bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A habitat analog approach establishes native plant communities on green roofs
Authors: Ksiazek‐Mikenas Kelly , Chaudhary V. Bala , Larkin Daniel J. , Skogen Krissa A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractNovel habitats can support biodiversity by amending what has been lost through urban development. However, the effects of fragmentation, disturbance, and altered availability of resources in cities can prevent many local plant species from establishing and persisting. Novel habitats like green roofs could be colonized by native plants if species could overcome particularly harsh environmental conditions. To do so, green roofs could be designed using a habitat analog approach wherein natural habitats with similar abiotic characteristics inform the potential species pool. In this study, we tested the efficacy of using a habitat analog approach to establish native plant communities on green roofs. We surveyed vegetation in 18 dry prairies of three subtypes (gravel hill, dolomite, and sand) and planted replicates of two communities (sand prairie and rock prairie, which combined gravel hill and dolomite) on green roofs to determine which prairie was the most suitable analog. We investigated the effect of three environmental variables on plant establishment, survival, and growth: soil continuity (continuous soil vs. isolated trays), planting method (seeds vs. pre‐grown seedlings), and the addition of native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. We determined the most suitable habitat analog and measured the effect of the environmental variables by conducting vegetation surveys in the experimental roof plots for three years. The experimental rock prairie communities more closely resembled the target than did the sand prairies, supporting the hypothesis that shared soil properties are important for establishing analogous plant communities in novel habitats. At the community level, survival and growth were higher in continuous soil, highlighting the importance of belowground components of constructed habitats. We found no effect of planting method or addition of native AM fungi on plant survival or growth. Overall, our results support using a habitat analog approach to select native species that support biodiversity in constructed novel habitats like green roofs.
Interaction between dietary and habitat niche breadth influences cetacean vulnerability to environmental disturbance
Authors: Cloyed Carl S. , Balmer Brian C. , Schwacke Lori H. , Wells Randall S. , Berens McCabe Elizabeth J. , Barleycorn Aaron A. , Allen Jason B. , Rowles Teresa K. , Smith Cynthia R. , Takeshita Ryan , Townsend Forrest I. , Tumlin Mandy C. , Zolman Eric S. , Carmichael Ruth H. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractEcosystems are experiencing elevated levels of disturbance, and species with narrower niches are often more vulnerable to disturbances. Niche breadth is often measured in terms of either diet or habitat use but diet and spatial use are infrequently considered in tandem. These different aspects of niche breadth potentially expose species to different types of disturbances; species with narrow dietary niches may be more affected by disturbances that alter trophic relationships, while species with narrow habitat niches may be more vulnerable to habitat loss and point‐source pollutants. We examined dietary and habitat niche breadth of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus truncatus, from three different nearshore sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Using stable isotopes, we determined proportional contributions of different prey groups to dolphin diets at each site and through time at one site. We used satellite‐linked telemetry at two sites to determine habitat use and site fidelity. Additionally, we examined the literature on cetacean diet, habitat use, movement, and IUCN status to determine relationships between niche breadth and population status for different species. Dolphin diets varied among sites as available prey varied, but Perciformes fish were the most frequently consumed prey. At the site for which we had temporal data, dolphins consumed more cephalopods in 2015 and 2018 but otherwise consumed primarily Perciformes fish. Dolphins had small utilization distributions and exhibited high site fidelity. Data from 31 cetacean species revealed that most species with vulnerable, threatened, or endangered IUCN statuses not only have specialized diets but also exhibit high site fidelity. Dolphins had diet characteristic of flexible generalists but were habitat specialists with high site fidelity. Dolphin populations in the GoM may have altered their diets in response to environmental changes that have altered community composition and trophic dynamics. On the other hand, their high site fidelity has exposed them to point‐source pollutants, such as oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, and freshwater. Our broader analysis of cetaceans confirmed that species with specialized diets and high site fidelity were the most vulnerable to disturbances, providing a framework to predict which nearshore dolphin populations, and cetaceans in general, are most vulnerable to environmental changes.
