bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distributed input observer‐based consensus for the leader‐following multi‐agent systems
Authors: Guo Wanli , Zou Min , Li Mengxia 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis paper focuses on the consensus problem for leader‐following second‐order multi‐agent systems. It is evident that knowledge of the leader's input will critically help a follower to track the leader. But under certain environments, only a fraction of followers could obtain the leader's input information. In order to reach consensus expeditiously and effectively, a novel input observers based protocol is built for each follower. Under this protocol, sufficient conditions for the consensus are proposed analytically. Finally, the validity of the theoretical analysis is illustrated by simulation examples.
Effects of starch addition on the activity and specificity of food‐grade lipases
Authors: Carpen Aristodemo , Bonomi Francesco , Iametti Stefania , Marengo Mauro 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLipases are surface‐active enzymes, acting on their substrates at the polar/nonpolar interface in emulsions. This study was aimed to test whether their activity, specificity, and the rates of formation/degradation of the various hydrolysis intermediates (i.e., mono‐ and diglycerides of interest as surface‐active agents) could be modulated by adhesion of the triglyceride substrates as a thin layer on the surface of solids. These hypotheses were tested by using an array of food‐grade lipases used in bakery, testing various types of starch as the “solid” phase. Starch‐dependent increase in the hydrolysis rate was tested by pH‐stat techniques on pure triglycerides and on food‐grade oils in diluted emulsions. Starch‐related improvements in the rate of fatty acids release were most evident at temperatures above 40 °C, and when using maize starch instead of wheat starch. Starch‐dependent changes in the nature of the hydrolysis products were tested by chromatographic profiling of ethyl ether extracts from aqueous slurries containing up to 33% fat and 33% starch. Accumulation of mono‐ and diglycerides as hydrolysis intermediates was found to be modulated by the type of oil being used, by the reaction conditions, as well as by the enzyme nature and amount.
A generalized weighted quantile sum approach for analyzing correlated data in the presence of interactions
Authors: Lee MinJae , Rahbar Mohammad H. , Samms‐Vaughan Maureen , Bressler Jan , Bach MacKinsey A. , Hessabi Manouchehr , Grove Megan L. , Shakespeare‐Pellington Sydonnie , Coore Desai Charlene , Reece Jody‐Ann , Loveland Katherine A. , Boerwinkle Eric 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression has been used to assess the associations between environmental exposures and health outcomes. However, the currently available WQS approach, which is based on additive effects, does not allow exploring for potential interactions of exposures with other covariates in relation to a health outcome. In addition, the current WQS cannot account for clustering, thus it may not be valid for analysis of clustered data. We propose a generalized WQS approach that can assess interactions by estimating stratum‐specific weights of exposures in a mixture, while accounting for potential clustering effect of matched pairs of cases and controls as well as censored exposure data due to being below the limits of detection. The performance of the proposed method in identifying interactions is evaluated through simulations based on various scenarios of correlation structures among the exposures and with an outcome. We also assess how well the proposed method performs in the presence of the varying levels of censoring in exposures. Our findings from the simulation study show that the proposed method outperforms the traditional WQS, as indicated by higher power of detecting interactions. We also find no strong evidence that the proposed method falsely identifies interactions when there are no true interactive effects. We demonstrate application of the proposed method to real data from the Epidemiological Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Jamaica (ERAJ) by examining interactions between exposure to manganese and glutathione S‐transferase family gene, GSTP1 in relation to ASD.
