bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NDVI is not reliable as a surrogate of forage abundance for a large herbivore in tropical forest habitat
Authors: Gautam Hansraj , Arulmalar Evangeline , Kulkarni Mihir R. , Vidya T. N. C. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractRemotely sensed vegetation indices are increasingly being used in wildlife studies but field‐based support for their utility as a measure of forage availability comes largely from open‐canopy habitats. We assessed whether normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) represents forage availability for Asian elephants in a southern Indian tropical forest. We found that the number of food species was a small percentage of all plant species.NDVIwas not a good measure of food abundance in any vegetation category partly because of (a) small to moderate proportional abundances of food species relative to the total abundance of all species in that category (herbs and shrubs), (b) abundant overstory vegetation resulting in low correlations betweenNDVIand food abundance, despite a high proportional abundance of food species and a concordance between total abundance and food species abundance (graminoids), and (c) the relevant variables measured and important as food at the ground level (count andGBH) not being related to primary productivity (trees and recruits).NDVIhad a negative relationship with the total abundance of graminoids, which represent a bulk of elephant and other herbivore diet, because of negative interaction with other vegetation and canopy cover that positively explainedNDVI. Spatially interpolated total graminoid abundance modeled from field data outperformedNDVIin predicting total graminoid abundance, although interpolation models of food graminoid abundance were not satisfactory. Our results reject the utility ofNDVIin mapping elephant forage abundance in tropical forests, a finding that has implications for studies of other herbivores also.Abstract in Kannada is available with online material.
Overview of procalcitonin in pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia
Authors: Mangogna A , Agostinis C , Ricci G , Romano F , Bulla R 
Published: May 2019

Summary
Procalcitonin (PCT), a precursor for calcitonin, is a prohormone involved in the inflammatory processes, which has been poorly studied in the context of pregnancy. During severe inflammation, PCT derives from almost all cell types, including monocytes and parenchymal tissues, making it a good predictive and diagnostic marker of an inflammatory state with rapidly increased serum levels in inflammation or sepsis. In normal pregnancy, PCT is basally expressed at very low level by decidual cells, even if decidual macrophages, which in normal pregnancy are skewed to M2 macrophages, are resistant to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of PCT. As PCT increase is associated with an inflammatory state, several research groups investigated whether PCT can be considered a marker of pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disease characterized by systemic inflammation. The first aim of this review is to summarize what is already known about the tissues synthesizing PCT, about the stimuli that cause the increase of circulating PCT levels and how PCT acts as a proinflammatory stimulus by itself. Secondly, we will describe the role of this prohormone in normal pregnancy and in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia, highlighting the involvement of the decidual macrophages and the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α in the modulation of PCT expression in the decidual microenvironment.
Graph‐Based Transfer Function for Volume Rendering
Authors: Sharma O. , Arora T. , Khattar A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA good transfer function in volume rendering requires careful consideration of the materials present in a volume. A manual creation is tedious and prone to errors. Furthermore, the user interaction to design a higher dimensional transfer function gets complicated. In this work, we present a graph‐based approach to design a transfer function that takes volumetric structures into account. Our novel contribution is in proposing an algorithm for robust deduction of a material graph from a set of disconnected edges. We incorporate stable graph creation under varying noise levels in the volume. We show that the deduced material graph can be used to automatically create a transfer function using the occlusion spectrum of the input volume. Since we compute material topology of the objects, an enhanced rendering is possible with our method. This also allows us to selectively render objects and depict adjacent materials in a volume. Our method considerably reduces manual effort required in designing a transfer function and provides an easy interface for interaction with the volume.
Assessing the Transport of Pharmaceutical Compounds in a Layered Aquifer Discharging to a Stream
Authors: Balbarini Nicola , Frederiksen Majken , Rønde Vinni , Møller Ingelise , Sonne Anne T. , McKnight Ursula S. , Pedersen Jørn K. , Binning Philip J. , Bjerg Poul L. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA groundwater plume containing high concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds, mainly sulfonamides, barbiturates, and ethyl urethane, in addition to chlorinated ethenes and benzene was investigated. The contamination originating from a former pharmaceutical industry discharges into a multilayered aquifer system and a downgradient stream. In this study, geological and hydrogeological data were integrated into a numerical flow model to examine identified trends using statistical approaches, including principal component analysis and hierarchal cluster analysis. A joint interpretation of the groundwater flow paths and contaminant concentrations in the different compartments (i.e., groundwater and hyporheic zone) provided insight on the transport processes of the different contaminant plumes to the stream. The analysis of historical groundwater concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds at the site suggested these compounds are slowly degrading. The pharmaceutical compounds migrate in both a deep semiconfined aquifer, as well as in the shallow unconfined aquifer, and enter the stream along a 2‐km stretch. This contrasted with the chlorinated ethenes, which mainly discharge to the stream as a focused plume from the unconfined aquifer. The integrated approach developed here, combining groundwater flow modeling and statistical analyses of the contaminant concentration data collected in groundwater and the hyporheic zone, lead to an improved understanding of the observed distribution of contaminants in the unconfined and semiconfined aquifers, and thus to their discharge to the stream. This approach is particularly relevant for large and long‐lasting contaminant sources and plumes, such as abandoned landfills and industrial production sites, where field investigations may be very expensive.
