bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Central obesity, smoking habit, and hypertension are associated with lower antibody titres in response to COVID‐19 mRNA vaccine
Authors: Watanabe Mikiko , Balena Angela , Tuccinardi Dario , Tozzi Rossella , Risi Renata , Masi Davide , Caputi Alessandra , Rossetti Rebecca , Spoltore Maria Elena , Filippi Valeria , Gangitano Elena , Manfrini Silvia , Mariani Stefania , Lubrano Carla , Lenzi Andrea , Mastroianni Claudio , Gnessi Lucio 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAimsTo explore variables associated with the serological response following COVID‐19 mRNA vaccine.MethodsEighty‐six healthcare workers adhering to the vaccination campaign against COVID‐19 were enrolled in January–February 2021. All subjects underwent two COVID‐19 mRNA vaccine inoculations (Pfizer/BioNTech) separated by 3 weeks. Blood samples were collected before the 1st and 1–4 weeks after the second inoculation. Clinical history, demographics, and vaccine side effects were recorded. Baseline anthropometric parameters were measured, and body composition was performed through dual‐energy‐X‐ray absorptiometry.ResultsHigher waist circumference was associated with lower antibody (Ab) titres (R = −0.324, p = 0.004); smokers had lower levels compared to non‐smokers [1099 (1350) vs. 1921 (1375), p = 0.007], as well as hypertensive versus normotensive [650 ± 1192 vs. 1911 (1364), p = 0.001] and dyslipideamic compared to those with normal serum lipids [534 (972) vs 1872 (1406), p = 0.005]. Multivariate analysis showed that higher waist circumference, smoking, hypertension, and longer time elapsed since second vaccine inoculation were associated with lower Ab titres, independent of BMI, age. and gender.ConclusionsCentral obesity, hypertension, and smoking are associated with lower Ab titres following COVID‐19 vaccination. Although it is currently impossible to determine whether lower SARS‐CoV‐2 Abs lead to higher likelihood of developing COVID‐19, it is well‐established that neutralizing antibodies correlate with protection against several viruses including SARS‐CoV‐2. Our findings, therefore, call for a vigilant approach, as subjects with central obesity, hypertension, and smoking could benefit from earlier vaccine boosters or different vaccine schedules.
Automated analysis of lateral river connectivity and fish stranding risks. Part 2: Juvenile Chinook salmon stranding at a river rehabilitation site
Authors: Larrieu Kenneth G. , Pasternack Gregory B. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe dynamics of fish stranding have not been academically investigated within the context of physical adjustments to rivers for habitat enhancement purposes. River projects may aim to help fish populations but instead may function as attractive nuisances reducing populations because of unaccounted‐for stranding risk. This study applies a novel algorithm to predict spatially explicit, meter‐resolution fish stranding risk at a river rehabilitation site in California to address three scientific questions. Postproject disconnected wetted area predictions were validated against water surface elevation measurements and time lapse photography of flow reductions and stranding events. A comparison of preproject, final design, and postproject topographies revealed that the occurrence and severity of stranding events is highly sensitive to side‐channel topographic structure and postproject morphodynamic change. Even with moderate flows, side‐channel exits tend to close off by bars built across them via bedload transport. Implications for river management practices and river rehabilitation project design are discussed.
Development of an environmental DNA assay for detecting multiple shark species involved in human–shark conflicts in Australia
Authors: van Rooyen Anthony , Miller Adam D. , Clark Zach , Sherman Craig D. H. , Butcher Paul A. , Rizzari Justin R. , Weeks Andrew R. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe number of human–shark interactions has increased worldwide during the past decade resulting in injuries and fatalities. In Australia, the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are responsible for the majority of fatal incidents. On the southeast coast of Australia, monitoring programs currently rely on SMART (Shark‐Management‐Alert‐in‐Real‐Time) drumlines and mesh nets to catch, tag, and monitor shark movement. However, these methods are laborious, costly, and involve the capture of only a fraction of the total shark population. Here, we develop a multiplex environmental DNA assay capable of detecting all three shark species simultaneously from water samples by targeting conserved but specific mitochondrial sequences that are characteristic of each species. The specificity of the assay was validated by testing for cross‐amplification across a range of non‐target but co‐occurring shark species from eastern Australia. We test the sensitivity of the assay on water samples collected from shark capture events and sites where these shark species are known to frequent, and undertake DNA sequencing on positive samples to confirm species haplotype authenticity. Samples collected from one of these sites also demonstrate that eDNA detections are dependent on shark activity in the area. This assay will allow for rapid detection of DNA from each shark species in water samples, providing a cost‐effective alternative for monitoring sharks along the east coast of Australia and potentially elsewhere.
