bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying Policy-relevant Indicators for Assessing Landscape Vegetation Patterns to Inform Planning and Management on Multiple-use Public Lands
Authors: Carter Sarah K. , Burris L. E. , Domschke Christopher T. , Garman Steven L. , Haby Travis , Harms Benjamin R. , Kachergis E. , Litschert S. E. , Miller Kevin H. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractUnderstanding the structure and composition of landscapes can empower agencies to effectively manage public lands for multiple uses while sustaining land health. Many landscape metrics exist, but they are not often used in public land decision-making. Our objectives were to (1) develop and (2) apply a process for identifying a core set of indicators that public land managers can use to understand landscape-level resource patterns on and around public lands. We first developed a process for identifying indicators that are grounded in policy, feasible to quantify using existing data and resources, and useful for managers. We surveyed landscape monitoring efforts by other agencies, gathered science and agency input on monitoring goals, and quantified the prevalence of potential indicators in agency land health standards to identify five landscape indicators: amount, distribution, patch size, structural connectivity, and diversity of vegetation types. We then conducted pilot applications in four bureau of land management (BLM) field offices in Arizona, California, and Colorado to refine procedures for quantifying the indicators and assess the utility of the indicators for managers. Results highlighted the dominance of upland and the limited extent of riparian/wetland vegetation communities, moderate connectivity of priority vegetation patches, and lower diversity of native vegetation types on BLM compared to non-BLM lands. Agency staff can use the indicators to inform the development of quantitative resource management objectives in land use plans, evaluate progress in meeting those objectives, quantify potential impacts of proposed actions, and as a foundation for an all-lands approach to landscape-level management across public lands.
The Association Between Treatment Interval and Survival in Patients With Colon or Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Franssen Ruud F. W. , Strous Maud T. A. , Bongers Bart C. , Vogelaar F. Jeroen , Janssen‐Heijnen Maryska L. G. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundSurgery for colon or rectal cancer is associated with a high incidence of complications, especially in patients with a low aerobic fitness. Those patients might benefit from a comprehensive preoperative workup including prehabilitation. However, time between diagnosis and treatment is often limited due to current treatment guidelines. To date, it is unclear whether the treatment interval can be extended without compromising survival.MethodsA systematic review concerning the association between treatment intervals and survival in patients who underwent elective curative surgery for colon or rectal cancer was performed. A search up to December 2020 was conducted in PubMed, Cinahl and Embase. Original research articles were eligible. Quality assessment was performed using the Downs and Black checklist.ResultsEleven observational studies were included (897 947 patients). In colon cancer, treatment intervals that were statistically significant associated with reduced overall survival or cancer‐specific survival ranged between > 30 and > 84 days. In rectal cancer, only one out of four studies showed that treatment intervals > 49 days was associated with reduced cancer‐specific survival.ConclusionsThis systematic review identified that studies investigating the association between treatment intervals and survival are heterogeneous with regard to treatment interval definitions, treatment interval time intervals and used outcome measures. These aspects need standardization before a reliable estimate of an optimal treatment interval can be made. In addition, further research should focus on establishing optimal treatment intervals in patients at high risk for postoperative complications, as particularly these patients might benefit from extended diagnosis to treatment intervals permitting comprehensive preoperative preparation.
