bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Movement ecology, breeding, diet and roosting behavior of barn owls (Tyto alba) in a transboundary conflict region
Authors: Rozman Gabriel , Izhaki Ido , Roulin Alexandre , Charter Motti 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Transboundary frontiers often contain wildlife habitats that are fractured by geopolitical borders, which could have adverse effects on the wildlife that inhabit those areas. We examined the movement, breeding, roosting and diet of 15 GPS-tagged barn owls (Tyto alba) along the Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian Authority borders. Our results showed that 80% of the barn owls hunted across the border. On average, the owls engaged in 5.4 hunting trips per night, 16% of which were cross-border excursions, and they crossed the borders as frequently as expected randomly, highlighting the importance of wildlife protection on all sides. Hunting movement, rather than cross-border activity, had an effect on the annual reproductive success and diet composition. Specifically, female owls that spent more time at the nest and engaged in longer distance hunting trips had higher reproductive success. 80% of the females roosted outside of the nest box at a median distance of 908 m (range = 199 - 4,112 m). Only 13.3% of the owls (2/15 owls) roosted across the border. These results increase our understanding of the movement, breeding, and roosting behavior of a non-migratory avian raptor. However, a serious lack of cooperation and communication between bordering countries hampers our ability to understand the full effects of differing environmental policies on a species that knows no borders.
Chromatic Toxicity Bioassay of Water through Bacterial Ferricyanide Reduction
Authors: Shamim Maheen , Shaikh Parus , Kanwal Zara , Syed Muhammad Noman 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Water quality assessment demands a precise anatomization of specimens that comply with acclaimed water purity standards. Today, the growing number of toxicants and their synergistic consequences make it necessary to develop general toxicity assays able to examine and determine water pollution. Contemporary general toxicity methods hinder specimen analysis due to their prolonged operation protocols. Also, the equipment involved is very expensive that not everyone can afford it. In an effort to resolve these drawbacks, a quick and cost effective toxicity bioassay based on chromatic changes related to bacterial ferricyanide reduction is introduced here. E.coli cells (Model Bacteria) were stably confined on four supports: Cellulose-based Paper Discs, Silica 60, Polystyrene, and Acrylic Beads, which remained useful for a long period at -20ºC. Copper was used as a model toxic agent to perform Bioassay Assessment. Chromatic changes related to bacterial ferricyanide reduction were determined by visual inspection. Cellulose Paper Discs, Polystyrene, and Acrylic beads showed good results and better viability, while Silica 60 proved itself as a weak support and resulted in poor viability.
Blocking GRP/GRP-R Signaling Decreases Expression of Androgen Receptor Splice Variants and Inhibits Tumor Growth in Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Case Thomas C , Merkel Alyssa , Ramirez-Solano Marisol , Liu Qi , Sterling Julie A , Jin Renjie 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background: Clinical management of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) resulting from androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains challenging. Previously, we have reported that long-term ADT increases the neuroendocrine (NE) hormone – Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) and its receptor (GRP-R) expression in prostate cancer (PC) cells. Further, we demonstrated that activation of GRP/GRP-R signaling increases androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (ARVs) expression through activating NF-κB signaling thereby contributing cancer progression to CRPC. Most importantly, as a cell surface protein, GRP-R is easily targeted by drugs to block GRP/GRP-R signaling. Here, we aim to investigate if blocking GRP/GRP-R signaling by targeting GRP-R using GRP-R antagonist is sufficient to control CRPC progression, including in therapy-induced (t) neuroendocrine prostate cancer (tNEPC). Methods: Bone-growing NEPC cells were generated by treating androgen dependent LNCaP PC cells with anti-androgen (MDV3100) for more than 3 months. RC-3095, a selective GRP-R antagonist, was used for blocking GRP/GRP-R signaling. The NGL vector [a NF-kB responsive reporter vector which has Luciferase and Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) reporter genes] was used to measure NF-kB activity and the ARR2PB-Luc vector (an AR responsive reporter vector) was used to measure AR activity in the PC cells. For in vivo experiments, the effect of RC-3095 on CRPC was observed in subcutaneous CRPC and bone-growing tNEPC tumor models.Results: Our studies show that blocking GRP/GRP-R signal by targeting GRP-R using RC-3095 efficiently inhibits NF-κB activity and ARVs (AR-V7) expression in CRPC and tNEPC cells. In addition, blocking of GRP/GRP-R signaling by targeting GRP-R can sensitize CRPC cells to anti-androgen treatment. Further, preclinical animal studies indicate combination of GRP-R antagonist (targeting ARVs) with anti-androgen [targeting full-length AR (AR-FL)] is sufficient to inhibit CRPC and tNEPC tumor growth.Conclusion: Our findings strongly indicate that blocking of GRP/GRP-R signaling in combination with ADT is a potential new approach to control CRPC tumor growth, including ADT induced tNEPC.
