bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Protoconch enlargement in Western Atlantic turritelline gastropod species following the closure of the Central American Seaway
Authors: Sang Stephanie , Friend Dana Suzanne , Allmon Warren Douglas , Anderson Brendan Matthew 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe closure of the late Neogene interoceanic seaways between the Western Atlantic (WA) and Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP)—commonly referred to as the Central American Seaway—significantly decreased nutrient supply in the WA compared to the TEP. In marine invertebrates, an increase in parental investment is expected to be selectively favored in nutrient‐poor marine environments as prolonged feeding in the plankton becomes less reliable. Here, we examine turritelline gastropods, which were abundant and diverse across this region during the Neogene and serve as important paleoenvironmental proxies, and test whether species exhibit decreased planktotrophy in the WA postclosure as compared to preclosure fossils and extant TEP species. We also test for differences in degree of planktotrophy in extant sister species pairs. Degree of planktotrophy was inferred by measuring the size of protoconchs, the species' larval shell that represents egg size. Protoconch size was compared between extant postclosure WA and TEP species and preclosure fossil species. To compare extant sister species, we reconstructed the phylogeny of available WA and TEP species using one nuclear (H3) and three mitochondrial markers (12S, 16S, and COI). Compared to the preclosure fossils, protoconch size increased in WA species but remained the same in the TEP species. In the two extant sister species pairs recovered in the phylogenetic analysis, the WA species are inferred to be nonplanktotrophic while the TEP species are planktotrophic. This suggests that decreased nutrient availability and primary productivity in the WA may have driven this change in developmental mode, and was the primary selective force resulting in postclosure turritelline extinctions.
Estimating ecological flows for fish overwintering in plain rivers using a method based on water temperature and critical water depth
Authors: Wang Li , Mo Kangle , Chen Qiuwen , Zhang Jianyun , Xia Jun , Lin Yuqing 
Published: April 2019

AbstractEcological flow is the foundation for conservation of riverine fish habitat and ecosystem. Habitat models have been widely used to estimate ecological flow owing to their integration of hydrological regime and species hydraulic preference. Previous studies based on habitat methods focused more on the spawning season but paid less attention to the winter period, which is also essential to fish life stage. This study developed a novel approach to estimate the ecological flow for fish overwintering, particularly in plain rivers. The water depth for target fish safely overwintering was firstly determined based on the minimum tolerable water temperature of the species. A water balance model was built to estimate the ecological flow for securing the determined water depth. The developed approach was applied in the middle reaches of Huaihe River, where the flow is highly regulated by dams and sluices. Parabramis pekinensis was selected as the target fish, and the minimum water depth for it to overwinter in the river was about 20 m. The calculated ecological flow was 3.0 m3·s−1 in December, 2.2 m3·s−1 in January, and 2.1 m3·s−1 in February, respectively. The approach contributed a great supplement to fish spawning habitat model, and their combination could determine ecological flow regimes for the entire life cycle of the target fish.
Electrophoretic transport and dynamic deformation of bio‐vesicles
Authors: Morshed Adnan , Dutta Prashanta , Kim Min Jun 
Published: April 2019

AbstractStudy of the deformation dynamics of cells and other sub‐micron vesicles, such as virus and neurotransmitter vesicles are necessary to understand their functional properties. This mechanical characterization can be done by submerging the vesicle in a fluid medium and deforming it with a controlled electric field, which is known as electrodeformation. Electrodeformation of biological and artificial lipid vesicles is directly influenced by the vesicle and surrounding media properties and geometric factors. The problem is compounded when the vesicle is naturally charged, which creates electrophoretic forcing on the vesicle membrane. We studied the electrodeformation and transport of charged vesicles immersed in a fluid media under the influence of a DC electric field. The electric field and fluid‐solid interactions are modeled using a hybrid immersed interface‐immersed boundary technique. Model results are verified with experimental observations for electric field driven translocation of a virus through a nanopore sensor. Our modeling results show interesting changes in deformation behavior with changing electrical properties of the vesicle and the surrounding media. Vesicle movement due to electrophoresis can also be characterized by the change in local conductivity, which can serve as a potential sensing mechanism for electrodeformation experiments in solid‐state nanopore setups.