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy has A Positive Impact on Subclinical Hypothyroidism Among Obese Patients: A Prospective Study
Authors: Salman Mohamed AbdAlla , Rabiee Ahmed , Salman Ahmed , G.Qassem Mohamed , A.Ameen Mahmoud , Hassan Ahmed M. , Soliman Ahmed , Shaaban Hossam , GabAllah Ghada M. K. , A.Ismail Ahmed , Omar Haitham S. E. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe effect of bariatric surgery on postoperative thyroid function remains incompletely understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the changes in thyroid functions after gastric sleeve operation for morbidly obese Egyptian patients.MethodsThis was a prospective study that recruited 128 patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy through the period from December 2016 to April 2020. We measured thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxin (FT4), and free triiodothyronine. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined by a TSH level > 4.5 mIU/L but a normal FT4 level. All patients were followed for 12 months after the procedure.ResultsPreoperatively, 30 (23.4%) patients had subclinical hypothyroidism. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism decreased significantly to reach 7.8% at the end of follow‐up (p < 0.001). None of the patients developed de novo hypothyroidism at the end of follow‐up. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism were more likely to be females (p = 0.037) and had significantly higher waist circumference (p < 0.001), DBP (p = 0.02), serum cholesterol (p < 0.001), and serum triglyceride (p < 0.001). However, patients with subclinical hypothyroidism at the end of follow‐up had significantly higher BMI at the end of the sixth month (p = 0.048). Similarly, patients with subclinical hypothyroidism at the end of follow‐up had significantly higher serum cholesterol (p = 0.002), LDL, (p = 0.038), and serum triglyceride (p < 0.001) at the end of the sixth months of follow‐up. A similar trend was noted at the end of the 12th month. The preoperative value of serum TSH correlated significantly with serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.ConclusionThe positive effect of the LSG procedure on the hypothyroid bariatric population, including enhanced thyroid function, was demonstrated.
Relaxation Limit from the Quantum Navier–Stokes Equations to the Quantum Drift–Diffusion Equation
Authors: Antonelli Paolo , Cianfarani Carnevale Giada , Lattanzio Corrado , Spirito Stefano 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe relaxation time limit from the quantum Navier–Stokes–Poisson system to the quantum drift–diffusion equation is performed in the framework of finite energy weak solutions. No assumptions on the limiting solution are made. The proof exploits the suitably scaled a priori bounds inferred by the energy and BD entropy estimates. Moreover, it is shown how from those estimates the Fisher entropy and free energy estimates associated to the diffusive evolution are recovered in the limit. As a byproduct, our main result also provides an alternative proof for the existence of finite energy weak solutions to the quantum drift–diffusion equation.
Clinical outcome of CIDP one year after start of treatment: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Bus S. R. M. , Broers M. C. , Lucke I. M. , Bunschoten C. , van Lieverloo G. G. A. , Adrichem M. E. , van Veen R. , Wieske L. , Lingsma H. F. , Goedee H. S. , van der Pol W. L. , van Schaik I. N. , Van Doorn P. A. , Jacobs B. C. , Eftimov F. ,   for the ICOS Consortium
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Objective
To assess clinical outcome in treatment-naive patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).

