bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long‐term oncological outcomes and toxicity in 597 men aged ≤60 years at time of low‐dose‐rate brachytherapy for localised prostate cancer
Authors: Langley Stephen E. M. , Soares Ricardo , Uribe Jennifer , Uribe‐Lewis Santiago , Money‐Kyrle Julian , Perna Carla , Khaksar Sara , Laing Robert 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesTo report oncological and functional outcomes of men treated with low‐dose‐rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy aged ≤60 years at time of treatment.Patients and MethodsOf 3262 patients treated with LDR brachytherapy at our centre up to June 2016, we retrospectively identified 597 patients aged ≤60 years at treatment with ≥3‐years post‐implantation follow‐up and four prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) measurements, of which one was at baseline. Overall survival (OS), prostate cancer‐specific survival (PCSS) and relapse free survival (RFS) were analysed together with prospectively collected physician‐reported adverse events and patient‐reported symptom scores.ResultsThe median (range) age was 57 (44‐60) years, follow‐up was 8.9 (1.5‐17.2) years, and PSA follow‐up 5.9 (0.8‐15) years. Low‐, intermediate‐ and high‐risk disease represented 53%, 37% and 10% of the patients, respectively. At 10 years after implantation OS and PCSS were 98% and 99% for low‐risk, 99% and 100% for intermediate‐risk, and 93% and 95% for high‐risk disease, respectively. At 10 years after implantation RFS, using the PSA level nadir plus 2 ng/mL definition, was 95%, 90% and 87% for low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk disease, respectively. Urinary stricture was the most common genitourinary adverse event occurring in 19 patients (3.2%). At 5 years after implantation erectile function was preserved in 75% of the patients who were potent before treatment.ConclusionLDR brachytherapy is an effective treatment with long‐term control of prostate cancer in men aged ≤60 years at time of treatment. It was associated with low rates of treatment‐related toxicity and can be considered a first‐line treatment for prostate cancer in this patient group.
High levels of gene flow among song dialect populations of the Puget Sound white‐crowned sparrow
Authors: Poesel Angelika , Fries Anthony C. , Miller Lisa , Gibbs H. Lisle , Soha Jill A. , Nelson Douglas A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractPopulations within a species can show geographic variation in behavioral traits that affect mating decisions or limit dispersal. This may lead to restricted gene flow, resulting in a correlation between behavioral variation and genetic differentiation. Populations of a songbird that differ in a learned behavioral trait, their song dialects, may also differ genetically. If song dialects function as mating barriers, evolutionary processes such as genetic drift should lead to divergence in allele frequencies among dialect populations. The Puget Sound white‐crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis) is an excellent study system with a well‐defined series of song dialects along the Pacific Northwest coast. A previous study found low genetic differentiation based on four microsatellite loci; however, available loci and analyses techniques have since dramatically improved and allow us to reassess gene flow in this species. We also add extra samples to fill in gaps and add a new level of analysis of geographic variation. Based on acoustic similarities, we group six song dialects into two geographically larger “northern” and “southern” song themes. One southern dialect is acoustically more similar to dialects in the north, which makes the genetic profile of birds singing this dialect particularly interesting. Traditional F‐statistics, analysis of molecular variance as well as Bayesian techniques confirmed the earlier result that geographic variation in song does not correlate with the neutral genetic structure of the sampled dialect populations. The song themes also did not differ genetically, and the origin of the extralimital northern‐theme dialect cannot be determined. We compare this result to findings in several other species and discuss how the timing of learning and dispersal allow vocalizations to vary independently of patterns of genetic divergence.
Content‐based image retrieval based on binary signatures cluster graph
Authors: Van Thanh The , Le Thanh Manh 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we approach a method of clustering binary signature of image in order to create a clustering graph structure for building the content‐based image retrieval. First, the paper presents the segmentation method based on low‐level visual features including colour and texture of image. On the basis of segmented image, the paper creates binary signature to describe location, colour, and shape of interest objects. In order to match similar images, the paper presents a similarity measure between the images based on binary signature. From that, the paper proposes the method of clustering binary signature to quickly query similar images. At the same time, the graph data structure is built using the partition cluster technique and the rules of binary signatures' distribution of images. On the basis of data structure, we propose a graph creation algorithm, a cluster splitting/merging algorithm, and a similarity image retrieval algorithm. To illustrate the proposed theory, we build an image retrieval application and assess the experimental results on the image datasets including COREL (1,000 images), CBIR images (1,344 images), WANG (10,800 images), MSRDI (15,720 images), and ImageCLEF (20,000 images).
Multi‐level strategies in universities: Coordination, contestation or creolisation?
Authors: Stensaker Bjørn , Fumasoli Tatiana 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn contemporary research‐intensive universities, strategies are not only found at the institutional level but also at various sub‐levels in the organisation. In principle, such multi‐level strategies are assumed to be a means for institutional coordination in the sense that more generic strategic objectives may give room for local adaptation within the broader strategic framing. Whether or not this actually is the case is another issue, and the current article analyses the links and relations between institutional and sub‐level strategies in a sample of public research universities. The findings suggest that—although introduced as integrating instruments—multi‐level strategies may actually increase the complexity within the university as different strategies provide different actors with leeway for opportunistic behaviour. This has implications for the coordination of the university's organisational sub‐units and for the existing governance structures.
The legislative requirements for measuring quality in transnational education: Understanding divergence while maintaining standards
Authors: Bentley Duncan , Henderson Fiona , Lim Choon Boey 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAustralian universities have been actively engaged in transnational education since the 1990s. The challenges of assuring quality have seen a changing regulatory framework increasingly designed to ensure equivalence of standards wherever a course of study is offered and however it is delivered. Transnational Higher Education has grown significantly and the issues that flow from operating across jurisdictions, cultures and contexts have been addressed primarily by institutions themselves in complying with regulation. This article identifies how the Australian quality agency TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) has revised its Standards Framework to support divergence appropriate to local culture and context, while assuring quality provision across the student life cycle. It concludes that the maturity of the quality agency may not yet reflect the provision of transnational education in practice. The article identifies a need for significant further research so that theory and practice can reflect opportunities to better serve students in a mature quality environment.
Population variability in species can be deduced from opportunistic citizen science records: a case study using British butterflies
Authors: Mason Suzanna C. , Hill Jane K. , Thomas Chris D. , Powney Gary D. , Fox Richard , Brereton Tom , Oliver Tom H. 
Published: July 2017

