bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Three‐dimensional assessment of umbilical vein deviation angle for prediction of liver herniation in left‐sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Volpe N. , Mazzone E. , Muto B. , Suprani A. , Fanelli T. , Kaihura C. T. , Dall'Asta A. , Pedrazzi G. , Del Rossi C. , Silini E. M. , Magnani C. , Volpe P. , Ghi T. , Frusca T. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo introduce a new sonographic marker of intrathoracic liver herniation in fetuses with left‐sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).MethodsIn a consecutive series of fetuses with isolated CDH, an ultrasound volume of the fetal abdomen was acquired. On this volume, offline calculation of the angle formed by the midline of the abdomen (joining the center of the vertebral body to the abdominal insertion of the umbilical cord) and a second line joining the center of the vertebral body to the intra‐abdominal convexity of the umbilical vein was carried out to give the umbilical vein deviation angle (UVDA). The UVDA was measured in a group of normal fetuses selected as controls. At follow‐up, the presence of liver herniation was investigated in all cases of CDH. UVDA values were compared between the CDH group and controls, and between CDH ‘liver‐up’ vs ‘liver‐down’ cases. A receiver–operating characteristics (ROC) curve was constructed to identify a cut‐off value of the UVDA with the highest accuracy in predicting liver herniation in the CDH group.ResultsBetween 2009 and 2015, 22 cases of left‐sided CDH were included in the study group, of which nine cases had liver herniation. Eighty‐eight normal fetuses were recruited as controls. The UVDA was significantly higher in the cases vs controls (15.25 ± 7.91° vs 7.68 ± 1.55°; P < 0.0001). Moreover, the UVDA was significantly increased in CDH fetuses with liver‐up vs liver‐down (21.77 ± 8.79° vs 10.75 ± 2.10°; P < 0.0001). On ROC curve analysis the UVDA showed good prediction of liver herniation (area under the ROC curve, 0.94; P < 0.0001) with the best cut‐off of 15.2°, yielding a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100% (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsIn fetuses with CDH, umbilical vein bowing may be quantified by measuring the UVDA using three‐dimensional ultrasound. This sonographic marker seems to be an accurate predictor of liver herniation in left‐sided CDH. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Personal Disaster and Emergency Support Networks of Older Adults in a Rural Community: Changes After Participation in a Preparedness Program
Authors: Ashida Sato , Robinson Erin L. , Gay Jane , Slagel Lauren E. , Ramirez Marizen R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractObjectivePersonal disaster and emergency support networks of rural older adults are described before and after participation in a disaster preparedness intervention, PrepWise.MethodsAt baseline, a total of 194 disaster support network members were identified by 27 older adults in a rural Midwest community. After the intervention, these participants identified 232 support network members. Multilevel logistic regression models were constructed to identify characteristics of the network members and social interactions associated with support providers at baseline as well as newly added support sources after the PrepWise intervention.ResultsMember and interaction characteristics associated with being identified as emergency support sources at baseline were as follows: family, lived in close proximity, weekly or more frequent contact, and being someone whom participants shared concerns with, trusted, and exchanged emotional support with. After receiving PrepWise, participants on average identified 3 new sources of emergency support within their networks. Support sources added at follow-up tended to be nonfamily members and those participants trusted.ConclusionsEnhancements in personal emergency support networks occurred after the intervention. Understanding characteristics of the network members and social interactions may assist in identifying additional emergency support sources. Larger studies investigating the impacts of enhanced support networks on disaster-related behaviors and outcomes will be beneficial. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:110–119)
Effect of viscoelasticity on the soft-wall transition and turbulence in a microchannel
Authors: Srinivas S. S. , Kumaran V. 
