bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Patient Support Groups in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Authors: Kolarova Teodora , Bouvier Catherine 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to establish the role patient support groups play in NENs.

Recent Findings
Published data on the role and work done by these groups is extremely sparse, so the review references publications in the wider cancer advocacy context. For the purposes of the review, a survey was carried out among the members of a global umbrella organization to ascertain the level of activities undertaken in support of the NEN patient community.

Summary
The concept of “support groups” has changed significantly, as these groups have evolved from patient peer-to-peer support provision to a strategic focus on improving awareness and education among all stakeholders, generating patient evidence to influence policies for access to optimal diagnostics, treatment, and care, and setting the research agenda. Today, NEN patient organizations have an instrumental role of catalysts of change across the healthcare spectrum—especially relevant in a setting of less common and not well-understood diseases, where clear pathways and guidelines are still a challenge.
Spreading of performance fluctuations on real-world project networks
Authors: Pozzana Iacopo , Ellinas Christos , Kalogridis Georgios , Sakellariou Konstantinos 
Published: March 2021

AbstractUnderstanding the role of individual nodes is a key challenge in the study of spreading processes on networks. In this work we propose a novel metric, the reachability-heterogeneity (RH), to quantify the contribution of each node to the robustness of the network against a spreading process. We then introduce a dataset consisting of four large engineering projects described by their activity networks, including records of the performance of each activity, i.e., whether it was timely delivered or delayed; such data, describing the spreading of performance fluctuations across activities, can be used as a reliable ground truth for the study of spreading phenomena on networks. We test the validity of the RH metric on these project networks, and discover that nodes scoring low in RH tend to consistently perform better. We also compare RH and seven other node metrics, showing that the former is highly interdependent with activity performance. Given the context agnostic nature of RH, our results, based on real-world data, signify the role that network structure plays with respect to overall project performance.
Combined application of biochar with fertilizer promotes nitrogen uptake in maize by increasing nitrogen retention in soil
Authors: Peng Jing , Han Xiaori , Li Na , Chen Kun , Yang Jinfeng , Zhan Xiumei , Luo Peiyu , Liu Ning 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCombined application of biochar with fertilizers has been used to increase soil fertility and crop yield. However, the coupling mechanisms through which biochar improves crop yield at field scale and the time span over which biochar affects carbon and nitrogen transformation and crop yield are still little known. In this study, a long-term field trial (2013–2019) was performed in brown soil planting maize. Six treatments were designed: CK—control; NPK—application of chemical fertilizers; C1PK—low biochar without nitrogen fertilizer; C1NPK, C2NPK and C3NPK—biochar at 1.5, 3 and 6 t ha−1, respectively, combined with chemical fertilizers. Results showed that the δ15N value in the topsoil of 0–20 cm layer in the C3NPK treatment reached a peak of 291 ‰ at the third year (2018), and demonstrated a peak of 402 ‰ in the NPK treatment in the initial isotope trial in 2016. Synchronously, SOC was not affected until the third to fourth year after biochar addition, and resulted in a significant increase in total N of 2.4 kg N ha−1 in 2019 in C3NPK treatment. During the entire experiment, the 15N recovery rates of 74–80% were observed highest in the C2NPK and C3NPK treatments, resulting in an annual increase in yields significantly. The lowest subsoil δ15N values ranged from 66‰ to 107‰, and the 15N residual rate would take 70 years for a complete decay to 0.001% in the C3NPK. Our findings suggest that biochar compound fertilizers can increase C stability and N retention in soil and improve N uptake by maize, while the loss of N was minimized. Biochars, therefore, may have an important potential for improving the agroecosystem and ecological balance.
