bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determining Confidence Intervals, and Convergence, for Parameters in Stochastic Evacuation Models
Authors: Grandison Angus 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAn issue when using stochastic egress models is how many simulations are required to accurately represent the modelled scenario? Engineers are mostly interested in a representative Total Evacuation Time (TET). However, the convergence of the TET may not ensure that the full range of evacuation dynamics has been adequately represented. The average total egress curve (AC) has been suggested as an improved measure. Unfortunately, defining a confidence interval (CI) for the AC is problematic. CIs can robustly quantify the precision of many statistics and have been used to define convergence in egress modelling and other research fields. This paper presents a novel application of bootstrapping, functional analysis measures (FAMs), and a bisection algorithm, to derive three FAM-based CIs representing the precision of the AC. These CIs were tested using a theoretical model to demonstrate the consistency of the coverage probability, the actual percentage of CIs that contain the theoretical parameter, with the nominal 95% confidence level (NCL). For two of the FAM-based CIs, it was found that the coverage probability was between 94.2% and 95.6% for all tested sample sizes between 10 and 4000 simulations. The third FAM-based CI’s coverage probability was always greater than the NCL and was a conservative estimate, but this presented no problems in practice. A FAM-based CI may suggest if there is more or less variability in an earlier phase of the evacuation. A convergence scheme based on statistical precision, CI widths, is proposed and verified. The method can be extended to other statistics.
The cultivation of Pyropia haitanensis has important impacts on the seawater microbial community
Authors: Wang Wenlei , Wu Lei , Xu Kai , Xu Yan , Ji Dehua , Chen Changsheng , Xie Chaotian 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMicroorganisms play important roles in the growth and development of macroalgae. Still, the biodiversity of the epiphytic microbial community associated with the economically important red alga Pyropia haitanensis during the cultivation period remains uncharacterized, especially the effects of P. haitanensis cultivation on the microbial community of surrounding seawater. Here, we isolated epiphytic microbes from P. haitanensis during the thallus stage during oceanic cultivation and the conchocelis stage during industrial cultivation. The dynamic diversity patterns, as determined by 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing of the bacterial and fungal communities, respectively, associated with P. haitanensis and seawater in the presence and absence of algal cultivation were investigated. A notable distinction was observed between the microbial communities of seawater with and without P. haitanensis cultivation. Additionally, the alpha-diversity of seawater with P. haitanensis cultivation was significantly greater than without P. haitanensis cultivation. Cyanobacteria were the dominant species in the latter, while Rhodobacteraceae was enriched in the former. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the microbial community of P. haitanensis at the thallus and conchocelis stages. Seawater properties had significant direct effects on the microbial diversity of P. haitanensis and cultivation seawater, but not on non-cultivation seawater. The enriched microbial presence might promote thallus morphogenesis and be beneficial for the growth and development of both the thallus and conchocelis stages. These findings expand our knowledge of the bacteria and fungi that are beneficial for Pyropia nursery seeding and cultivation, as well as the effects of P. haitanensis cultivation on the seawater microbial community.
Accretion of the Earth—Missing Components?
Authors: Mezger K. , Schönbächler M. , Bouvier A. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPrimitive meteorites preserve the chemical and isotopic composition of the first aggregates that formed from dust and gas in the solar nebula during the earliest stages of solar system evolution. Gradual increase in the size of solid bodies from dust to aggregates and then to planetesimals finally led to the formation of planets within a few to tens of million years after the start of condensation. Thus the rocky planets of the inner solar system are likely the result of the accumulation of numerous smaller primitive as well as differentiated bodies. The chemically most primitive known meteorites are chondrites and they consist mostly of metal and silicates. Chondritic meteorites are derived from distinct primitive planetary bodies that experienced only limited element fractionation during formation and subsequent differentiation. Different chondrite classes show distinct chemical and isotopic characteristics, which may reflect heterogeneities in the solar nebula and the slightly different pathways of their formation. To a first approximation the chemical composition of the bulk Earth bears great similarities to primitive meteorites. However, for some elements there are striking and significant differences. The Earth shows a much stronger depletion of the moderate to highly volatile elements compared to chondrites. In addition, mixing trends of specific isotopes reveal that the Earth is most enriched in$s$s-process isotopes compared to all other analysed bulk solar system materials. It is currently not possible to fully define and quantify the different chemical and isotopic materials that formed the Earth, because a major component seems missing in the extant collections of extraterrestrial samples. Variations in nucleosynthetic isotope compositions as well as the strong depletion of moderately and strongly volatile elements points towards a source in the inner solar system for this missing material. It is conceivable that Venus and Mercury contain a much larger fraction of this missing component. Thus, for a complete reconstruction of the conditions that led to the formation of the inner solar system planets (Mercury to Mars) samples from the inner planets Venus and Mercury are of great interest and importance. High precision chemical and isotopic analyses in the laboratory of rocky material from inner solar system bodies could complete the knowledge on the chemical, isotopic and mineralogical make-up of the solar nebula just prior to planet formation and enhance our understanding of the evolution of the solar nebula in general and the formation of the rocky planets in particular.