Benthic micro‐ and macro‐community succession and coral recruitment under overfishing and nutrient enrichment
Authors: Evensen Nicolas R. , Vanwonterghem Inka , Doropoulos Christopher , Gouezo Marine , Botté Emmanuelle S. , Webster Nicole S. , Mumby Peter J. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractHerbivory and nutrient availability are fundamental drivers of benthic community succession in shallow marine systems, including coral reefs. Despite the importance of early community succession for coral recruitment and recovery, studies characterizing the impact of top‐down and bottom‐up drivers on micro‐ and macrobenthic communities at scales relevant to coral recruitment are lacking. Here, a combination of tank and field experiments were used to assess the effects of herbivore exclusion and nutrient enrichment on micro‐ to macrobenthic community succession and subsequent coral recruitment success. Herbivore exclusion had the strongest effect on micro‐ and macrobenthic community succession, including a community shift toward copiotrophic and potentially opportunistic/pathogenic microorganisms, an increased cover of turf and macroalgae, and decreased cover of crustose coralline algae. Yet, when corals settled prior to the development of a macrobenthic community, rates of post‐settlement survival increased when herbivores were excluded, benefiting from the predation refugia provided by cages during their vulnerable early post‐settlement stage. Interestingly, survival on open tiles was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of the bacterial order Rhodobacterales, an opportunistic microbial group previously associated with stressed and diseased corals. Development of micro‐ and macrobenthic communities in the absence of herbivory, however, led to reduced coral settlement. In turn, there were no differences in post‐settlement survival between open and caged treatments for corals settled on tiles with established benthic communities. As a result, open tiles experienced marginally higher recruitment rates, driven primarily by the higher initial number of settlers on open tiles compared to caged tiles. Overall, we reveal that the primary interaction driving coral recruitment is the positive effect of herbivory in creating crustose coralline algae (CCA)‐dominated habitats, free of fleshy algae and associated opportunistic microbes, to enhance coral settlement. The negative direct and indirect impact of fish predation on newly settled corals was outweighed by the positive effect of herbivory on the initial rate of coral settlement. In turn, the addition of nutrients further altered benthic community succession in the absence of herbivory, reducing coral post‐settlement survival. However, the overall impact of nutrients on coral recruitment dynamics was minor relative to herbivory.
Optimizing an enclosed bead beating extraction method for microbial and fish environmental DNA
Authors: Anderson Sean R. , Thompson Luke R. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDNA extraction is a critical step in processing environmental DNA (eDNA), influencing biodiversity estimates and ecosystem monitoring. Sterivex filters have become popular for collecting aquatic eDNA, allowing for on‐site filtration and reduced contamination. Yet, extracting eDNA from an enclosed filter remains laborious. Recent methods have improved extraction of microbial DNA from Sterivex by adding lysis buffer and beads directly to the filter; however, it remains unclear how bead size affects eDNA recovery across multiple trophic levels. Further, the method has not been scaled up for 96‐well magnetic bead extraction kits and robotic manipulation. We collected surface water from Bear Cut (Biscayne Bay, Florida) and performed enclosed Sterivex DNA extractions with different bead size combinations (0.1, 0.5, 0.1 + 0.5 mm, and no beads) and two magnetic kits (Zymo and NucleoMag). We employed 16S and 12S rRNA gene metabarcoding to assess extraction effects on microbes (bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes) and bony fishes. We polled local experts to verify fish eDNA, revealing several non‐native taxa originating from a nearby aquarium. DNA yield, microbial richness, and diversity were not influenced by beads. Bacterial relative abundance (family to ASV) was conserved across bead treatments, while several hard‐to‐lyse eukaryotes (diatoms and chlorophytes) were less abundant (or absent) when extracted without beads. Higher fish richness was detected with larger beads; however, relative abundance and composition were not associated with beads, likely reflecting heterogeneity or low concentrations of fish compared to microbial eDNA. We recommend using larger or differently sized beads for Sterivex extractions to detect a range of marine life, with increased water volume (>2 L per filter) or replication as necessary to enhance fish eDNA capture.