bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A new biological method to control Anobium punctatum, by using the parasitoid wasp Spathius exarator
Authors: Auer Judith , Opitz Christine , Kassel Alexander 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBiological pest control by means of beneficial organisms is for long part of agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). A new and efficient strategy to control the most common timber pest species in churches and museums, the furniture beetle Anobium punctatum (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), is based on the parasitoid wasp species Spathius exarator (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Once this braconid wasp detects its host species beneath the surface, it pierces the wood with its ovipositor to lay one single egg onto the beetle larva. After hatching, the wasp larva feeds on the beetle larva thereby killing it. Afterwards, it pupates and emerges through a self‐gnawed hole as an adult wasp. The tiny, 0.5‐mm‐wide exit hole can easily be distinguished from the 1‐ to 2‐mm‐wide exit hole of A. punctatum. Laboratory tests revealed that female wasps have an average life span of 85 days and produce a total of 24 offspring, when nutrition is provided. Between 2012 and 2019, braconid wasps were introduced into 54 different A. punctatum infested buildings. Treatment success was monitored by examining exit holes of new beetles and wasps thereby calculating corresponding parasitism rates. After the first year of treatment, parasitism rates were significantly higher with a mean value of 0.15 when compared to untreated objects with a natural parasitism and a mean value of 0.08 (n = 54). Following treatment of three objects over a period of eight years, parasitism rates continuously increased from 0.02 up to 0.31. In a church organ, which was treated during this period, the monitoring revealed a complete suppression of pest activity. These data prove that this biological method of pest control is an efficient, sustainable and non‐toxic option to manage the common furniture beetle.
Surgeon's practices and beliefs in Australia and New Zealand regarding the donor site wound for paediatric skin grafts
Authors: McBride Craig A , Patel Bhaveshkumar , Kimble Roy M , Stockton Kellie A 
Published: August 2020

AimChildren's burns care in Australasia is performed by paediatric surgeons and by plastic surgeons. The aim was to determine practices regarding the donor site wound (DSW), and to explore any differences by training scheme or nature of unit (paediatric vs. mixed).MethodsOnline survey of Australasian burns surgeons.ResultsForty surgeons responded. 23/40 paediatric surgeons, 23/40 worked in a stand‐alone children's burns unit. All used powered dermatomes. Alginates were the most common DSW dressing. Idealised dressings favour patient factors over cost. Plastic, and mixed‐practice, surgeons use a broader range of dermatome settings in children >1 year. Mixed practice surgeons use thicker settings. All surgeons see pain as a common DSW problem. Paediatric surgeons recognise itch as a problem.ConclusionsWhile there are differences related to training scheme and the mix of patients being treated, there is a broader commonality of practice.
Distribution and content of calcium and potassium in eucalyptus leaves infected with Calonectria pteridis
Authors: Soares Thaissa de Paula Farias , Ferreira Maria Alves , Pozza Adélia Aziz Alexandre , Pozza Edson Ampélio , Mafia Reginaldo Gonçalves 
Published: August 2020

