bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
VTX‐1 Liquid Biopsy System for Fully‐Automated and Label‐Free Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells with Automated Enumeration by BioView Platform
Authors: Sollier‐Christen Elodie , Renier Corinne , Kaplan Tal , Kfir Elad , Crouse Steve C. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractClinicians continue to rely on invasive tissue biopsies as a mean to assess a patient's disease and prescribe appropriate treatment regimens. Biopsies not only are risky and expensive but also limit the understanding of disease. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be isolated from a simple blood draw and offer a promising potential to both diagnose and monitor cancer progression. The VTX‐1 Liquid Biopsy System automates the isolation of clinically relevant CTC populations, while simplifying their collection for easy analysis, ultimately expanding the clinical possibilities for CTCs. We present here the key features and performance of this automated system for isolating CTCs directly from whole blood, both with cell spiking experiments and patient samples. As a first step toward the characterization of CTCs for research applications and transfer to clinical practice, we present workflows for both molecular analyses and automated cell enumeration and biomarker quantification with the BioView imaging platform. © 2018 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Object‐Oriented Segmentation of Cell Nuclei in Fluorescence Microscopy Images
Authors: Koyuncu Can Fahrettin , Cetin‐Atalay Rengul , Gunduz‐Demir Cigdem 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCell nucleus segmentation remains an open and challenging problem especially to segment nuclei in cell clumps. Splitting a cell clump would be straightforward if the gradients of boundary pixels in‐between the nuclei were always higher than the others. However, imperfections may exist: inhomogeneities of pixel intensities in a nucleus may cause to define spurious boundaries whereas insufficient pixel intensity differences at the border of overlapping nuclei may cause to miss some true boundary pixels. In contrast, these imperfections are typically observed at the pixel‐level, causing local changes in pixel values without changing the semantics on a large scale. In response to these issues, this article introduces a new nucleus segmentation method that relies on using gradient information not at the pixel level but at the object level. To this end, it proposes to decompose an image into smaller homogeneous subregions, define edge‐objects at four different orientations to encode the gradient information at the object level, and devise a merging algorithm, in which the edge‐objects vote for subregion pairs along their orientations and the pairs are iteratively merged if they get sufficient votes from multiple orientations. Our experiments on fluorescence microscopy images reveal that this high‐level representation and the design of a merging algorithm using edge‐objects (gradients at the object level) improve the segmentation results.
Demographic analysis of the irruptive dynamics of an introduced sika deer population
Authors: Takeshita Kazutaka , Ueno Mayumi , Takahashi Hiroshi , Ikeda Takashi , Mitsuya Ryoko , Yoshida Tsuyoshi , Igota Hiromasa , Yamamura Kohji , Yoshizawa Ryo , Kaji Koichi 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIrruptions of large herbivores, with a rapid population increase to peak abundance, are widely observed. Occasionally, there is a population crash following such peaks in abundance, after which the population recovers to form another peak typically lower than the initial. There are mathematical models describing this full cycle of irruptive dynamics. The insight for further improvement of such mathematical models will be obtained from demographic analyses of irruptive dynamics incorporating density‐dependent and density‐independent resource limitations. Using a 35‐yr dataset on the irruptive dynamics of an introduced sika deer (Cervus nippon) population on Nakanoshima Island, Japan, we evaluated the factors and stages determining irruptive dynamics (phase 1: the initial irruption and population crash; phase 2: subsequent dynamics) through key‐factor/key‐stage analysis of the population structure, estimated using age‐at‐death data of naturally dead deer. We set two factors (i.e., deer density and snow accumulation) and three life stages (i.e., immature individuals, adult female, and adult male). The estimated population structure showed two population crashes and a density peak higher than the initial peak during population regrowth subsequent to the initial population crash. The most influential factor and stage for determining the population dynamics differed between phases 1 and 2. The contribution of deer density to the variability in population change was the largest in phase 1 (62.30%) and decreased to 24.10% in phase 2. The contribution of snow accumulation was small in both phase 1 (11.74%) and phase 2 (0.64%). The male stage had the largest contribution in phase 1 (39.23%), while the immature stage had the largest contribution in phase 2 (63.31%). The female stage had the smallest contribution in both phase 1 (24.19%) and phase 2 (17.67%). Population growth rate decreased, while carrying capacity increased, in phase 2 compared to phase 1. We suggest that the small contributions of density‐dependent and density‐independent resource limitations on population dynamics in phase 2 were related to the characteristics of alternative foods (fallen leaves and woody plants) that were newly utilized by deer in phase 2. We conclude that alternative resources potentially generate various irruptive dynamics, including unstable dynamics not expected in the classic paradigm.
