bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of milk tablets supplemented with nanopowdered eggshell or oyster shell
Authors: Lee Yun‐Kyung , Kim Augustine Yonghwi , Min Sang‐Gi , Kwak Hae‐Soo 
Published: May 2016

This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of milk tablets supplemented with nanopowdered eggshell (NPES) or nanopowdered oyster shell (NPOS). The particle size of NPES, NPOS, NPES with zinc (Zn‐NPES) and NPOS with activated zinc (Zn‐NPOS) ranged from 20 to 300 nm. The hardness of the milk tablets containing these calcium supplements did not differ significantly from that of the control milk tablets (P > 0.05). Regarding the sensory properties, the appearance, flavour, taste, texture and cumulative sensory score of all the test tablets were similar to those of the control tablets. In conclusion, the quality of all the test milk tablets was similar to that of the control.
inbreedR: an R package for the analysis of inbreeding based on genetic markers
Authors: Stoffel Martin A. , Esser Mareike , Kardos Marty , Humble Emily , Nichols Hazel , David Patrice , Hoffman Joseph I. 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFCs) have been widely used to explore the impact of inbreeding on individual fitness. Initially, most studies used small panels of microsatellites, but more recently with the advent of next‐generation sequencing, large SNP datasets are becoming increasingly available and these provide greater power and precision to quantify the impact of inbreeding on fitness.

Despite the popularity of HFC studies, effect sizes tend to be rather small. One reason for this may be low variation in inbreeding levels among individuals. Using genetic markers, it is possible to measure variance in inbreeding through the strength of correlation in heterozygosity across marker loci, termed identity disequilibrium (ID).

ID can be quantified using the measure , which is also a central parameter in HFC theory that can be used within a wider framework to estimate the direct impact of inbreeding on both marker heterozygosity and fitness. However, no software exists to calculate for large SNP datasets nor to implement this framework.

inbreedR is an R package that provides functions to calculate based on microsatellite and SNP markers with associated P‐values and confidence intervals. Within the framework of HFC theory, inbreedR also estimates the impact of inbreeding on marker heterozygosity and fitness. Finally, inbreedR implements user‐friendly simulations to explore the precision and magnitude of estimates based on different numbers of genetic markers. We hope this package will facilitate good practice in the analysis of HFCs and help to deepen our understanding of inbreeding effects in natural populations.
Diversity and fluctuation in ciliate protozoan population in the rumen of cattle
Authors: Abrar Arfan , Watanabe Haruki , Kitamura Tasuku , Kondo Makoto , Ban‐Tokuda Tomomi , Matsui Hiroki 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity and fluctuation in the ciliate protozoan population in the rumen of cattle. DNA was extracted from the rumen of three ruminally cannulated, crossbred cattle and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐derived clone library was constructed, using a specific primer set targeting 18S ribosomal RNA genes of ciliate protozoa. DNA fragments of seven selected clones were validated for standard DNA of the protozoa‐specific real‐time PCR assay. Furthermore, population fluctuation of ciliate protozoa and methanogens in the cattle rumen was determined by real‐time PCR. A total of 60 clones were sequenced, phylogenetically analyzed, and classified into 24 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on a 99% similarity criterion. More than 80% sequences were phylogenetically placed in the genus Entodinium. The rest of the sequences were placed in the genus Diploplastron (5%), Dasytricha (8.3%) and Isotricha (3.3%). The results suggest that Entodinium was the dominant group in the rumen of cattle used in this study. The ciliate protozoan population showed no significant change in numbers during the monitoring period and reached a peak at 3 h after feeding. Changes in the protozoa population were lower than those of the methanogens.
Comparison of prostate cancer survival in Germany and the USA: can differences be attributed to differences in stage distributions?
Authors: Winter Alexander , Sirri Eunice , Jansen Lina , Wawroschek Friedhelm , Kieschke Joachim , Castro Felipe A. , Krilaviciute Agne , Holleczek Bernd , Emrich Katharina , Waldmann Annika , Brenner Hermann ,   the Association of Population‐based Cancer Registries in Germany (GEKID) Cancer Survival Working Group
Published: May 2016

