bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mangrove–diazotroph relationships at the root, tree and forest scales: diazotrophic communities create high soil nitrogenase activities in Rhizophora stylosa rhizospheres
Authors: Inoue Tomomi , Shimono Ayako , Akaji Yasuaki , Baba Shigeyuki , Takenaka Akio , Tuck Chan Hung 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackground and AimsThe tidal flats on which mangrove plants grow tend to have low soil nitrogen contents because nitrogen-containing litter is repeatedly washed offshore by ebb tides. Under such circumstances, it is unclear how mangrove plants acquire the nitrogen required to support their vigorous growth. In the present work, chemical and biological characteristics of diazotrophy around mangrove plant roots were surveyed under natural conditions to elucidate mangrove–diazotroph relationships.MethodsSoil nitrogenase activity of a representative mangrove plant, Rhizophora stylosa, which has a broad geographical distribution, was measured using the acetylene reduction assay at forest, tree and prop root scales. In addition, diazotrophic community composition was compared between rhizosphere and bulk soil based on sequencing of nifH genes.Key ResultsSoil nitrogenase activity was high near prop roots, and this pattern was enhanced as soil live root content increased. At the forest scale, we observed high soil nitrogenase activity (acetylene-reducing activity) inside the forest (the highest value was 90.9 µmol C2H2 min−1 cm−3, average 46.8 ± 18.2 µmol C2H2 min−1 cm−3). Rates decreased sharply from the forest to the tidal flat (range 1.2–22.2 µmol C2H2 min−1 cm−3, average 7.9 ± 4.5 µmol C2H2 min−1 cm−3). The nifH operational taxonomic unit composition differed significantly among forest and tree rhizospheres and the bulk soil (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsOur results suggest that the accumulation of diazotrophs around R. stylosa mangrove trees enhances the supply of biologically fixed nitrogen to the mangrove roots. This supply is especially important when the soil naturally contains little nitrogen. This nitrogen acquisition system may be a key process that explains the high productivity of mangrove ecosystems.
Cardiac perfusion, structure, and function in type 2 diabetes mellitus with and without diabetic complications
Authors: Sørensen Martin Heyn , Bojer Annemie Stege , Broadbent David Andrew , Plein Sven , Madsen Per Lav , Gæde Peter 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Aims
Coronary microvascular disease (CMD) is a known complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We examined the relationship between diabetic complications, left ventricular (LV) function and structure and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) as indicators of CMD in patients with T2DM and control subjects.

Methods and results
This was a cross-sectional study of 193 patients with T2DM and 25 controls subjects. Patients were grouped as uncomplicated diabetes (n = 71) and diabetes with complications (albuminuria, retinopathy, and autonomic neuropathy). LV structure, function, adenosine stress, and rest myocardial perfusion were evaluated by cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Echocardiography was used to evaluate diastolic function. Patients with uncomplicated T2DM did not have significantly different LV mass and E/e* but decreased MPR (3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 5.1 ± 1.5, P &lt; 0.05) compared with controls. T2DM patients with albuminuria and retinopathy had decreased MPR (albuminuria: 2.4 ± 0.9 and retinopathy 2.6 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 1.0, P &lt; 0.05 for both) compared with uncomplicated T2DM patients, along with significantly higher LV mass (149 ± 39 and 147 ± 40 vs. 126 ± 33 g, P &lt; 0.05) and E/e* (8.3 ± 2.8 and 8.1 ± 2.2 vs. 7.0 ± 2.5, P &lt; 0.05). When entered in a multiple regression model, reduced MPR was associated with increasing E/e* and albuminuria and retinopathy were associated with reduced MPR.

Conclusions
Patients with uncomplicated T2DM have reduced MPR compared with control subjects, despite equivalent LV mass and E/e*. T2DM patients with albuminuria or retinopathy have reduced MPR and increased LV mass and E/e* compared with patients with uncomplicated T2DM. E/e* and MPR are significantly associated after adjustment for age, hypertension, and LV mass, suggesting a link between CMD and cardiac diastolic function.