Estimating the number of contending IoT devices in 5G networks: Revealing the invisible
Authors: Bouzouita Meriam , Hadjadj‐Aoul Yassine , Zangar Nawel , Rubino Gerardo 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe explosive growth of connected objects is certainly one of the most important challenges facing operators' network infrastructures. Although it has been foreseen for a very long time, it is still not clear how to support such huge number of devices efficiently. Indeed, although a smarter planning of dedicated access slots would certainly limit the burden, this remains limited since some equipments react to events, which cannot be timed. Moreover, barring some IoT devices from accessing the network, using Access Class Barring–like techniques, is very efficient; nevertheless, efficiency is generally linked to precise knowledge of the number of contending devices. Although, before connection establishment, the terminals are invisible to access points, it is very difficult to estimate their number. A lower bound of backlogged devices can be determined. The average number of terminals can even be estimated with more or less precision, as this kind of problems comes to the classical “balls‐into‐bins” problem, which was extensively analyzed in the literature. However, an overestimation of this number implies underutilization of resources whereas an underestimation may lead to a congestion collapse. In this way, we propose a lightweight change to the standard to accurately reveal the state of network congestion by overloading connections' requests with the number of access attempts (number of times the device has been barred as well as the number of attempts). Using such information, we propose an accurate recursive estimator of the number of devices. The obtained results demonstrated that the proposed solution not only makes it possible to estimate the number of equipment much better than existing techniques but also allows determining precisely the number of blocked equipments.
Amine‐Substituted Diazocine Derivatives – Synthesis, Structure, and Photophysical Properties
Authors: Gregory Mark A. , Zhang Bolong , Tilley Andrew J. , Scheerlinck Tamika , White Jonathan M. , Wong Wallace W. H. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractA series of amine‐substituted diazocines were synthesized in three steps from methyl 2‐aminobenzoate or methyl 3‐aminonaphtholate. The saddle‐shaped diazocine compounds showed similar interplane angle of 75° despite the different steric bulk of the amine substituents. In electrochemical experiments, these diazocines showed irreversible reduction most likely producing indolo[3,2‐b]indoles rather than forming the 10‐electron planar aromatic species. The carbazole‐substituted naphthodiazocines showed the most interesting photophysical properties with evidence of transition from the saddle‐shaped ground state to a planar excited state geometry.
Self‐Assembly Processes of Pd(II)‐ and Pt(II)‐Linked Discrete Self‐Assemblies Revealed by QASAP
Authors: Hiraoka Shuichi 
Published: September 2018

AbstractRecent progress in the understanding of discrete coordination self‐assembly processes is summarized. Aiming to make the problems in the investigation of molecular self‐assembly processes clear, a novel method (QASAP: quantitative analysis of self‐assembly process) to obtain the information about all intermediates that are transiently produced during the self‐assembly in an indirect way was introduced. Through the application of QASAP to over ten kinds of Pd(II)‐ or Pt(II)‐linked discrete coordination self‐assemblies, similarities between molecular self‐assembly and protein folding, general principles underlying coordination self‐assembly, and the mechanism of homochiral self‐sorting along the self‐assembly pathway have been revealed and are discussed below.