AbstractCalonectria leaf spot, caused by Calonectria pteridis, is a serious problem in Eucalyptus crops in both nursery and the field. Under ideal conditions, the disease can cause severe defoliation. It is known that calcium and potassium are directly related to the plant's resistance to pathogens. Thus, the knowledge of how a balanced fertilization of Ca and K interferes in the distribution of these nutrients at the infection site would contribute to elucidate the resistance of the plant related to its nutrition. This study investigated the effect of calcium and potassium fertilizer application on the content and distribution of these nutrients in the symptomatic leaf area, transition zone and asymptomatic leaf area over time. Eucalyptus seedlings were grown in nutrient solution under different Ca and K treatments (6 mmol/L K + 4 mmol/L Ca, 6 mmol/L K + 8 mmol/L Ca and 9 mmol/L K + 12 mmol/L Ca) and inoculated with C. pteridis. Leaves were removed at 24, 48 and 72 hr after inoculation (hai) and evaluated by X‐ray microanalysis. The highest calcium content among the different leaf areas was observed in the symptomatic area, and the levels in this area increased over time, with the highest mean value observed at 72 hai in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. In the other treatments, the mean calcium content peaked at 48 hai and then decreased. A similar pattern in asymptomatic tissue was observed for potassium in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. Fertilization with calcium and potassium directly affected the demand and availability of nutrients at different times during infection. These results demonstrate that plant defence responses and their continuity over time during infection rely on balanced calcium and potassium fertilization because these nutrients are directly involved in plant resistance to the pathogen.
Effects of disturbance and alien plants on the phylogenetic structure of riverine communities
Authors: Liendo Diego , Biurrun Idoia , Campos Juan Antonio , García‐Mijangos Itziar , Pearman Peter B. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractQuestionsPhylogenetic analyses provide important insights in the study of biological invasions. Previous studies have shown contrasting effects of alien species on the phylogenetic structure of recipient communities. In this study, we focus on two riparian plant communities with contrasting natural disturbance regimes: riparian forests and river bar communities. We ask whether these communities differ in alpha diversity and degree of plant invasion. Further, are the phylogenetic diversity (PD) and structure of these habitats related to the level of plant invasion?LocationNorthern Spain.MethodsWe determined level of plant invasion in forest and river bar vegetation plots, and calculated PD using mean pairwise distance (MPD) and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD). We applied null models to analyse the phylogenetic structure of plots, and we tested whether inclusion of alien plant species was associated with differences in observed phylogenetic structure.ResultsRiver bar plots experienced more invasion than forest plots, but the level of invasion was only related to the PD of native species in forests. Most plots had random phylogenetic structure, with a minority of plots tending to phylogenetic overdispersion in forests and to phylogenetic clustering in river bars. MPD increased with the inclusion of alien plant species in forest plots, suggesting phylogenetic overdispersion, while no such pattern was detected with MNTD. MPD increased slightly with increasing invasion in river bar plots, suggesting reduced clustering, while MNTD values decreased with increasing invasion, suggesting the opposite trend.ConclusionsInvasion by alien plants is differentially associated with phylogenetic structure in riparian habitats with different disturbance levels. Our results contrast with those of previous studies of plant invasion of riparian communities, which suggests geographic and ecological variation in the relationship between invasion and phylogenetic community structure in riparian systems. Research is needed to identify the causal factors underlying this variation.
Climate change reshapes the drivers of false spring risk across European trees
Authors: Chamberlain Catherine J. , Cook Benjamin I. , Morales‐Castilla Ignacio , Wolkovich E. M. 
Published: August 2020

Summary

Temperate forests are shaped by late spring freezes after budburst – false springs – which may shift with climate change. Research to date has generated conflicting results, potentially because few studies focus on the multiple underlying drivers of false spring risk.

Here, we assessed the effects of mean spring temperature, distance from the coast, elevation and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) using PEP725 leafout data for six tree species across 11 648 sites in Europe, to determine which were the strongest predictors of false spring risk and how these predictors shifted with climate change.

All predictors influenced false spring risk before recent warming, but their effects have shifted in both magnitude and direction with warming. These shifts have potentially magnified the variation in false spring risk among species with an increase in risk for early‐leafout species (i.e. Aesculus hippocastanum, Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula) compared with a decline or no change in risk among late‐leafout species (i.e. Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur).

Our results show how climate change has reshaped the drivers of false spring risk, complicating forecasts of future false springs, and potentially reshaping plant community dynamics given uneven shifts in risk across species.
Amylose in starch: towards an understanding of biosynthesis, structure and function
Authors: Seung David 
Published: August 2020