Clinical trial registration
https://www.clinicaltrials.org. Unique identifier: NCT02684331
Cardiogenic shock triggered by phaeochromocytoma crisis after an oral glucose tolerance test: a case report
Authors: Shahim Bahira , Faxén Ulrika Ljung , Stern Rebecka , Freyschuss Anna 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundPhaeochromocytomas are rare catecholamine-producing tumours which typically present with comparatively benign symptoms such as headache, palpitations, sweating, hypertension, and insulin resistance. In rare cases, severe cardiac manifestations have been reported. We describe a patient who developed severe hypoglycaemia after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), potentially triggering a phaeochromocytoma crisis and cardiogenic shock. To the best of our knowledge, only four other cases of hypoglycaemia after OGTT have been reported in patients with phaeochromocytoma, of which none developed a phaeochromocytoma crisis.Case summaryA 53-year-old woman with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and prediabetes presented to the Emergency Department with hypoxia, hyperglycaemia, lactic acidosis, severe left ventricular dysfunction, and pulmonary oedema followed by cardiogenic shock. Onset of symptoms was only few hours after an OGTT during which she had developed severe transient hypoglycaemia. Angiography was performed due to elevated troponin levels and showed a midventricular contraction pattern typical of takotsubo. This was subsequently confirmed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The patient’s condition improved during the first 36 h and she was discharged home on Day 7. A positive catecholamine test prompted readmission to the Endocrinology Unit, where computer tomography confirmed the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma. An adrenalectomy was performed, and the diagnosis was verified histopathologically.DiscussionThe possibility of a phaeochromocytoma must be considered as a potential triggering factor in patients presenting with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, in particular, when blood glucose levels fluctuate between severe hypo- and hyperglycaemia.
Lessepsian fish invasion in Mediterranean marine protected areas: a risk assessment under climate change scenarios
Authors: D’Amen M , Azzurro E 
Published: October 2019

AbstractMediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs), designed to achieve long-term nature conservation, are progressively conquered by invasive species of tropical origin, posing novel challenges for managers and policymakers of the 21st century. In this study, we assessed the vulnerability of 142 coastal Mediterranean MPAs to nine of the most invasive fishes under current and future climatic conditions. We predicted invasive species’ habitat suitability using an ensemble modelling approach, calibrating models on the entire distribution of the species. We categorized three risk levels for Mediterranean MPAs, based on the assumption that more suitable habitat conditions make protected areas more prone to invasion. Future projections forecasted an increase of suitable areas for all considered species in the Mediterranean basin. In the Levantine Sea, almost all MPAs are at high risk of invasion by the considered species both in the current and future scenarios. MPAs located in the other Mediterranean sectors have currently a low suitability for most invasive species, but their risk level will increase overall by 2050, especially in the South Adriatic Sea and off South Western Italy. By identifying spatial priorities in a global change context, we fill critical information gaps on the vulnerability of MPAs to the future expansion of warm-water invaders.
Improving the catalytic efficiency of thermostable Geobacillus stearothermophilus xylanase XT6 by single-amino acid substitution
Authors: Azouz Rasha A M , Hegazy Usama M , Said Mahmoud M , Bassuiny Roqaya I , Salem Ahmed M , Fahmy Afaf S 
Published: October 2019

