bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Soil fungi and fine root biomass mediate drought‐induced reductions in soil respiration
Authors: Zhou Guiyao , Zhou Xuhui , Liu Ruiqiang , Du Zhenggang , Zhou Lingyan , Li Songsong , Liu Huiying , Shao Junjiong , Wang Jiawei , Nie Yuanyuan , Gao Jie , Wang Minhuang , Zhang Mingyue , Wang Xihua , Bai Shahla Hosseini 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, with potential impacts on carbon (C) release from soil (i.e. soil respiration, Rs). Although numerous studies have investigated drought‐induced changes in Rs, how roots and the soil microbial community regulate responses of Rs to drought remains unclear.

We conducted a 4‐year field experiment (2014–2017) with three treatments (i.e. 70% rainfall reduction, control and ambient) in a subtropical forest to examine effects of drought on Rs and its components [i.e. autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)] and explore the mechanisms underlying these effects.

Drought significantly decreased Rs by 17% averaged over the 4 years, but it had no significant effect in the first experimental year. The decrease in Rs was mediated by soil fungi and fine root biomass. Fine root biomass was correlated negatively with Ra and Rs under drought, but positively in the control treatment. Furthermore, drought treatments increased physiological stress in the bacterial community. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis suggested that under drought conditions, microclimate affected Rs via its impact on fine root biomass and fungal biomass.

Our results highlight the complex interactions between microclimate, roots and soil microbes in regulating Rs under drought in subtropical forest ecosystems. Incorporating these interactions into land surface models may improve predictions of climate change impacts on forest ecosystems.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Habitat features and performance interact to determine the outcomes of terrestrial predator–prey pursuits
Authors: Wheatley Rebecca , Pavlic Theodore P. , Levy Ofir , Wilson Robbie S. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Animals are responsive to predation risk, often seeking safer habitats at the cost of foraging rewards. Although previous research has examined how habitat features affect detection by predators, little is known about how the interaction of habitat features, sensory cues and physical performance capabilities affect prey escape performance once detected.

To investigate how specific habitat features affect predation risk, we developed an individual‐based model of terrestrial predator–prey pursuits in habitats with programmable features.

We ran simulations varying the relative performance capabilities of predator and prey as well as the availability and abundance of refuges and obstacles in the habitat.

Prey were more likely to avoid detection in complex habitats containing a higher abundance of obstacles; however, if detected, prey escape probability was dependent on both the abundance of refuges and obstacles and the predator's relative performance capabilities. Our model accurately predicted the relative escape success for impala escaping from cheetah in open savanna versus acacia thicket habitat, though escape success was consistently underestimated.

Our model provides a mechanistic explanation for the differential effects of habitat on survival for different predator–prey pairs. Its flexible nature means that our model can be refined to simulate specific systems and could have applications towards management programmes for species threatened by habitat loss and predation.
In vivo synthesis of monolysocardiolipin and cardiolipin by Acinetobacter baumannii phospholipase D and effect on cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance
Authors: Pfefferle Katharina , Lopalco Patrizia , Breisch Jennifer , Siemund Anna , Corcelli Angela , Averhoff Beate 
Published: September 2020

SummaryAcinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen, which has become a rising threat in healthcare facilities worldwide due to increasing antibiotic resistances and optimal adaptation to clinical environments and the human host. We reported in a former publication on the identification of three phopholipases of the phospholipase D (PLD) superfamily in A. baumannii ATCC 19606T acting in concerted manner as virulence factors in Galleria mellonella infection and lung epithelial cell invasion. This study focussed on the function of the three PLDs. A Δpld1‐3 mutant was defect in biosynthesis of the phospholipids cardiolipin (CL) and monolysocardiolipin (MLCL), whereas the deletion of pld2 and pld3 abolished the production of MLCL. Complementation of the Δpld1‐3 mutant with pld1 restored CL biosynthesis demonstrating that the PLD1 is implicated in CL biosynthesis. Complementation of the Δpld1‐3 mutant with either pld2 or pld3 restored MLCL and CL production leading to the conclusion that PLD2 and PLD3 are implicated in CL and MLCL production. Mutant studies revealed that two catalytic motifs are essential for the PLD3‐mediated biosynthesis of CL and MLCL. The Δpld1‐3 mutant exhibited a decreased colistin and polymyxin B resistance indicating a role of CL in cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) resistance.
L'accès à l’électricité: une solution pour réduire la déforestation en Afrique?
Authors: Bakehe Novice Patrick 
Published: September 2020

