bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of 20th‐century settlement fires on landscape structure and forest composition in eastern Quebec, Canada
Authors: Terrail Raphaële , Morin‐Rivat Julie , de Lafontaine Guillaume , Fortin Marie‐Josée , Arseneault Dominique 
Published: October 2019

AbstractQuestionsWhich role did historical anthropogenic disturbances play in modifying the natural fire regime? To what extent have they shaped current forest? Do those disturbances have lingering impacts in the present‐day landscape? Are certain tree species related to former land use?Locationeastern Quebec, Canada.MethodsSpatial data on landscape structure, burnt areas, settlements, and forest patches were vectorized on an archival map dating back to 1938. For each landscape class, the total area, the number of polygons, and the proportion of the total landscape occupied by the largest polygon were analyzed according to elevation and to the Euclidean distance from the "settlement" polygons. An index of the spatial link between the landscape classes was calculated, based on the proportions of the perimeter of the polygons of each class shared with each of the other classes. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for pooled data was used to obtain the frequency distributions of landscape classes as a function of distance. The association between settlement fires and present‐day vegetation, and more specificallyPopulusandBetulastands, was tested by superimposing the most recent ecoforest map on the 1938 land‐use map. Distance bands on either side of the 1938 settlement front were delineated to calculate the proportion of each distance class occupied by present‐day aspen and birch stands.ResultsAnthropogenic fires generated a recognizable landscape pattern of land use. Burnt areas were mostly located within 2 km from a settlement. Most burnings observed on the 1938 map were human‐induced, based on their spatial connection with the settled areas. Lingering impacts of these 20th‐century fires on present‐day forests were identified using the peculiar spatial distribution of tree species. The presence and spatial distribution of aspen in the present‐day landscape is tightly associated with previously burnt areas.ConclusionsPast land‐use strongly altered the natural fires regime and associated tree species. Current land‐use could potentially lead to increased degraded forest landscapes in the near future.
Inclusion of Research Materials When Submitting an Article to Language Learning
Authors: Marsden Emma , Crossley Scott , Ellis Nick , Kormos Judit , Morgan‐Short Kara , Thierry Guillaume 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBuilding on initiatives to promote high quality methodologies and Open Science practices in the language sciences, Language Learning will request, as of January 1, 2020, that all submissions to the journal include, whenever possible, the full materials used in the study for peer review. This includes materials used to elicit and code primary and secondary data (such as questionnaires, language tests, interview or observation schedules, and coding schemas). These materials will be shared with reviewers to better inform the peer review process and ensure rigorous evaluation of the methods used. If the manuscript is accepted, authors will then be encouraged to make their materials available on an open, sustainable repository, though there is no requirement to do so. In this Editorial, we outline the benefits of this policy for the advancement of the language sciences and discuss some potential concerns that authors may have.
Human activities link fruit bat presence to Ebola virus disease outbreaks
Authors: Olivero Jesús , Fa Julia E. , Farfán Miguel Á. , Márquez Ana L. , Real Raimundo , Juste F. Javier , Leendertz Siv A. , Nasi Robert 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

A significant link between forest loss and fragmentation and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in humans has been documented. Deforestation may alter the natural circulation of viruses and change the composition, abundance, behaviour and possibly viral exposure of reservoir species. This in turn might increase contact between infected animals and humans.

Fruit bats of the family Pteropodidae have been suspected as reservoirs of the Ebola virus. At present, the only evidence associating fruit bats with EVD is the presence of seropositive individuals in eight species and polymerase chain reaction‐positive individuals in three of these.

Our study investigates whether human activities can increase African fruit bat geographical ranges and whether this influence overlaps geographically with EVD outbreaks that, in turn, are favoured by deforestation.

We use species observation records for the 20 fruit bat species found in favourable areas for the Ebola virus to determine factors affecting the bats' range inside the predicted Ebola virus area. We do this by employing a hypothetico‐deductive approach based on favourability modelling.

