bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Land use change and fragmentation in the protected areas of peninsular Malaysia: The cases of Klang Gate and Sungai Dusun wildlife reserves
Authors: Lee W H , Abdullah S A , Rafaai N H 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Ongoing economic and demographic growth in developing countries has exponentially increased the need for anthropogenic land use. The expansion of human populations into pristine environments has publicized the fierce competition between environmental conservation and anthropogenic resource demands. Because protected areas (PAs) are increasingly imperilled by human land use, particularly in the tropical regions, PAs should be regularly monitored and assessed for land use modifications in order to determine the impact on long term sustainability. In this work, land use change assessments and forest fragmentation analysis were conducted for the period between 1988 and 2012 at two PAs in peninsular Malaysia — Klang Gate and Sungai Dusun wildlife reserve. The findings demonstrated that Klang Gate lost 29.9% of its forest cover due to surrounding development and commercial agriculture; while commercial agriculture in Sungai Dusun caused only a 5% forest loss. Furthermore, Klang Gate also showed a higher degree of forest fragmentation when compared to Sungai Dusun. The fact that Klang Gate experienced ∼6x more habitat loss than Sungai Dusun implies that area underwent unsustainable development. Thus, more in depth evaluation regarding the effectiveness of conservation measures within PAs of developing countries is crucial to identifying gaps in management and conservation policy.
Identification of critical erosion prone areas in Temengor Reservoir Basin using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Geographic Information System (GIS)
Authors: Mohammad Basri E , Mohamad Adam O , Teh S Y , Wan Maznah W O 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn this study, the Geographic Information System (GIS) was integrated with the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model to identify the risk of erosion at 360,000 ha in the Temengor Reservoir Basin. GIS was utilized as a tool for generating, manipulating and spatializing data from government agencies for sediment yield modelling and offering spatial input data to the erosion model. Meanwhile, USLE was used to predict the spatial distribution of the sediment yield on the grid basis. The five main parameters used in this study were the rainfall erosivity factor (R), topographic factor (LS), soil erodibility factor (K), crop management factor (C) and practice support factor (P). The R factor was calculated based on the annual rainfall data of the study area. The soil survey data was used to generate the K value and Digital Improvement Model (DEM) of the study area was used to generate LS factor. The values of C and P factors were derived from the land use map. After generating all parameters, analysis was performed to estimate the soil erosion using USLE model with spatial information analysis approach. It was discovered that the average annual soil loss in the study area was 8 t ha-1year-1and only 4% of the total area was under extreme erosion risk.
Conservation of Agricultural Soil Using Entomopathogenic Fungi: An Agent With Insecticides Degradation Potential
Authors: Ong S Q , Ahmad H , Ab Majid A H , Jaal Z 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
A major current focus in agricultural soil conservation is to ensure a pest control program is sustainable, and therefore, entomopathogenic fungi have been considered and extensively studied as biopesticides. However, the ecological role of entomopathogenic fungi in degrading insecticides in soil is not well understood. In this study, the potential of entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Met.) in degrading two common agricultural insecticides, chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin was investigated by introducing M. anisopliae into autoclaved soils artificially contaminated with 500 ppm of chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin. The concentration of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin were determined after 21 days using UPLC/PDA detector. The residues, rate, and percentage of degradation between insecticides treated and control soil were compared using an independent t-test (SPSS 20.0). The degradation of both insecticides in Met. treated soil (>80%) was significantly higher than control soil (47-61%). The residues for chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin residue in Met. treated soils were 19.39±0.10 ppm and 19.68±0.36 ppm, respectively, significantly lower than control (residues of chlorpyrifos-262.6±7.6 ppm and cypermethrin-194.4±4.3 ppm, at p<0.05). The results suggested M. anisopliae may play a role in the bioremediation of soil.
Study on Heath Forest Species Melaleuca cajuputi as Potential Natural Herbicides Agent to Suppress Weed Growth in Landscape Management
Authors: Othman Rashidi , Masyitah Wan Daud Wan , Ramya Razanah , Nadia Johari Nursyafica , Mukrim Baharuddin Zainul 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Weeds are diverse in habitats throughout the world. In landscape management, weed is of major concern because they compete for growth factors with landscape plant of interest. Modern management relies on the importance of synthetic chemicals to control weeds as unwanted plants to reduce the weed management cost. The use of herbicides is not an appropriate tool for controlling development of some weeds but can create negative effects to the environment. Managing the natural and landscape resources are not only designing for good views and environment merely, but need to sustain all of living environment through consideration. Therefore, this study was aimed to explore Melaleuca cajuputi, heath forest species as potential natural herbicides agent in sustainable landscape management. Three assessments were conducted to determine their effectiveness towards suppressing weeds without degrading the environmental quality index. Assessment of allelochemical compounds in M. cajuputi demonstrated that these species have allelopathic potential as a natural herbicide.
Comparative limnology of natural and man-made tropical lakes
Authors: Sharip Z , Yusoff FM , Jusoh J , Jamin A 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThis paper assessed and compared physicochemical profiles and biodiversity indices of two shallow lakes namely the natural Bera Lake and Bukit Merah reservoir in Peninsular Malaysia. Variations in relation to hydro-meteorological variables, including rainfall, wind speed and air temperature were also measured during the field sampling. The results showed clear distinctions between natural and man-made lakes in terms of physical and chemical properties of lake waters and their relationships to the hydro-meteorological dynamic. Persistent oxygen and temperature differences between the epilimnion and hypolimnion were clearly detected in Bukit Merah reservoir under low winds and strong heat. Oxycline also persist during flooding or high turbidity levels indicating their enriched bottom waters. On the other hand, the natural Bera lake showed temporary stratification during the dry season with low winds but the water columns were thoroughly mixed during the wet season when the water temperature was lower and wind speed was higher. Plankton diversity in Bera lake was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the Bukit Merah reservoir, probably due to the much longer history of the natural lake compared to the man-made one. Due to the longer residence time of the reservoir compared to the natural lake, the former tends to be more vulnerable to eutrophication if subjected to uncontrolled nutrient enrichment.
Parametric studies on dry sliding wear behaviour of Al-7075 alloy matrix composite using S/N ratio and ANOVA analysis
Authors: Alagarsamy S V , Ravichandran M 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Al7075/10 wt% TiO2 alloy composite has been fabricated by the stir casting method to investigate the influence of wear parameters. The microstructure of the produced composite was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy. A pin-on-disc rig was used to carry out the wear test on produced composite under dry sliding conditions. The three wear control parameters such as load, sliding velocity and sliding distance were chosen to study the effects on the wear rate and coefficient of friction of composite. The experiments were planned as per L9 orthogonal array based on Taguchi’s design of experiments. The signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance techniques were employed to determine the optimum combination of parameters and the significant contribution of each parameter on the responses. The results exposed that the load was the most predominant factor affecting the wear rate and coefficient of friction followed by the sliding distance and sliding velocity. Finally, the regression equations were developed to predict the responses. The worn surface morphology of composite noticed that TiO2 reinforcement protects the matrix alloy from removal of material at all conditions. This investigation revealed that the wear resistance of the Al7075 alloy can be enhanced by the incorporation of TiO2 particles.
Judicial (non)appointment of arbitrators in India: a case study of ‘inadequate stamping’ as a ground for non-appointment
Authors: Vij Shivani , Mansinghka Varun 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Arbitration is premised on parties’ agreement. At times, however, the parties’ agreement fails to provide for a procedure for appointment of the arbitral tribunal, or the parties fail to fulfil the steps contemplated under such procedure. In such cases, parties are constrained to approach the domestic courts to seek appointment of the arbitral tribunal. This Model Law concept of judicial appointment of arbitrators has been adopted in the Indian arbitration law as well. While the law mandates courts to endeavour to appoint arbitrators as expeditiously as possible, Indian courts often indulge in a substantive review of the dispute to find grounds to refuse to appoint arbitrators. This article aims to analyse the causes and effects of this approach of Indian courts and the corresponding response of the Indian legislature. For this, the authors focus on inadequate ‘stamping’, i.e. deficiency in payment of an Indian tax on legal documents, which has emerged as a peculiar ground for courts to refuse to appoint arbitrators.
