bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying hybrids & the genomics of hybridization: Mallards & American black ducks of Eastern North America
Authors: Lavretsky Philip , Janzen Thijs , McCracken Kevin G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractResolving evolutionary relationships and establishing population structure depends on molecular diagnosability that is often limited for closely related taxa. Here, we use 3,200 ddRAD‐seq loci across 290 mallards, American black ducks, and putative hybrids to establish population structure and estimate hybridization rates. We test between traditional assignment probability and accumulated recombination events based analyses to assign hybrids to generational classes. For hybrid identification, we report the distribution of recombination events complements ADMIXTURE simulation by extending resolution past F4 hybrid status; however, caution against hybrid assignment based on accumulated recombination events due to an inability to resolve F1 hybrids. Nevertheless, both analyses suggest that there are relatively few backcrossed stages before a lineage's hybrid ancestry is lost and the offspring are effectively parental again. We conclude that despite high rates of observed interspecific hybridization between mallards and black ducks in the middle part of the 20th century, our results do not support the predicted hybrid swarm. Conversely, we report that mallard samples genetically assigned to western and non‐western clusters. We indicate that these non‐western mallards likely originated from game‐farm stock, suggesting landscape level gene flow between domestic and wild conspecifics.
Longitudinal changes of right ventricular deformation mechanics during trastuzumab therapy in breast cancer patients
Authors: Keramida Kalliopi , Farmakis Dimitrios , Bingcang Jose , Sulemane Samir , Sutherland Stephanie , Bingcang Roma A. , Ramachandran Kanchana , Tzavara Chara , Charalampopoulos Georgios , Filippiadis Dimitrios , Kouris Nikolaos , Nihoyannopoulos Petros 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundTrastuzumab improves dramatically the prognosis of HER2‐positive breast cancer patients, but it may lead to cardiotoxicity with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Its effects on right ventricular (RV) function have not however been elucidated. We sought to assess LV and RV deformation mechanics during treatment with trastuzumab in breast cancer patients.Methods and resultsWe studied 101 consecutive women (mean age 54.3 ± 11.4 years) receiving trastuzumab for 12 months; 62 of them (61.4%) had previously received anthracyclines and 26 (25.7%) were receiving taxanes concurrently with trastuzumab. Comprehensive two‐dimensional echocardiography with speckle tracking imaging of LV and RV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and RV free wall longitudinal strain (FWLS) analyses were performed at baseline and every 3 months up to treatment completion. Cardiotoxicity was defined as a decrease of baseline LV ejection fraction > 10 percentage units to a value < 50%. At 3 months, only LV GLS was significantly reduced (−19.5 ± 2.7 to −18.7 ± 2.8, P = 0.0410), while at 6 months, LV GLS, RV GLS and RV FWLS had significantly declined reaching their lowest values (−17.9 ± 6.1, P = 0.002, −19.6 ± 5.2, P = 0.003 and −19.7 ± 5.6, P = 0.004, respectively). Ten women (9.9%) developed cardiotoxicity. A RV GLS percent change of −14.8% predicted cardiotoxicity with 66.7% sensitivity and 70.8% specificity (area under the curve 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.54–0.81), classifying correctly 90% of women with cardiotoxicity. This cut‐off is quite similar to the 15% change of LV GLS previously suggested as predictive of cardiotoxicity.ConclusionsDeformation mechanics of both the left and right ventricle follow similar temporal pattern and degree of impairment during trastuzumab therapy, confirming the global and uniform effect of trastuzumab on myocardial function.
Unique Thermal Properties of Clothing Materials
Authors: Pan Ning 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCloth wearing seems so natural that everyone is self‐deemed knowledgeable and has some expert opinions about it. However, to clearly explain the physics involved, and hence to make predictions for clothing design or selection, it turns out to be quite challenging even for experts. Cloth is a multiphased, porous, and anisotropic material system and usually in multilayers. The human body acts as an internal heat source in a clothing situation, thus forming a temperature gradient between body and ambient. But unlike ordinary engineering heat transfer problems, the sign of this gradient often changes as the ambient temperature varies. The human body also perspires and the sweat evaporates, an effective body cooling process via phase change. To bring all the variables into analysis quickly escalates into a formidable task. This work attempts to unravel the problem from a physics perspective, focusing on a few rarely noticed yet critically important mechanisms involved so as to offer a clearer and more accurate depiction of the principles in clothing thermal comfort.