A Taylor basis for kinematic nonlinear real‐time simulations. Part II: The Taylor basis
Authors: Andersen Sebastian , Poulsen Peter Noe 
Published: April 2019

SummaryReal‐time simulations are used to a significant extent in many engineering fields. However, if nonlinearities are included, the real‐time requirement significantly limits the size and complexity of numerical models. The present work constitutes the second of two papers where a general basis method to simulate kinematic nonlinear structures more efficiently is introduced. The advantage of the basis formulation is that it enables the number of basis vectors to be increased without increasing the number of unknown basis co‐ordinates. This allows for larger numerical kinematically nonlinear models to run in real time. The basis is organized from a Taylor series that includes the system mode shapes and their complete first‐order modal derivatives derived in Part I. The Taylor series predicts fixed linear relations between the modal co‐ordinates of the system mode shapes and the modal derivatives, respectively. Thus, the full solution is known solely by determining the modal co‐ordinates of the mode shapes, which significantly minimizes the computational costs. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the stability of the Taylor basis formulation is dependent on the mode shape frequencies only, allowing the applied time steps to be significantly larger than in standard nonlinear basis analysis. An example illustrates a case where the computational time can be decreased by one order of magnitude using a Taylor basis formulation compared with a standard basis formulation including identical basis vectors.
Comparison of postoperative voice outcomes after postauricular facelift robotic hemithyroidectomy and conventional transcervical hemithyroidectomy
Authors: Song Chang M. , Kim Min S. , Lee Dong W. , Ji Yong B. , Park Jung H. , Kim Dong S. , Tae Kyung 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine whether postauricular robotic and conventional hemithyroidectomy result in significantly different voice outcomes.MethodsWe prospectively compared the voice handicap index (VHI)‐10 and acoustic parameters of a postauricular facelift robotic group and a conventional group preoperatively, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after surgery.ResultsForty‐two patients in the postauricular group and 68 patients in the conventional group completed the VHI‐10 questionnaire and acoustic analysis. The postoperative VHI‐10 scores were not significantly different between the two groups. In female patients, the highest frequency was higher and the frequency range was wider in the postauricular group compared to the conventional group postoperatively until 1 month after surgery.ConclusionPostauricular facelift robotic thyroidectomy has advantages over conventional thyroidectomy in terms of postoperative voice pitch.
Performance of care for end‐of‐life cancer patients in Tuscany: The interplay between place of care, aggressive treatments, opioids, and place of death. A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ferrè Francesca , Vinci Bruna , Murante Anna Maria 
Published: April 2019

SummarySupportive and palliative care at the end of life (EOL) is a core component of health systems. Providing care at the EOL may require the interaction of several care providers working in different settings including nursing homes, home care, hospices, and hospitals. This work aims to (a) provide evidence on the performance of EOL care for cancer patients across healthcare organizations, with a focus on the place of care, aggressive treatments, opioids, and the place of death and (b) analyze factors associated with dying in hospital. A population‐based retrospective study was performed using administrative data from Tuscany region (Italy). Thirteen thousand sixty‐six cancer patients who died in 2016 were considered. There is a marked variability in EOL care within regional areas, with the multilevel logistic regression highlighting a greater likelihood of dying in hospital for patients who were admitted to intensive care units or previously hospitalized. There is a lower probability of dying in acute care setting for patients assisted in hospices and in both hospital and hospices/home care and for patients treated with opioids. This intraregional variation highlights the need to improve EOL planning and rethink the delivery of supportive/palliative care. Further investigations on the preferences of patients may lead to more understanding.