ObjectivesTo better understand the influence of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) screening and other health system determinants on prognosis of prostate cancer, up‐to‐date relative survival (RS), stage distributions, and trends in survival and incidence in Germany were evaluated and compared with the United States of America (USA).Patients and MethodsIncidence and mortality rates for Germany and the USA for the period 1999–2010 were obtained from the Centre for Cancer Registry Data at the Robert Koch Institute and the USA Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. For analyses on stage and survival, data from 12 population‐based cancer registries in Germany and from the SEER‐13 database were analysed. Patients (aged ≥ 15 years) diagnosed with prostate cancer (1997–2010) and mortality follow‐up to December 2010 were included. The 5‐ and 10‐year RS and survival trends (2002–2010) were calculated using standard and model‐based period analysis.ResultsBetween 1999 and 2010, prostate cancer incidence decreased in the USA but increased in Germany. Nevertheless, incidence remained higher in the USA throughout the study period (99.8 vs 76.0 per 100,000 in 2010). The proportion of localised disease significantly increased from 51.9% (1998–2000) to 69.6% (2007–2010) in Germany and from 80.5% (1998–2000) to 82.6% (2007–2010) in the USA. Mortality slightly decreased in both countries (1999–2010). Overall, 5‐ and 10‐year RS was lower in Germany (93.3%; 90.7%) than in the USA (99.4%; 99.6%) but comparable after adjustment for stage. The same patterns were seen in age‐specific analyses. Improvements seen in prostate cancer survival between 2002–2004 and 2008–2010 (5‐year RS: 87.4% and 91.2%; +3.8% units) in Germany disappeared after adjustment for stage (P = 0.8).ConclusionThe survival increase in Germany and the survival advantage in the USA might be explained by differences in incidence and stage distributions over time and across countries. Effects of early detection or a lead‐time bias due to the more widespread utilisation and earlier introduction of PSA testing in the USA are likely to explain the observed patterns.
Lumen‐apposing metal stents for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections: When and for whom?
Authors: Bang Ji Young , Hasan Muhammad K. , Navaneethan Udayakumar , Sutton Bryce , Frandah Wesam , Siddique Sameer , Hawes Robert H. , Varadarajulu Shyam 
Published: May 2016

Background and AimAlthough lumen‐apposing metal stents (LAMS) are increasingly being used for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC), their advantage over plastic stents is unclear.MethodsIn this retrospective case–control study, 20 patients who underwent PFC drainage using LAMS were matched with 40 patients treated with plastic stents according to PFC type (walled‐off necrosis [WON] vs pseudocyst) and procedural technique (conventional vs multi‐gate). Main outcome measures were treatment success, reintervention, clinical and stent‐related adverse events, procedural duration, length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospital costs.ResultsAt median follow up of 570 days, except for median procedural duration (8.5 vs 25 min, P < 0.001), there was no significant difference in treatment success (95.0 vs 92.5%, P = 0.99), reintervention (25.0 vs 30.0 %, P = 0.77), clinical (10.0 vs 12.5 %, P = 0.99) and stent‐related adverse events (10.0 vs 2.5 %, P = 0.26) or median LOS (2 [IQR 1–5] vs 2 [IQR 1–7] days, P = 0.58) between patients treated with LAMS versus plastic stents. Although there was no difference for WON ($16 708 for LAMS vs $17 221 for plastic stents, P = 0.90), mean hospital costs were significantly lower for pseudocysts using plastic stents ($18 996 vs $58 649, P = 0.03).ConclusionsAlthough there is no difference in clinical outcomes, treating pseudocysts using plastic stents is less expensive. It is also possible that the short procedural duration is a surrogate marker for procedural complexity and this may drive the use of LAMS in sicker patients.
Emergent spatial synaptic structure from diffusive plasticity
Authors: Sweeney Yann , Clopath Claudia 
Published: May 2016

