bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Corvids avoid odd evaluation by following simple rules in a risky exchange task
Authors: Dufour Valérie , Broihanne Marie‐Hélène , Wascher Claudia A. F. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn their natural environment, animals often make decisions crucial for survival, such as choosing the best patch or food, or the best partner to cooperate. The choice can be compared to a gamble with an outcome that is predictable but not certain, such as rolling a dice. In economics, such a situation is called a risky context. Several models show that although individuals can generally evaluate the odds of each potential outcome, they can be subject to errors of judgment or choose according to decision‐making heuristics (simple decision rules). In non‐human primates, similar errors of judgment have been reported and we have recently shown that they also use a decisional heuristics when confronted with a risky choice in an exchange task. This suggests a common evolutionary origin to the mechanisms underlying decision‐making under risk in primates. However, whether the same mechanisms are also present in more distantly related taxa needs to be further investigated. Other social species, like corvids, are renowned for their advanced cognitive skills and may show similar responses. Here, we analyse data on corvids (carrion crows, hooded crows, common ravens and rooks) tested in a risky exchange task comparable to the one used in non‐human primates. We investigated whether corvids could exchange according to the odds of success or, alternatively, whether they used a heuristic similar to the one used by non‐human primates. Instead, most corvids chose a course of action (either a low or high exchange rate) that remained constant throughout the study. In general, corvids’ mean exchange rates were lower compared to non‐human primates, indicating that they were either risk‐adverse or that they do not possess the cognitive capabilities to evaluate odds. Further studies are required to evaluate the flexibility in exchange abilities of these birds in exchange abilities of these birds.
Vegetation encroachment drives changes in the composition of butterfly assemblages and species loss in Mediterranean ecosystems
Authors: Ubach Andreu , Páramo Ferran , Gutiérrez Cèsar , Stefanescu Constantí 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Land abandonment and loss of grazing have been amongst the primary drivers of landscape change in the Mediterranean basin in the recent decades. As a consequence, forest cover has greatly expanded in detrimental of semi‐natural grasslands, areas of cultivation and pasture mosaics. Although predictably important, the impact that this phenomenon has on biodiversity has remained largely unexplored, partly because of lack of appropriate data.
Here, we make use of an extensive citizen science program, the Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, to quantify the response of butterfly assemblages to vegetation encroachment in NE Spain. We first adapted an index to describe the preference of 147 butterfly species for open or closed habitats and found a strong association of most species for open habitats.
We developed a community index to record changes in 54 long‐term monitored sites (10 years or more), where plant communities were also periodically monitored. Butterfly assemblages have undergone changes toward species preferring closed habitats in 72% of the studied sites, in parallel to a process of vegetation encroachment in the region.
Community changes were linked to population trends, and could be locally predicted by the interaction of the preference of butterfly species for open or closed habitats and the magnitude of vegetation encroachment at each site. These changes were accompanied by frequent extinction events (4.53% of the studied populations), that were highly biased toward species preferring open habitats. Our study confirms and quantifies the threat that vegetation encroachment imposes on biodiversity in this highly diverse region.
Development and psychometric evaluation of the patient knowledge of, and attitudes and behaviours towards pressure ulcer prevention instrument (KPUP)
Authors: Shanley Emer , Moore Zena , Patton Declan , O'Connor Tom , Avsar Pinar , Nugent Linda , Beeckman Dimitri 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe Patient Knowledge of, and Attitude and Behaviour towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument (KPUP) was developed and validated using a two‐stage prospective psychometric instrument validation study design. In Stage 1, the instrument was designed, and it is psychometrically evaluated in Stage 2. To establish content validity, two expert panels independently reviewed each item for appropriateness and relevance. Psychometric evaluation included construct validity and stability testing of the instrument. The questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 200 people aged more than 65 years, living independently in the community; reliability and stability were assessed by test/retest procedures, with a 1‐week interval. Mean knowledge scores at ‘test’ were 11.54/20 (95% CI = 11.10‐11.99, SD: 3.07), and ‘retest’ was 12.24 (95% CI = 11.81‐12.66, SD: 2.93). For knowledge, correlation between the test/retest score was positive (r=. 60), attitude section‐inter‐item correlations ranged from r = −.31 to r = .57 (mean intraclass correlation coefficient of r = .42), and internal consistency for the retest was the same as the test (α = .41 for the eight items). For health behaviours, individual inter‐item correlations for test items ranged from r = −.21 to r = .41 for the 13 standardised items. Psychometric testing of the KPUP in a sample of older persons in the community provided moderate internal consistency and general high test‐retest stability.