AbstractDirected evolution using error-prone polymerase chain reaction was employed in the current study to enhance the catalytic efficiency of a thermostable Geobacillus stearothermophilus xylanase XT6 parent. High-throughput screening identified two variants with enhanced activity. Sequencing analysis revealed the presence of a single-amino acid substitution (P209L or V161L) in each variant. The maximum activity of mutant V161L and P209L was at 85°C and 70°C, respectively. Both mutants exhibited maximum activity at pH 7. The thermal and alkaline tolerance of mutant V161L only were markedly improved. The two mutants were more resistant to ethanol inhibition than the parent. Substrate specificity of the two mutants was shifted from beechwood xylan to birchwood xylan. The potential of the two mutants to hydrolyze rice straw and sugarcane bagasse increased. Both turnover number (kcat) and catalytic efficiency (kcat/kM) increased 12.2- and 5.7-folds for variant P209L and 13- and 6.5-folds for variant V161L, respectively, towards birchwood xylan. Based on the previously published crystal structure of extracellular G. stearothermophilus xylanase XT6, V161L and P209L mutation locate on βα-loops. Conformational changes of the respective loops could potentiate the loop swinging, product release and consequently result in enhancement of the catalytic performance.
Non-removal strategy for outliers in predictive models: The PAELLA algorithm case
Authors: Castejón-limas Manuel , Alaiz-Moreton Hector , Fernández-Robles Laura , Alfonso-Cendón Javier , Fernández-Llamas Camino , Sánchez-González lidia , Pérez Hilde 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
This paper reports the experience of using the PAELLA algorithm as a helper tool in robust regression instead of as originally intended for outlier identification and removal. This novel usage of the algorithm takes advantage of the occurrence vector calculated by the algorithm in order to strengthen the effect of the more reliable samples and lessen the impact of those that otherwise would be considered outliers. Following that aim, a series of experiments is conducted in order to learn how to better use the information contained in the occurrence vector. Using a contrively difficult artificial data set, a reference predictive model is fit using the whole raw dataset. The second experiment reports the results of fitting a similar predictive model but discarding the samples marked as outliers by PAELLA. The third experiment uses the occurrence vector provided by PAELLA in order to classify the observations in multiple bins and fit every possible model changing which bins are considered for fitting and which are discarded in that particular model. The fourth experiment introduces a sampling process before fitting in which the occurrence vector represents the likelihood of being considered in the training data set. The fifth experiment considers the sampling process as an internal step to be performed interleaved between the training epochs. The last experiment compares our approach using weighted neural networks to a state of the art method.
Patent retrieval architecture based on document retrieval. Sketching out the Spanish patent landscape
Authors: Gil-GonzÁlez Ana B , VÁzquez-Ingelmo Andrea , de la Prieta Fernando , de Luis-Reboredo Ana , GonzÁlez-Briones Alfonso 
Published: October 2019

