bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrafast 3D spin-echo acquisition improves Gadolinium-enhanced MRI signal contrast enhancement
Authors: Han S. H. , Cho F. H. , Song Y. K. , Paulsen J. , Song Y. Q. , Kim Y. R. , Kim J. K. , Cho G. , Cho H.
Published: May 2014

Long scan times of 3D volumetric MR acquisitions usually necessitate ultrafast in vivo gradient-echo acquisitions, which are intrinsically susceptible to magnetic field inhomogeneities. This is especially problematic for contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI applications, where non-negligible T2* effect of contrast agent deteriorates the positive signal contrast and limits the available range of MR acquisition parameters and injection doses. To overcome these shortcomings without degrading temporal resolution, ultrafast spin-echo acquisitions were implemented. Specifically, a multiplicative acceleration factor from multiple spin echoes (×32) and compressed sensing (CS) sampling (×8) allowed highly-accelerated 3D Multiple-Modulation-Multiple-Echo (MMME) acquisition. At the same time, the CE-MRI of kidney with Gd-DOTA showed significantly improved signal enhancement for CS-MMME acquisitions (×7) over that of corresponding FLASH acquisitions (×2). Increased positive contrast enhancement and highly accelerated acquisition of extended volume with reduced RF irradiations will be beneficial for oncological and nephrological applications, in which the accurate in vivo 3D quantification of contrast agent concentration is necessary with high temporal resolution.
Recent developments in proteomic methods and disease biomarkers
Authors: Bergman Nina , Bergquist Jonas
Published: May 2014

Due to the difficulties with poor sample quality, high complexity combined with low concentrations of relevant biomarkers in their respective matrices, the success of proteomics have been rather limited. We have however now finally reached the situation where more and more identified and validated biomarkers/biomarker panels are presented and used in clinical routine.
Detection of proteins by hyphenated techniques with endogenous metal tags and metal chemical labelling
Authors: Campanella Beatrice , Bramanti Emilia
Published: May 2014

The absolute and relative quantitation of proteins plays a fundamental role in modern proteomics, as it is the key to understand still unresolved biological questions in medical and pharmaceutical applications.
Surface chemistry and entrapment of magnesium nanoparticles into polymeric micelles: a highly biocompatible tool for photothermal therapy
Authors: Locatelli E. , Matteini P. , Sasdelli F. , Pucci A. , Chiariello M. , Molinari V. , Pini R. , Comes Franchini M.
Published: May 2014

A novel highly biocompatible nanosystem containing Mg nanoparticles is reported, characterized and tested as a suitable and non-toxic tool for photothermal therapy.
Fabrication and formation mechanism of Mn2O3 hollow nanofibers by single-spinneret electrospinning
Authors: Yang Guorui , Yan Wei , Wang Jianan , Yang Honghui
Published: May 2014

Well-defined Mn2O3 hollow nanofibers with a smooth wall were successfully fabricated by the single-spinneret electrospinning method. The possible formation mechanism was introduced based on temperature-dependent experiments.
Facile synthesis of ternary homogeneous ZnS1−xSex nanosheets with tunable bandgaps
Authors: Sun Jing , Chen Yumin , Xu Zhong-Ning , Chen Qing-Song , Wang Guan-E , Zhang Ming-Jian , Lu Gang , Wu Ke-Chen , Guo Guo-Cong
Published: May 2014

Homogeneous ternary ZnS1−xSex nanosheets were easily fabricated through thermal decomposition of lamellar inorganic–organic hybrid precursors; their complete composition and bandgap tunability are demonstrated.
Controllable growth of Ag2S–CdS heteronanostructures
Authors: Zhang Yejun , Shen Shuling , Wang Qiangbin
Published: May 2014

High quality Ag2S–CdS heteronanostructures were prepared via a facile one-pot method.
Filament theory based WORM memory devices using aluminum/poly(9-vinylcarbazole)/aluminum structures
Authors: Suresh Aswin , Krishnakumar Govind , Namboothiry Manoj A. G.
Published: May 2014

Al/PVK/Al unipolar WORM devices with RON/ROFF ratios of 108.
Gold(iii) compounds containing a chelating, dicarbanionic ligand derived from 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl
Authors: David B. , Monkowius U. , Rust J. , Lehmann C. W. , Hyzak L. , Mohr F.
Published: May 2014

Various gold(iii)heterocycles were prepared and their structures and photophysical properties were examined.
Syntheses, structures and flexible coordination of sterically demanding di- and “tri”-lithiated methandiides
Authors: Sindlinger Christian P. , Stasch Andreas
Published: May 2014

Sequential lithiation of a sterically demanding bis(iminophosphoranyl)methane afforded di- and trianionic methandiide lithium complexes and their structures and coordination behaviour have been studied with solid state and solution methods.
A smartphone-based chip-scale microscope using ambient illumination
Authors: Lee Seung Ah , Yang Changhuei
Published: May 2014