The Medieval Urban Churchyard as a Meeting Place
Authors: Jensen Jane Jark 
Published: December 2019

The article presents the results of a study based on activity analysis of a medieval churchyard of St. Clemens in the urban setting of Copenhagen. The churchyard was in function from the 11th to 16th century revealing changes in layout and burial rites over time. A glimpse of the symbolic life of the medieval Copenhageners is also exposed and analysed. Moreover, the study of the churchyard reveals activities of a more secular nature and presents some of the activities that must have been part of everyday life in the medieval town. Thus, the churchyard has not only been an arena for meetings between the living and the dead but also a location for experiencing the urban life burgeoning outside the churchyard.For comparison, a recently discovered contemporaneous churchyard at Rådhuspladsen is also discussed.
Neutrophil extracellular traps activate lung fibroblast to induce polymyositis‐related interstitial lung diseases via TLR9‐miR‐7‐Smad2 pathway
Authors: Zhang Sigong , Jia Xueqin , Zhang Qiuyue , Zhang Li , Yang Jing , Hu Caihong , Shi Junnian , Jiang Xiao , Lu Jinyue , Shen Haili 
Published: December 2019

AbstractExcessive neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation may contribute to polymyositis (PM)‐associated interstitial lung diseases (ILD), but the underlying mechanism is not fully revealed. In this study, we found that NET accelerated the progression of ILD and promoted pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in vivo. miR‐7 expression was down‐regulated in lung tissue of PM group than control group, and NETs further decreased miR‐7 expression. TLR9 and Smad2 were up‐regulated in lung tissue of PM group than control group, and NETs further increased TLR9 and Smad2 expressions. In vitro experiments showed that PMA‐treated NETs accelerated the proliferation of LF and their differentiation into myofibroblast (MF), whereas DNase I decreased the promotion effect of NETs. Neutrophil extracellular trap components myeloperoxidase (MPO) and histone 3 also promoted the proliferation and differentiation of LF. In addition, we demonstrated that TLR9 involved in the regulation of NETs on LF proliferation and differentiation, and confirmed the interaction between miR‐7 and Smad2 in LF. Finally, miR‐7‐Smad2 pathway was confirmed to be involved in the regulation of TLR9 on LF proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, NETs promote PM‐related ILD, and TLR9‐miR‐7‐Smad2 signalling pathway is involved in the proliferation of LFs and their differentiation into MFs.
Assessing the repeatability, robustness to disturbance, and parent–offspring colony resemblance of collective behavior
Authors: Fisher David N. , Lichtenstein James L. L. , Costa‐Pereira Raul , Yeager Justin , Pruitt Jonathan N. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractGroups of animals possess phenotypes such as collective behaviour, which may determine the fitness of group members. However, the stability and robustness to perturbations of collective phenotypes in natural conditions is not established. Furthermore, whether group phenotypes are transmitted from parent to offspring groups with fidelity is required for understanding how selection on group phenotypes contributes to evolution, but parent–offspring resemblance at the group level is rarely estimated. We evaluated the repeatability, robustness to perturbation and parent–offspring resemblance of collective foraging aggressiveness in colonies of the social spiderAnelosimus eximius. Among‐colony differences in foraging aggressiveness were consistent over time but changed if the colony was perturbed through the removal of individuals or via individuals’ removal and subsequent return. Offspring and parent colony behaviour were correlated at the phenotypic level, but only once the offspring colony had settled after being translocated, and the correlation overlapped with zero at the among‐colony level. The parent–offspring resemblance was not driven by a shared elevation but could be due to other environmental factors. The behaviour of offspring colonies in a common garden laboratory setting was not correlated with the behaviour of the parent colony nor with the same colony's behaviour once it was returned to the field. The phenotypes of groups represent a potentially important tier of biological organization, and assessing the stability and heritability of such phenotypes helps us better understand their role in evolution.
