bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of informal timber harvesting on habitat structure and bird assemblages in a coastal forest of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: LEAVER JESSICA , CARSTENS JOHANN C. , CHERRY MICHAEL I. 
Published: September 2020

SummaryAfrican forests are under increasing pressure to supply local, regional, and international demand for timber. Much of this trade is unregulated, such that there is increasing concern regarding the ecological sustainability of this resource use. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the ecological impact of informal timber harvesting in African forests. While forest species have adapted to natural canopy gap dynamics, harvesting may alter natural disturbance regimes, with adverse effects on biodiversity. Information regarding harvest gaps, and concomitant impacts on habitat and biodiversity is thus essential to inform sustainable management. This study compared the frequency and nature of harvest gaps and natural gaps in a coastal forest in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where informal selective timber harvesting occurs. Habitat condition and bird species richness and composition were compared across intact forest, natural gaps, and harvest gaps. Harvest-created gaps increased the number of canopy gaps by 30%, but were comparable with natural gaps in size. Habitat conditions in harvest gaps represented an intermediate state between intact forest and natural gaps, thereby increasing forest-scale habitat heterogeneity. While bird species richness was not affected, species composition differed across intact forest, harvest gaps and natural gaps, driven by changes in habitat condition, and mediated by species’ feeding and nesting traits. Specifically, insectivores, cavity- and ground-nesting species, and hawking and arboreal probing species were negatively affected by the habitat gradient from intact sites to canopy gap conditions, while nectarivores, omnivores and ball/cup nesting species were positively affected. Thus, while the single-tree selective harvesting method used by informal harvesters largely emulated natural canopy disturbances, the harvest-mediated increase in the frequency of canopy gaps may reduce the abundance of certain bird species sensitive to canopy gap conditions and reduce forest-scale beta-diversity.
GPS tracking reveals highly consistent use of restricted foraging areas by European Storm-petrelsHydrobates pelagicusbreeding at the largest UK colony: implications for conservation management
Authors: BOLTON MARK 
Published: September 2020

SummarySeabirds face a diverse array of threats and are considered to comprise one of the most threatened avian groups globally. Development of appropriate conservation action requires a knowledge of the marine distribution of seabirds, furnished either by tracking the movements of individuals, or from at-sea surveys. Obtaining information on the distribution of the smallest seabird species, the storm-petrels Hydrobatidae, is challenging, but the recent development of <1 g GPS tracking tags now enables high-precision tracking and this study reports the first multi-year high-precision tracking of European Storm-petrelsHydrobates pelagicusfrom their largest UK breeding colony. A total of 42 successful tag deployments were made over four breeding seasons during incubation, brooding and post-brood phases, and there was no evidence of adverse impacts on adult body mass or nest survival rates. Foraging trips lasted between one and three days and ranged up to 397 km from the colony (median = 159 km). Foraging range and total distance covered were positively correlated with trip duration but did not differ across breeding stages. Storm-petrels did not feed to the west of the colony at the edge of the continental shelf where high concentrations have been reported in previous decades from boat surveys, but rather, foraging was restricted to shallow waters south of the colony, consistent across individuals, breeding stages and years. Two areas were identified that exceed the threshold criteria for marine Important Bird Area status and should be considered for statutory protection. The home range estimated across all three breeding stages overlapped with 206 active hydrocarbon wells and 14 operating platforms which represent potential threats as sources of surface pollution or through attraction of birds to gas flares. Improved understanding of the foraging distribution of storm-petrels from this protected colony greatly assists the identification of potential threats and informs appropriate marine spatial planning.
