bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Solute evidence for hydrological connectivity of geographically isolated wetlands
Authors: Thorslund Josefin , Cohen Matthew J. , Jawitz James W. , Destouni Georgia , Creed Irena F. , Rains Mark C. , Badiou Pascal , Jarsjö Jerker 
Published: August 2018

AbstractHydrological connectivity describes the water‐mediated transfer of mass, energy, and organisms between landscape elements and is the foundation for understanding how individual elements such as wetlands and streams integrate to support ecosystem services and nature‐based solutions in the landscape. Hydrological connectivity of geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs)—that is, wetlands without persistent surface water connections—is particularly poorly understood. To better understand GIW hydrological connectivity, we use a novel chloride mass‐balance approach to quantify the local runoff generation (defined as precipitation minus evapotranspiration, assuming negligible long‐term water storage) for 260 GIW subcatchments across North America. To evaluate hydrological connectivity, we compare the estimated local runoff from GIW subcatchments with the catchment‐average runoff. These comparisons provide three novel insights regarding the magnitude and variability of GIW hydrological connectivity. First, across 10 study regions, GIW subcatchments generate runoff at 120% of the mean catchment rate, implying they are well‐connected elements of the larger hydrologic landscape. Second, there is substantial heterogeneity in runoff generation among GIW subcatchments, which may enable support for a wide array of ecosystem functions and services. Finally, observed heterogeneity in runoff generation was largely uncorrelated to simple linear geographic predictors, indicating that GIW landscape position cannot reliably predict hydrological connectivity. In stark contrast to a priori legal assumptions that GIWs exhibit low or no hydrological connectivity, our results suggest that GIW subcatchments are active landscape features in runoff generation.
Can eye‐tracking metrics be used to better pair radiologists in a mammogram reading task?
Authors: Gandomkar Ziba , Tay Kevin , Brennan Patrick C. , Kozuch Emma , Mello‐Thoms Claudia 
Published: August 2018