Right ventricular expression of NT‐proBNP adds predictive value to REVEAL score in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Chang Wei‐Ting , Shih Jhih‐Yuan , Hong Chon‐Seng , Lin Yu‐Wen , Chen Yi‐Chen , Ho Chung‐Han , Chen Zhih‐Cherng , Roan Jun‐Neng , Hsu Chih‐Hsin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAimsThe Registry to Evaluate Early and Long‐Term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) risk scores differentiate survivals in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, measurements of N‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) in the peripheral blood may not adequately reflect early‐stage decompensated heart failure (HF). Given that right heart catheterization (RHC) can facilitate measurements of intracardiac NT‐proBNP, in this study our aim was to evaluate the predictive role of right ventricular (RV) NT‐proBNP measurements in patients with PAH.Methods and resultsWe prospectively collected intracardiac blood samples for NT‐proBNP measurements from patients diagnosed with World Health Organization Group I PAH during RHC. Clinical information including the aetiology of PAH (idiopathic, connective tissue disease, or congenital heart disease) and REVEAL scores were recorded. The primary endpoint was hospitalization for decompensated HF; median duration of follow‐up was 28 months. Among the 62 patients evaluated, 12 reached the designated endpoint. REVEAL risk scores were higher among patients hospitalized for HF. We detected no significant differences in plasma NT‐proBNP levels in peripheral circulation, in the right atrium, or in pulmonary arterial blood; however, significantly higher levels of NT‐proBNP were detected in the RV in patients diagnosed with PAH. RV NT‐proBNP was a sensitive predictor (cut‐off value 1500 pg/mL) of subsequent hospitalization for HF. Our findings indicate that RV NT‐proBNP levels add predictive value to REVEAL scores with respect to future hospitalization due to HF.ConclusionsRight ventricular NT‐proBNP levels combined with REVEAL 2.0 could predict the development of subsequent HF in patients with PAH and may be a potential biomarker.
Brown Allylation: Application to the Synthesis of Natural Products
Authors: Boiarska Zlata , Braga Tommaso , Silvani Alessandra , Passarella Daniele 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAsymmetric allylation represents an important reaction applied in the natural product synthesis. The stereoselective introduction of an allyl group allows to obtain versatile chiral building blocks, which may further undergo various transformations due to the presence of the carbon–carbon double bond. In this review, we address the Brown allylation, which involves the conversion of aldehydes into homoallylic alcohols using B‐allyldiisopinocampheylborane as a chiral reagent. We provide a comprehensive overview of the reaction and highlight its application in the synthesis of natural products, while assessing its performance in comparison to other approaches. The total of 17 syntheses have been described, including the synthesis of biologically active macrolides disciformycin B, biselyngbyolide B, peloruside A, and gliomasolide A, bis‐piperidine alkaloid (−)‐anaferine and dysoxylactam A.
Efficient phenol degradation by laccase immobilized on functional magnetic nanoparticles in fixed bed reactor under high‐gradient magnetic field
Authors: Xia Ting‐Ting , Feng Mei , Liu Chun‐Lei , Liu Chun‐Zhao , Guo Chen 
Published: May 2021

AbstractEnzymatic degradation of emerging contaminants has gained great interest for the past few years. However, free enzyme often incurs high costs in practice. The immobilized laccase on the polyethylenimine (PEI)‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase) was fabricated to efficiently degrade phenolic compounds continuously in a newly fixed bed reactor under a high‐gradient magnetic field. The degradation rate of continuous treatment in the bed after 18 h was 2.38 times as high as that of batch treatment after six successive operations with the same treatment duration. Under the optimal conditions of volume fraction of nickel wires mesh, flow rate of phenol solution, phenol concentration, and Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase amount, the degradation rate of phenol kept over 70.30% in 48 h continuous treatment. The fixed bed reactor filled with Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase provided a promising avenue for the continuous biodegradation of phenolic compounds for industrial wastewater in practice.
Enhancing bioenergy production from food waste by in situ biomethanation: Effect of the hydrogen injection point
Authors: Okoro‐Shekwaga Cynthia Kusin , Ross Andrew , Camargo‐Valero Miller Alonso 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe increasing rate of food waste (FW) generation around the world is a growing environmental concern, notwithstanding, its valorisation through anaerobic digestion (AD) makes it a potential resource. Moreover, there is a growing demand to optimise the biomethane from AD for gas‐to‐grid (GtG) and vehicular applications. This has spurred researches on hydrogen gas (H2) injection into AD systems to enhance the biological conversion of H2 and carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4), a process known as biomethanation. A simplistic approach for biomethanation is to add H2 directly into working AD reactors (in situ biomethanation). However, a competition for the injected H2 towards other biological reactions besides H2/CO2 conversion to CH4 could follow, thus, reducing the efficiency of the system. Hence, this study was conducted to understand how different H2 injection points would affect H2/CO2 conversion to CH4 during FW in situ biomethanation, to identify an optimal injection point. Experiments were designed using H2 equivalent to 5% of the head‐space of the AD reactor at three injection points representing different stages of AD: before volatile fatty acids (VFA) accumulation, during VFA accumulation and at depleted VFA intermediates. Lower potential for competitive H2 consumption before the accumulation of VFA enabled a high H2/CO2 conversion to CH4. However, enhanced competition for soluble substrates during VFA accumulation reduced the efficiency of H2/CO2 conversion to CH4 when H2 was added at this stage. In general, 12%, 4% and 10% CH4 increases as well as 39%, 25% and 34% CO2 removal were obtained for H2 added before VFA accumulation, during VFA accumulation and at depleted VFA intermediates, respectively. For immediate integration of biomethanation with existing AD facilities, it is suggested that the required H2 be obtained biologically by dark fermentation.
