Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity: A meta‐analysis of grouse populations

Abstract Livestock grazing affects over 60% of the world's agricultural lands and can influence rangeland ecosystem services and the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat, resulting in changes in biodiversity. Concomitantly, livestock grazing has the potential to be detrimental to some wildlife species while benefiting other rangeland organisms. Many imperiled grouse species require rangeland landscapes that exhibit diverse vegetation structure and composition to complete their life cycle. However, because of declining populations and reduced distributions, grouse are increasingly becoming a worldwide conservation concern. Grouse, as a suite of upland gamebirds, are often considered an umbrella species for other wildlife and thus used as indicators of rangeland health. With a projected increase in demand for livestock products, better information will be required to mitigate the anthropogenic effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity. To address this need, we completed a data‐driven and systematic review of the peer‐reviewed literature to determine the current knowledge of the effects of livestock grazing on grouse populations (i.e., chick production and population indices) worldwide. Our meta‐analysis revealed an overall negative effect of livestock grazing on grouse populations. Perhaps more importantly, we identified an information void regarding the effects of livestock grazing on the majority of grouse species. Additionally, the reported indirect effects of livestock grazing on grouse species were inconclusive and more reflective of differences in the experimental design of the available studies. Future studies designed to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing on wildlife should document (i) livestock type, (ii) timing and frequency of grazing, (iii) duration, and (iv) stocking rate. Much of this information was lacking in the available published studies we reviewed, but is essential when making comparisons between different livestock grazing management practices and their potential impacts on rangeland biodiversity.
Biological processing in oscillatory baffled reactors: operation, advantages and potential

The development of efficient and commercially viable bioprocesses is essential for reducing the need for fossil-derived products. Increasingly, pharmaceuticals, fuel, health products and precursor compounds for plastics are being synthesized using bioprocessing routes as opposed to more traditional chemical technologies. Production vessels or reactors are required for synthesis of crude product before downstream processing for extraction and purification. Reactors are operated either in discrete batches or, preferably, continuously in order to reduce waste, cost and energy. This review describes the oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR), which, generally, has a niche application in performing ‘long’ processes in plug flow conditions, and so should be suitable for various bioprocesses. We report findings to suggest that OBRs could increase reaction rates for specific bioprocesses owing to low shear, good global mixing and enhanced mass transfer compared with conventional reactors. By maintaining geometrical and dynamic conditions, the technology has been proved to be easily scaled up and operated continuously, allowing laboratory-scale results to be easily transferred to industrial-sized processes. This is the first comprehensive review of bioprocessing using OBRs. The barriers facing industrial adoption of the technology are discussed alongside some suggested strategies to overcome these barriers. OBR technology could prove to be a major aid in the development of commercially viable and sustainable bioprocesses, essential for moving towards a greener future.
Glycerol Overproduction by Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Yeast Strains Leads to Substantial Changes in By-Product Formation and to a Stimulation of Fermentation Rate in Stationary Phase

ABSTRACT Six commercial wine yeast strains and three nonindustrial strains (two laboratory strains and one haploid strain derived from a wine yeast strain) were engineered to produce large amounts of glycerol with a lower ethanol yield. Overexpression of the GPD1 gene, encoding a glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, resulted in a 1.5- to 2.5-fold increase in glycerol production and a slight decrease in ethanol formation under conditions simulating wine fermentation. All the strains overexpressing GPD1 produced a larger amount of succinate and acetate, with marked differences in the level of these compounds between industrial and nonindustrial engineered strains. Acetoin and 2,3-butanediol formation was enhanced with significant variation between strains and in relation to the level of glycerol produced. Wine strains overproducing glycerol at moderate levels (12 to 18 g/liter) reduced acetoin almost completely to 2,3-butanediol. A lower biomass concentration was attained byGPD1-overexpressing strains, probably due to high acetaldehyde production during the growth phase. Despite the reduction in cell numbers, complete sugar exhaustion was achieved during fermentation in a sugar-rich medium. Surprisingly, the engineered wine yeast strains exhibited a significant increase in the fermentation rate in the stationary phase, which reduced the time of fermentation.
Modelling the elastin, collagen and smooth muscle contribution to the duodenal mechanical behaviour in patients with systemic sclerosis

