bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Randomized clinical trial of landiolol hydrochloride for the prevention of atrial fibrillation and postoperative complications after oesophagectomy for cancer
Authors: Ojima T , Nakamori M , Nakamura M , Katsuda M , Hayata K , Kato T , Kitadani J , Tabata H , Takeuchi A , Yamaue H 
Published: April 2017

Abstract

Background
Atrial fibrillation is common after oesophageal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether landiolol hydrochloride was effective and safe in the prevention of atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy, and to see whether a reduction in incidence of atrial fibrillation would reduce other postoperative complications.

Methods
This single-centre study enrolled patients scheduled for transthoracic oesophagectomy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial between March 2013 and January 2016. Enrolled patients were randomized with a 1 : 1 parallel allocation ratio to either landiolol prophylaxis or placebo. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy. Secondary endpoints were incidence of postoperative complications, and effects on haemodynamic and inflammatory indices.

Results
One hundred patients were enrolled, 50 in each group. Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred in 15 patients (30 per cent) receiving placebo versus five (10 per cent) receiving landiolol (P = 0·012). The overall incidence of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the landiolol group (P = 0·046). In the landiolol group, postoperative heart rate was suppressed effectively, but the decrease in BP was not harmful. The interleukin 6 level was significantly lower on days 3 and 5 after surgery in the landiolol group (P = 0·001 and P = 0·002 respectively).

Conclusion
Landiolol was effective and safe in preventing atrial fibrillation after oesophagectomy. Registration number: UMIN000010648 (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/).
miR‐148b inhibits glycolysis in gastric cancer through targeting SLC2A1
Authors: Ding Xiangfu , Liu Jingjing , Liu Tianzhou , Ma Zhiming , Wen Dacheng , Zhu Jiaming 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAlthough the molecular biology of GC has been well characterized, early diagnostic biomarkers and effective therapeutic options in gastric cancer are still under investigation. Here, we found that miR‐148b expression decreased in human gastric cancer tissues compared with matched adjacent nontumor tissues by q‐PCR analysis and in situ hybridization. Further investigation revealed that overexpression of miR‐148b limited glycolysis including glucose consumption, lactate production in gastric cancer cell lines BGC‐823 and MKN45. Bioinformatics prediction uncovered that a dedicated transporters solute carrier family 2 member 1 (SLC2A1), also called GLUT1, was the direct target of miR‐148b. The target effects were further confirmed by luciferase assay and western blot analysis. Besides, a reverse correlation was observed between relative SLC2A1 and miR‐148b expression in human GC tissues compared with matched adjacent nontumor tissues. Subsequently, SLC2A1 suppression by SLC2A1 siRNA or specific inhibitor restricted the reduced effects of glycolysis mediated by miR‐148b while SLC2A1 overexpression abrogated the effect of miR‐148b on glycolysis. Our findings provided new evidence of miR‐148b in GC development through restraining glycolysis, highlighting the role of miR‐148b as a new target for GC treatment.
Cytotoxic Triterpenoids from the Stalks of Microtropis triflora
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Wei , Wang Kui‐Wu , Zhou Man‐Qing 
Published: April 2017

Bioassay‐guided phytochemical investigation of the stalks of Microtropis triflora Merr. & F.L. Freeman led to the isolation of ten triterpenes 1 – 10, including one novel compound 3,24‐epoxy‐2α,24‐dihydroxyfriedelan‐29‐oic acid (1). Their chemical structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including HR‐ESI mass spectrometry, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR (1H, 13C, 1H,1H‐COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), and by comparison with the data reported. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1 – 10 against a panel of cultured human tumor cell lines (Bcap37, SMMC7721, HeLa, CNE) were evaluated. The new compound 1 showed moderate anti‐tumor activities with IC50 values of 39.22, 29.24, 23.28, and 68.81 μm/ml, respectively. These results might be helpful for explaining the use of M. triflora in traditional medicine. Triterpenes are characteristic of Microtropis genus and could be useful as potential chemotaxonomic markers.
Classification of the spliceogenic BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G variant as likely benign based on cosegregation data and identification of a healthy homozygous carrier
Authors: Byrjalsen Anna , Steffensen Ane Y. , Hansen Thomas v. O. , Wadt Karin , Gerdes Anne‐Marie 
Published: April 2017

Key Clinical MessageBRCA1, c.4096+3A>G was identified in a consanguineous Danish family with several cases of breast/ovarian cancer. In silico analysis and splicing assays indicated that the variant caused aberrant splicing. However, based on segregation data and the finding of a healthy homozygous carrier, we classify the BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G variant as likely benign.
A framework for application partitioning using trusted execution environments
Authors: Atamli‐Reineh Ahmad , Paverd Andrew , Petracca Giuseppe , Martin Andrew 
Published: April 2017