Meeting the Challenge of Chemical Language Barriers in University Level Chemistry Education
Authors: Rees Simon , Kind Vanessa , Newton Douglas 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe specific yet varied challenges chemical language presents to students learning the subject are widely recognised. However, to effectively engage a student population becoming increasingly diverse in terms of culture, language and prior knowledge chemistry educators must develop pedagogical strategies that address issues of language comprehension. In this paper we discuss the body of literature that provides evidence of the multiple challenges that the language of chemistry presents students. These include: words in a scientific context, words with dual meaning, similar words and symbolic language. The chemistry learning triplet is used to illustrate how students must use chemical language to move between the macroscopic, sub‐microscopic and symbolic levels. Combining evidence from our research and the wider literature we describe a novel model of linguistic demand in multiple dimensions that represents the challenge of chemical language. This model can be used to assess the linguistic demand of teaching resources and to focus the appropriate use of language and literacy informed pedagogical strategies.
Impact of teamwork improvement training on communication and teamwork climate in ambulatory reproductive health care
Authors: Dodge Laura E. , Nippita Siripanth , Hacker Michele R. , Intondi Evelyn M. , Ozcelik Guzey , Paul Maureen E. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractBackgroundWhile team training is associated with improved hospital‐based team climate, less is known about effects in the ambulatory setting.Study DesignIn 2014 and 2015, we enrolled 20 organizations, each operating various health centers, into this ongoing study. Evaluation tools include a communication behaviors assessment (CBA) and Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS®) Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T‐TPQ), which staff completes at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year, and the Patients’ Insights and Views of Teamwork (PIVOT) survey, which patients complete at baseline and 1 year. We also assessed patient satisfaction. We analyzed T‐TPQs paired at the individual level and CBAs and PIVOTs paired at the health center level. We also conducted key informant interviews with the first cohort.ResultsCBAs showed that TeamSTEPPS tools and strategies were utilized, with 50% or more of centers reporting increases in all behaviors at 1 year; key informant interviews confirmed this. T‐TPQ findings indicated that TeamSTEPPS implementation was associated with improved staff perceptions of teamwork at 6 months; lesser improvements were seen at 1 year. The PIVOT survey demonstrated significant improvements in select patient ratings of teamwork. Patient satisfaction improved at 1 year.ConclusionsTeamSTEPPS has positive effects in the ambulatory reproductive health care environment. Improvements persisted at 1 year.
HoxB8 neutrophils replicate Fcγ receptor and integrin-induced neutrophil signaling and functions
Authors: Chu Julia Y , McCormick Barry , Mazelyte Greta , Michael Melina , Vermeren Sonja 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
Neutrophils are short-lived, terminally differentiated leukocytes that form an essential part of host immunity and play a key role in acute and chronic inflammation. The analysis of these important cells is hindered by the fact that neutrophils are not amenable to culture, transfection, or transduction. Conditionally HoxB8-immortalized mouse hematopoietic progenitors are suitable for in vitro differentiation of a range of myeloid cells, including neutrophils. Integrins and FcγRs are cell surface receptors, the ligation of which is required for a range of neutrophil functions that are important in health and disease. We show here that HoxB8 neutrophils express major neutrophil integrins and FcγRs. They respond to FcγR and integrin stimulation in a manner that is comparable with primary neutrophils, in terms of intracellular signaling. HoxB8 neutrophils also perform a range of FcγR/integrin-dependent neutrophil functions, including, generation of reactive oxygen species, degranulation, and chemotaxis. Our findings suggest that HoxB8 neutrophils represent a faithful experimental model system for the analysis of Fc and integrin receptor-dependent neutrophil functions.
HoxB8 neutrophils presents to be a reliable and useful system for the analysis of Fc and integrin receptor-dependent neutrophil functions.
Volumetric Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Histogram Analysis in Differentiating Intrahepatic Mass‐Forming Cholangiocarcinoma From Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zou Xianlun , Luo Yan , Li Zhen , Hu Yao , Li Haojie , Tang Hao , Shen Yaqi , Hu Daoyu , Kamel Ihab R. 