Abstract Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a connective tissue disease that involves the gastrointestinal tract. Previous experiments have shown abnormal intestinal motility, dilatation, wall stiffening and impaired smooth muscle function. Consequently, understanding the association between intestinal wall mechanics, structure and function is important. The aim was to establish a model for differentiating the biomechanical remodelling of elastin, collagen and smooth muscle in the duodenum in SS patients. A duodenal distension protocol was used in six patients and five healthy controls. A theoretical model for evaluating the mechanical contributions of elastin, collagen and smooth muscle tone was established. The tension–strain curves computed from pressure and cross‐sectional area data were analysed. The elastic modulus of elastin, the relationship between the collagen recruitment, collagen density and the active tension were calculated. The model fitted the clinical data well. The material constant for elastin in the patients was 30% lower than in the control group (P = 0.005). More collagen was recruited in patients than in healthy volunteers. Eighty percent of the collagen fibres were recruited at stretch ratio 0.85–2.26 (1.61 averaged) in patients and at the stretch ratio 2.55–3.73 (2.97 averaged) in healthy controls. The maximum active muscle tension and the corresponding strain were lowest in the patients (P = 0.01). The model can be used to determine the contribution of tissue components to the mechanical behaviour of duodenum. The stiffer wall in patient was due to the small stretch ratio for the maximum collagen recruitment but the muscle activity was also impaired.
Geochronologic and isotopic evidence for involvement of pre-Pan-African crust in the Nubian shield, Egypt

Two Late Proterozoic granitic bodies from the Eastern Desert of Egypt, the ca. 578 Ma Nakhil and the ca. 595 Ma Aswan granites, provide insights into processes of crust formation in the Arabian-Nubian shield. Evidence for involvement of an older crustal component in the formation of the Nakhil granite includes (1) U/Pb zircon data that establish a crystallization age of 578 {plus minus} 15 Ma and indicate the presence of inherited zircons possibly as old as 1.6 Ga; (2) an elevated model initial {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr (0.7136); and (3) an elevated initial {sup 207}Pb/{sup 204}Pb (15.561) relative to model mantle compositions at 578 Ma. Evidence for involvement of an older crustal component in the Aswan granite comes from the elevated initial {sup 207}Pb/{sup 204}Pb (15.611). In contrast, extensive crustal contamination is not reflected in the high initial {epsilon}{sub Nd} (+5.7) for the Nakhil and the low initial {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr (0.7029) for the Aswan granite. The contrasting inferences from the different isotopic systems can be explained by the high whole-rock Nd and Sr concentration for the the Nakhil (87 ppm Nd) and the Aswan (173 ppm Sr) granites, respectively, that suggest that the Nd and Sr isotopic composition of themore » older component has been overshadowed by the more primitive material. Similar contrasts in Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic data from the eastern and western shield margins can be interpreted in the same manner and might suggest widespread involvement of older crustal components in the formation of the Late Proterozoic Arabian-Nubian shield. « less
Cognitive correlates of a functional COMT polymorphism in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a common microdeletion syndrome associated with a markedly elevated risk of schizophrenia in adulthood. Cognitive impairments such as a low IQ and deficits in attention and executive function are common in childhood. The catechol O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene maps within the deleted region and is involved in the degradation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter thought to be important in cognition and the development of schizophrenia. Thus, we examined the correlation between neurocognitive deficits and a common polymorphism Val158Met in the COMT gene in a cohort of children with 22q11DS. Our results show that children with 22q11DS who have the Met allele have higher IQ and achievement scores and perform better on measures of prefrontal cognition, such as the Continuous Performance Task, as compared with those with the Val allele. These results confirm that the hemizygous COMT Val158Met genotype impacts upon cognition in children with 22q11DS.
Confidence intervals for effect sizes: compliance and clinical significance in the Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology.