PALLIA‐10, a screening tool to identify patients needing palliative care referral in comprehensive cancer centers: A prospective multicentric study (PREPA‐10)
Authors: Molin Yann , Gallay Caroline , Gautier Julien , Lardy‐Cleaud Audrey , Mayet Romaine , Grach Marie‐Christine , Guesdon Gérard , Capodano Géraldine , Dubroeucq Olivier , Bouleuc Carole , Bremaud Nathalie , Fogliarini Anne , Henry Aline , Caunes‐Hilary Nathalie , Villet Stéphanie , Villatte Christine , Frasie Véronique , Triolaire Valérie , Barbarot Véronique , Commer Jean‐Marie , Hutin Agnès , Chvetzoff Gisèle 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPurposeThe identification and referral of patients in need of palliative care should be improved. The French society for palliative support and care recommended to use the PALLIA‐10 questionnaire and its score greater than 3 to refer patients to palliative care. We explored the use of the PALLIA‐10 questionnaire and its related score in a population of advanced cancer patients.MethodsThis prospective multicentric study is to be conducted in authorized French comprehensive cancer centers on hospitalized patients on a given day. We aimed to use the PALLIA‐10 score to determine the proportion of palliative patients with a score >3. Main secondary endpoints were to determine the proportion of patients already managed by palliative care teams at the study date or referred to palliative care in six following months, the prevalence of patients with a score greater than 5, and the overall survival using the predefined thresholds of 3 and 5.ResultsIn 2015, eighteen French cancer centers enrolled 840 patients, including 687 (82%) palliative patients. 479 (69.5%) patients had a score >3, 230 (33.5%) had a score >5, 216 (31.4%) patients were already followed‐up by a palliative care team, 152 patients were finally referred to PC in the six subsequent months.The PALLIA‐10 score appeared as a reliable predictive (adjusted ORRef≤3: 1.9 [1.17‐3.16] and 3.59 [2.18‐5.91]) and prognostic (adjusted HRRef≤3 = 1.58 [95%CI 1.20‐2.08] and 2.18 [95%CI 1.63‐2.92]) factor for patients scored 4‐5 and >5, respectively.ConclusionThe PALLIA‐10 questionnaire is an easy‐to‐use tool to refer cancer inpatients to palliative care in current practice. However a score greater than 5 using the PALLIA‐10 questionnaire would be more appropriate for advanced cancer patients hospitalized in comprehensive cancer center.
Familial segregation of a 5q15‐q21.2 deletion associated with facial dysmorphism and speech delay
Authors: Zepeda‐Mendoza Cinthya , Goodenberger McKinsey L. , Kuhl Ashley , Rice Gregory M. , Hoppman Nicole 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWe report a two‐generation family with four females harboring an 8.5Mb heterozygous deletion of 5q15‐q21.2 who present with dysmorphic craniofacial features and speech delay. We hypothesize haploinsufficiency of CHD1 to be contributing to the clinical features observed in this family.
Two‐Dimensional Ti3C2TX/Polyaniline Nanocomposite from the Decoration of Small‐Sized Graphene Nanosheets: Promoted Pseudocapacitive Electrode Performance for Supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Shuhao , Ma Zhengwei , Lü Qiu‐Feng , Yang Haijun 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe development of high capacitance, high rate capability, and stability compounded electrochemical energy storage devices is an important factor that is required to meet the challenge of energy depletion. In this work, a novel graphene‐decorated 2D Ti3C2TX/polyaniline (GTP) nanocomposite was successfully fabricated by means of in situ oxidation copolymerization of aniline monomers on the surface of Ti3C2TX nanosheets with the decoration of small‐sized chemical‐vapor‐deposited graphene nanosheets. The GTP nanocomposite shows promoted pseudocapacitive when used as a supercapacitor electrode, because the small‐sized graphene can effectively prevent aggregation of the Ti3C2TX monolayers and facilitate the uniform growth of polyaniline on the layered structural Ti3C2TX. Furthermore, the small‐sized graphene provides more ion/electrons transfer pathways, which acts like “conductive bridges” between the electrodes and the electrolyte. After assembling an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device using GTP as the positive electrode and Ti3C2TX as the negative electrode, the device can operate in a voltage window up to 1.5 V in 1 M H2SO4. Most importantly, the GTP//Ti3C2TX ASC shows an outstanding electrochemical performance compared to the reported Ti3C2TX‐based devices.