AbstractSome neurotransmitters can diffuse freely across cell membranes, influencing neighbouring neurons regardless of their synaptic coupling. This provides a means of neural communication, alternative to synaptic transmission, which can influence the way in which neural networks process information. Here, we ask whether diffusive neurotransmission can also influence the structure of synaptic connectivity in a network undergoing plasticity. We propose a form of Hebbian synaptic plasticity which is mediated by a diffusive neurotransmitter. Whenever a synapse is modified at an individual neuron through our proposed mechanism, similar but smaller modifications occur in synapses connecting to neighbouring neurons. The effects of this diffusive plasticity are explored in networks of rate‐based neurons. This leads to the emergence of spatial structure in the synaptic connectivity of the network. We show that this spatial structure can coexist with other forms of structure in the synaptic connectivity, such as with groups of strongly interconnected neurons that form in response to correlated external drive. Finally, we explore diffusive plasticity in a simple feedforward network model of receptive field development. We show that, as widely observed across sensory cortex, the preferred stimulus identity of neurons in our network become spatially correlated due to diffusion. Our proposed mechanism of diffusive plasticity provides an efficient mechanism for generating these spatial correlations in stimulus preference which can flexibly interact with other forms of synaptic organisation.
Angiotensin I‐converting enzyme inhibitory peptides FQPSF and LKYPI identified in Bacillus subtilis A26 hydrolysate of thornback ray muscle
Authors: Lassoued Imen , Mora Leticia , Barkia Ahmed , Aristoy M‐Concepción , Nasri Moncef , Toldrá Fidel 
Published: May 2016

SummaryAngiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides have been searched in thornback ray (Raja clavata) muscle hydrolysed with Bacillus subtilis A26 proteases until a hydrolysis degree of 18.35%. The hydrolysate showed an IC50 of 0.83 mg mL−1. To identify peptides responsible for this activity, the extract was eluted through size‐exclusion chromatography and fractions collected. The highest ACE inhibitory activity was found for fractions F2 and F3 which had IC50 of 0.42 and 0.51 mg mL−1, respectively. These fractions were analysed by nano‐liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nLC‐MS/MS). A total of 131 and 108 peptide sequences mainly derived from actin, myosin heavy chain and procollagen alpha 1 chain proteins were identified in fractions F2 and F3, respectively. FQPSF and LKYPI showed the best results with an IC50 of 12.56 and 27.07 μM, respectively. These results prove the potential of thornback ray muscle hydrolysate as a source of ACE inhibitory peptides.
Pollination, mating and reproductive fitness in a plant population with bimodal floral‐tube length
Authors: Anderson B. , Pauw A. , Cole W. W. , Barrett S. C. H. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMating patterns and natural selection play important roles in determining whether genetic polymorphisms are maintained or lost. Here, we document an atypical population of Lapeirousia anceps (Iridaceae) with a bimodal distribution of floral‐tube length and investigate the reproductive mechanisms associated with this pattern of variation. Flowers were visited exclusively by the long‐proboscid fly Moegistorhynchus longirostris (Nemestrinidae), which exhibited a unimodal distribution of proboscis length and displayed a preference for long‐tubed phenotypes. Despite being visited by a single pollinator species, allozyme markers revealed significant genetic differentiation between open‐pollinated progeny of long‐ and short‐tubed phenotypes suggesting mating barriers between them. We obtained direct evidence for mating barriers between the floral‐tube phenotypes through observations of pollinator foraging, controlled hand pollinations and measurements of pollen competition and seed set. Intermediate tube‐length phenotypes produced fewer seeds in the field than either long‐ or short‐tubed phenotypes. Although floral‐tube length bimodality may not be a stable state over long timescales, reproductive barriers to mating and low ‘hybrid’ fitness have the potential to contribute to the maintenance of this state in the short term.
Virtual Water Flows in the EU27: A Consumption‐based Approach
Authors: Serrano Ana , Guan Dabo , Duarte Rosa , Paavola Jouni 
Published: May 2016