OBJECTIVE In 2005, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) became the first American Psychological Association (APA) journal to require statistical measures of clinical significance, plus effect sizes (ESs) and associated confidence intervals (CIs), for primary outcomes (La Greca, 2005). As this represents the single largest editorial effort to improve statistical reporting practices in any APA journal in at least a decade, in this article we investigate the efficacy of that change. METHOD All intervention studies published in JCCP in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008 were reviewed. Each article was coded for method of clinical significance, type of ES, and type of associated CI, broken down by statistical test (F, t, chi-square, r/R(2), and multivariate modeling). RESULTS By 2008, clinical significance compliance was 75% (up from 31%), with 94% of studies reporting some measure of ES (reporting improved for individual statistical tests ranging from eta(2) = . 05 to . 17, with reasonable CIs). Reporting of CIs for ESs also improved, although only to 40%. Also, the vast majority of reported CIs used approximations, which become progressively less accurate for smaller sample sizes and larger ESs (cf. Algina & Kessleman, 2003). CONCLUSIONS Changes are near asymptote for ESs and clinical significance, but CIs lag behind. As CIs for ESs are required for primary outcomes, we show how to compute CIs for the vast majority of ESs reported in JCCP, with an example of how to use CIs for ESs as a method to assess clinical significance.
Vision‐related quality of life in patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy

(three Caucasians, one Chinese; three women, one man), ranging in age from 37 to 60 years, with progressive visual loss (preoperative visual acuities were 0.5, 0.25, LP+ and 1.2) and ⁄or extensive and progressive visual field defects (in all) underwent a lateral or anterior orbitotomy because of an apically located OCH. All tumours were partially removed after opening of the capsula in a piecemeal fashion. Three of them developed a retrobulbar bleeding during extubation, for which the orbits were reopened. The operation in the 4th patient, a 44-year-old woman, was complicated by profuse bleeding necessitating repeated bipolar coagulation. Final visual acuity was finger counting in 3 and no light perception in one. The incidence, clinical presentation and characteristics of orbital OCHs are nowadays well known (McNab & Wright 1989). Discussion remains on the origin of OCHs and how to deal with apically located representatives. Most OCHs present in the lateral part of the middle third of the orbit, which area is rich of vascular structures. In this region, OCHs can grow by easily pushing aside other structures (Harris 2010). These are easily accessible by an anterior or lateral orbitotomy and can be removed with subtle traction using, for instance, a cryocoagulation probe. It is this kind of OCH that has an apple shape on scans. In contrast, OCHs in the orbital apex, having a pear-shaped configuration, show a different growth pattern, in which the surrounding capsula fuses with adjacent vessels and nerves in an early stage of the disease. Total removal by orbitotomy is impeded by poor visualization, lack of manoeuvring space, excessive bleeding by traction and disruption of blood vessels, damaging of nerve vessels and the ciliary ganglion. Partial removal with or without bipolar cautery shrinkage has been suggested as an alternative procedure (McNab & Wright 1989; Harris 2010). Our experience does not support this option. Although histologic proof and size reduction was the goal of surgery in apical OCHs and these tumours were approached with minimal traction, significant bleeding during or shortly after the operation necessitated reopening of the wounds. Anaesthetic data showed no sudden increase in systemic blood pressure during or immediately after surgery. Unlike in more anteriorly located OCHs, in which the complete lesion can be removed within their capsula, the disruption of the lesion’s capsula in our four patients may be the explanation of the bleeding during or after surgery. Apparently, at least in our hands, a piecemeal OCH excision is not a viable option. Irradiation (Khan et al. 2009; Rootman et al. 2012) or a combined neurosurgical ⁄ endoscopic (Locatelli et al. 2011.) orbital approach (using neuronavigation) with microdissection and the use of an operation microscope may be better options to treat these lesions. Larger series, however, are needed to confirm this assumption.
Influence of Normal Daytime Fat Deposition on Laboratory Measurements of Torpor Use in Territorial versus Nonterritorial Hummingbirds