SummaryStarch granules are composed of two distinct glucose polymers – amylose and amylopectin. Amylose constitutes 5–35% of most natural starches and has a major influence over starch properties in foods. Its synthesis and storage occurs within the semicrystalline amylopectin matrix of starch granules, this poses a great challenge for biochemical and structural analyses. However, the last two decades have seen vast progress in understanding amylose synthesis, including new insights into the action of GRANULE BOUND STARCH SYNTHASE (GBSS), the major glucosyltransferase that synthesises amylose, and the discovery of PROTEIN TARGETING TO STARCH1 (PTST1) that targets GBSS to starch granules. Advances in analytical techniques have resolved the fine structure of amylose, raising new questions on how structure is determined during biosynthesis. Furthermore, the discovery of wild plants that do not produce amylose revives a long‐standing question of why starch granules contain amylose, rather than amylopectin alone. Overall, these findings contribute towards a full understanding of amylose biosynthesis, structure and function that will be essential for future approaches to improve starch quality in crops.
Visual interaction of 2nd to 5th order Zernike aberration terms with vertical coma
Authors: Hu Chuan , Ravikumar Ayeswarya , Hastings Gareth D , Marsack Jason D 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPurposeIn order to better understand the optical consequence of residual aberrations during conventional rigid contact lens wear in keratoconus, this study aimed to quantify the visual interaction between positive vertical coma (C(3, −1)) and other individual 2nd to 5th radial order Zernike aberration terms.MethodsThe experiment proceeded in two parts. First, two levels of C(3, −1) (target term) were simulated. Individual Zernike aberration terms from the 2nd to 5th radial orders (test terms) were combined in 0.05‐µm steps a) from −2.00 µm to +2.00 µm with +1.00 µm of C(3, −1) and b) from −1.00 µm to +1.00 µm with +0.50 µm of C(3, −1). The resulting combinations were used to calculate the logarithm of the visual Strehl ratio (logVSX) and predict the relative beneficial or deleterious impact of the interaction. Second, for test terms where an interaction was predicted to provide more than a 0.25 logVSX benefit compared to C(3, −1) alone, high contrast logMAR acuity charts were constructed (simulating the manner in which the test + target term combinations would impact the retinal image of the chart), and randomly read by three well‐corrected, typically‐sighted individuals through a 3.0‐mm diameter artificial pupil.ResultsWhen combined with positive C(3, −1), C(3, −3), C(4, −4), C(5, −5), C(5, −3), and C(5, −1) exhibited better visual image quality compared with C(3, −1) alone. Ratios of the test terms to target term providing maximal benefit remained constant for both +0.50 µm and +1.00 µm of C(3, −1). C(3, −3) and C(5, −1) had the largest predicted beneficial effect, with the maximal effect for +1.00 µm of C(3, −1) occurring with +0.35 µm of C(5, −1) and −1.00 µm of C(3, −3). When individuals read letter charts convolved with the point spread function derived from C(3, −1) combined with C(3, −3) and C(3, −1) combined with C(5, −1), the maximal beneficial effect was 0.27 logMAR (13.5 letters) for C(3, −3) and 0.36 logMAR (18 letters) for C(5, −1).ConclusionsWhile most interactions reduced visual image quality, combinations of C(3, −3) (vertical trefoil) and C(5, −1) (vertical secondary coma) provided a clinically relevant beneficial effect in the presence of C(3, −1) (vertical coma) which was demonstrated in both through‐focus simulation and chart reading tests. Future work will examine whether these effects persist in the presence of the entire spectrum of residual aberrations seen in the eyes of individuals with keratoconus.
The predictive value of the Pleth Variability Index on fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anaesthetized children—A prospective observational study
Authors: Weber Frank , Rashmi Bharat K. , Karaoz‐Bulut Gülhan , Dogger Jaap , de Heer Iris J. , Prasser Christopher 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn children, the preoperative hydration status is an important part of the overall clinical assessment. The assumed preoperative fluid deficit is often routinely replaced during induction without knowing the child's actual fluid status.AimWe investigated the predictive value of the Pleth Variability Index as a measure of fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anesthetized children.MethodsPleth Variability Index, stroke volume and Cardiac Index, measured by electrovelocimetry, mean blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded during anesthesia induction in 50 pediatric patients <6 years. Baseline values were compared to values recorded after administration of 10 mL/kg of Ringer's lactate and during two passive leg raising tests (before and after fluid administration). Fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase of ≥10% in stroke volume.ResultsOnly in fluid responsive patients, Pleth Variability Index values were higher before fluid administration than thereafter (21.4 ± 5.9% vs 15.0 ± 9.4%, 95% CI of difference 1.1 to 11.8%, P = .02). Pleth Variability Index values at baseline were higher in fluid responders (21.4 ± 5.9%) than in fluid nonresponders (15.3 ± 7.7%), 95% CI of difference 1.6 to 10.6%, P = .009. The area under the receiver operating curve indicating fluid responsiveness was 0.781 (95% CI 0.623 to 0.896, P = .0002), with the highest sensitivity (82%) and specificity (70%) at a Pleth Variability Index of >15% (Positive predictive value 2.71 (95% CI: 1.4 to 5.2)). Only in fluid responders, the Pleth Variability Index decreased during passive leg raising, while stroke volume increased.ConclusionsThe Pleth Variability Index may be of additional value to predict fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anesthetized children. A significant overlap in baseline Pleth Variability Index values between fluid responsive and nonfluid responsive patients does not allow a reliable recommendation as to a cut off value.
UVC Germicidal Units: Determination of Dose Received and Parameters to be Considered for N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse
Authors: Kohli Indermeet , Lyons Alexis B. , Golding Bob , Narla Shanthi , Torres Angeli E. , Parks‐Miller Angela , Ozog David , Lim Henry W. , Hamzavi Iltefat H. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in an international shortage of personal protective equipment including N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), resulting in many institutions using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology for N95 FFR decontamination. To ensure proper decontamination, it is crucial to determine the dose received by various parts of the FFR in this process. Recently, our group customized a UVGI unit for N95 decontamination. With experimental and theoretical approach, this manuscript discusses the minimum dose received by various parts of the N95 respirator after one complete decontamination cycle with this UVGI unit. The results demonstrate that all parts of the N95 FFR received at least 1 J cm−2 after one complete decontamination cycle with this unit. As there are a variety of UVGI devices and different types of FFRs, this study provides a model by which UVC dose received by different areas of the FFRs can be accurately assessed to ensure proper decontamination for the safety of healthcare providers.
Burglary in London: Insights from Statistical Heterogeneous Spatial Point Processes
Authors: Povala Jan , Virtanen Seppo , Girolami Mark 
Published: August 2020

