bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Different types of endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Scisło Piotr , Grodecki Kajetan , Wilimski Radosław , Rymuza Bartosz , Kochman Janusz , Opolski Grzegorz , Huczek Zenon 
Published: April 2019

IntroductionInfective endocarditis (IE) may take different faces in patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).ObjectivesThe primary aim of this study was to describe echocardiographic and clinical characteristics of TAVI's patients suffered from IE.MethodsIn a single‐center, retrospective study we analyzed 311 consecutive patients treated with TAVI for severe aortic stenosis between 2010 and 2018.ResultsAccording to modified Duke criteria, we confirmed IE in 2.2% of the cohort, however PVE of TAVI's valve in 1.2% only; rest of the group suffered from CDRiE and IE of the mitral valve. In PVE's group vegetations were localized inside the frame with or without bioprosthesis moderate stenosis or regurgitation. Only 1 pts developed significant TAVI's bioprosthesis' paravalvular leak. We observed no native aortic anulus involvement. Mortality rate in the PVE‐TAVI's group was 75% regardless of the type of treatment.ConclusionsThe above findings show that IE following TAVI is a serious complication and various scenarios (also CDRiE and native valve IE) should be considered.
A test of the impact of mergers on bank competition
Authors: Cerasi Vittoria , Chizzolini Barbara , Ivaldi Marc 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe propose a new test to evaluate the impact of horizontal mergers on competition in the banking industry. The test is designed to be applied ex ante to potential mergers while being parsimonious in terms of data, as it only uses information on branches in local markets. The test is a counterfactual exercise based on a two‐stage model where banks compete in branching and interest rates and requires comparing the estimated degree of competition in the status quo, where branching networks by banks are those actually observed, with a counterfactual scenario, where the branching network of the new entity is the sum of the branches of the banks involved in the horizontal merger. The statistical difference between the two estimated measures of competition quantifies the impact of the merger. We apply our test to French and Italian mergers.
Remittances over the business cycle: Theory and evidence
Authors: De Supriyo , Islamaj Ergys , Kose M. Ayhan , Reza Yousefi S. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe examine the behaviour of remittances over the business cycle and their potential to act as a ‘stabilizer’ during periods of high business cycle volatility. Two main findings are reported. First, remittances are less volatile than other foreign currency flows and do not appear to systemically comove with business cycle fluctuations. Second, remittances are relatively stable even during episodes of sharp business cycle volatility, such as those associated with sudden stops and financial crises. We also provide an overview of the theoretical literature on the implications of different motives to remit for the cyclical behaviour of remittances.
Feedback inhibition derived from the posterior parietal cortex regulates the neural properties of the mouse visual cortex
Authors: Hishida Ryuichi , Horie Masao , Tsukano Hiroaki , Tohmi Manavu , Yoshitake Kohei , Meguro Reiko , Takebayashi Hirohide , Yanagawa Yuchio , Shibuki Katsuei 
Published: April 2019

