bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applicability and limitations of sensitivity analyses for wildlife management
Authors: Manlik Oliver , Lacy Robert C. , Sherwin William B.
Published: December 2017

Sensitivity analyses that assess the impact of changing vital rates on population growth have been widely used to guide conservation. If implemented with caution, they can provide guidance as to which management actions will optimize conservation outcomes.

In this review, we first focus on the commonly used proportional sensitivity and elasticity analyses that change each vital rate by equal proportions, to assess their importance for wildlife management. These types of analyses also feature potential pitfalls and limitations, including (1) Each vital rate is usually on a different scale. Without appropriate scaling this can result in a flawed evaluation of the importance of vital rates. (2) Vital rates rarely change at equal proportions in nature. This can bring about misguided management recommendations on the basis of vital rate changes that are unrealistic. (3) Proportional sensitivity analyses often do not reflect the feasibility and effectiveness of altering particular demographic parameters. Consequently, relying solely on proportional sensitivities or elasticities can lead to flawed evaluation of the importance of vital rates and thus prioritization of management options that are unrealistic or ineffective.

We outline alternative approaches, which involve assessing the impact of threats, the relative demography of stable and declining populations, the effect of observable variation of vital rates on population viability, and the potential effects of feasible management scenarios.

Synthesis and applications. Sensitivity analyses are useful tools to guide wildlife management. If implemented and interpreted with care, sensitivity analyses can identify key demographic parameters and threats to population viability. However, their usefulness is limited, when applied without careful evaluation as to whether the perturbations evaluated are realistic, feasible and meet the need of wildlife managers. We caution against the over‐reliance on proportional sensitivity and elasticity analyses and point to alternative approaches, including life‐stage simulation analysis, vital rate sensitivity analysis or manual perturbations.
Lessons From Analyzing the Medical Costs of Civilian Terror Victims: Planning Resources Allocation for a New Era of Confrontations
Authors: ELLENBERG EYTAN , TARAGIN MARK I. , HOFFMAN JAY R. , COHEN OSNAT , LUFT‐AFIK DANIELLA , BAR‐ON ZVIA , OSTFELD ISHAY
Published: December 2017

Policy Points:

Across the globe, the threat from terrorist attacks is rising, which requires a careful assessment of long‐term medical support.

We found 3 major sources of costs: hospital expenditures, mental health services dedicated to acute stress reactions, and ambulatory follow‐up. During the first year, most of the costs were related to hospitalization and support for stress relief. During the second year, ambulatory and rehabilitation costs continued to grow.

Public health specialists should consider these major components of costs and their evolution over time to properly advise the medical and social authorities on allocating resources for the medical and nonmedical support of civilian casualties resulting from war or terror.

Context

Across the globe, the threat from terrorist attacks is rising, which requires a careful assessment of long‐term medical support. Based on an 18‐month follow‐up of the Israeli civilian population following the 2014 war in Gaza, we describe and analyze the medical costs associated with rocket attacks and review the demography of the victims who filed claims for disability compensation. We then propose practical lessons to help health care authorities prepare for future confrontations.

Method

Using the National Insurance Institute of Israel's (NII) database, we conducted descriptive and comparative analyses using statistical tests (Fisher's Exact Test, chi‐square test, and students’ t‐tests). The costs were updated until March 30, 2016, and are presented in US dollars. We included only civilian expenses in our analysis.

Findings

We identified 5,189 victims, 3,236 of whom presented with acute stress reactions during the conflict. Eighteen months after the conflict, the victims’ total medical costs reached $4.4 million. The NII reimbursed $2,541,053 for associated medical costs and $1,921,792 for associated mental health costs. A total of 709 victims filed claims with the NII for further support, including rehabilitation, medical devices, and disability pensions.

Conclusion

We found 3 major sources of costs: hospital expenditures, mental health services dedicated to acute stress reactions, and ambulatory follow‐up. During the first year, most of the costs were related to hospitalization and support for stress relief. During the second year, ambulatory and rehabilitation costs continued to grow. Public health specialists should consider these major components of costs and their evolution over time to properly advise the medical and social authorities on allocating resources for the medical and nonmedical support of civilian casualties resulting from war or terror.
Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Cholesterol Removal
Authors: Sun Jun , Xu Bin , Mu Yaoyao , Ma Haile , Qu Wenjuan
Published: December 2017