Lotus seeds (Nelumbinis semen) as an emerging therapeutic seed: A comprehensive review
Authors: Arooj Muzalfa , Imran Saira , Inam‐ur‐Raheem Muhammad , Rajoka Muhammad Shahid Riaz , Sameen Aysha , Siddique Rabia , Sahar Amna , Tariq Shiza , Riaz Ayesha , Hussain Abid , Siddeeg Azhari , Aadil Rana Muhammad 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNelumbinis semen is commonly known as lotus seeds that have been used as a vegetable, functional food, and medicine for 7,000 years. These are low caloric, a rich source of multiple nutrients and bioactive constituents, which make it a unique therapeutic food. N. semen plays an important part in the physiological functions of the body. Nowadays, people are more conscious about their health and desire to treat disease naturally with minimal side effects. So, functional foods are getting popularity due to a wide range of essential constituents, which are associated to decrease the risk of chronic diseases. These bioactive compounds from seeds are involved in anti‐adipogenic, antioxidant, antitumor, cardiovascular, hepato‐protective, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐fertility, anti‐microbial, anti‐viral, hypoglycemic, etc. Moreover, the relationship between functional compounds along with their mechanism of action in the body, their extraction from the seeds for further research would be of great interest.
p70S6K on astrocytes protects dopamine neurons from 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium neurotoxicity
Authors: Kim Kyoung In , Baek Jeong Yeob , Chung Young Cheul , Nam Jin Han , Shin Won‐Ho , Jin Byung Kwan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractOur recent finding has demonstrated that astrocytes confer neuroprotection by endogenously producing ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) via transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, the possible molecular target for TRPV1‐mediated CNTF production and its neuroprotective effects on dopamine neurons were further investigated. For comparison, glial cell‐line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was also examined. The results show that TRPV1‐ribosomal protein 70 S6 kinase (p70S6K) signaling on astrocytes produces endogenous CNTF in the SN of MPP+‐lesioned rat. By marked contrast, the expression of GDNF on astrocytes is independent of TRPV1‐p70S6K signaling. Administration of a TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin, increases levels of phosphorylated p70S6K (p‐p70S6K; activation of p70S6K) on astrocytes, resulting in the survival of dopamine neurons and behavioral recovery through endogenous production of CNTF in the MPP+‐lesioned rat model of PD. Immunohistochemical analysis reveals expression of p‐p70S6K on astrocytes in the SN of PD patients, indicating relevance to human PD. The present in vivo data is the first to demonstrate that astrocytic TRPV1‐p70S6K signaling plays a pivotal role as endogenous neuroprotective, and it may constitute a novel therapeutic target for treating PD.
Surface‐Based Connectivity Integration: An atlas‐free approach to jointly study functional and structural connectivity
Authors: Cole Martin , Murray Kyle , St‐Onge Etienne , Risk Benjamin , Zhong Jianhui , Schifitto Giovanni , Descoteaux Maxime , Zhang Zhengwu 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThere has been increasing interest in jointly studying structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) derived from diffusion and functional MRI. Previous connectome integration studies almost exclusively required predefined atlases. However, there are many potential atlases to choose from and this choice heavily affects all subsequent analyses. To avoid such an arbitrary choice, we propose a novel atlas‐free approach, named Surface‐Based Connectivity Integration (SBCI), to more accurately study the relationships between SC and FC throughout the intra‐cortical gray matter. SBCI represents both SC and FC in a continuous manner on the white surface, avoiding the need for prespecified atlases. The continuous SC is represented as a probability density function and is smoothed for better facilitation of its integration with FC. To infer the relationship between SC and FC, three novel sets of SC‐FC coupling (SFC) measures are derived. Using data from the Human Connectome Project, we introduce the high‐quality SFC measures produced by SBCI and demonstrate the use of these measures to study sex differences in a cohort of young adults. Compared with atlas‐based methods, this atlas‐free framework produces more reproducible SFC features and shows greater predictive power in distinguishing biological sex. This opens promising new directions for all connectomics studies.