SummaryTo obtain operational insights regarding the crime of burglary in London, we consider the estimation of the effects of covariates on the intensity of spatial point patterns. Inspired by localized properties of criminal behaviour, we propose a spatial extension to mixtures of generalized linear models from the mixture modelling literature. The Bayesian model proposed is a finite mixture of Poisson generalized linear models such that each location is probabilistically assigned to one of the groups. Each group is characterized by the regression coefficients, which we subsequently use to interpret the localized effects of the covariates. By using a blocks structure of the study region, our approach enables specifying spatial dependence between nearby locations. We estimate the proposed model by using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and we provide a Python implementation.
Cellular metabolism dictates T cell effector function in health and disease
Authors: Kolan Shrikant S. , Li Gaoyang , Wik Jonas A. , Malachin Giulia , Guo Shuai , Kolan Pratibha , Skålhegg Bjørn S. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn a healthy person, metabolically quiescent T lymphocytes (T cells) circulate between lymph nodes and peripheral tissues in search of antigens. Upon infection, some T cells will encounter cognate antigens followed by proliferation and clonal expansion in a context‐dependent manner, to become effector T cells. These events are accompanied by changes in cellular metabolism, known as metabolic reprogramming. The magnitude and variation of metabolic reprogramming are, in addition to antigens, dependent on factors such as nutrients and oxygen to ensure host survival during various diseases. Herein, we describe how metabolic programmes define T cell subset identity and effector functions. In addition, we will discuss how metabolic programs can be modulated and affect T cell activity in health and disease using cancer and autoimmunity as examples.
Social Comparisons in Real Time: A Field Experiment of Residential Electricity and Water Use*
Authors: Kažukauskas Andrius , Broberg Thomas , Jaraitė Jūratė 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn this paper, we carry out a field experiment that contributes in two important ways to the literature on how social comparisons affect residential energy and water use. First, we study a social comparison treatment that is continuous and communicated via pre‐installed in‐home displays, which are salient and updated in real time. Second, we estimate the effects of provision of social comparisons on two different resources – electricity and water – in the same experimental setting. We find that, on average, our social comparison reduces daily residential energy consumption by 6.7 percent but has no effect on overall residential water use.
Predicting cumulative load during running using field‐based measures
Authors: Backes Anne , Skejø Sebastian Deisting , Gette Paul , Nielsen Rasmus Østergaard , Sørensen Henrik , Morio Cédric , Malisoux Laurent 
Published: August 2020

The main objective was to investigate whether the cumulative load of the lower limbs, defined as the product of external load and step rate, could be predicted using spatiotemporal variables gathered with a commercially available wearable device in running. Therefore, thirty‐nine runners performed two running tests at 10 and 12 km/h, respectively. Spatiotemporal variables (step rate, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation) were collected using a commercially available wearable device. Kinetic variables, measured with gold standard equipment (motion capture system and instrumented treadmill) and used for the calculation of a set of variables representing cumulative load, were peak vertical ground reaction force (peak vGRF), vertical instantaneous loading rate (VILR), vertical impulse, braking impulse, as well as peak extension moments and angular impulses of the ankle, knee and hip joints. Separate linear mixed‐effects models were built to investigate the prediction performance of the spatiotemporal variables for each measure of cumulative load. BMI, speed, and sex were included as covariates. Predictive precision of the models ranged from .11 to .66 (R2m) and .22 to .98 (R2c), respectively. Greatest predictive performance was obtained for the cumulative peak vGRF (R2m = .66, R2c = .97), VILR (R2m = .43, R2c = .97), braking impulse (R2m = .52, R2c = .98), and peak hip extension moment (R2m = .54, R2c = .90). In conclusion, certain variables representing cumulative load of the lower limbs in running can be predicted using spatiotemporal variables gathered with a commercially available wearable device.
Presidential Versus Parliamentary Systems: Where Do Female Entrepreneurs Thrive?
Authors: Goel Rajeev K. , Nelson Michael A. 
Published: August 2020

ObjectiveThis article examines whether female managers and female owners of firms are better empowered in presidential or parliamentary democracies. Parliamentary democracies might be more responsive to the demands of special interest groups, while government decision making might be more streamlined in presidential democracies.MethodsWe use firm‐level data from the World Bank for more than 100 emerging and developing nations and employ the logistic estimation procedure.ResultsResults show that female owners of firms thrive in presidential democracies, but the effects on female managers were largely statistically insignificant. Other interesting findings include both female managers and female owners facing special challenges in nations with greater gender inequality, with female owners benefiting in nations with a larger informal sector.ConclusionsOur results show that the type of democracy is relevant in female entrepreneurship, with female owners of firms thriving in presidential democracies, but not necessarily female managers.