Graphic abstract
Winter activity of boreal bats
Authors: Blomberg Anna S. , Vasko Ville , Meierhofer Melissa B. , Johnson Joseph S. , Eeva Tapio , Lilley Thomas M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNatural hibernation sites used by bats in areas that lack cave features have long remained unresolved. To investigate hibernation site selection and winter activity of boreal bats, we recorded bat calls using passive acoustic monitoring at 16 sites in South-Western Finland. These sites included four rock outcrops with crevices and cave features, three glacial erratics or boulder fields, three ancient shores, three root cellars and three control sites where we did not expect bats to be overwintering. Our results revealed echolocation calls of Eptesicus nilssonii, Plecotus auritus and Myotis sp. We recorded significantly more activity near rock outcrops compared to other habitats, excluding root cellars. We also found that ambient temperature had a positive effect on bat activity and found evidence that P. auritus may be using low barometric pressure as a proxy for suitable foraging conditions during the winter. Our results suggest that rock outcrops may be more important to bats than previously acknowledged, highlighting the need to take these sites in account in planning of conservation measures. Furthermore, our findings underline the suitability of using acoustic monitoring in homing on hibernation sites that are not otherwise accessible.
Can multidrug-resistant organisms become resistant to ultraviolet (UV) light following serial exposures? Characterization of post-UV genomic changes using whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Choi Hosoon , Chatterjee Piyali , Hwang Munok , Stock Eileen M. , Lukey Janell S. , Zeber John E. , Jinadatha Chetan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectives:No-touch disinfection systems like xenon- or mercury-based ultraviolet (UV) are now commonly being used for hospital room disinfection. However, serial exposure to UV light can potentially lead to the development of bacterial resistance. We sought to determine whether UV resistance develops due to serial exposure to UV light using 3 epidemiologically important multidrug-resistant microbial strains.Methods:Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenemase–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC) and metallo-β-lactamase–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (MBL) were serially exposed to 25 growth-irradiation cycles of UV produced by a xenon-based UV (Xe-UV) lamp for 5 minutes or a mercury-based UV (Hg-UV) lamp for 10 minutes. After each UV exposure cycle, the surviving colony-forming units (CFUs) were measured and compared with the initial inoculum of each cycle for each strain, respectively.Results:In each cycle, ˜1–10 million of MRSA, KPC, and MBL were used to test the effect of UV irradiation. Postexposure colony counts remained low (3–100 colonies) throughout the 25 serial exposures to both xenon- and mercury-based UV. The log-kill rate after each exposure showed no changes following UV disinfection by Xe-UV. The MRSA log-kill rate increased after repeated exposure to Hg-UV unlike KPC and MBL K. pneumoniae, which did not change. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analyses performed on these 3 strains demonstrated no significant genetic changes after multiple UV irradiation cycles.Conclusions:Exposure of multidrug-resistant bacteria to UV produced from 2 different UV sources did not engender UV resistance after 25 serial exposures, as demonstrated by WGS analysis; thus, UV disinfection is unlikely to generate UV-resistant hospital flora.
Production and perception of the Pin-Penmerger
Authors: Austen Martha 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis study presents the first US-wide survey of thepin-penmerger since Labov, Ash & Boberg (2006). Production and perception data were collected from 277 speakers from across the country, with perception-only data from an additional 94 speakers; these data largely replicated previous findings about the social and geographic distribution of the merger. An examination of production and perception data together showed that near merger—in which speakers cannothearthe difference betweenpinandpenwords, yet pronounce them differently—was relatively common, although this phenomenon has received little attention in the literature on the merger. Additionally, an investigation of how merged speakers phonetically realized their mergedpin-penvowel revealed that, in contrast to previous findings, speakers were equally as likely to merge to [ɛ] (tw[ɛ]nfortwin) as they were to [i] (h[i]nforhen). However, there was no apparent social or geographic patterning to this phonetic realization.