SummaryThe use of water resources has traditionally been studied by accounting for the volume of water removed from sources for specific uses. This approach focuses on surface and groundwater only and it ignores that international trade of products with substantial amounts of embodied water can have an impact on domestic water resources. Using current economic and environmental data, we conduct a consumption‐based assessment of virtual water flows in the European Union (EU27). We find that the total water footprint (WF) of 2,280 cubic meters (m3) per capita for the EU27 mostly consists of green water use (precipitation stored as soil moisture), which is omitted in the conventional water accounting. Blue water (surface and groundwater.) and gray water use (the volume of freshwater needed to dilute pollutants to meet the applicable water quality standards), which are targeted by current EU water policies, only make up 32% of the total WF. We also find that Europeans imported 585 cubic kilometers (km3) (109 m3) of virtual water, or around 28% of global virtual water trade flows, in 2009. Within Europe, Germany is a key net importer of water through the trade of products in agriculture, the food industry, the chemical sector, and electricity generation. Countries in Southern and Eastern Europe have specialized in water‐intensive agriculture and are key exporters of virtual water despite experiencing physical scarcity of water. Our results suggest that there is a need to reconsider water policy in the EU to address water transfers occurring through trade and to grasp the interlinkages between green, blue, and gray water—which are likely to become more important in water‐scarce parts of Europe, with a changing climate.
Efficacy of Boric Acid, Monopotassium Phosphate and Sodium Metabisulfite on the Control of Apple Scab
Authors: Arslan Umit 
Published: May 2016

