bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An empirical, cross-taxon evaluation of landscape-scale connectivity
Authors: Hunter-Ayad James , Hassall Christopher 
Published: January 2020

AbstractConnectivity is vital for the maintenance of spatially structured ecosystems, but is threatened by anthropogenic processes that degrade habitat networks. Thus, connectivity enhancement has become a conservation priority, with resources dedicated to enhancing habitat networks. However, much effort may be wasted on ineffective management, as conservation theory and practice can be poorly linked. Here we evaluate the success of landscape management designed to restore connectivity in the Humberhead wetlands (UK). Hybrid pattern-process models were created for six species, representing key taxa in the wetland ecosystem. Habitat suitability models were used to provide the spatial context for individual-based models that predicted metapopulation dynamics, including functional connectivity. To create models representing post-management conditions, landscape structure was modified to represent local improvements in habitat quality achieved through management. Models indicate that management had limited success in enhancing connectivity. Interventions have buffered existing connectivity in several species’ habitat networks, with inter-patch movement increasing for modelled species by up to 22% (for water vole,Arvicola amphibius), but have not reconnected isolated habitat fragments. Field surveys provided provisional support for the accuracy of baseline models, but could not identify predicted benefits from management interventions, likely due to time-lags following these interventions. Despite lacking clear empirical support as yet, models suggest the management of the Humberhead wetlands has successfully enhanced the landscape-scale ecological network, achieving management targets. However we identify key limitations to this success and provide specific recommendations for improvement of future landscape-scale management. Our developments in model application and integration can be developed further and be usefully applied to studies of species and/or community dynamics in a range of contexts.
Estimation of equilibrium times and maximum capacity of adsorption of heavy metals by E. crassipes (review)
Authors: Sayago Uriel Fernando Carreño , Castro Yineth Pineros , Rivera Laura Rosa Conde , Mariaca Alexander Garcia 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCellulose emerges as an alternative for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals due to its abundant biomass and its proven potential in the adsorption of pollutants. The aquatic plantEichhornia crassipesis an option as raw material in the contribution of cellulose due to its enormous presence in contaminated wetlands, rivers, and lakes. The efficiency in the removal of heavy metals is due to the cation exchange between the hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups present in the biomass ofE. crassipeswith heavy metals. Through different chemical and physical transformations of the biomass ofE. crassipesThe objective of this review article is to provide a discussion on the different mechanisms of adsorption of the biomass ofE. crassipesto retain heavy metals and dyes. In addition to estimating equilibrium, times through kinetic models of adsorption and maximum capacities of this biomass through equilibrium models with isotherms, in order to design one biofilter for treatment systems on a larger scale represented the effluents of a real industry.
Background levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and legacy organochlorine pesticides in wheat sampled in 2017 and 2018 in Poland
Authors: Roszko Marek Łukasz , Juszczyk Karolina , Szczepańska Magdalena , Świder Olga , Szymczyk Krystyna 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBoth polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and legacy organochlorine insecticides (OCPs), including DDT, are dangerous chemical contaminants. The aims of this study were to (i) determine background levels of PAHs and legacy OCPs for wheat samples collected in 2017 and 2018 in Poland, (ii) identify differences between levels in wheat harvested in various regions of Poland, (iii) evaluate differences in contamination sources manifested by the profiles of the identified chemicals, (iv) identify possible correlations between different classes of chemicals present in wheat, and (v) assess the health risks associated with the presence of PAHs and OCPs in Polish wheat. Average concentrations found in the samples were 0.09 ± 0.03 μg kg−1 for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (formerly used as a single PAH marker), 0.43 ± 0.16 for the more recently introduced collective PAH 4 marker (benzo[a]anthracene + benzo[a]pyrene + chrysene + benzo[b]fluoranthene), and 1.07 ± 0.68 μg kg−1 for DDT and its metabolites. The PAH profiles indicated contamination from combustion-related emission sources (liquid fossil fuels, coal, biomass). Health risks associated with the presence of PAHs and OCPs in cereals were assessed using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach. The MOE values calculated based on the highest concentrations found in this study exceeded 50,000 for both BaP and PAH 4. The calculated worst-case scenario value for DDT and metabolites was as low as 0.3% of the respective tolerable daily intake (TDI) value. Assessment of dietary risk has shown that the presence of the two contaminant classes in Polish wheat grains is of low concern.
Genetic variability, stability and heritability for quality and yield characteristics in provitamin A cassava varieties
