bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distrust in health care and cultural factors are associated with uptake of colorectal cancer screening in Hispanic and Asian Americans
Authors: Hong Young‐Rock , Tauscher Justin , Cardel Michelle 
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUNDThere are racial/ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, including lower uptake rates among Hispanic Americans (HAs) and Asian Americans (AAs) relative to non‐Hispanic white Americans. The objective of this study was to explore pathways associated with the use of health services and to characterize multifaceted associations with the uptake of CRC screening among HAs and AAs.METHODSData were obtained from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2012‐2013). Participants included HA (n = 3731) and AA (n = 1345) respondents ages 50 to 75 years who met CRC screening recommendations. A modified Andersen behavioral model was used to examine pathways that lead to CRC screening uptake, including predisposing characteristics (education, economic, and cultural factors), health insurance, health needs (perceived health status and several comorbidities), and health provider contextual factors (access to care, perceived quality of health services, and distrust in health care). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the models for HAs and AAs.RESULTSIn the HA model, cultural factors (standardized regression coefficient [β] = −0.04; P = .013) and distrust in health care (β = −0.05; P = .007) directly and negatively affected CRC screening. Similarly, cultural factors (β = −0.11; P = .002) negatively affected CRC screening in the AA model, but distrust in health care was not significant (P = .103). In both models, perceived quality of health services was positively associated with CRC screening uptake and mediated the negative association between cultural factors and CRC screening. Access to care was not associated with CRC screening.CONCLUSIONSCorrelations between CRC screening and associated factors differ among HAs and AAs, suggesting a need for multilevel interventions tailored to race/ethnicity. The current findings suggest that facilitating access to care without improving perceived quality of health services may be ineffective for increasing the uptake of CRC screening among HAs and AAs. Cancer 2018;124:335‐45. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Dynamic formation of service communities in the cloud under distribution and incomplete information settings
Authors: Khosrowshahi‐Asl Ehsan , Bentahar Jamal , Estrada Rebeca , Otrok Hadi , Mizouni Rabeb , Khosravifar Babak 
Published: October 2017

SummaryCommunities that gather functionally identical or complementary cloud services aim to provide better visibility, efficiency, and market share. This paper investigates the issue of forming these communities in distributed decision‐making settings under incomplete information. By incomplete information, we mean only partial information about the individual performance of cloud services within communities and about how they will behave within these communities is available. Forming communities in these particular settings is still an open problem. Most of the existing models require real‐time global knowledge about the services and high computational complexity, which makes the community formation extremely hard and time‐consuming. In this paper, we propose a strategic Distributed Decision‐making Mechanism (DDM) that regulates the cloud services decision‐making process. DDM first generates an initial set of data based on information obtained from existing cloud services regarding their single and cooperative efficiency. By analyzing this set and on the basis of a distance function, the decision‐making mechanism with regard to which community to form is implemented as a decision profile of strategies and their expected utility computed in terms of computational efficiency. DDM efficiently and systematically helps 1) communities find appropriate cloud services to invite as new members and 2) single services find suitable communities to join. To evaluate the proposed mechanism, we performed experiments using real data including 142 users and 4,000 cloud services obtained from the CloudArmor, CloudHarmony, and WS‐DREAM datasets. The experimental results show that our algorithms outperform the existing solutions.
Untangling cell tracks: Quantifying cell migration by time lapse image data analysis
Authors: Svensson Carl‐Magnus , Medyukhina Anna , Belyaev Ivan , Al‐Zaben Naim , Figge Marc Thilo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractAutomated microscopy has given researchers access to great amounts of live cell imaging data from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Much focus has been put on extracting cell tracks from such data using a plethora of segmentation and tracking algorithms, but further analysis is normally required to draw biologically relevant conclusions. Such relevant conclusions may be whether the migration is directed or not, whether the population has homogeneous or heterogeneous migration patterns. This review focuses on the analysis of cell migration data that are extracted from time lapse images. We discuss a range of measures and models used to analyze cell tracks independent of the biological system or the way the tracks were obtained. For single‐cell migration, we focus on measures and models giving examples of biological systems where they have been applied, for example, migration of bacteria, fibroblasts, and immune cells. For collective migration, we describe the model systems wound healing, neural crest migration, and Drosophila gastrulation and discuss methods for cell migration within these systems. We also discuss the role of the extracellular matrix and subsequent differences between track analysis in vitro and in vivo. Besides methods and measures, we are putting special focus on the need for openly available data and code, as well as a lack of common vocabulary in cell track analysis. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Highly contrasted population genetic structures in a host–parasite pair in the Caribbean Sea