In this study, magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with carboxylated β‐cyclodextrin (CM‐β‐CD; referred to Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD) were synthesized and used for the efficient removal of cholesterol from milk and egg yolk via host–guest interactions. The results of Fourier‐transform infrared, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the CM‐β‐CD was successfully conjugated to the surface of Fe3O4, and the amount of CM‐β‐CD attached on Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD was determined to be 9.164%. The X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy data revealed that the process of CM‐β‐CD coating did not result in a phase change of the Fe3O4, and the Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD nanoparticles were determined to have an average size of about 15 nm. The results of isotherm adsorption and kinetic properties indicated that CM‐β‐CD functionalization increased the cholesterol removal efficiency, and the characteristics of cholesterol adsorption on Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD were fitted well with the Langmuir adsorption model and Lagergren pseudo‐1st‐order kinetic models. Furthermore, compared with the Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the functionalized Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD nanoparticles exhibited greater cholesterol removal efficiency, and saponification of the milk and egg yolk was found to be beneficial for the cholesterol removal; using the Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD nanoparticles, 98.8% and 94.6% of the cholesterol was extracted in 1 h from saponified milk and egg yolk, respectively, and the Fe3O4@CM‐β‐CD nanoparticles still displayed efficient cholesterol removal after 6 reuses.
The Impact of Long‐Term Intake of Phenolic Compounds‐Rich Grape Pomace on Rat Gut Microbiota
Authors: Chacar Stéphanie , Itani Tarek , Hajal Joelle , Saliba Youakim , Louka Nicolas , Faivre Jean‐François , Maroun Richard , Fares Nassim
Published: December 2017

The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact on the rat microbiota of long‐term feeding with phenolic compounds (PC) rich grape pomace extracts. Thirty, 2‐mo‐old rats, were divided into 5 groups. Four groups were treated with different concentrations of PC (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/d diluted in 0.1% DMSO), and 1 group received 0.1% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) alone (control group). The daily treatment lasted 14 mo. Major phenolic compounds constituents were characterized by the high‐performance liquid chromatography and free radical scavenging capacity was measured by means of the DPPH assay. Fecal samples from young rats (2‐mo old), and rats daily fed with PC or DMSO were collected at 6 and 14 mo posttreatment. The gut microbiota composition was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bifidobacterium was significantly higher in the groups PC 2.5 and PC 5 than in control and young rats. Lactobacillus decreased with time in all treated and untreated groups. Bacteroides, Clostridium leptum subgroup (Clostridium cluster IV), and Enterococcus were not significantly changed by PC at any concentration when compared to control; nevertheless, after 14 mo of treatment all concentrations of PC abolished the increase of Clostridium sensu stricto (cluster I) (Clostridium Cluster I) observed in the control group when compared to young rats. PC do modulate selectively rat gut microbiome to a healthier phenotype in long‐term feeding rats, and could counteract the adverse outcomes of aging on gut bacterial population.

Practical Application

This research shows that phenolic‐rich grape pomace extracts exhibiting a high antioxidant activity, selectively modulate rat gut microbiota to a healthier phenotype within age in a long‐term feeding rats.
Integrating continuous stocks and flows into state‐and‐transition simulation models of landscape change
Authors: Daniel Colin J. , Sleeter Benjamin M. , Frid Leonardo , Fortin Marie‐Josée
Published: December 2017

State‐and‐transition simulation models (STSMs) provide a general framework for forecasting landscape dynamics, including projections of both vegetation and land‐use/land‐cover (LULC) change. The STSM method divides a landscape into spatially referenced cells and then simulates the state of each cell forward in time, as a discrete‐time stochastic process using a Monte Carlo approach, in response to any number of possible transitions. A current limitation of the STSM method, however, is that all of the state variables must be discrete.

Here we present a new approach for extending a STSM, in order to account for continuous state variables, called a STSM with stocks and flows (STSM‐SF). The STSM–SF method allows for any number of continuous stocks to be defined for every spatial cell in the STSM, along with a suite of continuous flows specifying the rates at which stock levels change over time. The change in the level of each stock is then simulated forward in time, for each spatial cell, as a discrete‐time stochastic process. The method differs from the traditional systems dynamics approach to stock‐flow modelling in that the stocks and flows can be spatially explicit, and the flows can be expressed as a function of the STSM states and transitions.

We demonstrate the STSM‐SF method by integrating a spatially explicit carbon (C) budget model with a STSM of LULC change for the state of Hawai'i, USA. In this example, continuous stocks are pools of terrestrial C, whereas the flows are the possible fluxes of C between these pools. Importantly, several of these C fluxes are triggered by corresponding LULC transitions in the STSM. Model outputs include changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of C pools and fluxes across the landscape in response to projected future changes in LULC over the next 50 years.

The new STSM‐SF method allows both discrete and continuous state variables to be integrated into a STSM, including interactions between them. With the addition of stocks and flows, STSMs provide a conceptually simple yet powerful approach for characterizing uncertainties in projections of a wide range of questions regarding landscape change.
Diagnosis of vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth utilising Digital Subtraction Radiography: A case series report
Authors: Mikrogeorgis Georgios , Eirinaki Eleni , Kapralos Vasileios , Koutroulis Andreas , Lyroudia Kleoniki , Pitas Ioannis
Published: December 2017