Authors: Peprah Bright Boakye , Parkes Elizabeth , Manu-Aduening Joseph , Kulakow Peter , van Biljon Angeline , Labuschagne Maryke 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCassava is widely consumed in many areas of Africa, including Ghana, and is a major part of most household diets. These areas are characterized by rampant malnutrition, because the tuberous roots are low in nutritional value. Provitamin A biofortified cassava varieties have been developed by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, but adoption of these varieties in Ghana will largely depend on their agronomic performance, including fresh root yield, dry matter content, resistance to major pests and diseases, mealiness, starch content and the stability of these traits. Eight provitamin A varieties with two white checks were planted in three environments for two seasons to determine stability and variability among the varieties for important traits. There were significant variations in performance between varieties and between environments for cassava mosaic disease, root number, fresh root yield and starch content. High broad-sense heritability and genetic advance were observed in all traits, except for storage root number, and could be exploited through improvement programs. This study identified the best performing enhanced provitamin A varieties for traits that are key drivers of variety adoption in Ghana. In view of this, some varieties can be recommended for varietal release after on-farm testing. The study also showed the possibility of tapping heterosis after careful selection of parents.
Comparative study of industrial design undergraduate education in China and USA
Authors: Huang Xuefei , Ball Roger , Wang Wei 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIndustrial design (ID) undergraduate education in China is seen as a new rapidly growing discipline over the past 40 years. China’s ID education is not well known in the West due to several barriers: language, the Great Firewall of China which blocks out most of the Western websites and a 12-h time difference. All Chinese ID curriculum and program information are available in Mandarin. The Ministry of Education administers all Chinese design education as well as ID scholarships and faculty exchange grants and its website and documents require translation. The Great Firewall of China blocks 90% of Western websites including Google making it difficult for Western Scholars to access accurate information about the size and shape of the Chinese ID education landscape. China has a historical relationship between the ID schools in China and the United States. Chinese students are studying or alumni of every American ID program. China and USA share similar program types, dual-track admissions for art and design streams, and academic calendars. In this paper, a model was developed to clarify the features of ID undergraduate education in China and USA, and a survey of eight ID schools was processed. Four aspects were comparatively discussed: (1) types of ID education, (2) ranking, evaluation, and certification of ID schools and programs, (3) curriculum, credits, course features, and yearly schedules of schools, (4) influences coming from the culture and globalization process. Based on the analysis, the similarities and differences in ID undergraduate education between the two countries are discussed. Results show the dual-track modes in China and USA are different. It is mainly reflected in the management and enrollment, curriculum organization, and cultural environment. Implications for the localization, openness, and globalization to ID education are finally discussed together with several directions for future development. The findings are valuable to USA and Chinese ID departments and faculty, researchers, staff and visiting scholars. It is also useful for university administrative units such as registrars, admissions, international offices and exchanges to understand each other.
Happiness and Hostile Attributions in a Cross-Cultural Context: The Importance of Interdependence
Authors: Jasielska Dorota , Rogoza Radosław , Russa Mary Bower , Park Joonha , Zajenkowska Anna 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAlthough the association between happiness and a positive attitude towards other people is well documented, little is known about the attributional processes that characterize happy individuals when they are faced with negative social events. Because of the impact of culture on social relationships and self/other-construal, both attributional style and subjective happiness may be influenced by culture. To examine the interplay of factors that may be associated with happiness, we propose a model in which interdependence predicts happiness, but only for individuals who do not have an inclination to make hostile attributions about the others. In order to determine whether the identified patterns are culture specific or culturally universal, we have conducted our study in three culturally diverse countries: the United States, Poland and Japan (N = 707). We expected that level of happiness would be linked to interdependent self, and that it would be also associated with lower levels of hostile attributions. We also predicted an interaction between levels of interdependent self and hostile attributions in explaining level of happiness. Results mostly confirmed our predictions and remained consistent across all studied countries. We conclude with emphasis on the importance of embracing both negative and positive aspects of experience when studying wellbeing, especially in a cross-cultural context.
Prying Open the Black Box of Causality: A Causal Mediation Analysis Test of Procedural Justice Policing
Authors: Pósch Krisztián 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Objectives
Review causal mediation analysis as a method for estimating and assessing direct and indirect effects. Re-examine a field experiment with an apparent implementation failure. Test procedural justice theory by examining to which extent procedural justice mediates the impact of contact with the police on police legitimacy and social identity.

