bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Natural tags identify nursery origin of a coastal elasmobranch Carcharhinus leucas
Authors: TinHan Thomas C. , O'Leary Shannon J. , Portnoy David S. , Rooker Jay R. , Gelpi Carey G. , Wells R. J. David 
Published: April 2020

Abstract

Traditional methods for evaluating the importance of elasmobranch nursery habitats have focused on estimating densities or abundances of juveniles within individual nurseries; however, rates of juvenile mortality may vary among nurseries. Thus, abundance may not reflect contribution to adult populations, and contribution estimates require methods to identify the nursery origin of adults.

We evaluated the use of natural tags, vertebral chemistry (stable isotope analysis, elemental analysis) and genetic markers, to identify bull shark Carcharhinus leucas nursery origin along the Texas coast (northwestern Gulf of Mexico) at multiple spatial scales.

Sharks were most accurately assigned (89% accuracy) to their regional origin (Northern vs. Southern Texas) using a combination of vertebral chemistry and genetic markers. Accuracy decreased when incorporating only one type of natural tag (vertebral chemistry: 58%–84%; genetics: 30%–58%), or when assigning sharks among nurseries grouped into three or four regions (30%–71%; ~100 km spatial scale).

Synthesis and applications. We describe a novel method integrating multiple natural tags to identify the nursery origin of a highly migratory coastal elasmobranch, over smaller spatial scales than previously investigated. This framework provides a powerful tool to estimate the relative source (nursery) contributions to adult populations of highly mobile species, which represent production estimates sought in the designation of essential fish habitat and ultimately incorporated into marine spatial planning practices.
Does income inequality sand or grease the wheels of entrepreneurial activity? International evidence
Authors: Goel Rajeev K. , Saunoris James W. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractUsing a large panel of countries, this research examines the influence of income inequality on entrepreneurship. The impact of income disparities on entrepreneurship is not clear a priori—with a positive effect when inequality encourages entrepreneurship (“greasing effect”) or a negative effect when entrepreneurship discourages entrepreneurship (“sanding effect”). Our findings, across alternative measures of income inequality and even allowing for simultaneity, are consistent with the motivation or greasing effect. An equally insightful finding is that the effect of inequality switches across the prevalence of entrepreneurship—the sanding effect exists in nations with a low prevalence of entrepreneurship, and switches to a greasing effect as the prevalence of entrepreneurship increases. This is suggestive of positive network externalities from entrepreneurship—it takes a threshold level of entrepreneurship in a nation for greasing from income inequality to take hold.
Cohort study with patients older than 80 years with stage 5 chronic kidney failure on hemodialysis vs conservative treatment: Survival outcomes and use of healthcare resources
Authors: García Testal Alicia , García Maset Rafael , Fornés Ferrer Victoria , Cañada Martínez Antonio J. , Fernández Fandos Sonia , Rico Salvador Inmaculada S. , Royo Maicas Pilar , Carretero López Vanesa , Villalón Coca Javier , Fernández Najera Jose E. , Benedito Carrera Caterina , Olagüe Díaz Pau , Torregrosa De Juan Eduardo 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRenal replacement treatment has not been generalized to the elderly for different reasons. The main objective of the present cohort study is to compare survival in patients older than 80 years with chronic kidney disease stage 5 on renal replacement treatment with those on conservative treatment. The use of healthcare resources is compared too. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was run with the outcome variable death during the follow‐up period. The independent variables were treatment type, age, gender, smoking habit, serum albumin, hemoglobin, Charlson Index, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, ischemic cardiopathy, and neoplasm. For outcome variable “death,” renal replacement treatment obtained a hazard ratio of 0.273 (P .006, CI95% 0.108‐0.686) vs conservative treatment. In conclusion, patients older than 80 years with chronic kidney disease stage 5 on renal replacement treatment presented a lower mortality risk than those receiving conservative treatment. Comorbidity and age are both associated with mortality, but do not cancel out the survival advantage. In healthcare resources, the renal replacement treatment group made greater use of tests, medical visits and consumption of hospital dispensing drugs, but there were no differences with respect to the days of hospital admission or assistance in home hospitalization.
Barn owls as biological control agents: potential risks to non‐target rare and endangered species
Authors: Zaitzove ‐ Raz M. , Comay O. , Motro Y. , Dayan T. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRodent agricultural pests cause significant food loss every year. Attempts at mitigation via chemical pest control may cause secondary poisoning and harm non‐target species. Biological pest control by bolstering barn owl Tyto alba populations through the provision of artificial nest boxes is in use in several countries. The national biological pest control project of Israel began in the early 1980s in the Mediterranean zone and was subsequently expanded to the northwestern Negev desert, including areas adjacent to nature reserves and natural sand dunes, a threatened habitat in Israel. We analyzed prey of barn owls in the northwestern Negev to determine whether owls preyed on non‐target endemic, threatened rodents. A total of 14 632 prey items were collected from 95 nesting boxes between 2013 and 2016. We found that barn owls feed on protected and locally endangered species such as Gerbillus andersoni allenbyi (vulnerable − VU), Gerbillus pyramidum (VU), the endemic Meriones sacramenti (endangered) and Gerbillus gerbillus (critically endangered). These species constitute a significant proportion of barn owl diets (sometimes more than half of the prey items in a single nest box), especially in areas under 5 km from sand dunes, suggesting that bolstering the barn owl population may threaten locally endangered species. It could be hypothesized that agricultural crops serve as a resource for endangered species, allowing their numbers to increase, in which case their conservation status should be reassessed. However, extensive rodent trappings in agricultural fields in the region revealed <1% Gerbillus individuals, while in nearby dunes only gerbils were trapped. Insufficient data are available to assess whether or not M. sacramenti could have become a local pest. Our study highlights the risks that may be associated with the use of barn owls as rodent control agents in areas where natural open landscapes and nature reserves are interspersed with agricultural landscapes.