Competency‐based education calls for programmatic assessment: But what does this look like in practice?
Authors: Rich Jessica V. , Fostaty Young Sue , Donnelly Catherine , Hall Andrew K. , Dagnone J. Damon , Weersink Kristen , Caudle Jaelyn , Van Melle Elaine , Klinger Don A. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractRationale, aims, and objectivesProgrammatic assessment has been identified as a system‐oriented approach to achieving the multiple purposes for assessment within Competency‐Based Medical Education (CBME, i.e., formative, summative, and program improvement). While there are well‐established principles for designing and evaluating programs of assessment, few studies illustrate and critically interpret, what a system of programmatic assessment looks like in practice. This study aims to use systems thinking and the ‘two communities’ metaphor to interpret a model of programmatic assessment and to identify challenges and opportunities with operationalization.MethodAn interpretive case study was used to investigate how programmatic assessment is being operationalized within one competency‐based residency program at a Canadian university. Qualitative data were collected from residents, faculty, and program leadership via semi‐structured group and individual interviews conducted at nine months post‐CBME implementation. Data were analyzed using a combination of data‐based inductive analysis and theory‐derived deductive analysis.ResultsIn this model, Academic Advisors had a central role in brokering assessment data between communities responsible for producing and using residents' performance information for decision making (i.e., formative, summative/evaluative, and program improvement). As system intermediaries, Academic Advisors were in a privileged position to see how the parts of the assessment system contributed to the functioning of the whole and could identify which system components were not functioning as intended. Challenges were identified with the documentation of residents' performance information (i.e., system inputs); use of low‐stakes formative assessments to inform high‐stakes evaluative judgments about the achievement of competence standards; and gaps in feedback mechanisms for closing learning loops.ConclusionsThe findings of this research suggest that program stakeholders can benefit from a systems perspective regarding how their assessment practices contribute to the efficacy of the system as a whole. Academic Advisors are well positioned to support educational development efforts focused on overcoming challenges with operationalizing programmatic assessment.
PRICE PRESSURE OF TRADING AND EQUITY PRICES IN HEDGE FUND ACTIVISM
Authors: Mihov Atanas 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn this article, I offer and examine a price pressure hypothesis, which states that stock prices of activism targets temporarily deviate from fundamentals. Increased demand for target stocks upon the formation of activist positions exerts upward pressure on targets’ stock prices in the short term. Such effects are driven by illiquid stocks whose prices are sensitive to order‐flow imbalances. When activists use private transactions, price pressure effects are muted. As buying pressure subsides and reverses over the long run, targets’ stock prices decline proportionately to predisclosure accumulations, driven again by illiquid stocks. These price dynamics have important implications for activists’ block‐formation strategies and, more generally, shareholder activism.