Vertical root fractures are commonly associated with root‐filled teeth. Diagnosis is challenging because the clinical signs are not completely pathognomonic, and conventional periapical radiography is often unreliable. Digital subtraction radiography (DSR) is able to detect small radiographic changes between two successive radiographs by subtracting out consistent radiographic elements. Its use could possibly assist in the diagnostic procedure. Four cases are presented to demonstrate the potential use of DSR in the detection of vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth. After the digital subtractions had been carried out, a dark line in the body of the roots was distinguishable, raising the possibility of the presence of a vertical root fracture. The use of contrast enhancement and pseudocolouring techniques assisted with the diagnosis of vertical root fractures. DSR proved to be a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of vertical root fractures in these four clinical cases.
Computational flow cytometry analysis reveals a unique immune signature of the human maternal‐fetal interface
Authors: Vazquez Jessica , Chavarria Melina , Li Yan , Lopez Gladys E. , Stanic Aleksandar K.
Published: December 2017

Problem

Decidual immune dysregulation is thought to underlie major pregnancy disorders; however, incomplete understanding of the decidual immune interface has hampered the mechanistic investigation.

Method of study

Human term decidua was collected, and single‐cell phenotypic information was acquired by highly polychromatic flow cytometry. Cellular identity analysis was performed with t‐distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, DensVM clustering, and matched to CellOntology database.

Results

Traditional analytical methods validated known cellular T and dendritic cell subsets in human term decidua. Computational analysis revealed a complex and tissue‐specific decidual immune signature in both the innate and adaptive immune compartments.

Conclusion

Polychromatic flow cytometry with a streamlined computational analysis pipeline is a feasible approach to comprehensive immunome mapping of human term decidua. As an unbiased, standardized method of investigation, computational flow cytometry promises to unravel the immune pathology of pregnancy disorders.
Pilot multi‐centre randomised trial of the impact of pre‐operative focused cardiac ultrasound on mortality and morbidity in patients having surgery for femoral neck fractures (ECHONOF‐2 pilot)
Authors: Canty D. J. , Heiberg J. , Yang Y. , Royse A. G. , Margale S. , Nanjappa N. , Scott D. , Maier A. , Sessler D. I. , Chuan A. , Palmer A. , Bucknill A. , French C. , Royse C. F.
Published: December 2017

Hip fracture surgery is common, usually occurs in elderly patients who have multiple comorbidities, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pre‐operative focused cardiac ultrasound can alter diagnosis and management, but its impact on outcome remains uncertain. This pilot study assessed feasibility and group separation for a proposed large randomised clinical trial of the impact of pre‐operative focused cardiac ultrasound on patient outcome after hip fracture surgery. Adult patients requiring hip fracture surgery in four teaching hospitals in Australia were randomly allocated to receive focused cardiac ultrasound before surgery or not. The primary composite outcome was any death, acute kidney injury, non‐fatal myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, pulmonary embolism or cardiopulmonary arrest within 30 days of surgery. Of the 175 patients screened, 100 were included as trial participants (screening:recruitment ratio 1.7:1), 49 in the ultrasound group and 51 as controls. There was one protocol failure among those recruited. The primary composite outcome occurred in seven of the ultrasound group patients and 12 of the control group patients (relative group separation 39%). Death, acute kidney injury and cerebrovascular accident were recorded, but no cases of myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or cardiopulmonary arrest ocurred. Focused cardiac ultrasound altered the management of 17 participants, suggesting an effect mechanism. This pilot study demonstrated that enrolment and the protocol are feasible, that the primary composite outcome is appropriate, and that there is a treatment effect favouring focused cardiac ultrasound – and therefore supports a large randomised clinical trial.
Gait speed predicts post‐operative medical complications in elderly gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy
Authors: Chandoo Arvine , Chi Chu‐Huai , Ji Weiping , Huang Yingpeng , Chen Xiao‐Dong , Zhang Wei‐Teng , Wu Rui‐Sen , Shen Xian
Published: December 2017

Background

Gait speed is a clinical outcome that can measure the physical performance of elderly gastric patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of gait speed in predicting post‐operative morbidities in elderly patients undergoing curative gastrectomy.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study of 357 elderly patients (≥65 years old) undergoing curative gastrectomy. Preoperative gait speed was measured in a 6‐m well‐lit and unobstructed hallway. Patients were followed up for the post‐operative clinical outcomes. Factors contributing to the post‐operative morbidities were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Slow gait speed was present in 95 out of 357 patients (26.61%) which was significantly associated with age (P < 0.001), gender (P = 0.016), plasma albumin (P < 0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grade (P = 0.012), tumour‐node‐metastasis grade (P = 0.007), sarcopenia (P < 0.001), handgrip (P < 0.001) and post‐operative medical complications (P = 0.022). In univariate analysis, age (P = 0.015) and slow gait speed (P = 0.029) were risk factors of post‐operative complications. In multivariate analysis, we found that age (P < 0.001) and slow gait speed (P = 0.029) were independent predictors of post‐operative medical complications.

Conclusion

Slow gait speed is an independent predictor of post‐operative medical complications in elderly patients undergoing curative gastrectomy. Those patients should be managed with appropriate perioperative nutritional support and physical exercise which can improve gait speed and reduce the risk of post‐operative medical complications.
Hydrochlorothiazide and acute urinary acidification: The “voltage hypothesis” of ENaC‐dependent H+ secretion refuted
Authors: Ayasse N. , de Bruijn P. I. A. , Berg P. , Sørensen M. V. , Leipziger J.
Published: December 2017

Aim

The “voltage hypothesis” of H+ secretion states that urinary acidification following increased Na+ delivery to the collecting duct (CD) is ENaC dependent leading to transepithelial voltage‐dependent increase in H+ secretion. We recently showed that furosemide acidifies the urine independently of ENaC activity. If the voltage hypothesis holds, hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) must acidify the urine. We here tested the acute effect of HCT on urine pH under normal and high ENaC expression.

Methods

Mice subjected to a control or a low‐Na+ diet were anesthetized and infused (0.5 mL h−1) with saline. Catheterization of the urinary bladder allowed real‐time measurement of diuresis and urine pH. Mice received either HCT (1 mg mL−1) or vehicle. Urinary Na+ and K+ excretions were determined by flame photometry. ENaC expression levels were measured by semi‐quantitative Western blotting.

Results

(1) HCT increased diuresis and natriuresis in both diet groups. (2) K+ excretion rates increased after HCT administration from 18.6 ± 1.3 to 31.7 ± 2.5 μmol h−1 in the control diet group and from 23.0 ± 1.3 to 48.7 ± 3.0 μmol h−1 in the low‐Na+ diet group. (3) Mice fed a low‐Na+ diet showed a marked upregulation of ENaC. (4) Importantly, no acute changes in urine pH were observed after the administration of HCT in either group.

Conclusion

Acute administration of HCT has no effect on urine pH. Similarly, substantial functional and molecular upregulation of ENaC did not cause HCT to acutely change urine pH. Thus, an increased Na+ load to the CD does not alter urine pH. This supports our previous finding and likely falsifies the voltage hypothesis of H+ secretion.
Post‐intervention sustainability of a brief psycho‐educational support group intervention for family caregivers of cancer patients
Authors: Tan Joyce Y. S. , Lam Kevin F. Y. , Lim Haikel A. , Chua Shi Min , Kua Ee Heok , Griva Konstadina , Mahendran Rathi
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Family caregivers of cancer patients experience many negative effects due to the heavy responsibility involved. Although various psychosocial interventions have been found to improve caregivers' quality of life (QOL), the sustainability of the benefits of these interventions over time has been less consistently investigated and hence less clearly established. Extending previous research on the immediate post‐intervention effects, this study aims to examine the trajectories of change in caregivers QOL over an 8‐week follow‐up period.

Methods

Caregivers of patients attending an outpatient clinic at a cancer center in Singapore were recruited. Participants had to fulfill the following criteria: (a) between 21 and 74 years; (b) willing to attend hour‐long weekly programs for 4 weeks; (c) able to understand, speak, and read English; (d) a family member living with and providing care and support for the patient; and (e) provide written informed consent. Participants completed the Caregiver QOL–Cancer scale at baseline, immediately post‐intervention, and at 4 and 8 weeks after the end of the intervention. Data from 56 participants were analyzed.

Results

Majority of participants exhibited a stable trajectory of change in their QOL, while a small number of participants either improved or declined.

Discussion

Understanding the sustainability of the effects of the intervention is important in determining the need to initiate periodic “booster” sessions to provide consistent support for caregivers. Further research could investigate the sustainability over an even longer period, as well as intra‐individual change trajectories using growth modeling among a larger sample.
Interpersonal predictors of stress generation: Is there a super factor?
Authors: Shih Josephine H. , Barstead Matthew G. , Dianno Nicole
Published: December 2017

Hammen's (1991, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 555–561) seminal paper on stress generation highlighted the reciprocal relationship between stress and depression. Not only does stress predict depression, but women with a diagnosis of depression also experienced subsequent increased levels of stress. In the ensuing years, depression researchers have moved beyond clinical predictors and examined whether depression vulnerability factors also contribute to stress generation. This interest has led to a growing focus on interpersonal vulnerability factors that contribute to stress generation. To date, the research examining interpersonal predictors of stress generation has tended to examine vulnerability factors singly and thus potential overlap and unique predictions among vulnerability factors have not been determined. This study examines interpersonal vulnerability factors from various schools of thought (dependency, attachment, and unmitigated communion) as predictors of interpersonal stress generation. Three hundred and sixty‐four young adults completed baseline measures of interpersonal vulnerabilities and provided weekly reports of depressive symptoms and stressful life events. Multilevel models were estimated to examine their unique predictions of interpersonal stress generation. Despite converging theories, there does not appear to be a single super factor. Of the interpersonal vulnerability factors tested, anxious attachment emerged as a consistent predictor of interpersonal stress generation both when examined singly and when in combination with related variables.
Data assimilation for a geological process model using the ensemble Kalman filter
Authors: Skauvold Jacob , Eidsvik Jo
Published: December 2017

We consider the problem of conditioning a geological process‐based computer simulation, which produces basin models by simulating transport and deposition of sediments, to data. Emphasising uncertainty quantification, we frame this as a Bayesian inverse problem, and propose to characterise the posterior probability distribution of the geological quantities of interest by using a variant of the ensemble Kalman filter, an estimation method which linearly and sequentially conditions realisations of the system state to data. A test case involving synthetic data is used to assess the performance of the proposed estimation method, and to compare it with similar approaches. We further apply the method to a more realistic test case, involving real well data from the Colville foreland basin, North Slope, Alaska.
Do flood pulses structure amphibian communities in floodplain environments?
Authors: Ramalho Werther Pereira , Machado Iberê Farina , Vieira Lisandro Juno Soares
Published: December 2017

Beta diversity can provide insights into the processes that regulate communities subjected to frequent disturbances, such as flood pulses, which control biodiversity in floodplains. However, little is known about which processes structure beta diversity of amphibians in floodplains. Here, we tested the influence of flood pulses on the richness, composition, and beta diversity of amphibians in Amazonian floodplain environments. We also evaluated indicator species for each environment. We established linear transects in three environments: low várzea, high várzea, and macrophyte rafts. Species richness decreased and beta diversity increased according to the susceptibility of habitats to flood pulses. Indicator species differed among environments according to forest succession promoted by the flood pulse. The decrease in species richness between high and low várzea is due to non‐random extinctions. The higher rates of species turnover between várzeas and macrophyte rafts are driven by the colonization of species adapted to open areas. Our results highlight that the maintenance of complex environments is needed to protect biodiversity in floodplains.
Immigration and the path dependence of education: the case of German‐speakers in São Paulo, Brazil (1840–1920)
Authors: Witzel de Souza Bruno Gabriel
Published: December 2017

This article studies the path dependence of human capital accumulation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It focuses on the impacts of German‐speaking immigrants on education through three channels: their share of the population in the nineteenth century, their on‐the‐job skills, and the schools they founded. Using a new dataset based on almanacs from 1873 and 1888, these effects are evaluated for the nineteenth, early twentieth, and early twenty‐first centuries. The article shows that the institutionalized demand for education of these immigrants, reflected by the establishment of schools, was their main contribution to the accumulation of human capital. The effect of German schools on educational levels required a period to mature and dissipated over time. Nevertheless, its influence was substantial at the beginning of the twentieth century, affecting enrolment levels in private and state schools, a result that suggests the existence of spillover and contagion effects. Moreover, current indicators for stocks and flows of human capital in São Paulo are strongly associated with their historical levels. At the same time, this path dependence is conditional on the type of school: while a positive persistence is found for the private system throughout the twentieth century, convergence occurred in state schools.
Supporting Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Nissim Rinat , Hales Sarah , Zimmermann Camilla , Deckert Amy , Edwards Beth , Rodin Gary
Published: December 2017

Objective

As the first stage in developing an intervention for family caregivers of individuals with advanced cancer, we conducted a focus group study to understand their needs.

Background

Family caregivers play an important role in the care of advanced cancer patients. Despite substantial burden and distress experienced by family caregivers of individuals with advanced cancer, their needs are not addressed systematically.

Method

The study took place at a large urban cancer center in Canada. We conducted 2 focus groups: one with 7 current family caregivers, the other with 7 bereaved caregivers. Participants were asked about their support needs while providing care, how and when they preferred to receive support, and the perceived barriers and facilitators to addressing their support needs. Responses were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method.

Results

Family caregivers wished for support in relation to 3 domains: decision‐making in the face of uncertainty, information about death and dying, and current and anticipated emotional distress. They identified 3 barriers to receiving support: the organization of cancer care around the patient, rather than the family; the timing of information provision; and caregivers' tendency to dismiss their own needs. Caregivers expressed a strong need for caregiver‐specific support.

Conclusion

This study allowed us to identify caregiver‐perceived intervention needs, barriers to access and continuity of intervention, and suggestions for intervention design.

Implications

This information is of value to inform the design of interventions for this population.
Concomitant impacts of climate change, fragmentation and non‐native species have led to reorganization of fish communities since the 1980s
Authors: Kuczynski Lucie , Legendre Pierre , Grenouillet Gaël
Published: December 2017

Aim

In response to climate change, species distribution shifts resulting from local extinctions, colonizations and variations in population abundances potentially lead to community‐level reorganizations. Here, we assess changes over time in stream fish communities, quantify the extent to which these changes are attributable to population declines or increases and identify their main drivers.

Location

France.

Time period

1980–2012.

Major taxa studied

Stream fish species.

Methods

We used abundance‐monitoring data to quantify changes in composition and uniqueness for 332 stream fish communities between a cold historical period (1980–1993) and a warm contemporary period (2004–2012). Then, we used a model‐averaging procedure to test the impacts of factors related to climate, land use and non‐native species density and their interacting effects in shaping community reorganization.

Results

We observed biotic homogenization over time in stream fish communities, although some communities experienced differentiation. Changes in composition mainly resulted from population declines and were favoured by an increase in temperature seasonality and in non‐native species density. Population declines decreased with fragmentation and changes in non‐native species density, whereas population increases were negatively driven by changes in precipitation and positively by fragmentation. Our results provide evidence that environmental changes can interact with other factors (e.g., upstream–downstream, fragmentation intensity) to determine community reorganization.

Main conclusions

In the context of global change, fish assemblage reorganizations mainly result from population declines of species. These reorganizations are spatially structured and driven by both climatic and human‐related stressors. Here, we emphasize the need to take into account several components of global change, because the interplay between stressors might play a key role in the ongoing biodiversity changes.
Effect of ultrafiltration on placental‐fetal blood flow in pregnancy of woman undergoing chronic hemodialysis
Authors: Marques Luiz Paulo José , Marinho Paulo Roberto Silva , Rocco Regina , Martins Caroline de Azevedo , Pereira Henrique Novo Costa , Ferreira Ana Clara Lopes Barbosa
Published: December 2017

Introduction: Patient who was undergoing hemodialysis (HD) thrice weekly usually gain 1 to 4 kg of weight in interdialytic period, mainly due to fluid accumulation by ingestion of water. Ultrafiltration (UF) during HD will be need to remove fluid excess to avoid severe medical complications secondary to fluid overload. However, in pregnant woman UF can increase the episodes of intradialytic hypotension which may lead to placental ischemic injury and predispose to fetal distress. There is little information about safe fluid amount withdrawn by UF during pregnancy.

Methods: We prospectively study by obstetric Doppler ultrasonography the fluxometric parameters: pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of fetal middle cerebral, uterine, and umbilical artery obtained at the beginning and the end of HD session, the acute and chronic effect of UF on placenta and fetus blood flow, as well as the fetal outcome in 1 pregnant woman on chronic HD.

Findings: We did not observe any acute harmful effect on fetal middle cerebral, placental and umbilical artery blood flow when UF rate of 2.1 ± 0.04 L (6 < 8 mL/h/kg) during HD session, no significant statistical difference was observed when compared PI and RI before and after UF and also when we compared these data with reference value on normal pregnancy to the same gestational age.

Discussion: UF rate of 6 < 8 mL/h/kg during HD did not bring any acute harmful effect on fetal middle cerebral, placental, and umbilical blood flow and the UF rate of 1.4 6 0.4 L (< 6 mL/h/kg) / HD session that was done in all others HD during pregnancy was safe, without any chronic fetal deleterious effect. Obstetric Doppler ultrasonography is a simple and noninvasive method to fetal follow‐up and can aid to determine safe UF rate in pregnant women during gestation.
Factors associated with serum magnesium and vascular stiffness in maintenance hemodialysis patients
Authors: Yorifuji Mai , Kuragano Takahiro , Kawada Sayuri , Fukao Wataru , Toyoda Kazuhiro , Nakanishi Takeshi
Published: December 2017

Introduction: We evaluated the associated factors of serum magnesium in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between low serum magnesium and arteriosclerosis in these patients.

Methods: In 129 patients on MHD, we evaluated the blood levels of magnesium, brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (ba‐PWV), ankle‐brachial index (ABI), and intima‐media thickness of the common carotid artery (IMT).

Findings: In MHD patients, the serum level of magnesium was significantly correlated with age, calcium, TNF‐α, albumin, and ba‐PWV but not with ABI or IMT. In the multiple regression analysis, albumin (P = 0.0001, β = 0.31) and calcium (P = 0.029, β = 0.18) were selected as significant predictors of the magnesium level in MHD patients. Furthermore, the serum level of magnesium, as well as systolic blood pressure (P = 0.0001, β = 0.32) and age (P = 0.005, β = 0.25), were selected as significant (P = 0.012, β = −0.22) predictors of ba‐PWV in MHD patients.

Discussion: In MHD patients, the serum magnesium level was associated with the serum levels of calcium and albumin. Furthermore, a low serum magnesium level in MHD patients was associated with the index of vascular stiffness.
The EU Humanitarian Border and the Securitization of Human Rights: The ‘Rescue‐Through‐Interdiction/Rescue‐Without‐Protection’ Paradigm
Authors: Moreno‐Lax Violeta
Published: December 2017

