once completed, the database will enable comprehensive analyses of the impact of commercial funding on trial results and conclusions with increased statistical power and a markedly reduced risk of confounding and reporting bias.
Polymer‐Grafted Nanoparticles (PGNs) with Adjustable Graft‐Density and Interparticle Hydrogen Bonding Interaction
Authors: Yuan Chenyun , Käfer Florian , Ober Christopher K. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPolymer‐grafted nanoparticles (PGNs) receive great attention because they possess the advantages of both the grafted polymer and inorganic cores, and thus demonstrate superior optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. Thus, PGNs with tailorable interparticle interactions are indispensable for the formation of a superlattice with a defined and ordered structure. In this work, the synthesis of PGNs is reported which can form interparticle hydrogen‐bonding to enhance the formation of well‐defined 2D nanoparticle arrays. Various polymers, including poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) (P4VP), poly(dimethyl aminoethyl acrylate) (PDMAEMA), and poly(4‐acetoxy styrene) (PAcS), are attached to silica cores by a “grafting from” in a mini emulsion‐like synthesis approach. SiO2‐PAcS brushes are deprotected by hydrazinolysis and converted into poly(4‐vinyl phenol) (PVP), containing hydroxyl groups as potential hydrogen‐bonding donor sites. Understanding and controlling interparticle interactions by varying grafting density in the range of 10−2–10−3 chain nm−2, and the formation of interparticle hydrogen bonding relevant for self‐assembly of PGNs and potential formation of PGN superlattice structures are the motivations for this study.
Hierarchical Chiral Supramolecular Nanoarchitectonics with Molecular Detection: Helical Structure Controls upon Self‐Assembly and Coassembly
Authors: Li Heng , Han Liang , Li Qing , Lai Hanjian , Fernández‐Trillo Paco , Tian Leilei , He Feng 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe morphological transformation from microspheres to helical supramolecular nanofibers with controllable handedness is achieved by the introduction of molecular chirality based on amino acid derivatives (TDAP), and the chirality of the supramolecular architectures that are achieved is nullified through the coassembly of the equivalent TDAP enantiomers. The molecular detection of achiral melamine based on the R‐TDAP‐COOH supramolecular system is achieved by the appearance of helicity and inversion.
A facile approach to therapeutic angiogenesis using a platelet concentrate and microsphere composite
Authors: Hendow Eseelle K. , Day Richard M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractStimulating revascularization of under perfused tissue is a key challenge in regenerative medicine. A variety of approaches using soluble biotherapeutic agents have been investigated in recent years but each have yielded limited potency or raised concerns regarding safety. This study reports on the finding that the pro‐angiogenic secretome released from platelet concentrates is significantly enhanced when combined with highly porous biodegradable polymer microspheres. These findings suggest a topically applied autologous platelet concentrate‐biomaterials based approach may serve as a facile and broadly applicable platform to achieve therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic tissue or where preservation of tissue perfusion and viability is required.