bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanofibers from aspen wood using derivatizing and non-derivatizing pretreatments
Authors: Jonasson Simon , Bünder Anne , Niittylä Totte , Oksman Kristiina 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
The link between wood and corresponding cellulose nanofiber (CNF) behavior is complex owing the multiple chemical pretreatments required for successful preparation. In this study we apply a few pretreatments on aspen wood and compare the final CNF behavior in order to rationalize quantitative studies of CNFs derived from aspen wood with variable properties. This is relevant for efforts to improve the properties of woody biomass through tree breeding. Three different types of pretreatments were applied prior to disintegration (microfluidizer) after a mild pulping step; derivatizing TEMPO-oxidation, carboxymethylation and non-derivatizing soaking in deep-eutectic solvents. TEMPO-oxidation was also performed directly on the plain wood powder without pulping. Obtained CNFs (44–55% yield) had hemicellulose content between 8 and 26 wt% and were characterized primarily by fine (height ≈ 2 nm) and coarser (2 nm < height < 100 nm) grade CNFs from the derivatizing and non-derivatizing treatments, respectively. Nanopapers from non-derivatized CNFs had higher thermal stability (280 °C) compared to carboxymethylated (260 °C) and TEMPO-oxidized (220 °C). Stiffness of nanopapers made from non-derivatized treatments was higher whilst having less tensile strength and elongation-at-break than those made from derivatized CNFs. The direct TEMPO-oxidized CNFs and nanopapers were furthermore morphologically and mechanically indistinguishable from those that also underwent a pulping step. The results show that utilizing both derivatizing and non-derivatizing pretreatments can facilitate studies of the relationship between wood properties and final CNF behavior. This can be valuable when studying engineered trees for the purpose of decreasing resource consumption when isolation cellulose nanomaterials.

Graphic abstract
Feasibility of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention with Sheltered Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Santa Maria Diane , Cuccaro Paula , Bender Kimberly , Cron Stanley , Fine Micki , Sibinga Erica 
Published: October 2019

AbstractObjectivesEvidence of the acceptability and potential efficacy of mindfulness strategies with at-risk youth is mounting. Yet only a few studies have assessed these strategies among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH).MethodsWe conducted a mixed methods feasibility study of an adapted mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with sheltered YEH. The MBI consisted of five 1.5-h sessions delivered at a youth homeless shelter over 2.5 weeks. A one-group pre/post-test design was utilized to collect quantitative assessments of real-time cognitions followed by qualitative inquiry to assess participants’ experiences and perceptions of the intervention.ResultsParticipants (N = 39) were between 18–21 years old with the majority identifying as male (56.4%), heterosexual (74.4%), Black (51.3%) and Hispanic (15.4%). Attendance was challenging for participants (2.2 sessions attended on average) who had varying work and school obligations. However, pre–post session survey data completeness was excellent (92% completion rate). Participants completed self-report surveys prior to and after each session that measured affect. Significant improvement in pre–post session outcomes were found for frustration, restlessness, stress, depression, boredom, and mindlessness. Participants reported high levels of acceptability of the curriculum content and delivery format. However, several substantial adaptations that youth identified may improve feasibility and acceptability among YEH. The results are limited by the small sample size and the use of a curriculum not developed with or for YEH.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the potential feasibility of using MBIs among YEH although adaptations to existing curricula are necessary to increase relevance, acceptability of, and access to MBIs among YEH.
Semantically Coherent 4D Scene Flow of Dynamic Scenes
Authors: Mustafa Armin , Hilton Adrian 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Simultaneous semantically coherent object-based long-term 4D scene flow estimation, co-segmentation and reconstruction is proposed exploiting the coherence in semantic class labels both spatially, between views at a single time instant, and temporally, between widely spaced time instants of dynamic objects with similar shape and appearance. In this paper we propose a framework for spatially and temporally coherent semantic 4D scene flow of general dynamic scenes from multiple view videos captured with a network of static or moving cameras. Semantic coherence results in improved 4D scene flow estimation, segmentation and reconstruction for complex dynamic scenes. Semantic tracklets are introduced to robustly initialize the scene flow in the joint estimation and enforce temporal coherence in 4D flow, semantic labelling and reconstruction between widely spaced instances of dynamic objects. Tracklets of dynamic objects enable unsupervised learning of long-term flow, appearance and shape priors that are exploited in semantically coherent 4D scene flow estimation, co-segmentation and reconstruction. Comprehensive performance evaluation against state-of-the-art techniques on challenging indoor and outdoor sequences with hand-held moving cameras shows improved accuracy in 4D scene flow, segmentation, temporally coherent semantic labelling, and reconstruction of dynamic scenes.
Associations of psychosis-risk symptoms with quality of life and
self-rated health in the Community
Authors: Michel Chantal , Schmidt Stefanie J. , Schnyder Nina , Flückiger Rahel , Käufeler Iljana , Schimmelmann Benno G. , Schultze-Lutter Frauke 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Background:
Understanding factors related to poor quality of life (QoL) and
self-rated health (SRH) in clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis is
important for both research and clinical applications. We investigated
the associations of both constructs with CHR symptoms, axis-I disorders,
and sociodemographic variables in a community sample.