Weight-Related Status and Associated Predictors with Psychological Well-being among First-Year University Students in Bangladesh: A Pilot Study
Authors: Islam Md. Saiful , Akter Rejina , Sikder Md. Tajuddin , Griffiths Mark D. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractUniversity students (especially first-years) not only have to cope with their academic curriculum but also issues such as being away from the home environment and living independently for the first time. Those who do not adapt quickly to these new conditions are likely to be susceptible to physical and psychological vulnerabilities. The present study surveyed first-year Bangladeshi undergraduate students to investigate their weight status (i.e., the prevalence of being normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese) and the prevalence of depression and associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 404 first-year university students (aged 18–23 years) residing at a Bangladeshi university. The participants completed a survey examining socio-demographic and behavioral variables, alongside the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine significant associations between the variables under examination. Prevalence rates of being normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese were 66.8%, 20.3%, 9.7%, and 3.2% respectively. Associated predictors of weight-related problems were being female and lack of physical exercise. The prevalence rate of depression was 68.1%. There were no significant gender differences and associated predictors of depression were lack of physical exercise, unsatisfactory sleep quality, excessive internet use, and excessive reading hours. Being underweight, overweight, or being obese alongside the prevalence of depression among first-year university students were high. Findings indicate that first-year university students are a vulnerable group for some physical and psychological problems. Findings recommend the need for intervention programs, alongside adequate and appropriate supportive services for first-year Bangladeshi university students.
Endophytic colonization by Beauveria bassiana increases the resistance of tomatoes against Bemisia tabaci
Authors: Wei Qiu-Yang , Li Ya-Ying , Xu Chen , Wu Yi-Xia , Zhang Ya-Ru , Liu Huai 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBeauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, can exist asymptomatically as an endophyte in many plants. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of B. bassiana colonization of tomato plants using different inoculation methods, and how colonization of the host plant affects the key pest of tomato, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. To confirm fungal colonization efficiency, nested PCR technique was used to detect B. bassiana sequences in Solanum lycopersicum. Distribution of the fungus within the plant parts was determined by selective medium. Tomato growth parameters were determined with plants that had been inoculated using direct spraying or irrigation of the rhizosphere. B. tabaci performance assays were carried out in a cage, and preference to treatments was determined using Y-tube olfactometer studies. Results show that B. bassiana can effectively colonize tomato, with colonization rate using leaf spraying reaching 100% within 14 days. Fungal presence was not uniformly distributed among plant parts, but was biased towards the inoculation sites. For inoculation, conidial suspension sprayed at 1 × 108 conidia/ml resulted in the highest number of isolated colonies in leaf tissue, 8.5 ± 2.02 colonies per 2 g of fresh tissue (F4,19 = 2.779, P = 0.045), and reached the lowest with root treatment. Although only small differences were observed among the growth indicators, leaf spray inoculation resulted in a significant positive influence on plant growth (PC1 55.7% contributions scores = 2.645) in further Principal component analysis. As for the feeding selectivity, B. tabaci preferred uninoculated plants. In Y-tube olfactometer assay, 80.5% of adults selected uninoculated plants. These findings add to the understanding of the interactions between B. bassiana and plants and indicate the potential of expanding the use of entomopathogenic fungi for crop protection.
Early medieval Italian Alps: reconstructing diet and mobility in the valleys
Authors: Paladin Alice , Moghaddam Negahnaz , Stawinoga Agnieszka Elzbieta , Siebke Inga , Depellegrin Valentina , Tecchiati Umberto , Lösch Sandra , Zink Albert 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIn Early Middle Ages (sixth–eleventh centuries AD), South Tyrol (Italian Alps) played a key role for geographical and military reasons. Historical sources document that allochthonous groups (germani) entered the territory, and the material culture shows mutual cultural exchanges between autochthonous andgermani. Besides the nature of the migration, the demographic and socio-cultural impacts on the local population are still unknown. Stable isotope analyses were performed to provide insights into dietary patterns, subsistence strategies, changes in socio-economic structures, and mobility, according to spatial (e.g. valleys, altitudes) and chronological (centuries) parameters. Bone collagen of 32 faunal and 91 human bone samples from nine sites, located at different altitudes, was extracted for stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope analyses. In total, 94% (30/32) of the faunal remains were of good quality, while the humans displayed 93% (85/91) of good quality samples for δ13C and δ15N and 44% (40/91) for δ34S stable isotopes. The isotopic results of the animals reflected a terrestrial-based diet. Statistical differences were observed within and among the humans of the different valleys. The δ13C values of individuals sampled from higher altitudes indicated a mainly C3plant-based diet compared to areas at lower altitudes, where more positive δ13C values showed an intake of C4plants. The δ15N values suggested a terrestrial-based diet with a greater consumption of animal proteins at higher altitudes. The data revealed higher variability in δ34S values in the Adige valley, with individuals probably migrating and/or changing dietary habits.
