bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Short‐ and long‐term effects of habitat fragmentation differ but are predicted by response to the matrix
Authors: Evans Maldwyn J. , Banks Sam C. , Driscoll Don A. , Hicks Andrew J. , Melbourne Brett A. , Davies Kendi F. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractHabitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Our current understanding of the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation is based largely on studies that focus on either short‐term or long‐term responses. Short‐term responses are often used to predict long‐term responses and make management decisions. The lack of studies comparing short‐ and long‐term responses to fragmentation means we do not adequately understand when and how well short‐term responses can be extrapolated to predict long‐term responses, and when or why they cannot. To address this gap, we used data from one of the world's longest‐running fragmentation experiments, The Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment. Using data for carabid beetles, we found that responses in the long term (more than 22 yr post‐fragmentation ≈22 generations) often contrasted markedly with those in the short term (5 yr post‐fragmentation). The total abundance of all carabids, species richness and the occurrence of six species declined in the short term in the fragments but increased over the long term. The occurrence of three species declined initially and continued to decline, whilst another species was positively affected initially but decreased in the long term. Species’ responses to the matrix that surrounds the fragments strongly predicted both the direction (increase/decline in occurrence) and magnitude of their responses to fragmentation. Additionally, species’ responses to the matrix were somewhat predicted by their preferences for different types of native habitat (open vs. shaded). Our study highlights the degree of the matrix's influence in fragmented landscapes, and how this influence can change over time. We urge caution in using short‐term responses to forecast long‐term responses in cases where the matrix (1) impacts species’ responses to fragmentation (by isolating them, creating new habitat or altering fragment habitat) and (2) is likely to change through time.
Preparation of Exoergic Insulating Composite Material Using Electrostatic Adsorption Model
Authors: FUJII ATSUHIRO , HIROTA SHOU , MURAKAMI YOSHINOBU , MUTO HIROYUKI , KAWASHIMA TOMOHIRO , TAJIRI KUNIHIRO , SHIOTA HIROKI , TSURIMOTO TAKAO , NAGAO MASAYUKI 
Published: December 2016

SUMMARYTo understand the properties of composite insulating materials, dc breakdown testing and the thermal conductivity measurement of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/aluminum oxide (alumina) composite material created using the electrostatic adsorption method were performed. In the PMMA/alumina sample, which has an alumina as a main particle and a PMMA as an adsorption particle, the dc breakdown strength decreased as the alumina content was increased. It is thought that the increase of the interface between an alumina particle and a PMMA particle leads to a lower dc breakdown strength. The thermal conductivity in PMMA/alumina composite material increased with an increase in the alumina content. From these results, it is suggested that the electrostatic adsorption method can produce the various structures in the material and the insulating materials with various properties such as a higher thermal conductivity and greater tolerable breakdown strength by using a combination of the particle size of the main particle and the adsorption particles.
Biological mechanism of post‐herpetic neuralgia: Evidence from multiple patho‐psychophysiological measures
Authors: Peng W.W. , Guo X.L. , Jin Q.Q. , Wei H. , Xia X.L. , Zhang Y. , Huang P.C. , Wang W.C. , Li S.L. , Wang J.S. , Chen J. , Hu L. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractBackgroundPost‐herpetic neuralgia (PHN), which develops after the resolution of a herpes zoster eruption, is an exceptionally drug‐resistant neuropathic pain. The unsatisfactory management of PHN partly results from the difficulty in dissecting out its contributing factors due to the complexity of PHN mechanism.MethodsHere, to elaborate our understanding of the PHN mechanism and to establish a basis for effective therapeutic strategies, we comprehensively investigated the contributions of multiple factors to PHN severity.ResultsBased on the comparison of somatosensory detection thresholds (C, Aδ and Aβ fibre thresholds) between affected and unaffected sides, 16 PHN patients with significant sensory deficits and 13 PHN patients without significant sensory deficits were identified and assigned to different groups. The different extents of lesions in the nociceptive system between patients with and without sensory deficits were confirmed using laser‐evoked brain responses. Moreover, patients with sensory deficits had more severe pain and psychological disorders, e.g. anxiety and depression. Importantly, chronic pain severity was significantly influenced by various psychophysiological factors (sleep disturbances, psychological disorders and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis dysfunction) for patients with sensory deficits.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated the contribution of multiple patho‐psychophysiological factors to PHN severity, which could help establish a basis for the development of a rational, patient‐centred therapeutic strategy.SignificanceThis study revealed the contribution of multiple patho‐psychophysiological factors to PHN severity, which expanded our understanding of the underlying PHN mechanism, and helped develop a rational, patient‐centred therapeutic strategy targeting towards the corresponding etiology and psychophysiological disorders for individual patient.
Modular fluidic resistors to enable widely tunable flow rate and fluidic switching period in a microfluidic oscillator
Authors: Dang Van Bac , Kim Sung‐Jin 
Published: December 2016

Microfluidic systems with modular components are attractive alternatives to monolithically integrated microfluidic systems because of their flexibility. In this study, we apply the modular concept on a water‐head‐pressure‐driven microfluidic oscillator and obtain a widely tunable flow rate and fluidic switching period. Modular fluidic resistors can be easily mounted onto and demounted from a main chip by means of plastic male connectors. The connectors enable a leak‐free connection between the modular resistors and main chip (leakage pressure > 140 kPa). With modular resistors, we show independent control of the flow rate and flow switching period of the oscillator system in a wide range (2.5 s–6.4 h and 2 μL/min–2 mL/min). This modular approach can be used to enhance the flexibility of instruction‐embedded microfluidic circuits in which their operational range is limited.
Variation in malathion sensitivity among populations of Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi) and implications for risk assessment
Authors: Hoskins Tyler D. , Boone Michelle D. 
Published: December 2016

Abstract

Intraspecific variability in contaminant sensitivity could undermine risk assessments for nontarget organisms such as amphibians. To test how amphibian populations vary in tolerance to anticipated lethal and sublethal exposures to a pesticide, we exposed Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi) from 3 populations across a broad portion of their range to the insecticide malathion. Exposure in mesocosms to a nominal concentration of 1 mg/L (measured concentrations at 1 h and 24 h postaddition of 0.160 mg/L and 0.062 mg/L, respectively), a realistic direct-overspray scenario, reduced survival to metamorphosis by 43% relative to controls and revealed variation in tolerance among populations. Survival ranged from 74% for the most tolerant population to 18% for the least tolerant population, a 4.1-fold difference. Mass at metamorphosis and time to metamorphosis were unaffected. Although malathion reduced zooplankton abundance, it did not alter food resources (periphyton or phytoplankton relative abundance), or a suite of water-quality variables (pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen). A 96-h time-to-death assay designed to isolate direct, lethal effects also revealed variation in tolerance among populations. Time to death (mean ± standard error) ranged from 2.4 ± 0.18 h for the least tolerant population to 17.8 ± 4.72 h for the most tolerant population, a 7.4-fold difference. However, relative sensitivities of populations differed in the mesocosm and laboratory studies, which differed in exposure concentrations, suggesting that populations tolerant of high concentrations can be more sensitive to lower concentrations. We suggest that direct overspray could reduce larval survival in the field for this species. Studies assessing the role of contaminants in declines or extrapolating to untested populations, especially across large geographical regions, should quantify the range of intraspecific variation. Risk assessors could address intraspecific variability directly by using an intraspecific uncertainty factor. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1917–1923. © 2016 SETAC
Optimization of durum wheat bread enriched with bran
Authors: Saccotelli Maria A. , Conte Amalia , Burrafato Krystel R. , Calligaris Sonia , Manzocco Lara , Del Nobile Matteo A. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractAn attempt is made in this study to balance the nutritional and sensory quality of bread. In particular, the formulation of a functional durum wheat bread enriched with bran at high concentration has been developed. Organogel concentration and bran particle size have been used as process variables for bread optimization. Bran concentration was increased at value as high as 15%, thus increasing the nutritional content, even though the sensory quality decreased. Bread was scored barely acceptable at 15% bran concentration. Therefore, the organogel concentration and bran particle size have been optimized to enhance bread sensory quality. Results show that it is possible to prepare bread with a significant bran enrichment without compromising its acceptability by adding proper concentration of organogel and using bran in appropriate particles size.
Quantifying the unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia: a critical review of the quality of measures
Authors: Mansfield Elise , Boyes Allison W , Bryant Jamie , Sanson‐Fisher Rob 
Published: December 2016

ObjectiveThe array of demanding tasks carried out by caregivers of people with dementia have significant negative impacts on their physical, mental and social well‐being. Needs assessment allows individuals to indicate the extent to which their needs across different areas have or have not been met, allowing for estimations of the prevalence of needs and the extent to which help is required. This approach is extremely valuable in a clinical context, as it enables identification of the areas with which caregivers report a particular desire for help and allows targeting of support and resources to those who identify high levels of unmet needs. This systematic review aimed to critically examine the psychometric properties of measures that assess unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia.MethodsMedline, Embase, PsycINFO and Cochrane electronic databases were searched between January 1990 and August 2015 for English‐language publications describing the development or validation of measures assessing the unmet needs of adult caregivers of people with dementia. The psychometric properties of included measures were assessed against standard criteria for psychometric quality.ResultsFour measures met the inclusion criteria. Only half of the indices of psychometric quality were tested across measures. Three measures had adequate internal consistency reliability, of which one also showed adequate test–retest reliability. Two measures reported adequate construct validity, while criterion validity was not assessed for any measure.ConclusionsThere is a clear need to develop a psychometrically rigorous instrument to identify the unmet needs of caregivers of people with dementia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and characterization of a novel scaffold for bone tissue engineering based on Wharton's jelly
Authors: Martínez Cristian , Fernández Carlos , Prado Miguel , Ozols Andres , Olmedo Daniel G. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractA composite is a material made of more than one component, and the bond between the components is on a scale larger than the atomic scale. The objective of the present study was to synthesize and perform the structural characterization and biological evaluation of a new biocomposite (BCO) based on a novel combination of an organic and an inorganic phase, for bone tissue engineering applications. The organic phase consisted of Wharton's jelly (WJ), which was obtained from embryonic tissue following a protocol developed by our laboratory. The inorganic phase consisted of bioceramic particles (BC), produced by sintering hydroxyapatite (HA) with β‐ tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP), and bioactive glass particles (BG). Each phase of the BCO was fully characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR. Biocompatibility was evaluated in vivo in the tibiae of Wistar rats (n = 40). Histological evaluation was performed at 0, 1, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days. XRD showed the phases corresponding to HA and β‐TCP, whereas diffractogram of BG showed it to have an amorphous structure. EDS showed mainly Si and Na, Ca, P in BG, and Ca and P in HA and β‐TCP. FTIR identified bonds between the organic and inorganic phases. From a mechanical viewpoint, the composite showed high flexural strength of 40.3 ± 0.8 MPa. The synthesized BCO exhibited adequate biocompatibility as shown by formation of lamellar type bone linked by BG and BC particles. The biomaterial presented here showed excellent mechanical and biocompatibility properties for its potential clinical use. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1034–1045, 2017.
A Mendelian Randomization Study of the Effect of Type-2 Diabetes and Glycemic Traits on Bone Mineral Density
Authors: Ahmad Omar S , Leong Aaron , Miller Julie Ann , Morris John A , Forgetta Vincenzo , Mujammami Muhammad , Richards J Brent 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT

Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is associated in observational studies with both higher bone mineral density (BMD) and higher fracture risk for given BMD. These relationships may however be confounded by factors such as body mass index (BMI). Here we used Mendelian randomization (MR) to obtain non-confounded estimates of the effect of T2D and glycemic traits on BMD. We identified genetic variants strongly associated with T2D risk (34,840 T2D cases and 114,981 controls) and fasting glucose (133,010 nondiabetic individuals), but not associated with BMI, and determined the effects of these variants on BMD (up to 83,894 individuals). Using these variants as instrumental variables, we found that a genetically-increased risk of T2D increased femoral neck BMD (+0.034 SD in BMD per unit increase in log-odds of T2D [95% CI, 0.001 to 0.067; p = 0.044]). Genetically-increased fasting glucose also increased femoral neck BMD (+0.13 SD in BMD per mmol/L increase in fasting glucose [95% CI, 0.01 to 0.25; p = 0.034]). Similar nonsignificant trends were observed for the effects of T2D and fasting glucose on lumbar spine BMD. Our results indicate that both genetically-increased T2D risk and genetically-increased fasting glucose have weak positive effects on BMD. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
c‐Myc‐Dependent Cell Competition in Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Patel Manish S. , Shah Heta S. , Shrivastava Neeta 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACTCell Competition is an interaction between cells for existence in heterogeneous cell populations of multicellular organisms. This phenomenon is involved in initiation and progression of cancer where heterogeneous cell populations compete directly or indirectly for the survival of the fittest based on differential gene expression. In Drosophila, cells having lower dMyc expression are eliminated by cell competition through apoptosis when present in the milieu of cells having higher dMyc expression. Thus, we designed a study to develop c‐Myc (human homolog) dependent in vitro cell competition model of human cancer cells. Cells with higher c‐Myc were transfected with c‐myc shRNA to prepare cells with lower c‐Myc and then co‐cultured with the same type of cells having a higher c‐Myc in equal ratio. Cells with lower c‐Myc showed a significant decrease in numbers when compared with higher c‐Myc cells, suggesting “loser” and “winner” status of cells, respectively. During microscopy, engulfment of loser cells by winner cells was observed with higher expression of JNK in loser cells. Furthermore, elimination of loser cells was prevented significantly, when co‐cultured cells were treated with the JNK (apoptosis) inhibitor. Above results indicate elimination of loser cells in the presence of winner cells by c‐Myc‐dependent mechanisms of cell competition in human cancer cells. This could be an important mechanism in human tumors where normal cells are eliminated by c‐Myc‐overexpressed tumor cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1782–1791, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Compressed sensing for body MRI
Authors: Feng Li , Benkert Thomas , Block Kai Tobias , Sodickson Daniel K. , Otazo Ricardo , Chandarana Hersh 
Published: December 2016

The introduction of compressed sensing for increasing imaging speed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has raised significant interest among researchers and clinicians, and has initiated a large body of research across multiple clinical applications over the last decade. Compressed sensing aims to reconstruct unaliased images from fewer measurements than are traditionally required in MRI by exploiting image compressibility or sparsity. Moreover, appropriate combinations of compressed sensing with previously introduced fast imaging approaches, such as parallel imaging, have demonstrated further improved performance. The advent of compressed sensing marks the prelude to a new era of rapid MRI, where the focus of data acquisition has changed from sampling based on the nominal number of voxels and/or frames to sampling based on the desired information content. This article presents a brief overview of the application of compressed sensing techniques in body MRI, where imaging speed is crucial due to the presence of respiratory motion along with stringent constraints on spatial and temporal resolution. The first section provides an overview of the basic compressed sensing methodology, including the notion of sparsity, incoherence, and nonlinear reconstruction. The second section reviews state‐of‐the‐art compressed sensing techniques that have been demonstrated for various clinical body MRI applications. In the final section, the article discusses current challenges and future opportunities.Level of Evidence: 5J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:966–987
Liver fibrosis: Review of current imaging and MRI quantification techniques
Authors: Petitclerc Léonie , Sebastiani Giada , Gilbert Guillaume , Cloutier Guy , Tang An 
Published: December 2016

Liver fibrosis is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen in the liver interstitial space. All causes of chronic liver disease may lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis. The severity of liver fibrosis influences the decision to treat or the need to monitor hepatic or extrahepatic complications. The traditional reference standard for diagnosis of liver fibrosis is liver biopsy. However, this technique is invasive, associated with a risk of sampling error, and has low patient acceptance. Imaging techniques offer the potential for noninvasive diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of liver fibrosis. Recently, several of these have been implemented on ultrasound (US), computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Techniques that assess changes in liver morphology, texture, or perfusion that accompany liver fibrosis have been implemented on all three imaging modalities. Elastography, which measures changes in mechanical properties associated with liver fibrosis—such as strain, stiffness, or viscoelasticity—is available on US and MRI. Some techniques assessing liver shear stiffness have been adopted clinically, whereas others assessing strain or viscoelasticity remain investigational. Further, some techniques are only available on MRI—such as spin‐lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T1ρ), diffusion of water molecules, and hepatocellular function based on the uptake of a liver‐specific contrast agent—remain investigational in the setting of liver fibrosis staging. In this review, we summarize the key concepts, advantages and limitations, and diagnostic performance of each technique. The use of multiparametric MRI techniques offers the potential for comprehensive assessment of chronic liver disease severity.Level of Evidence: 5J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1276–1295
Changes in precipitation extremes over the Kelantan River Basin, Malaysia
Authors: Tan Mou Leong , Ibrahim Ab Latif , Cracknell Arthur P. , Yusop Zulkifli 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACTRegional spatio‐temporal assessment of extreme precipitation is essential to develop better climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. This study evaluated trends in precipitation extremes from 1985 to 2014 in the Kelantan River Basin (KRB), Malaysia. Forty‐one climate stations that had <10% missing data, and which passed the data quality control and homogeneity tests were selected. Trends of 14 precipitation extreme indices recommended by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices that related to duration, threshold, absolute, relative and percentile indices were analysed using the Mann–Kendall and Sen's tests. Generally, most of the regional precipitation extremes' indices had increased trends, except the consecutive dry days and consecutive wet days, which are quite consistent with global scale trends studies. On a monthly scale, the maximum 5‐day precipitation amount (Rx5d) had increasing trends in January (34.91 mm decade−1) and December (13.96 mm decade−1), by field significance at 95% confidence level. For spatial context, most of the stations with significant trends were distributed in the south‐western (mountainous) and northern (near‐coastal) regions. In the Tropics, the KRB's extremes indices trends had a similar pattern to the West Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean regions, but were different from Western Thailand, the South China Sea and the North Inter‐tropical Convergence Zone, showing that trends of precipitation extreme events are different regionally. Overall, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Multivariate El‐Niño Southern Oscillation Index, Indian Ocean Dipole and Madden‐Julian Oscillation had a significant relationship with all precipitation extremes' indices, and they are contributors to climate changes in this basin.