PurposeTo propose a framework for optimal pairing of radiologists when reading mammograms based on their search patterns.Materials and MethodsFour experienced and four less‐experienced radiologists were asked to assess 120 cases (59 with cancers) while their eye positions were tracked. Fourteen eye‐tracking metrics were extracted to quantify the differences among radiologists' visual search pattern. For each radiologist and metric, less‐experienced radiologists and expert readers were ranked based on the level of similarities in gaze patterns (from the most different to the most similar). Less‐experienced readers and experts were also ranked based on the values of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) after pairing (the best possible way of ranking). Using the Kendall's tau distance, rankings based on different metrics were compared with the best possible ranking. Using paired Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, theAUCvalues when pairing in the best way were compared with pairing based on different metrics. Finally, we investigated the robustness of pairing strategies against the small sample size.ResultsFor ranking the experienced radiologists, results from eight metrics were as good as the best possible ranking. For the less‐experienced ones, only one metric resulted in a ranking comparable to the best possible way of ranking. TheAUCvalues of pairings based on these metrics did not differ significantly from the best pairing scenario. Compared to the pairings based on the cognitive metrics, the ranking based onAUCvalues varied more greatly with the sample size, suggesting that it is less robust against the small sample size compared to the cognitive metrics.ConclusionDifferent pairings may have different effects on performance; some are detrimental while some improve the performance of the pair. Using the suggested cognitive metrics, we can optimize the pairings even with a small dataset.
Investigating the relationships among neighborhood factors and asthma control in African American children: A study protocol
Authors: DePriest Kelli , Butz Arlene , Gross Deborah 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTOver 2 million children in the US have uncontrolled asthma. African American children are disproportionately affected with a risk of dying from asthma that is 7.6 times higher than non‐Hispanic White children. Racial disparities in childhood asthma are partially attributed to differential exposures to poverty; unsafe and stressful neighborhoods; and unhealthy physical environments. This paper describes the protocol for an ongoing National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research‐funded descriptive, cross‐sectional study to investigate two neighborhood factors that may influence children's asthma. Building on an existing dataset, this study examines associations among neighborhood greenspace, neighborhood safety, and level of asthma control while controlling for indoor asthma triggers in an urban sample of predominantly low‐income, African American children with persistent asthma. Two new variables are added to the dataset: availability of neighborhood greenspace and neighborhood violent crime rate. Greenspace is being accessed using geographic information systems and measured using the normalized difference vegetation index. Neighborhood violent crime rate is calculated using geocoded, point locations for crimes downloaded from the city police department. It is hypothesized that parents living in unsafe neighborhoods are likely to keep their children indoors, thereby increasing their children's exposure to indoor asthma triggers and limiting the potential benefits of neighborhood greenspace. The biggest challenges thus far are related to limited variability in greenspace and violent crime rates. Progress to date and strategies to address these challenges are discussed. Results have the potential to inform interventions to improve asthmatic children's health and influence public health policy.
Characterization and effect of metal ions on the formation of the Thermus thermophilus Sco mixed disulfide intermediate
Authors: Lopez Liezelle C. , Mukhitov Nikita , Handley Lindsey D. , Hamme Cristina S. , Hofman Cristina R. , Euers Lindsay , McKinney Jennifer R. , Piers Amani D. , Wadler Ellen , Hunsicker‐Wang Laura M. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe Sco protein from Thermus thermophilus has previously been shown to perform a disulfide bond reduction in the CuA protein from T. thermophilus, which is a soluble protein engineered from subunit II of cytochrome ba
3 oxidase that lacks the transmembrane helix. The native cysteines on TtSco and TtCuA were mutated to serine residues to probe the reactivities of the individual cysteines. Conjugation of TNB to the remaining cysteine in TtCuA and subsequent release upon incubation with the complementary TtSco protein demonstrated the formation of the mixed disulfide intermediate. The cysteine of TtSco that attacks the disulfide bond in the target TtCuA protein was determined to be TtSco Cysteine 49. This cysteine is likely more reactive than Cysteine 53 due to a higher degree of solvent exposure. Removal of the metal binding histidine, His 139, does not change MDI formation. However, altering the arginine adjacent to the reactive cysteine in Sco (Arginine 48) does alter the formation of the MDI. Binding of Cu2+ or Cu+ to TtSco prior to reaction with TtCuA was found to preclude formation of the mixed disulfide intermediate. These results shed light on a mechanism of disulfide bond reduction by the TtSco protein and may point to a possible role of metal binding in regulating the activity.ImportanceThe function of Sco is at the center of many studies. The disulfide bond reduction in CuA by Sco is investigated herein and the effect of metal ions on the ability to reduce and form a mixed disulfide intermediate are also probed.
Spanish nationals' future plans in the context of Brexit
Authors: McCarthy Helen N.J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis paper examines the future plans of Spanish nationals resident in the United Kingdom following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, commonly referred to as Brexit. Drawing on the literature on migration decision‐making, the paper asks how changes to rights‐based ideas of belonging and identity in the wake of the Brexit vote will impact on Spanish nationals' decisions about the future. Using results from an online survey, the paper explores Spanish nationals' plans for the future, their sense of feeling of “at home” in the United Kingdom, and their views on Brexit. Recognising that the community is not homogenous, the paper considers the different experiences of Latin Americans with Spanish nationality and Spaniards who were born in Spain. Feelings of belonging are contingent and shift over time, and Brexit is perceived negatively by the vast majority of respondents. However, a number of factors such as time in the country and family relationships affect planned future length of time in the United Kingdom. Individuals respond differently to the uncertainty provoked by the referendum, with Latin Americans with Spanish nationality reporting a greater desire to take the necessary steps to establish themselves permanently in the United Kingdom.
General stabilization method of fractional‐order PIλDμ controllers for fractional‐order systems with time delay
Authors: Yu Xinyi , Yang Fan , Ou Linlin , Wu Qunhong , Zhang Weidong 
Published: August 2018

