bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum androgens and risk of atrial fibrillation in older men: The Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Rosenberg Michael A. , Shores Molly M. , Matsumoto Alvin M. , Bůžková Petra , Lange Leslie A. , Kronmal Richard A. , Heckbert Susan R. , Mukamal Kenneth J. 
Published: April 2018

BackgroundDecline in serum androgens is common among older men and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, although its role in risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been well defined.HypothesisLow serum androgens are associated with an increased risk of AF.MethodsWe examined the prospective associations between testosterone, its more active metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) with risk of AF among 1019 otherwise healthy men with average age 76.3 ±4.9 years in the Cardiovascular Health Study.ResultsAfter median follow‐up of 9.5 years, 304 (30%) men developed AF. We detected a nonlinear association with risk of incident AF in both free and total DHT, in which subjects with the lowest levels had a higher risk of incident AF. After adjustment for demographics, clinical risk factors, left atrial diameter, and serum NT‐proBNP levels, men with free DHT <0.16 ng/dL were at increased risk compared with men with higher levels (hazard ratio: 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–2.17, P <0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the increased risk was not cutpoint‐specific, with a significant association noted up to cutpoints <~0.2 ng/dL. We also detected a complex nonlinear association between SHBG and incident AF, in which subjects in the middle quintile (52.9–65.3 nmol/L) had increased risk.ConclusionsAmong older men, low free DHT is associated with an increased risk of incident AF. Further studies are needed to explore mechanisms for this association.
Electrocardiography scar quantification correlates with scar size of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy seen by multidetector computed tomography
Authors: Bignoto Tiago Costa , Moreira Dalmo Antônio Ribeiro , Habib Ricardo Garbe , de Barros Correia Edileide , Amarante Ricardo Carneiro , Jatene Tannas , Nunes Mario Barbosa Guedes , Senra Tiago , Mastrocolla Luiz Eduardo 
Published: April 2018

BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetically transmitted disease, is the most common genetic cardiovascular disease. Current strategies to stratify risk are expensive and concentrated in wealthy centers. Twelve‐lead electrocardiography (ECG) is inexpensive, universally available, and can be readily used for Selvester QRS scoring, which estimates scar size. This study aimed to establish the relation between ECG scar quantification and myocardial fibrosis (extent of myocardial delayed enhancement) in multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).HypothesisThere is a significant association between ECG scar quantification and the extent of myocardial delayed enhancement in MDCT.MethodsSeventy‐five patients with HCM underwent a routine clinical evaluation and echocardiography, 12‐lead ECG, and MDCT study. Patients with and without an implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator were included.ResultsThe estimated Selvester QRS score of myocardial fibrosis was correlated significantly (R = 0.70; P < 0.01) with the quantified MDCT fibrosis. Compared with MDCT, the QRS score had 84.8% sensitivity and 88.8% specificity. Myocardial fibrosis was present in 88% of these patients with HCM (fibrotic mass, 9.87 ±10.8 g) comprising 5.66% ±6.16% of the total myocardial mass seen on the MDCT images. The Selvester QRS score reliably predicted the fibrotic mass in 76% of patients, which estimated 8.44% ±7.39% of the total myocardial mass.ConclusionsThe Selvester QRS score provides reliable quantification of myocardial fibrosis and was well correlated with MDCT in patients with HCM.
Sustainable development and pollutant outcomes: The case of ISO 14001 in Korea
Authors: Baek Kyungmin 
Published: April 2018

AbstractISO 14001 is one of the best known and most common globally adopted environmental management system‐based standards under current sustainable development schemes. This paper investigates the impact of ISO 14001 on the level of pollutant emissions across manufacturing facilities in Korea. The level of pollutant emissions in 22 ISO 14001‐certified facilities in Korea is compared with that of 52 non‐certified ones. Through statistical analyses based on the Shapiro‐Wilk and Mann‐Whitney U tests, it is concluded that ISO 14001‐certified facilities and non‐certified facilities are not significantly different in terms of the level of pollutant emissions produced. These statistical results indicate that ISO 14001 may not contribute to the actual improvement of environmental performance in Korea.
Soccer fields? What for? Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the mining industry
Authors: Devenin Veronica , Bianchi Constanza 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWhile there is significant research regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the mining industry, there is a lack of understanding in terms of the actual effectiveness of CSR initiatives disclosed by these companies. This paper aims to examine the perceptions of stakeholders in the mining industry regarding the intended results of CSR initiatives. Results show three ineffective situations that emerged from empirical contrasts of CSR initiatives declared by mining companies in sustainability reports and the actual impact on beneficiaries in communities: (1) failure of the CSR initiatives to contribute to real community beneficiary needs; (2) failure of the CSR initiatives to adjust to the socio‐cultural characteristics of the beneficiary group; and (3) failure of the CSR initiatives to ensure sustainability in the long run. This study contributes to the literature on CSR initiative effectiveness and provides suggestions for mining managers, government, and policymakers.
High Water Tolerance of a Core–Shell‐Structured Zeolite for CO2 Adsorptive Separation under Wet Conditions
Authors: Miyamoto Manabu , Ono Shumpei , Kusukami Kodai , Oumi Yasunori , Uemiya Shigeyuki 
Published: April 2018