AbstractFeedback regulation from the higher association areas is thought to control the primary sensory cortex, contribute to the cortical processing of sensory information, and work for higher cognitive functions such as multimodal integration and attentional control. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we show that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) persistently inhibits the activity of the primary visual cortex (V1) in mice. Activation of the PPC causes the suppression of visual responses in V1 and induces the short‐term depression, which is specific to visual stimuli. In contrast, pharmacological inactivation of the PPC or disconnection of cortical pathways from the PPC to V1 results in an effect of transient enhancement of visual responses in V1. Two‐photon calcium imaging demonstrated that the cortical disconnection caused V1 excitatory neurons an enhancement of visual responses and a reduction of orientation selectivity index (OSI). These results show that the PPC regulates the response properties of V1 excitatory neurons. Our findings reveal one of the functions of the PPC, which may contribute to higher brain functions in mice.
Evaluation of small organic acids present in fast pyrolysis bio‐oil from lignocellulose as feedstocks for bacterial bioconversion
Authors: Arnold Stefanie , Tews Tatjana , Kiefer Manuel , Henkel Marius , Hausmann Rudolf 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSmall organic acids derived from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass represent a significant proportion of microbially accessible carbon in bio‐oil. However, using bio‐oil for microbial cultivation is a highly challenging task due to its strong adverse effects on microbial growth as well as its complex composition. In this study, the main small organic acids present in bio‐oil as acetate, formate and propionate were evaluated with respect to their suitability as feedstocks for bacterial growth. For this purpose, the growth behavior of four biotechnological production hosts—Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus subtilis, and Corynebacterium glutamicum—was quantified and compared. The bacteria were cultivated on single acids and mixtures of acids in different concentrations and evaluated using common biotechnological efficiency parameters. In addition, cultivation experiments on pretreated fast pyrolysis‐derived bio‐oil fractions were performed with respect to the suitability of the bacterial strains to tolerate inhibitory substances. Results suggest that both P. putida and C. glutamicum metabolize acetate—the major small organic acid generated during fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass—as sole carbon source over a wide concentration range, are able to grow on mixtures of small organic acids present in bio‐oil and can, to a limited extent, tolerate the highly toxic inhibitory substances within bio‐oil. This work provides an important step in search of suitable bacterial strains for bioconversion of lignocellulosic‐based feedstocks and thus contributes to establishing efficient bioprocesses within a future bioeconomy.
Secretory carcinoma of the breast: clinicopathologic profile of 14 cases emphasising distant metastatic potential
Authors: Hoda Raza S , Brogi Edi , Pareja Fresia , Nanjangud Gouri , Murray Melissa P , Weigelt Britta , Reis‐Filho Jorge S , Wen Hannah Y 
Published: April 2019

AimsSecretory carcinoma of the breast (SCB) is a rare histological type of breast carcinoma with a generally indolent clinical behaviour. We aim to elucidate the clinical, pathological and molecular findings of SCB cases and identify characteristics associated with aggressive clinical courses.Methods and resultsFourteen patients with SCB were identified, including 12 women and two men, with a median age of 56 years (range = 8–81 years). Clinical data, histological diagnosis, molecular findings and follow‐up were reviewed. Eight patients presented with palpable masses and four patients with radiographic abnormalities. All cases were unilateral. Surgical procedures included excisional biopsies and ipsilateral mastectomies. In 10 cases, oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) results were obtained, with six cases positive for ER and three positive for PR. All cases lacked HER2 overexpression. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 10 cases, and two patients had axillary lymph node metastasis. Follow‐up ranged from 21 to 212 months (median = 70 months). Two patients developed distant metastasis of SCB. Molecular analysis of these aggressive tumours revealed amplification of the 16p13.3 locus, a TERT promotor mutation and loss of 9p21.3 locus. Review of the literature for SCB cases with distant metastasis was performed.ConclusionsAlthough SCBs are generally associated with a favourable prognosis, our study and review demonstrate that a subset of SCBs may develop distant metastases. Further studies are warranted to identify markers predictive of more aggressive clinical behaviour in this rare breast cancer subtype.
Community reorganization revealed by exploring shifts in the diet of an apex predator, the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, with stable isotopes and prey remains
Authors: Roemer Gary W. , Collins Paul W. 
Published: April 2019

Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos colonized the northern California Channel Islands, an archipelago located off the coast of southern California, USA, in the early 1990s, owing in part to the presence of Feral Pigs Sus scrofa. Eagles preyed on piglets and on the endemic Island Fox Urocyon littoralis, driving three endemic subspecies of the Island Fox (U. l. santacruzae, U. l. santarosae and U. l. littoralis) toward extirpation. Using stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) measured from feathers and blood of Golden Eagles and from meat and bone of their prey, along with the proportion of prey consumed estimated from nest excavations as informative priors, we show that shifts in Eagle isotopic signatures tracked community reorganization: when pigs and foxes were abundant, Eagles consumed them in higher proportions than other prey; when foxes became scarce owing to Eagle predation, Eagle diet shifted toward pigs, but also diversified to include Common Ravens Corvus corax and seabirds (Larus spp. and Phalacrocorax spp.); and finally, after pigs were eradicated and 35 Golden Eagles had been captured and removed from Santa Cruz Island, a lone remaining pair of Eagles reversed their diet to include more foxes. Our findings reveal that shifts in stable isotope signatures from tissues of an apex predator can be used as a general proxy to monitor changes in the prey community; however, if sample sizes are small, informative priors are both essential and overwhelmingly influential, and changes in abundance of preferred prey may mask or fail to reveal changes in less preferred prey. Given that apex predators are at the top of trophic hierarchies, that they are often important drivers of community structure and that they sample prey continuously from their community, isotopic signatures of their tissues may be useful for monitoring community change.
Stability and antioxidant activity of anthocyanins from purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. cultivar Eshu No. 8) subjected to simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion
Authors: Yang Zi‐wei , Tang Cui‐e , Zhang Jiu‐liang , Zhou Qing , Zhang Zi‐cheng 
Published: April 2019

SummaryThe study was aimed to investigate the stability and antioxidant activities of anthocyanins obtained from purple sweet potato via an in vitro digestion system. Three fractions of anthocyanin‐rich extracts were obtained via ODS packing column. Anthocyanins and copigment (primary phenolic acids) of fraction 2 were investigated during simulated an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Anthocyanins and copigment were recognised by UPLC‐LTQ‐MS/MS. Besides, anthocyanins were found effectively stable under the acidic gastric digestion conditions. However, the anthocyanins recovery was greatly decreased at around 10% after intestinal digestion. An association between the type, number of acylated group and stability to intestinal digestion was found. Di‐acylated anthocyanins possessed higher stability compared with mono‐acylated anthocyanins and the stability of acylated group in digestion process followed the order of p‐hydroxybenzoyl > feruloyl > caffeoyl. However, there was no much difference in copigment content which was found during digestion process. Moreover, the radical scavenging ability and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibition showed that the digestion products possessed good biological activities mainly due to its anthocyanin composition.
Mixed fermentation of jujube juice (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) with L. rhamnosus GG and L. plantarum‐1: effects on the quality and stability
Authors: Zhao Meng‐Ni , Zhang Fang , Zhang Lin , Liu Bing‐Jie , Meng Xiang‐Hong 
Published: April 2019

SummaryThis study was conducted aiming at improving the quality of jujube juice by mixed fermentation of lactobacilli. Selection of favourable lactobacilli and addition of nitrogen sources were explored as an efficient method to improve the viability of probiotic in jujube juice. After fermentation, the viability increased to 9.15 ± 0.10 Log CFU mL−1, while the content of lactic acid increased to 5.61 ± 0.03 mg mL−1. The total phenolic and total flavonoid content were 2663.03 ± 11.95 μg mL−1 and 163.95 ± 0.47 μg mL−1 respectively. Moreover, the stability of fermented jujube juice during refrigeration was investigated, which showed that the viability dropped to 8.84 ± 0.6 Log CFU mL−1 and the concentration of lactic acid slowly increased to 6.51 ± 0.04 mg mL−1; the ABTS value showed a 4.26% reduction and FRAP value did not significantly (P < 0.05) change during refrigerated storage. In addition to the existing knowledge, our data aid to the future applications of the jujube as a potential ingredient in novel probiotic foods formulation.
The Big Tuskers of Tsavo: highlighting the importance of the Big Tusker Project in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area
Authors: Moller R. , Cahill N. , Kimaile J. K. 
Published: April 2019