We show that the range of some fruit bat species is linked to human activities within the favourable areas for the Ebola virus. More specifically, the areas where human activities favour the presence of five fruit bat species overlap with the areas where EVD outbreaks in humans were themselves favoured by deforestation. These five species are as follows: Eidolon helvum, Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermanni, Micropteropus pusillus and Rousettus aegyptiacus. Of these five, all but Megaloglossus woermanni have recorded seropositive individuals. For the remaining 15 bat species, we found no biogeographical support for the hypothesis that positive human influence on fruit bats could be associated with EVD outbreaks in deforested areas within the tropical forest biome in West and Central Africa.

Our work is a useful first step allowing further investigation of the networks and pathways that may lead to an EVD outbreak. The modelling framework we employ here can be used for other emerging infectious diseases.
Cradles and museums of generic plant diversity across tropical Africa
Authors: Dagallier Léo‐Paul M. J. , Janssens Steven B. , Dauby Gilles , Blach‐Overgaard Anne , Mackinder Barbara A. , Droissart Vincent , Svenning Jens‐Christian , Sosef Marc S. M. , Stévart Tariq , Harris David J. , Sonké Bonaventure , Wieringa Jan J. , Hardy Olivier J. , Couvreur Thomas L. P. 
Published: October 2019

Summary

Determining where species diversify (cradles) and persist (museums) over evolutionary time is fundamental to understanding the distribution of biodiversity and for conservation prioritization. Here, we identify cradles and museums of angiosperm generic diversity across tropical Africa, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.

Regions containing nonrandom concentrations of young (neo‐) and old (paleo‐) endemic taxa were identified using distribution data of 1719 genera combined with a newly generated time‐calibrated mega‐phylogenetic tree. We then compared the identified regions with the current network of African protected areas (PAs).

At the generic level, phylogenetic diversity and endemism are mainly concentrated in the biogeographically complex region of Eastern Africa. We show that mountainous areas are centres of both neo‐ and paleo‐endemism. By contrast, the Guineo‐Congolian lowland rain forest region is characterized by widespread and old lineages. We found that the overlap between centres of phylogenetic endemism and PAs is high (> 85%).

We show the vital role played by mountains acting simultaneously as cradles and museums of tropical African plant biodiversity. By contrast, lowland rainforests act mainly as museums for generic diversity. Our study shows that incorporating large‐scale taxonomically verified distribution datasets and mega‐phylogenies lead to an improved understanding of tropical plant biodiversity evolution.
COP1 and BBXs‐HY5‐mediated light signal transduction in plants
Authors: Xu Dongqing 
Published: October 2019