Drivers of taxonomic bias in conservation research: a global analysis of terrestrial mammals
Authors: dos Santos J. W. , Correia R. A. , Malhado A. C. M. , Campos‐Silva J. V. , Teles D. , Jepson P. , Ladle R. J. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractScientific knowledge of species and the ecosystems they inhabit is the cornerstone of modern conservation. However, research effort is not spread evenly among taxa (taxonomic bias), which may constrain capacity to identify conservation risk and to implement effective responses. Addressing such biases requires an understanding of factors that promote or constrain the use of a particular species in research projects. To this end, we quantified conservation science knowledge of the world’s extant non‐marine mammal species (n = 4108) based on the number of published documents in journals indexed on Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science™. We use an innovative hurdle model approach to assess the relative importance of several ecological, biogeographical and cultural factors for explaining variation in research production between species. The most important variable explaining the presence/absence of conservation research was scientific capacity of countries within the range of the species, followed by body mass and years since the taxonomic description. Research volume (more than one document) was strongly associated with number of years since the data describing on that species, followed by scientific capacity within the range of species, high body mass and invasiveness. The threat status was weakly associated to explain the presence/absence and research volume in conservation research. These results can be interpreted as a consequence of the dynamic interplay between the perceived need for conservation research about a species and its appropriateness as a target of research. As anticipated, the scientific capacity of the countries where a species is found is a strong driver of conservation research bias, reflecting the high variation in conservation research funding and human resources between countries. Our study suggests that this bias could be most effectively reduced by a combination of investing in pioneering research, targeted funding and supporting research in countries with low scientific capacity and high biodiversity.
Idiopathic osteosclerosis mimicry of a tooth: case report
Authors: Yusof MYPM , Dasor MM , Ariffin F , Reduwan NH , Kamil WNWA , Mah MC 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis report presents two cases of idiopathic osteosclerosis involving the maxilla and mandible which were identified as a buccally impacted canine and a retained root, respectively, on clinical and plain radiographical examinations. Both patients were females who presented with hypodontia. Radiographic evaluation revealed solitary well‐defined radiopaque masses with thickened cortical border. Both patients were undergoing orthodontic treatment and one was planned for a surgical traction of unerupted tooth prior to cone‐beam CT assessment. In this report, we reviewed the clinical findings and explained the radiographic appearance of idiopathic osteosclerosis through plain radiographs and cone‐beam CT to facilitate its identification among general dentists and oral and maxillofacial radiologists.
Differences in size and energy content affect the territorial status and mating success of a neotropical dragonfly
Authors: Ancco Valdivia Fernando Geronimo , Alves-Silva Estevão , Del‐Claro Kleber 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn male odonates, both size and fat content are related to territory defence and mating success. Males that are larger and have higher energy reserves win relatively more disputes for territory and attract more females. Wing colour has also been regarded as a mechanism that influences agonistic behaviour between males, as wing pigmentation might be regarded as a sign of male quality. In this study, we analysed whether a set of male physical (body size and wing colour), physiological (body fat content) and behavioural (disputes between males) characteristics were involved in the territory defence and mating behaviour of the neotropical dragonflyZenithoptera laneiSantos, 1941 (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Males were characterised as territorial whenever they warded‐off other males and remained in the same place within the pond for two consecutive days. In general, these territorial males were larger and had more abdominal and thoracic fat, engaged in pursuits more frequently, spent more time on sexual behaviour and female guarding, and mated more in comparison to subordinate males. By evaluating whether the percentage of wing area covered by black ink influenced male behaviour, we found that territorial males tended to act aggressively towards other males whose wings were partially painted, and sexually towards females irrespective of wing area painted. InZ. lanei, both body size and fat content play a role in defining territoriality. By subduing competitors and dominating preferred locations within high‐quality sites, these males are likely to be visited by females and engage in mating.
Retrospective analysis of 736 cases of canine gastric dilatation volvulus
Authors: Song KK , Goldsmid SE , Lee J , Simpson DJ 
Published: April 2020