AbstractDehumidification in CO2 adsorptive separation processes is an important issue, owing to its high energy consumption. However, available adsorbents such as low‐silica zeolites show a significant decrease in CO2 adsorption capacity when water vapor is present. A core–shell‐structured MFI‐type zeolite with a hydrophilic ZSM‐5 coated with a hydrophobic silicalite‐1 shell layer was applied in CO2 adsorptive separation under wet conditions. This hybrid material demonstrated remarkably high water tolerance with stable CO2 adsorption performance without additional thermal treatment for regeneration, whereas a significant decrease in the CO2 adsorption amount because of water vapor was observed on the parent ZSM‐5. The core–shell structure of zeolites with high pore volumes, such as LTA or CHA, could also be suitable candidates for high CO2 adsorption capacity and high water tolerance for practical applications.
Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes may serve as a potential marker for pancreatic cancer
Authors: Dankner Rachel , Freedman Laurence S. , Gerstein Hertzel C. , Roth Jesse , Keinan‐Boker Lital 
Published: April 2018

AbstractPancreatic cancer has an extremely highly case fatality. Diabetes is a well‐established strong risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Compared with a nondiabetic population, we previously reported a 15‐ and 14‐fold greater risk for detecting pancreatic cancer during the first year after diagnosing diabetes in adult women and men, respectively, which dropped during the second year to 5.4‐fold and 3.5‐fold, respectively, and stabilized around 3‐fold for the rest of the 11‐year follow‐up in our historical cohort. The population attributable risk during the 11‐year period was 13.3% and 14.1% in prevalent diabetic women and men, respectively. This means that one out of about every 8 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer has been previously diagnosed with diabetes. The globally high prevalence of diabetes and the aggravating implications of a delayed pancreatic cancer diagnosis call for newly‐onset diabetes to be considered a potential marker for an underlying pancreatic cancer and addressed accordingly.
Synthesis, analytical characterization, and monoamine transporter activity of the new psychoactive substance 4‐methylphenmetrazine (4‐MPM), with differentiation from its ortho‐ and meta‐ positional isomers
Authors: McLaughlin Gavin , Baumann Michael H. , Kavanagh Pierce V. , Morris Noreen , Power John D. , Dowling Geraldine , Twamley Brendan , O'Brien John , Hessman Gary , Westphal Folker , Walther Donna , Brandt Simon D. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS) on the recreational drug market continues to create challenges for scientists in the forensic, clinical and toxicology fields. Phenmetrazine (3‐methyl‐2‐phenylmorpholine) and an array of its analogs form a class of psychostimulants that are well documented in the patent and scientific literature. The present study reports on two phenmetrazine analogs that have been encountered on the NPS market following the introduction of 3‐fluorophenmetrazine (3‐FPM), namely 4‐methylphenmetrazine (4‐MPM), and 3‐methylphenmetrazine (3‐MPM). This study describes the syntheses, analytical characterization, and pharmacological evaluation of the positional isomers of MPM. Analytical characterizations employed various chromatographic, spectroscopic, and mass spectrometric platforms. Pharmacological studies were conducted to assess whether MPM isomers might display stimulant‐like effects similar to the parent compound phenmetrazine. The isomers were tested for their ability to inhibit uptake or stimulate release of tritiated substrates at dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin transporters using in vitro transporter assays in rat brain synaptosomes. The analytical characterization of three vendor samples revealed the presence of 4‐MPM in two of the samples and 3‐MPM in the third sample, which agreed with the product label. The pharmacological findings suggest that 2‐MPM and 3‐MPM will exhibit stimulant properties similar to the parent compound phenmetrazine, whereas 4‐MPM may display entactogen properties more similar to 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The combination of test purchases, analytical characterization, targeted organic synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of NPS and their isomers is an effective approach for the provision of data on these substances as they emerge in the marketplace.
Cre‐driver lines used for genetic fate mapping of neural crest cells in the mouse: An overview
Authors: Debbache Julien , Parfejevs Vadims , Sommer Lukas 
Published: April 2018