Suspension Parameters Matching Design for Robust Hunting Stability of High-speed Train
Authors: Li Guang , Yao Yuan , Song Yadong , Chen Guosheng , Chen Kang 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Hunting stability of high-speed train is an important dynamic performance for the design of bogie suspension parameters. An appropriate hunting stability margin is required for high-speed train. Besides, a remarkable ability to weaken the influence caused by the disturbance of bogie suspension parameters and wheel-rail contact parameters on hunting stability is also required. The matching design of bogie passive suspension parameters is an important means to ensure the train comprehensive stability. In this paper, the concept of robust hunting stability is proposed, and the indexes for suspension parameter robustness and wheel-rail contact equivalent conicity robustness are defined and chosen as the dynamic performance indexes for the bogie suspension parameters design. Design of Experiment (DOE) is used to search the suspension parameters to satisfy the defined robust hunting stability indexes. Vehicle linear stability analysis is performed based on a large number of combined random suspension parameters, and then the parameters satisfying the performance requirements are designed, from which the parameter matching rules are concluded based on the discrete statistical analysis. Using this method, the suspension parameters can be designed to satisfy the defined multiple vehicle dynamic performance indexes, instead of engineering experiences.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Li-Ni Ferrite Prepared via Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Method
Authors: Song Jiali , Wang Zhi , Gao Yu 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Nanocrystalline Li 0.35 Ni 0.3 Fe 2.35 O 4 ferrites were prepared at different annealing temperature by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The effects of the annealing temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of the synthesized Li-Ni ferrites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and Squid-VSM. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data confirmed the occurrence of phase transition from α-spinel to β-spinel, from which the ideal cation occupation and lattice parameter can be obtained. The grain size increased significantly with annealing temperature. The variation of saturation magnetization can be well explained in terms of the occupation of ions in tetrahedron and octahedron. The coercivity initially increased and later decreased significantly from 115 to 37 Oe with the increase of annealed temperature which could be attributed the fact that the 600℃-annealed grain size is close to transition size from single to multidomain region.
Evaluation of GBLUP and Bayes-Alphabet Based on Different Marker Density For Genomic Prediction in Alpine Merino Sheep
Authors: Zhu Shaohua , Guo Tingting , Yuan Chao , Liu Jianbin , Li Jianye , Han Mei , Zhao Hongchang , Wu Yi , Sun Weibo , Wang Xijun , Wang Tianxiang , Liu Jigang , Tiambo Christian Keambou , Yue Yaojing , Yang Bohui 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
BackgroundThe marker density, the heritability level of trait and the statistical models adopted are critical to the accuracy of genomic prediction (GP) or genomic selection (GS). The studies on the impact of the above factors on accuracy of GP are usually focused on the comparison and discussion of simulated datasets. If the potential of GS is to be fully utilized to optimize the effect of breeding and selection, it is essential to incorporate these factors into real data for understanding their impact on GP accuracy, more clearly and intuitively. Herein, we studied the genomic prediction of six wool traits of sheep by two different models, including genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), and Bayes-Alphabet. We adopted 5-fold cross-validation to perform the accuracy evaluation based on the genotyping data of Alpine Merino sheep (n=821). ResultsThe GP accuracy of the six traits was found to be between 0.28 and 0.60, as demonstrated by the cross-validation results. We showed that the accuracy of GP could be improved by increasing the marker density, which is closely related to the model adopted and the heritability level of the trait. Moreover, based on two different marker densities, it was derived that the prediction effect of GBLUP model for traits with low heritability was better (GBLUP has the highest accuracy of 28.57% higher than Bayes-Alphabet); while with the increase of heritability level, the advantage of Bayes-Alphabet would be more obvious, therefore, different models of GP are appropriate in different traits. ConclusionThis is the first study of optimization of GP has been applied to the domesticated Alpine Merino sheep populations. The main aim was to study the influence and interaction of different models and marker densities on GP accuracy. These findings indicated the significance of applying appropriate models for GP which would assist in further exploring the optimization of GP.