Published: January 2017

The modification of soft-wall turbulence in a microchannel due to small amounts of polymer dissolved in water is experimentally studied. The microchannels are of rectangular cross-section with height ${\sim}$160 $\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$, width ${\sim}$1.5 mm and length ${\sim}$3 cm, with three walls made of hard polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gel, and one wall made of soft PDMS gel with an elasticity modulus of ${\sim}$18 kPa. Solutions of polyacrylamide of molecular weight $5\times 10^{6}$ and mass fraction up to 50 ppm, and of molecular weight $4\times 10^{4}$ and mass fraction up to 1500 ppm, are used in the experiments. In all cases, the solutions are in the dilute limit below the critical overlap concentration, and the solution viscosity does not exceed that of water by more than 10 %. Two distinct types of flow modifications are observed below and above a threshold mass fraction for the polymer, $w_{t}$, which is ${\sim}$1 ppm and 500 ppm for the solutions of polyacrylamide with molecular weights $5\times 10^{6}$ and $4\times 10^{4}$, respectively. At or below $w_{t}$, there is no change in the transition Reynolds number, but there is significant turbulence attenuation, by up to a factor of 2 in the root-mean-square velocities and a factor of 4 in the Reynolds stress. When the polymer concentration increases beyond $w_{t}$, there is a decrease in the transition Reynolds number and in the intensity of the turbulent fluctuations. The lowest transition Reynolds number is ${\sim}$35 for the solution of polyacrylamide with molecular weight $5\times 10^{6}$ and mass fraction 50 ppm (in contrast to 260–290 for pure water). The fluctuating velocities in the streamwise and cross-stream directions are lower by a factor of 5, and the Reynolds stress is lower by a factor of 10, in comparison to pure water.
A Compact Low-Cost Camera Module with Modified Magnetic Restoring Force
Authors: Liu C. S. , Tsai B. J. , Chang Y. H. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIn recent years, compact camera modules (CCMs) have been widely used in consumer electrical and electronic products. CCMs with low cost specially are necessary for portable devices. Therefore, the present group recently developed a miniaturized open-loop controlled camera module with low cost for cellphone applications, in which the Lorentz force is balanced by a magnetic restoring force. To enhance the performance of the camera module, this article reports a pattern structure to modify the linearity of the magnetic restoring force. We fabricated a CCM prototype with the dimensions of 8.5 mm × 8.5 mm × 5 mm and demonstrated the usefulness of the pattern structure with the CCM prototype. Its potential applications are foreseeable in portable devices, such as cellphones, web cameras, personal digital assistants and other commercial electronics.
The long-term effect of climate change on productivity of winter wheat in Denmark: a scenario analysis using three crop models
Authors: OZTURK I. , SHARIF B. , BABY S. , JABLOUN M. , OLESEN J. E. 
Published: January 2017

SUMMARYThe response of grain yield, grain nitrogen (N), phenological development and evapotranspiration of winter wheat to climate change was analysed over an 80-year period based on climate change predictions of four regional circulation models (RCMs) under the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) A1B emission scenario for the 21st century using three process-based models; A 20-year set (1991–2010) of observed daily climate data from Aarslev, Denmark was used to form the baseline, from which the RCM data were generated. The simulation of crop growth was performed with increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and under continuous mono-cropping system at different N input rates. Results indicated that grain yield and grain N will be reduced in the future despite increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. While the increased N input may increase yield, it will not increase grain N. The present study suggested that in Denmark, alternative strategies for organic N acquisition of plants must be developed. Statistical analyses showed that while the crop models were the main source of uncertainty in estimating crop performance indicators in response to climate change, the choice of RCM was the main source of uncertainty in relation to baseline estimations.
The prevalence of Aphanomyces astaci in invasive signal crayfish from the UK and implications for native crayfish conservation
Authors: JAMES J. , NUTBEAM-TUFFS S. , CABLE J. , MRUGAŁA A. , VIÑUELA-RODRIGUEZ N. , PETRUSEK A. , OIDTMANN B. 
Published: January 2017

SUMMARYThe crayfish plague agent, Aphanomyces astaci, has spread throughout Europe, causing a significant decline in native European crayfish. The introduction and dissemination of this pathogen is attributed to the spread of invasive North American crayfish, which can act as carriers for A. astaci. As native European crayfish often succumb to infection with A. astaci, determining the prevalence of this pathogen in non-native crayfish is vital to prioritize native crayfish populations for managed translocation. In the current study, 23 populations of invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) from the UK were tested for A. astaci presence using quantitative PCR. Altogether, 13 out of 23 (56·5%) populations were found to be infected, and pathogen prevalence within infected sites varied from 3 to 80%. Microsatellite pathogen genotyping revealed that at least one UK signal crayfish population was infected with the A. astaci genotype group B, known to include virulent strains. Based on recent crayfish distribution records and the average rate of signal crayfish population dispersal, we identified one native white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) population predicted to come into contact with infected signal crayfish within 5 years. This population should be considered as a priority for translocation.