Methods
We included adult treatment-naive patients participating in the prospective International CIDP Outcome Study (ICOS) that fulfilled the European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) diagnostic criteria for CIDP. Patients were grouped based on initial treatment with (1) intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), (2) corticosteroid monotherapy or (3) IVIg and corticosteroids (combination treatment). Outcome measures included the inflammatory Rasch-built overall disability scale (I-RODS), grip strength, and Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score. Treatment response, treatment status, remissions (improved and untreated), treatment changes, and residual symptoms or deficits were assessed at 1 year.

Results
Forty patients were included of whom 18 (45%) initially received IVIg, 6 (15%) corticosteroids, and 16 (40%) combination treatment. Improvement on ≥ 1 of the outcome measures was seen in 31 (78%) patients. At 1 year, 19 (48%) patients were still treated and fourteen (36%) patients were in remission. Improvement was seen most frequently in patients started on IVIg (94%) and remission in those started on combination treatment (44%). Differences between groups did not reach statistical significance. Residual symptoms or deficits ranged from 25% for neuropathic pain to 96% for any sensory deficit.

Conclusions
Improvement was seen in most patients. One year after the start of treatment, more than half of the patients were untreated and around one-third in remission. Residual symptoms and deficits were common regardless of treatment.
Non-simple conformal loop ensembles on Liouville quantum gravity and the law of CLE percolation interfaces
Authors: Miller Jason , Sheffield Scott , Werner Wendelin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractWe study the structure of the Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) surfaces that are cut out as one explores a conformal loop-ensemble $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa '}$$

CLE

κ
′

for $$\kappa '$$

κ
′

in (4, 8) that is drawn on an independent $$\gamma $$
γ
-LQG surface for $$\gamma ^2=16/\kappa '$$

γ
2

=
16
/

κ
′

. The results are similar in flavor to the ones from our companion paper dealing with $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa }$$

CLE
κ

for $$\kappa $$
κ
in (8/3, 4), where the loops of the CLE are disjoint and simple. In particular, we encode the combined structure of the LQG surface and the $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa '}$$

CLE

κ
′

in terms of stable growth-fragmentation trees or their variants, which also appear in the asymptotic study of peeling processes on decorated planar maps. This has consequences for questions that do a priori not involve LQG surfaces: In our paper entitled “CLE Percolations” described the law of interfaces obtained when coloring the loops of a $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa '}$$

CLE

κ
′

independently into two colors with respective probabilities p and $$1-p$$

1
-
p

. This description was complete up to one missing parameter $$\rho $$
ρ
. The results of the present paper about CLE on LQG allow us to determine its value in terms of p and $$\kappa '$$

κ
′

. It shows in particular that $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa '}$$

CLE

κ
′

and $$\hbox {CLE}_{16/\kappa '}$$

CLE

16
/

κ
′

are related via a continuum analog of the Edwards-Sokal coupling between $$\hbox {FK}_q$$

FK
q

percolation and the q-state Potts model (which makes sense even for non-integer q between 1 and 4) if and only if $$q=4\cos ^2(4\pi / \kappa ')$$

q
=
4

cos
2

(
4
π
/

κ
′

)

. This provides further evidence for the long-standing belief that $$\hbox {CLE}_{\kappa '}$$

CLE

κ
′

and $$\hbox {CLE}_{16/\kappa '}$$

CLE

16
/

κ
′

represent the scaling limits of $$\hbox {FK}_q$$

FK
q

percolation and the q-Potts model when q and $$\kappa '$$

κ
′

are related in this way. Another consequence of the formula for $$\rho (p,\kappa ')$$

ρ
(
p
,

κ
′

)

is the value of half-plane arm exponents for such divide-and-color models (a.k.a. fuzzy Potts models) that turn out to take a somewhat different form than the usual critical exponents for two-dimensional models.
Age-specific reproduction in female pied flycatchers: evidence for asynchronous aging
Authors: Fay Rémi , Ravussin Pierre-Alain , Arrigo Daniel , von Rönn Jan A. C. , Schaub Michael 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAge-related variation in reproductive performance is central for the understanding of population dynamics and evolutionary processes. Our understanding of age trajectories in vital rates has long been limited by the lack of distinction between patterns occurring within- and among-individuals, and by the lack of comparative studies of age trajectories among traits. Thus, it is poorly understood how sets of demographic traits change within individuals according to their age. Based on 40 years of monitoring, we investigated age-related variation in five reproductive traits in female pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) including laying date, clutch size, brood size, nest success (probability that a nest produces at least one chick) and egg success of successful nests (proportion of eggs resulting in a chick). We disentangled within- from among-individual processes and assessed the relative contribution of within-individual age-specific changes and selective appearance and disappearance. Finally, we compared the aging pattern among these five reproductive traits. We found strong evidence for age-specific performance including both early-life improvement and late-life decline in all reproductive traits but the egg success. Furthermore, the aging patterns varied substantially among reproductive traits both for the age of peak performance and for the rates of early-life improvement and late-life decline. The results show that age trajectories observed at the population level (cross-sectional analysis) may substantially differ from those occurring at the individual level and illustrate the complexity of variation in aging patterns across traits.
The Role of Food Web Interactions in Multispecies Fisheries Management: Bio-economic Analysis of Salmon, Herring and Grey Seal in the Northern Baltic Sea
Authors: Lai Tin-Yu , Lindroos Marko , Grønbæk Lone , Romakkaniemi Atso 
Published: June 2021