This article looks at securitization/humanitarianization dynamics in the EU external sea borders to track and critique the substantial transformation of the role played by human rights in the Mediterranean. Mapping the evolution of maritime engagement up to the ‘refugee crisis’, it is revealed how the invocation of human rights serves paradoxically to curtail (migrants') human rights, justifying interdiction (‘to save lives’), and impeding access to safety in Europe. The result is a double reification of ‘boat migrants’ as threats to border security and as victims of smuggling/trafficking. Through a narrative of ‘rescue’, interdiction is laundered into an ethically sustainable strategy of border governance. Instead of being considered a problematic (potentially lethal) means of control, it is re‐defined into a life‐saving device. The ensuing ‘rescue‐through‐interdiction’/‘rescue‐without‐protection’ paradigm alters the nature of human rights, which, rather than functioning as a check on interdiction, end up co‐opted as another securitization/humanitarianization tool.
Fetal liver injury ameliorated by migration inhibitory factor inhibition in a rat model of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy
Authors: Guo Zheng‐Da , Zhao Liang , Wang Peng , Deng Wen‐Hong , Shi Qiao , Zuo Teng , Hong Yu‐Pu , Wang Wei‐Xing
Published: December 2017

Aim

This study was designed to investigate and assess fetal liver injury in a rat model of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy (APIP) as well as its possible mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

Methods

The APIP model was induced by sodium taurocholate in Sprague–Dawley rats during the third trimester. ISO‐1, a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) antagonist, was given before the induction of APIP. In addition, sham‐operated rats at later gestation were set as controls. Histological changes in the fetal liver and maternal pancreas were assessed. Amylase and lipase activity as well as the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐1β were examined. The expression of MIF in fetal liver was determined by immunochemistry and the expression of NF‐κB, IκBα, high mobility group box‐1 protein (HMGB1), TNF‐α, and IL‐1β in fetal liver was determined by Western blot analysis. Ultrastructures of hepatic cells in fetal rats were observed under transmission electron microscopy.

Results

ISO‐1 ameliorated the following: (i) pathological injuries in maternal pancreas and fetal liver; (ii) levels of TNF‐α and IL‐1β in maternal serum; and (iii) levels of MIF, myeloperoxidase, NF‐κB, HMGB1, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β in fetal liver.

Conclusion

Pathological damage and an inflammatory response in fetal liver were induced by APIP, and MIF inhibition ameliorated fetal liver injury by inhibiting the inflammatory cascade.
Bound by blood: the ethnic and civic nature of collective identities in the Basque Country, Catalonia and Valencia
Authors: Álvarez‐Gálvez Javier , Echavarren José M. , Coller Xavier
Published: December 2017

This paper explores the factors determining collective identities in the Basque Country and Catalonia, paying special attention to language and birth as key domains of ethnolinguistic divide. We will also make a comparison to the case of Valencia, a region with a native language that nevertheless has not developed a nationalist movement. We have performed a cluster analysis to compare the differences between collective identities in these regions using data from the survey on National Identity in Spain, and discriminant analysis is used to test the validity of our model. Results show that an ethnolinguistic division, based on parental origin and linguistic skills, defines peripheral identities in the Basque Country and Catalonia, but this singularity cannot be found for Valencia. Finally, our model corroborates the relevance of ethnolinguistic factors in defining collective identities in the Basque and Catalan regions, while the civic factor may be more relevant in Valencia.
Domestic troubles, national identity discourse, and China's attitude towards the West, 2003–2012
Authors: He Yinan
Published: December 2017

Prior to its recent, much discussed international ‘assertiveness’, China's attitude to the West had deteriorated, as reflected in official discourse of national identity. Drawing from political science and social psychology literature on identity studies, I argue that the discursive pattern of national identity can shift as a function of an elite strategy to exclude internal others through opposition to foreign others. Internally exclusionary nationalism, often employed by elites during major crises, is instrumental to consolidating control and maintaining order. But when targeting internal opponents alone is politically inconvenient or lacks public resonance, elites will accentuate ethnocentric national identity discourse vis‐a‐vis foreign nations in order to reinforce internal battles and divert popular discontent externally. An interpretive analysis of the official texts of Chinese national identity discourse during the Hu Jintao decade, supplemented by quantitative data, shows a significant correlation between the regime's fear of internal instability and bottom‐up political opposition on the one hand and the timing and intensity of ethnocentric identity discourse regarding the West on the other. The party‐state negatively framed the West in order to shift the blame for domestic troubles onto foreigners and discredit internal resistance.
Gender‐specific expression of GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE is critical for unisexual organ initiation in dioecious Spinacia oleracea
Authors: West Nicholas W. , Golenberg Edward M.
Published: December 2017

While unisexual flowers have evolved repeatedly throughout angiosperm families, the actual identification of sex‐determining genes has been elusive, and their regulation within populations remains largely undefined. Here, we tested the mechanism of the feminization pathway in cultivated spinach (Spinacia oleracea), and investigated how this pathway may regulate alternative sexual development.

We tested the effect of gibberellic acid (GA) on sex determination through exogenous applications of GA and inhibitors of GA synthesis and proteasome activity. GA concentrations in multiple tissues were estimated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay analysis. Gene function was investigated and pathway analysis was performed through virus‐induced gene silencing. Relative gene expression levels were estimated by quantitative reverse transcription−polymerase chain reaction.

