bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Petrographic Characterization and Maceral Controls on Porosity in Overmature Marine Shales: Examples from Ordovician-Silurian Shales in China and the U.S.
Authors: Wei Lin , Sun Shasha , Dong Dazhong , Shi Zhensheng , Yin Jia , Zhang Shudi , Mastalerz Maria , Cheng Xiong 
Published: June 2021

The pore structure characterization and its controlling factors in overmature shales are keys to understand the shale gas accumulation mechanism. Organic matter in source rocks is a mixture of various macerals that have their own specific evolutionary pathways during thermal maturation. Pores within macerals also evolve following their own path. This study focused on petrographic characterization and maceral controls on porosity in overmature marine shales in China and the United States. Shale from Ordos Basin in China was also selected as an example of overmature transitional shale for maceral comparison. Organic petrology techniques were used to identify maceral types and describe morphological features in detail; scanning electron microscopy techniques were then used to document the abundance and development of pores within macerals. Helium measurement, mercury intrusion capillary pressure, and CO2 adsorption were especially applied to quantify the pore structure of Wufeng-Longmaxi shale from Sichuan Basin in China. The vitrinite reflectance equivalent of the studied overmature samples is ~2.4%. The macerals within the studied marine shales are composed mainly of pyrobitumen and zooclasts. At this maturity, pyrobitumen develops abundant gas-related pores, and their volume positively correlates to gas content. Three types of pyrobitumen and its related pore structure are characterized in Wufeng-Longmaxi shales. Zooclasts contribute to total organic carbon (TOC) content but little to porosity. When the TOC content is above 1.51% in Wufeng-Longmaxi samples, the TOC content positively correlates to quartz content. Organic matter strongly controls micropore development. Pores of

diameter
~
0.5

nm

provide a significant amount of micropore volume. Clay mineral and quartz contents control micro- and macropore increments in organic-lean shales. MICP results indicate that pores within 3-12 nm and 900-2500 nm account for a major contribution to pore volume obtained. Determining the proportions of pyrobitumen to zooclasts within the total organic matter in pre-Devonian organic-rich marine shales is important in predicting porosity and gas storage capacity in high-maturity shales.
Effects of Alcoholic Extracts of Bangladeshi Mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae) Leaf and Stem on Atherogenic Model of Wistar Albino Rats
Authors: Karim Rubaba , Begum Mst Marium , Alim Md. Abdul , Uddin Md. Sahab , Kabir Md. Tanvir , Khan Ashfia Fatima , Islam Tanjina , Khan Shafiul Islam , Rahman Md. Sohanur 
Published: June 2021

Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae) is a popular mangrove ethnomedicinal plant that cures several ailments, including asthma, diabetes, cancer, and many others. Our experiment was aimed at evaluating the anti-atherogenic effect of A. ilicifolius (leaf and stem) on a high-fat diet-induced atherogenic rat model. Atherosclerosis was developed in 12 weeks. Treatment with the standard drug (3 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o. of Simvastatin), separate doses of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of A. ilicifolius leaf (250 and 500 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.), and stem (200 and 400 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.) was subsequently conducted for additional 15 days. The anti-atherogenic effect was evaluated by estimating the change in body weight, systolic blood pressure, and lipid profile. Histopathology of aorta, liver, and kidney of atherogenic models was done for further evaluation. The antioxidant effect of different extracts was performed via DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay using ascorbic acid as standard. The anticoagulant effect was determined after 15 days of treatment with the same doses of the plant extracts and the standard Warfarin (2 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.). When compared with atherogenic control, treatment with A. ilicifolius significantly reduced (

p

< 0.01) body weight, systolic blood pressure, and serum lipid levels while it elevated HDL (high-density lipoprotein) level in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, bleeding and clotting time was significantly decreased (