SummaryIn this paper, an effective method is proposed to get the stabilizing regions of fractional‐order PIλDμ controllers for an arbitrarily given fractional‐order system with time delay. For each known proportional gain (kp), integral gain (ki), or derivative gain (kd) in the PIλDμ controllers, the stabilizing region with respect to the other two control gains is derived respectively. The boundaries of the stabilizing regions are firstly obtained based on singular frequencies. Then, the main results are presented to directly determine the stabilizing region from an analytical viewpoint. The results avoid the time‐consuming stability test since the stabilizing region is usually determined by manually choosing lots of test points from all the divided regions by the resultant boundaries. Besides, the stabilizing (ki, kd) regions of the PIλDμ controllers for λ + μ = 2 can be determined and the linear programming characteristic of the stabilizing (ki, kd) region for the case λ + μ = 2 is obtained. Furthermore, the robust stabilizing region is analyzed. The results in this paper provide the basis for both the tuning of the PIλDμ controller in practice and the design of the PIλDμ controller satisfying different performance criteria. Numerical examples and an application example are presented to check the validity of the proposed method.
The importance of scale in understanding the effect of stream intermittence on aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity
Authors: Wooster David E. , DeBano Sandra J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBiotic richness in intermittent reaches (α‐diversity) is generally lower than in perennial reaches. However, variability among intermittent reaches (β‐diversity) is predicted to be higher. Yet how patterns in α‐ and β‐diversity scale up to influence stream network diversity is unclear and has received little attention. In addition, the timing of sampling relative to the resumption of flow in intermittent reaches should influence patterns in diversity. We predicted that early in the wet season, assemblages in intermittent reaches would be recovering from drying and have lower α‐diversity and higher β‐diversity relative to perennial reaches but that these patterns might not be reflected at the stream network scale. In contrast, we predicted that late in the wet season, assemblages in intermittent reaches would recover and α, β, and network diversity would be similar between intermittent and perennial reaches. These predictions were tested with macroinvertebrate assemblages in an eastern Oregon stream network. Early in the wet season, α‐diversity and network diversity were lower in intermittent than perennial reaches; however, β‐diversity was similar between the two types of reaches. Late in the wet season, both α‐diversity and β‐diversity were similar between intermittent and perennial reaches, suggesting recovery of intermittent reaches from drying. However, at the network scale, intermittent reaches continued to have lower diversity indicating a lack of recovery. Rare taxa were particularly vulnerable to flow intermittency. Our results indicate that a consideration of spatial scale, taxa abundance/rarity, and timing of sampling will improve our understanding of the effect of flow intermittence on diversity.
Standing Surface Acoustic Wave (SSAW)‐Based Fluorescence‐Activated Cell Sorter
Authors: Ren Liqiang , Yang Shujie , Zhang Peiran , Qu Zhiguo , Mao Zhangming , Huang Po‐Hsun , Chen Yuchao , Wu Mengxi , Wang Lin , Li Peng , Huang Tony Jun 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMicrofluidic fluorescence‐activated cell sorters (μFACS) have attracted considerable interest because of their ability to identify and separate cells in inexpensive and biosafe ways. Here a high‐performance μFACS is presented by integrating a standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW)‐based, 3D cell‐focusing unit, an in‐plane fluorescent detection unit, and an SSAW‐based cell‐deflection unit on a single chip. Without using sheath flow or precise flow rate control, the SSAW‐based cell‐focusing technique can focus cells into a single file at a designated position. The tight focusing of cells enables an in‐plane‐integrated optical detection system to accurately distinguish individual cells of interest. In the acoustic‐based cell‐deflection unit, a focused interdigital transducer design is utilized to deflect cells from the focused stream within a minimized area, resulting in a high‐throughput sorting ability. Each unit is experimentally characterized, respectively, and the integrated SSAW‐based FACS is used to sort mammalian cells (HeLa) at different throughputs. A sorting purity of greater than 90% is achieved at a throughput of 2500 events s−1. The SSAW‐based FACS is efficient, fast, biosafe, biocompatible and has a small footprint, making it a competitive alternative to more expensive, bulkier traditional FACS.
Emerging Roles of Air Gases in Lipid Bilayers
Authors: Lee Chia‐Wei , Chiang Ya‐Ling , Liu Ji‐Ting , Chen Yi‐Xian , Lee Chau‐Hwang , Chen Yeng‐Long , Hwang Ing‐Shouh 
Published: August 2018

AbstractRecent studies indicate that changing the physical properties of lipid bilayers may profoundly change the function of membrane proteins. Here, the effects of dissolved nitrogen and oxygen molecules on the mechanical properties and stability of lipid bilayers are investigated using differential confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. All experiments evidence the presence of dissolved air gas in lipid bilayers prepared without gas control. The lipid bilayers in degassed solutions are softer and less stable than those in ambient solutions. High concentrations of nitrogen increase the bending moduli and stability of the lipid bilayers and impede phase separation in ternary lipid bilayers. The effect of oxygen is less prominent. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that higher nitrogen affinity accounts for increased rigidity. These findings have fundamental and wide implications for phenomena related to lipid bilayers and cell membranes, including the origin of life.
Cucurbit[8]uril‐Based Polymers and Polymer Materials
Authors: Zou Hua , Liu Jing , Li Ying , Li Xiaoyan , Wang Xia 
Published: August 2018

AbstractCucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) is unique and notable in the cucurbit[n]uril family, since it has a relatively large cavity and thus is able to simultaneously accommodate two guest molecules. Typically, an electron‐deficient first guest and an electron‐rich second guest can be bound by CB[8] to form a stable 1:1:1 heteroternary supramolecular complex. Additionally, two homo guests can also be strongly dimerized inside the cavity of CB[8] to form a 2:1 homoternary supramolecular complex. During the past decade, by combining polymer science and CB[8] host–guest chemistry, a variety of systems have been established to construct supramolecular polymers with polymer chains typically at the nanoscale/sub‐microscale, and CB[8]‐based micro/nanostructured polymer materials in the form of polymer networks and hydrogels, microcapsules, micelles, vesicles, and colloidal particles, normally in solution and occasionally on surfaces. This Review summarizes the noncovalent interactions and strategies used for the preparation of CB[8]‐based polymers and polymer materials with a focus on the representative and latest developments, followed by a brief discussion of their characterization, properties, and applications.
Neurodevelopmental disorder in children believed to have isolated mild ventriculomegaly prenatally
Authors: Thorup E. , Jensen L. N. , Bak G. S. , Ekelund C. K. , Greisen G. , Jørgensen D. S. , Hellmuth S. G. , Wulff C. , Petersen O. B. , Pedersen L. H. , Tabor A. 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of specific neurodevelopmental disorders in children believed to have isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMV) prenatally in the second trimester of pregnancy, in order to optimize the counseling process.MethodsThis was a nationwide registry‐based study including all singleton pregnancies that had first‐ and second‐trimester ultrasound scans in the period 1st January 2008 to 1st October 2014, identified in the Danish Fetal Medicine Database and local clinical databases in Denmark. All fetuses diagnosed prenatally with IMV (measurement of the atrium of the lateral ventricles, 10.0–15.0 mm) between 18 and 22 weeks' gestation were followed up in national patient registers until the age of 2–7 years. Information was obtained on the diagnoses of intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and impaired psychomotor development. Neurodevelopmental disorders were compared between those with postnatally confirmed IMV and a reference population of children in the same age range.ResultsOf a cohort of 292 046 fetuses, 133 were found to have apparent IMV on the second‐trimester scan for fetal malformations. In 11 cases, long‐term follow‐up was not possible owing to termination of pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage, neonatal death or loss to follow‐up. Of the 122 liveborn children followed up until 2–7 years, 15 were identified as having an additional abnormality while 107 were confirmed postnatally to have IMV. Of these 107 children, the diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder was registered in six (5.6%), corresponding to an odds ratio of 2.64 (95% CI, 1.16–6.02), as compared with the reference population. The diagnoses were autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and impaired psychomotor development. None of these 107 children was diagnosed with intellectual disability or cerebral palsy.ConclusionsOur results show that a confirmed diagnosis of IMV was associated with an increased risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder, as compared with the reference population, but the absolute risk was low and there were no cases of intellectual disability or cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Quantitative analysis of cell shape and the cytoskeleton in developmental biology
Authors: Yevick Hannah G. , Martin Adam C. 
Published: August 2018

Computational approaches that enable quantification of microscopy data have revolutionized the field of developmental biology. Due to its inherent complexity, elucidating mechanisms of development requires sophisticated analysis of the structure, shape, and kinetics of cellular processes. This need has prompted the creation of numerous techniques to visualize, quantify, and merge microscopy data. These approaches have defined the order and structure of developmental events, thus, providing insight into the mechanisms that drive them. This review describes current computational approaches that are being used to answer developmental questions related to morphogenesis and describe how these approaches have impacted the field. Our intent is not to comprehensively review techniques, but to highlight examples of how different approaches have impacted our understanding of development. Specifically, we focus on methods to quantify cell shape and cytoskeleton structure and dynamics in developing tissues. Finally, we speculate on where the future of computational analysis in developmental biology might be headed.This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Analysis of Cell, Tissue, and Animal Phenotypes
Early Embryonic Development > Gastrulation and Neurulation
Early Embryonic Development > Development to the Basic Body Plan
Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia—a mixed-method study to find behavioral leverage for better protocol adherence
Authors: Wolfensberger Aline , Meier Marie-Theres , Clack Lauren , Schreiber Peter W. , Sax Hugo 
Published: August 2018

AbstractObjectivePreventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an important goal for intensive care units (ICUs). We aimed to identify the optimal behavior leverage to improve VAP prevention protocol adherence.DesignMixed-method study using adherence measurements to assess 4 VAP prevention measures and qualitative analysis of semi-structured focus group interviews with frontline healthcare practitioners (HCPs).SettingThe 6 ICUs in the 900-bed University Hospital Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland.Patients and participantsAdherence to VAP prevention measures were assessed in patients with a device for invasive ventilation (ie, endotracheal tube, tracheostomy tube). Participants in focus group interviews included a convenience samples of ICU nurses and physicians.ResultsBetween February 2015 and July 2017, we measured adherence to 4 protocols: bed elevation showed adherence at 27% (95% confidence intervals [CI], 23%–31%); oral care at 41% (95% CI, 36%–45%); sedation interruption at 81% (95% CI, 74%–85%); and subglottic suctioning at 88% (95% CI, 83%–92%). Interviews were analyzed first inductively according a grounded theory approach then deductively against the behavior change wheel (BCW) framework. Main behavioral facilitators belonged to the BCW component ‘reflective motivation’ (ie, perceived seriousness of VAP and self-efficacy to prevent VAP). The main barriers belonged to ‘physical capability’ (ie, lack of equipment and staffing and side-effects of prevention measures). Furthermore, 2 primarily technical approaches (ie, ‘restructuring environment’ and ‘enabling HCP’) emerged as means to overcome these barriers.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that technical, rather than education-based, solutions should be promoted to improve VAP prevention. This theory-informed mixed-method approach is an effective means of guiding infection prevention efforts.