bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of neck and waist circumferences for identifying subclinical atherosclerosis in a community‐based population
Authors: Xu Yiting , Jian Chaohui , Ma Xiaojing , Shen Yun , Wang Yufei , Bao Yuqian 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAimsRecently, neck circumference (NC) has been proposed as a new anthropometric index for assessing upper body fat, which has a close relationship with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their risk factors. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of NC in identifying subclinical atherosclerosis, an early stage of CVD, in a Shanghai community population.Materials and methodsWe enrolled 1387 subjects (486 men and 901 women) from the Shanghai community. Anthropometric measurements, including NC and waist circumference (WC), were taken for all subjects. Carotid intima media thickness (C‐IMT) was determined by carotid ultrasonography. Elevated NC was defined as NC ≥ 38.5 cm in men and NC ≥ 34.5 cm in women.ResultsThere was a positive correlation between NC and C‐IMT, and this association remained significant even after adjustment for BMI (P = .015; P = .038). After adjusting for confounding factors, the additional risks of elevated C‐IMT were 58% and 33% for each SD increase in NC in men and women, respectively (P = .003; P = .009). The NC cutoffs could identify 53.38% of men and 43.07% of women with elevated C‐IMT, which was comparable to the identification of 56.08% of men and 42.57% of women with elevated C‐IMT using WC cutoffs (P = .218; P = .920).ConclusionsNC was significantly and positively correlated with C‐IMT. The cutoffs of NC could be helpful to identifying subclinical atherosclerosis in a community‐based population, and the identification showed no difference compared to that using WC cutoffs.
Forecast increase in invasive rabbit spread into ecosystems of an oceanic island (Tenerife) under climate change
Authors: Bello‐Rodríguez Víctor , Mateo Rubén G. , Pellissier Loïc , Cubas Jonay , Cooke Brian , González‐Mancebo Juana María 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a pest and a conservation problem on many islands, where its heavy grazing pressure threatens many endemic plants with extinction. Previous studies in its native and introduced range have highlighted the high spatial variability of rabbit abundance at local and landscape scales, depending on many factors such as the existence of different habitats. Modeling of the species can be useful to better understand spatial patterns and to prioritize actions, especially in those regions in which rabbits have become invasive. Here, we investigate the distribution of the European rabbit in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), where the species was introduced during the 15th century and has subsequently changed vegetation composition. Added to the direct effects of rabbits on vegetation, climate change could also have implications for rabbit populations, especially in the alpine ecosystem. To evaluate that, we estimated rabbit abundance in 216 plots randomly distributed on Tenerife island (61 in the alpine ecosystem), modeled the potential current spatial abundance of the species and considered how it might vary under different climate change scenarios. We associated rabbit abundance to a wide selection of abiotic, biotic, and human variables expected to influence rabbit abundance on the island. We found a positive correlation between rabbit abundance and temperature and a negative correlation in the case of precipitation. Hence, according to the models' projections, climate change is expected to enhance rabbit populations in the future. Current higher densities were related to land disturbance and open areas, and a remarkable increase is expected to occur in the alpine ecosystem. Overall, we consider that this study provides valuable information for land managers in the Canary archipelago as it reveals how global warming could indirectly exacerbate the conservation problems of the endemic flora in oceanic islands.
Exploring the functional meaning of head shape disparity in aquatic snakes
Authors: Segall Marion , Cornette Raphaël , Godoy‐Diana Ramiro , Herrel Anthony 
Published: July 2020

AbstractPhenotypic diversity, or disparity, can be explained by simple genetic drift or, if functional constraints are strong, by selection for ecologically relevant phenotypes. We here studied phenotypic disparity in head shape in aquatic snakes. We investigated whether conflicting selective pressures related to different functions have driven shape diversity and explore whether similar phenotypes may give rise to the same functional output (i.e., many‐to‐one mapping of form to function). We focused on the head shape of aquatically foraging snakes as they fulfill several fitness‐relevant functions and show a large amount of morphological variability. We used 3D surface scanning and 3D geometric morphometrics to compare the head shape of 62 species in a phylogenetic context. We first tested whether diet specialization and size are drivers of head shape diversification. Next, we tested for many‐to‐one mapping by comparing the hydrodynamic efficiency of head shape characteristic of the main axes of variation in the dataset. We 3D printed these shapes and measured the forces at play during a frontal strike. Our results show that diet and size explain only a small amount of shape variation. Shapes did not fully functionally converge as more specialized aquatic species evolved a more efficient head shape than others. The shape disparity observed could thus reflect a process of niche specialization.