Authors: Jossart Quentin , De Ridder Chantal , Lessios Harilaos A. , Bauwens Mathieu , Motreuil Sébastien , Rigaud Thierry , Wattier Rémi A. , David Bruno 
Published: October 2017

AbstractEvolution and population genetic structure of marine species across the Caribbean Sea are shaped by two complex factors: the geological history and the present pattern of marine currents. Characterizing and comparing the genetic structures of codistributed species, such as host–parasite associations, allow discriminating the relative importance of environmental factors and life history traits that influenced gene flow and demographic events. Using microsatellite and Cytochrome Oxidase I markers, we investigated if a host–parasite pair (the heart urchin Meoma ventricosa and its parasitic pea crab Dissodactylus primitivus) exhibits comparable population genetic structures in the Caribbean Sea and how the observed patterns match connectivity regions from predictive models and other taxa. Highly contrasting patterns were found: the host showed genetic homogeneity across the whole studied area, whereas the parasite displayed significant differentiation at regional and local scales. The genetic diversity of the parasitic crabs (both in microsatellites and COI) was distributed in two main groups, Panama–Jamaica–St Croix on the one hand, and the South‐Eastern Caribbean on the other. At a smaller geographical scale, Panamanian and Jamaican parasite populations were genetically more similar, while more genetic differentiation was found within the Lesser Antilles. Both species showed a signature of population expansion during the Quaternary. Some results match predictive models or data from previous studies (e.g., the Western‐Eastern dichotomy in the parasite) while others do not (e.g., genetic differentiation within the Lesser Antilles). The sharp dissimilarity of genetic structure of these codistributed species outlines the importance of population expansion events and/or contrasted patterns of gene flow. This might be linked to differences in several life history traits such as fecundity (higher for the host), swimming capacity of larval stages (higher for the parasite), and habitat availability (higher for the host).
Synthesis of Layered LiMn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3O2 Oxides for Lithium‐Ion Batteries using Biomass‐Derived Glycerol as Solvent
Authors: Hamad Khaleel I. , Liao Jin‐Yun , Smith Taylor W. , Xing Yangchuan 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn an attempt to exploit biomass‐derived glycerol as a solvent, a sol–gel method was used to synthesize LiMn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3O2 (LMNC) layered oxide cathode materials for Li‐ion batteries. The effects of particle size and structure of the layered oxide materials at different annealing temperatures have been studied. The chemical compositions, cation ordering, and particle morphology were obtained by various advanced techniques. Electrochemical performance of the layered oxides was analyzed by cycling testing, cyclic voltammograms, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A comparison of four LMNC samples in this study shows that LMNC annealed at 900 °C exhibits the most promising electrochemical properties. In particular, an initial discharge capacity of 177.1 mAh g−1 has been achieved, with a retention of the discharge capacity of more than 83.7 % after 100 cycles. Furthermore, the sample shows good rate capability up to 5 C, making it well qualified for lithium‐ion battery applications. This study demonstrated the possibility of using glycerol, a byproduct in biodiesel production, as a solvent instead of water in the sol–gel method to synthesize layered structure cathode materials.
Toxicity of nickel to tropical freshwater and sediment biota: A critical literature review and gap analysis
Authors: Binet Monique T. , Adams Merrin S. , Gissi Francesca , Golding Lisa A. , Schlekat Christian E. , Garman Emily R. , Merrington Graham , Stauber Jennifer L. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

More than two-thirds of the world's nickel (Ni) lateritic deposits are in tropical regions, and just less than half are within South East Asia and Melanesia (SEAM). With increasing Ni mining and processing in SEAM, environmental risk assessment tools are required to ensure sustainable development. Currently, there are no tropical-specific water or sediment quality guideline values for Ni, and the appropriateness of applying guideline values derived for temperate systems (e.g., Europe) to tropical ecosystems is unknown. Databases of Ni toxicity and toxicity tests for tropical freshwater and sediment species were compiled. Nickel toxicity data were ranked, using a quality assessment, identifying data to potentially use to derive tropical-specific Ni guideline values. There were no data for Ni toxicity in tropical freshwater sediments. For tropical freshwaters, of 163 Ni toxicity values for 40 different species, high-quality chronic data, based on measured Ni concentrations, were found for just 4 species (1 microalga, 2 macrophytes, and 1 cnidarian), all of which were relevant to SEAM. These data were insufficient to calculate tropical-specific guideline values for long-term aquatic ecosystem protection in tropical regions. For derivation of high-reliability tropical- or SEAM-specific water and sediment quality guideline values, additional research effort is required. Using gap analysis, we recommend how research gaps could be filled. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:293–317. © 2017 SETAC
Abstract
A review of measured bioaccumulation data on terrestrial plants for organic chemicals: Metrics, variability, and the need for standardized measurement protocols