The role of family confidants and caregivers in the care of older cancer patients: Extending the concept of “shared decision‐making”
Authors: Gieseler Frank , Heidenreich Andreas , Schubert Jacqueline , Frielitz Fabian , Rehmann‐Sutter Christoph , Wörler Frank , Schües Christina , Hübner Joachim , Elsner Susanne , Block Katarina , Rody Achim , von Bubnoff Nikolas , Keck Tobias , Steimann Monika , Endsin Gero , Katalinic Alexander 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackground and aimsFamily caregivers play an important role in assisting their family members with cancer, but their influence on the treatment decision‐making process has not yet been adequately investigated. This exploratory study approached this topic via reconstructive methodology, focusing on assessing patient‐caregiver relationships.MethodsWe conducted semi‐structured interviews with 37 mostly elderly cancer patients (median age: 74 years) about the context of their diagnosis, treatment decision, and family support. Additionally, we interviewed 34 caregivers of cancer patients. Of these, 25 were related to patients interviewed. We analyzed the interviews via a multi‐step coding method informed by Grounded Theory methodology toward characterizing patient‐caregiver relationships, the treatment decision‐making process, and the caregivers' role therein.ResultsIn the majority of cases (86%), patients were being supported by caregivers. We categorized patient‐caregiver relationships in regards to the caregivers' involvement in the therapy decision‐making process. We found patient‐caregiver interaction patterns that indicate the potential of caregivers to decidedly influence the therapy decision‐making process. Yet, only in 38% of cases, a caregiver attended relevant patient‐physician‐consultations.ConclusionDepending on the nature of the patient‐caregiver relationship, the traditional concept of shared decision‐making, which assumes a dyadic relationship, needs to be extended toward a more dynamic concept in which caregivers should be involved more frequently. This could enable physicians to better understand a patient's reasons for or against a therapy proposal and ensure that the patient's wishes are communicated and considered. On the other hand, strong caregiver‐involvement bears risks of over‐stepping elderly patients' wishes, thus violating patient autonomy.
Issues in generating stochastic observables for hydrological models
Authors: Beven Keith 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis paper provides a historical review and critique of stochastic generating models for hydrological observables, from early generation of monthly discharge series, through flood frequency estimation by continuous simulation, to current weather generators. There are a number of issues that arise in such models, from uncertainties in the observational data on which such models must be based, to the potential persistence effects in hydroclimatic systems, the proper representation of tail behaviour in the underlying distributions, and the interpretation of future scenarios.
Longitudinal associations between metaphor understanding and peer relationships in middle childhood
Authors: Del Sette Paola , Ronchi Luca , Bambini Valentina , Lecce Serena 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMetaphor understanding is a pragmatic inferential skill that serves a social function in adulthood. The present longitudinal study was designed to investigate the existence and the direction of the associations between metaphor understanding and peer relationships in children. One‐hundred twenty‐six typically developing 9‐year‐old children were tested at baseline and a year later for their ability to understand metaphors (via the physical and mental metaphors task) and their peer relationships (through peer acceptance and rejection). Results showed a longitudinal and bidirectional association between metaphor understanding and peer rejection, but not peer acceptance. Children who were more rejected were less able to understand metaphors 1 year later and children who struggled in understanding metaphors were more rejected 1 year later. Results are discussed in light of existing theoretical models. Overall, these findings show that the social nature of metaphor traces back to peer relationships in children.
Factors affecting the adoption of BYOD in South African small and medium enterprises
Authors: Akin‐Adetoro Adedolapo , Kabanda Salah 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe advancement in technological development is now altering the conventional order in the diffusion of Information Technology innovation from a top‐down approach (organization to employees) to a bottom‐up approach (employees to organization). This change is more notable in developed economies and has led to the bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon, which promises increased productivity for employees and their organizations. There have been several studies on the corporate adoption of BYOD, but few have investigated this phenomenon from a small and medium enterprise (SME) perspective and from developing countries specifically. This study investigated the BYOD phenomenon in South African SMEs. The goal was to identify contextual factors influencing BYOD adoption. A conceptual framework using the Perceived EReadiness Model (PERM) was adopted. The study took an interpretive stance and was qualitative. Data was collected from SMEs using semi‐structured interviews and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The findings show that for BYOD to be adopted and institutionalized in an SME, there needs to be organizational and environmental readiness. Organizational readiness in terms of awareness, management support, business resources, human resources, employees' pressure, formal governance, and technological readiness. Environmental readiness in terms of market forces, support from industry, government readiness and the socio‐cultural factor. These readiness factors present both opportunities and challenges that SMEs in developing countries need to concentrate on as they prepare for and use BYOD.