bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Futurecasting ecological research: the rise of technoecology
Authors: Allan Blake M. , Nimmo Dale G. , Ierodiaconou Daniel , VanDerWal Jeremy , Koh Lian Pin , Ritchie Euan G. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIncreasingly complex research questions and global challenges (e.g., climate change and biodiversity loss) are driving rapid development, refinement, and uses of technology in ecology. This trend is spawning a distinct sub‐discipline, here termed “technoecology.” We highlight recent ground‐breaking and transformative technological advances for studying species and environments: bio‐batteries, low‐power and long‐range telemetry, the Internet of things, swarm theory, 3D printing, mapping molecular movement, and low‐power computers. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize ecology by providing “next‐generation” ecological data, particularly when integrated with each other, and in doing so could be applied to address a diverse range of requirements (e.g., pest and wildlife management, informing environmental policy and decision making). Critical to technoecology's rate of advancement and uptake by ecologists and environmental managers will be fostering increased interdisciplinary collaboration. Ideally, such partnerships will span the conception, implementation, and enhancement phases of ideas, bridging the university, public, and private sectors.
PRAME peptide‐specific CD8+ T cells represent the predominant response against leukemia‐associated antigens in healthy individuals
Authors: Matko Sarah , Manderla Julia , Bonsack Maria , Schmitz Marc , Bornhauser Martin , Tonn Torsten , Odendahl Marcus 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAntigen‐specific T cells isolated from healthy individuals (HIs) have shown great therapeutic potential upon adoptive transfer for the treatment of viremia in immunosuppressed patients. The lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence and characteristics of leukemia‐associated antigen (LAA)‐specific T cells in HIs still limits such an approach for tumor therapy. Therefore, we have investigated T‐cell responses against prominent candidates comprising Wilms’ tumor protein 1 (WT1), preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME), Survivin, NY‐ESO, and p53 by screening PBMCs from HIs using intracellular IFN‐γ staining following provocation with LAA peptide mixes. Here, we found predominantly poly‐functional effector/effector memory CCR7−/CD45RA+/−/CD8+ LAA peptide‐specific T cells with varying CD95 expression in 34 of 100 tested HIs, whereas CD4+ T cells responses were restricted to 5. Most frequent LAA peptide‐specific T cell responses were directed against WT1 and PRAME peptides with a prevalence of 20 and 17%, respectively, showing the highest magnitude (0.16% ± 0.22% (mean ± SD)) for PRAME peptides. Cytotoxicity of PRAME peptide‐specific T cells was demonstrated by specific killing of PRAME peptide‐pulsed T2 cells. Furthermore, the proliferative capacity of PRAME peptide‐specific T cells was confined to HIs responsive toward PRAME peptide challenge corroborating the accuracy of the screening results. In conclusion, we identified PRAME as a promising target antigen for adoptive leukemia therapy.
Sequence‐based US population data for the SE33 locus
Authors: Borsuk Lisa A. , Gettings Katherine B. , Steffen Carolyn R. , Kiesler Kevin M. , Vallone Peter M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA set of 1036 U.S. Population Samples were sequenced using the Illumina ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep Kit. This sample set has been highly characterized using a variety of marker systems for human identification. The FASTQ files obtained from a ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep Kit experiment include several STR loci that are not reported in the associated software. These include SE33, DXS8377, DXS10148, DYS456, and DYS461. The sequence variation within the autosomal STR marker SE33 was evaluated using a customized bioinformatic approach to identify and characterize the locus in the 1036 data set. The analysis identified 53 unique alleles by length and 264 by sequence. An additional 10 alleles were detected when selected extended flanking regions were examined to resolve discordances. Allele frequencies and SE33 sequence motif patterns are reported for the 1036 data set. The comparison of numerical allele calls derived from sequence data to the allele calls obtained from commercial capillary electrophoresis‐based STR typing kits resulted in 100% concordance, after manual data review and confirmation sequencing of three flanking region deletions. The analysis of this data set involved significant manual sequence curation and information support from length‐based genotypes to ensure high confidence in the sequence‐based allele calls. The challenges of interpreting the sequence data for SE33 consisted of high sequence noise, allele‐size dependent variance in coverage, and heterozygote imbalance. As allele length increased, sequence depth of coverage and quality decreased at the terminal end. Accordingly, heterozygous genotype imbalance increased in proportion to increased distance between alleles.