We report on a compact, lensless and field-portable microscope using the camera module of a smartphone and ambient light for illumination.
Polymethylhydrosiloxane derived palladium nanoparticles for chemo- and regioselective hydrogenation of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds in water
Authors: Damodara Dandu , Arundhathi Racha , Ramesh Babu T. Venkata , Legan Margaret K. , Kumpaty Hephzibah J. , Likhar Pravin R.
Published: May 2014

Chemo- and regioselective hydrogenation of a wide range of nitro compounds has been achieved with polysiloxane-stabilised ''Pd'' nanoparticles and PMHS in water.
Construction of C(sp2)–S and C(sp2)–Se bonds via a silver(i)-mediated coupling reaction of heterocyclic ketene aminals with diaryl dichalcogenides
Authors: Jiang Xiu-Yang , Liu Zhi-Cheng , Fang Li , Yan Sheng-Jiao , Lin Jun
Published: May 2014

A novel Ag(i)-mediated direct coupling reaction using HKAs and diaryl dichalcogenides for the construction of C(sp2)–chalcogenide bonds is reported. The transformation leads to a variety of α-arylthio and α-phenylselanyl HKAs with high regioselectivity and excellent yields.
Mitigating UVA light induced reactivity of 6-thioguanine through formation of a Ru(ii) half-sandwich complex
Authors: Mitra Raja , Samuelson Ashoka G.
Published: May 2014

Half-sandwich ruthenium complexes of 6-thioguanine.
Gallium(iii) xanthate as a novel thermal latent curing agent for an epoxy resin composite
Authors: Vagvala Tarun Chand , Pandey Shyam Sudhir , Ogomi Yuhei , Hayase Shuzi
Published: May 2014

The latent thermal curing catalyst “Ga(iii) xanthate” for an epoxy resin/phenol composite, and its curing behaviour are reported.
Electrochemically promoted synthesis of polysubstituted oxazoles from β-diketone derivatives and benzylamines under mild conditions
Authors: Yuan Gaoqing , Zhu Zechen , Gao Xiaofang , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: May 2014

An efficient electrochemical route has been developed to synthesize polysubstituted oxazoles, without the use of hazardous oxidants and transition metal catalysts.
A porous Cd(ii)-MOF-coated quartz fiber for solid-phase microextraction of BTEX
Authors: Li Yan-An , Yang Fan , Liu Zhao-Cai , Liu Qi-Kui , Dong Yu-Bin
Published: May 2014

The utilization of a porous Cd(ii)-MOF ([Cd(L)2(ClO4)2]·H2O) (L = 4-amino-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl-3-phenyl)-1,2,4-triazole) with good thermal/chemical stability for solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) is reported.
Flexible and highly stable electrospun nanofibrous membrane incorporating gold nanoclusters as an efficient probe for visual colorimetric detection of Hg(ii)
Authors: Senthamizhan Anitha , Celebioglu Asli , Uyar Tamer
Published: May 2014

Here, we describe the visual colorimetric detection of Hg2+ based on a flexible fluorescent electrospun nanofibrous membrane (NFM).
Chaperone protein involved in transmembrane transport of iron
Authors: Yanatori Izumi , Yasui Yumiko , Tabuchi Mitsuaki , Kishi Fumio
Published: May 2014

DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1) is the main iron importer found in animals, and ferrous iron is taken up by cells via DMT1. Once ferrous iron reaches the cytosol, it is subjected to subcellular distribution and delivered to various sites where iron is required for a variety of biochemical reactions in the cell. Until now, the mechanism connecting the transporter and cytosolic distribution had not been clarified. In the present study, we have identified PCBP2 [poly(rC)-binding protein 2] as a DMT1-binding protein. The N-terminal cytoplasmic region of DMT1 is the binding domain for PCBP2. An interaction between DMT1 and PCBP1, which is known to be a paralogue of PCBP2, could not be demonstrated in vivo or in vitro. Iron uptake and subsequent ferritin expression were suppressed by either DMT1 or PCBP2 knockdown. Iron-associated DMT1 could interact with PCBP2 in vitro, whereas iron-chelated DMT1 could not. These results indicate that ferrous iron imported by DMT1 is transferred directly to PCBP2. Moreover, we demonstrated that PCBP2 could bind to ferroportin, which exports ferrous iron out of the cell. These findings suggest that PCBP2 can transfer ferrous iron from DMT1 to the appropriate intracellular sites or ferroportin and could function as an iron chaperone.
Inverse dynamics modelling of upper‐limb tremor, with cross‐correlation analysis
Authors: Ketteringham Laurence P. , Western David G. , Neild Simon A. , Hyde Richard A. , Jones Rosie J.S. , Davies‐Smith Angela M.
Published: May 2014