p

< 0.01) under the treatment of plant extracts. The histopathological data showed considerable improvement in tissue morphology after treatment. Our study evidenced that the alcoholic extracts of A. ilicifolius leaf and stem have anti-atherogenic properties and may be recommended as a potential herbal remedy for preventing cardiovascular diseases.
The Effects of Frequency, Variability, and Co-occurrence on Category Formation in Neural Systems
Authors: Plebanek Daniel J. , James Karin H. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Objects are grouped into categories through a complex combination of statistical and structural regularities. We sought to better understand the neural responses to the structural features of object categories that result from implicit learning. Adult participants were exposed to 32 object categories that contained three structural properties: frequency, variability, and co-occurrences, during an implicit learning task. After this exposure, participants completed a recognition task and were then presented with blocks of learned object categories during fMRI sessions. Analyses were performed by extracting data from ROIs placed throughout the fusiform gyri and lateral occipital cortex and comparing the effects of the different structural properties throughout the ROIs. Behaviorally, we found that symbol category recognition was supported by frequency, but not variability. Neurally, we found that sensitivity to object categories was greater in the right hemisphere and increased as ROIs were moved posteriorly. Frequency and variability altered the brain activation while processing object categories, although the presence of learned co-occurrences did not. Moreover, variability and co-occurrence interacted as a function of ROI, with the posterior fusiform gyrus being most sensitive to this relationship. This result suggests that variability may guide the learner to relevant co-occurrences and this is supported by the posterior ventral temporal cortex. Broadly, our results suggest that the internal features of the categories themselves are key factors in the category learning system.
Examining Individual Differences in Language Learning: A Neurocognitive Model of Language Aptitude
Authors: Turker Sabrina , Seither-Preisler Annemarie , Reiterer Susanne Maria 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
A common practice in the cognitive neurosciences is to investigate population-typical phenomena, treating individuals as equal except for a few outliers that are usually discarded from analyses or that disappear on group-level patterns. Only a few studies to date have captured the heterogeneity of language processing across individuals as so-called “individual differences;” fewer have explicitly researched language aptitude, which designates an individual’s ability for acquiring foreign languages. Existing studies show that, relative to average learners, very gifted language learners display different task-related patterns of functional activation and connectivity during linguistic tasks, and structural differences in white and grey matter morphology, and in white matter connectivity. Despite growing interest in language aptitude, there is no recent comprehensive review, nor a theoretical model to date that includes the neural level. To fill this gap, we review neuroscientific research on individual differences in language learning and language aptitude and present a first, preliminary neurocognitive model of language aptitude. We suggest that language aptitude could arise from an advantageous neuro-cognitive profile, which leads to high intrinsic motivation and proactive engagement in language learning activities. On the neural level, interindividual differences in the morphology of the bilateral auditory cortex constrain individual neural plasticity, as is evident in the speed and efficiency of language learning. We suggest that language learning success is further dependent upon highly efficient auditory-motor connections (speech-motor networks) and the structural characteristics of dorsal and ventral fibre tracts during language learning.
A Taxonomic study of two species of Thiotricha Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), from southwestern Japan, with notes on the biology of their immature stages
Authors: KYAW KHINE MON MON , UEDA TATSUYA , YAGI SADAHISA , OKAMOTO TOMOKO , WANG MIN , HIROWATARI TOSHIYA 
Published: June 2021

The taxonomy and biology of the immature stages of two gelechiid species of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886, found in the southeastern part of the Sino-Japanese region is presented. Thiotricha lumnitzeriella Kyaw, Ueda & Hirowatari sp. nov., from islands in southwestern Japan is described. The larva of this species feeds as a portable case maker on Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. (Combretaceae). Thiotricha gemmulans Meyrick, 1931 originally described from India is newly recorded from Japan, mainland China, and Thailand. This species feeds as a portable case maker on Glochidion zeylanicum var. lanceolatum (Hayata) and G. zeylanicum var. zeylanicum (Gaertn.) A. Juss (Phyllanthaceae). Thiotricha acrophantis Meyrick, 1936 is newly synonymized with T. gemmulans. Images of the adults of Thiotricha lumnitzeriella sp. nov. and T. gemmulans including genitalia, and images and illustrations of the larval chaetotaxy and pupa for both species are provided. Larval feeding habits are described in detail.
Does Topographic Form Stress Impede Prograde Ocean Currents?
Authors: BAI YUE , WANG YAN , STEWART ANDREW L. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractTopographic form stress (TFS) plays a central role in constraining the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), and thus the rate of exchange between the major ocean basins. Topographic form stress generation in the ACC has been linked to the formation of standing Rossby waves, which occur because the current is retrograde (opposing the direction of Rossby wave propagation). However, it is unclear whether TFS similarly retards current systems that are prograde (in the direction of Rossby wave propagation), which cannot arrest Rossby waves. An isopycnal model is used to investigate the momentum balance of wind-driven prograde and retrograde flows in a zonal channel, with bathymetry consisting of either a single ridge or a continental shelf and slope with a meridional excursion. Consistent with previous studies, retrograde flows are almost entirely impeded by TFS, except in the limit of flat bathymetry, whereas prograde flows are typically impeded by a combination of TFS and bottom friction. A barotropic theory for standing waves shows that bottom friction serves to shift the phase of the standing wave’s pressure field from that of the bathymetry, which is necessary to produce TFS. The mechanism is the same in prograde and retrograde flows, but is most efficient when the mean flow arrests a Rossby wave with a wavelength comparable to that of the bathymetry. The asymmetry between prograde and retrograde momentum balances implies that prograde current systems may be more sensitive to changes in wind forcing, for example associated with climate shifts.
Near-inertial dissipation due to stratified flow over abyssal topography
Authors: Zemskova Varvara E. , Grisouard Nicolas 
Published: June 2021