Inhibition of GA production and proteasome activity feminized male flowers. However, there was no difference in GA content in tissues between males and females. We characterized a single DELLA family transcription factor gene (GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (SpGAI)) and observed inflorescence expression in females two‐fold higher than in males. Reduction of SpGAI expression in females to male levels phenocopied exogenous GA application with respect to flower development.

These results implicate SpGAI as the feminizing factor in spinach, and suggest that the feminizing pathway is epistatic to the masculinizing pathway. We present a unified model for alternative sexual development and discuss the implications for established theory.
The Asymmetric Impact of Customer Information Portability on Service Competition: Evidence from the Global Wireless Industry
Authors: Wei Xiahua , Zhu Kevin Xiaoguo
Published: December 2017

We study the impact of customer information portability on market competition in customer‐centric, technology‐intensive service industries. By allowing customer information to be transferrable among service providers, portability in theory may help reduce switching costs and promote competition. Yet the actual consequences are unclear. To investigate this issue, we focus on the global wireless industry, and examine the impact of mobile number portability (MNP) policy. We construct a duopoly model with heterogeneous switching costs, which predicts that the market share of the large firm will shrink after MNP, while the average price may depend on firms’ customer base composition. We test these hypotheses empirically on a panel dataset of 218 wireless operators in 52 countries over 6 years. We find relative market share gains for small firms and reductions for large firms under MNP. However, large firms can maintain higher prices than small firms. Probing deeper into customer segmentation, we find that on average, the share of contract customers increases for large firms after MNP, while it decreases for small firms. Large firms are able to retain higher‐value contract customers while small firms tend to attract lower‐value “pay‐as‐you‐go” customers. Contrary to the policy intention, large firms tend to remain dominant, and MNP is incapable of changing this. In fact, contracts become even more important after MNP, highlighting the sticky “lock‐in” effect of contracts. Our findings have broad applicability to other service industries (e.g., healthcare, financial services, and digital media), where policymakers are considering making customer information more portable in hopes of increasing competition.
Some new theoretical work on Half Butterfly Method for Hamiltonian circuit in complete graph
Authors: Mohd Darus Maizon , Ibrahim Haslinda , Karim Sharmila
Published: December 2017

A new method to construct the distinct Hamiltonian circuits in complete graphs is called Half Butterfly Method. The Half Butterfly method used the concept of isomorphism in developing the distinct Hamiltonian circuits. Thus some theoretical works are presented throughout developing this method.
Determining radius of convergence of Newton’s method using radius of curvature
Authors: Pandiya Ridwan , Mohd Ismail
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we propose a method on how to manage the convergence of Newton’s method if its iteration process encounters a local extremum. This idea establishes the osculating circle at a local extremum. It then uses the radius of the osculating circle also known as the radius of the curvature as an additional number of the local extremum. It then takes that additional number and combines it with the local extremum. This is then used as an initial guess in finding a root near to that local extremum. This paper will provide several examples which demonstrate that our idea is successful and they perform to fulfill the aim of this paper.
A Comparative Study of Pronunciation among Chinese Learners of English from Malaysia and China: The Case of Voiceless Dental Fricatives /θ/ and Alveolar Liquids /r/
Authors: Hamzah Mohd Hilmi , Ahmad Aini , Yusuf Mohd Hasren
Published: December 2017

This study took up a socio-phonetic investigation among Chinese learners of English by comparing English pronunciation produced by Chinese learners from two different countries: (1) Malaysia and (2) China. Two segmental sounds in English were chosen for comparison: (1) voiceless dental fricatives /θ/ and (2) alveolar liquids /r/; these sounds were known to be problematic for both groups of learners. The key motivation was to explore the extent to which these two groups of English learners behaved differently in terms of the selected sounds, given the differences in their nationalities, language exposure and social backgrounds. Production data were gathered from 10 Chinese learners each from Malaysia and China. They were all undergraduate students at Universiti Utara Malaysia. Two types of reading materials were used to elicit the data: (1) discreet items (i.e., an English wordlist each for /θ/ and /r/) and (2) connected speech (i.e., an English poem each for /θ/ and /r/). The data were auditorily analysed by three evaluators using a likert-scale evaluation form. The findings show that the Chinese learners from Malaysia were able to produce the /θ/ tokens more successfully as compared to those from China, particularly in the connected texts. Those who failed to produce the target sound substituted it with /t/ (for the learners from Malaysia) and /s/ or /z/ (for the learners from China). As for the /r/ tokens, it was found that both groups of learners could produce the target sound correctly across both reading materials; only a few of them substituted /r/ with /l/. The study highlights the importance of understanding the difficulties faced by specific groups of learners when mastering English pronunciation for different purposes. It also calls for further experimental research in language instructions that can effectively cater the needs of English language learners with diverse backgrounds.