Methods
Data from a block-randomised controlled trial of procedural justice policing (the Scottish Community Engagement Trial) were analysed. All constructs were measured using surveys distributed during roadside police checks. Treatment implementation was assessed by analysing the treatment effect’s consistency and heterogeneity. Causal mediation analysis, which can derive the indirect effect even in the presence of a treatment–mediator interaction, was used as a versatile technique of effect decomposition. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to assess the robustness of the mediating role of procedural justice.

Results
First, the treatment effect was fairly consistent and homogeneous, indicating that the treatment’s effect is attributable to the design. Second, there is evidence that procedural justice channels the treatment’s effect towards normative alignment (NIE = − 0.207), duty to obey (NIE = − 0.153), and social identity (NIE = − 0.052), all of which are moderately robust to unmeasured confounding (ρ = 0.3–0.6, LOVE = 0.5–0.7).

Conclusions
The effect’s consistency and homogeneity should be examined in future block-randomised designs. Causal mediation analysis is a versatile tool that can salvage experiments with systematic yet ambiguous treatment effects by allowing researchers to “pry open” the black box of causality. The theoretical propositions of procedural justice policing were supported. Future studies are needed with more discernible causal mediation effects.
Effects of thermal annealing and solvent-induced crystallization on the structure and properties of poly(lactic acid) microfibres produced by high-speed electrospinning
Authors: Vadas Dániel , Nagy Zsombor K. , Csontos István , Marosi György , Bocz Katalin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis research concentrates on the marked discrepancies in the crystalline structure of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nano- and microfibres, achieved by different annealing strategies. PLA nonwoven mats were produced by high-speed electrospinning. The high-speed production technique allowed the manufacturing of PLA microfibres with diameters of 0.25–8.50 µm with a relatively high yield of 40 g h−1. The crystalline content of the inherently highly amorphous microfibres was increased by two methods; thermal annealing in an oven at 85 °C was compared to immersion in absolute ethanol at 40 °C. The morphology of the fibres was examined by scanning electron microscopy; crystalline forms and thermal properties were assessed using X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as modulated DSC. As a consequence of 45-min heat treatment, the crystalline fraction increased up to 26%, while solution treatment resulted in 33% crystallinity. It was found that only disordered α′ crystals are formed during the conventional heat treatment; however, the ethanol-induced crystallization favours the formation of the ordered α polymorph. In connection with the different crystalline structures, noticeable changes in the macroscopic properties such as heat resistance and mechanical properties were evinced by localized thermomechanical analysis and static tensile test, respectively.
Nebulin: big protein with big responsibilities
Authors: Yuen Michaela , Ottenheijm Coen A. C. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractNebulin, encoded byNEB, is a giant skeletal muscle protein of about 6669 amino acids which forms an integral part of the sarcomeric thin filament. In recent years, the nebula around this protein has been largely lifted resulting in the discovery that nebulin is critical for a number of tasks in skeletal muscle. In this review, we firstly discussed nebulin’s role as a structural component of the thin filament and the Z-disk, regulating the length and the mechanical properties of the thin filament as well as providing stability to myofibrils by interacting with structural proteins within the Z-disk. Secondly, we reviewed nebulin’s involvement in the regulation of muscle contraction, cross-bridge cycling kinetics, Ca2+-homeostasis and excitation contraction (EC) coupling. While its role in Ca2+-homeostasis and EC coupling is still poorly understood, a large number of studies have helped to improve our knowledge on how nebulin affects skeletal muscle contractile mechanics. These studies suggest that nebulin affects the number of force generating actin-myosin cross-bridges and may also affect the force that each cross-bridge produces. It may exert this effect by interacting directly with actin and myosin and/or indirectly by potentially changing the localisation and function of the regulatory complex (troponin and tropomyosin). Besides unravelling the biology of nebulin, these studies are particularly helpful in understanding the patho-mechanism of myopathies caused byNEBmutations, providing knowledge which constitutes the critical first step towards the development of therapeutic interventions. Currently, effective treatments are not available, although a number of therapeutic strategies are being investigated.
Is the anatomical distribution of low-grade gliomas linked to regions of gliogenesis?
Authors: Skjulsvik Anne Jarstein , Bø Hans Kristian , Jakola Asgeir Store , Berntsen Erik Magnus , Bø Lars Eirik , Reinertsen Ingerid , Myrmel Kristin Smistad , Sjåvik Kristin , Åberg Kristin , Berg Thomas , Dai Hong Yan , Kloster Roar , Torp Sverre Helge , Solheim Ole 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Introduction
According to the stem cell theory, two neurogenic niches in the adult human brain may harbor cells that initiate the formation of gliomas: The larger subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone (SGZ) in the hippocampus. We wanted to explore whether defining molecular markers in low-grade gliomas (LGG; WHO grade II) are related to distance to the neurogenic niches.