Shifting spaces: Which disparity or dissimilarity measurement best summarize occupancy in multidimensional spaces?
Authors: Guillerme Thomas , Puttick Mark N. , Marcy Ariel E. , Weisbecker Vera 
Published: July 2020

AbstractMultidimensional analysis of traits are now common in ecology and evolution and are based on trait spaces in which each dimension summarizes the observed trait combination (a morphospace or an ecospace). Observations of interest will typically occupy a subset of this space, and researchers will calculate one or more measures to quantify how organisms inhabit that space. In macroevolution and ecology, these measures called disparity or dissimilarity metrics are generalized as space occupancy measures. Researchers use these measures to investigate how space occupancy changes through time, in relation to other groups of organisms, or in response to global environmental changes. However, the mathematical and biological meaning of most space occupancy measures is vague with the majority of widely used measures lacking formal description. Here, we propose a broad classification of space occupancy measures into three categories that capture changes in size, density, or position. We study the behavior of 25 measures to changes in trait space size, density, and position on simulated and empirical datasets. We find that no measure describes all of trait space aspects but that some are better at capturing certain aspects. Our results confirm the three broad categories (size, density, and position) and allow us to relate changes in any of these categories to biological phenomena. Because the choice of space occupancy measures is specific to the data and question, we introduced https://tguillerme.shinyapps.io/moms/moms, a tool to both visualize and capture changes in space occupancy for any measurement. https://tguillerme.shinyapps.io/moms/moms is designed to help workers choose the right space occupancy measures, given the properties of their trait space and their biological question. By providing guidelines and common vocabulary for space occupancy analysis, we hope to help bridging the gap in multidimensional research between ecology and evolution.
Do Chinese cavefish show intraspecific variability in morphological traits?
Authors: Lunghi Enrico , Zhao Yahui 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCavefishes represent one of the most bizarre and intriguing life forms inhabiting groundwater environments. One‐third of the known cavefishes worldwide is endemic to China, and almost half of those belongs to a single genus, Sinocyclocheilus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Analyzing the morphometrics of three Sinocyclocheilus species, we aimed to assess whether variability among conspecific populations exists. We predict that populations inhabiting different subterranean habitats (shallow vs. deep) show divergences in specific morphological traits to better cope with the local ecological conditions. Our results showed that the populations showing bigger eyes and reduced humpback were those occurring close to the cave entrance (habitats with light and high food availability), while specimens with smaller eyes and increased humpback were collected from deeper groundwater areas (habitats laying in darkness with food scarcity). This explorative study paves the way for further researches aiming to collect novel data on Chinese cavefishes and highlights the usefulness of these species in evolutionary studies.