Galerkin local maximum entropy method
Authors: Dreier Nils‐Arne , Engwer Christian , Hartmann Dirk 
Published: May 2018

SummaryWe propose a new particle‐based method for simulating incompressible Navier‐Stokes flows. It is based on a reinterpretation of the optimal transportation meshfree method within the context of Galerkin discretization. This enables us to introduce the incompressibility constraint into the formulation. Furthermore, we present convergence test and illustrate the usability of the method along several test problems.
Effects of health insurance on birth weight in Mexico
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Gonzalez Fidel 
Published: May 2018

SummaryThis paper estimates the effect of mother's insurance coverage on neonatal outcomes in Mexico using hospital‐based administrative data. Using an instrumental variable approach to identify the causal effects of health insurance on infant health, we find that mother's insurance coverage has positive impacts on neonatal outcomes. Children born to insured mothers weighed 108 g higher and had reduced probability of low birth weight by 7.5 percentage points. These effects appear to be stronger for mothers with higher levels of education and in municipalities with a higher development index. Findings indicate that expanding insurance coverage could be helpful in improving neonatal outcomes in resource‐constrained countries.
Comparison of five snow water equivalent estimation methods across categories
Authors: Yao Huaxia , Field Timothy , McConnell Christopher , Beaton Andy , James April L. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSnow water equivalent (SWE) is an important indicator used in hydrology, water resources, and climate change impact. There are various methods of estimating SWE (falling in 3 categories: indirect sensors, empirical models, and process‐based models), but few studies that provide comparison across these different categories to help users make decisions on monitoring site design or method selection. Five SWE estimation methods were compared against manual snow course data collected over 2 years (2015–2016) from the Dorset Environmental Science Centre, including the gamma‐radiation‐based CS725 sensor, 3 empirical estimation models (Sexstone snow density model, McCreight & Small snow density model, and a meteorology‐based model), and the University of British Columbia Watershed Model snow energy‐balance model. Snow depth, density, and SWE were measured at the Dorset Environmental Science Centre weather station in south‐central Ontario, on a daily basis over 6 winters from 2011 to 2016. The 2 snow density‐based models, requiring daily snow depth as input, gave the best performance (R2 of .92 and .92 for McCreight & Small and Sexstone models, respectively). The CS725 sensor that receives radiation coming from soil penetrating the snowpack provided the same performance (R2 = .92), proving that the sensor is an applicable method, although it is expensive. The meteorology‐based empirical model, requiring daily climate data including temperature, precipitation and solar radiation, gave the poorest performance (R2 = .77). The energy‐balance‐based University of British Columbia Watershed Model snow module, only requiring climate data, worked better than the empirical meteorology‐based model (R2 = .9) but performed worse than the density models or CS725 sensor. Given differences in application objectives, site conditions, and budget, this comparison across SWE estimation methods may help users choose a suitable method. For ongoing and new monitoring sites, installation of a CS725 sensor coupled with intermittent manual snow course measurements (e.g., weekly) is recommended for further SWE method estimation testing and development of a snow density model.