Health sector decentralisation in Tanzania: Analysis of decision space in human resources for health management
Authors: Kigume Ramadhani , Maluka Stephen 
Published: April 2019

SummaryWhile decentralisation of health systems has dominated the political arena in the low‐ and middle‐income countries since the 1970s, many studies on decentralisation have focused on understanding who is given more decision‐making authority, but less attention is paid to understanding what that authority involves. This paper assesses the range of decision‐making authority transferred from the central government to subnational levels in the area of human resources for health management in Tanzania. This analysis was guided by the decision space framework and relied on interviews, focused group discussions, and analysis of documents. Data were analysed using thematic approach. While districts had narrow decision space on recruitment and promotion of health service providers, they had wide decision space on distributing health providers within districts and providing incentives. Centrally managed recruitments resulted in frequent delays, thereby intensifying shortages of skilled health service providers. This analysis concludes that decentralisation of human resources for health planning and deployment role to lower levels of the administrative hierarchy in Tanzania is limited. This suggests the need for the central government to increase decision space to districts in the area of recruitment. In order for the Ministry of Health to perform its functions better in the area of human resources for health management, there is a need to strengthen the capacity of the department dealing with recruitment of skilled health staff at the Ministry of Health.
The hydrological response of surface water to recent climate variability: A remote sensing case study from the central tropical Pacific
Authors: Higley Melinda C. , Conroy Jessica L. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractFor small tropical islands with limited freshwater resources, understanding how island hydrology is influenced by regional climate is important, considering projected hydroclimate and sea level changes as well as growing populations dependent on limited groundwater resources. However, the relationship between climate variability and hydrologic variability for many tropical islands remains uncertain due to local hydroclimatic data scarcity. Here, we present a case study from Kiritimati, Republic of Kiribati (2°N, 157°W), utilizing the normalized difference vegetation index to investigate variability in island surface water area, an important link between climate variability and groundwater storage. Kiritimati surface water area varies seasonally, following wet and dry seasons, and interannually, due to hydroclimate variability associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. The NIÑO3.4 sea surface temperature index, satellite‐derived precipitation, precipitation minus evaporation, and local sea level all had significant positive correlations with surface water area. Lagged correlations show sea level changes and precipitation influence surface water area up to 6 months later. Differences in the timing of surface water area changes and variable climate‐surface water area correlations in island subregions indicate that surface hydrology on Kiritimati is not uniform in response to climate variations. Rather, the magnitude of the ocean–atmosphere anomalies and island–ocean connectivity determine the extent to which sea level and precipitation control surface water area. The very strong 2015–2016 El Niño event led to the largest surface water area measured in the 18‐year data set. Surface water area decreased to pre‐event values in a similarly rapid manner (<6 months) after both the very strong 2015–2016 event and the 2009–2010 moderate El Niño event. Future changes in the frequency and amplitude of interannual hydroclimate variability as well as seasonal duration will thus alter surface water coverage on Kiritimati, with implications for freshwater resources, flooding, and drought.
Relationship Between Sex Steroids and Deterioration of Bone Microarchitecture in Older Men: The Prospective STRAMBO Study
Authors: Piot Anne , Chapurlat Roland D , Claustrat Bruno , Szulc Pawel 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
In older men, low estrogen levels are associated with poor bone microarchitecture. Data on androgens are discordant. We studied the link between baseline sex steroid levels (total 17β -estradiol [17βE2], total testosterone [tT], calculated bioavailable 17βE2 [bio-17βE2], and apparent free testosterone concentration [AFTC]) and bone microarchitecture deterioration assessed prospectively in a 820 older men followed for 8 years. Bone microarchitecture was assessed by HR-pQCT at baseline, then after 4 and 8 years. At both the skeletal sites, the bone microarchitecture deterioration rate did not correlate with serum levels of tT and 17βE2. At the distal radius, cortical area (Ct.Ar) decreased more rapidly in the lowest versus the highest AFTC quartile. At the distal tibia, cortical