The legacy of biogeographic history on the composition and structure of Andean forests
Authors: González‐Caro Sebastián , Duque Álvaro , Feeley Kenneth J. , Cabrera Edersson , Phillips Juan , Ramirez Sebastián , Yepes Adriana 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe biogeographic origin of species may help to explain differences in average tree height and aboveground biomass (AGB) of tropical mountain forests. After the Andean uplift, small‐statured trees should have been among the initial colonizers of the highlands (new cold environment) from the lowland tropics, since these species are pre‐adapted to cold conditions with narrow vessels that are relatively resistant to freezing. If the descendants of these small‐statured clades continue to dominate tropical highland forests, there will be a high co‐occurrence of close relatives at high elevations. In other words, this scenario predicts a systematic decline in tree size, AGB, and phylogenetic diversity with elevation. In contrast, the colonization of Andean forests by some large‐statured clades that originated in temperate regions may modify this expectation and promote a mixing of tropical and temperate clades, thereby increasing the phylogenetic diversity in tropical highland forests. This latter scenario predicts an increase or no change of tree size, AGB, and phylogenetic diversity with elevation. We assessed how the historical immigration of large‐statured temperate‐affiliated tree lineages adapted to cold conditions may have influenced the composition and structure of Andean forests. Specifically, we used 92 0.25‐ha forest inventory plots distributed in the tropical Andes Mountains of Colombia to assess the relationship between the phylogenetic diversity and AGB along elevational gradients. We classified tree species as being either “tropical affiliated” or “temperate affiliated” and estimated their independent contribution to forest AGB. We used structural equation modeling to separate the direct and indirect effect of elevation on AGB. We found a hump‐shaped relationship of phylogenetic diversity, AGB, and tree size with elevation. The high phylogenetic diversity found between 1,800–2,200 m above sea level (asl) was due to the mixing of highland floras containing many temperate‐affiliated species, and lowland floras containing mostly tropical‐affiliated species. The high AGB in highland forests, which contrasted with the expected decline of AGB with elevation, was likely due to the significant contribution of temperate‐affiliated species. Our findings highlight the lasting importance of biogeographic history on the composition and structure of Andean mountain forests.
Current knowledge on the extraction, purification, identification, and validation of bioactive peptides from seaweed
Authors: Cermeño Maria , Kleekayai Thanyaporn , Amigo‐Benavent Miryam , Harnedy‐Rothwell Pádraigín , FitzGerald Richard J. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractSeaweed (macroalgae) is considered as a sustainable bioresource rich in high‐quality nutrients such as protein. Seaweed protein can be used as an alternative to other protein sources. Furthermore, these proteins are natural reservoirs of bioactive peptides (BAPs) associated with various health benefits such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic activities. However, seaweed‐derived BAPs remain underexploited due to challenges that arise during protein extraction from algal biomass. Coupled with this, limited proteomic information exists regarding certain seaweed species. This review highlights the current state of the art of seaweed protein extraction techniques, e.g., liquid, ultrasound, microwave, pulsed electric field, and high hydrostatic pressure assisted extraction. The review also focuses on the enzymatic hydrolysis of seaweed proteins and characterization of the resultant hydrolysates/peptides using electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques. This includes reference to methods employed for separation, fractionation, and purification of seaweed BAPs, as well as the methodologies used for identification, e.g., analysis by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, a bioinformatics or in silico approach to aid discovery of seaweed BAPs is discussed herein. Based on the information available to date, it is suggested that further research is required in this area for the development of seaweed BAPs for nutraceutical applications.
Exploring astroturf lobbying in the EU: The case of responsible energy citizen coalition
Authors: Lits Brieuc 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThis paper explores the creation of an astroturf group, which is a fake grassroots movement, and looks at the strategies that were used to influence EU policies. The case under scrutiny is the Responsible Energy Citizen Coalition. This alleged citizen movement launched a campaign to influence two European Parliament reports regarding shale gas exploration in 2012. A quantitative text analysis offers insights regarding the astroturf group's communication strategy in comparison to 39 other interest groups who published position papers on the issue. This study shows how the astroturf group's communication is aligned with that of the organizations, which were behind its creation. Furthermore, the distinction between lobbying success and lobbying influence is discussed and a correspondence analysis shows how the astroturf group might have contributed to the success of the pro‐shale coalition on the outcome of one of the two policy proposals.