Fat deposition and torpor use in hummingbirds exhibiting distinct foraging styles should vary. We predicted that dominant territorial hummingbirds will use torpor less than subordinate nonterritorial species because unrestricted access to energy by territory owners allows for fat storage. Entry into torpor was monitored using open‐flow respirometry on hummingbirds allowed to accumulate fat normally during the day. Fat accumulation was measured by solvent fat extraction. Territorial blue‐throated hummingbirds (Lampornis clemenciae) had the highest fat accumulation and used torpor only 17% of the time. Fat storage by L. clemenciae averaged 26% of lean dry mass (LDM) in 1995 and 18% in 1996, similar to that measured for other nonmigratory birds. Fat storage by magnificent hummingbirds (Eugenes fulgens; trapliner) and black‐chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri; nectar robber) averaged 19% and 16% of LDM, respectively, and they used torpor frequently (64% and 92% of the time, respectively). All species initiated torpor if total body fat dropped below 10% of LDM, indicating the existence of a torpor threshold. The ability of L. clemenciae to store enough fat to support nighttime metabolism is likely an important benefit of territoriality. Likewise, frequent torpor use by subordinates suggests that natural restrictions to energy intake can impact their energy budget, necessitating energy conservation by use of torpor.
Microwave palaeointensity study of the Jorullo volcano (Central Mexico)

SUMMARY A single lava flow from the earliest eruption period (ca AD 1759-1774) of the Jorullo vol- cano, Michoacan-Guanajuato volcanic field (MGVF), Mexico has been sampled to determine the palaeointensity of the magnetic field at the time of extrusion. Both conventional Thellier- Thellier experiments and two variants of the microwave palaeointensity technique (Coe variant of the Thellier-Thellier method and the perpendicular applied field method) have been con- ducted. High-quality palaeointensity results (mean of 46.6 ± 6.3 µT from 15 samples using all three methods) have been obtained, with both techniques in good agreement. This study presents further evidence of the equivalence of both microwave and thermal methods and adds to the database of palaeomagnetic data from the monogenetic volcanoes of Central America.
Shear at the critical diurnal latitude

[i] Around latitudes |φ| ≈30° where diurnal D 1 equals the local inertial frequency f = 2Ωsinφ, Ω denoting the Earth's rotational vector, several mechanisms can enhance shear at f due to a reduction in vertical scales. This would imply locally enhanced deep-ocean mixing. Here, recent 1.5 years of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) observations from the Canary Basin demonstrate largest kinetic energy at semidiurnal tides (D 2 ), but a complete absence of D 2 -shear. Instead, shear is peaking at subinertial 0.97 ± 0.01f and terdiurnal 3f(≈D 2 + f≈ D 3 here), and vertical scales Az(f) < 0.1 Δz(D 2 ). However, the f-band is broader than deterministic tidal frequencies and the smallest vertical scales, organizing shear in thin layers, are found at the lower inertio-gravity wave limit, which equals 0.97f for the weakest stratification observed (N = 6f, using Az = 10 m). Hence, besides possibly subharmonic resonance, other mechanisms must be involved in enhancing f-shear, including non-linear harmonic interactions and wave trapping at the critical latitude's poleward shift.
Influence of the prescribed solar spectrum on calculations of atmospheric temperature

Significant differences in heating rates are found when two solar irradiance spectra are used in a line‐by‐line radiative transfer code. Compared with a spectrum of recent satellite data an older theoretical spectrum gives 20–40% more heating in the ozone Hartley band, important in the upper stratosphere. The spectra are implemented in a broad‐band radiation code to which some improvements are also made to the ozone absorption parameterization. A widely‐used spectrum of ground‐based data from 1960s gives somewhat lower heating rates. The effects of the changes in the spectrum, and the broad‐band scheme, on the temperatures simulated by a middle atmosphere GCM are investigated. The model has previously shown a warm bias, compared with climatology, around the stratopause but this is significantly reduced when the former spectrum is substituted for the latter, and the new ozone parameterization incorporated. The change in spectrum accounts for two‐thirds of the improvement.
Dissolved organic carbon and its carbon isotope compositions in hill slope soils of the karst area of southwest China: Implications for carbon dynamics in limestone soil

