bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thromboelastography does not provide additional information to guide resuscitation in the severely injured
Authors: van Wessem Karlijn J. P. , Leenen Luke P. H. 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundHaemostasis assessment is essential to determine the early need for massive transfusion in the treatment of polytrauma. Strategies to guide correction of coagulopathy vary widely. In order to evaluate thromboelastography (TEG) for this goal, a prospective study was performed comparing TEG to conventional coagulation assays (CCAs) in severely injured patients.MethodsConsecutive polytrauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a level‐1 trauma centre were prospectively included over a 30‐month period. All patients had CCA on arrival in emergency department. Patients who needed massive transfusion and underwent urgent surgery had additionally a Kaolin‐activated TEG.ResultsOne hundred and thirty‐five patients were included, 76% male, median age 45 years, 96% blunt injuries and median injury severity score was 29. One hundred and fourteen patients had CCA only and 21 patients had both CCA and TEG. Patients who had both CCA and TEG were acidotic, hypothermic and coagulopathic on arrival in emergency department. All 21 patients had normal TEG results even though prothrombin time was prolonged.ConclusionsTEGs were normal in all polytrauma patients even though patients were severely injured. They had prolonged prothrombin time, acidosis and hypothermia both on arrival and when TEG was measured. Caution should be exercised in interpretation of TEG results in treating polytrauma patients. In our system, with aggressive early haemostatic resuscitation, TEG does not provide additional information in guiding resuscitation.
Polytope samplers for network tomography
Authors: Hazelton Martin L. , Bilton Timothy P. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNetwork tomography is concerned with reconstruction and estimation of properties of traffic flow that are linked to the observed data through an underdetermined linear system. The likelihood function for such problems can be expressed only as the sum over integer‐valued points in a convex polytope. Typically this set is too large to enumerate, so that statistical inference must proceed by sampling from the polytope. Recent progress has seen the development of polytope sampling algorithms that operate well when the network link‐path incidence matrix is totally unimodular. In this paper we examine whether this property is likely to hold in practical applications. We find that total unimodularity is assured for certain simple networks, but that it can fail in more complex cases. We show that when it does fail, the existing polytope samplers may not generate the requisite irreducible Markov chain. As a remedy, a modified algorithm is proposed in which the basis for the polytope adapts to ensure adequate mixing over the entire polytope. The operation of this algorithm is illustrated by a numerical example.
Confidence intervals for nonparametric quantile regression: an emphasis on smoothing splines approach
Authors: Lim Yaeji , Oh Hee‐Seok 
Published: December 2017

SummaryIn this paper we consider the problem of constructing confidence intervals for nonparametric quantile regression with an emphasis on smoothing splines. The mean‐based approaches for smoothing splines of Wahba (1983) and Nychka (1988) may not be efficient for constructing confidence intervals for the underlying function when the observed data are non‐Gaussian distributed, for instance if they are skewed or heavy‐tailed. This paper proposes a method of constructing confidence intervals for the unknownτth quantile function (0<τ<1) based on smoothing splines. In this paper we investigate the extent to which the proposed estimator provides the desired coverage probability. In addition, an improvement based on a local smoothing parameter that provides more uniform pointwise coverage is developed. The results from numerical studies including a simulation study and real data analysis demonstrate the promising empirical properties of the proposed approach.
Survey of equine castration techniques, preferences and outcomes among Australian veterinarians
Authors: Owens CD , Hughes KJ , Hilbert BJ , Heller J , Nielsen S , Trope GD 
Published: December 2017

Objectives(1) To collect the perceptions of veterinarians performing equine castrations in Australia on techniques, preferences and outcomes, (2) to investigate veterinarian use and experience with the Henderson castrating instrument and (3) to investigate potential associations between demographics, castration methods and techniques, and complications.DesignOnline survey of members of the Australian Veterinary Association’s Special Interest Group, Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA).MethodsA link to the survey was included in the EVA e‐newsletter and practices on the EVA website were contacted by telephone and follow‐up email. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine associations between ligation and complications. A generalised linear model with a negative binomial family was used to determine associations between count response variables and categorical independent variables.ResultsResponses were obtained from 138 veterinarians (response rate, 13.1%) who performed 5330 castrations over 12 months. Castrations were most commonly performed in the field, on anaesthetised horses, using emasculators, via an open approach and without ligation of the spermatic cord. Estimated complications after use of emasculators were swelling (25%), haemorrhage (5%) and infection (5%). The Henderson instrument was used by approximately 10% of respondents and its use for castration was associated with fewer reports of postoperative swelling compared with emasculators (P = 0.002). Rates of evisceration with the Henderson and emasculator methods were comparable (0.43% and 0.9%, respectively).ConclusionCastration preferences varied widely among survey participants. Reported complication types and rates were comparable to those reported previously in other countries. Perceptions that the Henderson instrument was associated with less swelling should be investigated further via a prospective controlled investigation.