AbstractA patent is a property granted to any new shape, configuration or arrangement of elements, of any device, tool, instrument, mechanism or other object or part thereof, that allows for a better or different operation, use or manufacture of the object that incorporates it or that provides it with some utility, advantage or technical effect that it did not have before. As a document, a patent really is a title that recognizes the right to exploit the patented invention exclusively, preventing others from making, selling or using it without the consent of the owner. The fact of making a patent is motivated by the fact of promoting creativity, hindering competition in the market as only one person holds the patent, thus protecting the initial investment and fighting against plagiarism. Patents are available to the public for dissemination and general knowledge. It is generally recognized in the specialized literature that patents can be used as an indicator to calculate the results generated by research and development activities, being a very useful indicator to measure various social, economic or technological aspects. For this reason, it is of relevant interest to have tools or systems that allow us to obtain the patents developed in a specific period of time and to carry out analyses of various economic and social factors. These analyses can serve to obtain a social perspective of society’s progress in the technological field, and this is why an analysis of patents is of our interest. This paper proposes a platform specifically designed to obtain knowledge about patents as an indicator of Spanish social, economic or technological aspects. For this purpose, the platform retrieves, analyses and visualizes functionalities that represent data on the landscape of patents obtained from the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) as a particular case of study.
Using the Spanish national identity card in social networks
Authors: Gayoso MartÍnez V , HernÁndez Encinas L , MartÍn MuÑoz A , DurÁn DÍaz R 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
The distinctive security features of the Spanish electronic national identity card, known as Documento Nacional de Identidad electrónico, allow us to propose the usage of this cryptographic smart card in an authentication framework that can be used during the registration and login phases of internet services where the validation of the user’s age and real identity are key elements, as it is the case for example of the so-called social networks. Using this mechanism with NFC-capable devices, the identity and age of the potential user can be determined, allowing or denying the access to the service based on that information.
MOBSTER – III. HD 62658: a magnetic Bp star in an eclipsing binary with a non-magnetic ‘identical twin’
Authors: Shultz M E , Johnston C , Labadie-Bartz J , Petit V , David-Uraz A , Kochukhov O , Wade G A , Pepper J , Stassun K G , Rodriguez J E , Lund M B , James D J 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACT
HD 62658 (B9p V) is a little-studied chemically peculiar star. Light curves obtained by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) show clear eclipses with a period of about 4.75 d, as well as out-of-eclipse brightness modulation with the same 4.75 d period, consistent with synchronized rotational modulation of surface chemical spots. High-resolution ESPaDOnS circular spectropolarimetry shows a clear Zeeman signature in the line profile of the primary; there is no indication of a magnetic field in the secondary. PHOEBE modelling of the light curve and radial velocities indicates that the two components have almost identical masses of about 3 M⊙. The primary’s longitudinal magnetic field 〈Bz〉 varies between about +100 and −250 G, suggesting a surface magnetic dipole strength Bd = 850 G. Bayesian analysis of the Stokes V profiles indicates Bd = 650 G for the primary and Bd &lt; 110 G for the secondary. The primary’s line profiles are highly variable, consistent with the hypothesis that the out-of-eclipse brightness modulation is a consequence of rotational modulation of that star’s chemical spots. We also detect a residual signal in the light curve after removal of the orbital and rotational modulations, which might be pulsational in origin; this could be consistent with the weak line profile variability of the secondary. This system represents an excellent opportunity to examine the consequences of magnetic fields for stellar structure via comparison of two stars that are essentially identical with the exception that one is magnetic. The existence of such a system furthermore suggests that purely environmental explanations for the origin of fossil magnetic fields are incomplete.
The Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS) I: tracing the kinematics of metal-poor stars in the Galactic bulge
Authors: Arentsen A , Starkenburg E , Martin N F , Hill V , Ibata R , Kunder A , Schultheis M , Venn K A , Zucker D B , Aguado D , Carlberg R , González Hernández J I , Lardo C , Longeard N , Malhan K , Navarro J F , Sánchez-Janssen R , Sestito F , Thomas G , Youakim K , Lewis G F , Simpson J D , Wan Z 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACT
Our Galaxy is known to contain a central boxy/peanut-shaped bulge, yet the importance of a classical, pressure-supported component within the central part of the Milky Way is still being debated. It should be most visible at low metallicity, a regime that has not yet been studied in detail. Using metallicity-sensitive narrow-band photometry, the Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS) has collected a large sample of metal-poor ($\rm {[Fe/H]}\, \lt -1.0$) stars in the inner Galaxy to address this open question. We use PIGS to trace the metal-poor inner Galaxy kinematics as function of metallicity for the first time. We find that the rotational signal decreases with decreasing [Fe/H] , until it becomes negligible for the most metal-poor stars. Additionally, the velocity dispersion increases with decreasing metallicity for $-3.0 \lt \rm {[Fe/H]}\, \lt -0.5$, with a gradient of −44 ± 4 km s−1 dex−1. These observations may signal a transition between Galactic components of different metallicities and kinematics, a different mapping on to the boxy/peanut-shaped bulge for former disc stars of different metallicities and/or the secular dynamical and gravitational influence of the bar on the pressure-supported component. Our results provide strong constraints on models that attempt to explain the properties of the inner Galaxy.
Semi-automated medulloblastoma segmentation and influence of molecular subgroup on segmentation quality
Authors: Dury Richard , Dineen Rob , Lourdusamy Anbarasu , Grundy Richard 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in children. Segmenting the tumour itself from the surrounding tissue on MRI scans has shown to be useful for neuro-surgical planning, by allowing a better understanding of the tumour margin with 3D visualisation. However, manual segmentation of medulloblastoma is time consuming, prone to bias and inter-observer discrepancies. Here we propose a semi-automatic patient based segmentation pipeline with little sensitivity to tumour location and minimal user input.
Using SPM12 “Segment” as a base, an additional tissue component describing the medulloblastoma is included in the algorithm. The user is required to define the centre of mass and a single surface point of the tumour, creating an approximate enclosing sphere. The calculated volume is confined to the cerebellum to minimise misclassification of other intracranial structures. This process typically takes 5 minutes from start to finish.
This method was applied to 97 T2-weighted scans of paediatric medulloblastoma (7 WNT, 6 SHH, 17 Gr3, 26 Gr4, 41 unknown subtype); resulting segmented volumes were compared to manual segmentations. An average Dice coefficient of 0.85±0.07 was found, with the Group 4 subtype demonstrating a significantly higher similarity with manual segmentation than other subgroups (0.88±0.04).
When visually assessing the 10 cases with the lowest Dice coefficients, it was found that the misclassification of oedema was the most common source of error. As this method is independent of image contrast, segmentation could be improved by applying it to images that are less sensitive to oedema, such as T1.
Supratentorial and Infratentorial Ependymomas in Adult Population - A 10-year single institution case series
Authors: Acharya Shami , Ishak Athanasius , Sekhon Priya , Pedro Lavrador Jose , Malik Asfand , Tan Ronald , Gullan Richard , Vergani Francesco , Bhangoo Ranj , Ashkan Keymours 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Objectives
Analyse clinical characteristics and treatment provided to an adult population diagnosed with intracranial ependymomas between 2009–2018.