Role of endolysosomes and pH in the pathogenesis and treatment of glioblastoma
Authors: Halcrow Peter , Datta Gaurav , Ohm Joyce E. , Soliman Mahmoud L. , Chen Xuesong , Geiger Jonathan D. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a Grade IV astrocytoma with an aggressive disease course and a uniformly poor prognosis. Pathologically, GBM is characterized by rapid development of primary tumors, diffuse infiltration into the brain parenchyma, and robust angiogenesis. The treatment options that are limited and largely ineffective include a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide.Recent findingsSimilar to many other forms of cancer, the extracellular environment near GBM tumors is acidified. Extracellular acidosis is particularly relevant to tumorgenesis, and the concept of tumor cell dormancy because of findings that decreased pH reduces proliferation, increases resistance to apoptosis and autophagy, promotes tumor cell invasion, increases angiogenesis, obscures immune surveillance, and promotes resistance to drug and radio‐treatment. Factors known to participate in the acidification process are nutrient starvation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, and high levels of anaerobic glycolysis that lead to increases in lactate. Also involved are endosomes and lysosomes (hereafter termed endolysosomes), acidic organelles with highly regulated stores of hydrogen (H+) ions. Endolysosomes contain more than 60 hydrolases as well as about 50 proteins that are known to affect the number, sizes, and distribution patterns of these organelles within cells. Recently, vacuolar ATPase (v‐ATPase), the main proton pump that is responsible for maintaining the acidic environment in endolysosomes, was identified as a novel therapeutic target for glioblastoma.ConclusionsThus, a greater understanding of the role of endolysosomes in regulating cellular and extracellular acidity could result in a better elucidation of GBM pathogenesis and new therapeutic strategies.
A lightweight anonymous mutual authentication and key agreement scheme for WBAN
Authors: Xu Zisang , Xu Cheng , Chen Haixian , Yang Fang 
Published: May 2019

SummaryWireless body area network (WBAN) is a special wireless mobile sensor network, which is mainly applied to the medical field. It can monitor the physical condition of patients and send this vital and sensitive information to a server that provides medical and health services. Because of the openness and mobility of WBAN, it is easier for the adversary to obtain, corrupt, or replace the data transmitted in the channel, or launch various attacks. Therefore, data security and privacy issues are the most challenging problems in WBANs. Moreover, most wearable sensors in WBAN are resource‐constrained devices, traditional security schemes may not be suitable for WBAN. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a lightweight anonymous mutual authentication and key agreement scheme for WBAN. This scheme uses only hash function operations and XOR operations. We use the automatic security verification tool ProVerif to verify the security properties of our scheme and informal security analysis is discussed. We also compared the proposed scheme with many related works and the results indicate that our scheme has either more advantages in terms of computation cost, energy consumption, and communication cost or lower security risk.
Multifunctional Clickable Reagents for Rapid Bioorthogonal Astatination and Radio‐Crosslinking
Authors: Denk Christoph , Wilkovitsch Martin , Aneheim Emma , Herth Matthias M. , Jensen Holger , Lindegren Sture , Mikula Hannes 
Published: May 2019

AbstractInvited for this month's cover is the group of Dr. Hannes Mikula at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria. The cover picture shows immobilized astatine‐labeled reagents that have been sterically shielded with polyethylene chains by rapid bioorthogonal ligation leading to increased stability of the radiolabel in biological media. These multifunctional and bioorthogonal 211At reagents can be efficiently prepared by rapid click assembly and simultaneous astatination. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cplu.201900114.