AbstractLinear theory for steady stratified flow over topography sets the range for topographic wavenumbers over which freely propagating internal waves are generated, and the radiation and breaking of these waves contribute to energy dissipation away from the ocean bottom. However, previous numerical work demonstrated that dissipation rates can be enhanced by flow over large scale topographies with wavenumbers outside of the lee wave radiative range. We conduct idealized 3D numerical simulations of steady stratified flow over 1D topography in a rotating domain and quantify vertical distribution of kinetic energy dissipation. We vary two parameters: the first determines whether the topographic obstacle is within the lee wave radiative range and the second, proportional to the topographic height, measures the degree of flow non-linearity. For certain combinations of topographic width and height, breaking occurs in pulses every inertial period, such that kinetic energy dissipation develops inertial periodicity. In these simulations, kinetic energy dissipation rates are also enhanced in the interior of the domain. In the radiative regime the inertial motions arise due to resonant wave-wave interactions. In the small wavenumber non-radiative regime, instabilities downstream of the obstacle can facilitate the generation and propagation of non-linearly forced inertial motions, especially as topographic height increase. In our simulations, dissipation rates for tall and wide non-radiative topography are comparable to those of radiative topography, even away from the bottom, which is relevant to the ocean where the topographic spectrum is such that wider abyssal hills also tend to be taller.
Dextrose solution for priming and rinsing the extracorporeal circuit in hemodialysis patients: A prospective pilot study
Authors: Rootjes Paul A , Penne Erik Lars , Ouellet Georges , Dou Yanna , Thijssen Stephan , Kotanko Peter , Raimann Jochen G 
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Excess sodium intake and consequent volume overload are major clinical problems in hemodialysis (HD) contributing to adverse outcomes. Saline used for priming and rinsing of the extracorporeal circuit is a potentially underappreciated source of intradialytic sodium gain. We aimed to examine the feasibility and clinical effects of replacing saline as the priming and rinsing fluid by a 5% dextrose solution. Materials and methods: We enrolled non-diabetic and anuric stable HD patients. First, the extracorporeal circuit was primed and rinsed with approximately 200–250 mL of isotonic saline during 4 weeks (Phase 1), subsequently a similar volume of a 5% dextrose solution replaced the saline for another 4 weeks (Phase 2), followed by another 4 weeks of saline (Phase 3). We collected data on interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), pre- and post-dialysis blood pressure, intradialytic symptoms, and thirst. Results: Seventeen chronic HD patients (11 males, age 54.1 ± 18.7 years) completed the study. The average priming and rinsing volumes were 236.7 ± 77.5 and 245.0 ± 91.8 mL respectively. The mean IDWG did not significantly change (2.52 ± 0.88 kg in Phase 1; 2.28 ± 0.70 kg in Phase 2; and 2.51 ± 1.2 kg in Phase 3). No differences in blood pressures, intradialytic symptoms or thirst were observed. Conclusions: Replacing saline by 5% dextrose for priming and rinsing is feasible in stable HD patients and may reduce intradialytic sodium loading. A non-significant trend toward a lower IDWG was observed when 5% dextrose was used. Prospective studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are needed to gain further insight into the possible effects of using alternate priming and rinsing solutions lowering intradialytic sodium loading. Trial registration: Identifier NCT01168947 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Susceptibility to Undue Influence: The Role of the Medical Expert in Estate Litigation
Authors: Herrmann Nathan , Whaley Kimberly A. , Herbert Deidre J. , Shulman Kenneth I. 
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Medical experts are increasingly asked to assist the courts with Will challenges based on the determination of testamentary capacity and potential undue influence. Unlike testamentary capacity, the determination of undue influence has been relatively neglected in the medical literature. We aim to improve the understanding of the medical expert role in providing the courts with an opinion on susceptibility to undue influence in estate litigation. Method: Medical experts with experience in the assessment of testamentary capacity and susceptibility to undue influence collaborated with experienced estate litigators. The medical literature on undue influence was reviewed and integrated. The lawyers provided a historical background and a legal perspective on undue influence in estate litigation and the medical experts provided a clinical perspective on the determination of susceptibility to undue influence. Together, they provided recommendations for how the medical expert could best assist the court. Results: Susceptibility to undue influence is frequently used in estate litigation to challenge the validity of Wills and is defined as subversion of the testator’s free will by an influencer, resulting in changes to the distribution of the estate. While a determination of undue influence includes the documentation of indicia or suspicious circumstances under which the Will was drafted and executed, medical experts should focus primarily on the susceptibility of the testator to undue influence. This susceptibility should be based on a consideration of cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms, physical and behavioural function, with evidence derived from the medical documentation, the medical examination, and the history. Conclusions: The determination of undue influence is a legal one, but medical experts can help the court achieve the most informed legal decision by providing relevant information on clinical issues that may impact the testator’s susceptibility to undue influence.
Controlling Nutritional Status Score Evaluates Prognosis in Patients With Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Huang Jiaguo , Zhao Liwei , Wang Kai , Sun Ji , Tai Shengcheng , Hua Runmiao , Yu Yufu , Fan Yi 
Published: June 2021