Future prospects research on offshore wind power scale in China based on signal decomposition and extreme learning machine optimized by principal component analysis
Authors: Liu Dunnan , Liu Mingguang , Xu Xiaofeng , Wang Jiani , Fan Chenkai , Li Xiaoyu , Han Jinshan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn recent years, China has promoted many new energy projects in order to meet the growing demand for electricity. Therefore, China's offshore wind power installed capacity has grown rapidly. China has a long coastline and abundant offshore wind energy resources. Offshore wind power is an important area for the development of renewable energy, which can promote wind power technology advancement and energy structure adjustment. Therefore, conducting effective research and forecast on the cumulative installed capacity of China's offshore wind power will help the government to rationally deploy and reduce the risk of investment in offshore wind power. In order to accurately predict the future prospects of offshore wind power in China, this paper firstly constructed a set of influencing factors and used gray correlation analysis to screen the main influencing factors. Then, this paper proposed a novel forecasting model named e‐VMD‐PCA‐RELM. The algorithm is based on the traditional RELM (robust extreme learning machine) algorithm, which effectively processes the noise information through the PCA (principal component analysis) algorithm, and extracted the feature elements of the RELM hidden layer to reduce the information redundancy. At the same time, the e‐VMD (variational mode decomposition optimized by entropy) algorithm is used to decompose the original time series to obtain multiple components. By comparing with the other forecasting algorithms, it is proved that the proposed forecasting model has strong generalization ability and has achieved good prediction result. Finally, the e‐VMD‐PCA‐RELM model is used to predict the scale of offshore wind farms in China from 2019 to 2035. We find that the cumulative installed capacity of China's offshore wind power will exceed 60 GW in 2035, and the installed capacity will increase year by year. In 2030, there will be a large increase, with a relative growth rate of 20%.
Do agricultural grasses bred for improved root systems provide resilience to machinery‐derived soil compaction?
Authors: Muhandiram Nuwan P.K. , Humphreys Mike W. , Fychan Rhun , Davies John W. , Sanderson Ruth , Marley Christina L. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe increasing frequency of droughts and floods on grasslands, due to climate change, increases the risk of soil compaction. Soil compaction affects both soil and forage productivity. Differing grasses may counteract some effects of compaction due to differences in their root architecture and ontogeny. To compare their resilience to soil compaction, three Festulolium (ryegrass and fescue species’ hybrids) forage grass cultivars comprising differing root architecture and ontogeny were compared in replicated field plots, together with a ryegrass and tall fescue variety as controls. Pre‐compaction soil and forage properties were determined in spring using > four‐year‐old plots to generate baseline data. Half of each field plot was then artificially compacted using farm machinery. Forage dry matter yield (DMY) was determined over four cuts. After the final harvest, post compaction soil characteristics and root biomass (RB) were compared between grasses in the non‐compacted and compacted soils. Pre‐compaction data showed that soil under Festulolium and ryegrass had similar water infiltration rates, higher than soil under tall fescue plots. Tiller density of the Festulolium at this time was significantly higher than fescue but not the ryegrass control. Forage DMY was significantly lower (p < .001) with compacted soil at the first cut but, by the completion of the growing season, there was no effect of soil compaction on total DMY. Tall fescue had a higher total DMY than other grasses, which all produced similar annual yields. Soil bulk density and penetration resistance were higher, and grass tiller density was lower in compacted soils. Root biomass in compacted soils showed a tendency for Festulolium cv Lp × Fg to have higher RB than the ryegrass at 0–15 cm depth. Overall, findings showed alternative grass root structures provide differing resilience to machinery compaction, and root biomass production can be encouraged without negative impacts on forage productivity.
How historical analysis can enrich scenario planning
Authors: Schoemaker Paul J. H. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractHistorians and scenario planners both examine societal developments over time, but from opposite vantage points. One group looks backward, the other forward. This paper argues that a deeper understanding of the methods and approaches of historical analysis can help scenario planners to develop better insights into the world ahead. The study of history stretches back millennia, while disciplined scenario planning has been around for half a century. By comparing historical analysis with scenario planning, the paper extracts lessons to improve narratives about possible futures, with linkages to the emerging field of counterfactual history. The practical challenges are examined using a 1992 scenario project about South Africa's future post‐apartheid. Reviewing the four scenarios developed then, with the benefit of hindsight now, shows how and why historical thinking can sharpen scenario‐oriented studies of the future.