High podoplanin and low E‐cadherin levels correlate with better prognosis in adenoid cystic carcinoma
Authors: van der Wal Jacqueline E. , Sgaramella Nicola , Norberg Spaak Lena , Zborayova Katarina , Nylander Karin 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjectivesAs tumour spread is a complicating event for malignant salivary gland tumours, we decided to study factors related to cell adhesion and lymph vessel formation in two of the three most common malignant salivary gland tumours, mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), to clarify the clinical relevance and potential usefulness of these factors. We also included a group of polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) as this tumour, in common with ACC often shows perineural growth, but in contrast to ACC has an overall good prognosis.Material and methodsEighteen patients with ACC, 15 with MEC, and six with PAC were included. Protein expression of podoplanin and E‐cadherin was evaluated as percentage of cells expressing the protein and intensity of expression. Ki‐67 expression was included in the study as a marker of proliferative activity.ResultsLooking at podoplanin, significantly more ACCs were high expressing compared with both MECs (P = .001) and PACs (P = .028). Also when looking at Ki‐67 expression, significantly more ACCs were high expressing compared with MECs (P = .003). Significantly better survival was also seen for ACCs with high podoplanin (P = .022) and low E‐cadherin expression (P = .021), respectively.ConclusionsOur findings show that ACCs express significantly higher levels of podoplanin compared with both MECs and PACs and that high levels are correlated to better survival. Even though the group of PACs analysed was small, these tumours, despite their tendency to perineural spread, which they have in common with ACC, differ from ACCs concerning expression of factors with a known connection to tumour spread.
Experimentally derived nitrogen critical loads for northern Great Plains vegetation
Authors: Symstad Amy J. , Smith Anine T. , Newton Wesley E. , Knapp Alan K. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe critical load concept facilitates communication between scientists and policy makers and land managers by translating the complex effects of air pollution on ecosystems into unambiguous numbers that can be used to inform air quality targets. Anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition adversely affects a variety of ecosystems, but the information used to derive critical loads for North American ecosystems is sparse and often based on experiments investigating N loads substantially higher than current or expected atmospheric deposition. In a 4‐yr field experiment in the northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America, where current N deposition levels range from ~3 to 9 kg N·ha−1·yr−1, we added 12 levels of N, from 2.5 to 100 kg N·ha−1·yr−1, to three sites spanning a range of soil fertility and productivity. Our results suggest a conservative critical load of 4–6 kg N·ha−1·yr−1 for the most sensitive vegetation type we investigated, badlands sparse vegetation, a community that supports plant species adapted to low fertility conditions, where N addition at this rate increased productivity and litter load. In contrast, for the two more productive vegetation types characteristic of most NGP grasslands, a critical load of 6–10 kg N·ha−1·yr−1 was identified. Here, N addition at this level altered plant tissue chemistry and increased nonnative species. These critical loads are below the currently suggested range of 10–25 kg N·ha−1·yr−1 for NGP vegetation and within the range of current or near‐future deposition, suggesting that N deposition may already be inducing fundamental changes in NGP ecosystems.
Are drivers of microbial diatom distributions context dependent in human‐impacted and pristine environments?
Authors: Pajunen Virpi , Jyrkänkallio‐Mikkola Jenny , Luoto Miska , Soininen Janne 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSpecies occurrences are influenced by numerous factors whose effects may be context dependent. Thus, the magnitude of the effects and their relative importance to species distributions may vary among ecosystems due to anthropogenic stressors. To investigate context dependency in factors governing microbial bioindicators, we developed species distribution models (SDMs) for epilithic stream diatom species in human‐impacted and pristine sites separately. We performed SDMs using boosted regression trees for 110 stream diatom species, which were common to both data sets, in 164 human‐impacted and 164 pristine sites in Finland (covering ~1,000 km, 60° to 68° N). For each species and site group, two sets of models were conducted: climate model, comprising three climatic variables, and full model, comprising the climatic and six local environmental variables. No significant difference in model performance was found between the site groups. However, climatic variables had greater importance compared with local environmental variables in pristine sites, whereas local environmental variables had greater importance in human‐impacted sites as hypothesized. Water balance and conductivity were the key variables in human‐impacted sites. The relative importance of climatic and local environmental variables varied among individual species, but also between the site groups. We found a clear context dependency among the variables influencing stream diatom distributions as the most important factors varied both among species and between the site groups. In human‐impacted streams, species distributions were mainly governed by water chemistry, whereas in pristine streams by climate. We suggest that climatic models may be suitable in pristine ecosystems, whereas the full models comprising both climatic and local environmental variables should be used in human‐impacted ecosystems.