SummaryLight is one of the most essential environmental factors affecting many aspects of growth and developmental processes in plants. Plants undergo skotomorphogenic or photomorphogenic development dependent on the absence or presence of light. These two developmental programs enable a germinated seed to become a healthy seedling at the early stage of the plant life cycle. CULLIN 4‐DNA DAMAGE‐BINDING PROTEIN 1 (DDB1)‐based CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1)‐SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA and COP10‐DEETIOLATED 1‐DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes promote the skotomorphogenesis by ubiquitinating and degrading a number of photomorphogenic‐promoting factors in darkness. Photoreceptors sense and transduce light information to downstream signaling, thereby initiating a set of molecular events and subsequent photomorphogenesis. These processes are precisely modulated by a group of components including various photoreceptors, E3 ubiquitin ligase, and transcription factors at the molecular level. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the COP1, ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5, and B‐BOX CONTAINING PROTEINs‐mediated light signal transduction pathway and highlights still open questions in the field.
Identifying the Prognosis Factors and Predicting the Survival Probability in Patients with Non‐Metastatic Chondrosarcoma from the SEER Database
Authors: Huang Runzhi , Sun Zhao , Zheng Huimin , Yan Penghui , Hu Peng , Yin Huabin , Zhang Jie , Meng Tong , Huang Zongqaing 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo identify prognostic factors and establish nomograms for predicting overall survival (OS) and cause specific survival (CSS) of patients with non‐metastatic chondrosarcoma.MethodsWe collected information on patients with non‐metastatic chondrosarcoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2005 and 2014, together with data from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2011 to 2016. Variables including patients’ baseline demographics (age, race, and gender), tumor characteristics (tumor size and extension, histology subtype, primary site, and American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage), therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), and socioeconomic status (SES) were extracted for further analysis. OS and CSS were retrieved as our researching endpoints. Patients from the database were regarded as the training set, and univariate analysis, Lasso regression and multivariate analysis as well as the random forest were used to explore the predictors and establish nomograms. To validate nomograms internally and externally, we applied bootstrapped validation internally with the training dataset, while the dataset for external validation was obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. We estimated the discriminative ability of nomograms based on Cox proportional hazard regression models by means of calibration curves and the concordance index (C‐index) of internal and external validation.ResultsAfter the implementation of exclusion criteria, there were 1267 patients in the training set and 72 patients in the testing set with non‐metastatic chondrosarcomas. Age, gender, grade, histological subtype, primary site, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, being employed/unemployed, tumor size, and tumor extension were significantly associated with prognosis in the univariate analysis. Age, gender, tumor size and extension, primary site, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, histological grade, and subtype were independent prognostic factors in the Cox models. The C‐index of nomograms (internal: OS, 0.787; CSS, 0.821; external: OS, 0.777; CSS, 0.821) were higher than following conventional systems: AJCC sixth (OS, 0.640; CSS, 0.673) and seventh edition (OS, 0.675; CSS, 0.711).ConclusionsAge, gender, tumor size and extension, surgery, histological grade, and subtype were independent prognostic factors for both OS and CSS. In addition, we revealed that chondrosarcomas in the trunk, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were correlated with poor prognosis. Our nomograms based on significant clinicopathologic features can well predict the 3‐year and 5‐year survival probability of patients with non‐metastatic chondrosarcoma and assist oncologists in making accurate survival evaluation.
Risk Factors for Persistent Shoulder Pain After Cervical Spine Surgery
Authors: Kholinne Erica , Kwak Jae‐Man , Sun Yucheng , Lee Hyun‐Joo , Koh Kyoung Hwan , Jeon In‐Ho 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo define risk factors of having persistent shoulder pain following cervical spine surgery.MethodsFrom April 1995 to May 2012, 862 patients underwent cervical spine surgery in a tertiary referral university hospital. Ninety‐six patients were referred to a shoulder surgeon for persistent shoulder pain over 3 months after cervical spine surgery. Thirty‐five were excluded from the study due to failure to follow‐up or lack of radiographic data. We analyzed a total of 61 patients as patient group (PG) compared to age, sex, and surgeon matched control group (CG) with no shoulder pain after surgery. Medical records were reviewed for age, sex, level of cervical