Methods
Single centre retrospective cohort study. Variables reviewed: demographics, extent of resection, adjuvant oncological treatment and molecular genetics.

Results
17 patients were included (6 females, 11 males). Average age at presentation was 51.3 yrs (range 19-74yrs). 4 supratentorial (2 intraventricular, 1 temporal lobe and 1 frontal lobe) and 13 infratentorial lesions were identified.
In the supratentorial subgroup the following treatment was performed: GTR (1 patient), STR (1 patient) and Biopsy (2 patients); 2 patients underwent post-operative radiotherapy. 3 patients had a WHO grade 2 tumour (1 patient - insufficient tissue for grading). 3 recurrences were identified and 2 patients had re-debulking. 2 patients had postoperative hemiparesis, 1 patient died during treatment and 3 are currently being followed up.
In the infratentorial subgroup the following treatment was performed: GTR (5 patients), STR (7 patients) and biopsy (1 patient). 3 patients underwent post-operative radiotherapy. 1 patient was WHO grade 1, 11 patients were WHO grade 2 and 1 patient was WHO grade 3. 2 patients had tumour recurrences of which 1 was re-operated. 7 patients develop new post-operative deficits after surgery; 1 patient died and the rest are currently being followed up.

Conclusion
Even though this case series supports the good prognosis in terms of overall survival in adults with intracranial ependymomas, they represent a challenge to manage given the morbidity of optimal surgical resection and their poor response to adjuvant treatment.
The Benacerraf Problem as a Challenge for Ontic Structural Realism†
Authors: Beni Majid Davoody 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTBenacerraf has presented two problems for the philosophy of mathematics. These are the problem of identification and the problem of representation. This paper aims to reconstruct the latter problem and to unpack its undermining bearing on the version of Ontic Structural Realism that frames scientific representations in terms of abstract structures. I argue that the dichotomy between mathematical structures and physical ones cannot be used to address the Benacerraf problem but strengthens it. I conclude by arguing that versions of OSR that do not rely on mathematical frameworks for representational purposes need not be vulnerable to Benacerraf’s second problem.
Quantifying intralimb coordination of terrestrial ungulates with Fourier coefficient affine superimposition
Authors: Mielke Falk , Van Ginneken Chris , Aerts Peter 
Published: October 2019

AbstractMany phenomena related to motor behaviour in animals are spatially and temporally periodic, making them accessible for transformation to the frequency domain via Fourier Series. Although this has been applied previously, it had not been noticed that the characteristic arrangement of Fourier coefficients in their complex-valued representation resembles landmarks in geometric morphometrics. We define a superimposition procedure in the frequency domain, which removes affine differences (mean, amplitude, phase) to reveal and compare the shape of periodic kinematic measures. This procedure is conceptually linked to dynamic similarity, which can thereby be assessed on the level of individual limb elements. We demonstrate how to make intralimb coordination accessible for large-scale, quantitative analyses. By applying this to a dataset from terrestrial ungulates, dominant patterns in forelimb coordination during walking are identified. This analysis shows that typical strides of these animals differ mostly in how much the limbs are lifted in the presence or absence of obstructive substrate features. This is shown to be independent of morphological features. Besides revealing fundamental characteristics of ungulate locomotion, we argue that the suggested method is generally suitable for the large-scale quantitative assessment of coordination and dynamics in periodic locomotor phenomena.