Interactive Contributions of Attribution Biases and Emotional Intensity to Child–Friend Interaction Quality During Preadolescence
Authors: Chen Xi , McElwain Nancy L. , Lansford Jennifer E. 
Published: December 2017

Using data from a subsample of 913 study children and their friends who participated in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the interactive contributions of child‐reported attribution biases and teacher‐reported child emotional intensity (EI) at Grade 4 (M = 9.9 years) to observed child–friend interaction at Grade 6 (M = 11.9 years) were examined. Study children's hostile attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more negative child–friend interaction. In contrast, benign attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more positive child–friend interaction. The findings are discussed in light of the “fuel” interpretation of EI, in which high‐intensity emotions may motivate children to act on their cognitive biases for better or for worse.
Visually Supporting Multiple Needle Placement in Irreversible Electroporation Interventions
Authors: Kreiser J. , Freedman J. , Ropinski T. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIrreversible electroporation (IRE) is a minimally invasive technique for small tumour ablation. Multiple needles are inserted around the planned treatment zone and, depending on the size, inside as well. An applied electric field triggers instant cell death around this zone. To ensure the correct application of IRE, certain criteria need to be fulfilled. The needles' placement in the tissue has to be parallel, at the same depth, and in a pattern which allows the electric field to effectively destroy the targeted lesions. As multiple needles need to synchronously fulfill these criteria, it is challenging for the surgeon to perform a successful IRE. Therefore, we propose a visualization which exploits intuitive visual coding to support the surgeon when conducting IREs. We consider two scenarios: first, to monitor IRE parameters while inserting needles during laparoscopic surgery; second, to validate IRE parameters in post‐placement scenarios using computed tomography. With the help of an easy to comprehend and lightweight visualization, surgeons are enabled to quickly visually detect what needs to be adjusted. We have evaluated our visualization together with surgeons to investigate the practical use for IRE liver ablations. A quantitative study shows the effectiveness compared to a single 3D view placement method.
Vertical distribution of larval Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus): Implications for vertical migratory behaviour and transport
Authors: Hale Edward A. , Targett Timothy E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractUnderstanding the interactions among biological and physical processes is essential to determining how the environment affects transport and survival of fishes. We examined vertical distribution in larval Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) using 126 depth stratified tows in Delaware Bay, USA, during two cruises, in December 2007 and February 2008. Menhaden larvae were 16.8–24.6 and 20.5–26.2 mm standard length in December and February. Corresponding lengths for croaker were 9.3–17.9 and 8.6–19.6 mm. Using empirical observations, and statistically derived models, we explored larval concentration for both species as a function of location, depth, diel period, tidal period, size, and pairwise interactions. Menhaden concentration was best modeled as a function of station, cruise, and interactions between depth and size as well as between station and cruise. No significant differences in larval menhaden concentration were present among tidal and diel periods. Croaker concentration was best modeled as a function of size and interactions between station and diel period, depth and size, cruise and size. Despite tidal period not emerging as a significant model parameter, we observed larger croaker larvae during nighttime flood tides. Our statistical models are consistent with processes of up‐estuary transport for both species, suggesting larvae are increasingly affected by behavioral responses as larvae grow, exhibiting stronger patterns in vertical distribution. The results refine our understanding of the potential importance of size‐related differences in vertical distribution for larval transport in these species. Future research should examine the interactions among size‐specific vertical migratory capabilities, vertical distribution, transport, and retention.
Delineating advanced practice nursing in New Zealand: a national survey
Authors: Carryer J. , Wilkinson J. , Towers A. , Gardner G. 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundA variety of advanced practice nursing roles and titles have proliferated in response to the changing demands of a population characterized by increasing age and chronic illness. Whilst similarly identified as advanced practice roles, they do not share a common practice profile, educational requirements or legislative direction. The lack of clarity limits comparative research that can inform policy and health service planning.AimsTo identify advanced practice roles within nursing titles employed in New Zealand and practice differences between advanced practice and other roles.MethodReplicating recent Australian research, 3255 registered nurses/nurse practitioners in New Zealand completed the amended Advanced Practice Delineation survey tool. The mean domain scores of the predominant advanced practice position were compared with those of other positions. Differences between groups were explored using one‐way ANOVA and post hoc between group comparisons.ResultsFour nursing position bands were identified: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, domain‐specific and registered nurse. Significant differences between the bands were found on many domain scores. The nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist bands had the most similar practice profiles, nurse practitioners being more involved in direct care and professional leadership.ConclusionsSimilar to the position of clinical nurse consultant in Australia, those practicing as clinical nurse specialists were deemed to reflect the threshold for advanced practice nursing. The results identified different practice patterns for the identified bands and distinguish the advanced practice nursing roles.Implications for nursing policyBy replicating the Australian study of Gardener et al. (2016), this NZ paper extends the international data available to support more evidence‐based nursing workforce planning and policy development.
