bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Marine antimicrobial peptide arenicin adopts a monomeric twisted β‐hairpin structure and forms low conductivity pores in zwitterionic lipid bilayers
Authors: Sychev Sergei V. , Sukhanov Stanislav V. , Panteleev Pavel V. , Shenkarev Zakhar O. , Ovchinnikova Tatiana V. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractArenicins are 21‐residue β‐hairpin antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) isolated from the marine lugworm Arenicola marina [Ovchinnikova et al., FEBS Lett. 2004;577:209–214]. The peptides have a high positive charge (+6) and display a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi. Arenicins adopt the monomeric highly twisted β‐hairpin in water or planar β‐structural dimers in anionic liposomes and detergent micelles. Until now, the interaction of cationic β‐structural AMPs with zwitterionic phospholipid bilayers mimicking eukaryotic membranes is not well understood. To study the structural basis of arenicins activity against eukaryotic cells, we investigated arenicin‐2 in the solvents of low polarity (ethanol, 4% dioxane) and in zwitterionic soybean PC and PC/PE liposomes by CD and FTIR spectroscopy. It was shown that arenicin‐2 adopted the twisted β‐hairpin structure in all the environments studied. Measurements of the Trp fluorescence and H→D exchange in soybean PC liposomes and boundary potential in the planar DPhPC bilayers confirmed the partitioning of the arenicin‐2 monomers into interfacial region of the zwitterionic membranes. The low‐conductivity (0.12 nS) arenicin‐2 pores were detected in the DPhPC bilayers. The lifetime of the open state (up to 260 ms) was significantly longer than lifetime of low‐conductivity (0.23 nS) pores previously described in partially anionic membranes (44 ms). The formation of narrow arenicin‐2 pores without disruption of the membrane was discussed in the light of the disordered toroidal pore model previously proposed for β‐structural AMPs [Jean − Francois et al. Biophys. J. 2008;95:5748 − 5756]. A novel non‐lytic mechanism of the arenicin‐2 action was proposed.
High Rate Capability and Enhanced Cyclability of Na3V2(PO4)2F3 Cathode by In Situ Coating of Carbon Nanofibers for Sodium‐Ion Battery Applications
Authors: Zhao Jing , Gao Yu , Liu Qiang , Meng Xing , Chen Nan , Wang Chunzhong , Du Fei , Chen Gang 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA facile chemical vapor deposition method is developed for the preparation of carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite Na3V2(PO4)2F3@C as cathodes for sodium‐ion batteries. In all materials under investigation, the optimized composite content, denoted as NVPF@C@CNF‐5, shows excellent sodium storage performance (86.3 % capacity retention over 5000 cycles at 20 C rate) and high rate capability (84.3 mA h g−1 at 50 C). The superior sodium storage performance benefits from the enhanced electrical conductivity of the working electrode after formation of a composite with CNF. Furthermore, the full cell using NVPF@C@CNF‐5 and hard carbon as the cathode and anode, respectively, demonstrates an impressive electrochemical performance, realizing an ultrahigh rate charge/discharge at a current rate of 30 C and long‐term stability over 1000 cycles. This approach is facile and effective, and could be extended to other materials for energy‐storage applications.
Pooled analysis of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for primary renal cell carcinoma: A report from the International Radiosurgery Oncology Consortium for Kidney (IROCK)
Authors: Siva Shankar , Louie Alexander V. , Warner Andrew , Muacevic Alexander , Gandhidasan Senthilkumar , Ponsky Lee , Ellis Rodney , Kaplan Irving , Mahadevan Anand , Chu William , Swaminath Anand , Onishi Hiroshi , Teh Bin , Correa Rohann J. , Lo Simon S. , Staehler Michael 
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUNDStereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is an emerging therapy for primary renal cell carcinoma. The authors assessed safety, efficacy, and survival in a multi‐institutional setting. Outcomes between single‐fraction and multifraction SABR were compared.METHODSIndividual patient data sets from 9 International Radiosurgery Oncology Consortium for Kidney institutions across Germany, Australia, the United States, Canada, and Japan were pooled. Toxicities were recorded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were stratified according to the number of radiotherapy fractions (single vs multiple). Survival outcomes were examined using Kaplan‐Meier estimates and Cox proportional‐hazards regression.RESULTSOf 223 patients, 118 received single‐fraction SABR, and 105 received multifraction SABR. The mean patient age was 72 years, and 69.5% of patients were men. There were 83 patients with grade 1 and 2 toxicity (35.6%) and 3 with grade 3 and 4 toxicities (1.3%). The rates of local control, cancer‐specific survival, and progression‐free survival were 97.8%, 95.7%, and 77.4%, respectively, at 2 years; and they were 97.8%, 91.9%, and 65.4%, respectively, at 4 years. On multivariable analysis, tumors with a larger maximum dimension and the receipt of multifraction SABR were associated with poorer progression‐free survival (hazard ratio, 1.16 [P < .01] and 1.13 [P = .02], respectively) and poorer cancer‐specific survival (hazard ratio, 1.28 [P < .01] and 1.33 [P = .01], respectively). There were no differences in local failure between the single‐fraction cohort (n = 1) and the multifraction cohort (n = 2; P = .60). The mean ( ± standard deviation) estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline was 59.9 ± 21.9 mL per minute, and it decreased by 5.5 ± 13.3 mL per minute (P < .01).CONCLUSIONSSABR is well tolerated and locally effective for treating patients who have primary renal cell carcinoma and has an acceptable impact on renal function. An interesting observation is that patients who receive single‐fraction SABR appear to be less likely to progress distantly or to die of cancer. Cancer 2018;124:934‐42. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Prediction for sustained deep molecular response of BCR‐ABL1 levels in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase
Authors: Sasaki Koji , Kantarjian Hagop , O'Brien Susan , Ravandi Farhad , Konopleva Marina , Borthakur Gautam , Garcia‐Manero Guillermo , Wierda William , Daver Naval , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Takahashi Koichi , Jain Preetesh , Rios Mary Beth , Pierce Sherry , Jabbour Elias , Cortes Jorge E. 