Published: September 2018

BackgroundAccurate differentiation between intrahepatic mass‐forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is needed because treatment and prognosis differ significantly.PurposeTo explore whether volumetric apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis can provide additional value to dynamic enhanced MRI in differentiating IMCC from HCC.Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationIn all, 131 patients with pathologically proven IMCC (n = 33) or HCC (n = 98).Field Strength/Sequence3.0T MRI/conventional T1‐weighted imaging (T1WI), T2WI, and diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) with b value of 800 sec/mm2, dynamic enhanced MRI with gadobenate dimeglumine.AssessmentDynamic enhanced MR images were analyzed by two independent reviewers using a five‐point scale to determine the diagnosis. Volumetric ADC assessments were performed independently by two radiologists to obtain different histogram parameters for each lesion. Quantitative histogram parameters were compared between the IMCC group and HCC group. Diagnostic performance of dynamic enhanced MRI, volumetric ADC histogram analysis, and the combination of both were analyzed.Statistical TestsIntraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis, independent Student's t‐test, or Mann–Whitney U‐test, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves analysis, and McNemar test.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity for dynamic enhanced MRI to differentiate IMCC from HCC were 82.1% and 82.6%, respectively. For all volumetric ADC histogram parameters, the 75th percentile ADC (ADC75%) had the highest AUC (0.791) in differentiating IMCC from HCC, with sensitivity and specificity of 69.7% and 77.6%, respectively. When combining dynamic enhanced MRI with ADC75%, the sensitivity and specificity were 82.1% and 91.9%, respectively. Compared to dynamic enhanced MRI alone, the specificity for combined dynamic enhanced MRI and ADC75% was significantly increased (P = 0.008).Data ConclusionVolumetric ADC histogram analysis provides additional value to dynamic enhanced MRI in differentiating IMCC from HCC.Level of Evidence: 3Technical Efficacy: Stage 2J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:975–983.
Application of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry for the assessment of toluene removal in a nonthermal plasma reactor
Authors: Guo Teng , Peng Zhen , Li Xueshuang , Zhu Hui , Xu Li , Dong Junguo , Feng Jialiang , Cheng Ping , Zhou Zhen 
Published: September 2018

AbstractProton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS) is a mature technique for the real‐time measurement and monitoring of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. In this paper, a modified quantification method for PTR‐MS was used to assess the performance of nonthermal plasma (NTP) reactor for the removal of toluene which was widely used in industrial production processes. Toluene and 11 corresponding organic by‐products were tentatively identified and quantified by a proton transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. The degradation dynamics of toluene and the formation of organic by‐products were monitored in real‐time (resolution = 1 second) under “plasma off” and “plasma on” conditions. We conclude that initial concentration and gas flow rate were the key parameters in the health risk assessment of NTP for the removal of toluene. The toluene removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity decreased with increasing upstream toluene concentration or gas flow rate, whereas the health risk influence index increased with increasing upstream toluene concentration or gas flow rate. The highest removal efficiency of toluene (100%), CO2 selectivity (53.2%), and the best health risk influence index for organic by‐products (0.11) were achieved when the toluene concentration was kept at 105 ppmv and flow rate at 0.4 L/minute. The results demonstrate that PTR‐MS is a promising tool to improve the practical applications of volatile organic compound removal by NTP because it can be used to optimize the NTP working conditions by providing a precise, fast, and clear health risk assessment for organic by‐products based on their real‐time analysis.
Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhances nutrient accumulation in wheat exposed to elevated CO2 and soil salinity
Authors: Zhu Xiancan , Song Fengbin , Liu Shengqun , Liu Fulai , Li Xiangnan 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPlant can establish a mutualistic symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to improve plant growth and resistance to environmental stresses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of AM on nutrient accumulation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants under combined elevated CO2 and soil salinity. The effects of CO2 elevation (700 ppm) and salt treatments (0, 1, and 2 g NaCl kg−1 dry soil) on the nutrient accumulation of wheat plants inoculated with AM fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis) were investigated. The AM root colonization was decreased by salt treatment and increased by elevated CO2. AM symbiosis significantly increased shoot dry weight and the accumulation of total C, N, K, Ca, Mg, and Na under elevated CO2 and salt stress. Plant dry biomass was positively correlated with total N, K, Ca, and Mg accumulation, whilst it was negatively correlated with Na accumulation. The concentrations of soluble sugar and glucose in shoots and roots of the AM plants were higher than of the non‐AM plants. It is suggested that AM enhances carbohydrate assimilation and nutrient accumulation in wheat exposed to elevated CO2 and soil salinity.
Historical charcoal additions alter water extractable, particulate and bulk soil C composition and stabilization
Authors: Abdelrahman Hamada , Hofmann Diana , Berns Anne E. , Meyer Nele , Bol Roland , Borchard Nils 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe objective of this work was to investigate the chemical composition and the quantitative changes in soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in response to multiple historical inputs of charcoal that ceased > 60 years ago. The topsoil (0–5 cm) and subsoil (5–20 cm) samples of charcoal enriched soils and the unamended reference soils were assessed for C and N contents in bulk soil, particulate organic matter (POM) fractions and water extractable organic matter (WEOM). The SOM molecular characteristics were investigated in the solid phase by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and in the WEOM by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS). Formerly added charcoal additions reduced the extracted amount of WEOM and altered POM pattern: an increased proportion of C and N stored in coarse, intermediate, and fine POM relative to corresponding total C and N was found in subsoils. In contrast, C and N stored in the residual fraction (< 20 µm) decreased. NMR results revealed a higher aromaticity of SOM in charcoal enriched soils, while the FT‐ICR‐MS results indicated an increased presence of lignin‐ and tannin‐like compounds in the WEOM of these soils. Former charcoal additions enhanced soils capacity to retain and stabilize C and N. Particularly, the presence of charcoal particles elevated C and N stored in large POM fractions > 20 µm, which presumably increases soil porosity and thus the soils' capacity to retain water.
Postnatal Administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 Ameliorates Perinatal Broad‐Spectrum Antibiotic‐Induced Reduction in Myelopoiesis and T Cell Activation in Mouse Pups
Authors: Fuglsang Eva , Krych Lukasz , Lundsager Mia Thorup , Nielsen Dennis Sandris , Frøkiær Hanne 
Published: September 2018

ScopeThis study addresses whether administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 could mitigate the effects of a compromised gut microbiota on the composition of mature leukocytes and granulocyte‐macrophage progenitor cells (GMPs) in newborn mice.Methods and resultsPregnant dams receive oral broad‐spectrum antibiotics, which dramatically decrease the gut microbial composition analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Perinatal antibiotic treatment decreases the proportions of bone marrow (BM) GMPs (postnatal day (PND2): 0.5% vs 0.8%, PND4: 0.2% to 0.6%) and mature granulocytes (33% vs 24% at PND2), and spleen granulocytes (7% vs 17% at PND2) and B cells (PND2:18% vs 28%, PND4:11% vs 22%). At PND35, T helper (Th) cells (20% vs 14%) and cytotoxic T (Tc) cells (10% vs 8%) decrease in the spleen. Oral administration of L. rhamnosus HN001 to neonatal pups (PND1‐7) restores the antibiotic‐induced changes of GMPs and granulocytes in BM and spleen, and further increases splenic granulocytes in control pups. At PND35, splenic proportions of B and Th but not Tc cells are restored.ConclusionPostnatal administration of a single bacterial strain efficiently restores granulopoiesis and most T cell activation in neonatal mice that suffer from a perinatal antibiotic‐induced compromised gut microbiota at birth.