New single‐component multicolor emission Na1−xAl1+2xSi1−2xO4:xBi3+/Eu3+ phosphors via energy transfer
Authors: Xu Chengyi , Sheng Ye , Song Yanhua , Guan Hongxia , Zhang Xiangting , Meng Deyue , Zhu He , Shi Zhan , Zou Haifeng , Zheng Keyan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA series of emission‐tunable Na1−xAl1+2xSi1−2xO4:xBi3+/Eu3+ phosphors were synthesized via high temperature solid‐state reaction method. The luminescence properties, energy transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+ ions, color tuning, thermal stability and quantum efficiency were systematically investigated. Especially, in the host, a certain amount of Si4+ were replaced by Al3+ in order to remedy the charge compensating defect, so that, the emission intensity had been improved. The results of Rietveld refinements, the analysis of SEM mapping and the fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) indicated that this charge balance strategy was an effective method. Meanwhile, the energy transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+ can be inferred and confirmed and the mechanisms were demonstrated to quadrupole–quadrupole interaction. The emission hue can be tuned from blue to pink, and finally to orange red light by properly varying the ratio of Bi3+ and Eu3+. Importantly, when the temperature was raised to 150°C, the integrated emission intensity was 71.20% of the initial value for NAS:1%Bi3+,2%Eu3+ samples indicating that these phosphors had excellent thermal stability and stable color (no emission shift). All these properties indicate that the developed phosphors may be potentially used as single‐component color‐tunable‐emitting phosphors for UV light‐emitting diodes.
When the species–time–area relationship meets island biogeography: Diversity patterns of avian communities over time and space in a subtropical archipelago
Authors: Song Xiao , Holt Robert D. , Si Xingfeng , Christman Mary C. , Ding Ping 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAimThe species–area (SAR) and species–time relationships (STR) are of vital importance in community ecology. Previous studies suggest that a unified, general species–time–area relationship (STAR) may hold, with non‐independent scaling of richness across space and time. Most STAR studies to date have considered species accumulation curves in relatively homogeneous habitats. Here, we test the generality of the STAR in an island system and assess how factors other than area influence species richness, accumulation and turnover through time.LocationThousand Island Lake, China.MethodsWe surveyed bird communities on 36 islands using line transects, and calculated annual species richness of breeding birds from 2007 to 2015. We built island STAR models at island (island STAR; ISTAR) and transect levels (local community–time–area relationship; LCTAR). We employed partial correlations and multiple regressions to examine potential influences of island attributes other than area (i.e. isolation, edge effect and habitat richness) on slopes of STRs.ResultsISTAR and LCTAR models explained 88.8% and 83.1% of total variance, respectively, and both models have a negative space–time interaction. Richness scales comparably in space and time, for both whole‐island and transect‐level analyses. The partial correlation analysis showed that distance to mainland and perimeter‐to‐area ratio are significantly positively correlated with the time scalar (w), and habitat richness and w are negatively correlated. Multiple regression models identify perimeter‐to‐area ratio as particularly influential.Main conclusionsThe STAR pattern generalized to an island system where species turnover is high, indicating an interdependency of time and space in determining species richness. Islands have attributes other than area that influence patterns of species accumulation and turnover through time. Ecologists should consider the interdependence of space and time when characterizing species richness patterns.
Linking genotype to phenotype in a changing ocean: inferring the genomic architecture of a blue mussel stress response with genome‐wide association
Authors: Kingston S. E. , Martino P. , Melendy M. , Reed F. A. , Carlon D. B. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA key component to understanding the evolutionary response to a changing climate is linking underlying genetic variation to phenotypic variation in stress response. Here, we use a genome‐wide association approach (GWAS) to understand the genetic architecture of calcification rates under simulated climate stress. We take advantage of the genomic gradient across the blue mussel hybrid zone (Mytilus edulis and Mytilus trossulus) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) to link genetic variation with variance in calcification rates in response to simulated climate change. Falling calcium carbonate saturation states are predicted to negatively impact many marine organisms that build calcium carbonate shells – like blue mussels. We sampled wild mussels and measured net calcification phenotypes after exposing mussels to a ‘climate change’ common garden, where we raised temperature by 3°C, decreased pH by 0.2 units and limited food supply by filtering out planktonic particles >5 μm, compared to ambient GOM conditions in the summer. This climate change exposure greatly increased phenotypic variation in net calcification rates compared to ambient conditions. We then used regression models to link the phenotypic variation with over 170 000 single nucleotide polymorphism loci (SNPs) generated by genotype by sequencing to identify genomic locations associated with calcification phenotype, and estimate heritability and architecture of the trait. We identified at least one of potentially 2–10 genomic regions responsible for 30% of the phenotypic variation in calcification rates that are potential targets of natural selection by climate change. Our simulations suggest a power of 13.7% with our study's average effective sample size of 118 individuals and rare alleles, but a power of >90% when effective sample size is 900.