Methods
Patients treated at two Norwegian university hospitals with population-based referral were included. Eligible patients had histopathological verified supratentorial low-grade glioma. IDH mutational status and 1p19q co-deletion status was retrospectively assessed. 159 patients were included, and semi-automatic tumor segmentation was done from pre-treatment T2-weighted (T2W) or Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) images. 3D maps showing the anatomical distribution of the tumors were then created for each of the three molecular subtypes (IDH mutated/1p19q co-deleted, IDH mutated and IDH wild-type). Both distance from tumor center and tumor border to the neurogenic niches were recorded.

Results
In this population-based cohort of previously untreated low-grade gliomas, we found that low-grade gliomas are more often found closer to the SVZ than the SGZ, but IDH wild-type tumors are more often found near SGZ.

Conclusion
Our study suggests that the stem cell origin of IDH wild-type and IDH mutated low-grade gliomas may be different.
Charting the Open Access scholarly journals landscape in the UAE
Authors: Boufarss Mohamed 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to chart the scholarly journal landscape in the UAE in order to provide a scientific perspective on research productivity, distribution, and access in the country and lay the foundations for further research in this area. The study aims also to contribute to research endeavoring to paint a global picture of scholarly publishing. We carried out a mapping of scholarly journals published in the UAE compiled from international and local sources. The resulting journal list was studied focusing on the share of OA titles, language of publication, discipline, and type of publisher. Our results show that: (1) 534 journals are published in the UAE and that the share of OA is quite noteworthy with about 64% of all online journals; (2) the APC-based OA model is prevalent with around 75% of OA journals levying a publication fee; (3) UAE journals are predominantly in English while the number of Arabic-language journals is marginal; (4) science, technology and medicine prevail as the most prevalent subject areas of the journals; and (5) commercial publishers control most of the publications especially in the medical field. The study lays a foundation for further studies on scholarly journals in the UAE. The combination of regional indexes and international directories to measure the country’s scholarly journal output can also be replicated and built upon for other countries where the major international bibliometric databases do not provide a comprehensive representation of scholarly publishing activities.
Age-related murine hippocampal CA1 laminae oxidative stress measured in vivo by QUEnch-assiSTed (QUEST) MRI: impact of isoflurane anesthesia
Authors: Berkowitz Bruce A. , Podolsky Robert H. , Childers Karen Lins , Gow Alexander , Schneider Brandy L. , Lloyd Scott C. , Bosse Kelly E. , Conti Alana C. , Roberts Robin , Berri Ali M. , Graffice Emma , Sinan Kenan , Eliwat Waleed , Shen Yimin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAge-related impairments in spatial learning and memory often precede non-familial neurodegenerative disease. Ex vivo studies suggest that physiologic age-related oxidative stress in hippocampus area CA1 may contribute to prodromal spatial disorientation and to morbidity. Yet, conventional blood or cerebrospinal fluid assays appear insufficient for early detection or management of oxidative stress within CA1 sub-regions in vivo. Here, we address this biomarker problem using a non-invasive MRI index of CA1 laminae oxidative stress based on reduction in R1 (= 1/T1) after anti-oxidant administration. An R1 reduction reflects quenching of continuous and excessive production of endogenous paramagnetic free radicals. Careful motion-correction image acquisition, and avoiding repeated exposure to isoflurane, facilitates detection of hippocampus CA1 laminae oxidative stress with QUEnch-assiSTed (QUEST) MRI. Intriguingly, age- and isoflurane-related oxidative stress is localized to the stratum lacunosum of the CA1 region. Our data raise the possibility of using QUEST MRI and FDA-approved anti-oxidants to remediate spatial disorientation and later neurodegeneration with age in animals and humans.
Impact-based feed drive actuator for discontinuous motion profiles
Authors: Zahn Peter , Schulte Alexander , Verl Alexander 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper discusses an approach to enable step-wise velocity changes in machine tool feed drives while reducing the reaction force of the drive on structural machine components. The implementation is based on an additional actuator that transmits well-defined impulses on the table via mechanical impacts. Possible applications are seen in processes as beam processing or handling. The approach is introduced by means of a multi-body model and afterwards experimental results are shown. On the one hand, the reduction of the tracking error while following discontinuous velocity profiles is analyzed, on the other hand, the reduced excitation of the machine structure is shown. The experimental verification of the functional principle is performed on a single axis setup where the fundamental parameters in design, material and control are quantified. Concluding, a short outlook on remaining research topics regarding the shown approach is given.