Methods:
In total, 2683 (baseline) and 829 (3-year follow-up) individuals of
the Swiss Canton of Bern (age-at-baseline: 16–40 years) were interviewed
by telephone regarding CHR symptoms, using the Schizophrenia Proneness
Instrument for basic symptoms, the Structured Interview for
Psychosis-Risk Syndromes for ultra-high risk (UHR) symptoms, the
Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for current axis-I
disorders, the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale for QoL,
and the 3-level EQ-5D for SRH.

Results:
In cross-sectional structural equation modelling, lower SRH was
exclusively significantly associated with higher age, male gender, lower
education, and somatoform disorders. Poor QoL was exclusively associated
only with eating disorders. In addition, both strongly interrelated
constructs were each associated with affective, and anxiety disorders,
UHR and, more strongly, basic symptoms. Prospectively, lower SRH was
predicted by lower education and anxiety disorders at baseline, while
poorer QoL was predicted by affective disorders at baseline.

Conclusions:
When present, CHR, in particular basic symptoms are already
distressful for individuals of the community and associated with poorer
subjective QoL and health. Therefore, the symptoms are clinically
relevant by themselves, even when criteria for a CHR state are not
fulfilled. Yet, unlike affective and anxiety disorders, CHR symptoms
seem to have no long-term influence on QoL and SRH.
Alzheimer's disease progression and risk factors: A standardized comparison between six large data sets
Authors: Evans Stephanie , McRae‐McKee Kevin , Hadjichrysanthou Christoforos , Wong Mei Mei , Ames David , Lopez Oscar , de Wolf Frank , Anderson Roy M. ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,   Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle flagship study of ageing,   Predictors of Cognitive Decline Among Normal Individuals (BIOCARD) study,   Add Neuro Med Consortium
Published: October 2019

AbstractThere exist a large number of cohort studies that have been used to identify genetic and biological risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is a disagreement between studies as to how strongly these risk factors affect the rate of progression through diagnostic groups toward AD. We have calculated the probability of transitioning through diagnostic groups in six studies and considered how uncertainty around the strength of the effect of these risk factors affects estimates of the distribution of individuals in each diagnostic group in an AD clinical trial simulator. In this work, we identify the optimal choice of widely collected variables for comparing data sets and calculating probabilities of progression toward AD. We use the estimated transition probabilities to inform stochastic simulations of AD progression that are based on a Markov model and compare predicted incidence rates to those in a community‐based study, the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Between Eastern Africa and Western India, 1500–1650: Slavery, Commerce, and Elite Formation
Authors: Subrahmanyam Sanjay 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis essay examines relations between eastern Africa and western India in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries in respect to two related sets of problems: the changing regimes of commercial circulation, and more particularly the evolution of patterns of human movement, notably via the slave trade from Ethiopia and the Swahili coast to Gujarat and the Deccan. It argues that over the course of the sixteenth century, commercial relations between Deccan ports such as Goa and Chaul, and the Swahili coast, came to be strengthened through the intervention of the Portuguese and their military-commercial system. At the same time, large numbers of African slaves reached the Muslim states in India, especially in the period after 1530, where they played a significant role as military specialists, and eventually as elite political and cultural actors. The shifting geographical dimensions of the African presence in India are emphasized, beginning in western Gujarat and winding up in the Deccan Sultanates. This contrasts markedly with the African experience elsewhere, where the meaning and institutional context of slavery were quite different.
Parent Stress for Patients Followed in a Multidisciplinary Spinal Defects Clinic
Authors: Simpson Tess S. , Kenny Jessica J. , Wilson Pamela E. , Clayton Gerald H. , Peterson Robin L. 
Published: October 2019