AbstractMultispecies bio-economic models are useful tools to give insights into ecosystem thinking and ecosystem-based management. This paper developed an age-structured multispecies bio-economic model that includes the food web relations of the grey seal, salmon, and herring, along with salmon and herring fisheries in the Baltic Sea. The results show that the increasing seal population influences salmon fisheries and stock, but the impacts on the harvest are stronger than on the stock if the targeted management policies are obeyed. If seal population growth and a low herring stock occur simultaneously, the salmon harvest could face a serious threat. In addition, scenarios of the multispecies management approach in this paper reveal a benefit that our model can evaluate the performance of different fisheries with identical or different management strategies simultaneously. The results show the most profitable scenario is that both fisheries pursuit aggregated profits and reveal a trade-off between herring fisheries and salmon fisheries. Our model indicates that the herring harvest level and the approaches to managing herring fisheries can influence the performance of salmon fisheries. The study also demonstrates a way to develop a multispecies bio-economic model that includes both migratory fish and mammalian predators.
Biological responses in pesticide exposed lizards (Podarcis siculus)
Authors: Simbula Giulia , Moltedo Ginevra , Catalano Barbara , Martuccio Giacomo , Sebbio Claudia , Onorati Fulvio , Stellati Luca , Bissattini Alessandra Maria , Vignoli Leonardo 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe release of contaminants as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides into the environment has been listed as one of the six major contributors to the global decline of reptiles. Although reptiles may face severe risk from contaminants due to their ecology and physiology, they are currently less studied than other vertebrate groups. In the present work, we investigated if and how different types of field treatment (conventional and organic) affected the health status of Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) individuals in central Italy. We chose a multi-biomarker approach that evaluated the biological responses of lizards to the treatment by means of AChE activity in the nervous system, biotransformation enzymes activities and oxidative stress in the liver, micronuclei frequency measured in the erythrocytes, and rate of intestinal parasitic infection. Our findings showed evidence of effects of treatment in conventional areas and between sexes with significant oxidative stress due to hydroxyl radicals, that caused DNA damage. No difference of intestinal parasite infections was found among treatments. Podarcis siculus seems to be a good bioindicator in ecotoxicological studies and potentially in risk assessment of pesticides, although further analyses in laboratory and in the field are needed to achieve more accurate quantification of specific pesticide effects in relation to known exposure history and to understand if other mechanisms were involved in the toxicity and detoxification process of pesticides for this species.
Mode of action evaluation for reduced reproduction in Daphnia pulex exposed to the insensitive munition, 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitroguanidine (MeNQ)
Authors: Gust Kurt A. , Lotufo Guilherme R. , Barker Natalie D. , Ji Qing , May Lauren K. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe US Department of Defense (DOD) is developing insensitive munitions (IMs) that are resistant to unintended detonation to protect warfighters. To enable material life-cycle analysis for the IM, 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitroguanidine (MeNQ), ecotoxicological impacts assessment was required. A previous investigation of MeNQ exposures in Daphnia pulex revealed concentration-responsive decreases in reproduction relative to controls (0 mg/L) across a 174, 346, 709, 1385, and 2286 mg/L exposure range. The present study used those exposures to conduct global transcriptomic expression analyses to establish hypothetical mode(s) of action underlying inhibited reproduction. The number of significantly affected transcripts and the magnitude of fold-change differences relative to controls tended to increase with increasing MeNQ concentration where hierarchical clustering analysis identified separation among the “low” (174 and 346 mg/L) and “high” (709, 1385, and 2286 mg/L) exposures. Vitellogenin is critical to Daphnia reproductive processes and MeNQ exposures significantly decreased transcriptional expression for vitellogenin-1 precursor at the lowest exposure level (174 mg/L) with benchmark dose (BMD) levels closely tracking concentrations that caused inhibited reproduction. Additionally, juvenile hormone-inducible protein, chorion peroxidase, and high choriolytic enzyme transcriptional expression were impacted by MeNQ exposure having potential implications for egg production / maturation and overall fecundity. In concert with these effects on specific genes involved in Daphnia reproductive physiology, MeNQ exposures caused significant enrichment of several canonical-pathways responsible for metabolism of cellular energy substrates where BMD levels for transcriptional expression were observed at ≤100 mg/L. These observations imply possible effects on whole-organism energy budgets that may also incur indirect costs on reproduction.
Population improvement and synthetic cultivar production in forage kale (Brassica oleracea L.)
Authors: Bradshaw John E. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractExperimental results are brought together to demonstrate that forage kale population improvement involving full-sib and selfed families can be done on an annual cycle, followed by production of a synthetic cultivar. Furthermore, this new breeding method compares favourably with the two successful methods used to date, namely triple-cross hybrid cultivars from inbreeding and crossbreeding programmes and open-pollinated cultivars from population improvement programmes. The key findings were that natural vernalization of kale in south east Scotland occurred by mid-December so that plants could be pollinated in a glasshouse with heating and lighting by the end of February and seed harvested by the end of May. The resulting full-sib or selfed families could be assessed in a field transplant trial in the same year, from June to November, thus completing an annual cycle. Self-pollination resulted in shorter plants with lower fresh-weight, dry-matter and digestible organic-matter yields, and undesirably higher contents of S-methylcysteine sulphoxide, the haemolytic anaemia factor, and the goitrogenic thiocyanate ion. As a consequence of digestible organic-matter yield being reduced by as much as 22%, the estimated optimum number of selfed parents in a synthetic cultivar was four to eight. Synthetic cultivars are expected to yield as well as triple-cross hybrids as there was no reduction in yield when the latter were open-pollinated.
Rupture and Continuity: Abortion, the Medical Profession, and the Transitional State—A Polish Case Study
Authors: Krajewska Atina 
Published: June 2021