Photobiomodulation Effects of Single Near-Infrared (825 nm), Green (525 nm) and Combination of Wavelengths on Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Physiology
Authors: Crous Anine , Rensburg Madeleen Jansen , Abrahamse Heidi 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been used as a bio stimulatory tool for adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs). The goal of this in vitro research was to examine the effects of combined and/or single applications of near infra-red (NIR) and green PBM using 5 J/cm2 on ADMSCs. The results indicated that the viability of ADMSCs are not affected by single or combined wavelengths of 525 and 825 nm at 5 J/cm2. However, PBM significantly stimulated cell metabolism seen by an increase in proliferation, it also upregulated intracellular ROS and MMP using 825 nm and 525 nm wavelengths. The combined wavelength irradiation mimicked results found for 825 nm during ATP measurement, cell concentration and migration rate, however significant MMP stimulation and increased ROS production was achieved. In conclusion, results indicate that the combination wavelengths of 525 and 825 nm can be used in the expansion and differentiation of ADMSCs for regenerative purposes.
Gastrocnemius Muscle Flap with Vancomycin/gentamicin-calcium Sulphate and Autogenous Iliac Bone Graft for the Phase Ⅰ Treatment of Localized Osteomyelitis after Tibial Plateau Fracture Surgery
Authors: Ruan Weiwei , Li Menglu , Guo Qiaofeng , Lin Bingyuan 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the clinical effect of gastrocnemius muscle flaps combined with vancomycin /gentamicin-calcium sulphate combined and autologous iliac bone graft in the phase Ⅰ treatment of traumatic focal osteomyelitis (Cierny-Mader type III) after tibial plateau fracture surgery.Methods: From July 2009 to January 2018, 35 patients with localized osteomyelitis (Cierny-Mader type III) who met the inclusion criteria were followed up and treated. All patients were infected after undergoing internal fracture fixation surgery. Among them, 18 cases were plate-exposed, 14 cases were due to sinus tracts, two were due to skin necrosis, and one was bone-exposed. We treated patients with several measures. All cases were then followed up. The follow-up indicators included: Hospital for Special Surgery knee scores (HSS), the time of laying drainage pipe, bone healing time, infection control rate, and the incidence of nonunion and other complications.Results: All patients were followed up for 24-60 months. None of them underwent amputation. For repairing soft tissue defects, 17 cases were covered with a muscle flap using the medial head of gastrocnemius alone, 15 cases were treated with the lateral head of gastrocnemius muscle, and three cases were covered with the combination of the two heads. Compared to the preoperative score, we found at that the average HSS improved at the one-year and two-year follow up (54 vs. 86 vs. 87).Conclusion: Using a gastrocnemius muscle flap combined with vancomycin/gentamicin-calcium sulfate and autogenous iliac bone was an effective method for the phase Ⅰ treatment of osteomyelitis (Cierny-Mader type III) after tibial plateau fracture surgery. In the primary treatment of focal traumatic osteomyelitis, it can decrease the treatment time, number of surgeries, pain of patients, time of bone healing, postoperative exudation, and infection recurrence rate and increase the healing bone’s strength.