A method to characterise upper‐limb tremor using inverse dynamics modelling in combination with cross‐correlation analyses is presented. A 15 degree‐of‐freedom inverse dynamics model is used to estimate the joint torques required to produce the measured limb motion, given a set of estimated inertial properties for the body segments. The magnitudes of the estimated torques are useful when assessing patients or evaluating possible intervention methods. The cross‐correlation of the estimated joint torques is proposed to gain insight into how tremor in one limb segment interacts with tremor in another. The method is demonstrated using data from a single patient presenting intention tremor because of multiple sclerosis. It is shown that the inertial properties of the body segments can be estimated with sufficient accuracy using only the patient's height and weight as a priori knowledge, which ensures the method's practicality and transferability to clinical use. By providing a more detailed, objective characterisation of patient‐specific tremor properties, the method is expected to improve the selection, design and assessment of treatment options on an individual basis.
Document image super‐resolution using structural similarity and Markov random field
Authors: Chen Xiaoxuan , Qi Chun
Published: May 2014

Low‐resolution (LR) document images may cause difficulties in reading or low recognition rates in computer vision. Thus, it is necessary to improve the resolution of an LR document image via some algorithms. In this study, a novel document image super‐resolution (SR) method using structural similarity and Markov random field (MRF) is proposed. First, the non‐local algorithm is utilised to find similar patches. Instead of using the Euclidian distance, a modified chi‐square distance is proposed to measure the patch similarity because the bimodality characteristic of the document images can be better described by this modified chi‐square distance. Finally, the structural similarity of similar patches is served as a constraint for the MRF‐based SR method, which is proper to describe the neighbouring relationship between patches. The SR reconstruction for LR images of printed and handwritten documents are carried out by the proposed algorithm. Experimental results show that the reconstructed SR images obtain higher peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and structural similarity values than those of several state‐of‐the‐art SR methods and visually pleasant SR images can be produced as well.
Intelligent hybrid watermarking ancient‐document wavelet packet decomposition‐singular value decomposition‐based schema
Authors: Maatouk Mohamed Neji , Essoukri Ben Amara Najoua
Published: May 2014

The ancient documents represent one of the author's history pillars that preserve the historical events for the next generation. Many digitisation projects have been launched to preserve and to diffuse them to the public. However, ensuring security is a challenge since digital documents are susceptible to be hacked. Thus, watermarking the images of the documents seems to be a promising solution mainly for protect the copyright. Many watermarking algorithms have been proposed particularly in the medical field. However, no solution has been recommended for the images of ancient documents. In this study, the authors present a watermarking approach devoted to store images. Their algorithm is based on a wavelet packet decomposition, an intelligent choice of the best base carrier points by way of the singular value decomposition. In their approach, the insertion base and the carrier points of the signature are dynamic, varying from one image to another. For a better preservation of the watermark, they exploited a convolutional encoder to encode data. The results recorded in a set of images of ancient documents taken from the National Library of Tunisia and from the National Archives of Tunis have shown promising results.
Understanding drivers’ perspective on parking guidance information
Authors: Ji Yanjie , Guo Weihong , Blythe Phil , Tang Dounan , Wang Wei
Published: May 2014

Parking guidance and information (PGI) systems are thought to enable a more efficient control and management of the traffic and the use of the available car park in urban areas. Despite the installation of PGI systems in many cities and their operation for a number of years, the levels of usage of PGI remain much lower than expected. To guide investment and operational decisions, this study examines the existing PGI systems from the drivers’ perspective. The results show that PGI is not efficiently used and often ignored by drivers because of the inaccurate or out‐of‐date nature of the information it is displaying. Habitual behaviour also played an important role in the choices of a car park. However, the results of the research also show that there is a desire for more accurate, dynamic and personalised parking information through different means at pre‐trip stage and en‐route stage. The results of this survey should provide some guidance in the design of future PGI systems.
Getting drivers to do the right thing: a review of the potential for safely reducing energy consumption through design
Authors: McIlroy Rich C. , Stanton Neville A. , Harvey Catherine
Published: May 2014

Transport, particularly private vehicle use, contributes a disproportionately large amount to the degradation of the environment. Although advancements in energy production and vehicular technologies are critical for abatement, behaviour change will also have to be seen, hence the requirement for the application of Ergonomics. This review article aims to bring together various strands of research, including the effect of the design of a technological object on behaviour, the inter‐related nature of goals and feedback in guiding performance, the effect on fuel economy of different driving styles and the various challenges brought by hybrid and electric vehicles, including range anxiety, workload and distraction, complexity and novelty. Finally, it is argued that Ecological Interface Design, in presenting the constraints of the system to the driver, is well suited to deal with the novelty of the low‐carbon vehicle, supports the development of accurate mental‐models of the system, and can be used for the design of in‐vehicle interfaces that encourage energy‐conserving driving behaviours while minimising distraction and workload, thus ensuring safety.
Method for accuracy assessment of aggregated freeway traffic data
Authors: Jagadeesh George R. , Dhinesh George R. , Srikanthan Thambipillai
Published: May 2014