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Rapacciuolo Antonio , Iacopino Saverio , D'Onofrio Antonio , Curnis Antonio , Pisanò Ennio C. , Biffi Mauro , Della Bella Paolo , Dello Russo Antonio , Caravati Fabrizio , Zanotto Gabriele , Calvi Valeria , Rovaris Giovanni , Senatore Gaetano , Nicolis Daniele , Santamaria Matteo , Giammaria Massimo , Maglia Giampiero , Duca Antonio , Ammirati Giuseppe , Romano Salvo Andrea , Piacenti Marcello , Celentano Eduardo , Bisignani Giovanni , Vaccaro Paola , Miracapillo Gennaro , Bertini Matteo , Nigro Gerardo , Giacopelli Daniele , Gargaro Alessio , Bisceglia Caterina 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimsThere are conflicting data on the benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in heart failure (HF) patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to compare patient outcomes according to the presence or absence of permanent AF at device implantation.Methods and resultsWe retrospectively analysed remote monitoring data from 1141 CRT defibrillators. Propensity score with inverse‐probability weighting method was used to balance AF and sinus rhythm (SR) groups. Analysis endpoints included total mortality, appropriate defibrillation shocks, and CRT percentage. There were 229 patients (20.1%) in the AF group and 912 patients (79.9%) in the SR group. Compared with SR patients, AF patients were older (median age, 77 vs. 72 years, P < 0.001), more frequently male (82.5% vs. 75.5%, P = 0.02), and had higher heart rate (75.7 vs. 71.0 b.p.m., P < 0.001). Of the 229 AF patients, 162 (70.7%) received suboptimal CRT (<98%) and 67 (29.3%) had adequate CRT (≥98%). During a median follow‐up of 24 months, total mortality did not differ between AF and SR groups (propensity‐score‐weighted hazard ratio, HR 1.32 [95% confidence interval, 0.82–2.15], P = 0.25). The risk of appropriate shocks was significantly higher in the AF group with <98% CRT than in the SR group (weighted‐HR, 1.99 [1.21–3.26], P = 0.006) and was similar in the AF group with ≥98% CRT versus the SR group (1.29 [0.66–2.53], P = 0.45). During follow‐up, sinus rhythm was recovered in 23 patients in the AF group (10%) after a median time of 106 (42–256) days. The rate of sinus rhythm recovery in the AF group was 4.5 (95% CI, 2.8–6.7) per 100 patient‐years; the rate of permanent AF occurrence in the SR group was 2.5 (95% CI, 1.9–3.3) per 100 patient‐years.ConclusionsAlthough mortality was similar across patient groups, patients with permanent AF and suboptimal CRT had twofold higher risk of appropriate shocks than SR patients or AF patients with CRT ≥ 98%.
Recovery of cardiac function following COVID‐19 – ECHOVID‐19: a prospective longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Lassen Mats C.H. , Skaarup Kristoffer Grundtvig , Lind Jannie N. , Alhakak Alia S. , Sengeløv Morten , Nielsen Anne B. , Simonsen Jakob Ø. , Johansen Niklas D. , Davidovski Filip S. , Christensen Jacob , Bundgaard Henning , Hassager Christian , Jabbari Reza , Carlsen Jørn , Kirk Ole , Lindholm Matias G. , Kristiansen Ole P. , Nielsen Olav W. , Ulrik Charlotte S. , Sivapalan Pradeesh , Gislason Gunnar , Møgelvang Rasmus , Jensen Gorm B. , Schnohr Peter , Søgaard Peter , Solomon Scott D. , Iversen Kasper , Jensen Jens U.S. , Schou Morten , Biering‐Sørensen Tor 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimsThe degree of cardiovascular sequelae following COVID‐19 remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cardiac function recovers following COVID‐19.Methods and resultsA consecutive sample of patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 was prospectively included in this longitudinal study. All patients underwent an echocardiographic examination during hospitalization and 2 months later. All participants were successfully matched 1:1 with COVID‐19‐free controls by age and sex. A total of 91 patients were included (mean age 63 ± 12 years, 59% male). A median of 77 days (interquartile range: 72–92) passed between the two examinations. Right ventricular (RV) function improved following resolution of COVID‐19: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (2.28 ± 0.40 cm vs. 2.11 ± 0.38 cm, P < 0.001) and RV longitudinal strain (RVLS) (25.3 ± 5.5% vs. 19.9 ± 5.8%, P < 0.001). In contrast, left ventricular (LV) systolic function assessed by global longitudinal strain (GLS) did not significantly improve (17.4 ± 2.9% vs. 17.6 ± 3.3%, P = 