Comparison of perioperative complications and health‐related quality of life between robot‐assisted and open radical cystectomy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kimura Shoji , Iwata Takehiro , Foerster Beat , Fossati Nicola , Briganti Alberto , Nasu Yasutomo , Egawa Shin , Abufaraj Mohammad , Shariat Shahrokh F 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTo compare postoperative complications and health‐related quality of life of patients undergoing robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with those of patients undergoing open radical cystectomy. A systematic search was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses statement. A pooled meta‐analysis was carried out to assess the differences between robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and open radical cystectomy according to randomized and non‐randomized comparative studies, respectively. We identified six randomized comparative studies and 31 non‐randomized comparative studies. Most robot‐assisted radical cystectomy patients were treated with extracorporeal urinary diversion. Robot‐assisted radical cystectomy was associated with longer operative times, and lower blood loss and transfusion rates compared with open radical cystectomy in both randomized comparative studies and non‐randomized comparative studies. There was no significant difference between robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and open radical cystectomy in the rate of patients with any or major complications within 90 days both in randomized comparative studies and non‐randomized comparative studies. Non‐randomized comparative studies reported a lower rate of complications at 30 days, mortality at 90 days and length of stay for patients treated with robot‐assisted radical cystectomy, which were not confirmed in randomized comparative studies. Additionally, there were no differences in postoperative quality of life score assessment at 3 and 6 months between robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and open radical cystectomy. Robot‐assisted radical cystectomy is associated with less blood loss and lower transfusion rates. There is no difference in complications, length of stay, mortality, and quality of life between robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and open radical cystectomy. Data from non‐randomized comparative studies favor perioperative outcomes in robot‐assisted radical cystectomy patients, the failure to confirm in randomized comparative studies, likely due to bias in study design and reporting. Further randomized comparative studies comparing postoperative complications and quality of life between robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion and open radical cystectomy are required to assess potential differences between these two surgical approaches.
Evaluation of screening practices for low bone mass and prevalence of osteoporosis and fractures in people living with human immunodeficiency virus attending a sexual health clinic
Authors: Davidson Natalie , Sowden David 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundAdults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection commonly experience fractures and have a high prevalence of osteoporosis. The reasons for low bone mineral density (BMD) in HIV patients are multifactorial and there are now guidelines for screening.AimsThe aims of this study were to determine the screening practices for osteoporosis at this sexual health clinic, the prevalence of osteoporosis and to examine the risk factors for bone disease.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of all HIV patients attending the Sunshine Coast Health Service District Sexual Health Clinic. Through chart review we collected the following details: patient demographics, co‐morbid conditions, HIV status and anti‐retroviral therapy, BMD screening, fractures, screening for secondary causes of bone disease and treatment interventions for osteoporosis.ResultsA total of 243 patients with HIV attended the sexual health clinic. Of these, 149 met screening criteria for BMD assessment and 93 (61%) of those eligible underwent BMD examination. In those who had a BMD performed, 13 (19%) had sustained a previous fracture, 28 (30%) had osteoporosis and 42 (45%) had osteopenia. In the osteoporosis group, 21 (78%) were treated with vitamin D and calcium, 7 (26%) had a change in ART, 19 (68%) were treated with anti‐resorptive therapy and 9 received testosterone replacement.ConclusionsIn this cohort, there was a high prevalence of low bone mass and BMD screening rates of 60%. Our results highlight the importance of this condition and the need to improve screening and availability of BMD assessment.
Coordinated‐Transitional Care for Veterans with Heart Failure and Chronic Lung Disease
Authors: Reese Robyn L. , Clement Sherry A. , Syeda Sohera , Hawley Chelsea E. , Gosian Jeffrey S. , Cai Shubing , Jensen Laury L. , Kind Amy J.H. , Driver Jane A. 