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUNDThe achievement of a sustained deep molecular response is a goal of increasing relevance because it opens the possibility of treatment discontinuation. The objective of this analysis was to develop a prediction model for a sustained molecular response with BCR‐ABL1 level <0.0032% on the international scale (MR4.5) for at least 2 years according to BCR‐ABL1 levels achieved within the first 12 months of therapy.METHODSData for 603 patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase in consecutive prospective clinical trials were analyzed. The best fit average molecular response was defined by robust linear regression models, with which the average molecular levels were defined. The minimum acceptable molecular response was defined by quantile regression for the 95th percentile, with which the worst 5% BCR‐ABL1 levels were identified.RESULTSIn 603 patients with a median follow‐up of 103 months, 2002 BCR‐ABL1–level data points within 1 year of tyrosine kinase inhibitors were identified. The regression equation for the best fit average levels for a sustained MR4.5 was Log10(PCR) = −0.1424 × (Months) – 0.8668, and the regression equation for minimum acceptable levels was Log10(PCR) = −0.1403 × (Months) + 0.6142 (where PCR indicates polymerase chain reaction). To achieve a sustained MR4.5, the best fit average levels were 0.051%, 0.019%, 0.007%, and 0.003% at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively; the minimum acceptable levels were 1.561%, 0.592%, 0.225%, and 0.085% at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively.CONCLUSIONSThis model proposes optimal values that predict the highest probability of reaching such a goal. These values can be used to guide therapy when a sustained MR4.5 is the objective. Cancer 2018;124:1160‐8. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Prometheus: A flexible toolkit for the experimentation with virtualized infrastructures
Authors: Anglano Cosimo , Canonico Massimo , Guazzone Marco 
Published: December 2017

SummaryA typical problem that arises when devising a novel resource management strategy for virtualized infrastructures is how to experimentally assess its ability of achieving its design goals and whether it advances the state of the art. Among the available options, the use of a physical testbed is usually considered to be the most appropriate because of its high degree of accuracy. Unfortunately, however, physical testbeds are characterized by a limited controllability of the experimental conditions. Moreover, their implementation is usually a complex and time‐consuming task that requires the integration of many software components that need to interact among them in non‐trivial ways.In this paper, we address the aforementioned issues by proposing Prometheus, a toolkit specifically designed to support the configuration, deployment, and use of physical testbeds suitable to perform experimental studies of resource management strategies and that provides a high degree of controllability and low implementation costs. We discuss the design, implementation, and use of Prometheus, and we show how it can be used in practice to configure and deploy a physical testbed by providing various examples of experimental activities that can be carried out by means of it.
Stable Lithium Storage in Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon‐Coated Ferric Oxide Yolk–Shell Nanospindles with Preserved Hollow Space
Authors: Zhang Bao‐Lin , Xin Sen , Qin Haili , Cong Huai‐Ping , Yu Shu‐Hong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIron oxide (Fe2O3) is a promising anode material for next‐generation high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries owing to its high theoretical specific capacity, but it suffers from unstable electrochemistry, as represented by a significant volume variation upon (de)lithiation and unstable solid–electrolyte interface. To target these issues, a double‐coating synthetic route has been developed to prepare a yolk–shell‐structured γ‐Fe2O3/nitrogen‐doped carbon composite, in which spindle‐like γ‐Fe2O3 cores are encapsulated in the highly conductive carbon shell. Through precisely controlling the void space between the γ‐Fe2O3 core and the carbon shell, volume variation in γ‐Fe2O3 during (de)lithiation is well accommodated, while the composite maintains an intact and relatively dense structure, which stabilizes the solid–electrolyte interface and is beneficial for improving the practical energy density of the material. With a stabilized (de)lithiation electrochemistry and a synergistic storage effect between the two active components, the composite enables excellent lithium storage performance, in terms of reversible capacity, cycling ability, and rate capability.