Nationhood as Practice and the Modernity of Nations: A Conceptual Proposal
Authors: Moreno-Almendral Raúl 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis article revisits the debate on the modernity of nations considering recent critical approaches to national phenomena. It proposes an alternative model that addresses the existence of empirical evidence about nations before the 19th century without erasing key changes in the history of nationhood, such as the rise of the principle of national sovereignty. The model draws on existing literature and a corpus of British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese ego-documents from the Age of Revolutions. The study of patterns of usage of national languages in these life narratives supports the abandonment of the premodern/modern antinomy and the implementation of a more complex account. The proposal distinguishes republican, genetic, nonpoliticized ethnotypical, politicized ethnotypical, liberal, romantic, biological, cultural, and democratic forms of nationhood. It then develops the genetic and the ethnotypical forms using source materials and readdresses the issue of “modernity” in the light of this evidence.
Polyol-assimilation capacities of lichen-inhabiting fungi
Authors: Yoshino Kanami , Yamamoto Kohei , Masumoto Hiroshi , Degawa Yousuke , Yoshikawa Hiroko , Harada Hiroshi , Sakamoto Kazunori 
Published: March 2020

AbstractFungi are one of the most diverse carbon source-assimilating organisms, living as saprobes, parasites and symbionts; they play an important role in carbon cycling in the ecosystem. A lichen thallus provides habitats for many non-lichenized fungi and usually contains large quantities of polyols. However, research has not been undertaken to identify carbon sources of lichen-inhabiting fungi. In this study, we isolated various lichen-inhabiting fungi from surface-sterilizedRamalinaspp.,Flavoparmelia caperataandPeltigera degenii, and demonstrated their ability to assimilate carbon sources, namely glucose, ribitol and mannitol. Several isolates efficiently assimilated mannitol and ribitol; however, most isolates could assimilate only mannitol or both ribitol and mannitol at low levels. It is suggested that there are different preferences and niche segregation of carbon sources among lichen-inhabiting fungi, and that this assemblage includes fungi with different lifestyles such as saprobes, endophytes and transient visitors.
Antibacterial activities and bioactive compounds of the ethyl acetate extract of the sea cucumberHolothuria forskalifrom Tunisian coasts
Authors: Telahigue Khaoula , Ghali Ridha , Nouiri Ezzeddine , Labidi Abdelbaki , Hajji Tarek 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPrevious scientific studies have listed chemical compounds from sea cucumber species. The ability to produce bioactive metabolites derives from their response to various ecological stresses and avoidance of predation. In view of this, the present work aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity and quantitatively assess the active components of different organs of the sea cucumberHolothuria foskalicollected from the north-east of Tunisia. The antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extracts was tested againstBacillus subtilis,Bacillus cereus,Escherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosa. It was revealed thatEscherichia coliandBacillus subtiliswere inhibited by the sea cucumber extracts. To identify the composition of these extracts, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS) methods were used. The GC-MS revealed the presence of 25 major components, the most concentrated ones were characterized as C26H27N5O6Morphinan-4,5-epoxy-3,6-diol, 6 amino;C17H31F3O23-trifluoroacetoxypentadecane; C31H50O2Stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-ol,acetate; C11H14O21-Phthalanol,1,3,3-trimethyl 1-phenyl; C30H48O2Ergosta-5,22-dien-3-ol,acetate and C25H40O2(9E)-8-Phenyl-9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester; while the LC-MS revealed the presence of eight molecules, identified as phenolic acid, phytosterol and fat-soluble vitamins. Some molecules are interesting and deserve to be explored for their potential uses as ingredients in functional foods or as raw materials for new drug forms.