Memory deficits in Parkinson’s disease are associated with reduced beta power modulation
Authors: MacDonald Hayley J , Brittain John-Stuart , Spitzer Bernhard , Hanslmayr Simon , Jenkinson Ned 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
There is an increasing recognition of the significant non-motor symptoms that burden people with Parkinson’s disease. As such, there is a pressing need to better understand and investigate the mechanisms underpinning these non-motor deficits. The electrical activity within the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease is known to exhibit excessive power within the beta range (12–30 Hz), compared with healthy controls. The weight of evidence suggests that this abnormally high level of beta power is the cause of bradykinesia and rigidity in Parkinson’s disease. However, less is known about how the abnormal beta rhythms seen in Parkinson’s disease impact on non-motor symptoms. In healthy adults, beta power decreases are necessary for successful episodic memory formation, with greater power decreases during the encoding phase predicting which words will subsequently be remembered. Given the raised levels of beta activity in people with Parkinson’s disease, we hypothesized that the necessary decrease in power during memory encoding would be diminished and that this would interfere with episodic memory formation. Accordingly, we conducted a cross-sectional, laboratory-based experimental study to investigate whether there was a direct relationship between decreased beta modulation and memory formation in Parkinson’s disease. Electroencephalography recordings were made during an established memory-encoding paradigm to examine brain activity in a cohort of adults with Parkinson’s disease (N = 28, 20 males) and age-matched controls (N = 31, 18 males). The participants with Parkinson’s disease were aged 65 ± 6 years, with an average disease duration of 6 ± 4 years, and tested on their normal medications to avoid the confound of exacerbated motor symptoms. Parkinson’s disease participants showed impaired memory strength (P = 0.023) and reduced beta power decreases (P = 0.014) relative to controls. Longer disease duration was correlated with a larger reduction in beta modulation during encoding, and a concomitant reduction in memory performance. The inability to sufficiently decrease beta activity during semantic processing makes it a likely candidate to be the central neural mechanism underlying this type of memory deficit in Parkinson’s disease. These novel results extend the notion that pathological beta activity is causally implicated in the motor and (lesser appreciated) non-motor deficits inherent to Parkinson’s disease. These findings provide important empirical evidence that should be considered in the development of intelligent next-generation therapies.
A Validated LC Method for the Enantiomeric Separation of EAI045 on Chiral Stationary Phase
Authors: Wu Xiuli , Zhang Yange , Li Wenzhen , Liu Tingmei , Yang Yu , Wang Yijie , Zhang Yiwen 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
A simple and accurate chiral liquid chromatographic method was developed for enantiomeric resolution and determination of 2-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(1-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-2-yl)-N-(1,3-thiazol-2-yl)acetamide (EAI045). The enantiomers of EAI045 were baseline resolved on a Chiralpak AD-H (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column using a mobile phase system containing n-hexane: 2-propanol (75: 25 v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL min−1 at 30°C. The eluted analytes were subsequently detected with an ultraviolet detector at 254 nm. The effects of organic modifiers and temperature on the enantioselectivity and resolution of the enantiomers were evaluated. The calibration curves were plotted within the concentration range between 2 and 600 μg mL−1 (n = 11), and recoveries between 98.74% and 101.52% were obtained, with relative standard deviation &lt; 1.4%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation for R-enantiomer were 0.94 and 3.07 μg mL−1 and for S-enantiomer were 0.86 and 2.84 μg mL−1, respectively. The validated method was found to be suitable for enantiomeric separation and sufficiently accurate for the determination of enantiomeric purity of EAI045 in bulk drugs.
P222 EVALUATION OF SINGLE- NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA PATIENTS IN GREECE- PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A CASE CONTROL STUDY
Authors: Mpaili Eustratia , Gazouli Maria , Lazaris Andreas , Mpoura Maria , Michalinos Adamantios , Schizas Dimitrios , Karavokyros Ioannis , Charalabopoulos Alexandros , Alexandrou Andreas , Liakakos Theodore 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Aim
The incidence of various single- nucleotide polymorphisms with reported malignant potential in esophageal cancer tissues has only sparsely been investigated in the west, as of today. The aim of our study was to investigate the contribution of four lncRNAs’ polymorphisms HOTAIR rs920778, LINC00951 rs11752942, POLR2E rs3787016 and HULC rs7763881c in esophageal carcinoma susceptibility.