Disparity level identification using the voxel‐wise Gabor model of fMRI data
Authors: Li Yuan , Hou Chunping , Yao Li , Zhang Chuncheng , Zheng Hongna , Zhang Jiacai , Long Zhiying 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPerceiving disparities is the intuitive basis for our understanding of the physical world. Although many electrophysiology studies have revealed the disparity‐tuning characteristics of the neurons in the visual areas of the macaque brain, neuron population responses to disparity processing have seldom been investigated. Many disparity studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have revealed the disparity‐selective visual areas in the human brain. However, it is unclear how to characterize neuron population disparity‐tuning responses using fMRI technique. In the present study, we constructed three voxel‐wise encoding Gabor models to predict the voxel responses to novel disparity levels and used a decoding method to identify the new disparity levels from population responses in the cortex. Among the three encoding models, the fine‐coarse model (FCM) that used fine/coarse disparities to fit the voxel responses to disparities outperformed the single model and uncrossed‐crossed model. Moreover, the FCM demonstrated high accuracy in predicting voxel responses in V3A complex and high accuracy in identifying novel disparities from responses in V3A complex. Our results suggest that the FCM can better characterize the voxel responses to disparities than the other two models and V3A complex is a critical visual area for representing disparity information.
Patients with minor diseases who access high‐tier medical care facilities: New evidence from classification and regression trees
Authors: Yang Chung Jen , Tsai Ying Che , Tien Joseph J. 
Published: February 2019

SummaryObjectivesPatients in Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) program can choose a medical care facility of any tier for outpatient visits, without a referral. However, this system results in high medical expenditures and costs of outpatient visits. In this study, patients who had only minor diseases but who accessed high‐tier medical care facilities were investigated using classification and regression trees.MethodsFor this study, data were obtained from the Taiwan NHI Research Database. First, 280 diseases, coded according to the Clinical Classification Software (CCS), were examined to determine whether patients chose the most appropriate facility when seeking medical care. After controlling for the CCS codes, an investigation into the types of patients who visit high‐tier medical care facilities was conducted.ResultsChronic disease status and CCS code were critical for constructing the classification trees. Male patients living in urban areas and earning a higher income were more likely to access high‐tier medical care facilities. However, changes to the NHI copayment policies have significantly reduced the probability of utilizing high‐tier medical care facilities.ConclusionsFactors relevant to patients' selection of high‐tier medical care facilities were identified. Overall, increasing patients' out‐of‐pocket payments significantly reduced the probability of accessing high‐tier medical facilities.
Vertical groundwater flux estimation from borehole temperature profiles by a numerical model, RFLUX
Authors: Li Shaoheng , Dong Linyao , Chen Jianyao , Li Rui , Yang Zhigang , Liang Zuobing 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe developed a numerical model, RFLUX, which uses the heat tracer method for vertical groundwater flux estimation, and applied it to the Leizhou Peninsula, South China, to provide information to inform local groundwater resource utilization and management. The temperature–depth (TD) profiles of 24 boreholes, along with the observed ground surface temperature (GST) and surface air temperature (SAT) series in recent decades, were collected in this area. Underground TD data demonstrated the capacity to identify groundwater flow patterns, and local GST and SAT data demonstrated a strong correlation with each other over monthly, seasonal, and annual scales. In the RFLUX model, the average GST and SAT series were applied as an upper boundary condition, and a nonlinear initial condition was set using an analytical solution from the literature. The model results of selected TD profiles demonstrated that the annual vertical groundwater flux was about 0.15 m a−1, which tended to be overestimated if a linear initial condition was used. This model can be easily applied with minor modifications, considering its clear purpose and simplicity.
