bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The implications for conservation of a major taxonomic revision of the world’s birds
Authors: Simkins A. T. , Buchanan G. M. , Davies R. G. , Donald P. F. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA recent comprehensive revision of the taxonomy that underpins the global IUCN Red List for birds led to an increase of 10.7% (over 1000 species) in the number of recognized bird species. We assessed the implications for conservation of this revision by (1) comparing extinction risk between newly recognized and unrevised species, (2) calculating the extent to which newly recognized species’ ranges are covered by Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and protected areas, and (3) identifying new hotspots of extinction risk, where high numbers of newly recognized threatened species intersect areas of low protected area coverage. Unexpectedly, newly recognized species derived from taxonomic division (splitting) were on average significantly less threatened in terms of their IUCN global threat categories than species whose taxonomic status remained unchanged, despite their significantly smaller mean range size. Newly recognized species listed as globally threatened had higher average coverage of their ranges by IBAs and protected areas than their pre‐revision ‘parents’, although 25 and 21 species had no coverage by IBAs or protected areas respectively. The absolute number of globally threatened species increased slightly overall, particularly in Java and the Philippines, already recognized as hotspots of extinction risk, and in eastern Amazonia, which emerged as a new hotspot of extinction risk. All three regions have low levels of protection and should be prioritized for expansion of the protected area network. Our results suggest that while major taxonomic revisions may lead to an increase in the absolute number of species requiring conservation attention, they do not necessarily lead to a rise in average extinction risk, a decrease in the coverage of species’ ranges by site‐level conservation designations or a significant increase in the number of priority areas for conservation investment.
Differential levels of surfactant protein A, surfactant protein D, and progesterone to estradiol ratio in maternal serum before and after the onset of severe early‐onset preeclampsia
Authors: Kale Kavita , Vishwekar Pallavi , Balsarkar Geetha , Jassawalla Mehernosh Jamshed , Sawant Ganpat , Madan Taruna 
Published: November 2019

AbstractProblemPreeclampsia (PE), a multifactorial disorder characterized by impaired placental development, elevated inflammatory response and dysregulated placental steroidogenesis. PE may be preventable if predicted early on.Method of studyThe study evaluated the potential of immunomodulatory collectins, surfactant protein A (SP‐A), surfactant protein D (SP‐D), and mannose binding lectin (MBL), to predict PE before the disease onset, in a prospective study cohort of healthy pregnant women (n = 922). In addition, a cross‐sectional study was conducted to determine the serum and placental profile of collectins in PE women after the disease onset (early‐onset PE [EOPE], n = 33; late‐onset PE [LOPE], n = 24); and controls [n = 75]. The serum profiles of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were evaluated to determine their correlation with collectins.ResultsIn the prospective cohort, significantly decreased serum levels of SP‐A, SP‐D, P4/E2 ratio were observed in women who subsequently developed severe EOPE. Interestingly, after the disease onset, there was a significant increase in serum and placental levels of collectins in women with severe EOPE, whereas women with LOPE had significantly decreased levels of collectins. Serum P4/E2 ratio was significantly altered in severe EOPE and positively correlated with serum levels of SP‐A and SP‐D.ConclusionCollectins are differentially expressed in the serum during progression of PE. Decreased serum levels of SP‐A, SP‐D, P4/E2 ratio and increased E2 during 10‐20 weeks of gestation are novel plausible risk factors for early prediction of EOPE in Indian women.