Moose selecting for specific nutritional composition of birch places limits on food acceptability
Authors: Wam Hilde K. , Felton Annika M. , Stolter Caroline , Nybakken Line , Hjeljord Olav 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDespite decades of intense research, it remains largely unsolved which nutritional factors underpin food selection by large herbivores in the wild. We measured nutritional composition of birch foliage (Betula pubescens) available to, and used by, moose (Alces alces) in natural settings in two neighboring regions with contrasting animal body mass. This readily available food source is a staple food item in the diet of moose in the high‐fitness region, but apparently underutilized by moose in the low‐fitness region. Available birch foliage in the two regions had similar concentrations of macronutrients (crude protein [CP], fiber fractions, and water‐soluble carbohydrates [WSC]), although a notably lower variation of WSC in the low‐fitness region. For minerals, there were several area differences: available birch foliage in the low‐fitness region had less Mg (depending on year) and P, but more Ca, Zn, Cu, and Mn. It also had higher concentrations of some plant secondary metabolites: chlorogenic acids, quercetins, and especially MeOH‐soluble condensed tannins. Despite the area differences in available foliage, we found the same nutritional composition of birch foliage used in the two regions. Compared to available birch foliage, moose consistently used birch foliage with more CP, more structural fiber (mainly hemicellulose), less WSC, higher concentrations of several minerals (Ca, Zn, K, Mn, Cu), and lower concentrations of some secondary metabolites (most importantly, MeOH‐soluble condensed tannins). Our study conceptually supports the nutrient‐balancing hypothesis for a large herbivore: within a given temporal frame, moose select for plant material that matches a specific nutritional composition. As our data illustrate, different moose populations may select for the same composition even when the nutritional composition available in a given food source varies between their living areas. Such fastidiousness limits the proportion of available food that is acceptable to the animal and has bearings on our understanding and application of the concept of carrying capacity.
Simulations inform design of regional occupancy‐based monitoring for a sparsely distributed, territorial species
Authors: Latif Quresh S. , Ellis Martha M. , Saab Victoria A. , Mellen‐McLean Kim 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSparsely distributed species attract conservation concern, but insufficient information on population trends challenges conservation and funding prioritization. Occupancy‐based monitoring is attractive for these species, but appropriate sampling design and inference depend on particulars of the study system. We employed spatially explicit simulations to identify minimum levels of sampling effort for a regional occupancy monitoring study design, using white‐headed woodpeckers (Picoides albolvartus), a sparsely distributed, territorial species threatened by habitat decline and degradation, as a case study. We compared the original design with commonly proposed alternatives with varying targets of inference (i.e., species range, space use, or abundance) and spatial extent of sampling. Sampling effort needed to achieve adequate power to observe a long‐term population trend (≥80% chance to observe a 2% yearly decline over 20 years) with the previously used study design consisted of annually monitoring ≥120 transects using a single‐survey approach or ≥90 transects surveyed twice per year using a repeat‐survey approach. Designs that shifted inference toward finer‐resolution trends in abundance and extended the spatial extent of sampling by shortening transects, employing a single‐survey approach to monitoring, and incorporating a panel design (33% of units surveyed per year) improved power and reduced error in estimating abundance trends. In contrast, efforts to monitor coarse‐scale trends in species range or space use with repeat surveys provided extremely limited statistical power. Synthesis and applications. Sampling resolutions that approximate home range size, spatially extensive sampling, and designs that target inference of abundance trends rather than range dynamics are probably best suited and most feasible for broad‐scale occupancy‐based monitoring of sparsely distributed territorial animal species.
Plant community and soil conditions individually affect soil microbial community assembly in experimental mesocosms
Authors: Reese Aspen T. , Lulow Kyrstin , David Lawrence A. , Wright Justin P. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSoils harbor large, diverse microbial communities critical for local and global ecosystem functioning that are controlled by multiple and poorly understood processes. In particular, while there is observational evidence of relationships between both biotic and abiotic conditions and microbial composition and diversity, there have been few experimental tests to determine the relative importance of these two sets of factors at local scales. Here, we report the results of a fully factorial experiment manipulating soil conditions and plant cover on old‐field mesocosms across a latitudinal gradient. The largest contributor to beta diversity was site‐to‐site variation, but, having corrected for that, we observed significant effects of both plant and soil treatments on microbial composition. Separate phyla were associated with each treatment type, and no interactions between soil and plant treatment were observed. Individual soil characteristics and biotic parameters were also associated with overall beta‐diversity patterns and phyla abundance. In contrast, soil microbial diversity was only associated with site and not experimental treatment. Overall, plant community treatment explained more variation than soil treatment, a result not previously appreciated because it is difficult to dissociate plant community composition and soil conditions in observational studies across gradients. This work highlights the need for more nuanced, multifactorial experiments in microbial ecology and in particular indicates a greater focus on relationships between plant composition and microbial composition during community assembly.