Accurate traffic data are crucial for advanced traveller information and traffic management applications. However, it is widely acknowledged that limitations in the monitoring and communication technologies lead to significant inaccuracies in the estimates of traffic parameters such as traffic volume and travel speed. Currently deployed traffic data quality control methods do little more than identifying implausible outliers. This study presents an efficient method based on the concept of spatial consistency for assessing the accuracies of aggregated segment‐wise traffic volumes in a freeway network. A novelty of the proposed approach is that unlike most other comparable solutions, it does not depend on the availability of good quality historical traffic data or well‐calibrated reference stations. The method has been validated using simulated data generated by a microscopic traffic simulator. It has been found that the accuracy estimates produced by the proposed method strongly correlate with the actual accuracies of the input traffic data that have been corrupted with two types of synthetic errors.
Q‐switched thulium‐doped fibre laser operating at 1900 nm using multi‐layered graphene based saturable absorber
Authors: Saidin Norazlina , Zen Dess Iskandar Md , Ahmad Fauzan , Damanhuri Siti Sarah Ahmad , Ahmad Harith , Dimyati Kaharudin , Harun Sulaiman Wadi
Published: May 2014

A stable passive Q‐switched thulium‐doped fibre laser (TDFL) operating at the 1900 nm region is demonstrated by using a multi‐layer graphene film‐based saturable absorber (SA). The graphene is synthesised by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite at room temperature in 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate aqueous solution. Graphene flakes obtained from the process are mixed with polyethylene oxide as the host polymer to produce free standing composite thin film which acts as a passive Q‐switcher in the TDFL ring cavity. At 793 nm pump power of 186 mW, the TDFL generates an optical pulse train with a repetition rate of 7.5 kHz, pulse width of 19.7 μs and a pulse energy of 66.6 nJ. A higher performance Q‐switched TDFL could be achieved with the optimisation of the graphene SA and the laser cavity.
Hierarchy control of power quality for wind – battery energy storage system
Authors: Li Kai , Xu Hongbing , Ma Qian , Zhao Ji
Published: May 2014

Uncertainty of the wind results in a fluctuating power output of wind turbine generators, and consequently, causes adverse impacts on the stability of system frequency and voltage. To smooth such power fluctuation, this study proposes a power quality control strategy based on a three‐level hierarchical structure for wind – battery energy storage hybrid power system, including grid demand calculating level, energy management level and voltage‐source converters control level. The advantage of the control strategy is that the state of charge of a battery energy storage system is regulated within proper range and the voltage at the point of common coupling is kept stable while smoothing wind power. Effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations and experiments.
Innovative orderly programmable in‐plane majority gates using trapezoid shape nanomagnet logic devices
Authors: Zhang Bin , Yang Xiaokuo , Wang Zhichun , Zhang Mingliang
Published: May 2014

Programmable circuit components are indispensable for nanomagnet logic (NML, also called magnetic quantum‐dot cellular automata) devices. Two alternative programmable majority gates (PMGs) (PMG1 and PMG2) for in‐plane NML are proposed. The presented designs both utilise trapezoid shape nanomagnets (nanomagnet with a slanted edge) to form the structures. With only a uniform layout and a homogeneous clocking field, the proposed structures can orderly reconfigure eight input combinations of the majority gates, and they also demonstrate superior performance over the regular shape nanomagnet‐based PMG. The innovative design could find technological application in the field of majority gate‐based programmable magnetic circuits (e.g. programmable nanomagnetic Full Adder).
Stability improving effect of silver diamminohydroxide precursor in green hydrothermal synthesis of silver nanoparticle colloids
Authors: Wang Cheng , Zhang Wei , Li Wenbin , Liu Ruping , Liu Guohua
Published: May 2014

The results of this reported work indicate that the precursor plays a significant role as well as surfactant in the hydrothermal synthesis of high‐quality silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). To address the existent stability difficulties in the long‐term storage and application conditions of AgNP hydrocolloids, silver diamminohydroxide ([Ag(NH3)2]OH) is attempted as the silver precursor instead of conventional silver nitrate (AgNO3), which has been widely utilised. A simple green synthesis approach of size controllable quasi‐spherical AgNP hydrocolloid using glucose reducer and dextran surfactant is experimentally adopted as a demonstration. Experimental results show that under the same synthesis conditions, [Ag(NH3)2]OH precursor‐based AgNP hydrocolloid products perform with much higher stability than AgNO3 based products. Also, the monodispersity of products is considerably improved.
Watercress‐based gold nanoparticles: biosynthesis, mechanism of formation and study of their biocompatibility in vitro
Authors: Pourhassan‐Moghaddam Mohammad , Zarghami Nosratollah , Mohsenifar Afshin , Rahmati‐Yamchi Mohammad , Gholizadeh Davud , Akbarzadeh Abolfazl , de la Guardia Miguel , Nejati‐Koshki Kazem
Published: May 2014