RésuméDans la littérature économique, il a été largement démontré que l'accès à l’électricité a des externalités positives sur diverses dimensions du bien‐être, notamment la participation au marché du travail et l'amélioration du capital humain. Cependant, ces effets sur la déforestation sont moins connus malgré les liens existants entre l'utilisation de certains combustibles et la dégradation des forêts. Cet article s'intéresse à l'effet de l'accès à l’électricité sur la déforestation à partir des données de 47 pays africains. Sur la période 1990–2015, nous montrons que l'amélioration de l'accès à l’électricité réduit le taux de déforestation. Cependant, en excluant les pays du Maghreb et l'Afrique du Sud de notre échantillon, l'effet de l'accès à l’électricité devient non significatif. Les mesures telles que la baisse des prix de consommation de l’électricité et un service de qualité pourraient augmenter les chances de substitution des sources d’énergie plus perfectionnées comme l’électricité à la biomasse traditionnelle et par conséquent réduire la déforestation.
Health care expenditure and health outcomes in sub‐Saharan African countries
Authors: Chireshe Jaison , Ocran Matthew K. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis paper studies the effect of health care expenditure on health outcomes in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) using data from 1995 to 2018 for 45 countries. It uses fixed effects and generalized methods of moments estimation approaches for the analysis. The paper measures health care expenditure using three proxies: namely, total health care expenditure per capita, public health care expenditure to gross domestic product (GDP), and private health care expenditure to total health expenditure. Health outcomes are measured by child health outcomes (under‐5 mortality rate) and life expectancy. The results show that increase in health care expenditure as measured by total health care expenditure per capita and public health care expenditure to GDP leads to decline in under‐5 mortality rates. The results also show that total health care expenditure per capita leads to an increase in life expectancy. The study therefore recommends that governments in SSA increase budget allocations towards the health care sector to achieve better health outcomes.
Exchange rate volatility and pass‐through to inflation in South Africa
Authors: Miyajima Ken 
Published: September 2020

AbstractDoes the South African rand's relatively large volatility affect inflation? To shed some light on this question, a standard estimation technique of exchange rate pass‐through to inflation is extended to incorporate exchange rate volatility. Estimated results suggest that higher exchange rate volatility tends to increase core inflation but to a relatively limited extent in South Africa. The finding lends support to the policy of allowing the rand to float freely and work as a shock absorber, consistent with the nation's successful inflation targeting regime.
British Torture, Then and Now: The Role of the Judges
Authors: Gearty Conor 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis article is concerned with the return of torture and other related abusive conduct to the British counter‐insurgency arsenal following the initiation of military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 2000s. It focuses primarily on how judges have engaged with the challenges that this torture and abusive conduct have posed, both in their capacity as judges proper and also as appointees to a range of inquiries that have been initiated in the wake of these actions. The article contrasts the post‐2001 work of judges with that during an earlier episode when such state abuse was also evident, Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Arguing that the judiciary has been drawn into the fray much more heavily than in the 1970s and across a great range of platforms, the article analyses this judicial involvement and posits explanations for it against the backdrop of a changing UK politico‐legal culture.
Survey of clinician opinions on the role of proton beam therapy in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: McNeil Nicholas , Gorayski Peter , Le Hien , Penniment Michael , Hanna Gerard G , Thwaites David , Roos Daniel , Kenny Lizbeth M , Ahern Verity 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntroductionWe surveyed the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) radiation oncology community to assess their perceptions, understanding and experience of the current role of proton beam therapy (PBT) and the existing referral process to access PBT overseas, ahead of the development of the first PBT centre in Australia.MethodsThe survey was conducted between September and October 2019 using a 17‐question instrument, which was distributed by email to all 632 radiation oncology fellows and trainees listed in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists database.ResultsOne hundred and one respondents completed the survey, with an overall response rate of 16%. Most respondents were based in Australia (93%), with the majority working in public centres only (59%); 51% were > 10 years post fellowship and 17% were trainees. Most respondents (76%) reported moderate or high levels of confidence in the role of PBT. Only 28% had previously referred a patient for PBT overseas, with the most common referral indication being chordoma. Of those who had not previously referred a patient, 48% were not convinced about the rationale of PBT over current therapies available locally, 33% were not aware of the referral process, and 24% had concerns about the timeliness of a decision for government‐funded PBT abroad.ConclusionThis survey has demonstrated that, although there is reasonable confidence in the role of PBT among ANZ radiation oncologists, there are a number of important aspects of PBT awareness, education and access that need to be developed prior to commencement of PBT in Australia.
Co‐existence of Marfan syndrome and systemic sclerosis: A case report and a hypothesis suggesting a common link
Authors: Yap Wee Fang , Chong Hwee Cheng 
Published: September 2020