Cantharidin‐induced acute hepatotoxicity: the role of TNF‐α, IKK‐α, Bcl‐2, Bax and caspase3
Authors: Yu Yalei , Zhang Youyou , Zhang Jie , Guan Chuhuai , Liu Liang , Ren Liang 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCantharidin is of high medicinal value but has strong toxicity. Nowadays, multiple research has focused on the mechanism of its antitumor activity while research on toxicological profiles associated with cantharidin poisoning is still limited. Its hepatotoxicity has attracted attention recently for the crucial role of the liver in detoxification. Here, we aim to find a potential mechanism for cantharidin‐induced acute hepatotoxicity with a view to assisting subsequent research or clinical use or detoxification. Twenty‐one male Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, low‐dose (1.34 mg/kg) and high‐dose (2.67 mg/kg) cantharidin exposure groups. We used hematoxylin‐eosin to observe pathological changes and used immunofluorescent staining, western blotting and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect the expression of the markers. The main pathological changes in livers of cantharidin‐treated rats were necrosis, inflammatory infiltration and hemorrhage. We found coexpression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), IkappaB kinase‐alpha (IKK‐α) and caspase3 by immunofluorescent staining in livers of cantharidin‐treated rats. Compared with the control, the levels of TNF‐α, IKK‐α and caspase3 increased significantly in the experimental groups (P < .05). The ratio of B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2)/Bax increased in the low‐dose group but decreased in the high‐dose group (P < .05). Cantharidin exposure raised IKK‐α mRNA and caspase3 mRNA levels (P < .05). In conclusion, the participation of TNF‐α, IKK‐α, Bcl‐2, Bax and caspase3 uncovered a novel mechanism underlying cantharidin‐induced acute hepatotoxicity, and the mechanism needs to be studied further.
Engineering HepG2 spheroids with injectable fiber fragments as predictable models for drug metabolism and tumor infiltration
Authors: Wei Jiaojun , Lei Dongmei , Chen Maohua , Ran Pan , Li Xiaohong 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn vitro cell and tissue models are playing essential roles in the identification of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Though HepG2 cells have attractive profiles over primary hepatocytes in the availability and viability retention, the expression of metabolizing enzymes is quite low. In the current study, three‐dimensional (3D) HepG2 spheroids with smaller sizes of 150 μm (3Ds) and bigger sizes of 300 μm (3Db) are engineered using injectable fiber fragments as the substrate. In contrast to two‐dimensional (2D) culture, the enzyme activities for drug metabolisms are restored in 3Ds and the pathophysiological profiles of tumor tissues are rebuilt in 3Db spheroids. Compared with spheroid culture without fiber fragments, 3Ds spheroids show higher activities of metabolizing enzymes (CYP3A4, CYP2A9, and phase II) and higher sensitivities to enzyme inducers (rifampicin and glutathione) and inhibitors (ketoconazole and probenecid). The drug clearance and toxicity to 3Ds spheroids predict better the clinical observations and drug–drug interactions. In addition, compared to scaffold‐free spheroid culture, stronger expressions of E‐cadherin and hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) and higher fibronectin secretions are determined in 3Db spheroids, displaying apparent hypoxic and apoptotic regions similar to those found in solid tumors. In contrast to the overestimated drug toxicity in other systems, the infiltrations of free drug and drug‐loaded micelles are apparently restricted in 3Db spheroids, exhibiting drug resistance just like in tumor tissues. Thus, this study demonstrates HepG2 spheroids with different sizes as predictable and physiologically relevant models for high‐throughput screening of drug metabolism and tumor infiltration.