To avoid the potential adverse effects of chemically‐synthesised gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), a new method is developed for their biosynthesis using watercress total extract (WTE) and it is compared it with the citrate‐based method. Synthesised AuNPs were characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analysis and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the mechanism and biocompatibility of WTE‐based AuNPs were evaluated by MTT assay. The colour of the WTE‐based AuNPs was directly changed from yellow to deep red without any intermediate colour change and spectrophotometric analysis showed significant differences in absorbance as well as peak surface plasmon resonance of synthesised AuNPs as compared with the use of sodium citrate. Formation of AuNPs in the WTE‐based method was faster than the method using citrate. TEM pictures showed similar sizes of the AuNPs obtained by both methods, but WTE‐based AuNPs were more spherical and the range of sizes provided minor differences with TEM results. FTIR confirmed the involvement of WTE compounds in the structure of AuNPs during biosynthesis and the MTT assay did not show any considerable anti‐growth effect of WTE‐based AuNPs on target cells. Hence, it seems clear that WTE‐AuNPs could be used for various biological‐related purposes including drug delivery, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.
To Coerce or to Enable? Exercising Formal Control in a Large Information Systems Project
Authors: Heumann Jakob , Wiener Martin , Remus Ulrich , Mähring Magnus
Published: May 2014

In virtually every information systems (IS) project, control is exercised on multiple hierarchical project levels. For example, senior managers exercise control over project team leaders, who in turn exercise control over distinct groups of project team members. Most prior studies have exclusively focused on one specific controller-controllee dyad. As a result, there is little understanding of how IS project control is exercised across different hierarchical levels. To close this research gap, we conducted a case study of a large IS project at a major engineering firm. Our study helps enrich the traditional mode-based typology of control with the dimension of control style, that is, the distinction between enabling and coercive control. Our research contributes novel insights to the IS control literature in three ways: (1) we find that the senior management level and the project management level differ in the use of control style but not in the use of control modes, (2) we identify several factors that influence the choice of a particular control style, and (3) we find that senior managers can influence project activities on lower levels by implementing controls that can be readily emulated by project leaders as well as transmitted through hierarchical levels with little distortion.
Collaborative Governance for Technological Innovation: A Comparative Case Study of Wind Energy in Xinjiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong
Authors: Mah Daphne Ngar-Yin , Hills Peter
Published: May 2014

This paper examines relationships between collaborative governance and technological innovation. Collaborative governance is a key strategy for this form of innovation but remains underresearched. This paper explores how and to what extent collaborative governance can contribute to technological innovation by means of a case study of wind energy in China. Drawing on a comparative analysis of three provinces—Xinjiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong—the paper presents three major findings. Firstly, the three provinces reflect local variations in their models of government–industry–university collaboration. Xinjiang illustrates a hierarchical model, Shanghai's model is highly institutionalised, whereas Guangdong has adopted a market model. Secondly, the mechanisms for collaborative governance are conceptualised into three integral elements: resources (such as funds, personnel, and technological knowledge), structures (such as collaborative institutions and learning networks), and processes (such as resource pooling and learning). Thirdly, the Chinese model of collaborative governance for technological innovation shares some important characteristics with Western models but also exhibits some differences: the relatively limited role of public service organisations, a domestic market dominated by state-owned enterprises, the relatively inactive role of industrial associations, and an emergence of policy networks distinguish the Chinese models.
Embedding Arts and Humanities in the Creative Economy: The Role of Graduates in the UK
Authors: Comunian Roberta , Faggian Alessandra , Jewell Sarah
Published: May 2014

The recent change in funding structure in the UK higher education system has fuelled an animated debate about the role that arts and humanities (A&H) subjects play not only within higher education but more broadly in the society and the economy. The debate has engaged with a variety of arguments and perspectives, from the intrinsic value of A&H, to their contribution to the broader society and their economic impact, particularly in relation to the creative economy, through knowledge exchange activities. The paper argues that in the current debate very little attention has been placed on the role that A&H graduates play in the economy, through their work after graduation, and specifically in the creative economy. Using Higher Education Statistical Agency data, we analyse the performance of A&H graduates (compared with other graduates) and particularly explore how embedded they are with the creative economy and its associated industries. The results highlight a complex intersection of different subdisciplines of the A&H with the creative economy but also reveal the salary gap and unstable working conditions experienced by graduates in this field.
Hybridity of Representation: Insights from River Basin Management Planning in Scotland
Authors: Blackstock Kirsty L , Waylen Kerry A , Marshall Keith M , Dunglinson Jill
Published: May 2014

The relationship between governance and representation is examined using the development of river basin management plans (RBMPs) in Scotland as a case study. We used a longitudinal ethnographic approach to explore the (1) remit and rationale for representation choices; (2) representative characteristics and claims; and (3) influence of nonparticipating interests on representatives. The invite-only ‘advisory group’ members represent a network of state, private, and third-sector interests. The members make claims to represent others on the basis of authority, accountability, shared identity, and epistemic values. These claims are made for specific although often multiple and overlapping constituencies. These representation claims suggest that representative, rather than traditional, legitimacy is being defended. However, members were also concerned about how the RBMP advisory groups coexisted with traditional and direct democratic processes. The results need to be considered within the overall system of environmental governance within Scotland, the UK, and Europe. The findings are relevant to multiple fields of environmental management, including protected area management and coastal management.
Age and season effects on quality of diets selected by Criollo crossbred goats on rangeland
Authors: Gaytán Leticia , Salem Abdel-Fattah Z. M. , Rodríguez Alvaro , García Jose E. , Arévalo Jose R. , Mellado Miguel
Published: May 2014