Abnormalities in the effective connectivity of visuothalamic circuitry in schizophrenia
Authors: Iwabuchi S. J. , Palaniyappan L. 
Published: January 2017

BackgroundSensory-processing deficits appear crucial to the clinical expression of symptoms of schizophrenia. The visual cortex displays both dysconnectivity and aberrant spontaneous activity in patients with persistent symptoms and cognitive deficits. In this paper, we examine visual cortex in the context of the remerging notion of thalamic dysfunction in schizophrenia. We examined specific regional and longer-range abnormalities in sensory and thalamic circuits in schizophrenia, and whether these patterns are strong enough to discriminate symptomatic patients from controls.MethodUsing publicly available resting fMRI data of 71 controls and 62 schizophrenia patients, we derived conjunction maps of regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) to inform further seed-based Granger causality analysis (GCA) to study effective connectivity patterns. ReHo, fALFF and GCA maps were entered into a multiple kernel learning classifier, to determine whether patterns of local and effective connectivity can differentiate controls from patients.ResultsVisual cortex shows both ReHo and fALFF reductions in patients. Visuothalamic effective connectivity in patients was significantly reduced. Local connectivity (ReHo) patterns discriminated patients from controls with the highest level of accuracy of 80.32%.ConclusionsBoth the inflow and outflow of Granger causal information between visual cortex and thalamus is affected in schizophrenia; this occurs in conjunction with highly discriminatory but localized dysconnectivity and reduced neural activity within the visual cortex. This may explain the visual-processing deficits that are present despite symptomatic remission in schizophrenia.
Multi-cameras visual servoing for dual-arm coordinated manipulation
Authors: Qu Jiadi , Zhang Fuhai , Fu Yili , Guo Shuxiang 
Published: January 2017

SUMMARYAlthough image-based visual servoing (IBVS) provides good performance in many dual-arm manipulation applications, it reveals some fatal limitations when dealing with a large position and orientation uncertainty. The object features may leave the camera's field of view, and the dual-arm robot may not converge to their goal configurations. In this paper, a novel vision-based control strategy is presented to resolve these limitations. A visual path planning method for dual-arm end-effector features is proposed to regulate the large initial poses to the pre-alignment poses. Then, the visual constraints between the position and orientation of two objects are established, and the sequenced subtasks are performed to attain the pose alignment of two objects by using a multi-tasks IBVS method. The proposed strategy has been implemented on a MOTOMAN robot to perform the alignment tasks of plug–socket and cup–lid, and results indicate that the plug and socket with the large initial pose errors 145.4 mm, 43.8○ (the average errors of three axes) are successfully aligned with the allowed pose alignment errors 3.1 mm, 1.1○, and the cup and lid with the large initial pose errors 131.7 mm, 20.4○ are aligned with the allowed pose alignment errors −2.7 mm, −0.8○.
NeQuick2 and IRI2012 models applied to mid and high latitudes, and the Antarctic ionosphere
Authors: Pietrella M. , Nava B. , Pezzopane M. , Migoya Orue Y. , Ippolito A. , Scotto C. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWithin the framework of the AUSPICIO (AUtomatic Scaling of Polar Ionograms and Co-operative Ionospheric Observations) project, a limited sample of ionograms recorded mostly in 2001 and 2009, and to a lesser extent in 2006–07 and 2012–15, at the ionospheric observatories of Hobart and Macquarie Island (mid-latitude), Comandante Ferraz and Livingstone Island (high latitude), and Casey, Mawson, Davis and Scott Base (inside the Antarctic Polar Circle (APC)) were considered to study the capability of the NeQuick2 and IRI2012 models for predicting the behaviour of the ionosphere at mid- and high latitudes and over the Antarctic area. The applicability of NeQuick2 and IRI2012 was evaluated as i) climatological models taking as input the F10.7 solar activity index and ii) assimilative models ingesting the foF2 and hmF2 measurements obtained from the electron density profiles provided by the Adaptive Ionospheric Profiler (AIP). The statistical analysis results reveal that the best description of the ionosphere’s electron density is achieved when the AIP measurements are ingested into the NeQuick2 and IRI2012 models. Moreover, NeQuick2 performance is far better than IRI2012 performance outside the APC. Conversely, the IRI2012 model performs better than the NeQuick2 model inside the APC.