0.6). N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide decreased between the two examinations [177.6 (80.3–408.0) ng/L vs. 11.7 (5.7–24.0) ng/L, P < 0.001]. None of the participants had elevated troponins at follow‐up compared to 18 (27.7%) during hospitalization. Recovered COVID‐19 patients had significantly lower GLS (17.4 ± 2.9% vs. 18.8 ± 2.9%, P < 0.001 and adjusted P = 0.004), TAPSE (2.28 ± 0.40 cm vs. 2.67 ± 0.44 cm, P < 0.001 and adjusted P < 0.001), and RVLS (25.3 ± 5.5% vs. 26.6 ± 5.8%, P = 0.50 and adjusted P < 0.001) compared to matched controls.ConclusionAcute COVID‐19 affected negatively RV function and cardiac biomarkers but recovered following resolution of COVID‐19. In contrast, the observed reduced LV function during acute COVID‐19 did not improve post‐COVID‐19. Compared to the matched controls, both LV and RV function remained impaired.
Household food insecurity after the early monsoon flash flood of 2017 among wetland (Haor) communities of northeastern Bangladesh: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Parvez Mahmood , Islam Mir Raihanul , Dey Nepal C. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe livelihoods of wetland (Haor) communities living in northeastern region of Bangladesh are largely dependent on agriculture. Unseasonably heavy rainfall in Haor basin and upstream Indian catchments triggered a devastating early monsoon flash flood in Haor basin at the beginning of April in 2017, which destroyed the nearly ready‐to‐harvest annual rice crop and resulted in significant income loss of Haor dwellers. The present study aims at assessing post‐flood household food insecurity and the factors associated with it in the aftermath of this flash flood. A cross‐sectional study design was adopted, and a survey covering 1845 flood‐affected households was conducted to measure the post‐flood household food insecurity. A set of questionnaires was adopted from Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to assess the level of household food insecurity, and a modified poisson regression model was used to identify the risk factors of household food insecurity. A staggering 62% of the surveyed households were found food insecure following the flash flood. Being ultra‐poor, loss of livestock in flood, household head's occupation being natural resource‐based, and household reliance on market purchase of food were identified as significant risk factors of post‐flood household food insecurity. Household being headed by relatively younger, educated people, and household owning agricultural land were found to be protective against post‐flood food insecurity. Therefore, post‐flood emergency programs, especially the food assistance programs should be designed prioritizing these most food insecure groups instead of considering household poverty as the only selection criteria. As a long‐term plan, a multi‐sectoral approach focusing on disaster risk reduction by taking into account the risk of disaster‐induced food insecurity is essential to reduce the vulnerability of wetland communities.
Whole‐body hybrid positron emission tomography imaging yields clinically relevant information in the staging and restaging of sinonasal tumors
Authors: Maurer Alexander , Meerwein Christian M. , Soyka Michael B. , Grünig Hannes , Skawran Stephan , Mühlematter Urs J. , Messerli Michael , Mader Cäcilia E. , Husmann Lars , Rupp Niels J. , Holzmann David , Huellner Martin W. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundWhole‐body hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is increasingly used for sinonasal tumors. However, only empirical data exist on the additional, clinically relevant information derived from these techniques.MethodsThis study included 96 regionalized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sinonasal tract/neck and separate hybrid FDG‐PET/CT or FDG‐PET/MRI in 74 patients. Additional radiological information (ARI) obtained from each hybrid examination was analyzed and its clinically relevance was determined. Clinically relevant information (CRI) was categorized with regard to primary tumor site, regional lymph node metastases, distant metastases, second primary tumors, and non‐neoplastic findings.ResultsA total of 45/96 (46.9%) hybrid PET examinations revealed ARI. CRI was found in 32/96 (33.3%) examinations and concerned the primary tumor site (6.1%), regional lymph node metastases (4.1%), distant metastases (14.3%), second primary tumors (7.3%), and non‐neoplastic findings (5.1%).ConclusionsHybrid PET imaging yields additional radiological information translating into clinically relevant information in a substantial proportion of patients with sinonasal tumors.