Knockdown of the long noncoding RNA HOTTIP inhibits cell proliferation and enhances cell sensitivity to cisplatin by suppressing the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway in prostate cancer
Authors: Jiang Huichuan , Xiong Wei , Chen Lingxiao , Lv Zhengtong , Yang Changzhao , Li Yuan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundProstate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent and deadly cancer worldwide. Considering the malignant progression and therapeutic resistance of PCa, further dissection of the underlying mechanisms and exploration of novel therapeutic targets for PCa are urgently needed. The long noncoding RNA HOTTIP has recently been revealed as an oncogenic regulator in different cancers; however, whether HOTTIP is involved in PCa remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the crucial roles of HOTTIP in the proliferation and chemoresistance of PCa.MethodsQuantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) was performed to detect the HOTTIP messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in PCa samples from patients and PCa cells. Then, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, and cell cycle and flow cytometry assays were performed to investigate the proliferation and cisplatin‐resistance of PCa cells with silenced HOTTIP compared with a negative control. We applied Western blotting, qRT‐PCR and a TOP/FOP assay to explore the relevant mechanisms.ResultsIn this study, we found that the HOTTIP mRNA levels were increased in the PCa patient samples and PCa cell lines compared with the controls. The knockdown of HOTTIP not only inhibited the proliferation of PCa cells but also facilitated cell cycle arrest and chemosensitivity to cisplatin. Furthermore, the qRT‐PCR, Western blotting, TOP/FOP assays, MTT assay, and flow cytometry revealed that Wnt/β‐catenin signaling was related to the regulation of HOTTIP in cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and chemoresistance to cisplatin in PCa.ConclusionTaken together, our findings suggest that HOTTIP may be a potent therapeutic target for PCa, and HOTTIP inhibitors might be regarded as effective strategies for PCa therapy.
Working with clients at the intersection of depression and personality dysfunction: Scientific and clinical findings regarding complex depression
Authors: Behn Alex 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDepression is often complicated by concurrent personality dysfunction, which poses significant challenges for clinicians and researchers. Complicated depression is thus broadly presented as a useful clinical and scientific entity, describing clients presenting with depressive symptoms that are further complicated by personality dysfunction or personality pathology. The article introduces a collection of research‐based papers addressing the clinical management of patients with complicated depression. The articles in the issue provide an up‐to‐date framework for understanding different forms of complicated depression and provide useful clinical information to illuminate the treatment of clients presenting with difficulties at the intersection of depression and personality dysfunction.
Stem cell therapy: A novel approach for myocardial infarction
Authors: Parizadeh Seyed Mostafa , Jafarzadeh‐Esfehani Reza , Ghandehari Maryam , Parizadeh Mohammad Reza , Ferns Gordon A. , Avan Amir , Hassanian Seyed Mahdi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMyocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Until recently, it was thought that myocardium was not able to repair itself, but studies have now shown that resident cardiac stem cells have regenerative capacity, and stem cell therapy may be a novel approach for cardiac muscle repair and regeneration. Stem cell‐derived paracrine factors have been shown to regulate ventricular remodeling, inflammation, apoptosis, cardiomyocytes regeneration, and neovascularization in regions of infarcted cardiac tissue. In this review, we summarize the evidence from cellular, animal, and clinical studies supporting the potential clinical significance of stem cell therapy as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of MI.