Published: May 2019

OBJECTIVESPatients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) account for most 30‐day hospital readmissions nationwide. The Coordinated‐Transitional Care (C‐TraC) program is a telephone‐based, nurse‐driven intervention shown to decrease readmissions in Veterans Affairs (VA) and non‐VA hospitals. The goal of this project was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of adapting C‐TraC to meet the needs of complex patients with CHF and COPD in a large urban tertiary care VA medical center.DESIGNWe used the Replicating Effective Programs model to guide the implementation. The C‐TraC nurse received intensive training in cardiology and pulmonology and worked closely with both inpatient and outpatient providers to coordinate care. Eligible patients were admitted with CHF or COPD and had at least one additional risk for readmission.SETTINGThe nurse met patients in the hospital, participated in their discharge planning, and then provided intensive case management for up to 4 weeks.PARTICIPANTSOver its initial 14 months, the program successfully enrolled 299 veterans with good fidelity to the protocol.MEASUREMENTSA total of 43 (15.8%) C‐TraC participants were rehospitalized within 30 days compared with 172 (21.0%) of historical controls matched 3:1 on age, risk of 90‐day hospital admission, and discharge diagnosis.RESULTSParticipants were 54% less likely to be rehospitalized (odds ratio = .46; 95% CI = .24‐.89).CONCLUSIONThe program was financially sustainable. The total cost of care in the 30‐day postdischarge period was $1842.52 less per C‐TraC patient than per controls, leading the medical center to sustain and expand the program.
Developing a Universal Nursing Competencies Framework for Registered Nurses: A Mixed‐Methods Approach
Authors: Ličen Sabina , Plazar Nadja 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPurposeTo develop a methodology for identifying the universal nursing competencies required for registered nurses (RNs).DesignA mixed‐methods approach was used.MethodsThe research in this article entails a combination of different methodological approaches, namely the Delphi technique and an empirical quantitative nonexperimental study. A total of 14 experts with credentials in the nursing field participated in the former. Consensus was defined as at least 80% agreement. Subsequently, a purposive sample of 321RNs participated in the empirical quantitative nonexperimental study. The data were collected during 2014.FindingsIn the study's first stage, 39 professional nursing competencies were identified using the Delphi technique. In the second stage, factor analysis resulted in seven factors: professional nursing clinical practice; professional communication and quality in nursing; determinants of health and safety in nursing; critical thinking and self‐planning of professional work; new knowledge and knowledge transfer in nursing; management and coordination in nursing; and nursing research. Together they explain 74.9% of the variance.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceIn the future, the identification of the national nursing competencies should be considered. The study has some limitations; however, the proposed methodology revealed in this study may be the first step in overcoming them.
The Circadian Syndrome: is the Metabolic Syndrome and much more!
Authors: Zimmet P. , Alberti K. G. M. M. , Stern N. , Bilu C. , El‐Osta A. , Einat H. , Kronfeld‐Schor N. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of cardio‐metabolic risk factors and comorbidities conveying high risk of both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is responsible for huge socio‐economic costs with its resulting morbidity and mortality in most countries. The underlying aetiology of this clustering has been the subject of much debate. More recently, significant interest has focussed on the involvement of the circadian system, a major regulator of almost every aspect of human health and metabolism. The Circadian Syndrome has now been implicated in several chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is now increasing evidence connecting disturbances in circadian rhythm with not only the key components of the Metabolic Syndrome but also its main comorbidities including sleep disturbances, depression, steatohepatitis and cognitive dysfunction. Based on this, we now propose that circadian disruption may be an important underlying aetiological factor for the Metabolic Syndrome and we suggest that it be renamed the ‘Circadian Syndrome’. With the increased recognition of the ‘Circadian Syndrome’, circadian medicine, through the timing of exercise, light exposure, food consumption, dispensing of medications and sleep, is likely to play a much greater role in the maintenance of both individual and population health in the future.