Observing Deep Radiomics for the Classification of Glioma Grades
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuma , Miyake Mototaka , Takahashi Masamichi , Hamamoto Ryuji 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Deep learning is promising for medical image analysis because it can automatically acquire meaningful representations from raw data. However, a technical challenge lies in the difficulty of determining which types of internal representation are associated with a specific task, because feature vectors, which collectively constitute the feature maps, can vary dynamically according to individual inputs. Therefore, based on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of gliomas, we propose a novel technique to extract a shareable set of feature vectors that encode various parts in tumor imaging phenotypes. Because the set of feature vectors is shared across a population, it can be used in other downstream tasks as if these feature vectors are imaging markers. Then, based on the feature vectors, a classifier is established using logistic regression to predict the glioma grade, and an accuracy of 90% is achieved. Besides, we develop an algorithm to visualize the image region encoded by each feature vector, and demonstrate that the classification model preferentially relies on feature vectors associated with the presence or absence of contrast enhancement in tumor regions. The proposed method provides a data-driven approach to enhance the understanding of physicians on the imaging appearance of gliomas.
How a Sample of English Stop Smoking Services and Vape Shops Adapted During the Early Covid-19 Pandemic: a Mixed-methods Cross Sectional Survey
Authors: Cox Sharon , Ward Emma , Ross Louise , Notley Caitlin 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background: The early 2020 Covid-19 outbreak in England led to major changes in delivery of support via stop smoking services (SSS) and to the widespread temporary closure of bricks and mortar e-cigarette retailers, indicating serious disruption to the overall level of support available for smokers trying to quit. At the same time, there was a publicised public health campaign calling for smokers to ‘Quit for Covid’. The impact of disruptions across the smoking cessation support landscape has not been fully documented. The purpose of this study was to capture how SSS and vape shops in England were affected and adapted their ‘business as usual’ during the early months of Covid-19 outbreak.Method: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between March-July 2020. Surveys were disseminated through online networks, professional forums and contacts. Open-ended qualitative responses were coded using thematic analysis.Results: SSS were able to adapt during this period. A high percentage (74.6%) of vape shops had to close and were unable to make changes; 71.2% report business declining. For both services qualitative data revealed practical challenges to adapting, but also new pathways to support and co-working. Conclusion: The closure of vape shops appears to have most impacted smaller bricks and mortar shops affecting businesses by decline in customers and impacting staff (furlough). For those services that could stay open there may be lessons learned in how to support vulnerable and disadvantaged smokers by considering new pathways to support.
Being a Mentor in Open Source Projects
Authors: Steinmacher Igor , Balali Sogol , Trinkenreich Bianca , Guizani Mariam , Izquierdo-Cortazar Daniel , Zambrano Grizelda G. Cuevas , Gerosa Marco Aurelio , Sarma Anita 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
A well-known way to help newcomers overcome initial contribution challenges is mentoring. This strategy has proven effective in offline and online communities, and to some extent has been employed in Open Source Software (OSS) projects. Through mentoring, newcomers are trained to acquire the technical, social, and organizational skills they need. Despite the importance of OSS mentors, they are under studied in the literature. Understanding who mentors in OSS projects are, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use can help OSS projects better understand and support mentors' work. In this paper, we investigate the OSS mentors' perspectives by employing a two-stage study. First, we understand the characteristics of the mentors in a large OSS community through a large-scale online survey in the Apache Software Foundation. We found that contributors who are volunteers and less experienced are less likely to take on the role of mentoring. Second, we identify the challenges that mentors face and how they mitigate these challenges through interviews with OSS mentors (n=18). In total, we identified 25 general mentorship challenges and 7 sub-categories of challenges regarding task recommendation. We also identified 13 strategies to overcome these challenges. Our results provide insights for OSS communities, formal mentorship programs like Outreachy, and tool builders who design automated support for task assignment and internship.