Genetic parameters for total lactation yields of milk, fat, protein, and somatic cell score in New Zealand dairy goats
Authors: Scholtens Megan R. , Lopez‐Villalobos Nicolas , Garrick Dorian , Blair Hugh , Lehnert Klaus , Snell Russell 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for lactation yields of milk (MY), fat (FY), protein (PY), and somatic cell score (SCS) of New Zealand dairy goats. The analysis used 64,604 lactation records from 23,583 does, kidding between 2004 and 2017, distributed in 21 flocks and representing 915 bucks. Estimates of genetic and residual (co) variances, heritabilities, and repeatabilities were obtained using a multiple‐trait repeatability animal model. The model included the fixed effects of contemporary group (does kidding in the same flock and year), age of the doe (in years), and as covariates, kidding day, proportion of Alpine, Nubian, Toggenburg, and “unknown” breeds (Saanen was used as the base breed), and heterosis. Random effects included additive animal genetic and doe permanent environmental effects. Estimates of heritabilities were 0.25 for MY, 0.24 for FY, 0.24 for PY, and 0.21 for SCS. The phenotypic correlations between MY, FY, and PY ranged from 0.90 to 0.96, and the genetic correlations ranged from 0.81 to 0.93. These results indicate lactation yield traits exhibit useful heritable variation and that multiple trait selection for these traits could improve milk revenue produced from successive generations of New Zealand dairy goats.
2DSM vs FFDM: A computeraided diagnosis based comparative study for the early detection of breast cancer
Authors: Raghavendra U. , Gudigar Anjan , Ciaccio Edward J. , Ng Kwan Hoong , Chan Wai Yee , Rahmat Kartini , Acharya U. Rajendra 
Published: November 2019

AbstractPurposeAccurate and early detection of breast cancer using effective imaging modalities is an active area of research in medical image analysis. Computeraided diagnosis (CAD) of breast cancer using digital mammograms may help in early diagnosis and can assist in maintaining patient health. The breast imaging reporting and data system (BIRADS) is widely used for risk assessment and classification grading in breast cancer screening. It contains seven different grading systems for breast cancer risk assessment. These range from grade 0 (incomplete) to grade 6 (proven malignancy). All other intermediate stages state the progression of risk.MethodsThe current research results have shown that two‐dimensional synthesized mammogram (2DSM) imaging and conventional full‐field digital mammography (FFDM) are two important imaging modalities which can be used for screening breast cancer. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study which has yet compared the BIRADS discrimination power of 2DSM and FFDM imaging modalities. In this paper we present a novel CAD‐based comparative study, using texton and gist for the characterization of breast cancer with 2DSM and FFDM imagery.ResultsThe developed method achieved an average performance of 92.9% accuracy using a probabilistic neural network classifier for FFDM images with tenfold crossvalidation. Hence, our proposed model showed that FFDM images are more effective than the 2DSM imaging modality in discriminating BIRADS grades.ConclusionThe obtained results confirmed that our method performed well in the early detection of breast cancer. Consequently, it can be used as a distinct system in rural hospitals.
Spatial synchrony in the response of a long range migratory species (Salmo salar) to climate change in the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Olmos Maxime , Payne Mark R. , Nevoux Marie , Prévost Etienne , Chaput Gérald , Du Pontavice Hubert , Guitton Jérôme , Sheehan Timothy , Mills Katherine , Rivot Etienne 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA major challenge in understanding the response of populations to climate change is to separate the effects of local drivers acting independently on specific populations, from the effects of global drivers that impact multiple populations simultaneously and thereby synchronize their dynamics. We investigated the environmental drivers and the demographic mechanisms of the widespread decline in marine survival rates of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) over the last four decades. We developed a hierarchical Bayesian life cycle model to quantify the spatial synchrony in the marine survival of 13 large groups of populations (called stock units, SU) from two continental stock groups (CSG) in North America (NA) and Southern Europe (SE) over the period 1971–2014. We found strong coherence in the temporal variation in postsmolt marine survival among the 13 SU of NA and SE. A common North Atlantic trend explains 37% of the temporal variability of the survivals for the 13 SU and declines by a factor of 1.8 over the 1971–2014 time series. Synchrony in survival trends is stronger between SU within each CSG. The common trends at the scale of NA and SE capture 60% and 42% of the total variance of temporal variations, respectively. Temporal variations of the postsmolt survival are best explained by the temporal variations of sea surface temperature (SST, negative correlation) and net primary production indices (PP, positive correlation) encountered by salmon in common domains during their marine migration. Specifically, in the Labrador Sea/Grand Banks for populations from NA, 26% and 24% of variance is captured by SST and PP, respectively and in the Norwegian Sea for populations from SE, 21% and 12% of variance is captured by SST and PP, respectively. The findings support the hypothesis of a response of salmon populations to large climate‐induced changes in the North Atlantic simultaneously impacting populations from distant continental habitats.