Authors: Doucette William J. , Shunthirasingham Chubashini , Dettenmaier Erik M. , Zaleski Rosemary T. , Fantke Peter , Arnot Jon A. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Quantifying the transfer of organic chemicals from the environment into terrestrial plants is essential for assessing human and ecological risks, using plants as environmental contamination biomonitors, and predicting phytoremediation effectiveness. Experimental data describing chemical uptake by plants are often expressed as ratios of chemical concentrations in the plant compartments of interest (e.g., leaves, shoots, roots, xylem sap) to those in the exposure medium (e.g., soil, soil porewater, hydroponic solution, air). These ratios are generally referred to as “bioconcentration factors” but have also been named for the specific plant compartment sampled, such as “root concentration factors,” “leaf concentration factors,” or “transpiration stream (xylem sap) concentrations factors.” We reviewed over 350 articles to develop a database with 7049 entries of measured bioaccumulation data for 310 organic chemicals and 112 terrestrial plant species. Various experimental approaches have been used; therefore, interstudy comparisons and data-quality evaluations are difficult. Key exposure and plant growth conditions were often missing, and units were often unclear or not reported. The lack of comparable high-confidence data also limits model evaluation and development. Standard test protocols or, at a minimum, standard reporting guidelines for the measurement of plant uptake data are recommended to generate comparable, high-quality data that will improve mechanistic understanding of organic chemical uptake by plants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:21–33. © 2017 SETAC
The Consistency of TOEIC® Speaking Scores Across Ratings and Tasks
Authors: Schmidgall Jonathan E. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis report briefly reviews the design and scoring procedure for the TOEIC® Speaking test and summarizes existing evidence about the consistency of TOEIC Speaking test scores. It then describes several analyses conducted using generalizability theory to provide additional information about the consistency of scores across different aspects of the scoring procedure. The results of these analyses provide more robust information about consistency of TOEIC Speaking scores with respect to important facets of the assessment procedure, such as tasks and ratings. Specifically, the results provide evidence to support claims about the consistency of ratings across different levels of the scoring procedure: tasks, claims, and scale scores.
Subjective complaints after acquired brain injury: presentation of the Brain Injury Complaint Questionnaire (BICoQ)
Authors: Vallat‐Azouvi Claire , Paillat Cyrille , Bercovici Stéphanie , Morin Bénédicte , Paquereau Julie , Charanton James , Ghout Idir , Azouvi Philippe 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to present a new complaint questionnaire designed to assess a wide range of difficulties commonly reported by patients with acquired brain injury. Patients (n =  619) had been referred to a community re‐entry service at a chronic stage after brain injury, mainly traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Brain Injury Complaint Questionnaire (BICoQ) includes 25 questions in the following domains: cognition, behavior, fatigue and sleep, mood, and somatic problems. A self and a proxy questionnaire were given. An additional question was given to the relative, about the patient's awareness of his difficulties. The questionnaires had a good internal coherence, as measured with Cronbach's alpha. The most frequent complaints were, in decreasing order, mental slowness, memory troubles, fatigue, concentration difficulties, anxiety, and dual tasking problems. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation yielded six underlying factors explaining 50.5% of total variance: somatic concerns, cognition, and lack of drive, lack of control, psycholinguistic disorders, mood, and mental fatigue/slowness. About 52% of patients reported fewer complaints than their proxy, suggesting lack of awareness. The total complaint scores were not significantly correlated with any injury severity measure, but were significantly correlated with disability and poorer quality of life (Note: only factor 2 [cognition/lack of drive] was significantly related to disability.) The BICoQ is a simple scale that can be used in addition to traditional clinical and cognitive assessment measures, and to assess awareness of everyday life problems.
Early administration of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate extends the therapeutic time window of tissue plasminogen activator in a male rat model of embolic stroke
Authors: Wang Zhongxing , Shan Weiran , Cao Jiangbei , Wintermark Max , Huang Wenqi , Zuo Zhiyi 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is used in fewer than 4% of patients after ischemic stroke because of its narrow therapeutic time window. We tested whether pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a drug with multiple mechanisms to provide neuroprotection, can be used to extend the therapeutic time window of tPA. Three‐month‐old male Sprague‐Dawley rats were subjected to embolic stroke in the area supplied by the right middle cerebral artery. tPA at 10 mg/kg was given intravenously 4 h after the onset of stroke. PDTC at 50 mg/kg was given via gastric gavage at 30 min or 4 h after the onset of stroke. Two days after the stroke, neurological outcome was evaluated and the right frontal cortex area 1 (Fr1), an ischemic penumbral region, was harvested for analysis. PDTC given at 30 min after the stroke reduced infarct volumes and improved neurological functions no matter whether the rats received tPA. PDTC also reduced tPA‐increased hemorrhagic volumes. Consistent with these results, PDTC in the presence or absence of tPA treatment attenuated the increase of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and matrix metalloprotease 2 activity in the right Fr1. However, PDTC given at 4 h after the onset of stroke did not improve the neurological outcome of rats treated with or without tPA. Our results suggest that PDTC given at an early time point but not in a delayed phase provides neuroprotection against embolic stroke and may be used to extend the therapeutic time window of tPA.