SummaryThe size and complexity of modern applications are the underlying causes of numerous security vulnerabilities. In order to mitigate the risks arising from such vulnerabilities, various techniques have been proposed to isolate the execution of sensitive code from the rest of the application and from other software on the platform (such as the operating system). New technologies, notably Intel's Software Guard Extensions (SGX), are becoming available to enhance the security of partitioned applications. SGX provides a trusted execution environment (TEE), called an enclave, that protects the integrity of the code and the confidentiality of the data inside it from other software, including the operating system (OS). However, even with these partitioning techniques, it is not immediately clear exactly how they can and should be used to partition applications. How should a particular application be partitioned? How many TEEs should be used? What granularity of partitioning should be applied? To some extent, this is dependent on the capabilities and performance of the partitioning technology in use. However, as partitioning becomes increasingly common, there is a need for systematisation in the design of partitioning schemes.To address this need, we present a novel framework consisting of four overarching types of partitioning schemes through which applications can make use of TEEs. These schemes range from coarse‐grained partitioning, in which the whole application is included in a single TEE, through to ultra‐fine partitioning, in which each piece of security‐sensitive code and data is protected in an individual TEE. Although partitioning schemes themselves are application specific, we establish application‐independent relationships between the types we have defined. Because these relationships have an impact on both the security and performance of the partitioning scheme, we envisage that our framework can be used by software architects to guide the design of application partitioning schemes. To demonstrate the applicability of our framework, we have carried out case studies on two widely used software packages, the Apache Web server and the OpenSSL library. In each case study, we provide four high‐level partitioning schemes—one for each of the types in our framework. We also systematically review the related work on hardware‐enforced partitioning by categorising previous research efforts according to our framework. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drivers of community assembly in tropical forest restoration sites: role of local environment, landscape, and space
Authors: Audino Lívia D. , Murphy Stephen J. , Zambaldi Ludimila , Louzada Julio , Comita Liza S. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThere is increasing recognition that community assembly theory can offer valuable insights for ecological restoration. We studied community assembly processes following tropical forest restoration efforts, using dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) as a focal taxon to investigate taxonomic and functional patterns of biodiversity recovery. We evaluated the relative importance of the local environment (i.e., canopy cover, understory cover, tree basal area, and soil texture), landscape context (i.e., habitat patch proximity and availability and percentage of surrounding area classified as natural forest or Eucalyptus spp. plantation), and space (i.e., spatial proximity of the study areas to estimate dispersal limitation or unmeasured spatially structured processes) on dung beetle species and functional trait composition across a gradient of 15 restoration sites in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We also assessed which factors were the primary determinants in the establishment of individual dung beetle functional groups, classified according to size, food relocation habit, diet, and period of flight activity. Both species and functional trait composition were most strongly influenced by the local environment, indicating that assembly was predominantly driven by niche‐based processes. Most of the variation explained by space was co‐explained by local environment and landscape context, ruling out a strong influence of dispersal limitation and random colonization on assembly following restoration. In addition, nearly all of the variance explained by landscape context was co‐explained by local environment, suggesting that arrival and establishment at a site depends on both local and landscape‐scale environmental factors. Despite strong evidence for niche‐based assembly, a large amount of variation remained unexplained in all models, suggesting that stochastic processes and/or unmeasured environmental variables also play an important role. The relative importance of local environment, landscape context, and space changed considerably when analyzing the assembly mechanisms of each functional group separately. Therefore, to recover distinct functional traits in restoration sites, it may be necessary to manipulate different components of the local environment and surrounding landscape. Overall, this study shows that assembly rules can help to better understand recovery processes, enabling improvement of future restoration efforts.
Mixed‐severity fire history at a forest–grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Harvey Jill E. , Smith Dan. J. , Veblen Thomas T. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis study examines spatially variable stand structure and fire–climate relationships at a low elevation forest–grassland ecotone in west central British Columbia, Canada. Fire history reconstructions were based on samples from 92 fire‐scarred trees and stand demography from 27 plots collected over an area of about 7 km2. We documented historical chronologies of widespread fires and localized grassland fires betweenAD1600 and 1900. Relationships between fire events, reconstructed values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and annual precipitation were examined using superposed epoch and bivariate event analyses. Widespread fires occurred during warm, dry years and were preceded by multiple anomalously dry, warm years. Localized fires that affected only grassland‐proximal forests were more frequent than widespread fires. These localized fires showed a lagged, positive relationship with wetter conditions. The landscape pattern of forest structure provided further evidence of complex fire activity with multiple plots shown to have experienced low‐, mixed‐, and/or high‐severity fires over the last four centuries. We concluded that this forest–grassland ecotone was characterized by fires of mixed severity, dominated by frequent, low‐severity fires punctuated by widespread fires of moderate to high severity. This landscape‐level variability in fire–climate relationships and patterns in forest structure has important implications for fire and grassland management in west central British Columbia and similar environments elsewhere. Forest restoration techniques such as prescribed fire and thinning are oftentimes applied at the forest–grassland ecotone on the basis that historically high frequency, low‐severity fires defined the character of past fire activity. This study provides forest managers and policy makers with important information on mixed‐severity fire activity at a low elevation forest–grassland ecotone, a crucial prerequisite for the effective management of these complex ecosystems.
Asymmetry matters: A genomic assessment of directional biases in gene flow between hybridizing spruces
Authors: de Lafontaine Guillaume , Bousquet Jean 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAssessing directional bias in interspecific gene flow might be important in determining the evolutionary trajectory of closely related species pairs. Using a set of 300 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) having variable propensity to cross species boundary, we evaluated the genomic extent and direction of interspecific gene flow in a progenitor‐derivative spruce species pair (black spruce and red spruce). A higher rate of gene flow was found from black spruce toward red spruce purebreds than vice versa. This asymmetry could reflect the historical gene flow between the two taxa at the time of species inception and during postglacial colonization. A clear asymmetry in introgression was depicted by a greater gene flow between red spruce and hybrids than between black spruce and hybrids. While backcrossing toward red spruce was invariably high across the genome, the actual species boundary is between hybrids and black spruce where gene flow is impeded at those genomic regions impermeable to introgression. Associations between hybrid index and climatic variables (total annual precipitation and mean annual temperature) were tested, as these might indicate a role for exogenous selection in maintaining the species boundary. While an apparent association was found between the hybrid index and precipitation, it collapsed when considered in light of the directional bias in interspecific gene flow. Hence, considering asymmetrical patterns of introgression allowed us to falsify an apparent role for exogenous selection. Although this was not formerly tested here, we suggest that this pattern could result from asymmetrical endogenous selection, a contention that deserves further investigations.
At‐sea distribution and habitat use in king penguins at sub‐Antarctic Marion Island
Authors: Pistorius Pierre , Hindell Mark , Crawford Robert , Makhado Azwianewi , Dyer Bruce , Reisinger Ryan 
Published: April 2017