Comparison of Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, version II and Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form in detecting nutritional risk among community-dwelling seniors in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Pavlović Jelena R , Maksimović Miloš Ž , Klopanović Olha V , Vasilić Zoran S , Ivković Nedeljka M , Račić Maja N 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjective:The aim of the current study is to compare Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, version II (SCREEN II) and Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form (MNA-SF), where each is used to identify nutritional risk prevalence among community-dwelling people aged 65 years and above in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Design:A cross-sectional study. Nutritional risk assessed using the nutritionist’s risk rating, anthropometric measurements, functional indicators, cognitive parameters, SCREEN II and MNA-SF.Setting:The municipalities of Foca, East Sarajevo and Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Participants:Eight hundred twenty-one community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years.Results:The prevalence of high nutritional risk per nutritionist’s risk rating, SCREEN II and MNA-SF was 26, 60, and 7 %, respectively. With the nutritionist’s rating score ≥5 as the criterion, the MNA-SF cut-off point of ≤11 (indicating any possible risk) had poor sensitivity (55·7 %), specificity (46·6 %) and AUC (0·563; P = 0·024). When the criterion of >7 was applied, good sensitivity (95·3 %) and specificity (88·9 %) were obtained for the MNA-SF cut-off score of ≤7. AUC for this comparison was 0·742 (considered fair). Cut-off points of <54 (AUC = 0·816) and <50 (AUC = 0·881) for SCREEN II (indicating moderate to high risk) corresponded with good sensitivity (82·2 %; 80·9 %) and fair specificity (72·1 %; 75·0 %).Conclusion:MNA-SF may have a limited role in nutritional risk screening among community-dwelling seniors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. SCREEN II has promising results in regard to validity, but further studies are warranted.
Maternal height and double-burden of malnutrition households in Mexico: stunted children with overweight or obese mothers
Authors: Félix-Beltrán Lucía , Macinko James , Kuhn Randall 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjective:To assess the association between short maternal height and four types of mother–child nutritional status groupings within Mexican households.Design:We classified mother–child dyads into four groups: stunted child and a non-overweight/non-obese mother (stunting-only), non-stunted child and an overweight/obese mother (overweight-only), stunted child with an overweight/obese mother (double-burden) and households with neither child stunting nor overweight/obese mothers (neither-condition). We assessed the association between maternal height and mother–child nutrition status using multinomial logistic regression, controlling for socio-economic covariates.Setting:Nationally representative cross-section of households from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey.Participants:Children <5 years of age were matched to their mothers, resulting in a sample of 4706 mother–child dyads.Results:We found that among children with stunting, 53·3% have an overweight/obese mother. Double-burden was observed in 8·1% of Mexican households. Maternal short stature increased the probability of stunting-only by 3·5% points (p.p.) and double-burden by 9·7 p.p. (P< 0·05). The inverse association was observed for overweight-only and neither-condition households, where the probability of these outcomes decreased by 7·2 and 6 p.p. in households with short-statured mothers (P< 0·05), respectively.Conclusions:Women with short stature are more likely to develop overweight and simultaneously have a stunted child than those who are not short-statured. Our findings underline the challenges faced by public health systems, which have to balance the provision of services for both an undernourished and increasingly overweight/obese population.
Compact CPW-fed super wideband planar elliptical antenna
Authors: Rafique Umair , Din Sami ud , Khalil Hisham 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA compact co-planar waveguide (CPW) fed planar elliptical antenna has been designed and presented for super wideband (SWB) characteristics. The designed antenna has an overall size of 30 × 30 × 1.57 mm3, and it consists of an elliptical patch radiator fed using a modified 50 Ω CPW-fed tapered microstrip feed line. By using a semi-ring shaped structure with a tapered feed line, an impedance bandwidth of 180.66% has been observed from 1.27 to 25 GHz with a ratio bandwidth of 19.68:1. To validate simulation results, the designed antenna has been fabricated and measured, and a reasonable agreement has been observed between simulated and measured results. It has also been observed that the designed antenna offers good radiation properties over the entire operating bandwidth. The simulated average gain and radiation efficiency of the proposed SWB antenna is noted to be 4.3 dBi and 95.77%, respectively; while the measured average gain and radiation efficiency is 3.8 dBi and 94.69%, respectively.
Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults
Authors: Adams Damian H. , Gerace Adam , Davies Michael J. , de Lacey Sheryl 
Published: September 2020

AbstractDonor-conceived neonates have poorer birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm delivery that are associated with poorer long-term health in adulthood through the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory. The aim of this study was to conduct the first investigation of the adult health outcomes of donor-conceived people. An online health survey was completed by 272 donor sperm-conceived adults and 877 spontaneously conceived adults from around the world. Donor and spontaneously conceived groups were matched for age, sex, height, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, own fertility and maternal smoking. Donor sperm-conceived adults had significantly higher reports of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (P= 0.031), thyroid disease (P= 0.031), acute bronchitis (P= 0.008), environmental allergies (P= 0.046), sleep apnoea (P= 0.037) and having ear tubes/grommets surgically implanted (P= 0.046). This is the first study to investigate the health outcomes of adult donor sperm-conceived people. Donor sperm-conceived adults self-reported elevated frequencies of various health conditions. The outcomes are consistent with birth defect data from donor sperm treatment and are consistent with the DOHaD linking perturbed early growth and chronic disease in adulthood.
The Influence of Extreme Heat on Police and Fire Department Services in 23 U.S. Cities
Authors: Williams Augusta , McDonogh‐Wong Larissa , Spengler John D. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractRecent research suggests that extreme heat affects the demand for emergency services, including police and fire department incidents. Yet there is limited understanding of impacts across U.S. cities, with varying population sizes, and between different climates. This study sought to examine the daily utilization of police and fire department services, during hot days in 23 U.S. cities representing six climate zones using relative risk (RR) and time series analyses of daily police and fire department incidents. The warm season analyses utilized three temperature metrics: daily maximum temperature (TMAX), daily maximum heat index (HIMAX), and the preceding daily minimum temperature (TMIN). Across these cities, the RR of police department incidents on days where TMAX was at or above the 95th percentile significantly increased within a range from 3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3%, 6.3%) to 57% (95% CI: 24.5%, 89.7%), compared with a nonhot day. At the same temperature thresholds, the RR of fire department dispatches increased from 6% (95% CI: 3.0%, 8.6%) to 18% (95% CI: 15.2%, 21.6%). These results remained consistent across temperature metrics and consecutive days of extreme heat. The estimated effects of daily maximum temperature, daily maximum heat index, and daily minimum temperature were nonlinear for police and fire department incidents across all cities. These findings inform climate change adaptation strategies, preparing budgets and personnel for emergency agencies to ensure resilience as periods of extreme heat increase in frequency, severity, and duration.
Improving Permafrost Physics in a Distributed Cryosphere‐Hydrology Model and Its Evaluations at the Upper Yellow River Basin
Authors: Song Lei , Wang Lei , Li Xiuping , Zhou Jing , Luo Dongliang , Jin Huijun , Qi Jia , Zeng Tian , Yin Yuanyuan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractFrozen soil undergoing freeze‐thaw cycles has effects on local hydrology, ecosystems, and engineering infrastructure by global warming. It is important to clarify the hydrological processes of frozen soil, especially permafrost. In this study, the performance of a distributed cryosphere‐hydrology model (WEB‐DHM, Water and Energy Budget‐based Distributed Hydrological Model) was significantly improved by the addition of enthalpy‐based permafrost physics. First, we formulated the water phase change in the unconfined aquifer and its exchanges of water and heat with the upper soil layers, with enthalpy adopted as a prognostic variable instead of soil temperature in the energy balance equation to avoid instability when calculating water phase changes. Second, more reasonable initial conditions for the bottom soil layer (overlying the unconfined aquifer) were considered. The improved model (hereinafter WEB‐DHM‐pf) was carefully evaluated at three sites with seasonally frozen ground and one permafrost site over the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (“the Third Pole”), to demonstrate the capability of predicting the internal processes of frozen soil at the point scale, particularly the “zero‐curtain” phenomenon in permafrost. Four different experiments were conducted to assess the impacts of augmentation of single model improvement on simulating soil water/ice and temperature dynamics in frozen soil. Finally, the WEB‐DHM‐pf was demonstrated to be capable of accurately reproducing the zero curtain, detecting long‐term changes in frozen soil at the point scale, and discriminating basin‐wide permafrost from seasonally frozen ground in a basin at the headwaters of the Yellow River.