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of age of goats (4-week old, 6.2 ± 0.7 kg vs mature, 46.9 ± 5.6 kg) and season (rainy vs dry) on nutrient content of diets selected by Criollo crossbred female goats on an overgrazed Chihuahuan desert rangeland. Two groups of goats, 10 goat kids and 10 non-lactating pluriparous goats from a commercial goat herd were used. Diet quality and dry matter (DM) intake was assessed via repeated collections (3-h periods) of forage from the mouth of goats, which were momentarily restrained using a light short permanent rope tightened to their neck while grazing. Feed intake was assessed by 24-h fecal collection with canvas fecal-collection bags. Mature animals ate more (P  <  0.01, 23 g DM/kg bodyweight ± 7 s.d.) than goat kids (19.5 g DM/kg  bodyweight ± 6 s.d.) across grazing seasons, but DM digestibility of selected diet was greater (P < 0.01) in goat kids than in mature goats (58.5 ± 4.0% vs 55.3 ± 3.5%, respectively) across seasons. Ash (100 ± 16 vs 79 ± 13 g/kg DM), phosphorus (1.36 ± 0.41 vs 1.13 ± 0.36% DM) and crude protein (94.5 ± 4 vs 88.5 ± 5 g/kg DM) contents were greater (P < 0.01) in diets selected by goat kids compared with mature goats. Dietary protein was greater in rainy than in the dry season. Across grazing seasons, herbage selected by goat kids had a lower (P < 0.01) concentration of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre than did that selected by mature goats. There was an age by grazing season interaction (P < 0.05) for most chemical components of forages selected by goats. In conclusion, both age and season affected diet quality of goats on rangeland, as goat kids ingested a diet richer in nutrients than that of mature goats. This supports the theory that herbage selection is shaped by physiological effort and, consequently, nutrient consumption is driven by higher nutrient requirements for growth, although incomplete development of rumen function and small body mass limited feed intake in preweaning goat kids.
Alcohol problems among migrants in substance use treatment: the role of drinking patterns in countries of birth
Authors: Savic Michael , Barker S. Fiona , Best David , Lubman Dan I.
Published: May 2014

Migrants’ beliefs about when to seek help for alcohol problems may differ from host-country norms. We undertook an audit of 393 cases of screening in specialist alcohol and other drug services in Victoria, Australia, to examine whether alcohol problem severity at the time of help-seeking was influenced by drinking norms in countries of birth. Alcohol problem severity was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and World Health Organization per capita alcohol consumption data was used to form three categories of clients relative to Australian consumption: (1) Australian born; (2) born in low alcohol consumption countries; and (3) born in high alcohol consumption countries. Clients born in high consumption countries such as those in Europe and the UK had significantly higher levels of alcohol problem severity at intake compared with Australian-born clients and clients born in low consumption countries. This suggests that clients from high consumption countries might have delayed seeking help in line with the alcohol norms in their country of origin. Screening this group for alcohol problems in primary health care might avoid significant cumulative harm.
Contaminazioni tra generi nello Zibaldone leopardiano
Authors: Edo Miquel
Published: May 2014

There are sporadic moments when the prose in Zibaldone leans towards a lyrical tone, clearly revealing a strong tension between two opposing tendencies. One, which separates the lines dividing literary genres, prevalent in the theoretical ideas of the author and represses stylistic variation, and the other, which fuses these dividing lines, promoting stylistic variation and opening up a common ground between the styles of the philosophical diary and the Canti. In this common ground, various basic principles of Leopardi’s thinking are partially refuted by his praxis: relativism, criticism of romantic pathos, dichotomy between indetermination and precision, among others.
Growth‐Mediated Life History Traits of Steelhead Reveal Phenotypic Divergence and Plastic Response to Temperature
Authors: Doctor Katy , Berejikian Barry , Hard Jeffrey J. , VanDoornik Don
Published: May 2014

