bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Demographic responses underlying eco‐evolutionary dynamics as revealed with inverse modelling
Authors: Bruijning Marjolein , Jongejans Eelke , Turcotte Martin M. 
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Changes in population dynamics due to interacting evolutionary and ecological processes are the direct result of responses in vital rates, that is stage‐specific growth, survival and fecundity. Quantifying through which vital rates population fitness is affected, instead of focusing on population trends only, can give a more mechanistic understanding of eco‐evolutionary dynamics.

The aim of this study was to estimate the underlying demographic rates of aphid (Myzus persicae) populations. We analysed unpublished stage‐structure population dynamics data of a field experiment with caged and uncaged populations in which rapid evolutionary dynamics were observed, as well as unpublished results from an individual life table experiment performed in a glasshouse.

Using data on changes in population abundance and stage distributions over time, we estimated transition matrices with inverse modelling techniques, in a Bayesian framework. The model used to fit across all experimental treatments included density as well as clone‐specific caging effects. We additionally used individual life table data to inform the model on survival, growth and reproduction.

Results suggest that clones varied considerably in vital rates, and imply trade‐offs between reproduction and survival. Responses to densities also varied between clones. Negative density dependence was found in growth and reproduction, and the presence of predators and competitors further decreased these two vital rates, while survival estimates increased. Under uncaged conditions, population growth rates of the evolving populations were increased compared to the expectation based on the pure clones.

Our inverse modelling approach revealed how much vital rates contributed to the eco‐evolutionary dynamics. The decomposition analysis showed that variation in population growth rates in the evolving populations was to a large extent shaped by plant size. Yet, it also revealed an impact of evolutionary changes in clonal composition. Finally, we discuss that inverse modelling is a complex problem, as multiple combinations of individual rates can result in the same dynamics. We discuss assumptions and limitations, as well as opportunities, of this approach.
Competition and predation as possible causes of bacterial rarity
Authors: Kurm Viola , van der Putten Wim H. , Weidner Simone , Geisen Stefan , Snoek Basten L. , Bakx Tanja , Hol Wilhelmina H. Gera 
Published: February 2019

SummaryWe assembled communities of bacteria and exposed them to different nutrient concentrations with or without predation by protists. Taxa that were rare in the field were less abundant at low nutrient concentrations than common taxa, independent of predation. However, some taxa that were rare in the field became highly abundant in the assembled communities, especially under ample nutrient availability. This high abundance points at a possible competitive advantage of some rare bacterial taxa under nutrient‐rich conditions. In contrast, the abundance of most rare bacterial taxa decreased at low resource availability. Since low resource availability will be the prevailing situation in most soils, our data suggests that under those conditions poor competitiveness for limiting resources may contribute to bacterial rarity. Interestingly, taxa that were rare in the field and most successful under predator‐free conditions in the lab also tended to be more reduced by predation than common taxa. This suggests that predation contributes to rarity of bacterial taxa in the field. We further discuss whether there may be a trade‐off between competitiveness and predation resistance. The substantial variability among taxa in their responses to competition and predation suggests that other factors, for example abiotic conditions and dispersal ability, also influence the local abundance of soil bacteria.
Un/familiar connections: on the relevance of a sociology of personal life for exploring egg and sperm donation
Authors: Nordqvist Petra 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn recent decades, reproductive medicine has become a widespread global phenomenon. Within the field, donor conception, and the use of donated eggs, sperm or embryos from a third party, plays a key role. Despite the importance of those individuals who donate, there has been scant research exploring their experiences. Seeking to contribute to the growing, albeit still small, body of research on donors, this paper advocates bringing the process of donating into dialogue with a sociology of personal life. It suggests that important new insights about the donor experience can be achieved by utilising such a theoretical perspective. The paper applies a broad framework of a sociology of personal life to demonstrate that the decision to donate reverberates within donors’ everyday lives and relationships, and explores, primarily theoretically, how it is that acts of donation bring such issues into play. To this end, the paper examines in detail three ways in which donating interacts with dimensions that are integral to personal life: “living” genetic connectedness, relationality and the intimate body. Ultimately, the paper suggests that a sociology of personal life shows light on new, unexplored questions for this field that demand greater scholarly attention.
The Rule of Law and Automation of Government Decision‐Making
Authors: Zalnieriute Monika , Moses Lyria Bennett , Williams George 
Published: February 2019

AbstractGovernments around the world are deploying automation tools in making decisions that affect rights and entitlements. The interests affected are very broad, ranging from time spent in detention to the receipt of social security benefits. This article focusses on the impact on rule of law values of automation using: (1) pre‐programmed rules (for example, expert systems); and (2) predictive inferencing whereby rules are derived from historic data (such by applying supervised machine learning). The article examines the use of these systems across a range of nations. It explores the tension between the rule of law and rapid technological change and concludes with observations on how the automation of government decision‐making can both enhance and detract from rule of law values.
A Review of Hyperspectral Imaging for Chicken Meat Safety and Quality Evaluation: Application, Hardware, and Software
Authors: Fu Xiaping , Chen Jinchao 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFood quality and safety issues have received widespread attention around the world. Traditional analytical methods are cumbersome, time consuming, and disruptive. Consumers and businesses are in desperate need of a fast, nondestructive test to evaluate the safety and quality of food. Chicken is an important food source for the human diet and has a high consumption rate. Its quality and safety issues are especially important. The hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique combines the main characteristics of the spectroscopy technique and the imaging technique to achieve fast, nondestructive testing and demonstrates great potential for evaluating the food safety and quality of chicken. For the past few years, there have been many studies on the HSI technique for the detection and evaluation of chicken meat safety and quality. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide a detailed overview of the HSI technique for microbiological safety detection and quality attribute assessments of chicken meat. In addition, the hardware and software used in the HSI systems are also summarized and compared. Finally, some opinions on the focus of future research and its applications in the modern poultry industry are presented.
Gallic Acid‐Loaded Zein Nanoparticles by Electrospraying Process
Authors: Tapia‐Hernández José Agustín , Del‐Toro‐Sánchez Carmen Lizette , Cinco‐Moroyoqui Francisco Javier , Ruiz‐Cruz Saúl , Juárez Josué , Castro‐Enríquez Daniela Denisse , Barreras‐Urbina Carlos Gregorio , López‐Ahumada Guadalupe Amanda , Rodríguez‐Félix Francisco 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCurrently, electrospraying is a novel process for obtaining the nanoparticles from biopolymers. Zein nanoparticles have been obtained by this method and used to protect both hydrophilic and hydrophobic antioxidant molecules from environmental factors. The objective of this work was to prepare and characterize gallic acid‐loaded zein nanoparticles obtained by the electrospraying process to provide protection to gallic acid from environmental factors. Thus, it was related to the concentration of gallic acid in physicochemical and rheological properties of the electrosprayed solution, and also to equipment parameters, such as voltage, flow rate, and distance of the collector in morphology, and particle size. The physicochemical properties showed a relationship in the formation of a Taylor cone, in which at a low concentration of gallic acid (1% w/v), low viscosity (0.00464 ± 0.00001 Pa·s), and density (0.886 ± 0.00002 g/cm3), as well as high electrical conductivity (369 ± 4.3 µs/cm), forms a stable cone‐jet mode. The rheological properties and the Power Law model of the gallic acid‐zein electrosprayed solution demonstrated Newtonian behavior (n = 1). The morphology and size of the particle were dependent on the concentration of gallic acid. Electrosprayed parameters with high voltage (15 kV), low flow rate (0.1 mL/hr), and short distance (10 cm) exhibited a smaller diameter and spherical morphology. FT–IR showed interaction in the gallic acid‐loaded zein nanoparticle by hydrogen bonds. Therefore, the electrospraying process is a feasible technique for obtaining gallic acid‐loaded zein nanoparticles and providing potential protection to gallic acid from environmental factors.