Metabolic and nutritional responses of Nile tilapia juveniles to dietary methionine sources
Authors: Teodósio Rita , Engrola Sofia , Cabano Miguel , Colen Rita , Masagounder Karthik , Aragão Cláudia 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCommercial diets for tilapia juveniles contain high levels of plant protein sources. Soybean meal has been utilised due to its high protein content; however, soy-based diets are limited in methionine (Met) and require its supplementation to fulfil fish requirements. dl-Methinone (dl-Met) and Ca bis-methionine hydroxyl analogue (MHA-Ca) are synthetic Met sources supplemented in aquafeeds, which may differ in biological efficiency due to structural differences. The present study evaluated the effect of both methionine sources on metabolism and growth of Nile tilapia. A growth trial was performed using three isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets, containing plant ingredients as protein sources: DLM and MHA diets were supplemented on equimolar levels of Met, while REF diet was not supplemented. Hepatic free Met and one-carbon metabolites were determined in fish fed for 57 d. Metabolism of dl-Met and MHA was analysed by an in vivo time-course trial using 14C-labelled tracers. Only dl-Met supplementation significantly increased final body weight and improved feed conversion and protein efficiency ratios compared with the REF diet. Our findings indicate that Met in DLM fed fish follows the transsulphuration pathway, while in fish fed MHA and REF diets it is remethylated. The in vivo trial revealed that 14C-dl-Met is absorbed faster and more retained than 14C-MHA, resulting in a greater availability of free Met in the tissues when fish is fed with DLM diet. Our study indicates that dietary dl-Met supplementation improves growth performance and N retention, and that Met absorption and utilisation are influenced by the dietary source in tilapia juveniles.
Strain-partitioned dextral transpression in the Great Boundary Fault Zone around Chittaurgarh, NW Indian Shield
Authors: Srivastava Deepak C. , Goswami Ajanta , Sahay Amit 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDelimiting the Aravalli mountain range in the east, the Great Boundary Fault (GBF) occurs as a crustal-scale tectonic lineament in the NW Indian Shield. The structural and tectonic characteristics of the GBF are, as yet, not well-understood. We attempt to fill this gap by using a combination of satellite image processing, high-resolution outcrop mapping and structural analysis around Chittaurgarh. The study area exposes the core and damage zone of the GBF. Three successive phases of folding, F1, F2 and F3, are associated with deformation in the GBF. The large-scale structural characteristics of the GBF core are: (i) a non-coaxial refolding of F1 folds by F2 folds; and (ii) the parallelism between the GBF and F2 axial traces. In addition, numerous metre-scale ductile shear zones cut through the rocks in the GBF core. The damage zone is characterized by the large-scale F1 folds and the mesoscopic-scale strike-slip faults, thrusts and brittle-ductile shear zones. Several lines of evidence, such as the inconsistent overprinting relationship between the strike-slip faults and thrusts, the occurrence of en échelon folds and the palaeostress directions suggest that the GBF is a dextral transpression fault zone. Structural geometry and kinematic indicators imply a wrench- and contraction-dominated deformation in the core and damage zone, respectively. We infer that the GBF is a strain-partitioned dextral transpression zone.
Essential oils fromOcimum basilicumcultivars: analysis of their composition and determination of the effect of the major compounds onHaemonchus contortuseggs
Authors: Sousa A.I.P. , Silva C.R. , Costa-Júnior H.N. , Silva N.C.S. , Pinto J.A.O. , Blank A.F. , Soares A.M.S. , Costa-Júnior L.M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe continuous use of synthetic anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) has resulted in the increased resistance, which is why alternative methods are being sought, such as the use of natural products. Plant essential oils (EOs) have been considered as potential products for the control of GINs. However, the chemical composition and, consequently, the biological activity of EOs vary in different plant cultivars. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of EOs from cultivars ofOcimum basilicumL. and that of their major constituents againstHaemonchus contortus.The EOs from 16 cultivars as well the pure compound linalool, methyl chavicol, citral and eugenol were used in the assessment of the inhibition ofH. contortusegg hatch. In addition, the composition of three cultivars was simulated using a combination of the two major compounds from each. The EOs from different cultivars showed mean Inhibition Concentration (IC50) varying from 0.56 to 2.22 mg/mL. The cultivar with the highest egg-hatch inhibition, Napoletano, is constituted mainly of linalool and methyl chavicol. Among the individual compounds tested, citral was the most effective (IC500.30 mg/mL). The best combination of compounds was obtained with 11% eugenol plus 64% linalool (IC500.44 mg/mL), simulating the Italian Large Leaf (Richters) cultivar. We conclude that different cultivars ofO. basilicumshow different anthelmintic potential, with cultivars containing linalool and methyl chavicol being the most promising; and that citral or methyl chavicol isolated should also be considered for the development of new anthelmintic formulations.