‘Slow to change’: Farmers’ perceptions of place-based barriers to sustainable agriculture
Authors: Grover Samantha , Gruver Joshua 
Published: January 2017

AbstractSmallholder farmers are an important and growing segment of the farm population in Indiana and in the USA. Past research regarding farmer decision-making has been inconsistent and has largely focused on the larger-scale, conventional farmer, leaving smallholders poorly understood. There is a need to better understand the management decisions of smallholder farmers within their regional context to promote efforts toward environmental, social and economic sustainability. Through in-depth qualitative inquiry, this study investigated the impact of regional factors that influence farmers’ decisions and the barriers and opportunities most relevant to farm viability and sustainability in the context of East Central Indiana (ECI). Semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants and 33 farmers informed our understanding of the factors most relevant to small-scale farming in the region. Several important themes emerged related to perceived barriers to sustainable farm management, including markets; structures and regulations; time and labor; environmental/ecological factors; and networking and access to educational support. The results of this study complement the findings of previous work that describe the complex framework farmers navigate when making decisions on the farm. Further, subtle regional factors emerged that significantly impact farmers’ decisions, emphasizing the importance of local context in crafting agricultural policies and outreach efforts. Implications and recommendations for ECI are discussed.
MiR-26 enhances chemosensitivity and promotes apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through inhibiting autophagy
Authors: Jin Fangfang , Wang Yanbo , Li Mingzhen , Zhu Yanan , Liang Hongwei , Wang Chen , Wang Feng , Zhang Chen-Yu , Zen Ke , Li Limin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) generally possesses a high resistance to chemotherapy. Given that autophagy is an important factor promoting tumor chemoresistance and HCC express low level of miR-26, we aim to investigate the functional role of miR-26 in autophagy-mediated chemoresistance of HCC. We found that chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (Dox) induced autophagy but decreased the level of miR-26a/b in HCC cells. Activating autophagy using rapamycin can directly downregulate the level of miR-26a/b in HCC cells. In turn, restoring the expression of miR-26a/b inhibited autophagy induced by Dox and promoted apoptosis in HCC cells. Further mechanistic study identified that miR-26a and miR-26b target ULK1, a critical initiator of autophagy, at post-transcriptional level. Results from 30 cases of patients with HCC also showed that tumor cellular levels of miR-26a and miR-26b are significantly downregulated as compared with the corresponding control tissues and negatively correlated with the protein level of ULK1 but are not correlated to the mRNA level of ULK1. Gain- and loss-of-function assay confirmed that miR-26a/b inhibited autophagic flux at the initial stage through targeting ULK1. Overexpression of miR-26a/b enhanced the sensitivity of HCC cells to Dox and promoted apoptosis via inhibiting autophagy in vitro. Using xenograft models in nude mice, we confirmed that miR-26a/b, via inhibiting autophagy, promoted apoptosis and sensitized hepatomas to Dox treatment in vivo. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that miR-26a/b can promote apoptosis and sensitize HCC to chemotherapy via suppressing the expression of autophagy initiator ULK1, and provide the reduction of miR-26a/b in HCC as a novel mechanism of tumor chemoresistance.