surgery, approach of cervical surgery, underlying medical problems, final diagnosis of the shoulder pathology, and shoulder visual analog scale (VAS) score. The pre‐ and post‐operative variables for level of cervical surgery, approach of cervical surgery, underlying medical history, and shoulder VAS were compared and analyzed in this study.ResultsThe number of patients with lower cervical level surgery was significantly higher (91 patients, 74.6%) compared to upper cervical level surgery (31 patients, 25.4%) (P = 0.005). Anterior approach was more frequently used (70 patients, 57.3%) compared to posterior approach (52 patients, 42.7%) (P < 0.001). The final diagnosis of shoulder pathology in PG were rotator cuff disease in 31 patients, adhesive capsulitis in 18 patients, and calcific tendinitis in 10 patients respectively. No significant difference for preoperative shoulder VAS score was found in both groups. A lower level of cervical spine pathology in patients (C4‐T1 level) and posterior approach surgery were factors that significantly presented with more shoulder pain. Subgroup analysis revealed no statistical difference for level of cervical surgery and approach of cervical surgery among groups with different shoulder pathology.ConclusionsThe current study includes patients with persistent shoulder pain following cervical surgery without having evidence of concurrent preexisting shoulder pathology documented previously. We suggest that posterior approach and lower level of cervical surgery patients could be clinically relevant risk factors for persistent shoulder pain following cervical spine surgery.
Comparison of Superior‐Level Facet Joint Violations Between Robot‐Assisted Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Placement and Conventional Open Fluoroscopic‐Guided Pedicle Screw Placement
Authors: Zhang Qi , Xu Yun‐Feng , Tian Wei , Le Xiao‐Feng , Liu Bo , Liu Ya‐Jun , He Da , Sun Yu‐Qin , Yuan Qiang , Lang Zhao , Han Xiao‐Guang 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo compare the superior‐level facet joint violations (FJV) between robot‐assisted (RA) percutaneous pedicle screw placement and conventional open fluoroscopic‐guided (FG) pedicle screw placement in a prospective cohort study.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study without randomization. One‐hundred patients scheduled to undergo RA (n= 50) or FG (n= 50) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion were included from February 2016 to May 2018. The grade of FJV, the distance between pedicle screws and the corresponding proximal facet joint, and intra‐pedicle accuracy of the top screw were evaluated based on postoperative CT scan. Patient demographics, perioperative outcomes, and radiation exposure were recorded and compared. Perioperative outcomes include surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative length of stay, conversion, and revision surgeries.ResultsOf the 100 screws in the RA group, 4 violated the proximal facet joint, while 26 of 100 in the FG group had FJV (P= 0.000). In the RA group, 3 and 1 screws were classified as grade 1 and 2, respectively. Of the 26 FJV screws in the FG group, 17 screws were scored as grade 1, 6 screws were grade 2, and 3 screws were grade 3. Significantly more severe FJV were noted in the FG group than in the RA group (P= 0.000). There was a statistically significant difference between RA and FG for overall violation grade (0.05vs0.38,P= 0.000). The average distance of pedicle screws from facet joints in the RA group (4.16 ± 2.60 mm) was larger than that in the FG group (1.92 ± 1.55 mm;P= 0.000). For intra‐pedicle accuracy, the rate of perfect screw position was greater in the RA group than in the FG group (85%vs71%;P= 0.017). No statistically significant difference was found between the clinically acceptable screws between groups (P= 0.279). The radiation dose was higher in the FG group (30.3 ± 11.3vs65.3 ± 28.3 μSv;P= 0.000). The operative time in the RA group was significantly longer (184.7 ± 54.3vs117.8 ± 36.9 min;P= 0.000).ConclusionsCompared to the open FG technique, minimally invasive RA spine surgery was associated with fewer proximal facet joint violations, larger facet to screw distance, and higher intra‐pedicle accuracy.
Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Aspirin and Rivaroxaban Following Enoxaparin Treatment for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism after Hip Fracture Surgery
Authors: Huang Qiang , Xing Shu‐xing , Zeng Yi , Si Hai‐bo , Zhou Zong‐ke , Shen Bin 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of aspirin with rivaroxaban following treatment with enoxaparin for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after hip fracture surgery (HFS).MethodsA total of 390 patients were enrolled in the trial. According to an odd or even number at the end of their registration number, the patients were divided into the aspirin group (n = 198) and the rivaroxaban group (n = 192). All patients were given enoxaparin subcutaneous injection after the operation and returned to the routine dose the next day until postoperative day five. The patients in the aspirin group received an additional 16 days of thromboprophylaxis with 100 mg of aspirin once daily. The rivaroxaban group was assigned to receive an additional 16 days of thromboprophylaxis