Growth‐mediated early life history traits affect an individual's fitness and reflect both evolutionary adaptations and phenotypic responses to environmental conditions. We tested for phenotypic plasticity of growth‐mediated life history traits between and within two depressed populations of steelheadOncorhynchus mykissfrom Hood Canal, Washington. We conducted a reciprocal transplant “common garden” experiment at two temperature regimes and measured individual growth rate, condition factor, proportion of age‐1 smolts and proportion of age‐1 mature males. We found phenotypic plasticity in growth rate, condition factor, and proportion of age‐1 smolts in both populations, demonstrating that genotype–temperature interaction plays an important role in determining phenotypic expression of growth and development. Growth rates were highest in the warm temperature treatment for both populations. More Dewatto River individuals smolted in their first year than Duckabush River individuals, which is consistent with data from the natural populations and provides evidence for phenotypic divergence in this life history trait. However, direct tests of neutrality provided no evidence that this divergence had resulted from diversifying selection, suggesting instead that the divergence may be largely plastic. All age‐1 mature males were observed in the warm temperature treatments for both populations, indicating that temperature plays a large role in determining age‐1 male maturation under these conditions. Broad‐sense heritability estimates for growth rate, condition factor, and smolts at age‐1 were generally high, revealing the potential opportunity for selection to act on these traits in both populations. Understanding the effect of temperature on life history differences between populations is important for management decisions and conservation, including anticipating responses to changing environmental conditions.
Effectiveness of Instream Wood Treatments to Restore Stream Complexity and Winter Rearing Habitat for Juvenile Coho Salmon
Authors: Jones Kim K. , Anlauf‐Dunn Kara , Jacobsen Paul S. , Strickland Matt , Tennant Lora , Tippery Sharon E.
Published: May 2014

Large wood and boulder placement projects have become common in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch and other salmonids. We evaluated habitat responses at 91 large wood restoration projects in western Oregon from pretreatment to 1 year and 6 years after treatment. Large logs were arranged in jams without cabling or burial in the bottom or banks of the stream. Projects commonly treated 0.5–1 km of stream, but some extended up to 2.3 km. Significant changes in the amounts of large wood, complex pools, and predicted Coho Salmon rearing capacity were observed within 1 year of treatment. Six years after treatment, the amount of large wood, complex pools, and Coho Salmon rearing capacity remained significantly higher than pretreatment levels by 100, 800, and 32%, respectively, and the surface area of pools and gravel increased significantly over pretreatment levels by 15% and 8%, respectively. However, the amount of large wood decreased in a majority of projects during the 6 years after treatment reflecting net export out of the sites and a lack of recruitment from upstream or local sources. Site‐specific responses in stream habitat were positive overall, but variability among sites suggested independent behavior. Responses of the restoration projects were weakly related to channel size, local lithology, or landscape cover, although retention of large wood was associated with lower gradient and coniferous forest cover. Despite the variability in project behavior, the findings indicate that large wood projects may play a role in maintaining and improving stream complexity and Coho Salmon rearing capacity in coast basins of Oregon, potentially compensating for the lack of natural recruitment of wood to the streams. Attention to location within the stream network and treatment details may improve performance of the restoration actions.
Developing Standardized Methods for Sampling Freshwater Fishes with Multiple Gears: Effects of Sampling Order versus Sampling Method
Authors: Poesch Mark S.
Published: May 2014

Developing robust methodologies for sampling freshwater fishes is important for the assessment and recovery of aquatic biodiversity. Commonly, sampling protocols recommend the use of both electrofishing and seining to reduce bias when sampling freshwater fishes. The objective of this study was to determine whether sampling method, sampling order, or the combination of these influenced the assessment of diversity and abundance of common or rare freshwater fishes at both the species and assemblage level. Fifty sites were sampled in the Sydenham River, Ontario, Canada, where paired sites were sampled using both electrofishing and seine netting in close proximity but also reversing the initial sampling order. Differences in the abundance and richness of common and rare freshwater fishes were tested with two‐way ANOVA and multivariate ANOVA. Multivariate differences in the representation of species assemblages were compared using Procrustes analysis across ordinations built using differences in sampling method and sampling order. Electrofishing outperformed seine netting for maximizing the abundance of both all species caught (P = 0.004) and only those species considered rare (P = 0.049). While capture efficiencies generally decreased with subsequent sampling, the interaction between sampling method and sampling order for maximizing richness estimates of rare species was significant (P = 0.049). There were important species and assemblage differences when sampling order was reversed. The representation of either sunfishes (family Centrarchidae) or catfishes (family Ictaluridae) differed in multivariate space, given different sampling order. In addition, the capture of Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus notatus was enhanced when seine netting was used after electrofishing. This study highlights the often neglected aspect of choosing an appropriate sampling order when developing protocols for sampling freshwater fishes with multiple methods. Overall, the combination of electrofishing, followed by seine netting, appears to maximize capture efficiencies of both common and rare fishes; however, researchers should be aware that sampling order can alter the representation of species and assemblages in multivariate assessments.
Changes in the Salmonine Community of Lake Michigan and Their Implications for Predator–Prey Balance
Authors: Tsehaye Iyob , Jones Michael L. , Brenden Travis O. , Bence James R. , Claramunt Randall M.
Published: May 2014