thickness (Ct.Th) decreased and trabecular area (Tb.Ar) increased more rapidly in the highest versus the lowest AFTC quartile. At the tibia, bone mineral content (BMC), total volumetric bone mineral density (Tt.vBMD), Ct.Th, and Ct.Ar decreased, whereas Tb.Ar increased faster in the lowest versus the highest bio-17βE2 quartile. In men who had both AFTC and bio-17βE2 in the lowest quartile (high-risk group), distal radius cortical vBMD (Ct.vBMD) decreased more rapidly compared with men who had both hormones in the three upper quartiles (reference group). At the distal tibia, Tt.vBMD, Ct.Th, Ct.Ar, and Ct.vBMD decreased, whereas Tb.Ar increased more rapidly in the high-risk group versus the reference group. In men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, BMC, Tt.vBMD, Ct.Th, Ct.Ar, and Ct.vBMD decreased, whereas Tb.Ar increased more rapidly than in men not receiving ADT at both the skeletal sites. Thus, in older men followed up prospectively, low levels of bio-17βE2, and to a smaller extent AFTC, are associated with accelerated cortical bone deterioration. Cortical bone deterioration was strongly accelerated in men receiving ADT who had very low levels of all sex steroids. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Early outcomes after implementation of treat all in Rwanda: an interrupted time series study
Authors: Ross Jonathan , Sinayobye Jean d'Amour , Yotebieng Marcel , Hoover Donald R , Shi Qiuhu , Ribakare Muhayimpundu , Remera Eric , Bachhuber Marcus A , Murenzi Gad , Sugira Vincent , Nash Denis , Anastos Kathryn ,   for Central Africa IeDEA
Published: April 2019

AbstractIntroductionNearly all countries in sub‐Saharan Africa have adopted policies to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all persons living with HIV (Treat All), though HIV care outcomes of these programmes are not well‐described. We estimated changes in ART initiation and retention in care following Treat All implementation in Rwanda in July 2016.MethodsWe conducted an interrupted time series analysis of adults enrolling in HIV care at ten Rwandan health centres from July 2014 to September 2017. Using segmented linear regression, we assessed changes in levels and trends of 30‐day ART initiation and six‐month retention in care before and after Treat All implementation. We compared modelled outcomes with counterfactual estimates calculated by extrapolating baseline trends. Modified Poisson regression models identified predictors of outcomes among patients enrolling after Treat All implementation.ResultsAmong 2885 patients, 1803 (62.5%) enrolled in care before and 1082 (37.5%) after Treat All implementation. Immediately after Treat All implementation, there was a 31.3 percentage point increase in the predicted probability of 30‐day ART initiation (95% CI 15.5, 47.2), with a subsequent increase of 1.1 percentage points per month (95% CI 0.1, 2.1). At the end of the study period, 30‐day ART initiation was 47.8 percentage points (95% CI 8.1, 87.8) above what would have been expected under the pre‐Treat All trend. For six‐month retention, neither the immediate change nor monthly trend after Treat All were statistically significant. While 30‐day ART initiation and six‐month retention were less likely among patients 15 to 24 versus >24 years, the predicted probability of both outcomes increased significantly for younger patients in each month after Treat All implementation.ConclusionsImplementation of Treat All in Rwanda was associated with a substantial increase in timely ART initiation without negatively impacting care retention. These early findings support Treat All as a strategy to help achieve global HIV targets.
Haloferax sulfurifontis GUMFAZ2 producing xylanase‐free cellulase retrieved from Haliclona sp. inhabiting rocky shore of Anjuna, Goa‐India
Authors: Malik Alisha D. , Furtado Irene J. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSalt stable cellulases are implicated in detritic food webs of marine invertebrates for their role in the degradation of cellulosic material. A haloarchaeon, Haloferax sulfurifontis GUMFAZ2 producing cellulase was successfully isolated from marine Haliclona sp., a sponge inhabiting the rocky intertidal region of Anjuna, Goa. The culture produced extracellular xylanase‐free cellulase with a maximum activity of 11.7 U/ml, using carboxymethylcellulose‐Na (CMC‐Na), as a sole source of carbon in 3.5 M NaCl containing medium, pH 7 at 40°C and produced cellobiose and glucose, detectable by thin‐layer chromatography. Nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the crude enzyme, revealed a single protein band of 19.6 kDa which on zymographic analysis exhibited cellulase activity while corresponding sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a molecular weight of 46 kDa. Unlike conventional cellulases, this enzyme is active in presence of 5 M NaCl and does not have accompanying xylanase activity, hence can be considered as xylanase‐free cellulase. Such enzymes from haloarchaea offer great potential for biotechnological application because of their stability at high salinity and is therefore worth pursuing.