The liquid–liquid homogeneity of a four‐phase simulated hydrocarbon‐based bioprocess in a bubble column reactor
Authors: Abufalgha Ayman A , Clarke Kim G , Pott Robert WM 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDBubble column reactors (BCRs) can be used for upgrading hydrocarbons to high‐value products via biological oxidation mediated by hydrocarbon‐metabolizing organisms. However, spatial phase dispersion homogeneity becomes a critical parameter which is needed for scale‐up calculations, especially in BCRs, where fluid mixing is only enacted through sparging.RESULTSIn this study, the homogeneity of a multiphase hydrocarbon‐based bioprocess system was measured in a large bench‐scale BCR, with inner diameter of 15 cm and height of 90 cm. Multiphase dispersion measurement was done under a range of operational conditions such as hydrocarbon concentrations (HC), solids (deactivated yeast) loading (SL) and superficial gas velocities (UG). It was found that in a three‐phase system (air–water–hydrocarbon), high UG (2 cm s−1) was required to achieve homogeneity. However, in a four‐phase system (air–water–hydrocarbon–yeast), the addition of yeast changed the fluid properties (mainly the surface tension) and therefore enhanced the homogeneity at the minimum UG (1 cm s−1).CONCLUSIONSThis article firstly illustrates multiphase homogeneity in multiphase systems, which needs to be examined when dispersion systems are being used, and secondly proposes a method for evaluating this parameter. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Linearly χ‐bounding (P6, C4)‐free graphs*
Authors: Gaspers Serge , Huang Shenwei 
Published: February 2019

AbstractGiven two graphs and , a graph is ‐free if it contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to or . Let and be the path on vertices and the cycle on vertices, respectively. In this paper we show that for any ‐free graph it holds that , where and are the chromatic number and clique number of , respectively. Our bound is attained by several graphs, for instance, the 5‐cycle, the Petersen graph, the Petersen graph with an additional universal vertex, and all ‐critical ‐free graphs other than (see Hell and Huang [Discrete Appl. Math. 216 (2017), pp. 211–232]). The new result unifies previously known results on the existence of linear ‐binding functions for several graph classes. Our proof is based on a novel structure theorem on ‐free graphs that do not contain clique cutsets. Using this structure theorem we also design a polynomial time ‐approximation algorithm for coloring ‐free graphs. Our algorithm computes a coloring with colors for any ‐free graph in time.
Dendritic cell-targeted CD40 DNA vaccine suppresses Th17 and ameliorates progression of experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis
Authors: Li Qing , Cao Qi , Wang Chengshi , Nguyen Hanh , Wang Xin Maggie , Zheng Guoping , Wang Yuan Min , Hu Shilian , Alexander Stephen I , Harris David C H , Wang Yiping 
Published: February 2019

Abstract
The CD40-CD40L costimulatory pathway is critical for T cell activation in autoimmune disease. We have previously found that blocking the CD40-CD40L pathway using a dendritic cell-targeted CD40 DNA (DEC-CD40) vaccine prevented the development of Heymann nephritis. In this study, we explored the effect of a DEC-CD40 vaccine in the treatment of experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis (EAG), an animal model of human Goodpasture’s disease induced by antigen α3IV-NC1. DEC-CD40 vaccine given at week 3 and week 6 after 3IV-NC1 injection reduced kidney structural and functional injury significantly in EAG. DEC-CD40 vaccination suppressed Th17 cell numbers and Th17 immune responses in kidney and spleen, but did not alter Th1 cells number and responses. Serum derived from rats with DEC-CD40 vaccination suppressed Th17 differentiation, but not Th1 differentiation in vitro. Furthermore, B cell activation, driven by Th17 cytokines, was suppressed by serum from rats vaccinated with DEC-CD40. A DNA vaccine encoding CD40 and targeting dendritic cell, ameliorates kidney injury in both early and late stages in EAG rats, indicating DEC-CD40 vaccination has a therapeutic role in EAG. Its effect is associated with the reduction of Th17 differentiation and Th17-mediated B cell activation.