Copyright © 2014 by The Geochemical Society of Japan. 2001; Smith et al., 1998). DOC is operationally defined as the organic matter fraction in solution that passes a 0.45 μm filter. It comprises only a small part of soil organic matter, but it affects many processes in soil and water, including the most serious environmental problems such as soil and water pollution, as well as global warming (Kalbitz and Kaiser, 2003; Bolan et al., 2004). Many studies have shown that DOC is a crucial environmental indicator for research on the carbon cycle and the environment (Don and Kalbitz, 2005; McDowell et al., 2006). During the last 30 years, land use and land cover changes have markedly increased DOC concentrations in UK rivers (Yallop and Clutterbuck, 2009). In short, determining the retention and turnover of DOC at global and regional scales is useful for characterizing and quantifying the C storage capacity of soils. Stable carbon isotopes are a powerful tool for assessing the origin and dynamics of carbon in soils. Terrestrial plants can be divided into C3, C4, and CAM plants according to their photosynthetic pathways. C3 plants have δ13C values ranging from –20‰ to –35‰ (mean ca. –27‰), while C4 plants have δ13C values ranging between –9‰ and –17‰ (mean ca. –13‰). CAM plants use both C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways, having δ13C values between those of C3 and C4 plants (O’Leary, 1988; Farquhar et al., 1989). Soil organic matter (SOM) has a Dissolved organic carbon and its carbon isotope compositions in hill slope soils of the karst area of southwest China: Implications for carbon dynamics in limestone soil
Alkalinized lidocaine and heparin provide immediate relief of pain and urgency in patients with interstitial cystitis.

INTRODUCTION It has been reported in an open-label study that the combination of alkalinized lidocaine and heparin can immediately relieve the symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, and pain associated with interstitial cystitis (IC). This combination has also been reported to relieve pain associated with sex in patients with IC. AIM The aim of this study was to corroborate these findings in a multicenter setting. METHODS The study design was a multicenter prospective, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial. Each participant met all of the clinical National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria (excluding cystoscopy) for IC. Each patient received drug and control, in random order, within 48 hours of enrolling in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was percent change in pain score (11-point analog pain scale) 12 hours after receiving the drug or control. Secondary measures were the global assessment response (GAR) of symptoms and 12-hour average urgency reduction determined from 11-point urgency scales. RESULTS Eighteen (18) patients completed the trial. The average reduction of pain over 12 hours was 21% for control and 42% for active drug (P = 0.0363). GAR was 13% for control and 50% for drug (P = 0.0137). Average urgency reduction was 13% for control and 35% for drug (P = 0.0328). CONCLUSIONS The combination of alkalinized lidocaine and heparin provides up to 12 hours of relief from urgency and pain associated with IC. This combination provides significant immediate relief of symptoms for patients with IC.
Centre for Dynamic Macroeconomic Analysis Working Paper Series Money and Monetary Policy in Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Models Forthcoming in the Manchester School

* We thank Charles Nolan and David Ulph for many useful discussions and valuable comments, and Sun Qi for research assistance. We are also grateful to seminar participants at St Andrews, the Bank of England, the Verein für Socialpolitik and the 2006 MMF Conference for their constructive comments. The usual disclaimer applies. ABSTRACT We compare two methods of motivating money in New Keynesian DSGE Models: Money-in-the-utility function and cash-in-advance constraint, as well as two ways of modelling monetary policy: interest rate feedback rule and money growth rules. As an aid to model selection, we use a new econometric measure of the distance between model and data variance-covariance matrices. The proposed measure is useful in distinguishing between alternative general equilibrium models. We find that the models closed by an estimated interest rate feedback rule imply counter-cyclical policy and inflation rates, which is at odds with the data. This problem is not a feature of models closed by an estimated money growth rule. Drawing on our econometric analysis, we argue that the cash-in-advance model, closed by a money growth rule, comes closest to the data.