Simulated climate change decreases nutrient resorption from senescing leaves
Authors: Prieto Iván , Querejeta José I. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNutrient resorption is the process whereby plants recover nutrients from senescing leaves and reallocate them to storage structures or newer tissues. Elemental resorption of foliar N and P has been shown to respond to temperature and precipitation, but we know remarkably little about the influence of warming and drought on the resorption of these and other essential plant macro‐ and micronutrients, which could alter the ability of species to recycle their nutrients. We conducted a 5 year manipulative field study to simulate predicted climate change conditions and studied the effects of warming (W), rainfall reduction (RR), and their combination (W+RR) on nutrient resorption efficiency in five coexisting shrub species in a semiarid shrubland. Both mature and senesced leaves showed significant reductions in their nutrient contents and an altered stoichiometry in response to climate change conditions. Warming (W, W+RR) reduced mature leaf N, K, Ca, S, Fe, and Zn and senesced leaf N, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, and Zn contents relative to ambient temperature conditions. Warming increased mature leaf C/N ratios and decreased N/P and C/P ratios and increased senesced leaf C/N and C/P ratios. Furthermore, W and W+RR reduced nutrient resorption efficiencies for N (6.3%), K (19.8%), S (70.9%) and increased Ca and Fe accumulation in senesced leaves (440% and 35.7%, respectively) relative to the control treatment. Rainfall reduction decreased the resorption efficiencies of N (6.7%), S (51%), and Zn (46%). Reductions in nutrient resorption efficiencies with warming and/or rainfall reduction were rather uniform and consistent across species. The negative impacts of warming and rainfall reduction on foliar nutrient resorption efficiency will likely cause an impairment of plant nutrient budgets and fitness across coexisting native shrubs in this nutrient‐poor habitat, with probable implications for key ecosystem functions such as reductions in nutrient retention in vegetation, litter decomposition, and nutrient cycling rates.
Mechanisms underlying limited soil carbon gains in perennial and cover‐cropped bioenergy systems revealed by stable isotopes
Authors: Ye Chenglong , Hall Steven J. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRemoval of biomass for bioenergy production may decrease soil organic carbon. While perennials or cover‐cropped grains often have greater root production than annual grain crops, they variably impact soil carbon and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We used high‐frequency measurements of soil respiration and natural abundance carbon stable isotopes to differentiate respiration sources, pool sizes, and decomposition rate constants during a 10 month incubation of soils collected to 1 m depth from a 10 year old field experiment in Iowa, United States. Conversion of corn–soybean rotations to reconstructed prairies or addition of a rye cover crop to continuous corn significantly altered respiration sources and dynamics of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon (turnover times of weeks to months–years, respectively), but had little effect on bulk soil carbon and several extractable pools (except in fertilized prairie). Both unfertilized and fertilized prairies increased slow‐cycling carbon pools relative to annual crops, but only in 0–25 cm soil. Compared with fertilized prairie, the unfertilized prairie significantly increased decomposition rates of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon pools in 0–25 cm soil, likely explaining the lack of significant bulk soil carbon accrual despite twofold greater root production. Carbon derived from C4 plants decomposed faster than C3‐derived carbon across all depths and cropping systems and contributions of C3‐carbon to respiration increased with depth. Respiration of cover crop‐derived carbon was greatest in 0–25 cm soil but comprised >25% of respiration below 25 cm, implying a disproportionate impact of the cover crop on deep soil metabolism. However, the cover crop also increased the decomposition rates of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon pools and decreased their pool sizes across all depths relative to corn without a cover crop. Despite their notable environmental benefits, neither unfertilized perennials nor cover crops necessarily promote rapid soil carbon sequestration relative to conventional annual bioenergy systems because of concomitant increases in decomposition.