ObjectiveTo identify factors influencing the survival of confirmed gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) cases presented to a specialist referral and emergency hospital.MethodsClinical records of confirmed GDV cases admitted to two specialist referral and emergency centres in Sydney (Animal Referral Hospital (ARH) Homebush and ARH Baulkham Hills) between July 1999 and July 2019 were searched.ResultsA total of 736 GDV cases were reviewed, of which 460 dogs were surgically treated and 276 dogs were humanely killed. The survival rates of patients operated on by general surgeons and specialists were 81.7% and 88.7%, respectively. Both incisional gastropexy and belt‐loop gastropexy were clinically effective in treating GDV, with no significant difference in survival rates. Intraoperative mortality rates for general surgeons and specialists were 7.0% and 2.9%, respectively. The odds of mortality in dogs operated on by general surgeons were 2.03 times those operated on by specialist surgeons. The odds of mortality in dogs presented between 3:00 and 9:00 am were 3.57 times those of dogs presented between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm. The odds of mortality in dogs where the duration from presentation to completion of surgery was more than 3 h were 2.53 times those of dogs where time lapsed was equal or less than 3 h.ConclusionThe results suggested that admission time was statistically significantly related to the survival rate. Dogs operated on by specialist surgeons had a significantly higher survival rate compared to those operated on by general surgeons. Clinicians should aim to stabilise and complete surgical correction of GDV as soon as possible to decrease the mortality.
Fine‐grained sediment deposition alters the response of plant CSR strategies on the gravel bars of a highly regulated river
Authors: Janssen Philippe , Piégay Hervé , Evette André 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAimsIn riverine ecosystems, variations in disturbance and stress intensities along the flood gradient shape vegetation community structure. However, human modifications to the flood regime may change the magnitude of disturbance and stress, leading to different species distribution patterns along environmental gradients. We aimed to study the effects of local‐ and broad‐scale environmental gradients on riparian plant CSR (Competitors–Stress tolerators–Ruderals) strategies along a highly regulated river.LocationRhône River, France.MethodsWe assessed how changes in elevation, fine sediment and temperature influenced CSR strategies of riparian plant communities, by studying variations in the community‐weighted means and the functional dispersion of the CSR values, on gravel bars along a 250 km north–south river corridor.ResultsSpecies with contrasting ecological strategies co‐occurred less on gravel bars subject to fine sediment deposition, leading to patterns of biotic homogenization along the flood gradients. Furthermore, a shift in CSR strategies from ruderal to stress‐tolerant communities occurred along the elevation gradient on bars with low proportions of fine sediments and from stress‐tolerant to ruderal communities along the elevation gradient on bars with high proportions of fine sediments. Regarding the climatic gradient, the mean value of ruderals increased with temperatures. Also, for stress tolerators, the dispersion value diverged between the northern and southern gravel bars when the proportion of fine sediments was low and converged when the proportion of fine sediments was high.ConclusionsOverbank fine sedimentation alleviates the intensity of stress along not only the elevation gradient but also the climatic gradient. By homogenizing the functional composition of communities, this process may have detrimental consequences for riparian plant diversity, especially of ruderal plants in the littoral zone. In regulated river systems, restoration measures should therefore promote an increase in the intensity of: (a) disturbance through the reactivation of bedload supply and transport; and (b) stress through increased flow dynamics.
The efficiency of ligand–receptor interaction information alone as new descriptors in QSAR modeling via random forest artificial neural network
Authors: Mozafari Zeinab , Arab Chamjangali Mansour , Beglari Mozhgan , Doosti Rahele 
Published: April 2020

AbstractA new approach is introduced for the construction of a predictive quantitative structure–activity relationship model in which only ligand–receptor (LR) interaction features are used as relevant descriptors. This approach combines the benefit of the random forest (RF) as a new variable selection method with the intrinsic capability of the artificial neural network (ANN). The interaction information of the ligand–receptor (LR) complex was used as molecular docking descriptors. The most relevant descriptors were selected using the RF technique and used as inputs of ANN. The proposed RF ANN (RF‐LM‐ANN) method was optimized and then evaluated by the prediction of pEC50 for some of the azine derivatives as non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. RF‐LM‐ANN model under the optimal conditions was evaluated using internal (validation) and external test sets. The determination coefficients of the external test and validation sets were 0.88 and 0.89, respectively. The mean square deviation (MSE) values for the prediction of biological activities in the external test and validation sets were found to be 0.10 and 0.11, respectively. The results obtained demonstrated the good prediction ability and high generalizability of the proposed RF‐LM‐ANN model based on the MMDs alone.
Hypoxia regulates the differentiation and anti-tumor effector functions of γδT cells in oral cancer
Authors: Sureshbabu S K , Chaukar D , Chiplunkar S V 
Published: April 2020