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to characterize parent-reported stress for parents of children being followed in a multidisciplinary spinal defects clinic. Method: Participants were drawn from clinical cases seen through a multidisciplinary outpatient spinal defects clinic between 2014 and 2017. Participants included 223 youth under 21 years old, diagnosed with spina bifida (SB) or a related neural tube defect, and their parents. Parent stress ratings were obtained for all participants as part of the standard care within the clinic using the Parental Stress Scale. Self-reported internalizing symptoms were measured for patients aged 12 and older ( n = 44) with the 9-item Pediatric Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale. Results: Contrary to our prediction, we found low levels of parent and adolescent distress in this population. An important finding was that adolescent internalizing symptoms showed a moderate to large association with parent-reported stress and in fact, predicted parent stress better than did any demographic or health-related variable. Child age was also found to correlate with parent-reported stress, and parents of older children reported on average more stress than did parents of younger children. Conclusions: The current findings mainly highlight resilience in this population but do indicate that parent stress and child internalizing symptoms for children with SB are linked and are likely to be a target for clinical management, similar to the case for children without chronic health conditions. Implications for Impact Statement The current study highlights resilience in parents of children with a neural tube defect but does indicate that parent stress and child internalizing symptoms for children with a neural tube defect are linked and are likely to be a target of clinical management in a subset of this population. Additionally, it contributes to research investigating the efficacy of psychosocial screening tools in medical clinics and the benefits of multidisciplinary care for youth with neural tube defect.
Metabolomics analysis of children with autism, idiopathic-developmental delays, and Down syndrome
Authors: Orozco Jennie Sotelo , Hertz-Picciotto Irva , Abbeduto Leonard , Slupsky Carolyn M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAlthough developmental delays affect learning, language, and behavior, some evidence suggests the presence of disturbances in metabolism are associated with psychiatric disorders. Here, the plasma metabolic phenotype of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 167), idiopathic-developmental delay (i-DD, n = 51), and Down syndrome (DS, n = 31), as compared to typically developed (TD, n = 193) controls was investigated in a subset of children from the case–control Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study. Metabolome profiles were obtained using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and analyzed in an untargeted manner. Forty-nine metabolites were identified and quantified in each sample that included amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and other compounds. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed significant associations between 11 plasma metabolites and neurodevelopmental outcome. Despite the varied origins of these developmental disabilities, we observed similar perturbation in one-carbon metabolism pathways among DS and ASD cases. Similarities were also observed in the DS and i-DD cases in the energy-related tricarboxylic acid cycle. Other metabolites and pathways were uniquely associated with DS or ASD. By comparing metabolic signatures between these conditions, the current study expands on extant literature demonstrating metabolic alterations associated with developmental disabilities and provides a better understanding of overlapping vs specific biological perturbations associated with these disorders.
DNA methylation of HPA-axis genes and the onset of major depressive disorder in adolescent girls: a prospective analysis
Authors: Humphreys Kathryn L. , Moore Sarah R. , Davis Elena Goetz , MacIsaac Julie L. , Lin David T. S. , Kobor Michael S. , Gotlib Ian H. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe stress response system is disrupted in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as in those at elevated risk for developing MDD. We examined whether DNA methylation (DNAm) levels of CpG sites within HPA-axis genes predict the onset of MDD. Seventy-seven girls, approximately half (n = 37) of whom were at familial risk for MDD, were followed longitudinally. Saliva samples were taken in adolescence (M age = 13.06 years [SD = 1.52]) when participants had no current or past MDD diagnosis. Diagnostic interviews were administered approximately every 18 months until the first onset of MDD or early adulthood (M age of last follow-up = 19.23 years [SD = 2.69]). We quantified DNAm in saliva samples using the Illumina EPIC chip and examined CpG sites within six key HPA-axis genes (NR3C1, NR3C2, CRH, CRHR1, CRHR2, FKBP5) alongside 59 genotypes for tagging SNPs capturing cis genetic variability. DNAm levels within CpG sites in NR3C1, CRH, CRHR1, and CRHR2 were associated with risk for MDD across adolescence and young adulthood. To rule out the possibility that findings were merely due to the contribution of genetic variability, we re-analyzed the data controlling for cis genetic variation within these candidate genes. Importantly, methylation levels in these CpG sites continued to significantly predict the onset of MDD, suggesting that variation in the epigenome, independent of proximal genetic variants, prospectively predicts the onset of MDD. These findings suggest that variation in the HPA axis at the level of the methylome may predict the development of MDD.
Lobaplatin promotes 125I-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma by upregulating PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway
Authors: Li Dong , Wang Wu-jie , Wang Yong-zheng , Wang Yi-biao , Li Yu-liang 
Published: October 2019