Effect of the bacterial growth phase and coculture conditions on the interaction of Acanthamoeba castellanii with Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, and Shigella sonnei
Authors: Zarei Mehdi , Ghahfarokhi Mojdeh Emami , Fazlara Ali , Bahrami Somayeh 
Published: April 2019

AbstractShigella species and Acanthamoeba castellanii share the same ecological niches, and their interaction has been addressed in a limited number of research. However, there are still uncertain aspects and discrepant findings of this interaction. In the present study, the effects of the bacterial growth phase, cocultivation temperature and the type of culture media on the interaction of A. castellanii with Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri were evaluated. In nutrient‐poor page's amoeba saline (PAS) medium, the number of recovered bacteria and the uptake rates were significantly higher in stationary phase cells than logarithmic phase cells. However, no significant differences were observed in the number of recovered bacteria and the uptake rates between logarithmic and stationary phase cells in nutrient‐rich peptone–yeast extract–glucose (PYG) medium. While the number of recovered bacteria was significantly higher in nutrient‐rich than nutrient‐poor media, in all the three Shigella species, the bacterial uptake rates were significantly higher in nutrient‐poor than nutrient‐rich media at both cocultivation temperatures. In both nutrient‐poor and nutrient‐rich media and at both cocultivation temperatures, the number of viable Shigella species after 24 h incubation were not influenced by the presence of A. castellanii. Although Shigella species did not proliferate in A. castellanii trophozoites, a considerable number of bacteria were survived in the trophozoites up to 15 days. From the public health perspective, the results of this study are important for further understanding of the nature of the interaction of these organisms and to deal with Shigella species in the environment.
Inter‐annual hydroclimatic variability in coastal Tanzania
Authors: Rohli Robert V. , Ates Sara A. , Rivera‐Monroy Victor H. , Polito Michael J. , Midway Stephen R. , Castañeda‐Moya Edward , Gold Arthur J. , Uchida Emi , Mangora Mwita M. , Suwa Makoto 
Published: April 2019

AbstractClimatic controls regulate the coupled natural and human systems in coastal Tanzania, where mangrove wetlands provide a wealth of ecosystem services to coastal communities. Previous research has explained the precipitation seasonality of eastern Africa in terms of the local monsoons. This research examines a wider range of hydroclimatic variables, including water vapour flux, evapotranspiration, runoff, and ocean salinity, and the sources of low‐frequency atmosphere–ocean variability that support mangrove productivity and associated ecosystem services. Results confirm previous work suggesting that the northeast monsoon (kaskazi) largely corresponds to the “short rains” of October–December and extends through February, while the southeast monsoon (kusi) corresponds to the “long rains” of March–May and the drier June–September. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and, to a lesser extent, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are important modulators not only of precipitation (as has been shown previously) but also of water vapour flux, evapotranspiration, runoff, and salinity variability. During kaskazi, positive (negative) hydroclimatic anomalies occur during positive (negative) IOD, with a stronger IOD influence occurring during its positive phase, when seasonal anomalies of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff exceed +50, 25, and 100%, and nearby salinity decreases by 0.5 practical salinity units. During kusi, the contrast between the positive and negative IOD modes is subtler, and the pattern is dictated more by variability in “long rains” months than in the dry months. The coincidence of the positive IOD and El Niño amplify this hydroclimatic signal. Because previous work suggests the likelihood of increased tendency for positive IOD and increased moisture variability associated with El Niño events in the future, wetter conditions may accompany the kaskazi, with less change expected during the kusi. These results advance understanding of the key environmental drivers controlling mangrove productivity and wetland spatial distribution that provide ecosystem services essential to the well‐being of the human population.