AbstractFBN1 gene encodes for the connective tissue protein fibrillin‐1 which can also regulate the profibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)‐ß1. Mutations in the FBN1 gene cause Marfan syndrome (MFS), a genetic condition with defective connective tissues. FBN1 haplotypes and single nucleotide polymorphisms have also been reported to be associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a connective tissue disease characterized by fibrosis of multiple organs. Furthermore, the duplication of the Fbn1 gene causes a SSc‐like disease in the TsK1 mouse model. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of MFS and SSc co‐existing in a patient. Here, we describe a 46‐year‐old woman who presented with cardiac failure. She had a family history of MFS. Physical examination revealed marfanoid habitus and scleroderma features. Echocardiography demonstrated dilated cardiomyopathy with aortic root dilatation, aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was consistent with dilated cardiomyopathy, mid‐wall fibrosis at basal septal wall and dilated aortic root. Extractable nuclear antigen panel detected anti‐Scl 70. She fulfilled Ghent criteria for MFS and satisfied American College of Rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for SSc. Although we do not have the FBN1 sequence in our patient, the co‐existence of MFS and SSc in this patient raises the possibility of co‐existence of distinct mutations in the FBN1 gene that could affect TGF‐β signaling differently, resulting in divergent pathologic consequences – loss of structural integrity in MFS versus increased extracellular matrix deposition in SSc, and different clinical manifestations.
Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with spondyloarthritis: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Kim Ji Hyoun , Choi In Ah 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimCardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA) remain controversial. Herein, we performed a meta‐analysis of the latest large‐scale population‐based studies to demonstrate the elevated risk of CV disease and mortality in patients with SpA than in the general population.MethodsMEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched systematically for population‐based studies published between January 1997 and September 2019. Additional manual literature searches were also performed. All searches and data collection were performed independently by 2 reviewers. We calculated the risks of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all‐cause mortality in a meta‐analysis and determined the risk ratios (RR) using the Mantel–Haenszel method.ResultsAmong the 641 identified articles, 16 articles involving 18 cases met the inclusion criteria for our meta‐analysis; these included 12 cases of ankylosing spondylitis, five cases of psoriatic arthritis, and 1 case of undifferentiated SpA. Our meta‐analysis revealed a significantly high risk of MI (RR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.29‐1.80) and stroke (RR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.0‐1.47) in patients with SpA than in the general population. However, this increased risk was not significant in terms of all‐cause mortality (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 0.96‐1.57).ConclusionsOur meta‐analysis demonstrated that patients with SpA have a significantly increased risks of MI and stroke, but without a significant increase in the all‐cause mortality, than that in the general population. The higher risk of CV in patients with SpA than that in the general population indicates the need for strict risk factor correction and disease management.
Growth of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and expression of Sme efflux pumps encoding genes in the presence of supernatants from amoebal and bacterial co‐cultures: towards the role of amoebal secondary metabolites
Authors: Denet Elodie , Triadou Sylvain , Michalet Serge , Nazaret Sylvie , Favre‐Bonté Sabine 
Published: September 2020

SummaryResistance‐Nodulation‐Division (RND) efflux pumps are relevant determinants of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia multidrug resistance as they can extrude a broad range of antibiotics and compounds involved in virulence and physiological functions. S. maltophilia, an environmental bacterium, was shown to be associated with amoebae and able to multiply inside them. To explore whether S. maltophilia RND efflux pumps play a role when interacting with amoebae, we evaluated the effect of amoebal culture and co‐culture supernatants on the growth of S. maltophilia and the expression of sme efflux pump genes. Acanthamoeba castellanii and Willaertia magna were used as amoebal models and strain S. maltophilia BurE1 as bacterial one. Our data showed that both bacterial growth and sme gene expression were not modified by amoebal culture supernatants. On the contrary, co‐culture supernatants negatively impacted the growth of BurE1 and induced the expression of three out of eight efflux pump genes, i.e. smeE, smeN and smeZ. Finally, we evidenced the production of A. castellanii secondary metabolites, putatively belonging to the diterpene family, in the amoebal supernatant and in the co‐culture supernatant of A. castellanii and BurE1. Whether these compounds act directly as substrates of the efflux pumps and/or inducers of the sme genes need further investigations.
AIDE: Accelerating image‐based ecological surveys with interactive machine learning
Authors: Kellenberger Benjamin , Tuia Devis , Morris Dan 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Ecological surveys increasingly rely on large‐scale image datasets, typically terabytes of imagery for a single survey. The ability to collect this volume of data allows surveys of unprecedented scale, at the cost of expansive volumes of photo‐interpretation labour.