Fate of atmospherically deposited NH4+ and NO3− in two temperate forests in China: temporal pattern and redistribution
Authors: Li Shanlong , Gurmesa Geshere Abdisa , Zhu Weixing , Gundersen Per , Zhang Shasha , Xi Dan , Huang Shaonan , Wang Ang , Zhu Feifei , Jiang Yong , Zhu Jiaojun , Fang Yunting 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe impacts of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition on forest ecosystems depend in large part on its fate. However, our understanding of the fates of different forms of deposited N as well as the redistribution over time within different ecosystems is limited. In this study, we used the 15N‐tracer method to investigate both the short‐term (1 week to 3 months) and long‐term (1–3 yr) fates of deposited NH4+ or NO3− by following the recovery of the 15N in different ecosystem compartments in a larch plantation forest and a mixed forest located in northeastern China. The results showed similar total ecosystem retention for deposited NH4+ and NO3−, but their distribution within the ecosystems (plants vs. soil) differed distinctly particularly in the short‐term, with higher 15NO3− recoveries in plants (while lower recoveries in organic layer) than found for 15NH4+. The different short‐term fate was likely related to the higher mobility of 15NO3− than 15NH4+ in soils instead of plant uptake preferences for NO3− over NH4+. In the long‐term, differences between N forms became less prevalent but higher recoveries in trees (particularly in the larch forest) of 15NO3− than 15NH4+ tracer persisted, suggesting that incoming NO3− may contribute more to plant biomass increment and forest carbon sequestration than incoming NH4+. Differences between the two forests in recoveries were largely driven by a higher 15N recovery in the organic layer (both N forms) and in trees (for 15NO3−) in the larch forest compared to the mixed forest. This was due to a more abundant organic layer and possibly higher tree N demand in the larch forest than in the mixed forest. Leachate 15N loss was minor (<1% of the added 15N) for both N forms and in both forests. Total 15N recovery averaged 78% in the short‐term and decreased to 55% in the long‐term but with increasing amount of 15N label (re)‐redistributed into slow turn‐over pools (e.g., trees and mineral soil). The different retention dynamics of deposited NH4+ and NO3− may have implications in environmental policy related to the anthropogenic emissions of the two N forms.
Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal
Authors: Swain Douglas P. , Benoît Hugues P. , Hammill Mike O. , Sulikowski James A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBenefitting from reduced harvesting and an end to culling, many marine mammals are now recovering from past overexploitation. These recoveries represent important conservation successes but present a serious conservation problem when the recovering mammals are predators of species of conservation concern. Here, we examine the role of predation by recovering grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the near‐extinction of a unique skate population in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) in Atlantic Canada. Winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) in thesGSLare distinct from winter skate elsewhere and may represent an endemic species. Their adult abundance has declined by 98% since 1980, and these skates are now detectable in only a small fraction of their former range. Population modeling indicates that the ongoing collapse of this population is due to increases in the natural mortality of adults. Based on model projections, this population would be extinct by mid‐century if its current rate of productivity were to persist. A second population model incorporated predation by grey seals. Model estimates of skate consumption by seals were consistent with historical and recent estimates of the contribution of skates to grey seal diets. The estimated consumption accounted for the increases in the natural mortality of adult skates. A TypeIIIfunctional response for grey seals preying on winter skate emerged from the model results. This indicates that, when skate abundance is very low, grey seals are expected to switch to alternate prey, resulting in declines in the mortality of skates due to predation. Consequently, contrary to projections at current productivity, winter skate are expected to be trapped at very low abundance in a “predator pit” instead of declining to extinction. Nonetheless, extinction risk would remain very high at the very small population size in the predator pit. Our results emphasize the need for an ecosystem‐based approach to the management of living resources in this ecosystem.