High rate of loss to follow-up and virological non-suppression in HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy highlights the need to improve quality of care in South Africa
Authors: van Liere Geneviève A. F. S. , Lilian Rivka , Dunlop Jackie , Tait Carol , Rees Kate , Mabitsi Moya , Ranoto Lucy , Struthers Helen E. , McIntyre James A. , Peters Remco P. H. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Provision of high-quality care and ensuring retention of children on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are essential to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated morbidity and mortality. Virological non-suppression (≥1000 viral copies/ml) is an indication of suboptimal HIV care and support. This retrospective cohort study included ART-naïve children who initiated first-line ART between July 2015 and August 2017 in Johannesburg and rural Mopani district. Of 2739 children started on ART, 29.5% (807/2739) were lost to care at the point of analysis in August 2018. Among retained children, overall virological non-suppression was 30.2% (469/1554). Virological non-suppression was associated with higher loss to care 30.3% (229/755) compared with suppressed children (9.7%, 136/1399, P < 0.001). Receiving treatment in Mopani was associated with virological non-suppression in children under 5 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–2.4), 5–9 years (aOR 1.8 (1.1–3.0)) and 10–14 years (aOR 1.9 (1.2–2.8)). Virological non-suppression was associated with lower CD4 count in children 5–9 years (aOR 2.1 (1.1–4.1)) and 10–14 years (aOR 2.1 (1.2–3.8)). Additional factors included a shorter time on ART (<5 years aOR 1.8–3.7 (1.3–8.2)), and male gender (5–9 years, aOR1.5 (1.01–2.3)), and receiving cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (10–14 years aOR 2.0 (1.2–3.6)). In conclusion, virological non-suppression is a factor of subsequent programme loss in both regions, and factors affecting the quality of care need to be addressed to achieve the third UNAIDS 90 in paediatric HIV.
Everyday Executive Function and Self-Awareness in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum
Authors: Mangum Ryan W. , Miller Justin S. , Brown Warren S. , Nolty Anne A.T. , Paul Lynn K. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjective:Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is associated with a range of cognitive deficits, including mild to moderate problems in higher order executive functions evident in neuropsychological assessments. Previous research has also suggested a lack of self-awareness in persons with AgCC.Method:We investigated daily executive functioning and self-awareness in 36 individuals with AgCC by analyzing self-ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), as well as ratings on the same instrument from close relatives. Discrepancies between self- and informant-ratings were compared to the normative sample and exploratory analyses examined possible moderating effects of participant and informant characteristics.Results:Significant deficiencies were found in the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognitive indices for both the self and informant results, with elevated frequency of metacognition scores in the borderline to clinical range. Informants also endorsed elevated frequency of borderline to clinically significant behavioral regulation scores. The proportion of AgCC participants whose self-ratings indicated less metacognitive impairment than informant-ratings was greater than in the normative sample. Self-ratings of behavioral regulation impairment decreased with age and informant-ratings of metacognition were higher in males than females.Conclusions:These findings provide evidence that individuals with AgCC experience mild to moderate executive functioning problems in everyday behavior which are observed by others. Results also suggest a lack of self-understanding or insight into the severity of these problems in the individuals with AgCC, particularly with respect to their metacognitive functioning.
Environmental incentives facing private information
Authors: Wirl Franz 
Published: March 2021

AbstractEnvironmental incentives are characterized by two distinct features: (1) a benefit-cost trade-off; and (2) private information about the trade-off. This suggests a degree of freedom of where to attach the private information, either to the benefit or the costs, as long as these choices imply the same behavior absent incentives (‘observation equivalent’). However, we show that different observation equivalent specifications can lead to different incentives. This is demonstrated for two cases: rainforest protection and contributions to a public good. Therefore, the choice of a private information parameter must be justified against observation equivalent alternatives.