Interleukin‐27 is abrogated in gastric cancer, but highly expressed in other Helicobacter pylori‐associated gastroduodenal diseases
Authors: Rocha Gifone A. , de Melo Fabrício F. , Cabral Mônica M. D. A. , de Brito Breno B. , da Silva Filipe A. F. , Queiroz Dulciene M. M. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundIL‐27 has dual roles in the immune response either stimulating Th1 or inhibiting Th17 cells. Because there is a particular link of IL‐23/Th17 axis in the development of cancer and IL‐27 has been considered a potential treatment for cancer, we evaluated the gastric and serum concentrations of IL‐27 in two mutually exclusive Helicobacter pylori‐associated diseases, gastric cancer (GC) and duodenal ulcer (DU).Material and MethodsWe prospectively studied 110 H pylori‐positive patients and 40 healthy blood donors. Serum and gastric concentrations of IL‐27 and cytokines of the Th1/Th17 cells were assessed by ELISA.ResultsIL‐27 was not detected in GC patients, but the cytokine concentration was very high in the patients with DU. IL‐27 was also detected in the gastritis patients and in the H pylori‐positive blood donors. IL27RA mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, evaluated by rt‐PCR, was stimulated by H pylori strains. The cytokine concentration positively correlated with the Th1 and negatively with Th17 cell representative cytokine levels. Gastric IL‐27 concentrations were positively correlated with increased degree of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells on the antral gastric mucosa of DU patients in consonance with the DU gastritis pattern. IL‐12p70 and IFN‐γ gastric concentrations were significantly higher in DU than in GC. Conversely, gastric concentrations of Th17 cell‐associated cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐17A, IL‐23, and TGF‐β) were significantly higher in GC than in DU patients.ConclusionAlthough H pylori infection is able to elicit IL‐27 and IL‐27Rα secretion, DU and GC have diametrically opposed cytokine patterns.
Unbinding Lazarus
Authors: Heath Elaine A. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis article proposes a Wesleyan theological rationale and practical recommendations for revitalized theological education, particularly in university‐based schools of theology. The approach integrates a rigorous life‐long learning system that includes curricular and co‐curricular programmes and contextual learning, with a strong foundation in missional ecclesiology and contemplative, kenotic spirituality. It takes seriously the formational needs of practitioners of emergence Christianity such as the new monasticism, missional communities, and the like, so as to reflect upon best practices of theological education to resource leaders of the inherited church while offering recommendations for empowering leaders of ancient/future expressions of church.
The “Emerging Church” Conversation
Authors: Todjeras Patrick 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAs the contemporary discussion on the “Emerging Church” (ECC) conversation shows, there is a shift in the understanding of Christian religion. (In its historical context, this is strongly related to Evangelism.) On closer examination, the ECC actually boils down to a transformation of Christian religion – a version of an experienced‐based, postmodern religiosity. The engine of this transformation is the clarification of the religious identity. The ECC can be described as a movement that serves as a transition for the protagonists in order to shape their individual processes of resistance as well as the processes of disentanglement in regards to their own religious orientation. Therefore, the discussion represents an “alternative space,” which is best seen in five motifs: the change of religious alignment; the significance of community; specific theological themes and strategies; dealing with different “contexts” in the conversation; and the emphasis of values, attitudes, and practices. On the one hand, the conversation can be described as a “biotope of innovation.” On the other hand, protagonists handle intellectual doubt, their lack of religious experience, the lack of moral authority of their previous religious community, and theological uncertainties with courage and a certain nonchalance, which must be addressed critically.