Predation drives morphological convergence in theGambusia panucospecies group among lotic and lentic habitats
Authors: Moody E. K. , Lozano‐Vilano M. L. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractFish morphology is often constrained by a trade‐off between optimizing steady vs. unsteady swimming performance due to opposing effects of caudal peduncle size. Lotic environments tend to select for steady swimming performance, leading to smaller caudal peduncles, whereas predators tend to select for unsteady swimming performance, leading to larger caudal peduncles. However, it is unclear which aspect of performance should be optimized across heterogeneous flow and predation environments and how this heterogeneity may affect parallel phenotypic evolution. We investigated this question among fourGambusiaspecies in north‐eastern Mexico, specifically the riverineG. panuco, the spring endemicsG. alvareziandG. hurtadoi, and a fourth species,G. marshi, found in a variety of habitats with varying predation pressure in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin and Río Salado de Nadadores. We employed a geometric morphometric analysis to examine how body shapes of both male and female fish differ among species and habitats and with piscivore presence. We found that high‐predation and low‐predation species diverged morphologically, withG. marshiexhibiting a variable, intermediate body shape. WithinG. marshi, body morphology converged in high‐predation environments regardless of flow velocity, and fish from high‐predation sites had larger relative caudal peduncle areas. However, we found thatG. marshifrom low‐predation environments diverged in morphology between sub‐basins of Cuatro Ciénegas, indicating other differences among these basins that merit further study. Our results suggest that a morphological trade‐off promotes parallel evolution of body shape in fishes colonizing high‐predation environments and that changing predation pressure can strongly impact morphological evolution in these species.
Singular approach to penetrometry by preprocessing of digitized force–displacement curves and chemometry: A case study of 12 tomato varieties
Authors: Camps Cédric 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis study evaluated a singular approach to the analysis of digitized force–displacement curves from penetrometry performed on tomatoes. Penetrometry is commonly used to evaluate the texture properties of fresh fruits and vegetables. Currently, the parameters are computed from force–displacement curves. The parameters are statistically analyzed to highlight differences, for instance, between fruit varieties or differentially stored fruits. In this study, digitized force–displacement curves were considered “mechanical imprints” (MIs). Twelve varieties of tomato were analyzed, and the assumption that a given variety is characterized by a singular MI was tested. The digitized curves were preprocessed through standardization and smoothing. This preprocessing enabled the classification of more than 94% of fruit according to variety compared with 45% of fruit without preprocessing. To compare this approach with a classical approach of texture analysis, 13 parameters were computed from the force–displacement curves and analyzed. This parameters‐based approach enabled the classification of approximately 46% of fruit according to variety. The digitized curve enabled the correct classification of 88% more fruit than the level achieved by the parameters‐based approach. Thus, penetrometry analysis presents new opportunities, particularly for breeding programs aimed at improving the texture characteristics of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, this approach could be adapted to other mechanical tests for the characterization of the textural properties of food products.Practical applicationsThe force–displacement curve of penetrometry can be considered a “mechanical imprint” to improve fruit classification according to preharvest and postharvest characteristics (i.e., maturity, variety, etc.). This mechanical imprint represents a new and discriminant phenotyping criterion for tomato breeding to improve texture. The use of the digitized curve rather than computed parameters may be more easily implemented in industry.
A case of Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome associated with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Authors: Alnahhas Iyad , Wong Jason , Vota Scott 
Published: December 2017

AbstractLambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome is an immune‐mediated disorder of the presynaptic neuromuscular junction that occurs in paraneoplastic and nontumor forms. Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome is most commonly associated with small‐cell lung cancer, but has also been reported with other neuroendocrine tumors including large‐cell neuroendocrine tumor of the lung, atypical carcinoid, thymic neuroendocrine tumor, and Merkel cell carcinoma. We here report a case of electro‐diagnostically confirmed Lambert–Eaton syndrome in a patient who was found to have pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with positive P/Q‐type calcium channel antibodies.