Tsavo Trust is an action‐orientated, field‐based, not‐for‐profit conservation organization headquartered in Tsavo, Kenya. In association with Kenya Wildlife Service and other partners, Tsavo Trust utilizes a unique strategy to work on direct wildlife‐conservation projects. Tsavo Trust also engages with specific local communities in the stewardship of conservancies, in order to encourage participation in conservation activities that benefit the marginalized people who live on the border of the formal Protected Area. Tsavo Trust recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation, using a combination of professional wildlife conservation activities, grass‐roots community engagement, valued partnerships and committed supporters to create a virtuous circle for the protection of Tsavo. The mission is to conserve the vast wilderness of the Tsavo Conservation Area, which encompasses Kenya's biggest Protected Area, and is home to Kenya's largest elephant population, including several iconic ‘Tuskers’, and numerous high‐value species. Tsavo Conservation Area is one of the few truly wild places with significant wildlife left in Africa. This national heritage is under threat and faces multiple challenges, including wildlife crime, climate change and habitat loss. At the time of writing, the Tsavo elephant population contains eight bull ‘Tuskers’ and five iconic cow ‘Tuskers’, as well as c. 26 younger bulls that may emerge as ‘Tuskers’ in the next 5 years. Tsavo Trust's work focuses on four core programmes: ‘Wildlife Conservation Program: Big Tusker Project’, ‘Community Conservancy Program’, ‘Animal Welfare Program’ and ‘Conservation Partnerships’. Through the Big Tusker Project, Tsavo Trust, in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service, provides extra protection for the last ‘Super Tuskers’ of Tsavo using aerial surveillance and mobile ground‐based units.
Forage legumes for future dry climates: Lower relative biomass losses of minor forage legumes compared to Trifolium repens under conditions of periodic drought stress
Authors: Komainda Martin , Küchenmeister Kai , Küchenmeister Frank , Breitsameter Laura , Wrage‐Mönnig Nicole , Kayser Manfred , Isselstein Johannes 
Published: April 2019

AbstractDairy livestock production systems rely on high‐quality forage legumes, which are widely present in grassland swards all over Europe. A future climatic scenario with higher average annual temperatures and lower precipitation is expected to affect grassland productivity in general and the productivity of the most important forage legume species Trifolium repens in particular. One way to cope with such constraints is the adoption of currently underutilized minor legume species with a higher tolerance towards drought stress. Therefore, the present study investigated legume species with lower moisture requirements than T. repens, these are Lotus corniculatus, Medicago falcata, Medicago lupulina and Onobrychis viciifolia in comparison with T. repens. Legumes were grown in containers as monocultures in a roofed open‐sided greenhouse under conditions of optimal water supply or periodic drought stress. Generally, drought stress decreased the biomass production, but species differed in their reaction. Particularly, M. lupulina and L. corniculatus had lower relative biomass losses (−26%) compared to T. repens (−43%, as averaged over drought stress periods). However, in overall biomass production T. repens still was at one level with M. lupulina and L. corniculatus under drought stress. This was related to high stomata control as indicated by the intrinsic water‐use efficiency. We conclude that there are promising future options of forage legumes as alternatives to T. repens.
Genetic and environmental influences on chickpea water‐use efficiency
Authors: Kaloki Peter , Trethowan Richard , Tan Daniel K. Y. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractChickpea is a major crop grown for its nutritional value, and it is used for both food and feed. However, terminal drought greatly reduces grain yield in many chickpea producing areas. The impacts of drought could be mitigated by adapting chickpea genotypes with higher water‐use efficiency (WUE). To assess genetic variation for WUE, contrasting genotypes were sown in two moisture regimes (well‐watered and water‐limited) and two tillage regimes (tillage and no‐tillage) in north‐western NSW across two consecutive seasons. The well‐watered and no till treatments were higher yielding than their respective rainfed and tillage treatments. Genotypes did not differ (p < 0.05) in their water use but differed significantly in their WUE, and a significant genotype‐by‐moisture treatment effect was observed. The heritability of WUE was higher under tillage (71.3% for tillage under rainfed conditions and 73.0% for tillage and irrigated conditions) than no‐till (43.3% for no till under rainfed conditions and 36.4% for no‐till and irrigated conditions), and no significant genotype‐by‐tillage interaction was observed.
An intervention including the national early warning score improves patient monitoring practice and reduces mortality: A cluster randomized controlled trial
Authors: Haegdorens Filip , Monsieurs Koenraad G. , De Meester Koen , Van Bogaert Peter 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAimsTo investigate the impact of the national early warning score on the frequency and the quality of vital sign registration and to study the association between protocol compliance and patient mortality.DesignWe conducted a post hoc data analysis of a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) in six hospitals.MethodsAll adult, non‐pregnant patients admitted to 24 wards were included. The intervention comprised an observation protocol using the national early warning score combined with a pragmatic medical response strategy. Data collection lasted from October 2013–May 2015. Patient comorbidity scores and vital signs were sampled every 4 months on each ward. All vital signs in the 24 hr before a serious adverse event were collected.ResultsPatients (N = 60,956) were included of which 32,722 in the intervention group. Comorbidity scores were sampled in 3,600 patients and vital signs in 2,951 patients. In 668 patients, vital signs were collected before a serious adverse event. The mean number of vital signs per observation increased significantly in the intervention group. The observation frequency increased in patients with a serious adverse event and decreased in patients without a serious adverse event. Protocol compliance was negatively associated with patient mortality adjusted for comorbidity and age.ConclusionOur intervention improved patient monitoring practice and reduced mortality.ImpactThe impact of early warning scores on patient monitoring practice and patient outcomes remains unclear. Our intervention improved the observation of patients and reduced patient mortality. These results could support hospitals in their decision to implement rapid response systems.Trial Registration: We have registered this study in the clinicaltrials.gov database (identifier: NCT01949025).
Challenging the Notion of the East‐West Memory Divide
Authors: Toth Mano 
Published: April 2019