AbstractWe investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of a combination treatment of 125I radioactive seed implantation and lobaplatin (LBP) in hepatocellular carcinoma. The effects of administration of HCC cells and subcutaneous tumor model of mice with different doses of 125I or a sensitizing concentration of LBP alone, or in combination, on cellular apoptosis and proliferation were analyzed and it was confirmed that LBP promotes 125I-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of HCC. Furthermore, isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification labeling analyses suggested that 125I promoted the apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of HCC cells by upregulating the expression of PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway, a well-known apoptosis-related pathway. Moreover, LBP was found to boost the 125I-induced upregulation of this pathway and increase the apoptosis. Our data indicate that LBP promotes the apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of 125I and provide a firm foundation for better clinical application of this combination therapy.
CircERCC2 ameliorated intervertebral disc degeneration by regulating mitophagy and apoptosis through miR-182-5p/SIRT1 axis
Authors: Xie Lin , Huang Weibo , Fang Zhenhua , Ding Fan , Zou Fei , Ma Xiaosheng , Tao Jie , Guo Jingkang , Xia Xinlei , Wang Hongli , Yu Zuochong , Lu Feizhou , Jiang Jianyuan 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe molecular mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the pathogenesis of IVDD. We sued nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues of patients, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) stimulated NP cells (NPCs), and IVDD rat model to explore the interaction between circERCC2 and miR-182-5p/SIRT1 axis. The results showed that downregulation of circERCC2 increased the level of miR-182-5p and decreased the level of SIRT1 in degenerative NP tissues in vivo as well as in TBHP-stimulated NPCs in vitro. Treatment of SIRT1-si activated apoptosis and inhibited mitophagy. Moreover, miR-182-5p-si could regulate the mitophagy and the apoptosis of NPCs by targeting SIRT1. The effects of circERCC2 on NPCs and IVDD rat model were mediated by miR-182-5p/SIRT1 axis. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence that circERCC2 could ameliorate IVDD through miR-182-5p/SIRT1 axis by activating mitophagy and inhibiting apoptosis, and suggests that circERCC2 is a potentially effective therapeutic target for IVDD.
Genetic interaction networks mediate individual statin drug response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Busby Bede P. , Niktab Eliatan , Roberts Christina A. , Sheridan Jeffrey P. , Coorey Namal V. , Senanayake Dinindu S. , Connor Lisa M. , Munkacsi Andrew B. , Atkinson Paul H. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractEukaryotic genetic interaction networks (GINs) are extensively described in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C model using deletion libraries, yet being limited to this one genetic background, not informative to individual drug response. Here we created deletion libraries in three additional genetic backgrounds. Statin response was probed with five queries against four genetic backgrounds. The 20 resultant GINs representing drug–gene and gene–gene interactions were not conserved by functional enrichment, hierarchical clustering, and topology-based community partitioning. An unfolded protein response (UPR) community exhibited genetic background variation including different betweenness genes that were network bottlenecks, and we experimentally validated this UPR community via measurements of the UPR that were differentially activated and regulated in statin-resistant strains relative to the statin-sensitive S288C background. These network analyses by topology and function provide insight into the complexity of drug response influenced by genetic background.
Defining subpopulations of differential drug response to reveal novel target populations
Authors: Keshava Nirmal , Toh Tzen S. , Yuan Haobin , Yang Bingxun , Menden Michael P. , Wang Dennis 
Published: October 2019

AbstractPersonalised medicine has predominantly focused on genetically altered cancer genes that stratify drug responses, but there is a need to objectively evaluate differential pharmacology patterns at a subpopulation level. Here, we introduce an approach based on unsupervised machine learning to compare the pharmacological response relationships between 327 pairs of cancer therapies. This approach integrated multiple measures of response to identify subpopulations that react differently to inhibitors of the same or different targets to understand mechanisms of resistance and pathway cross-talk. MEK, BRAF, and PI3K inhibitors were shown to be effective as combination therapies for particular BRAF mutant subpopulations. A systematic analysis of preclinical data for a failed phase III trial of selumetinib combined with docetaxel in lung cancer suggests potential indications in pancreatic and colorectal cancers with KRAS mutation. This data-informed study exemplifies a method for stratified medicine to identify novel cancer subpopulations, their genetic biomarkers, and effective drug combinations.
Vulnerability of sea turtles and fishes in response to two catastrophic Caribbean hurricanes, Irma and Maria
Authors: Matley J. K. , Eanes S. , Nemeth R. S. , Jobsis P. D. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractExtreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, floods, droughts) are capable of changing ecosystems and altering how animals obtain resources. Understanding the behavioural responses of animals being impacted by these natural events can help initiate and ameliorate conservation or management programs. This study investigated short- and long-term space-use of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), as well as five species of fishes and stingrays, in response to two of the most destructive Caribbean hurricanes in known history – Irma and Maria, which were at their peak intensity when they passed the US Virgin Islands in September of 2017. Using passive acoustic telemetry in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, we show a variety of short-term behavioural patterns initiated across species to reduce exposure to the strong environmental conditions, such as moving to deeper habitats within the study area. Although short-term expansion of activity space was evident for several sea turtles, long-term impacts on space-use and body condition were limited. In contrast, southern stingrays (Hypanus americanus) left the study area shortly after the hurricanes, suggesting vulnerability stemming from altered habitat, prey availability, or temperature/oxygen profiles. This study shows the strong spatial resilience of several nearshore species despite exposure to two consecutive category 5 hurricanes.