HapMap‐based study: CYP2A13 may be a potential key metabolic enzyme gene in the carcinogenesis of lung cancer in non‐smokers
Authors: Hua Feng , Guo Yonglu , Sun Qiang , Yang Leizhou , Gao Fang 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CYP2A13 polymorphisms and lung cancer susceptibility using the HapMap database.MethodsA case‐control analysis of 532 subjects with lung cancer and 614 controls with no personal history of the disease was performed. The tag SNPs rs1645690 and rs8192789 for CYP2A13 were selected, and the genetic polymorphisms were confirmed experimentally through real‐time PCR, cloning, and sequencing assay.ResultsSNP frequency in this study was consistent with the HapMap Project database of Han‐Chinese and lung cancer risk was associated with CYP2A13 polymorphisms in non‐smokers. CYP2A13 shares a 93.5% identity with CYP2A6 in the amino acid sequence and the homologous sequences may interfere with the study of SNPs of CYP2A13.Conclusions
CYP2A13 may be a potential key metabolic enzyme gene in the carcinogenesis of lung cancer in non‐smokers. The common polymorphisms of CYP2A13 may be candidate biomarkers for lung cancer susceptibility in Han‐Chinese.
Acceleration of drinking pace throughout the evening among frequently drinking young adults in the Netherlands
Authors: Groefsema Martine , Kuntsche Emmanuel 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackground and AimsPrevious studies have found that in some countries ‘drinking pace’ (number of drinks consumed per hour) increases during the course of an evening. We aimed to provide evidence of this acceleration from a culture in which binge drinking is prevalent and to test whether this is consistent across gender, day of week and in high‐risk drinkers.DesignEvent‐level data collected on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings over 5 consecutive weeks.SettingThe Netherlands.ParticipantsA total of 197 young adult frequent drinkers (48.7% women, mean age = 20.8).MeasurementsHigh‐risk drinking (assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and gender were measured at baseline, and questionnaires were sent to participants’ smartphones every hour between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. A total of 7185 questionnaires during 1589 evenings were used for the analyses.FindingsMulti‐level latent growth curve models revealed an acceleration in drinking on days of the week tested [throughout all evenings; b = 0.430, standard error (SE) = 0.045, P < 0.001], which stabilized as the evening progressed (b = −0.072, SE = 0.008, P < 0.001). The temporal pattern did not differ between the days or gender, but men started with a higher number of drinks at the beginning of the evening (b = 0.465, SE = 0.099, P < 0.001). High‐risk drinking was related to more alcoholic drinks at the beginning of an evening (b = 0.032, SE = 0.011, P = 0.003) and a steeper acceleration during the subsequent hours (b = 0.021, SE = 0.009, P = 0.024).ConclusionsYoung adults in the Netherlands appear to show an increase in drinking pace during the course of an evening's drinking, with high‐risk drinkers showing a greater increase.
The relationship between discharge medications and falls in post‐hospitalised older adults: A 6‐month follow‐up
Authors: Lam Kenneth , Lee Den‐Ching A. , Lalor Aislinn F. , Stolwyk Rene , Russell Grant , Brown Ted , McDermott Fiona , Haines Terry P. 
Published: February 2019

ObjectiveTo identify discharge medications, especially psychotropic medications that are associated with falls, amongst older adults within 6 months following hospitalisation.MethodsNegative binomial regression was used to examine relationships between discharge medications and falls in older post‐hospitalised adults. Multiple regression that considered falls risk factors at discharge was performed.ResultsData for 267 participants showed that discharge medications were not independently associated with falls postdischarge after adjustment for other falls risk factors. Male gender (adjusted incidence rate ratio [95% confidence interval, CI]) 2.15 [1.36‐3.40]), higher depression scores (1.14 [1.05‐1.25]) and co‐morbidity of neurological disease other than stroke (5.98 [3.08‐11.60]) were independently associated with an increased rate of falls. Higher depression scores (1.20 [1.11‐1.31]) and co‐morbidity of cancer (1.97 [1.20‐3.25]) were independently associated with an increased rate of injurious falls in the 6 months postdischarge.ConclusionFalls prevention strategies, other than hospital discharge medication management in the postdischarge older adults, warrant investigation.