We present Annotation Interface for Data‐driven Ecology (AIDE), an open‐source web framework designed to alleviate the task of image annotation for ecological surveys. AIDE employs an easy‐to‐use and customisable labelling interface that supports multiple users, database storage and scalability to the cloud and/or multiple machines.

Moreover, AIDE closely integrates users and machine learning models into a feedback loop, where user‐provided annotations are employed to re‐train the model, and the latter is applied over unlabelled images to e.g. identify wildlife. These predictions are then presented to the users in optimised order, according to a customisable active learning criterion. AIDE has a number of deep learning models built‐in, but also accepts custom model implementations.

Annotation Interface for Data‐driven Ecology has the potential to greatly accelerate annotation tasks for a wide range of researches employing image data. AIDE is open‐source and can be downloaded for free at https://github.com/microsoft/aerial_wildlife_detection.
Carfentanil and the rise and fall of overdose deaths in the United States
Authors: Jalal Hawre , Burke Donald S. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackground and AimsIt is widely believed that the 2018 decline in overdose deaths in the United States was attributable to a range of public health interventions, however, this decline also coincided with the regulation and decline in use of potent fentanyl analogs, especially carfentanil. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between overdose deaths and carfentanil availability in the United States.DesignSecondary analysis of drug overdose deaths from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and carfentanil exhibit data from drug seizures submitted to drug crime labs and published by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Trends in overdose deaths were compared in states with high carfentanil exhibits with states with low or no carfentanil exhibits.SettingUnited States.ParticipantsA total of 1 035 923 drug overdose death records in the United States from 1979 through 2019 were studied.MeasurementsThe outcomes studied were number of overdose deaths and mortality rates by state.FindingsDrug overdose deaths have been closely tracked along an exponential curve. The years 2016 and 2017 witnessed a hyper‐exponential surge with increases in overdose deaths of 11 228 (+21.4%) and 6605 (+10.4%), respectively. Subsequently in 2018, drug overdose deaths declined by −2870 (−4.1%). This rise and then fall coincided with a surge and then decline in carfentanil drug seizure exhibits during these same years: 0 (2015), 1292 (2016), 5857 (2017) and 804 (2018). The majority of carfentanil exhibits were localized to a few states. The 2018 decline in overdose deaths in the top five states with the greatest spike in carfentanil exhibits in 2017 (Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Michigan) was 2848, which accounted for nearly all of the total US decline.ConclusionsThe 2016–2017 acceleration and then 2018 decline in drug overdose deaths in the United States was associated with the sudden rise and then fall of carfentanil availability. Given the regional variation, carfentanil's decreased availability may have contributed to the reduction in overdose deaths in 2018.
The incidence and patterns of gastric cancers in Sri Lanka from 2001 to 2012: Analysis of National Cancer Registry Data
Authors: Jayarajah Umesh , Fernando Ashan , Samarasekera Dharmabandhu N. , Seneviratne Sanjeewa 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesVarying patterns in incidence of gastric cancer (GC) have been reported globally. We aimed to examine the trends of GC incidence in Sri Lanka.MethodsAll newly diagnosed patients with GC in Sri Lanka during 2001‐2012 included in the National Cancer Registry were analyzed. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to determine the trends in incidence by age and gender. The minimum number of joinpoints were added to the model and statistical significance was checked using the Monte‐Carlo permutation method.ResultsOverall, 3353 (male : female = 2.7:1, mean age: 59.5 years) GCs were included in the analysis. Histology findings were available in 2835 patients. Of those, 14.3% (n = 404) were classified as nonspecified neoplasm/carcinoma. Of the remaining 2431 patients, majority (84.1%, n = 2044) were adenocarcinoma/its variants and 9.4% (n = 228) were squamous cell carcinoma. The WHO age‐standardized incidence of GC was found to have significantly increased from 1.06 in 2001 (95% CI = 0.9‐1.21) to 2.41/100 000 population in 2012 (95% CI = 2.2‐2.61); with an estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of 7.7 (95% CI = 6.1‐9.4). Highest incidence of GC was seen in 65‐69 year age group (8.2/100 000). The proportional rise in incidence was higher for females (from 0.5 to 1.36, EAPC: 9.0 [95% CI = 6.4‐11.8], P < .05 for trend) compared with males (from 1.71 to 3.66, EAPC: 7.5 [95% CI = 5.5‐9.6], P < .05 for trend).ConclusionsA rise in the incidence of GC was noted in Sri Lanka during the period 2001‐2012, which was predominately observed in females. A combination of true increase in incidence and improved reporting may have contributed to this increase. Future studies analyzing tumor characteristics and mortality would enable better understand the burden of GC and potential underlying reasons.