Fusion of convolutional neural networks based on Dempster–Shafer theory for automatic pneumonia detection from chest X‐ray images
Authors: Ben Atitallah Safa , Driss Maha , Boulila Wadii , Koubaa Anis , Ben Ghézala Henda 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDeep learning‐based applications for disease detection are essential tools for experts to effectively diagnose diseases at different stages. In this article, a new approach based on an evidence based fusion theory is proposed, allowing the combination of a set of deep learning classifiers to provide more accurate disease detection results. The main contribution of this work is the application of the Dempster–Shafer theory for the fusion of five pre trained convolutional neural networks including VGG16, Xception, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and DenseNet201 for the diagnosis of pneumonia from chest X‐ray images. To evaluate this approach, experiments are conducted using a publicly available dataset containing more than 5800 chest X‐ray images. The obtained results demonstrate that our approach provides excellent detection performance compared to other state‐of‐the‐art methods; it achieves a precision of 97.5%, a recall of 98%, an f1‐score of 97.8%, and an accuracy of 97.3%.
Sentinel lymph node detection by combining nonradioactive techniques with contrast agents: State of the art and prospects
Authors: Kurochkin Maxim A. , German Sergey V. , Abalymov Anatolii , Vorontsov Dmitry А. , Gorin Dmitry A. , Novoselova Marina V. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe status of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) has a substantial prognostic value because these nodes are the first place where cancer cells accumulate along their spreading route. Routine SLN biopsy (“gold standard”) involves peritumoral injections of radiopharmaceuticals, such as technetium‐99m, which has obvious disadvantages. This review examines the methods used as “gold standard” analogs to diagnose SLNs. Nonradioactive preoperative and intraoperative methods of SLN detection are analyzed. Promising photonic tools for SLNs detection are reviewed, including NIR‐I/NIR‐II fluorescence imaging, photoswitching dyes for SLN detection, in vivo photoacoustic detection, imaging and biopsy of SLNs. Also are discussed methods of SLN detection by magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonic imaging systems including as combined with photoacoustic imaging, and methods based on the magnetometer‐aided detection of superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The advantages and disadvantages of nonradioactive SLN‐detection methods are shown. The review concludes with prospects for the use of conservative diagnostic methods in combination with photonic tools.
Extracellular ATP and adenosine in tumor microenvironment: Roles in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, cell migration, and invasion
Authors: Alvarez Cora L. , Troncoso María F. , Espelt María V. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractUnder nonpathological conditions, the extracellular nucleotide concentration remains constant and low (nM range) because of a close balance between ATP release and ATP consumption. This balance is completely altered in cancer disease. Adenine and uridine nucleotides are found in the extracellular space of tumors in high millimolar (mM) concentrations acting as extracellular signaling molecules. In general, although uridine nucleotides may be involved in different tumor cell responses, purinergic signaling in cancer is preferentially focused on adenine nucleotides and nucleosides. Extracellular ATP can bind to specific receptors (P receptors) triggering different responses, or it can be hydrolyzed by ectoenzymes bound to cell membranes to render the final product adenosine. The latter pathway plays an important role in the increase of adenosine in tumor microenvironment. In this study, we will focus on extracellular ATP and adenosine, their effects acting as ligands of specific receptors, activating ectoenzymes, and promoting epithelial–mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion in cancer cells. Finding the roles that these nucleotides play in tumor microenvironment may be important to design new intervention strategies in cancer therapies.