The effect of tongue thrusting on tongue pressure production during swallowing in adult anterior open bite cases
Authors: Kurihara Kanako , Fukui Tadao , Sakaue Kei , Hori Kazuhiro , Ono Takahiro , Saito Isao 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundTongue thrusting, which often occurs during swallowing in patients with anterior open bite, is considered to show different tongue dynamics from healthy individuals, but the details are still unclear.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the effect of tongue thrusting on tongue pressure production during swallowing in patients with anterior open bite.MethodsThe subjects were 11 patients with an anterior open bite and 8 healthy volunteers with individual normal occlusion. The patients were divided into a tongue‐thrusting group (n = 8) and a non‐thrusting group (n = 3). Tongue pressures while swallowing jelly (4 mL) were recorded by a sensor sheet system with five measuring points (Chs1‐5) attached to the palatal mucosa. The time sequences, maximum magnitude and duration of tongue pressure, and swallowing time of tongue pressure were analysed.ResultsTongue pressure waveforms in the tongue‐thrusting group were quite diverse compared with the other two groups. The duration at the posterior‐median part in the tongue‐thrusting group was significantly shorter, and the maximum magnitudes at the mid‐median, posterior‐median and the peripheral part were also significantly lower than in the healthy group. These results suggest that the compensatory tongue thrust action by which the tongue closes the front part of the oral cavity may make it difficult to lift the tongue and transfer the bolus.ConclusionPatients with an anterior open bite and tongue thrusting at swallowing showed diversity of tongue pressure waveforms and noticeably weaker tongue pressures from mid‐median to posterior‐median regions than healthy individuals.
Application of multi‐element viscoelastic models to freshness evaluation of beef based on the viscoelasticity principle
Authors: Li Yanlei , Xu Yang , Dong Jun , Yang Kefei , Zhang Beibei , Tang Xiuying 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe aims of this work were to develop multi‐element viscoelastic models for beef and apply them to detect total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) content for freshness evaluation. The deformation data were collected by a viscoelasticity detection system that employed the airflow and laser technique. Then, TVB‐N contents were measured to determine the freshness of samples during storage. A universal global optimization (UGO) algorithm was applied to fit the deformation data. Various multi‐element viscoelastic models including the Burgers, six‐element and eight‐element models were built using the obtained fitting parameters, and different viscoelastic parameters representing the degree of beef spoilage were obtained. All the viscoelastic parameters of each multi‐element model and parameter combinations of the selected six‐element model were employed to build mathematical models for predicting TVB‐N content by support vector machine regression (SVR). In comparison, the six‐element model with all the viscoelastic parameters performed the best and was determined to predict TVB‐N content with correlation coefficient in the prediction set (RP) of 0.891 and root mean squared error in the prediction set (RMSEP) of 1.467 mg/100 g. Based on the results of parameter combinations, combination (E2, E3, E1, η1, η2) from the six‐element model performed the best, which was comparatively inferior to all the viscoelastic parameters of the six‐element model. Results demonstrated that it was possible to predict TVB‐N content for freshness evaluation by applying method of developing multi‐element model based on the viscoelasticity with chemometrics.
Parent‐reported ease of eating foods of different textures in young children with Down syndrome
Authors: Ross Carolyn F. , Bernhard Charles B. , Smith‐Simpson Sarah 
Published: May 2019

AbstractFood texture has been identified as a significant contributor to feeding problems in children, particularly in children with Down syndrome (DS). This study examined the open‐ended survey responses of parents describing which food textures were “easy” or “difficult” for their child with DS. The open‐ended responses from the parents about textures and foods they considered “easy” or “difficult” for their child (n = 157) were coded into 26 texture categories. Chewy and firm were more frequently listed as “difficult” textures by parents. Textures found to be cited more frequently as “easy” textures included creamy, crispy/crunchy, dissolvable, mushy, puree, smooth, and soft. Age influenced the citation of specific textures. As age increased, crispy/crunchy, dry, and hard were more likely to be listed as “easy” while lumpy, mushy, and gooey/soggy/wet were less likely be listed as “easy.” For “difficult” textures, as age increased, juicy was more likely to be listed as “difficult” while the textures of creamy, dry, lumpy, and tender were less likely to be “difficult.” While this research provides information as to the food textures children with DS find “easy” or “difficult,” further research is needed to better understand how to expand the variety of textures in the diets of children with DS.
Are calcium oxalate crystals a dynamic calcium store in plants?
Authors: Paiva Elder Antônio Sousa 
Published: May 2019

SummaryCalcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals occur as intravacuolar deposits in most angiosperm species. Different functions have been attributed to these crystals, some of which are very speculative, until now. Calcium regulation and homeostasis seem to be the most widespread function of CaOx crystals. Being rich in calcium, these crystals constitute a reserve of calcium for plants. However, despite being bioavailable, this reserve is functional in just a few situations due to the low mobility of calcium for phloem translocation. Therefore, CaOx crystals as a calcium reserve is a paradox because in most cases the reserve cannot be used. However, in most plants, these crystals occur in organs or tissues that will be discarded, which allows the elimination of excess calcium. This suggests that CaOx crystals have a functional role in excess calcium excretion. There is some evidence that, for calcium, this excretory function is relevant for plants since they lack an excretory system dedicated to discarding solid wastes, such as calcium salts.