SummaryThe neural crest is one of the embryonic structures with the broadest developmental potential in vertebrates. Morphologically, neural crest cells emerge during neurulation in the dorsal folds of the neural tube before undergoing an epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), delaminating from the neural tube, and migrating to multiple sites in the growing embryo. Neural crest cells generate cell types as diverse as peripheral neurons and glia, melanocytes, and so‐called mesectodermal derivatives that include craniofacial bone and cartilage and smooth muscle cells in cardiovascular structures. In mice, the fate of neural crest cells has been determined mainly by means of transgenesis and genome editing technologies. The most frequently used method relies on the Cre‐loxP system, in which expression of Cre‐recombinase in neural crest cells or their derivatives genetically enables the expression of a Cre‐reporter allele, thus permanently marking neural crest‐derived cells. Here, we provide an overview of the Cre‐driver lines used in the field and discuss to what extent these lines allow precise neural crest stage and lineage‐specific fate mapping.
At the tipping point: Differential influences of warming and deoxygenation on the survival, emergence, and respiration of cosmopolitan clams
Authors: Kim Tae Won , Park Shinyeong , Sin Eunchong 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAlthough warming and low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels are co‐occurring significant climatic stressors in the ocean, the combined effects of these stressors on marine benthic animals have not been well established. Here, we tested the effects of elevated temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels on the survival, emerging behavior from sediment, and the respiration of juvenile cosmopolitan Manila clams (Venerupis philippinarum) by exposing them to two temperatures (20 and 23.5°C) and DO levels (3.5 and 6–7 mg/L). Although within previously described tolerable ranges of temperature and DO, this 3.5°C increase in temperature combined with a 50% decrease in DO had a devastating effect on the survival of clams (85% mortality after 8 days). The mortality of clams under normoxia at 23.5°C appeared to be higher than under the low DO condition at 20°C. On the other hand, more clams emerged from sediment under the low DO condition at 20°C than under any other conditions. Oxygen consumption rates were not significantly affected by different conditions. Our results suggest temperature elevation combined with low oxygen additively increases stress on Manila clams and that warming is at least as stressful as low DO in terms of mortality. However, low DO poses another threat as it may induce emergence from sediment, and, thus increase predation risk. This is the first evidence that a combination of warming and deoxygenation stressors should reduce population survival of clams much more so than changes in a single stressor.
Community differentiation of bacterioplankton in the epipelagic layer in the South China Sea
Authors: Zhang Yi , Li Jie , Cheng Xuhua , Luo Yinfeng , Mai Zhimao , Zhang Si 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe South China Sea (SCS) is the largest marginal sea in the western tropical Pacific Ocean and is characterized by complex physicochemical environments. To date, the biogeographic patterns of the microbial communities have rarely been reported at a basin scale in the SCS. In this study, the bacterial assemblages inhabiting the epipelagic zone across 110°E to 119°E along 14°N latitude were uncovered. The vertical stratification of both bacterial taxa and their potential functions were revealed. These results suggest that the water depth‐specific environment is a driver of the vertical bacterioplankton distribution. Moreover, the bacterial communities were different between the eastern stations and the western stations, where the environmental conditions were distinct. However, the mesoscale eddy did not show an obvious effect on the bacterial community due to the large distance between the sampling site and the center of the eddy. In addition to the water depth and longitudinal location of the samples, the heterogeneity of the phosphate and salinity concentrations also significantly contributed to the variance in the epipelagic bacterial community in the SCS. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that the variability in epipelagic bacterioplankton is driven by the physicochemical environment at the basin scale in the SCS. Our results emphasize that the ecological significance of bacterioplankton can be better understood by considering the relationship between the biogeographic distribution of bacteria and the oceanic dynamics processes.
Organic selenium, selenate, and selenite accumulation by lake plankton and the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at different pH and sulfate concentrations
Authors: Ponton Dominic E. , Fortin Claude , Hare Landis 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Selenium (Se) concentrations measured in lake planktonic food chains (microplankton &lt;64 μm, copepods, and Chaoborus larvae) were strongly correlated with the concentrations of dissolved organic Se. These correlations were strengthened slightly by adding the concentrations of dissolved selenate to those of organic Se. To better understand the role of Se species and the influence of water chemistry on Se uptake, we exposed the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to selenite, selenate, or selenomethionine at various H+ ion and sulfate concentrations under controlled laboratory conditions. At low sulfate concentrations, inorganic Se species (selenate &gt;&gt; selenite) were more readily accumulated by this alga than was selenomethionine. However, at higher sulfate concentrations the uptake of selenite was higher than that of selenate, whereas the uptake of selenomethionine remained unchanged. Although the pH of the exposure water did not influence the uptake of selenate by this alga, the accumulation of selenomethionine and selenite increased with pH because of their relative pH-related speciation. The Se concentrations that we measured in C. reinhardtii exposed to selenomethionine were 30 times lower than those that we measured in field-collected microplankton exposed in the same laboratory conditions. This difference is explained by the taxa present in the microplankton samples. Using the present laboratory measurements of Se uptake in microplankton and of natural Se concentrations in lake water allowed us to model Se concentrations in a lake pelagic food chain. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2112–2122. © 2018 SETAC