Analgesic impact of intra‐operative opioids vs. opioid‐free anaesthesia: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Frauenknecht J. , Kirkham K. R. , Jacot‐Guillarmod A. , Albrecht E. 
Published: February 2019

SummaryOpioids are administered peri‐operatively for postoperative analgesia, and intra‐operatively to control the sympathetic response to surgical stimuli, frequently as a surrogate for presumed pain. However, opioid use during surgery is a matter of dispute in contemporary practice and carries the risk of side‐effects such as postoperative nausea and vomiting. This meta‐analysis investigated whether opioid‐inclusive, compared with opioid‐free anaesthesia, would reduce postoperative pain, without increasing the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The electronic databases Medline and PubMed were searched until June 2018. We included trials investigating pain outcomes and comparing any type of intra‐operative opioid administration with placebo injection or no intra‐operative opioid. Most meta‐analyses were performed using a random effects model. We rated the quality of evidence for each outcome. The primary outcome was pain score at rest (analogue scale, 0–10) at two postoperative hours. Our secondary outcomes included the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting within the first 24 postoperative hours and length of stay in the recovery area. Twenty‐three randomised controlled trials, including 1304 patients, were identified. Pain scores at rest at two postoperative hours were equivalent in the opioid‐inclusive and opioid‐free groups with a mean difference (95%CI) of 0.2 (−0.2 to 0.5), I2 = 83%, p = 0.38 and a high quality of evidence. Similarly, there was high‐quality evidence that the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting was reduced in the opioid‐free group, with a risk ratio (95%CI) of 0.77 (0.61–0.97), I2 = 16%, p = 0.03 and high‐quality evidence for a similar length of stay in the recovery area, the mean difference (95%CI) being 0.6 (−8.2 to 9.3), min, I2 = 60%, p = 0.90. As there is strong evidence that opioid‐inclusive anaesthesia does not reduce postoperative pain, but is associated with more postoperative nausea and vomiting, when compared with opioid‐free anaesthesia, we suggest that anaesthetists should reconsider their intra‐operative opioid choices on a case‐by‐case basis.
Initial experience with laparoscopic and robotic surgery for the treatment of periampullary tumours: single institution experience with the first 30 consecutive cases
Authors: Goh Brian K. P. , Low Tze‐Yi , Kam Juinn‐Huar , Lee Ser‐Yee , Chan Chung‐Yip 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundConcerns have been raised about the safety of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) during the early learning phase. In this study, we present our initial experience with MIS for periampullary tumours.MethodsRetrospective review of the first 30 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic (LS)/robotic surgery (RS) for periampullary tumours between 2014 and 2017.ResultsTwenty‐seven patients underwent PD, including three total pancreatectomies (TPs) and three underwent palliative bypasses. Twenty underwent LS, of which 18 were hybrid PDs, including two TPs and two bypasses. Ten patients underwent RS, of which nine were PDs, including one TP and one bypass. Five of 10 RSs were totally MIS procedures. There were four PDs with venous resection, of which three were by RS. There were four (13.3%) open conversions all in the LS cohort. There were five (16.7%) major (>grade 2) morbidities, including three pancreatic fistulas (two grade B and one grade C). There was no 30‐day and one (3.3%) 90‐day mortality. Comparison between RS and LS demonstrated that RS had a higher likelihood of being completed via totally MIS (five (50%) versus 0, P = 0.002), tended to have a shorter post‐operative stay (eight (range 6–36) versus 14.5 (range 6–62) days, P = 0.058) but tended to be associated with a longer operation time (670 (range 500–930) versus 577 (range 235–715) min, P = 0.056).ConclusionOur initial experience demonstrated that both LS and RS can be safely adopted for the treatment of periampullary tumours. The learning curve for RS seemed to be shorter than LS as we could transition more quickly from hybrid PDs to totally MIS safely.