Abstract

Abundance data are the foundation for many ecological and conservation projects, but are only available for a few taxonomic groups. In contrast, distribution records (georeferenced presence records) are more widely available. Here we examine whether year‐to‐year changes in numbers of distribution records, collated over a large spatial scale, can provide a measure of species' population variability, and hence act as a metric of abundance changes.

We used 33 British butterfly species to test this possibility, using distribution and abundance data (transect counts) from 1976 to 2012.

Comparing across species, we found a strong correlation between mean year‐to‐year changes in total number of distribution records and mean year‐to‐year changes in abundance (N = 33 species; r2 = 0.66). This suggests that annual distribution data can be used to identify species with low versus high population variability.

For individual species, there was considerable variation in the strength of relationships between year‐to‐year changes in total number of distribution records and abundance. Between‐year changes in abundance can be identified from distribution records most accurately for species whose populations are most variable (i.e. have high annual variation in numbers of records).

We conclude that year‐to‐year changes in distribution records can indicate overall population variability within a taxon, and are a reasonable proxy for year‐to‐year changes in abundance for some types of species. This finding opens up more opportunities to inform ecological and conservation studies about population variability, based on the wealth of citizen science distribution records that are available for other taxa.
Slfn2 mutation‐induced loss of T‐cell quiescence leads to elevated de novo sterol synthesis
Authors: Omar Ibrahim , Rom Oren , Aviram Michael , Cohen‐Daniel Leonor , Gebre Abraham K. , Parks John S. , Berger Michael 
Published: July 2017

SummaryAcquisition of a ‘quiescence programme’ by naive T cells is important to provide a stress‐free environment and resistance to apoptosis while preserving their responsiveness to activating stimuli. Therefore, the survival and proper function of naive T cells depends on their ability to maintain quiescence. Recently we demonstrated that by preventing chronic unresolved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, Schlafen2 (Slfn2) maintains a stress‐free environment to conserve a pool of naive T cells ready to respond to a microbial invasion. These findings strongly suggest an intimate association between quiescence and stress signalling. However, the connection between ER stress conditions and loss of T‐cell quiescence is unknown. Here we demonstrate that homeostasis of cholesterol and lipids, is disrupted in T cells and monocytes from Slfn2‐mutant, elektra, mice with higher levels of lipid rafts and lipid droplets found in these cells. Moreover, elektra T cells had elevated levels of free cholesterol and cholesteryl ester due to increased de novo synthesis and higher levels of the enzyme HMG‐CoA reductase. As cholesterol plays an important role in the transition of T cells from resting to active state, and ER regulates cholesterol and lipid synthesis, we suggest that regulation of cholesterol levels through the prevention of ER stress is an essential component of the mechanism by which Slfn2 regulates quiescence.
Designing e‐commerce supply chains: a stochastic facility–location approach
Authors: Pagès‐Bernaus Adela , Ramalhinho Helena , Juan Angel A. , Calvet Laura 
Published: July 2017