Kawasaki disease with giant aneurysm of left coronary artery and complete occlusion of right coronary artery
Authors: Muneer Kader , Narayanan Santhosh 
Published: March 2020

AbstractKawasaki disease is an acute febrile medium-vessel vasculitis affecting children. Though coronary artery aneurysm is a common complication, stenosis and occlusion are rare. Here, we report a case of Kawasaki disease with concomitant aneurysm and complete occlusion of different coronary arteries in the same patient.
The association between dietary inflammatory index and risk of central obesity in adults: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Farhangi Mahdieh Abbasalizad , Vajdi Mahdi 
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Backgrounds: Central obesity, as a pivotal component of metabolic syndrome is associated with numerous co-morbidities. Dietary factors influence central obesity by increased inflammatory status. However, recent studies didn’t evaluate the association between central obesity and dietary inflammation index (DII®) that give score to dietary factors according to their inflammatory potential. In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarized the studies that investigated the association between DII® with central obesity indices in the general populations. Methods: In a systematic search from PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Sciences and Cochrane electronic databases, we collected relevant studies written in English and published until 30 October 2019. The population of included studies were apparently healthy subjects or individuals with obesity or obesity-related diseases. Observational studies that evaluated the association between DII® and indices of central obesity including WC or WHR were included. Results: Totally thirty-two studies were included; thirty studies were cross-sectional and two were cohort studies with 103071 participants. Meta-analysis of observational studies showed that higher DII® scores were associated with 1.81 cm increase in WC (Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) = 1.813; CI: 0.785–2.841; p = 0.001). Also, a non-significant increase in the odds of having higher WC (OR = 1.162; CI: 0.95–1.43; p = 0.154) in the highest DII category was also observed. In subgroup analysis, the continent, dietary assessment tool and gender were the heterogeneity sources. Conclusion: The findings proposed that adherence to diets with high DII® scores was associated with increased WC. Further studies with interventional designs are necessary to elucidate the causality inference between DII® and central obesity indices.
Critical Soil Moisture Derived From Satellite Observations Over Europe
Authors: Denissen Jasper M.C. , Teuling Adriaan J. , Reichstein Markus , Orth René 
Published: March 2020

AbstractEvapotranspiration (ET) is a crucial quantity through which land surface conditions can impact near‐surface weather and vice versa. ET can be limited by energy or water availability. The transition between water‐ and energy‐limited regimes is marked by the critical soil moisture (CSM), which is traditionally derived from small‐sample laboratory analyses. Here, we aim to determine the CSM at a larger spatial scale relevant for climate modeling, using state‐of‐the‐art gridded data sets. For this purpose, we introduce a new correlation‐difference metric with which the CSM can be accurately inferred using multiple data streams. We perform such an analysis at the continental scale and determine a large‐scale CSM as an emergent property. In addition, we determine small‐scale CSMs at the grid cell scale and find substantial spatial variability. Consistently from both analyses we find that soil texture, climate conditions, and vegetation characteristics are influencing the CSM, with similar respective importance. In contrast, comparable CSMs are found when applying alternative large‐scale energy and vegetation data sets, highlighting the robustness of our results. Based on our findings, the state of the vegetation and corresponding land‐atmosphere coupling can be inferred, to first order, from easily accessible satellite observations of surface soil moisture.
A La Niña‐Like Climate Response to South African Biomass Burning Aerosol in CESM Simulations
Authors: Amiri‐Farahani Anahita , Allen Robert J. , Li King‐Fai , Nabat Pierre , Westervelt Daniel M. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe climate response to atmospheric aerosols, including their effects on dominant modes of climate variability like El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), remains highly uncertain. This is due to several sources of uncertainty, including aerosol emission, transport, removal, vertical distribution, and radiative properties. Here, we conduct coupled ocean‐atmosphere simulations with two versions of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) driven by semiempirical fine‐mode aerosol direct radiative effects without dust and sea salt. Aerosol atmospheric heating off the west coast of Africa—most of which is due to biomass burning—leads to a significant atmospheric dynamical response, including localized ascent and upper‐level divergence. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 6 (CMIP6) biomass burning simulations support this response. Moreover, CESM shows that the anomalous aerosol heating in the Atlantic triggers an atmospheric teleconnection to the tropical Pacific, including strengthening of the Walker circulation. The easterly trade winds accelerate, and through coupled ocean‐atmosphere processes and the Bjerknes feedback, a La Niña‐like response develops. Observations also support a relationship between south African biomass burning emissions and ENSO, with La Niña events preceding strong south African biomass burning in boreal fall. Our simulations suggest a possible two‐way feedback between ENSO and south African biomass burning, with La Niña promoting more biomass burning emissions, which may then strengthen the developing La Niña.