Clinical decision analysis and model‐based economic evaluation studies in perinatology: A systematic review
Authors: D'Souza Rohan , Bonasia Kyra , Shah Prakesh S. , Murphy Kellie E. , Sander Beate 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIntroductionPerinatology, the study of two individuals that constitute the mother‐fetus dyad, poses unique challenges to the conduct of clinical decision analysis (CDA) and economic evaluation (EE) studies. Our objective was systematically to review CDA and model‐based EE studies in pregnant women to better understand how these studies have been conducted and reported in perinatology.Material and methodsMEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and clinicaltrials.gov were searched as of October 2018. The indexing terms “pregnancy”, “decision trees”, “Markov models” and “economic models” were used. The search was limited to human data and the English language. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts. Data extraction and assessment of reporting quality were performed in duplicate for 10% of studies and reached 100% agreement. The remainder was carried out by a single reviewer. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD 42016047206).ResultsSeventy‐seven studies met eligibility criteria and fulfilled between 40% and 91% of relevant attributes on the checklist for critical appraisal of CDA models. There was considerable variation in study reporting. A total of 53% of studies included maternal and offspring outcomes, 14% described using weighted means, meta‐analyses or health administrative databases to estimate probabilities and 13% considered outcomes over the lifetime of mother and offspring. Patient preferences (utilities) were used in 47% of the studies. Of these, 10% were elicited from healthcare providers alone and not from pregnant women or the public. Of the EE studies, 25% described a societal analytic perspective. Where relevant, 42% described discounting for costs and benefits, and 30% reported using probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses.ConclusionsDespite long‐term implications of perinatal decisions to mother and offspring, CDA and model‐based EE studies in perinatology frequently do not consider lifetime horizons and patient‐preferences for outcomes related to mother and offspring. They also often fail to adhere to guidelines regarding conduct and reporting.
Future developments: In vitro growth (IVG) of human ovarian follicles
Authors: Telfer Evelyn E. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRemoval and storage of ovarian cortical tissue is currently offered to young female cancer patients undergoing potentially sterilizing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. For patients at high risk of reintroduction of malignancy through auto‐transplantation, the ultimate aim is to achieve complete oocyte development from this tissue in vitro. The ability to develop human oocytes from the earliest follicular stages through to maturation and fertilization in vitro would revolutionize fertility preservation practice. This has been achieved in mice where in vitro grown oocytes from primordial follicles have resulted in the production of live offspring. Systems that support growth and development of oocytes from human ovarian cortex are being developed by several groups. This review focuses on the steps required to recapitulate in vitro the process of human oocyte development from the primordial stage and the systems currently available to support this.
Finite element study of functionally graded porous femoral stems incorporating body‐centered cubic structure
Authors: Alkhatib Sami E. , Tarlochan Faris , Mehboob Hassan , Singh Ramesh , Kadirgama Kumaran , Harun Wan Sharuzi Bin Wan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe mismatch between stiffness of the femoral dense stem and host bone causes complications to patients, such as aseptic loosening and bone resorption. Three‐dimensional finite‐element models of homogeneous porous (HGP) and functionally graded porous (FGP) stems incorporating body‐centered cubic (BCC) structures are proposed in this article as an alternative to the dense stems. The relationship between the porosity and strut thickness of the BCC structure was developed to construct the finite‐element models. Three levels of porosities (20%, 50%, and 80%) were modeled in HGP and FGP stems. The porosity of the stems was decreased distally according to the sigmoid function (n = 0.1, n = 1 and n = 10) with 3 grading exponents. The results showed that FGP stems transferred 120%‐170% higher stresses to the femur (Gruen zone 7) as compared to the solid stem. Conversely, the stresses in HGP and FGP stems were 12%‐34% lower than the dense stem. The highest micromotions (105‐147 µm) were observed for stems of 80% overall porosity, and the lowest (42‐46 µm) was for stems of 20% overall porosity. Finally, FGP stems with a grading exponent of n = 10 resulted in an 11%‐28% reduction in micromotions.