Comparing the effects of even‐ and uneven‐aged silviculture on ecological diversity and processes: A review
Authors: Nolet Philippe , Kneeshaw Daniel , Messier Christian , Béland Martin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWith an increasing pressure on forested landscapes, conservation areas may fail to maintain biodiversity if they are not supported by the surrounding managed forest matrix. Worldwide, forests are managed by one of two broad approaches—even‐ and uneven‐aged silviculture. In recent decades, there has been rising public pressure against the systematic use of even‐aged silviculture (especially clear‐cutting) because of its perceived negative esthetic and ecological impacts. This led to an increased interest for uneven‐aged silviculture. However, to date, there has been no worldwide ecological comparison of the two approaches, based on multiple indicators. Overall, for the 99 combinations of properties or processes verified (one study may have evaluated more than one property or process), we found nineteen (23) combinations that clearly showed uneven‐aged silviculture improved the evaluated metrics compared to even‐aged silviculture, eleven (16) combinations that showed the opposite, and 60 combinations that were equivocal. Furthermore, many studies were based on a limited study design without either a timescale (44 of the 76) or spatial (54 of the 76) scale consideration. Current views that uneven‐aged silviculture is better suited than even‐aged silviculture for maintaining ecological diversity and processes are not substantiated by our analyses. Our review, by studying a large range of indicators and many different taxonomic groups, also clearly demonstrates that no single approach can be relied on and that both approaches are needed to ensure a greater number of positive impacts. Moreover, the review clearly highlights the importance of maintaining protected areas as some taxonomic groups were found to be negatively affected no matter the management approach used. Finally, our review points to a lack of knowledge for determining the use of even‐ or uneven‐aged silviculture in terms of both their respective proportion in the landscape and their spatial agency.
Feather mite abundance varies but symbiotic nature of mite‐host relationship does not differ between two ecologically dissimilar warblers
Authors: Matthews Alix E. , Larkin Jeffery L. , Raybuck Douglas W. , Slevin Morgan C. , Stoleson Scott H. , Boves Than J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractFeather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions from the uropygial gland. Feather mite abundance varies within and among host species and has various effects on host condition and fitness, but there is little consensus on factors that drive variation of this symbiotic system. We tested hypotheses regarding how within‐species and among‐species traits explain variation in both (1) mite abundance and (2) relationships between mite abundance and host body condition and components of host fitness (reproductive performance and apparent annual survival). We focused on two closely related (Parulidae), but ecologically distinct, species: Setophaga cerulea (Cerulean Warbler), a canopy dwelling open‐cup nester, and Protonotaria citrea (Prothonotary Warbler), an understory dwelling, cavity nester. We predicted that feather mites would be more abundant on and have a more parasitic relationship with P. citrea, and within P. citrea, females and older individuals would harbor greater mite abundances. We captured, took body measurements, quantified feather mite abundance on individuals’ primaries and rectrices, and monitored individuals and their nests to estimate fitness. Feather mite abundance differed by species, but in the opposite direction of our prediction. There was no relationship between mite abundance and any measure of body condition or fitness for either species or sex (also contrary to our predictions). Our results suggest that species biology and ecological context may influence mite abundance on hosts. However, this pattern does not extend to differential effects of mites on measures of host body condition or fitness.
Associations of Food Addiction in a Sample Recruited to Be Nationally Representative of the United States
Authors: Schulte Erica M. , Gearhardt Ashley N. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe current study investigated the prevalence of food addiction and its associations with obesity and demographic factors in a sample recruited to be more nationally representative of the United States than previous research. Individuals (n = 1050) were recruited through Qualtrics' qBus, which sets demographic quotas developed using the United States census reference population. Participants (n = 986) self‐reported food addiction, measured by the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, height, weight, age, gender, race and income. Food addiction was observed in 15% of participants, with greater prevalence in individuals who were younger, Hispanic and/or reported higher annual income. Food addiction prevalence was higher in persons who were underweight or obese, relative to normal weight or overweight. Food addiction was associated with higher body mass index in women and persons who were older, White and/or reported lower income. Identifying the scope of food addiction and individual risk groups may inform public policy initiatives and early intervention efforts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.