Background & Methods
Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens from 95 consecutive patients operated for esophageal or gastro-esophageal junction carcinoma between 01/03/2014- 01/03/2019 were retrieved and processed. Clinical data concerning patients’ demographics, histopathological parameters, surgical, and oncological outcomes were also retrospectively collected from our prospective database. DNA findings concerning rs920778, rs11752942, rs3787016 and rs7763881 of the above mentioned population were compared with 121 healthy controls.

Results
Sixty-seven patients underwent Ivor Lewis or McKeown esophagectomy for either squamous cell esophageal carcinoma (n= 5) or adenocarcinoma of esophagus or gastroesophageal junction Siewert I or II (n= 62). Twenty-eight additional patients were subjected to total gastrectomy for gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma Siewert III. Neither HOTAIR rs920778 nor LINC00951 rs11752942 nor HULC rs7763881 polymorphism was found more frequently in esophageal cancer specimens in comparison to healthy subjects. On the contrary, the presence of C allele, as well as CC/TT genotypes of POLR2E rs3787016 were found more often in the control population, and when found in esophageal cancerous tissues it was associated with earlier stages of the disease, as well as with minor lymph node involvement and lesser metastatic potential.

Conclusion
The presence of POLR2E rs3787016 seems to be less common in esophageal cancer patients than healthy controls and is also associated with early stage disease. The clinical implications of this finding need to be clarified with further studies with larger sample size.
Comparative Evaluation of Metofluthrin as an Outdoor Residual Treatment for Barriers and Harborage Against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Bibbs Christopher S , Kaufman Phillip E , Xue Rui-De 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Spatial repellent studies have demonstrated that volatile pyrethroids reduce human contact with mosquitoes, but field trials targeting the volatile qualities of spatial repellent pyrethroids for integrated pest management are lacking. To investigate the stability and utility of volatile pyrethroids in mosquito management, metofluthrin was formulated into a vegetation spray intended for use on foliage and mosquito harborage. A comparative field evaluation was conducted between Onslaught Fast Cap, the experimental metofluthrin formulation, and a blended treatment of Onslaught Fast Cap and metofluthrin. Environmental fate of the metofluthrin formulation was estimated using aging bioassays to stress the formulated product, while leaf samples were taken from the treated field sites to bioassay against Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and determine a comparative rate of decay. The combined data from the aging bioassays and leaf samples allow inference that the experimental formulation lasts 2–3 wk in most lighting and humidity conditions at ~26.6 ± 1°C. However, regular rainfall jeopardizes continued efficacy. In comparative field efficacy, adult mosquito reductions were comparable between the two products. Onslaught Fast Cap reduced eggs collected in the immediate vicinity by 80–90% but had no effect in adjacent areas. Metofluthrin treatments resulted in a 50–90% reduction of eggs collected for 4 wk up to 60 m away from treated vegetation. However, the blended treatment using metofluthrin as an additive to Onslaught Fast Cap provided ≥80% control of Ae. albopictus adults and eggs, proximal and adjacent to treated areas, for the study duration. Metofluthrin has a great potential as a supporting ingredient to other insecticides.
Increased long-term mortality in women with high left ventricular ejection fraction: data from the CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) long-term registry
Authors: Gebhard Catherine , Maredziak Monika , Messerli Michael , Buechel Ronny R , Lin Fay , Gransar Heidi , Achenbach Stephan , Al-Mallah Mouaz H , Andreini Daniele , Bax Jeroen J , Berman Daniel S , Budoff Matthew J , Cademartiri Filippo , Callister Tracy Q , Chang Hyuk-Jae , Chinnaiyan Kavitha , Chow Benjamin J W , Cury Ricardo C , DeLago Augustin , Feuchtner Gudrun , Hadamitzky Martin , Hausleiter Joerg , Kim Yong-Jin , Leipsic Jonathon , Maffei Erica , Marques Hugo , Gonçalves Pedro de Araújo , Pontone Gianluca , Raff Gilbert L , Rubinshtein Ronen , Shaw Leslee J , Villines Todd C , Lu Yao , Jones Erica C , Peña Jessica M , Min James K , Kaufmann Philipp A 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Aims
There are significant sex-specific differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), with a higher LVEF being observed in women. We sought to assess the clinical relevance of an increased LVEF in women and men.

Methods and results
A total of 4632 patients from the CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) registry (44.8% women; mean age 58.7 ± 13.2 years in men and 59.5 ± 13.3 years in women, P = 0.05), in whom LVEF was measured by cardiac computed tomography, were categorized according to LVEF (low &lt;55%, normal 55–65%, and high &gt;65%). The prevalence of high LVEF was similar in both sexes (33.5% in women and 32.5% in men, P = 0.46). After 6 years of follow-up, no difference in mortality was observed in patients with high LVEF in the overall cohort (P = 0.41). When data were stratified by sex, women with high LVEF died more often from any cause as compared to women with normal LVEF (8.6% vs. 7.1%, log rank P = 0.032), while an opposite trend was observed in men (5.8% vs. 6.8% in normal LVEF, log rank P = 0.89). Accordingly, a first order interaction term of male sex and high LVEF was significant (hazard ratios 0.63, 95% confidence intervals 0.41–0.98, P = 0.043) in a Cox regression model of all-cause mortality adjusted for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Conclusion
Increased LVEF is highly prevalent in patients referred for evaluation of CAD and is associated with an increased risk of death in women, but not in men. Differentiating between normal and hyperdynamic left ventricles might improve risk stratification in women with CAD.

Clinical trial registration
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01443637.
Changes in mandibular shape after early treatment in subjects with open bite: a geometric morphometric analysis
Authors: Lione Roberta , Fusaroli Dimitri , Mucedero Manuela , Paoloni Valeria , Pavoni Chiara , Cozza Paola 
Published: December 2019

Summary

Objectives
To evaluate the mandibular modifications in anterior open bite (OB) growing subjects treated with Rapid Maxillary Expansion and bite block (RME/BB) or Quad Helix with crib (QH/C) when compared with a Control Group (CG) by using Geometric Morphometric Method (GMM) and conventional cephalometric.

Materials
The OB group comprised 34 subjects (26 girls, 8 boys) with dentoskeletal OB and a mean age of 8.0 ± 1.0 years. OB group was divided in two subgroups: RME/BB group comprised 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys), while QH/C group included 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys). The two subgroups were compared with a CG of 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys) matched for sex, age, vertical pattern, and observation periods. Two consecutives lateral cephalograms were available: the first one was taken before treatment (T1), and the second one was acquired at a follow-up observation at least 4 years after the completion of treatment (T2). Landmarks and semilandmarks were digitized on lateral cephalograms and GMM was applied. Procrustes analysis and principal component analysis were performed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post hoc tests was used to compare the T2–T1 cephalometric changes between the RME/BB, QH/C, and CG.

Results
In the long term, RME/BB showed a significantly greater decrease of the Condylar axis to mandibular plane angle when compared to CG and QH/C. GMM showed an increased in height of the mandibular ramus in RME/BB group with tendency to counterclockwise rotation of the mandible when compared with QH/C and CG groups.

Conclusions
RME/BB subjects showed significant changes in the shape of the mandibular ramus with a counterclockwise rotation tendency when compared with QH/C and CG subjects.