We combined statistical stock assessment methods with bioenergetic calculations to assess historical changes in abundance and consumptive demand of the hatchery‐supported salmonine community in Lake Michigan, with the goal of providing information needed to examine the lake's predator–prey balance. Especially for Chinook SalmonOncorhynchus tshawytscha, the most dominant salmonine predator in the lake, our analysis revealed density‐dependent changes in growth, survival, production levels, consumptive demand, and fishery characteristics, suggesting that increased salmonine abundance possibly had substantial impacts on prey abundance that led to predators being food limited. Indeed, the estimated changes in the salmonine community were consistent with historical changes in prey abundances that were previously documented for Lake Michigan. Specifically, higher salmonine abundance and consumption were estimated for the early 1980s, during which time AlewifeAlosa pseudoharengusabundance experienced a marked decline, leading to a Chinook Salmon mass mortality event in 1987. Similarly, increased salmonine abundance and consumption were estimated for the years since the early 2000s, and the Alewife population in Lake Michigan has been driven to historically low levels during these years. Increased salmonine abundance estimates in recent years were attributable to improved survival rates and natural reproduction of Chinook Salmon. Although past revisions to stocking rates may have been reasonable measures taken to stabilize the predator–prey system, our analysis suggests that recent reductions in stocking have not been sufficient to reduce predatory pressure on the Alewife population; however, they may have ameliorated potential effects of increased natural reproduction of Chinook Salmon. Along with a complementary assessment of the production dynamics of key prey species, our retrospective assessment of the dynamics of the Lake Michigan predator community and their consumptive demands can provide the basis for making future fishery management decisions from an ecosystem perspective.
Notes on the Reproductive Biology of Female Salmon Sharks in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Conrath Christina L. , Tribuzio Cindy A. , Goldman Kenneth J.
Published: May 2014

Little is known about the reproductive biology of the Salmon Shark Lamna ditropis from the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Female Salmon Shark specimens were collected from Alaskan waters in the summer, autumn, and winter to examine reproductive seasonality, the reproductive interval, fecundity, and embryonic development. Female Salmon Sharks were found to ovulate during the autumn months of September and October, and those captured in July were either in a resting or postpartum state, indicating a short gestation time of 9–10 months. The presence of two mature reproductive states in both the summer and autumn months indicates a biennial reproductive cycle and a resting period of at least 14 months between parturition and ovulation. This study found mean fecundity was 3.88 pups per litter (n = 8; SE = 0.13), with the majority of pregnant Salmon Sharks having a fecundity of four sharks per litter. These results provide new information on the reproductive biology of Salmon Sharks and will aid in the development of stock assessments for this species.
Examining the Effectiveness of Consumer Diet Sampling as a Nonnative Detection Tool in a Subtropical Estuary
Authors: Boucek Ross E. , Rehage Jennifer S.
Published: May 2014

In aquatic systems, developing effective detection and monitoring methods is of the utmost importance in nonnative species management. One complement to monitoring that may increase nonnative capture probabilities is to sample the diets of consumers. However, no study has yet tested whether consumer diet sampling can be an effective tool in nonnative fish detection and monitoring. Recently, an extreme cold front swept through South Florida, severely impacting nonnative fishes and resetting invasion trajectories throughout Everglades habitats. Using the loss of nonnatives from the cold front as a natural experiment, we tested whether we would first find tropical nonnative fishes impacted by the 2010 cold front with consumer diet sampling or by electrofishing. We sampled consumer diets and electrofished monthly from 2010 to 2013 in the oligohaline reaches of an Everglades estuary. Three years after the cold front, we detected six nonnative fish species. All six were found in consumer diets, while only three were found via electrofishing. Two of the three nonnatives found in both electrofishing and diet samples were detected approximately 30 d from each other, while one was detected much sooner with electrofishing. Our findings show that consumer diet sampling can be an effective complement to conventional nonnative detection and monitoring efforts.
Maternal Control over Offspring Life History in a Partially Anadromous Species, Oncorhynchus mykiss
Authors: Berejikian Barry A. , Bush Richard A. , Campbell Lance A.
Published: May 2014

Environmental variability among freshwater habitats may influence migratory decisions in partially anadromous salmonids through (1) proximate effects on individual fish development and condition and (2) longer‐term genetic adaptations of populations to the various environments. However, the relative importance of the two factors has been difficult to sort out. We used the gonadosomatic index as an indicator of maturation—and therefore residency—in age‐1 and age‐2 parr collected from eight partially anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow Trout/steelhead) populations occupying a diversity of freshwater habitats. Substantial environmental variability among the eight Hood Canal (Washington) streams had little effect on life history pathways in male and female offspring of anadromous females (hereafter, ANAD parr), with the exception of significantly higher maturation rates in male ANAD parr from one population (Little Quilcene River). Between 0% and 8% of the female ANAD parr had initiated maturation, whereas 33% (Duckabush River) or 53% (Hamma Hamma River) maturation was observed among the female offspring of resident females (hereafter, RES parr) in the two populations with substantial resident components. The results indicate strong maternal control over offspring life history pathways in systems where resident and anadromous forms are sympatric. The RES parr that were collected above and below barriers to anadromy showed similar likelihoods of maturation. The expression of residency and anadromy in Hood Canal populations appears to reflect genetic adaptations to the diverse freshwater habitats (including the effects of O. mykiss sequestered above anadromy barriers) and, to some degree, the phenotypically plastic responses of male parr to the environmental variability among streams.