MiRNA182 regulates percentage of myeloid and erythroid cells in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Arya Deepak , Sachithanandan Sasikala P , Ross Cecil , Palakodeti Dasaradhi , Li Shang , Krishna Sudhir 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe deregulation of lineage control programs is often associated with the progression of haematological malignancies. The molecular regulators of lineage choices in the context of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance remain poorly understood in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). To find a potential molecular regulator contributing to lineage distribution and TKI resistance, we undertook an RNA-sequencing approach for identifying microRNAs (miRNAs). Following an unbiased screen, elevated miRNA182-5p levels were detected in Bcr-Abl-inhibited K562 cells (CML blast crisis cell line) and in a panel of CML patients. Earlier, miRNA182-5p upregulation was reported in several solid tumours and haematological malignancies. We undertook a strategy involving transient modulation and CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats)-mediated knockout of the MIR182 locus in CML cells. The lineage contribution was assessed by methylcellulose colony formation assay. The transient modulation of miRNA182-5p revealed a biased phenotype. Strikingly, Δ182 cells (homozygous deletion of MIR182 locus) produced a marked shift in lineage distribution. The phenotype was rescued by ectopic expression of miRNA182-5p in Δ182 cells. A bioinformatic analysis and Hes1 modulation data suggested that Hes1 could be a putative target of miRNA182-5p. A reciprocal relationship between miRNA182-5p and Hes1 was seen in the context of TK inhibition. In conclusion, we reveal a key role for miRNA182-5p in restricting the myeloid development of leukemic cells. We propose that the Δ182 cell line will be valuable in designing experiments for next-generation pharmacological interventions.
Cysteamine re-establishes the clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by macrophages bearing the cystic fibrosis-relevant F508del-CFTR mutation
Authors: Ferrari Eleonora , Monzani Romina , Villella Valeria R , Esposito Speranza , Saluzzo Francesca , Rossin Federica , D'Eletto Manuela , Tosco Antonella , De Gregorio Fabiola , Izzo Valentina , Maiuri Maria C , Kroemer Guido , Raia Valeria , Maiuri Luigi 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCystic fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal monogenic disease in Caucasians, is characterized by recurrent bacterial infections and colonization, mainly by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, resulting in unresolved airway inflammation. CF is caused by mutations in the gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, which functions as a chloride channel in epithelial cells, macrophages, and other cell types. Impaired bacterial handling by macrophages is a feature of CF airways, although it is still debated how defective CFTR impairs bacterial killing. Recent evidence indicates that a defective autophagy in CF macrophages leads to alterations of bacterial clearance upon infection. Here we use bone marrow-derived macrophages from transgenic mice to provide the genetic proof that defective CFTR compromises both uptake and clearance of internalized Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We demonstrate that the proteostasis regulator cysteamine, which rescues the function of the most common F508del-CFTR mutant and hence reduces lung inflammation in CF patients, can also repair the defects of CF macrophages, thus restoring both bacterial internalization and clearance through a process that involves upregulation of the pro-autophagic protein Beclin 1 and re-establishment of the autophagic pathway. Altogether these results indicate that cysteamine restores the function of several distinct cell types, including that of macrophages, which might contribute to its beneficial effects on CF.
Translational upregulation of Aurora-A by hnRNP Q1 contributes to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Lai Chien-Hsien , Huang Yu-Chuan , Lee Jenq-Chang , Tseng Joseph Ta-Chien , Chang Kung-Chao , Chen Yen-Ju , Ding Nai-Jhu , Huang Pao-Hsuan , Chang Wen-Chang , Lin Bo-Wen , Chen Ruo-Yu , Wang Yu-Chu , Lai Yi-Chien , Hung Liang-Yi 
Published: January 2017

AbstractBy using RNA-immunoprecipitation assay following next-generation sequencing, a group of cell cycle-related genes targeted by hnRNP Q1 were identified, including Aurora-A kinase. Overexpressed hnRNP Q1 can upregulate Aurora-A protein, but not alter the mRNA level, through enhancing the translational efficiency ofAurora-AmRNA, either in a cap-dependent or -independent manner, by interacting with the 5′-UTR ofAurora-AmRNA through its RNA-binding domains (RBDs) 2 and 3. By ribosomal profiling assay further confirmed the translational regulation ofAurora-AmRNA by hnRNP Q1. Overexpression of hnRNP Q1 promotes cell proliferation and tumor growth. HnRNP Q1/ΔRBD23-truncated mutant, which loses the binding ability and translational regulation ofAurora-AmRNA, has no effect on promoting tumor growth. The expression level of hnRNP Q1 is positively correlated with Aurora-A in colorectal cancer. Taken together, our data indicate that hnRNP Q1 is a noveltrans-acting factor that binds toAurora-AmRNA 5′-UTRs and regulates its translation, which increases cell proliferation and contributes to tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer.