bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endocarditis: Who Is Particularly at Risk and Why? Ten Years Analysis of Risk Factors for In-hospital Mortality in Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Ostovar Roya , Schroeter Filip , Erb Michael , Kuehnel Ralf-Uwe , Hartrumpf Martin , Albes Johannes M. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background Endocarditis is continuously increasing. Evidence exist that the prognosis is adversely affected by the extent of the disease. We looked at risk factors influencing in-hospital mortality (HM).
Patients and Methods Between 2010 and 2019, 484 patients, 338 males (69.8%) with mean age of 66.1 years were operated on because of proven endocarditis. In a retrospective study, a risk factor analysis was performed.
Results Overall HM was 30.17%. Significant influencing factors (odds ratios [ORs] or p-value) for HM were: age (p = 0.004), logistic EuroSCORE (p< 0.001), gender (OR = 1.64), dialysis (OR = 2.64), hepatic insufficiency (OR = 2.17), reoperation (OR = 1.77), previously implanted valve (OR = 1.97), periannular abscess (OR = 9.26), sepsis on admission (OR = 12.88), and number of involved valves (OR = 1.96). Development of a sepsis and HM was significantly lower if Streptococcus mitis was the main pathogen in contrast to other bacteria (p< 0.001). Staphylococcus aureus was significantly more often found in patients with a previously implanted prosthesis (p = 0.03) and in recurrent endocarditis (p = 0.02), while it significantly more often showed peripheral septic emboli than the other pathogens (p< 0.001).
Conclusion Endocarditis remains life-threatening. Severe comorbidities adversely affected early outcome, particularly, in presence of periannular abscesses. Patients with suspected endocarditis should be admitted to a specialized heart center as early as possible. Streptococcus mitis appears to be less virulent than S. aureus. Further studies are required to verify these findings.
Giant Prolactinoma Embedded by Pseudoaneurysm of the Cavernous Carotid Artery Treated with a Tailored Therapeutic Scheme
Authors: Mercuri Valeria , Armocida Daniele , Paglia Francesco , Patrizia Gargiulo , Santoro Antonio , D'Angelo Luca 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The coexistence of intracranial aneurysm (IA) is generally thought to be highest in patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs). Different mechanisms may play a role in aneurysm formation, but whether the PA contributes to aneurysm formation is still unclear. In the literature, there are numerous reported cases of this association; however, the analyses of the characteristics of PAs, aneurysms, and treatment management are rare and limited to a restricted number of case reports. We report a rare case of an embedded aneurysm in a macroprolactinoma treated with therapeutic management tailored to the clinical, neurological, and radiological characteristics of the patient. To select the best treatment, we reviewed the literature and reported the only cases in which the radiological characteristics of aneurysms, PAs, therapeutic management, and patient outcome are described. We aimed to understand what are the variables that determine the best therapeutic management with the best possible outcome. The presence of a large pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery completely embedded in a giant macroprolactinoma is rare and needs a tailored treatment strategy. The importance of the preoperative knowledge of asymptomatic IA coexisting with PA can avoid accidental rupture of the aneurysm during surgical resection and may lead to planning the best treatment. A high degree of suspicion for an associated aneurysm is needed, and if magnetic resonance imaging shows some atypical features, digital subtraction angiography must be performed prior to contemplating any intervention to avoid iatrogenic aneurysmal rupture. Our multimodal approach with the first-line therapy of low-dose cabergoline to obtain prolactin normalization with minimum risks of aneurysms rupture and subsequent endovascular treatment with flow diverter has not been described elsewhere to our knowledge. In the cases, we suggest adopting a tailored low-dose cabergoline therapy scheme to avoid rupture during cytoreduction and initiate a close neuroradiological follow-up program.
Organophosphate-based flame retardant (tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate) reduces fecundity and impairs embryonic development in marine invertebrates
Authors: Chiu Jill Man-Ying , Lee Yuk-Wa , Su Kelly 
Published: July 2022

Context It is important to understand how marine invertebrates may be affected by tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), as an organophosphorus flame retardant. Aim The present research verified the hypothesis that TDCIPP would adversely affect the growth, development and reproduction of Crepidula onyx (phylum Mollusca) and Tigriopus japonicus (phylum Arthropoda). Methods Effects of chronic exposure for the whole life cycle were examined at two concentrations of TDCIPP chosen on the basis of results from preliminary range-finding test. Key results Exposure to 1 and 10 μg L−1 of TDCIPP significantly reduced larval and juvenile survival rate and shell length in C. onyx. TDCIPP caused adverse reproductive effects, including abnormal embryonic development, which led to non-viable broods and the malformation of larvae. Exposure to TDCIPP resulted in a 100-fold increase in incidence rate of abnormal larva formation. In T. japonicus, exposure to TDCIPP (10 μg L−1) resulted in non-viable broods and a significant reduction in the number of eggs and number of nauplii. Conclusions Larval survival, larval growth, fecundity, and embryonic development were identified as the TDCIPP-affected ecological endpoints in the marine invertebrate C. onyx and T. japonicus. Implications From a management perspective, these results can help us assess the ecological risk posed by TDCIPP.
Cross-linguistic influence in the acquisition of articles in L3 English by Danish-Russian bilingual children
Authors: Savelieva Tatiana , Rodina Yulia 
Published: July 2022

AbstractRecent models of third language acquisition (L3A) propose that previous linguistic knowledge largely has a facilitative effect. That is, either typological proximity or linguistic similarity will mostly lead to facilitation and the patterns of non-facilitation will be rather subtle. The present study investigates whether Danish-Russian bilingual children may overcome difficulties associated with knowing Russian, an article-less language, and benefit from knowing Danish when learning L3 English. To isolate the effects of each language we use a subtractive language groups design and compare article use in bilinguals and two control groups (L1 Russian-L2 English and L1 Danish-L2 English children). The results of a forced choice elicitation task show that the use of articles is near target-like in Danish-Russian and L1 Danish children and that bilinguals outperform L1 Russian children. A detailed investigation of article use, misuse and omission errors also suggests that non-facilitation from Russian is virtually non-existent. Thus, young bilinguals can successfully transfer article semantics from Danish at early stages of L3A.
Topological excitations in rotating spin–orbit-coupled spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates with in-plane gradient magnetic field
Authors: Yang Hui , Su Xianghua , Zhang Yu , Wen Linghua 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
We investigate the topological excitations of rotating spin-1 ferromagnetic Bose–Einstein condensates with spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in an in-plane quadrupole field. Such a system sustains a rich variety of exotic vortex structures due to the spinor order parameter and the interplay among in-plane quadrupole field, SOC, rotation, and interatomic interaction. For the nonrotating case, with the increase of the quadrupole field strength, the system experiences a transition from a coreless polar-core vortex with a bright soliton to a singular polar-core vortex with a density hole. Without rotation but with a fixed quadrupole field, when the SOC strength increases, the system transforms from a central Mermin–Ho vortex into a criss-crossed vortex–antivortex string lattice. For the rotating case, we give a phase diagram with respect to the quadrupole field strength and the SOC strength. It is shown that the rotating system supports four typical quantum phases: vortex necklace, diagonal vortex chain cluster, single diagonal vortex chain, and few vortex states. Furthermore, the system favors novel spin textures and skyrmion excitations including an antiskyrmion, a criss-crossed half-skyrmion–half-antiskyrmion lattice, a skyrmion-meron necklace, a symmetric half-skyrmion lattice, and an asymmetric skyrmion-meron lattice.
Canopy precipitation interception in a lowland tropical forest in relation to stand structure
Authors: Cleophas F , Mahali M , Musta B , Zahari N Z , Lee L E , Bidin K 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
It is generally accepted that vegetation provides important ecosystem services especially in term of rainfall partitioning. This study aims to evaluate the influence of canopy structure namely crown area (CA), diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH) and crown spread (CS) and stand density on the partitioning of rainfall. Twelve throughfall plots of 20 x 20 m with 64 gauges randomly placed within each plot were established. For stemflow measurements, all trees within a 100 m2 plot within the study area were collared. Interception loss was computed as the difference between precipitation and throughfall plus stemflow. Throughfall ranged from 73.47 – 82.32 % of the gross rainfall. Stemflow was found to be roughly around 2.01% of the gross rainfall. Highest interception was 24.52 % attributed to the plot having the highest above ground biomass (AGB) density. The relation between canopy interception and forest structure were analyzed by regression method. Multiple regression analysis on the potential influence of stand structure to the throughfall percentage shows that all the forest structures variables measured in this study are negatively correlated to the amount of throughfall generated. This study suggests that forests with higher value of DBH, CA, CS and TH had higher interception rate.
Modelling height-diameter relationship of fifteen tree species planted on reclaimed agricultural lands with random species effects
Authors: Wang T-Y , Lam T Y 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Taiwan has a long history of reforesting degraded forest lands and reclaimed agricultural lands to improve forest ecosystem services. While the effort has been ongoing since 1950’s, very few studies attempted to understand how tree species planted on these lands are growing. To fill the knowledge gap, we established plots across elevation from 250 to 2500 m above sea level on reforested fruit orchards, betel nut farms, and bamboo plantations. Diameter and height of 15 plantation tree species were measured. Mixed effects modelling framework was applied to model tree height and diameter relationship of the 15 species with the Wykoff model. Random effects were added to species so that species with few observations could share information from species with abundant information. Preliminary results show that stand productivity and tree-level competition have potential effects on height-diameter relationship. Studying height-diameter relationship could assist decision making for better management of ecosystem services of reclaimed agricultural lands.
Diversity and composition of plant species in a communal agroforestry system at Manggatal, Sabah
Authors: Maid M , Mudi T , Ding A , Lajuni J , Kodoh J 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Agrisilviculture, the practise of combining forest trees with crops and fruit trees, is common on smallholder and communal land in Sabah. This research aims to determine the diversity and composition of plant species in a communal rubber-based agrisilvicultural system at Kampung Ratau, Manggatal, Sabah. A 50 m x 200 m plot was established in an old rubber garden mixed with other plants. The plot is divided into 10 m x 10 m quadrats. All trees measuring more than 1 cm dbh, lianas and vines were recorded. Diversity indicated by the Shannon-Weiner index H 'value is 2.72 for all types of plants, 2.25 for trees, and 1.73 for lianas and vines, respectively. The Simpson index (D) is 0.87, 0.78, and 0.68 for all types of plants, trees, lianas, and vines, respectively. The Margalef index (Dm) is 5.69, 3.36, and 2.89 for all types of plants, trees, lianas, and vines, respectively. The dominant tree, liana, and vine species are Hevea brasiliensis (128), Smilax cf. laevis (96), and Lygodium cirinnatum (23). The agroforestry system can support moderately diverse plant species and contains several dominant species.
How drought tolerant are tropical woody crop species – turgor loss points for the five most common species in the emerging landscapes on the Malaysian Peninsular
Authors: Kunert N , Brändle J 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Drought events are increasing with climate change and threaten the future of industrial plantations in Southeast Asia. Drought tolerance has been well investigated for oil palm plantations. A comparative study on the tolerance of different woody crop species is still missing. We assessed the leaf turgor loss point of five common woody crop species using osmometry. The aim was to assess possible future risks in terms of the species´ drought tolerance. The research was carried out in Simpang Pertang, Malaysia. We collected botanical material from five species, namely Acacia mangium, Hevea brasiliensis, Tectona grandis, Mangifera indica, and Elaeis guineensis. To assess the adaptation of the local tree species pool, we measured the turgor loss point of the 65 most abundant tree species in the Pasoh forest reserve for comparison. Measured species showed a wide range of drought tolerance, ranging from -2.56 MPa to -1.15 MPa and -2.46 MPa to -0.88 MPa for crop species and forest species, respectively. Under the current precipitation regime, there is less concern about the cultivation success of these species in the study area. With the predicted changes in rainfall intensity and frequency, a reduction in the productivity of woody crop plantations can be expected.
Discolouration and strength reduction of Bambusa vulgaris after the weathering process
Authors: Salim R M , Yuhana S , Liew K C , Ashaari Z , Wahab R , Alamjuri R H 
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad was studied for its colour and strength before and after weathering process. Bamboo splits of 300 mm (length) x 20 mm (width) x original thickness were conditioned in a conditioning room at 20±2°C and 65±2% relative humidity before and after weathering for 3, 6, and 9 weeks. A Minolta colour reader and a Munsell soil colour chart were used to assess the colour changes (ΔE) and whitish value (W) of bamboo splits before and after the weathering process. Using Universal Testing Machine, the strength of weathered bamboo splits was tested. Results show the colour of bamboo splits changed dramatically (8% to 21%) over time, whereas the whitish value (W) of the bamboo splits reduced 8% to 31% after 3 to 9 weeks of exposure. Bamboo density was reduced by 3% to 17%. Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rupture, in terms of strength qualities, were greatly reduced (20 MPa to 24 MPa) and (12 MPa to 16 MPa), respectively. After being exposed to the weather for 3, 6, and 9 weeks, the colour of Bambusa vulgaris changed substantially, and the density and strength of bamboo decreased.
Density profile of alkaline-treated and densified 3-layered Paraserianthes falcataria composites
Authors: Raman V , Liew K C 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWood densification is one of the wood modification methods that had been invented in the 1900s. However, this method was discontinued due to lack of knowledge to completely understand the process. Findings indicated that the procedure of wood densification had been remediated in recent years due to increase competition in construction materials and the needs of quality structural materials. In this study, low-density plantation timber,Paraserianthes falcatariawas pretreated with alkaline before undergoing densification process. The aim of this paper was to determine the density profile of the treated and untreated densified 3-layeredP. falcatariacomposites. Alkaline pretreatment using NaOH was done according to soda pulping method to remove partially lignin from the timber used. Wood densification was done according to hot-pressing mathematical modelled by previous researchers, to enhance the properties of timber, such as density, by compressing the timber cell wall structure to eliminate voids between walls. In this study, 3%, 6% and 9% NaOH were used with 0% NaOH as control and the results for density profile showed that densified composites treated with 6% NaOH has the highest density profile, while densified composites treated with 0% NaOH (control) has the lowest density profile.
Growth, osmoregulation and ionoregulation of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) yolk-sac larvae at different salinities
Authors: Yanagitsuru Yuzo R , Daza Itza Y , Lewis Levi S , Hobbs James A , Hung Tien-Chieh , Connon Richard E , Fangue Nann A 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) is a threatened anadromous fish species that spawns in freshwater to moderately brackish (i.e. 5–10 ppt) reaches of the upper San Francisco Estuary and has declined to ~1% of its pre-1980s abundances. Despite 50+ years of population monitoring, the efficacy of 10+ years of conservation efforts for longfin smelt remain uncertain due to a limited understanding of how the species responds to environmental variation, such as salinity. For example, high mortality during larval stages has prevented culture efforts from closing the life cycle in captivity. Here, we investigated the effects of salinity on longfin smelt yolk-sac larvae. Newly hatched larvae from four single-pair crosses were acutely transferred to and reared at salinities of 0.4, 5, 10, 20 or 32 ppt. We compared whole-body water and sodium ion (Na+) content, notochord length and yolk-sac volume at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-transfer for each salinity treatment. We found that larvae maintained osmotic and ionic balance at 0.4–10 ppt, whereas salinities ˃10 ppt resulted in decreased water and increased whole-body Na+ content. We also found that larvae grew largest and survived the longest when reared at 5 and 10 ppt, respectively, and that yolk resorption stalled at 0.4 ppt. Finally, there were significant but small interclutch variations in responses to different salinities, with clutch accounting for &lt;8% of the variance in our statistical models. Overall, our results indicate that longfin smelt yolk-sac larvae likely perform best at moderately brackish conditions, thus yielding a mechanism that explains their distribution in field surveys and providing key information for future conservation efforts.
Application Costs and Congestion in Matching Markets
Authors: He YingHua , Magnac Thierry 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
A matching market often requires recruiting agents, or ‘programmes’, to costly screen ‘applicants’, and congestion increases with the number of applicants to be screened. We investigate the role of application costs: higher costs reduce congestion by discouraging applicants from applying to certain programmes; however, they may harm match quality. In a multiple-elicitation experiment conducted in a real-life matching market, we implement variants of the Gale-Shapley deferred-acceptance mechanism with different application costs. Our experimental and structural estimates show that a (low) application cost effectively reduces congestion without harming match quality.
A Case Report of Melioidotic Prostatic Abscess in a Traveler
Authors: Verdecia Jorge L , Jankowski Christopher A , Isache Carmen L , Neilsen Chad D , McCarter Yvette S , Sands Michael L , Ravi Malleswari 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
A 48-year-old man who had returned from Panama 5 weeks prior presented with fever, dysuria, hematuria, flank pain, and suprapubic pain and was found to have a prostatic abscess. Abscess fluid obtained during transurethral drainage grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. Blood cultures remained negative, and imaging did not show any other visceral abscess. This presentation of primary prostatic melioidosis is extremely rare in this region.
Psychosocial Interventions at the End-of-Life
Authors: Chew Nicolle Marie , Ting Ee Lynn , Kerr Lucille , Brewster David J. , Russo Philip L. 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundThe integration of holistic and effective end-of-life (EOL) care into cancer management has increasingly become a recognized field. People living with terminal cancer and their caregivers face a unique set of emotional, spiritual, and social stressors, which may be managed by psychosocial interventions.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the types and characteristics of psychosocial interventions at the EOL for adult cancer patients and their caregivers and to identify gaps in the current literature.MethodsA systematic search was conducted through MEDLINE (Ovid) and CINAHL from January 1, 2011, to January 31, 2021, retrieving 2453 results. A final 15 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Ten percent of the original articles were cross-checked against study eligibility at every stage by 2 experienced researchers.ResultsMost interventions reported were psychotherapies, with a predominance of meaning or legacy-related psychotherapies. Most interventions were brief, with significant caregiver involvement. Most studies were conducted in high-income, English-speaking populations.ConclusionThere is robust, although heterogeneous, literature on a range of psychosocial interventions at the EOL. However, inconsistencies in the terminology used surrounding EOL and means of outcome assessment made the comparison of interventions challenging.Implication for PracticeFuture studies will benefit from increased standardization of study design, EOL terminology, and outcome assessment to allow for a better comparison of intervention efficacy. There is a need for increased research in psychosocial interventions among middle- to low-income populations exploring social aspects, intimacy, and the impact of COVID-19.
multiMiAT: An optimal microbiome-based association test for multicategory phenotypes
Authors: Sun Han , Wang Yue , Xiao Zhen , Huang Xiaoyun , Wang Haodong , He Tingting , Jiang Xingpeng 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMicrobes affect the metabolism, immunity, digestion and other aspects of the human body incessantly, and dysbiosis of the microbiome drives not only the occurrence but also the development of disease (i.e., multiple statuses of disease). Recently, microbiome-based association tests have been widely developed to detect the association between the microbiome and host phenotype. However, existing methods have not achieved satisfactory performance in testing the association between the microbiome and ordinal/nominal multicategory phenotypes (e.g., disease severity and tumor subtype). In this paper, we propose an optimal microbiome-based association test for multicategory phenotypes, namely, multiMiAT. Specifically, under the multinomial logit model framework, we first introduce a microbiome regression-based kernel association test (multiMiRKAT). As a data-driven optimal test, multiMiAT then integrates multiMiRKAT, score test and MiRKAT-MC to maintain excellent performance in diverse association patterns. Massive simulation experiments prove the excellent performance of our method. multiMiAT is also applied to real microbiome data experiments to detect the association between the gut microbiome and clinical statuses of colorectal cancer development and the association between the gut microbiome and diverse development statuses of Clostridium difficile infections.