Storage, mixing, and fluxes of water in the critical zone across northern environments inferred by stable isotopes of soil water
Authors: Sprenger Matthias , Tetzlaff Doerthe , Buttle Jim , Carey Sean K. , McNamara James P. , Laudon Hjalmar , Shatilla Nadine J. , Soulsby Chris 
Published: May 2018

AbstractQuantifying soil water storage, mixing, and release via recharge, transpiration, and evaporation is essential for a better understanding of critical zone processes. Here, we integrate stable isotope (2H and 18O of soil water, precipitation, and groundwater) and hydrometric (soil moisture) data from 5 long‐term experimental catchments along a hydroclimatic gradient across northern latitudes: Dry Creek (USA), Bruntland Burn (Scotland), Dorset (Canada), Krycklan (Sweden), and Wolf Creek (Canada). Within each catchment, 6 to 11 isotope sampling campaigns occurred at 2 to 4 sampling locations over at least 1 year. Analysis for 2H and 18O in the bulk pore water was done for >2,500 soil samples either by cryogenic extraction (Dry Creek) or by direct equilibration (other sites). The results showed a similar general pattern that soil water isotope variability reflected the seasonality of the precipitation input signal. However, pronounced differences among sampling locations occurred regarding the isotopic fractionation due to evaporation. We found that antecedent precipitation volumes mainly governed the fractionation signal, temperature and evaporation rates were of secondary importance, and soil moisture played only a minor role in the variability of soil water evaporation fractionation across the hydroclimatic gradient. We further observed that soil waters beneath conifer trees were more fractionated than beneath heather shrubs or red oak trees, indicating higher soil evaporation rates in coniferous forests. Sampling locations closer to streams were more damped and depleted in their stable isotopic composition than hillslope sites, revealing increased subsurface mixing towards the saturated zone and a preferential recharge of winter precipitation. Bulk soil waters generally comprised a high share of waters older than 14 days, which indicates that the water in soil pores are usually not fully replaced by recent infiltration events. The presented stable isotope data of soil water were, thus, a useful tool to track the spatial variability of water fluxes within and from the critical zone. Such data provide invaluable information to improve the representation of critical zone processes in spatially distributed hydrological models.
Peri‐prosthetic tissue reaction to discontinuation of negative pressure wound therapy around porous titanium percutaneous devices
Authors: Pawar Divya R.L. , Mitchell Saranne J. , Jeyapalina Sujee , Hawkes Jason E. , Florell Scott R. , Bachus Kent N. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractNegative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been reported to limit epithelial downgrowth, one of the failure mechanisms of percutaneous devices. In a previous study, when NPWT was applied for 4 weeks (NPWT Group) to porous coated titanium percutaneous devices, downgrowth (5 ± 4%; mean ± one SD) was significantly reduced compared to untreated controls (Untreated Group) (16 ± 6%; p ≤ 0.01). However, it was unclear whether this beneficial effect was sustained when NPWT was discontinued. In order to test this, porous coated titanium percutaneous devices were implanted into 6 hairless guinea pigs. Post‐surgery, animals received 4 weeks of NPWT treatment followed by 4 weeks of no treatment (Discontinued Group). At necropsy, the devices and surrounding tissues were harvested and processed. Quantitative downgrowth measurements and qualitative analyses of tissue characteristics were performed, and compared to historical controls (NPWT and Untreated Groups). The Discontinued Group, at 8 weeks, had significantly more downgrowth than the NPWT Group at 4 weeks (23 ± 3% vs. 5 ± 4%; p ≤ 0.01). At 8 weeks, the Discontinued Group qualitatively appeared to exhibit reduced numbers of blood vessels and increased degree of fibrosis compared to the NPWT Group at 4 weeks. This study suggests that NPWT will only be an effective treatment for limiting downgrowth if used continuously. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 564–572, 2019.
‐stimulated crosslinking of catechol‐conjugated hydroxyethyl chitosan as a tissue adhesive
Authors: Peng Xiaoting , Peng Yanfei , Han Baoqin , Liu Wanshun , Zhang Fuming , Linhardt Robert J 
Published: May 2018

AbstractCatechol‐functionalized polymers are of particular interest because of their strong water‐resistant adhesive properties. Hydroxymethyl chitosan (HECTS) has been used as an implantable biomaterial having good water solubility, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Here, hydrocaffeic acid (HCA) grafted HECTS (HCA‐g‐HECTS) was prepared through carbodiimide coupling and the tethered catechol underwent periodate ()‐stimulated mono and double cross‐linking with genipin. The gelation time of these cross‐linked HCA‐g‐HECTS hydrogels decreased with increasing molar ratio of cross‐linker to grafted catechol group, increasing temperature, or the addition of genipin. Under the same molar ratio of cross‐linker to catechol, ‐induced cross‐linked HCA‐g‐HECTS hydrogels exhibited much stronger storage modulus and temperature stability than hydrogels made by Fe3+‐triggered cross‐linking. The ‐stimulated HCA‐g‐HECTS hydrogels were biocompatible on a cellular level when the molar ratio of to catechol group was less than 0.5:1. The hydrogels prepared with a 0.125:1 molar ratio of to catechol group exhibited high adhesion strength of 73.56 kPa against wet rat skin, and a higher adhesion strength than sutures in a rat wound closure model. This biocompatible ‐stimulated HCA‐g‐HECTS hydrogel may represent a promising new tissue adhesive. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 582–593, 2019.