Abstracte‐Commerce activity has been increasing during recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in the near future. e‐Commerce practices are subject to uncertainty conditions and high variability in customers’ demands. Considering these characteristics, we propose two facility–location models that represent alternative distribution policies in e‐commerce (one based on outsourcing and another based on in‐house distribution). These models take into account stochastic demands as well as more than one regular supplier per customer. Two methodologies are then introduced to solve these stochastic versions of the well‐known capacitated facility–location problem. The first is a two‐stage stochastic‐programming approach that uses an exact solver. However, we show that this approach is not appropriate for tackle large‐scale instances due to the computational effort required. Accordingly, we also introduce a “simheuristic” approach that is able to deal with large‐scale instances in short computing times. An extensive set of benchmark instances contribute to illustrate the efficiency of our approach, as well as its potential utility in modern e‐commerce practices.
Human‐mediated dispersals do not explain tortoise distribution on the Indian Ocean's islands
Authors: Le Minh , Raxworthy Christopher J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractOrigins of giant tortoises on the Indian Ocean's islands have been debated, and most recently attributed to human translocation (see Wilmé, Patrick, & Ganzhorn, 2017). To resolve the issue, we analyse all available molecular sequences from extinct and extant Indian Ocean's giant tortoises, along with major clades of the family Testudinidae using phylogenetic methods, Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood, and a relaxed time calibration approach. Our results most strongly support giant tortoises of the genus Cylindraspis evolving in situ in the Mascarene Islands since the early mid‐Miocence, and Aldabra tortoises diverging from a Madagascan lineage in the early Oligocene. The geologic time‐scale of these speciation events and the resulting island endemism for each lineage do not support human translocation, but rather demonstrate the impressive ability of giant tortoises to disperse long distances across oceans.
Research Review: Diffusion tensor imaging studies of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder: meta‐analyses and reflections on head motion
Authors: Aoki Yuta , Cortese Samuele , Castellanos Francisco Xavier 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundDiffusion tensor imaging studies have shown atypical fractional anisotropy (FA) in individuals with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), albeit with conflicting results. We performed meta‐analyses of whole‐brain voxel‐based analyses (WBVBA) and tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS) studies in ADHD, along with a qualitative review of TBSS studies addressing the issue of head motion, which may bias results.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature search (last search on April 1st, 2016) to identify studies comparing FA values between individuals with ADHD and typically developing (TD) participants. Signed differential mapping was used to compute effect sizes and integrate WBVBA and TBSS studies, respectively. TBSS datasets reporting no between‐group motion differences were identified.ResultsWe identified 14 WBVBA (ADHDn = 314, TDn = 278) and 13 TBSS datasets (ADHDn = 557, TDn = 568). WBVBA meta‐analysis showed both significantly lower and higher FA values in individuals with ADHD; TBSS meta‐analysis showed significantly lower FA in ADHD compared with TD in four clusters: two in the corpus callosum (isthmus and posterior midbody), one in right inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus, and one in left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. However, four of six datasets confirming no group‐differences in motion showed no significant between‐group FA differences.ConclusionsA growing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) literature (total N = 1,717) and a plethora of apparent findings suggest atypical interhemispheric connection in ADHD. However, FA results in ADHD should be considered with caution, since many studies did not examine potential group differences in head motion, and most of the studies reporting no difference in motion showed no significant results. Future studies should address head motion as a priority and assure that groups do not differ in head motion.
Influence of sprouting environment on the microbiota of sprouts
Authors: Landry Kyle S. , Sela David A. , McLandsborough Lynne 
Published: July 2017