AbstractIn vitro experiments indicated that boric acid, monopotassium phosphate, sodium metabisulfite and synthetic fungicide fluopyram + tebuconazole were effective in inhibiting conidia germination and germ‐tube elongation of Venturia inaequalis. Monopotassium phosphate even at the highest concentration used in the study reduced conidia germination and germ‐tube elongation of V. inaequalis by 22.1% and 28.8%, respectively; however, the difference between two compounds at lower concentrations except 0.05% (for conidia germination) and 0.1% (for germ‐tube elongation) of boric acid was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). Complete inhibition was achieved by 0.01% sodium metabisulfite, 0.035% fluopyram + tebuconazole and 0.2% boric acid. Two orchard trials were conducted on the highly susceptible cv. Mutsu to apple scab to ascertain the efficacy of 0.2% boric acid, 0.5% monopotassium phosphate, 0.5% sodium metabisulfite and 0.035% fluopyram + tebuconazole for the control of apple scab. In both 2013 and 2014, except for the applications of monopotassium phosphate and sodium metabisulfite, the applications of boric acid and fluopyram + tebuconazole to trees at 10‐day intervals significantly reduced disease incidence and severity on leaves and fruit compared to the water‐treated control. In both years, the efficacy of boric acid and fluopyram + tebuconazole treatments was similar in reducing both disease incidence and severity on leaves and fruit in all monthly assessments from July to September. All treatments were neither phytotoxic to leaves and fruit nor did they adversely affect quality parameters of harvested fruit. These results show that boric acid treatment may be applied as an alternative chemical for the control of apple scab.
Diagrammatic Scales for Assessing Brown Eye Spot (Cercospora coffeicola) in Red and Yellow Coffee Cherries
Authors: Azevedo de Paula Paulo V. A. , Pozza Edson A. , Santos Leandro A. , Chaves Eugênio , Maciel Matheus P. , Paula Júlio César A. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBrazil is the world's largest coffee producer. Brown eye spot (BES) (Cercospora coffeicola) is a major crop disease that can cause 15–30% production losses and decrease the coffee beverage quality. Although the influence of this disease on beverage quality has been studied, diagrammatic scales for assessment of the disease severity in berries are still unexplored. Thus, this study has developed and validated diagrammatic scales to assess the severity of BES. Two diagrammatic scales were designed to assess the disease in berries, which can be yellow or red depending on the cultivar. The scale of yellow berries had nine grades: grade 0: 0%; 1: 0.1–5.0%; 2: 5.1–10.0%; 3: 10.1–15.0%; 4: 15.1–20.0%; 5: 20.1–30.0%; 6: 30.1–40.0%; 7: 40.1–60.0%; and 8: higher than 60.0%, while the scale of red berries had eight grades: grade 0: 0%; 1: 0.1–2.5%; 2: 2.6–5.0%; 3: 5.1–10.0%; 4: 10.1–20.0%; 5: 20.1–30.0%; 6: 30.1–50.0%; and 7: higher than 50.0% severity. Using scales improved accuracy and precision with R2 = 0.99 and provided good repeatability and reproducibility of assessments of disease severity. Both scales can be used because the different berry colour influenced the accuracy and precision between the scales.
Dentist shortage: an analysis of dentists, practices, and populations in the underserved areas
Authors: Voinea‐Griffin Andreea , Solomon Eric S. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractObjectivesThe objectives of this study are to identify and describe the characteristics of dental underserved geographic areas. Understanding these characteristics is an important step in addressing access to dental care barriers.MethodsDental underserved areas were identified from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) database and converted to census tracts for analysis. Characteristics of dental underserved geographic areas were compared with areas not designated as underserved. Dental practices included in the Dun & Bradstreet Business information database were geocoded and analyzed according to the underserved designation of their location and census demographic data. Thus, the relationships between dental underserved status, practice, and population characteristics were evaluated.ResultsDental underserved areas are more likely to comprise individuals with lower socio‐economic status (income and education levels), higher levels of underrepresented population groups, and have lower population densities than non‐underserved areas. The populations living in dental underserved areas are more likely to experience geographic, financial, and educational barriers to dental care.ConclusionsThe study identifies the geographic and financial barriers to dental care access. These findings suggest that the likelihood of a market‐driven solution to dental underserved geographic areas is low and support public sector interventions to improve the status quo.
Interplay between mast cells, enterochromaffin cells, and sensory signaling in the aging human bowel
Authors: Yu Y. , Daly D. M. , Adam I. J. , Kitsanta P. , Hill C. J. , Wild J. , Shorthouse A. , Grundy D. , Jiang W. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackgroundAdvanced age is associated with a reduction in clinical visceral pain perception. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Previous studies have suggested that an abnormal interplay between mast cells, enterochromaffin (EC) cells, and afferent nerves contribute to nociception in gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate how aging affects afferent sensitivity and neuro‐immune association in the human bowel.MethodsMechanical and chemical sensitivity of human bowel afferents were examined by ex vivo afferent nerve recordings. Age‐related changes in the density of mast cells, EC cells, sensory nerve terminals, and mast cell‐nerve micro‐anatomical association were investigated by histological and immune staining.Key ResultsHuman afferents could be broadly classified into subpopulations displaying mechanical and chemical sensitivity, adaptation, chemo‐sensitization, and recruitment. Interestingly human bowel afferent nerve sensitivity was attenuated with age. The density of substance P‐immunoreactive (SP‐IR) nerve varicosities was also reduced with age. In contrast, the density of ileal and colonic mucosal mast cells was increased with age, as was ileal EC cell number. An increased proportion of mast cells was found in close apposition to SP‐IR nerves.Conclusions & InferencesAfferent sensitivity in human bowel was reduced with advancing age. Augmentation of mast cells and EC cell numbers and the mast cell‐nerve association suggest a compensatory mechanism for sensory neurodegeneration.
Relationship between retinal distance and object field angles for finite schematic eyes
Authors: Suheimat Marwan , Zhu Hai‐Feng , Lambert Andrew , Atchison David A. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAimRetinal anatomical studies have used the Drasdo & Fowler three‐refracting surface schematic eye to convert between retinal distances and object field angles. We compared its performance at this task with those of more sophisticated four‐refracting surface schematic eyes.MethodRaytracing was performed for Drasdo & Fowler, Lotmar, Navarro, Liou & Brennan, Kooijman and Atchison schematic eyes, and some of their variants.ResultsThe Drasdo & Fowler eye gives a greater rate of change of object field angle with retinal distance at the retinal centre of about 5% than the other schematic eyes. This rate of change also increases much more quickly into the peripheral retina for the Drasdo & Fowler eye than for the other eyes. The reason for these differences is only that the Drasdo & Fowler eye is shorter than the other eyes. The relationship between retinal distance and visual field angle appears robust to changes in retinal radius of curvature when the retina is spherical. The retinal asphericity of Kooijman and Atchison eyes appears to play a role beyond 14 mm (~50°).ConclusionChanging the length of the Drasdo & Fowler eye, to match those of the four‐refracting surface schematic eyes, gives similar relationships between retinal distance and object field angle up to a retinal distance of approximately 14 mm (~50°). The relationship will change with refractive error as this is related to axial length and to retinal shape, and this should be taken into consideration for accurate conversions. For distances and angles beyond 14 mm and ~50°, retinal shape should be taken into account.