AbstractTaking Poland as a case study, this article examines the sociological and historical-institutional factors that determine the relationship between the process of medical professionalisation and reproductive rights in transitional societies. Focusing on three periods in Polish history, (a) Partition era (1772–1918), (b) the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), and (c) the post-war period (1945–1989), it identifies ruptures and continuities that have shaped the development of the Polish medical profession and its attitude towards abortion care today. Using insights from feminist historical institutionalism, abortion studies, and the sociology of professions, the article applies the concept of ‘dialectical transformations’ to explain institutional and policy reproduction and change over time. It shows how professional and legal institutions are often transferred from one systemic context to another by individuals or organisations whose positions move from opposition to dominance. Understanding such processes is especially important in light of the retrenchment of reproductive rights across the globe.
Doing community geography
Authors: Fischer Heather , Block Daniel , Bosse Amber , Hawthorne Timothy L. , Jung Jin-Kyu , Pearsall Hamil , Rees Amanda , Shannon Jerry 
Published: June 2021

AbstractCommunity Geography offers researchers, community groups, and students opportunities to engage in action oriented applied geographical research. Creating and sustaining these research programs can be challenging, programs can involve many partners from both academic and the community, have different goals and purposes, and utilize a variety of methods to perform research. In this paper we offer a framework of three primary overarching principles for implementing CG projects; (1) Who, (2) Why, and (3) How. (1) “Who” describes who is involved in CG, including researchers, community partners, academic institutions, (2) “Why” describes the justifications and benefits of taking this approach. (3) “How” explains how CG borrows methodologies from many disciplines within geography and beyond. Our examples are not exhaustive; rather, they serve as starting points to inspire researchers interested in CG.