AbstractKing penguins make up the bulk of avian biomass on a number of sub‐Antarctic islands where they have a large functional effect on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The same applies at Marion Island where a substantial proportion of the world population breeds. In spite of their obvious ecological importance, the at‐sea distribution and behavior of this population has until recently remained entirely unknown. In addressing this information deficiency, we deployed satellite‐linked tracking instruments on 15 adult king penguins over 2 years, April 2008 and 2013, to study their post‐guard foraging distribution and habitat preferences. Uniquely among adult king penguins, individuals by and large headed out against the prevailing Antarctic Circumpolar Current, foraging to the west and southwest of the island. On average, individuals ventured a maximum distance of 1,600 km from the colony, with three individuals foraging close to, or beyond, 3,500 km west of the colony. Birds were mostly foraging south of the Antarctic Polar Front and north of the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Habitat preferences were assessed using boosted regression tree models which indicated sea surface temperate, depth, and chorophyll a concentration to be the most important predictors of habitat selection. Interestingly, king penguins rapidly transited the eddy‐rich area to the west of Marion Island, associated with the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, which has been shown to be important for foraging in other marine top predators. In accordance with this, the king penguins generally avoided areas with high eddy kinetic energy. The results from this first study into the behavioral ecology and at‐sea distribution of king penguins at Marion Island contribute to our broader understanding of this species.
Ecological effects of dams, alien fish, and physiochemical environmental factors on homogeneity/heterogeneity of fish community in four tributaries of the Pearl River in China
Authors: Zeng Lei , Zhou Lei , Guo Ding‐Li , Fu Dong‐Hua , Xu Peng , Zeng Shuang , Tang Qin‐Dong , Chen An‐Luo , Chen Fei‐Qiao , Luo Yong , Li Gui‐Feng 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to characterize the fish community structure and identify the drivers contributing to homogenization/differentiation processes in four tributaries to the Pearl River, Guangxi Province, China, over the past few decades. We sampled 22 sites seasonally from 2013 through 2015, and these sites were selected based on archived records of previous sampling conducted in the 1980s. Jaccard's faunal similarity index, cluster analysis, and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were applied to describe the homogenization/differentiation of fish community and illustrate the potential effectors. The number of fish species present in three of the four sampled tributaries declined dramatically over the past 30 years, leading toward a trend of increased fish community homogeneity throughout the watershed. Results from multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses allowed us to divide the study area into two distinct ecoregions. Four species (yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco,pond loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus,Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, andsharpbelly Hemiculter leucisculus) were considered to be indicative fish species contributing more than 5% of the dissimilarity between the two eco‐regions according to the results of similarity percentage procedure. Results fromCCArevealed thatpHand latitude corresponded with the dominant fish species of each respective tributary. More specifically,CCAresults allowed us to classify dominant fish species into three distinct groups. The first group was mainly located in Guijiang characterized by higher latitudes and lowerpHvalues, the second group was widespread in the four tributaries, and the last group was primarily distributed in Yujiang, Youjiang, and Zuojiang characterized by lower latitudes and higherpHvalues. Spatial differentiation of fish community structure and temporal homogeneity of species composition were attributed to the joint actions of human interventions including construction of dams and introductions of exotic fish species that led to habitat degeneration and fragmentation, and unequal interspecies competitions.
Fungal‐host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal‐host overlap
Authors: Gomes Sofia I. F. , Merckx Vincent S. F. T. , Saavedra Serguei 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe vast majority of plants obtain an important proportion of vital resources from soil through mycorrhizal fungi. Generally, this happens in exchange of photosynthetically fixed carbon, but occasionally the interaction is mycoheterotrophic, and plants obtain carbon from mycorrhizal fungi. This process results in an antagonistic interaction between mycoheterotrophic plants and their fungal hosts. Importantly, the fungal‐host diversity available for plants is restricted as mycoheterotrophic interactions often involve narrow lineages of fungal hosts. Unfortunately, little is known whether fungal‐host diversity may be additionally modulated by plant–plant interactions through shared hosts. Yet, this may have important implications for plant competition and coexistence. Here, we use DNA sequencing data to investigate the interaction patterns between mycoheterotrophic plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We find no phylogenetic signal on the number of fungal hosts nor on the fungal hosts shared among mycoheterotrophic plants. However, we observe a potential trend toward increased phylogenetic diversity of fungal hosts among mycoheterotrophic plants with increasing overlap in their fungal hosts. While these patterns remain for groups of plants regardless of location, we do find higher levels of overlap and diversity among plants from the same location. These findings suggest that species coexistence cannot be fully understood without attention to the two sides of ecological interactions.
Autoimmune myocarditis in systemic sclerosis: an unusual form of scleroderma heart disease presentation
Authors: Ramalho Ana Rita , Costa Susana , Silva Francisco , Donato Paulo , Franco Fátima , Pêgo Guilherme Mariano 
Published: April 2017