On the Interdecadal Variation of the Warm Water Volume in the Tropical Pacific Around 1999/2000
Authors: Li Xiaofan , Hu Zeng‐Zhen , Huang Bohua , Jin Fei‐Fei 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA profound change in the variations of warm water volume (WWV) of the tropical Pacific occurred around 1999/2000, coincided with the interdecadal shift of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) properties to a higher frequency and smaller amplitude regime. The persistence of WWV is decreased for all calendar months since 2000, associated with a decrease in its variance and an increase in its frequency. Moreover, the WWV‐sea surface temperature relationship associated with the ENSO cycle is weakened during 2000–2019, implying that the recharge/discharge process is less efficient in driving the phase transition of an ENSO cycle and ENSO became less periodical compared with that during 1979–1999. Corresponding to the weaker precursory connection of WWV to ENSO, the geographical origin of precedent thermocline anomalies has shown a northwestward migration since 2000. This is consistent with the suppression of the equatorial air‐sea feedback and the systematical northwestward shift of the atmosphere‐ocean coupling center in the tropical Pacific. Changed annual cycle and enhanced zonal contrast of sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific may be connected with the interdecadal variations of the ENSO and WWV features.
The Influence of Tropical Cyclones on the Evolution of River Conveyance Capacity in Puerto Rico
Authors: Li Yihan , Wright Daniel B. , Byrne Patrick K. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractTropical cyclones (TCs) in Puerto Rico and other tropical environments cause some of the world's most intense rainfall rates and pose major challenges to current and future flood resilience. One potential consequence of TC‐induced floods is the reconfiguration of river channels due to sediment scour or deposition. This reconfiguration has the potential to alter subsequent flood hazard by changing channel conveyance capacity, violating statistical independence assumptions that underpin conventional recurrence interval concepts. In this study, we examine changes in channel conveyance capacity in Puerto Rico and compare these changes to streamflow trends. Results show that relatively modest long‐term changes in river channel capacity are composed of numerous short‐term transients which are of much larger magnitude. These transients are most often caused by abrupt scour or deposition during TCs and are comparable in magnitude to long‐term trends in peak streamflows. An abrupt change is typically followed by a multiyear “recovery period” as the channel reestablishes quasi‐equilibrium. Flood events with recurrence intervals of approximately 10 years and above appear to be sufficient to cause these changes; channel reconfiguration thus may be more common in Puerto Rico than in less extreme hydroclimates. Short‐term conveyance capacity changes are not considered in typical flood hazard assessments, which could substantially overstate or understate flood threat at any particular time, depending on the recent history of TC rainfall and flooding. Improving flood resiliency in Puerto Rico and elsewhere will require better understanding of rapid conveyance capacity changes, their causes, and how they influence flood hazard and risk.
The cell organization underlying structural colour is involved in Flavobacterium IR1 predation
Authors: Hamidjaja Raditijo , Capoulade Jérémie , Catón Laura , Ingham Colin J 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Flavobacterium IR1 is a gliding bacterium with a high degree of colonial organization as a 2D photonic crystal, resulting in vivid structural coloration when illuminated. Enterobacter cloacae B12, an unrelated bacterium, was isolated from the brown macroalga Fucus vesiculosus from the same location as IR1. IR1 was found to be a predator of B12. A process of surrounding, infiltration, undercutting and killing of B12 supported improved growth of IR1. A combination of motility and capillarity facilitated the engulfment of B12 colonies by IR1. Predation was independent of illumination. Mutants of IR1 that formed photonic crystals less effectively than the wild type were reduced in predation. Conversely, formation of a photonic crystal was not advantageous in resisting predation by Rhodococcus spp. PIR4. These observations suggest that the organization required to create structural colour has a biological function (facilitating predation) but one that is not directly related to the photonic properties of the colony. This work is the first experimental evidence supporting a role for this widespread type of cell organization in the Flavobacteriia.