Evidence That Rat Chondrocytes Can Differentiate Into Perichondrial Cells
Authors: Späth Stephan‐Stanislaw , Andrade Anenisia C. , Chau Michael , Baroncelli Marta , Nilsson Ola 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTDuring early bone formation, mesenchymal cells condense and then differentiate into collagen type II‐expressing chondrocytes that make up the cartilaginous bone anlagen. This anlage then becomes enclosed by the perichondrium. The mechanisms by which the perichondrium forms are not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether epiphyseal chondrocytes can differentiate into perichondrial cells. Novel perichondrium markers were identified by expression microarray of microdissected rat perichondrium and growth plate cartilage. A dissection method that allowed for removal of contaminating perichondrium was developed and the absence was confirmed by histological examination and by expression of perichondrium markers. Perichondrium formation surrounding chondrocyte pellets was studied using histology, real‐time PCR, and in situ hybridization for chondrocyte and perichondrium markers. Cultured chondrocyte pellets developed an exterior perichondrium‐like layer. This surrounding tissue did not express chondrocyte markers, collagen‐type II and type X, as assessed by in situ hybridization. Instead, perichondrium markers, periostin, Dickkopf 3 (Dkk3), roundabout 2, cadherin 2, L‐galectin 1 (Lgals1), and thrombospondin 2 (Thbs2) were upregulated following formation of the perichondrium‐like layer as assessed by real‐time PCR. Interestingly, markers specific for the cambium layer, Dkk3, Thbs2, and Lgals1, but not for the fibrous layer, collagen‐type XIV and decorin, were upregulated. The findings suggest that epiphyseal chondrocytes of postnatal animals retain the potential to differentiate into perichondrial cells, supporting the hypothesis that the perichondrium originates from collagen type II‐expressing chondrocytes at the periphery of the cartilaginous bone template. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Receptor 1, Bone Resorption, and Bone Mineral Density in the Year Following Hip Fractures: The Baltimore Hip Studies
Authors: Salimi Shabnam , Shardell Michelle , Miller Ram , Gruber-Baldini Ann L , Orwig Denise , Fedarko Neal , Hochberg Marc C , Guralnik Jack M , Magaziner Jay 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACT

Although inflammation is known to influence bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD), less is known about role of soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 (sTNFα-R1) in changes in bone turnover and BMD in the year after hip fracture. We studied 245 persons (117 men and 128 women) from the Baltimore Hip Studies. Bone turnover markers of resorption (carboxy-terminal type I collagen cross-links [CTX-I]) and formation (amino-terminal propeptide type I collagen [P1NP]), BMD of the contralateral hip, and sTNFα-R1 were measured within 15 days of hospitalization and 2, 6, and 12 months later. Latent class growth modeling was used to determine sTNFα-R1 trajectories. Weighted generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association of sTNFα-R1 trajectories with serum levels of CTX-I and P1NP and BMD; standardized beta coefficients (βˆ) are reported. Higher baseline sTNFα-R1 was significantly associated with a greater rate of CTX-I change (βˆ = 0.26, p = 0.004). Four distinct sTNFα-R1 trajectories were identified. The two groups with higher sTNFα-R1 levels during the year following fracture had faster increasing levels of CTX-I compared to the group with lowest sTNFα-R1 levels (men: group 3: βˆ = 0.76, p = 0.02; group 4: βˆ = 1.4, p &lt; 0.001; women: group 3; βˆ = 0.67, p = 0.02; group 4: βˆ = 1.3, p = 0.004). Men in the highest sTNFα-R1 group had a greater decline in BMD compared to the lowest sTNFα-R1 group (2-month βˆ = –0.01, p = 0.01; 6-month: βˆ = –0.09, p = 0.001; 12-months: βˆ = –0.1, p &lt; 0.001). An increasing rate of CTX-I was associated with a steeper decline in total hip BMD in those within higher sTNFα-R1 trajectory groups (p &lt; 0.001). CTX-I was significantly increased with sTNFα-R1 in both sexes. CTX-I and the highest sTNFα-R1 trajectory were significantly associated with declines in total hip BMD in men. Interventions that reduce systemic inflammation should be explored to reduce bone resorption and prevent a decline in BMD after hip fracture. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Impact of Competing Risk of Mortality on Association of Cognitive Impairment With Risk of Hip Fracture in Older Women