The Impact of the Emerging Church on the Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Meulen Marten , Vellekoop Martijn 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe emerging church movement never really developed into a big movement in the Netherlands. However, several ideas of the emerging church movement did influence the Protestant Church in the Netherlands quite heavily. The Protestant Church, a mainline denomination, made a missional turn from 2004 and onwards. One of the interesting aspects of this turn is that issues raised by the emerging church movement are now being embedded in an institutional organization seeking to develop a mixed economy of church, which is called “a mosaic of churches.”A big part of that missional turn is the room and support for classical church planting and the start of new contextual Christian communities in incarnational ways. This new movement of 100‐plus pioneer churches is focused more on flexibility, networking, and relationships than on upholding church order prescriptions. In practice, all kinds of tensions have risen around membership, the offices, the sacraments, and much more. The informal, relational understanding of involvement in pioneer churches with regard to membership, sacraments, and the offices sits uneasily with the formal, procedural approach of the larger body of the Protestant Church. The practice of pioneer churches challenges the Protestant Church to rethink its theology and the application of that theology.Many elements of the emerging church conversation (such as church as a movement, being church in an incarnational way, and a rethinking of theology) have been incorporated within the Protestant Church. The current situation is that the Protestant Church has a large programme for contextual church planting and other experimental ways of being church. Fostering this mosaic of churches within an existing synodal‐Presbyterian system is challenging and requires a broader understanding of the body of Christ as a Church with a capital C, which includes incarnational churches that look totally different from regular churches.
Scriptural Reasoning as a Method of Interreligious Dialogue in China
Authors: Huawei Li , Ruokanen Miikka , Ford David 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn the past two decades, scriptural reasoning (SR) has gained wide acceptance as a promising new method of interreligious dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims and is rapidly gaining attention all over the world. SR as interfaith dialogue between the Abrahamic religions emerged in an Anglo‐American context in the early 1990s. The first long‐term experiment of SR in China was carried out in Beijing from December 2014 to September 2015 as a cooperative project between the Minzu University of China and the University of Helsinki. This SR included the sacred texts of the Chinese traditions of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism alongside the canonical texts of Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) and Islam. All the scriptural faith traditions of China were represented in this dialogue. The process of SR was carefully researched by Dr Li Huawei; the results show that it is justified to say that SR seems well‐suited as a method of interfaith dialogue between the main faith traditions of China. We may assume that SR in China will have far‐reaching influence in the future.
Activated clotting time on the day of atrial fibrillation ablation for minimally interrupted and uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulation therapy: Sequential changes, differences among direct oral anticoagulants, and ablation safety outcomes
Authors: Yamaji Hirosuke , Murakami Takashi , Hina Kazuyoshi , Higashiya Shunich , Kawamura Hiroshi , Murakami Masaaki , Kamikawa Shigeshi , Hirohata Satoshi , Kusachi Shozo 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundActivated clotting time (ACT)–guided heparinization is used during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Differences in sensitivity to ACT assays have been identified among different direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).ObjectiveWe aimed to examine ACT just before ablation (pre‐ACT) for different ablation start times (9:00, 11:00, 13:00, or 15:00) and ablation safety outcomes in minimally interrupted (min‐Int) and uninterrupted (Unint) DOAC regimens and examine differences in pre‐ACT values among four DOACs.MethodsConsecutive patients were randomized into the min‐Int (n = 307) or Unint (n = 277) groups. DOACs examined were apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban.ResultsNo sequential changes in pre‐ACT values were observed for each DOAC used and for all four DOACs combined in the min‐Int and Unint groups. There was no meaningful difference in pre‐ACT at each ablation start time between the groups. Clinically significant differences in overall pre‐ACT were not obtained between the groups (138 ± 24 vs 142 ± 23 seconds). The pre‐ACT (baseline) value for dabigatran was on average 29 seconds higher than that for the other three DOACs. The min‐Int and Unint groups showed similar thromboembolic (0% vs 0%) and bleeding event rates (major, 1% vs 0%; all, 3.5% vs 2.5%).ConclusionThe pre‐ACT did not show a sequential change in the min‐Int and Unint groups. No notable differences in the time‐dependent change in pre‐ACT between the groups were observed. Variations in baseline ACT suggest the need for moderate adjustment of ACT for adequate modification of heparin dose for the other three DOACs. Both regimens provided similar acceptable AF ablation safety outcomes.