SummaryHypoxia within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a key factor contributing to immunosuppression in tumors, co-relating with poor treatment outcome and decreased overall survival in advanced oral cancer (OC) patients. Vδ2 is a dominant subset of gamma delta T cells (γδT cells) present in the peripheral blood which exhibits potent anti-tumor cytotoxicity and is evolving as a key player of anti-cancer cellular therapy. However, the fate of γδT cells in hypoxic oral tumors remains elusive. In the present study, we compared the effect of hypoxia (1% O2) and normoxia (21% O2) on the expansion, proliferation, activation status, cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity of γδT cells isolated from OC patients and healthy individuals. Hypoxia-exposed γδT cells exhibited reduced cytotoxicity against oral tumor cells. Our data demonstrated that hypoxia reduces the calcium efflux and the expression of degranulation marker CD107a in γδT cells, which explains the decreased anti-tumor cytotoxicity of γδT cells observed under hypoxia. Hypoxia-exposed γδT cells differentiated to γδT17 [γδ T cells that produce interleukin (IL)-17] cells, which corroborated our observations of increased γδT17 cells observed in the oral tumors. Co-culture of γδT cells with CD8 T cells in the presence of hypoxia showed that programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)high γδT cells brought about apoptosis of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)high CD8 T cells which could be significantly reversed upon blocking PD-1. Thus, future immunotherapeutic treatment modality for oral cancer may use a combined approach of blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling and targeting hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, which may help in reversing hypoxia-induced immunosuppression.
Circulating levels of High‐mobility group box 1 protein and nucleosomes are associated with outcomes after liver transplant
Authors: Faria Luciana C. , Andrade Antônio Márcio F. , Trant Cyntia G. M. C. , Lima Agnaldo S. , Machado Pedro A. B. , Porto Rodrigo D. , Andrade Marcus Vinícius M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundLiver transplantation (LT) can be associated with early complications, such as allograft dysfunction and acute kidney injury, which contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. High‐mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) has been identified as mediator in ischemia‐reperfusion injury. Nucleosomes are complexes formed by DNA and histone proteins, and histones contribute to organs failure and death during sepsis.MethodsHMGB1 and nucleosome plasma levels were measured, by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, during LT and in the first 48 post‐operative hours in 22 LT patients. The association between HMGB1 and nucleosome levels and the complications and survival within 6 months after LT were investigated.ResultsWe observed peak HMGB1 and nucleosome levels after graft reperfusion. HMGB1 and nucleosome levels were associated with the occurrence of acute kidney injury, early allograft dysfunction, and early survival after LT. Nucleosome levels after graft reperfusion were associated with the occurrence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome.ConclusionsHMGB1 and nucleosome levels increased after liver reperfusion in human LT setting and were associated with early complications and survival. New studies are necessary to explore their role as early markers of hepatocellular injury in human LT and the risk of graft and organs dysfunction and death.
National culture and (dis)trust in banks: Cross‐country evidence
Authors: Ahunov Muzaffarjon , Van Hove Leo 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWe examine to what extent a specific aspect of national culture—uncertainty avoidance—can explain cross‐country variations in (dis)trust in banks. Relying on data from the World Values Survey, we find that trust in banks is lower in countries that score high for Hofstede's uncertainty avoidance index. Similarly, with Global Findex data, we find that financial exclusion due to a lack of trust in banks is high in high uncertainty avoidance cultures. These results highlight the need for a more culturally aware approach when designing consumer protection measures for the banking sector.
Health and living conditions of Samis compared with other citizens based on representative surveys in three Swedish regions
Authors: Gerdner Arne , Carlson Per 
Published: April 2020

This is the first general health survey of Samis compared with other Swedes to be based on randomised samples. In three regions, Samis were compared with respondents to the Public Health Investigation (n = 613 Samis and 6,309 respondents). Samis were also compared as to gender and membership in reindeer‐herding Sami villages (SVs). The survey shows that Samis of today have better education, work situation and health, and a healthier lifestyle than other Swedish citizens living in the same regions. There are, however, great differences among the Samis themselves. Members of SVs have weaker finances, and they report having less societal trust and worse health than non‐members do. Male members have lower education, are less involved in social activities and report worse overall health, but do not have a higher incidence of psychiatric problems, than other Samis. Samis, in general, have similar or better health and social situation than non‐Samis, but male SV‐members face greater problems and higher risks than other Samis.Key Practitioner Message: •Health and welfare authorities in cooperation with the Sami parliament and the Sami villages should develop special strategies to assist the herding communities in culturally sensitive ways.