with 10 mg of oral rivaroxaban once daily. Patients were followed for 90 days regarding VTE and bleeding complications.ResultsThe incidence of VTE in the aspirin group and rivaroxaban group was 6.6% (13/198) and 5.7% (11/192), respectively (P = 0.83). The rate of major bleeding events occurred in two (1.0%) patients in the aspirin group and in one patient (0.5%) in the rivaroxaban group (P = 1.0). A combination of major bleeding and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding occurred in five patients (2.5%) in the aspirin group and in six patients (3.1%) in the rivaroxaban group (P = 0.77). During the 90‐day follow‐up, a pulmonary embolism developed in one patient (0.5%) in the aspirin group and none in the rivaroxaban group (P = 1.0).ConclusionsExtended prophylaxis for 21 days with aspirin was equivalent to the direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban after hip fracture surgery with an initial 5‐day postoperative course of enoxaparin. Aspirin may be an effective, safe, convenient, and cheap alternative for extended prophylaxis after hip fracture surgery.
Thirsty work: Exploring children's experiences of preoperative fasting
Authors: Al‐Robeye Arwa Mohammed , Barnard Anna Nicole , Bew Stephanie 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundPreoperative fasting is performed to reduce aspiration risk during general anesthesia. Recommendations are that patients should fast for 6 hours from solids and nonhuman milk, 4 hours from breast milk, and 2 hours from clear fluids. However, previous studies have shown that children fast far in excess of these times, which can result in perioperative complications and unnecessary discomfort for the child.AimsThis prospective, mixed‐methods study aims to explore the experiences of pediatric patients undergoing preoperative fasting in Leeds General Infirmary. It also aims to investigate fasting durations of these patients and factors which influence these.MethodsOver 2 weeks, surveys were distributed to all parents of elective pediatric patients and completed prior to their child being called to theater. Children over the age of six were offered a child survey, which had been specifically developed for the study, with visual Likert scales and an area for free text. The gathering of children's comments about their experience of preoperative fasting is unique to this study.ResultsSeventy‐one parent surveys and 48 child surveys were completed, with a mean patient age of 8.3 years (SD 4.1). The mean preoperative fasting time for food was 11.7 hours (SD 4.4) and 6.9 hours (SD 5.0) for fluids. Fasting times were far in excess of the minimums recommended, negatively impacting patient experience with 34% reporting being hungry/very hungry and 19% thirsty/very thirsty. Most children's comments suggested that they coped well with the fasting; however, several children reported feelings of sadness and anxiety.ConclusionPreoperative fasting times in pediatric patients far exceed the durations set by international guidelines. Given that many children reported extreme feelings of hunger and thirst or emotional effects from the fast, these durations need to be optimized in order to improve patient experience.
The Extent of Pain Is Associated With Signs of Central Sensitization in Patients With Hip Osteoarthritis
Authors: Willett Matthew J. , Siebertz Mathias , Petzke Frank , Erlenwein Joachim , Rushton Alison , Soldini Emiliano , Barbero Marco , Falla Deborah 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundCentral sensitization may be present in some patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA), often reflected as widespread pain. We examine the association between pain extent with signs of central sensitization and other clinical and psychological features in patients with hip OA.MethodsThirty patients with hip OA were recruited for this cross‐sectional observational study. Participants completed pain drawings on a digital tablet, which displayed frontal and dorsal views of the body. The pain extent (%) for each participant was determined by combining the frontal and dorsal pixels shaded and dividing by the total pixels of the body chart area. Participants completed patient‐reported outcome measures to assess for signs and symptoms of central sensitization and psychosocial factors. Quantitative sensory testing including pain pressure thresholds (PPTs) and thermal pressure thresholds was performed at points anatomically local and distant from the hip.ResultsWomen had significantly greater pain extent (6.71%) than men (2.65%) (z = −2.76, P < 0.01). Across all participants, increased pain extent was significantly associated with higher scores on the Widespread Pain Index (r2 = 0.426, P < 0.05), painDETECT questionnaire (r2 = 0.394, P < 0.05), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (r2 = 0.413, P < 0.05), and with lower PPTs at the thenar eminence (r2 = −0.410, P < 0.05), vastus lateralis (r2 = −0.530, P < 0.01), vastus medialis (r2 = 0.363, P < 0.05), and greater trochanter (r2 = −0.373, P < 0.05).ConclusionsGreater pain extent was associated with several measures of signs and symptoms of central sensitization in patients with hip OA. These results support the utility of the pain drawing for identifying signs of central sensitization in patients with hip OA.