What about limb long bone nutrient canal(s)? – a 3D investigation in mammals
Authors: Houssaye Alexandra , Prévoteau Jocerand 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe nutrient arteries, located in the long bone diaphysis, are the major blood supply to long bones, especially during the early phases of growth and ossification. Their intersection with the central axis of the medullary area corresponds to the ossification center, and their opening on the outer bone surface to the nutrient foramen. Nutrient arteries/foramen have essentially been analyzed in humans, and only to a much lesser extent in a few mammals. Some studies have taken measurements of the nutrient foramen; others have investigated the shape and orientation of the nutrient canals, although only partially. No studies have analyzed the nutrient canal in three dimensions inside the bone and the relationships between nutrient foramen, nutrient canal, growth, and physiology require further investigation. The current study proposes to investigate in three dimensions the shape of the nutrient canal in stylopod bones of various mammals. Qualitative and quantitative parameters are defined to discuss the diversity in, for example, morphology, orientation, and diameter encountered, resorting to two different datasets to maximize differences within mammals and then analyze variation within morphologically and phylogenetically closer taxa. This study highlights a strong intraspecific variation for various parameters, with limited biological signal, but also shows trends. It notably provides evidence that canals are generally more numerous and relatively thinner in less elongated bones. Moreover, it shows that the growth center is located distally in the humerus and proximally in the femur, and that the canals are essentially oriented towards the faster growing end, so that the nutrient foramen does not indicate the location of the growth center. This result seems general in mammals but cannot be generalized outside of Mammalia. Further analyses of the features of nutrient arteries in reptiles are required to make comparisons with the trends observed in mammals.
The use of mentholated popsicle to reduce thirst during preoperative fasting: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Aroni Patricia , Fonseca Ligia F. , Ciol Marcia A. , Margatho Amanda S. , Galvão Cristina M. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAims and objectivesTo compare mentholated popsicle with usual care (absolute fasting) in the change of thirst intensity and discomfort of patients in the preoperative fasting.BackgroundThirst is defined as the desire to drink water, and it is considered to be a multifactorial symptom. In the preoperative fasting, the patient may experience intense thirst, often for a long time, that can lead to feelings of suffocation, desperation, fear and anxiety.DesignA randomised controlled trial.MethodsForty patients, aged between 18–60 years, were randomised to mentholated popsicle group or absolute fasting group (twenty in each). The primary outcomes were thirst intensity, evaluated by a numeric scale ranging from 0 (no thirst)–10 (the worst possible thirst), and discomfort from thirst (evaluated by the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale), both measured twice (baseline and after 20 min of intervention). The CONSORT checklist was used to report this study.ResultsMean age was similar in both groups (38 years in the mentholated popsicle group and 39 in the absolute fasting group). At baseline, the mentholated popsicle group had higher median for the scales of intensity (6.5) and discomfort (7.5) from thirst than the absolute fasting group (5.0 and 5.0, respectively). At the end of 20 min, the popsicle group had a statistically significant decrease in intensity and discomfort from thirst (median decreases of 5.0 and 7.0 points, respectively) when compared to the absolute fasting group (median increases of 0.5 and 1.0 points, respectively).ConclusionsThe use of mentholated popsicle decreased the intensity and discomfort from thirst, and it is a viable strategy for the management of thirst in the preoperative fasting.Relevance to clinical practiceIn the preoperative fasting, making mentholated popsicles available to patients is an easy strategy to manage thirst, which might lead to better care.
Randomised controlled trial: Shoulder–umbilicus length versus body weight measurement for optimal endotracheal tube depth estimation in ventilated infants
Authors: Mat Ali Adam Al‐Anas bin , Nasir Ariffin , Ramli Noraida , Ibrahim Nor R , Van Rostenberghe Hans 
Published: December 2019

AimThe optimal placement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in ventilated infants is essential, but birthweight may be not the best parameter to predict it. The aim of this study was a direct comparison of shoulder–umbilical length (experimental group) versus birthweight (control group) as predictor of optimal ETT placement in Malaysian ventilated infants.MethodsAll infants requiring ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Malaysia during the 4‐month study period were eligible to enter this randomised controlled trial. All participants were randomised into two groups: experimental and control group. The main outcome measure was malposition of the ETT (requiring adjustment), as seen on the chest X‐ray performed within 1 h after intubation. Tube placement was assessed by two neonatologists, blinded to the allocation.ResultsOne hundred and ten infants were randomised, 55 in each group. The ETT was malpositioned in 13 of 55 infants (23%) for the experimental group and 22 of 55 infants (40%) in the control group (P = 0.06).ConclusionIn the experimental group, fewer infants showed a need for tube adjustment than in the control group. While a larger study may be necessary to show statistical significance, the difference shown in this study may be large enough to be of clinical significance.