Ethnobotanical study on traditional medicinal recorded in the Naxi Dongba Sutras
Authors: Li Haitao , Li Zhiyong , Zhang Xiaobo , Yang Shaohua , Chen Cui , Yang Qingning , He Chengfeng , Song Jingyuan , Liu Jianqin 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background: The Naxi people, living in Southwest China, have a long history and a rich characteristic culture. Their ancestors recorded their life practices by ancient hieroglyphs and gradually formed the Dongba Sutras, which, among other knowledge, included the traditional knowledge of Naxi medicine. In the past, most studies on the Dongba Sutras focused on the humanistic culture of Naxi people, whereas studies have rarely focused on Naxi herbal medicinal plants described in the Dongba Sutras. Studying this aspect is helpful for exploring the traditional culture of Naxi people from the perspective of traditional medicine.Methods: From February to September 2019, we screened the medicinal plants from the Dongba Sutras with the help of Dongba. Then, we carried out field investigatios and collected voucher specimens of traditional medicinal plants with the help of 104 Naxi folk healers. The specimens were identified and stored in the Herbarium of Yunnan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plants, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMDY). Through semi-structured interviews, we obtained ethnobotanical information of medicinal plants. The obtained quantitative data were analysed using the informant consensus factor (ICF) method and the number of citations.Results: A total 85 species of medicinal plants belonging to 51 families and 71 genera were recorded in the Dongba Sutras. Among them, 25 species were endemic to China, and eight species were only distributed in Naxi distribution areas. These medicinal plants were mainly obtained from the wild, and 22 species could be used as food. The most frequent method of taking medicinal materials was oral-taking after decoction, followed by topical and sometimes buccal. The methods of processing these medicinal materials included water decoction, warm water flushing, and drinking after soaking. The medicinal plants in the Dongba Sutras are used to treat 96 conditions classified into 13 disease groups according to the International Classification of Primary Care second edition. Further analysis indicated that most of these plant species were utilised for treating diseases from the digestive (D) group, followed by the those from the respiratory (R) group, musculoskeletal (L) group, general, and unspecified (A) group. Moreover, the Naxi people have high consensus on the treatments of diseases from these four pathological groups. Conclusions: Naxi traditional medicine is simple and unique. The ancient Naxi people recorded their highly developed medical culture in the Dongba Sutras. Natural plant resources found around them were their primary choices for both medicine and diet therapy. The ecological ethics of Naxi people have positive significance for the conservation of wild resources in their area.
Estimation of the SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate in Germany
Authors: Dimpfl Thomas , Sönksen Jantje , Bechmann Ingo , Grammig Joachim 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Assessing the infection fatality rate (IFR) of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the most controversial issues during the pandemic. Due to asymptomatic or mild courses of COVID-19, many infections remain undetected. Reported case fatality rates - COVID-19-associated deaths divided by number of detected infections - are therefore poor estimates of the IFR. Endogenous changes of the population at risk of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, changing test practices and an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 further exacerbate the estimation of the IFR. Here, we propose a strategy to estimate the IFR of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany that combines official data on reported cases and fatalities supplied by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) with data from seroepidemiological studies in two infection hotspots, the Austrian town Ischgl and the German municipality Gangelt, respectively. For this purpose, we use the law of total probability to derive an approximate formula for the IFR that is based on a set of assumptions regarding data quality and test specificity and sensitivity. The resulting estimate of the IFR in Germany of 0.83% (95% CI: [0.69%; 0.98%]) that is based on a combination of the RKI and Ischgl data is notably higher than the IFR estimate reported in the Gangelt study (0.36% [0.29%; 0.45%]). It is closer to the consolidated estimate based on a meta-analysis (0.68% [0.53%; 0.82%]), where the difference can be explained by Germany's disadvantageous age structure. As a result of virus mutations, vaccination strategies, and improved therapy, a re-estimation of the IFR will eventually be mandated; the proposed method is able to account for such developments.