Choosing IoT‐connectivity? A guiding methodology based on functional characteristics and economic considerations
Authors: Vannieuwenborg Frederic , Verbrugge Sofie , Colle Didier 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAlong with the growing market of Internet of Things (IoT), the set of IoT‐connectivity networks is also continuously expanding. Large‐scale deployments of the new low‐power wide‐area networks and announcements of new technologies prove this trend. Although these new technologies take care of some key IoT‐challenges, such as communication cost and power consumption, careful consideration of the IoT‐connectivity is still required since there is no one‐size‐fits‐all solution. Typical comparisons of IoT‐connectivity networks are based on technical characteristics but remain unpractical when it comes down to comparing functional characteristics. Questions on public network accessibility, ability for private network deployments, and cost considerations related to IoT‐connectivity networks often remain unanswered. In this work, a 2‐step methodology is proposed to guide IoT‐developers in choosing an appropriate connectivity network. First, a questionnaire walkthrough eliminates IoT‐connectivity networks based on mismatches between their functional characteristics and the functional requirements of the IoT‐applications. In a second step, an evaluation of the main cost components related to IoT‐connectivity indicates the most economical solution. As an illustration, we present 2 case studies: (1) deploying smart shipping containers in the port of Antwerp and (2) installing shop'n go parking spaces, which detect vehicle presence via a sensor.
The path toward a cloud‐aware mobile network protocol stack
Authors: Serrano Pablo , Gramaglia Marco , Bega Dario , Gutierrez‐Estevez David , Garcia‐Aviles Gines , Banchs Albert 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWe are currently observing the softwarization of communication networks, where network functions are translated from monolithic pieces of equipment to programs running over a shared pool of computational, storage, and communication resources. While it is clear that almost any softwarization improves flexibility (eg, the ability to instantiate more servers to cope with increasing traffic demand), in this paper, we advocate for a complete redesign of the communications protocol stack, instead of a mere translation of hardware functions into software. We discuss 2 drivers for this cloud‐aware redesign: (1) relaxing the tight interactions between functions and (2) supporting a graceful degradation of the service when resources become scarce. The potential benefits of this redesign are illustrated with the numerical evaluation of one use case.
Exploration of Complex Electrochemical and Chemo‐mechanical Behavior of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Fueled with Pyrolysis Bio‐oil
Authors: Elleuch A. , Halouani K. , Li Y. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractDirect utilization of olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS) bio‐oil preparedviafast pyrolysis in a Direct‐Biofuel Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (DB‐SOFC) was investigated. A viable power densities (>1,000 W m−2at 650 °C) and 6 h operation under open circuit conditions were obtained despite crude bio‐oil complex chemistry. When heated, bio‐oil decomposes yielding gases, volatiles and solid residues (biochar). At 650 °C, polarization curve and impedance spectra of SOFC fed by bio‐oil showed peculiar shapes related to complex kinetics and charge transfer mechanism within the anode. The carbon accumulation at 650 °C is managed through oxidations with oxide ions and chemical reaction with CO2and H2O gases. Above 700 °C, performance degradation was noted related to biochar accumulation at the anode though the promotion of Boudouard reaction, the increase in O2−transfer and possible carbon electrochemical oxidations. The anode chemo‐mechanical instability was observed explaining the rise in cell ohmic resistance and performance degradation after 6 operating hours. Globally, this work demonstrates that direct fed SOFCs with OMWS bio‐oil is achievable using Ni‐SDC anode but enhancement in fuel quality and in anode catalytic activity and stability are required to improve significantly the cell performance.
Effects ofSYN1Q555Xmutation on cortical gray matter microstructure
Authors: Cabana Jean‐François , Gilbert Guillaume , Létourneau‐Guillon Laurent , Safi Dima , Rouleau Isabelle , Cossette Patrick , Nguyen Dang Khoa 
Published: April 2018

AbstractA newQ555Xmutation on theSYN1gene was recently found in several members of a family segregating dyslexia, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder. To describe the effects of this mutation on cortical gray matter microstructure, we performed a surface‐based group study using novel diffusion and quantitative multiparametric imaging on 13SYN1Q555Xmutation carriers and 13 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Specifically, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and neurite orientation and dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) were used to analyze multi‐shell diffusion data and obtain parametric maps sensitive to tissue structure, while quantitative metrics sensitive to tissue composition (T1, T2* and relative proton density [PD]) were obtained from a multi‐echo variable flip angle FLASH acquisition. Results showed significant microstructural alterations in several regions usually involved in oral and written language as well as dyslexia. The most significant changes in these regions were lowered mean diffusivity and increased fractional anisotropy. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to successfully use diffusion imaging and multiparametric mapping to detect cortical anomalies in a group of subjects with a well‐defined genotype linked to language impairments, epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).