Dual targeting of NUAK1 and ULK1 using the multitargeted inhibitor MRT68921 exerts potent antitumor activities
Authors: Chen Yiran , Xie Xiaoling , Wang Chunsheng , Hu Yuxing , Zhang Honghao , Zhang Lenghe , Tu Sanfang , He Yanjie , Li Yuhua 
Published: September 2020

AbstractUtilizing oxidative stress has recently been regarded as a potential strategy for tumor therapy. The NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 1 (NUAK1) is a critical component of the antioxidant defense system and is necessary for the survival of tumors. Therefore, NUAK1 is considered an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. However, antioxidant therapy induced elevated ROS levels to activate the Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) pathway to promote protective autophagy and ULK1-dependent mitophagy. Thus, the combined inhibition of NUAK1 and ULK1 showed a strong synergistic effect in different tumor types. Herein, the potential antitumor activities of a dual NUAK1/ULK1 inhibitor MRT68921 were evaluated in both tumor cell lines and animal models. MRT68921 significantly kills tumor cells by breaking the balance of oxidative stress signals. These results highlight the potential of MRT68921 as an effective agent for tumor therapy.
Ericoid mycorrhizal fungus enhances microcutting rooting of Rhododendron fortunei and subsequent growth
Authors: Wei Xiangying , Chen Jianjun , Zhang Chunying , Liu Hong , Zheng Xiuxia , Mu Jingli 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAdventitious root (AR) formation is a unique feature of plant reproduction and plays a vital role in crop production as many horticultural and forestry plants are propagated through cuttings. A growing number of reports have shown that microbes, particularly mycorrhizal fungi are able to promote AR formation, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study established an in vitro culture system and investigated AR formation in microcuttings ofRhododendron fortuneiLindl. inoculated withOidiodendron maiusBarron Om19, an ericoid mycorrhizal fungus strain. Hormones and precursors involved in the biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in Om19 mycelium were analyzed. Om19 was able to produce a large quantity of tryptophan (Trp) and also indole-3-pyruvate (IPA) and IAA, indicating that IAA biosynthesis in Om19 could be through a Trp-dependent pathway. After inoculation of Om19, ARs were quickly formed in microcuttings. Symbiosis related genes were activated in ARs, and Om19 effectively colonized the roots.YUC3, a key gene in plant biosynthesis of IAA and genes involved in nitrogen (N) uptake and metabolism, phosphorus (P) uptake were highly upregulated. Plants absorbed significantly greater quantity of mineral nutrients, and their growth was substantially enhanced compared to the control plants without Om19 inoculation. A working model for Om19 enhanced AR formation was proposed. The rapid formation of ARs in cuttings could be due in part to the induction of IAA biosynthesized by Om19 and also attributed to Trp catalyzed biosynthesis of IAA in plants. AR formation, in turn, provided Om19 preferred sites for colonization. Our study suggested that in addition to promoting AR formation, Om19 could potentially be used as a new biofertilizer for enhancing production of ericaceous plants, such as blueberry, cranberry, and rhododendron.
Relative configuration of micrograms of natural compounds using proton residual chemical shift anisotropy
Authors: Nath Nilamoni , Fuentes-Monteverde Juan Carlos , Pech-Puch Dawrin , Rodríguez Jaime , Jiménez Carlos , Noll Markus , Kreiter Alexander , Reggelin Michael , Navarro-Vázquez Armando , Griesinger Christian 
Published: September 2020

Abstract3D molecular structure determination is a challenge for organic compounds or natural products available in minute amounts. Proton/proton and proton/carbon correlations yield the constitution. J couplings and NOEs oftentimes supported by one-bond 1H,13C residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) or by 13C residual chemical shift anisotropies (RCSAs) provide the relative configuration. However, these RDCs or carbon RCSAs rely on 1% natural abundance of 13C preventing their use for compounds available only in quantities of a few 10’s of µgs. By contrast, 1H RCSAs provide similar information on spatial orientation of structural moieties within a molecule, while using the abundant 1H spin. Herein, 1H RCSAs are accurately measured using constrained aligning gels or liquid crystals and applied to the 3D structural determination of molecules with varying complexities. Even more, deuterated alignment media allow the elucidation of the relative configuration of around 35 µg of a briarane compound isolated from Briareum asbestinum.