Objective: We investigated the clinical value of the Controlling Nutritional Status score in evaluating the prognosis of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 88 patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor or partial cystectomy between January 2011 and May 2015 in a single center. The patients were divided into groups base on high (>1) and low (≤1) Controlling Nutritional Status score. Results: Clinical and demographic data of the patient groups were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test to generate survival curves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazard model. Among the participants, the male-to-female ratio was 70:18 and median age was 64.5 years (range, 25-84 years). The numbers of patients with Controlling Nutritional Status score of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were 26 (29.55%), 21 (23.86%), 20 (22.73%), 12 (13.64%), 5 (5.68%), 1 (1.14%), and 3 (3.41%), respectively. The 5-year recurrence rate was 29 out of 88 patients (32.95%). The recurrence-free survival of the high-score group was significantly lower than that of the low-score group ( P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, age, smoking history, Controlling Nutritional Status score, depth of tumor invasion, pathological grade, and tumor diameter were related to the prognosis of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. On multivariate analysis, the Controlling Nutritional Status score (hazard ratio, 4.938; 95% confidence interval, 1.392-17.525; P = 0.013) was an independent factor affecting the recurrence-free survival of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Therefore, the Controlling Nutritional Status score could be a simple, cost-effective, and reliable predictor of prognoses among of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Dynamic Changes in Bladder Morphology Over Time in Cervical Cancer Patients
Authors: Jin Fu , Liu Qiang , Luo Huanli , Zhu Rui , Mou Yanhong , Wu Yongzhong , Wang Ying 
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Continuous surveillance of bladder volume (BV) is beneficial during the treatment of various urogenital diseases because the bladder is always changing its position, size and even shape at different filling phases. For this purpose, we quantified the motion of the urinary bladder. Methods: Daily ultrasound measurements and weekly cone-beam computed tomography scans were obtained from 89 patients in the supine position. BV, bladder centroid positions, and triaxial lengths in the left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP), and superior-inferior (SI) directions were compared across different time points. Results: BV linearly increased over time, and the mean urinary filling rate ( vtot) was correlated with the patients’ age and water consumption. The greatest bladder centroid motion occurred longitudinally, with less movement observed laterally. The maximum bladder centroid movement was 18.8 ± 2.2 mm inferiorly and 1.8 ± 0.9 mm posteriorly for every 10% decrease in BV. The rates of changes in triaxial lengths differed across the 4 filling phases. The rate was the largest at a BV range of 10-80 mL, especially in the LR direction, with values of 5.9 ± 1.0, 3.6 ± 1.0, and 3.9 ± 1.0 mm per every 10-mL BV increase for LR, AP, and SI, respectively. With bladder filling (<80 mL), the maximum increase in triaxial length was observed in the SI direction and the rates of all changes considerably decreased, especially at BV > 600 mL. Conclusion: The vtot could be used to evaluate the temporal changes in the bladder. The spatial changes should be assessed according to different filling phases based on the centroid position and triaxial lengths.
The significance of primary monocanalicular silicone tube intubation in late surgical treatment in children
Authors: Sahan Berna , Ciftci Ferda 
Published: June 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of monocanalicular silicone tube intubation outcomes as an initial surgical treatment in children older than 1 year old with primary nasolacrimal obstruction. Methods: Probing or monocanalicular silicone tube intubation was performed as primary surgical treatment on 12–48 months old children with primary nasolacrimal obstruction. Probing was performed on 53 eyes of 43 patients and silicone tube intubation on 45 eyes of 39 patients. Treatment was considered successful after improvement in patient complaints, the presence of normal tear meniscus, and normal results of fluorescein disappearance time test. Retrospective treatment success was compared between two groups according to age groups. Results: Treatment success was 79.1% in the probing group and 92.3% in the silicone tube intubation group. The success of the treatment was evaluated separately in the groups of 12 to <24 months, 24 to <36 months, and 36 to <48 months, and although the success level of the silicone tube intubation group was consistently found to be higher, the difference was not statistically significant. Treatment success decreased statistically significantly in the probing group with increased age of the patients, especially after 24 months. There was no such statistically significant decrease in the silicone tube intubation group. Conclusion: The choice of monocanalicular silicone tube intubation for primary surgical treatment in children with primary nasolacrimal obstruction provides success without the need for repetitive surgical interventions, especially in children older than 24 months.