Associations of subclinical atherosclerosis with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis assessed by non‐invasive score
Authors: Xin Zhuojun , Zhu Yuanyue , Wang Shuangyuan , Liu Shanshan , Xu Min , Wang Tiange , Lu Jieli , Chen Yuhong , Zhao Zhiyun , Wang Weiqing , Ning Guang , Bi Yufang , Xu Yu , Li Mian 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackground & AimsNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been considered as a risk factor of adverse cardiovascular prognosis, but the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis and NAFLD remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the impact of subclinical atherosclerosis on incident NAFLD and liver fibrosis.MethodsWe included 3433 subjects aged ≥40 years and free of NAFLD. Brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (ba‐PWV) and carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) were measured at baseline to assess subclinical atherosclerosis status. At follow‐up visit, NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound and fibrosis was assessed by NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis‐4 score (FIB‐4) and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI).ResultsA total of 654 (19.1%) subjects developed NAFLD during the follow‐up period of 4.3 years. In the multivariate logistic regression models, each standard deviation (SD) increment of ba‐PWV was associated with 20% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07‐1.33), 22% (95% CI 1.08‐1.39), 17% (95% CI 1.04‐1.32) and 37% (95% CI 1.07‐1.75) higher risk of incident NAFLD, higher NFS, FIB‐4 and APRI respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile of ba‐PWV, the highest quartile ba‐PWV had 63% (95% CI 1.20‐2.22), 112% (95% CI 1.42‐3.17), 86% (95% CI 1.28‐2.69) and 201% (95% CI 1.29‐7.04) higher risk of incident NAFLD, higher NFS, FIB‐4 and APRI respectively. Besides, per SD increase of CIMT was associated with a 12% (95% CI 1.01‐1.24) higher risk of incident NAFLD.ConclusionsIncreased ba‐PWV was independently associated with incident NAFLD and higher probability of fibrosis, whereas CIMT was associated with incident NAFLD but not with fibrosis.
Ear mite infection is associated with altered microbial communities in genetically depauperate Santa Catalina Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae)
Authors: DeCandia Alexandra L. , Brenner Lara J. , King Julie L. , vonHoldt Bridgett M. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe host‐associated microbiome is increasingly recognized as a critical player in health and immunity. Recent studies have shown that disruption of commensal microbial communities can contribute to disease pathogenesis and severity. Santa Catalina Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) present a compelling system in which to examine microbial dynamics in wildlife due to their depauperate genomic structure and extremely high prevalence of ceruminous gland tumors. Although the precise cause is yet unknown, infection with ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) has been linked to chronic inflammation, which is associated with abnormal cell growth and tumor development. Given the paucity of genomic variation in these foxes, other dimensions of molecular diversity, such as commensal microbes, may be critical to host response and disease pathology. We characterized the host‐associated microbiome across six body sites of Santa Catalina Island foxes, and performed differential abundance testing between healthy and mite‐infected ear canals. We found that mite infection was significantly associated with reduced microbial diversity and evenness, with the opportunistic pathogenStaphylococcus pseudintermediusdominating the ear canal community. These results suggest that secondary bacterial infection may contribute to the sustained inflammation associated with tumor development. As the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains remains a concern of the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, uncovering high relative abundance ofS. pseudintermediusprovides critical insight into the pathogenesis of this complex system. Through use of culture‐independent sequencing techniques, this study contributes to the broader effort of applying a more inclusive understanding of molecular diversity to questions within wildlife disease ecology.