AbstractRecent scholarly works on memory practices in Europe often appeal to the notion of the East‐West memory divide or, more dramatically, to the European memory wars which have been allegedly raging at least since the Eastern enlargement of 2004. These terms are supposed to stand for the heated debate between the East and the West, between the countries on the opposing sides of the former Iron Curtain, about what the appropriate memory for Europe should be. In this article, I challenge this simplistic division and I argue that it completely disregards the role of agency. In contrast, I conduct an agent‐centred empirical analysis and show that the social actors involved in the debate are far more diverse, the fault lines are far less clear and the sides of the debate are far more heterogeneous than the carelessly used notion of the East‐West memory divide would have us believe.
Stability of color, β‐carotene, and ascorbic acid in thermally pasteurized carrot puree to the storage temperature and gas barrier properties of selected packaging films
Authors: Sonar Chandrashekhar R. , Paccola Carolina S. , Al‐Ghamdi Saleh , Rasco Barbara , Tang Juming , Sablani Shyam S. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractQuality of pasteurized products can be affected by the combination of temperature abuse and gas barrier properties, especially oxygen transmission rate (OTR), of packaging films. Carrot puree was thermally pasteurized (90 °C, 14 min) and stored in three different types of pouches (OTR—0.99 ± 0.05 [F‐1], 29.8 ± 1.38 [F‐30], and 80.9 ± 2.15 [F‐81] cm3 m−2 day−1) at different temperatures (4, 8, and 13 °C). Weight loss, pH, instrumental color, β‐carotene, and ascorbic acid were evaluated over a 100‐day storage period. Results show that film OTR and temperature had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on food quality and nutritional attributes. High‐barrier film (F‐1) retained quality, while low‐barrier film (F‐81) increased losses during processing and storage for all parameters tested. High‐barrier film demonstrated stable color values (a* and b*) and significantly (p < 0.05) higher retention of β‐carotene during storage period. Ascorbic acid retention varied from 0 to 89%, depending upon packaging type. Based on ascorbic acid degradation kinetics, activation energy and Q10 values ranged from 20.3–72.3 kJ/mol and 1.36–2.96, respectively.Practical applicationsPasteurized food products have limited shelf life under refrigerated conditions. The shelf life of these products can be reduced by the combined effect of temperature abuse and gas barrier properties of packaging films. There is scarce information in the literature focusing on the shelf life studies of in‐pack thermally pasteurized products as a function of gas barrier properties. The selection criteria of films for pasteurized products are complex. Generally, higher the barrier properties needed higher is the cost of packaging. This study demonstrated the suitability of medium‐barrier films for in‐pack pasteurization; and combined effect of temperature abuse and gas barrier properties on the nutrient retention.