Southwest Pacific atmospheric weather regimes: linkages to ENSO and extra‐tropical teleconnections
Authors: Lorrey Andrew M. , Fauchereau Nicolas C. 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTWe objectively identified an optimal number of atmospheric weather regimes, also called synoptic types, within the southwest (SW) Pacific tropical–subtropical domain and examined their potential drivers. Six atmospheric weather regimes in this region are characterized by spatially heterogeneous geopotential height, sea surface temperature, and regional precipitation patterns. The identified weather regimes are phase‐locked to the seasonal cycle with a moderate degree of coherency, and some are capable of persisting for weeks or more in extreme cases. Correlations between the SW Pacific weather regimes and global precipitation reanalysis fields indicate a strong connection between regional weather patterns and South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) mean position changes and relative intensity of convective loci within the SPCZ. Climate field correlations to SW Pacific weather regimes also show distinct geopotential height and SST signatures across Southern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes and the Indian Ocean basin. Strong statistical significance for portions of those spatial patterns lends support to the assertion of extra‐basin teleconnections for SW Pacific weather regimes. There are strong precipitation impacts from SW Pacific weather regime frequency changes and regime persistence on extreme rainfall deficits and/or surpluses for small islands during austral summer. Diagnostic analysis of the spatial correlation fields and each weather regime indicates these weather patterns are connected to eastern equatorial Pacific‐styles of El Niño and La Niña and Modoki La Niña. Another regime type appears to be connected to an enhancement of the Hadley–Ferrell circulation, while two other types are influenced by phenomena that arise outside the Pacific basin (Madden–Julian oscillation, Southern Annular Mode, and Pacific South American mode). SW Pacific weather regime investigations in the context of modern climate, palaeoclimatology, and future climate change scenarios can help to surmount spatial‐scale mismatches that exist between global models and small Pacific islands, while helping to improve general understanding of island‐scale impacts from atmospheric circulation.
Functional properties of chondrocytes and articular cartilage using optical imaging to scanning probe microscopy
Authors: Xia Yang , Darling Eric M. , Herzog Walter 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTMature chondrocytes in adult articular cartilage vary in number, size, and shape, depending on their depth in the tissue, location in the joint, and source species. Chondrocytes are the primary structural, functional, and metabolic unit in articular cartilage, the loss of which will induce fatigue to the extracellular matrix (ECM), eventually leading to failure of the cartilage and impairment of the joint as a whole. This brief review focuses on the functional and biomechanical studies of chondrocytes and articular cartilage, using microscopic imaging from optical microscopies to scanning probe microscopy. Three topics are covered in this review, including the functional studies of chondrons by optical imaging (unpolarized and polarized light and infrared light, two‐photon excitation microscopy), the probing of chondrocytes and cartilage directly using microscale measurement techniques, and different imaging approaches that can measure chondrocyte mechanics and chondrocyte biological signaling under in situ and in vivo environments. Technical advancement in chondrocyte research during recent years has enabled new ways to study the biomechanical and functional properties of these cells and cartilage. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:620–631, 2018.
Biomechanical investigation of two long bone growth modulation techniques by finite element simulations
Authors: Schneider Manuel , Buschbaum Jan , Joeris Alexander , Röhrle Oliver , Dwyer Jonathan , Hunter James B. , Reynolds Richard A.K. , Slongo Theodor F. , Gueorguiev Boyko , Varga Peter 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTImplants used to correct pathological varus–valgus deformities (VVD) and leg length discrepancies (LLD) may not be optimized for the specific treatment, as suggested by their off‐label use. Detailed analysis of this issue has been limited by the poorly understood mechanical behavior of the growing physis and ignorance of the loads acting on the implants. The aim of this study was to predict and compare the loading conditions of a growth modulation implant in VVD and LLD treatments. Idealized finite element (FE) models of the juvenile distal femur treated with the Eight‐Plate implant were developed for VVD and LLD. Bone growth was simulated using thermal strains. The axial force in the plate was compared between the two treatments. Case‐specific plate forces were predicted by virtually reproducing the screw deformation visible on radiographs of LLD (N = 4) and VVD (N = 4) clinical cases. The simple FE models reproduced the clinical implant deformations well. The resulting forces ranged from 129 to 580 N for the VVD patients. For LLD, this range was from 295 to 1002 N per plate, that is, 590–2004 N for the entire physis. The higher forces in LLD could be explained by restricted screw divergence in the double‐sided implant application. For the first time, the loading conditions of a growth modulation implant were investigated and compared between two treatments by FE analyses, and the range of case‐specific loads was predicted. These simulation tools may be utilized for guiding appropriate usage and for efficient development of implants. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1398–1405, 2018.