Automated image quality evaluation of structural brain MRI using an ensemble of deep learning networks
Authors: Sujit Sheeba J. , Coronado Ivan , Kamali Arash , Narayana Ponnada A. , Gabr Refaat E. 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundDeep learning (DL) is a promising methodology for automatic detection of abnormalities in brain MRI.PurposeTo automatically evaluate the quality of multicenter structural brain MRI images using an ensemble DL model based on deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs).Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationThe study included 1064 brain images of autism patients and healthy controls from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database. MRI data from 110 multiple sclerosis patients from the CombiRx study were included for independent testing.SequenceT1‐weighted MR brain images acquired at 3T.AssessmentThe ABIDE data were separated into training (60%), validation (20%), and testing (20%) sets. The ensemble DL model combined the results from three cascaded networks trained separately on the three MRI image planes (axial, coronal, and sagittal). Each cascaded network consists of a DCNN followed by a fully connected network. The quality of image slices from each plane was evaluated by the DCNN and the resultant image scores were combined into a volumewise quality rating using the fully connected network. The DL predicted ratings were compared with manual quality evaluation by two experts.Statistical TestsReceiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values.ResultsThe AUC, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV for image quality evaluation of the ABIDE test set using the ensemble model were 0.90, 0.77, 0.85, 0.84, 0.42, and 0.96, respectively. On the CombiRx set the same model achieved performance of 0.71, 0.41, 0.84, 0.73, 0.48, and 0.80.Data ConclusionThis study demonstrated the high accuracy of DL in evaluating image quality of structural brain MRI in multicenter studies.Level of Evidence: 3Technical Efficacy: Stage 2J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1260–1267.
An evaluation of an advanced practice role in palliative radiation therapy
Authors: Job Mary , Holt Tanya , Bernard Anne 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIntroductionThe purpose of the study was to evaluate the palliative advanced practice radiation therapy (APRT) role with respect to the impact on waiting times for patients from referral to radiation treatment delivery, the ability of the APRT to define palliative radiation therapy fields and patient satisfaction. The evaluation of the impact of the APRT role and referral pathway on patient waiting times has been previously published.MethodsPatients were allocated to two different pathways; APRT and standard. Patients in the APRT pathway had their radiotherapy treatment managed by the APRT including defining their palliative fields blinded to the radiation oncologist (RO).ResultsOf the 150 palliative patients, 94 had their radiation therapy managed by the APRT and 56 were managed through the standard pathway. 82/92 APRT defined fields were accepted by the RO.ConclusionsInter‐observer variability between the APRT and the RO in defining palliative radiation therapy fields is similar to that reported in the literature between clinicians. With previously published reduced wait times from referral to treatment for palliative patients, the establishment of the APRT role is justified.
Isotope‐like effect in YVO4:Eu3+ nanopowders: Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Mitrić Jelena , Ralević Uroš , Mitrić Miodrag , Ćirković Jovana , Križan Gregor , Romčević Maja , Gilić Martina , Romčević Nebojsa 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn this paper, we describe synthesis and characterization of YVO4 and Eu3+‐doped YVO4 nanopowders. Two methods of preparation were used—solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and classical ceramic method (CCM)—and compared. Morphology and structure of all samples were characterized with atomic‐force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raman spectroscopy was used to discuss the isotope‐like effect. It is confirmed that doping with Eu ions results in a change of Raman spectra of doped samples—new modes arise, and intensity of existing ones change. Influence of different preparation methods on isotope‐like effect is presented with detailed calculations of shifted modes.
Protein A chromatography: Challenges and progress in the purification of monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Ramos‐de‐la‐Peña Ana Mayela , González‐Valdez José , Aguilar Oscar 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAntibodies for therapeutic use are being continuously approved and their demand has been steadily growing. As known, the golden standard for monoclonal antibody (mAb) purification is Protein A affinity chromatography, a technology that has gained high interest because of its great performance and capabilities. The main concerns are the elevated resins costs and their limited lifetime compared to other resins (e.g. ion exchange chromatography). Great efforts have been carried out to improve purification conditions, such as resin characterization and designing alkali/acid stable resins with a longer lifetime. Modification of Protein A ligands and alternative formats such as monoliths membranes and microshperes have been tested to increase the purification performance. New technology has been proposed to improve the large‐scale separation; in addition, alternative ligands have been suggested to capture mAbs instead of Protein A ligand; however, most of the information is locked by pharmaceutical companies. This mini review summarizes and describes the advances, results, and impact on the Protein A chromatography purification processing.