AbstractSprouts are popular for health conscious and vegetarian consumers; however, this produce item has been associated with frequent foodborne outbreaks. To understand the influence of the sprouting environment on the microbiota colonizing the sprout, microbial populations of both sprouting seeds and sprouts were characterized using terminal fragment length polymorphism analysis. The dominant microbial populations on mung bean, alfalfa, and broccoli seeds over the course of germination were compared to the microbiota of commercially grown sprouts that were grown from seeds from the same distributer. Regardless of the initial population, similar organismal families were found on all final sprout varieties and was primarily composed of Pseudomonadaceae. Commercially germinated sprout varieties had lower abundances of Pseudomonadaceae for all three varieties, and housed more diverse microbial families, such as Bacillaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Phyllobacteriacae, and Lactobacillaceae.Practical applicationsObservations from this manuscript can be used to better understand the impact the sprouting environment has on the microbial population of the final sprout product. The microbiota of sprout varieties, as described in this manuscript, may help understand microbial spoilage factors of sprout products. By understanding the microbial populations of sprouts, the observed benefits of sprouting seeds/beans in previously used sprout water and the use of competitive exclusion techniques can progress forward.
Cerebral Pulsatility Index Is Elevated in Patients with Elevated Right Atrial Pressure
Authors: Lahiri Shouri , Schlick Konrad H. , Padrick Matthew M. , Rinsky Brenda , Gonzalez Nestor , Jones Heather , Mayer Stephan A. , Lyden Patrick D. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND AND PURPOSEExtracerebral venous congestion can precipitate intracranial hypertension due to obstruction of cerebral blood outflow. Conditions that increase right atrial pressure, such as hypervolemia, are thought to increase resistance to jugular venous outflow and contribute to cerebro‐venous congestion. Cerebral pulsatility index (CPI) is considered a surrogate marker of distal cerebrovascular resistance and is elevated with intracranial hypertension. Thus, we sought to test the hypothesis that elevated right atrial pressure is associated with increased CPI compared to normal right atrial pressure.METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed 61 consecutive patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. We calculated CPI from transcranial Doppler studies and correlated these with echocardiographic measures of right atrial pressure. CPIs were compared from patients with elevated and normal right atrial pressure.RESULTSThere was a significant difference between CPI obtained from all patients with elevated right atrial pressure compared to those with normal right atrial pressure (P < .0001). This finding was consistent in sensitivity analysis that compared right and left hemispheric CPI from patients with both elevated and normal right atrial pressure.CONCLUSIONPatients with elevated right atrial pressure had significantly higher CPI compared to patients with normal right atrial pressure. These findings suggest that cerebro‐venous congestion due to impaired jugular venous outflow may increase distal cerebrovascular resistance as measured by CPI. Since elevated CPI is associated with poor outcome in numerous neurological conditions, future studies are needed to elucidate the significance of these results in other populations.
Growth attenuation therapy for children with severe physical and cognitive disability: Practice and perspectives of New Zealand paediatricians
Authors: Wrigley Rebekah , Kerruish Nikki , Hofman Paul L , Jefferies Craig , Pollock Allison J , Wheeler Benjamin J 
Published: July 2017

AimThere are currently no clinical guidelines concerning the administration of growth attenuation therapy (GAT) for children (regardless of gender) with both severe physical and cognitive disability in New Zealand (NZ). This survey aimed to explore the attitudes of paediatricians towards GAT and the frequency of requests and initiation of GAT in NZ.MethodsAn online survey of paediatricians in NZ was undertaken. Questions covered both clinical experience with GAT and attitudes towards it.ResultsOverall, the response rate was 55% (173/317) with 162 complete responses; 25% of respondents (41/166) reported enquiries about GAT. Five had personally prescribed GAT; in total, six NZ children have undergone GAT. A total of 77% of respondents either believed GAT is appropriate or were neutral on the subject. The majority of responders (59%) believed ethical approval should be obtained as part of preparation for GAT.ConclusionsThis is the first study to investigate attitudes and practices of NZ paediatricians regarding GAT for severely disabled children. Results indicate a range of views but suggest that family requests for GAT do occur and that the majority of paediatricians are not opposed to GAT in the appropriate ethical and clinical context. The development of practice guidelines for GAT may lead to a more informed decision‐making process about GAT for families and paediatricians.
Neo‐ and Paleopolyploidy contribute to the species diversity of Asplenium—the most species‐rich genus of ferns
Authors: Schneider Harald , Liu Hong‐Mei , Chang Yan‐Fen , Ohlsen Daniel , Perrie Leon R. , Shepherd Lara , Kessler Michael , Karger Dirk N. , Hennequin Sabine , Marquardt Jeannine , Russell Stephen , Ansell Stephen , Lu Ngan Thi , Kamau Peris , Lóriga Josmaily , Regalado Ledis , Heinrichs Jochen , Ebihara Atsushi , Smith Alan R. , Gibby Mary 
Published: July 2017

AbstractPolyploidy is widely considered as a major process in the evolution of plants but the accumulation of polyploid species diversity is still controversial. Some recent studies proposed increased extinction risk in neopolyploids compared with their diploid ancestors. The high proportion of polyploid ferns is expected to be formed mainly by neopolyploids, whereas paleopolyploid species are predicted to be clustered in clades founded by whole genome duplications. Here, we test this prediction by exploring the evolution of polyploidy in the derived fern family Aspleniaceae. The family has a global distribution and shows the highest frequency of polyploid taxa among all ferns. To test the hypothesis, we obtained a comprehensive phylogeny using chloroplast DNA sequences of 883 specimens representing 292 species. All published chromosome counts were mapped onto this phylogenetic framework in order to explore the evolution of polyploids. We recovered evidence for several whole genome duplications in the history of Aspleniaceae. Phylogenetic relationships of polyploids exceeding the tetraploid level suggest that tetraploid Asplenium species may have replaced their diploid ancestors as the main evolutionary players in some clades of this family.