Authors: Diem Susan J , Vo Tien N , Langsetmo Lisa , Schousboe John T , Yaffe Kristine , Ensrud Kristine E ,   for the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Research Group
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACT

Previous studies examining the association of cognitive impairment and dementia with fracture outcomes in older adults have usually used standard approaches that did not take into account the competing risk of mortality. However, ignoring mortality may not provide accurate estimates of risk of fracture because dementia in older adults strongly predicts death, making mortality a competing risk. A total of 1491 women (mean age 87.6 years) participating in the prospective Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Year 20 exam were cognitively assessed and followed to ascertain vital status (deaths verified by death certificates) and hip fractures (confirmed by radiographic reports). Cognitive status was categorized as normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia, based on a standardized evaluation. Absolute probability of hip fracture by category of cognitive function was estimated using traditional Kaplan-Meier method and cumulative incidence function accounting for competing mortality risk. Risk of hip fracture by cognitive function category was determined using conventional Cox proportional hazards regression and subdistribution hazards models with death as a competing risk. During an average follow-up of 5.6 years, 139 (9.3%) women experienced a hip fracture and 990 (66.4%) died before experiencing this outcome. Among women with dementia, the risk of hip fracture was 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.3–17.2) at 5 years and 18.6% (95% CI 9.1–30.9) at 10 years using traditional survival analysis versus 7.9% (95% CI 5.1–11.6) at 5 years and 8.8% (95% CI 5.8–12.8) at 9.8 years using a competing risk approach. Results were similar for women with MCI. Women with MCI and dementia have a higher risk of hip fractures than women with normal cognition. However, not taking into account the competing risk of mortality significantly overestimates the risk of hip fracture in women in the ninth and tenth decades of life with cognitive impairment. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Increased circulation mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Babaei Homa , Alibabrdel Mahdi , Asadian Simin , Siavashi Vahid , Jabarpour Masoome , Nassiri Seyed Mahdi 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a result of increased pathological neoangiogenesis of the retina in preterm infants. Cells responsible for the pathogenesis of ROP are unclear, but some evidence indicates that bone marrow derived cells are involved in this disorder. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), play a role in angiogenesis in response to tissue ischemia or endothelial damage. In this study, the number of cEPCs in preterm infants with ROP was determined to identify whether the circulation mobilization of EPCs is associated with ROP. We evaluated 99 participants in this study: 22 preterm infants with ROP, 35 preterm infants without ROP, and 42 full‐term infants. The release of EPCs in the circulation was first quantified. Thereafter, cEPCs were harvested and cultivated, then the biological features of these cells including migratory, proliferative, and tubulogenic activities were analyzed. The mRNA levels of some proangiogenic factors were also measured in preterm infants. Our results showed greater numbers of cEPCs in infants with ROP, which was associated with increased serum concentrations of angiogenic factors and with augmented proliferative, migratory, and tubulogenic activity of these cells. Western blotting showed increased protein levels of VEGF and HIF‐α in cEPCs harvested from ROP infants. This study showed that ROP in preterm infants is associated with increased mobilization of EPCs into the circulation. Therefore, increased cEPCs along with elevated levels of angiogenic factors and tubulogenesis suggest that these cells may play a role in the development and progression of ROP.