AbstractPrimary cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis is common, often subclinical, and is associated with significant mortality. We report the case of a patient who developed autoimmune myocarditis at an early stage of systemic sclerosis, who completely recovered from cardiac dysfunction under optimal medical therapy for heart failure and immunosuppression. This challenging case aims at increasing awareness around the fact that the heart is a target organ of scleroderma disease. It also highlights the importance of screening and early diagnosis of cardiac involvement, because a timely treatment may impact the quality of life of these patients and improve their prognosis.
Multi‐gel casting apparatus for vertical polyacrylamide gels with in‐built solution flow system and liquid level detectors
Authors: Maurye Praveen , Basu Arpita , Bandyopadhyay Tapas Kumar , Biswas Jayanta Kumar , Mohanty Bimal Prasana 
Published: April 2017

PAGE is the most widely used technique for the separation and biochemical analysis of biomolecules. The ever growing field of proteomics and genomics necessitates the analysis of many proteins and nucleic acid samples to understand further about the structure and function of cells. Simultaneous analysis of multiple protein samples often requires casting of many PAGE gels. Several variants of multi‐gel casting/electrophoresis apparatuses are frequently used in research laboratories. Requirement of supplementary gels to match the growing demand for analyzing additional protein samples sometimes become a cause of concern. Available apparatuses are not amenable to and therefore, not recommended for any modification to accommodate additional gel casting units other than what is prescribed by the manufacturer. A novel apparatus is described here for casting multiple PAGE gels comprising four detachable components that provide enhanced practicability and performance of the apparatus. This newly modified apparatus promises to be a reliable source for making multiple gels in less time without hassle. Synchronized functioning of unique components broaden the possibilities of developing inexpensive, safe, and time‐saving multi‐gel casting apparatus. This apparatus can be easily fabricated and modified to accommodate desired number of gel casting units. The estimated cost (∼$300) for fabrication of the main apparatus is very competitive and effortless assembly procedure can be completed within ∼30 min.