Abnormal Activities of Tropical Cyclones in 2019 Over the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Moon M. , Ha K.‐J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractApproximately, 25.6 tropical cyclones (TCs) occur in the western North Pacific (WNP) each year, of which 3.4 TCs affect the Korean Peninsula (KP). In 2019, a record of seven TCs affected the KP. We investigated and elucidated the favorable conditions influencing the TCs approaching the KP using the Weather Research and Forecasting model version 4.0 (WRFv4). The cold Maritime Continent‐warm WNP sea surface temperature (SST) was found to be a major factor. The effect of the SST gradient was examined for one representative case using WRFv4 with varying SST anomalies. This study suggests that the SST gradient‐induced change in the circulation over the Maritime Continent is a main factor causing the TCs to approach the KP.
Summer Air Temperature for the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (770–2019 CE) Over 1,250 Years
Authors: Heeter Karen J. , Rochner Maegen L. , Harley Grant L. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractProjected warming of global surface air temperatures will further exacerbate droughts, wildfires, and other agents of ecosystem stress. We use latewood blue intensity from high‐elevation Picea engelmannii to reconstruct late‐summer maximum air temperature for the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (GYE) spanning 770–2019 CE. Using a robust regression model (r2 = 0.60), the 1,250‐year reconstruction reveals 2016 as the single‐warmest year and the warming trend since ca. 2000 as the most intense. The Medieval Climate Anomaly contained the highest‐ranking warm event (1050–1070 CE) and was characterized by substantial multidecadal variability rather than a period of prolonged, homogeneous warming. We document regional expression of past warm and cool events, such as an anomalously warm period spanning the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries, and the Maunder and Dalton minima of the Little Ice Age. Summer temperature variability across the GYE shows multicentennial agreement with trends in solar irradiance, volcanic activity, snowpack, and other regional‐to‐hemispheric temperature records.
Changes in the brain structural connectome after a prospective randomized clinical trial of lithium and quetiapine treatment in youth with bipolar disorder
Authors: Lei Du , Li Wenbin , Tallman Maxwell J. , Patino L. Rodrigo , McNamara Robert K. , Strawn Jeffrey R. , Klein Christina C. , Nery Fabiano G. , Fleck David E. , Qin Kun , Ai Yuan , Yang Jing , Zhang Wenjing , Lui Su , Gong Qiyong , Adler Caleb M. , Sweeney John A. , DelBello Melissa P. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe goals of the current study were to determine whether topological organization of brain structural networks is altered in youth with bipolar disorder, whether such alterations predict treatment outcomes, and whether they are normalized by treatment. Youth with bipolar disorder were randomized to double-blind treatment with quetiapine or lithium and assessed weekly. High-resolution MRI images were collected from children and adolescents with bipolar disorder who were experiencing a mixed or manic episode (n = 100) and healthy youth (n = 63). Brain networks were constructed based on the similarity of morphological features across regions and analyzed using graph theory approaches. We tested for pretreatment anatomical differences between bipolar and healthy youth and for changes in neuroanatomic network metrics following treatment in the youth with bipolar disorder. Youth with bipolar disorder showed significantly increased clustering coefficient (Cp) (p = 0.009) and characteristic path length (Lp) (p = 0.04) at baseline, and altered nodal centralities in insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and supplementary motor area. Cp, Lp, and nodal centrality of the insula exhibited normalization in patients following treatment. Changes in these neuroanatomic parameters were correlated with improvement in manic symptoms but did not differ between the two drug therapies. Baseline structural network matrices significantly differentiated medication responders and non-responders with 80% accuracy. These findings demonstrate that both global and nodal structural network features are altered in early course bipolar disorder, and that pretreatment alterations in neuroanatomic features predicted treatment outcome and were reduced by treatment. Similar connectome normalization with lithium and quetiapine suggests that the connectome changes are a downstream effect of both therapies that is related to their clinical efficacy.