bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing values from science in decision making: Setting harvest quotas for mountain lions in Montana
Authors: Mitchell Michael S. , Cooley Hilary , Gude Justin A. , Kolbe Jay , Nowak J. Joshua , Proffitt Kelly M. , Sells Sarah N. , Thompson Mike 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTThe relative roles of science and human values can be difficult to distinguish when informal processes are used to make complex and contentious decisions in wildlife management. Structured Decision Making (SDM) offers a formal process for making such decisions, where scientific results and concepts can be disentangled from the values of differing stakeholders. We used SDM to formally integrate science and human values for a citizen working group of ungulate hunting advocates, lion hunting advocates, and outfitters convened to address the contentious allocation of harvest quotas for mountain lions (Puma concolor) in west‐central Montana, USA, during 2014. A science team consisting of mountain lion biologists and population ecologists convened to support the working group. The science team used integrated population models that incorporated 4 estimates of mountain lion density to estimate population trajectories for 5 alternative harvest quotas developed by the working group. Results of the modeling predicted that effects of each harvest quota were consistent across the 4 density estimates; harvest quotas affected predicted population trajectories for 5 years after implementation but differences were not strong. Based on these results, the focus of the working group changed to differences in values among stakeholders that were the true impediment to allocating harvest quotas. By distinguishing roles of science and human values in this process, the working group was able to collaboratively recommend a compromise solution. This solution differed little from the status quo that had been the focus of debate, but the SDM process produced understanding and buy‐in among stakeholders involved, reducing disagreements, misunderstanding, and unproductive arguments founded on informal application of scientific data and concepts. Whereas investments involved in conducting SDM may be unnecessary for many decisions in wildlife management, the investment may be beneficial for complex, contentious, and multiobjective decisions that integrate science and human values. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Influence of invasive hybrid cattails on habitat use by common loons
Authors: Wesche Spencer L. , O'Neal Benjamin J. , Windels Steve K. , Olson Bryce T. , Larreur Max , Ahlers Adam A. 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTAn invasive hybrid cattail species, Typha × glauca (T. × glauca), is rapidly expanding across the United States and Canada. Dense clonal stands of T. × glauca outcompete native wetland plants, reduce open‐water habitats, and negatively affect native wetland plant diversity; however, effects of hybrid cattail expansions on native wildlife are still unclear. We used multiple surveys and single‐season occupancy models to examine how the relative coverage of T. × glauca affected habitat use by common loons (Gavia immer) at 71 wetland sites in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA, during summer 2016. Delineated wetland sites (2 ha) were considered potential resource patches for common loons and positioned along a gradient of relative T. × glauca coverage. Detection of common loons was influenced negatively by the time of day surveys were conducted. Occupancy probabilities were greater at sites with deeper water levels, possibly indicating selection for areas with adequate water depths for pursuit‐based foraging for fish. Contrary to our hypothesis, common loons appeared insensitive to the relative coverage of T. × glauca at wetland sites. Future research should focus on elucidating potential threshold‐effects of T. × glauca expansions on additional loon demographic rates. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Free energy of a heavy quark-antiquark pair in a thermal medium from AdS/CFT
Authors: Ewerz Carlo , Kaczmarek Olaf , Samberg Andreas 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe study the free energy of a heavy quark-antiquark pair in a thermal medium using the AdS/CFT correspondence. We point out that a commonly used prescription for calculating this quantity leads to a temperature dependence in conflict with general properties of the free energy. The problem originates from a particular way of subtracting divergences. We argue that the commonly used prescription gives rise to the binding energy rather than the free energy. We consider a different subtraction procedure and show that the resulting free energy is well-behaved and in qualitative agreement with results from lattice QCD. The free energy and the binding energy of the quark pair are computed for$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and several non-conformal theories. We also calculate the entropy and the internal energy of the pair in these theories. Using the consistent subtraction, we further study the free energy, entropy, and internal energy of a single heavy quark in the thermal medium for various theories. Also here the results are found to be in qualitative agreement with lattice QCD results.
Experimental guidance for eliciting beliefs with the Stochastic Becker–DeGroot–Marschak mechanism
Authors: Burfurd Ingrid , Wilkening Tom 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe compare different implementations of the Stochastic Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (SBDM) belief elicitation mechanism, which is theoretically elegant but challenging to implement. In a first experiment, we compare three common formats of the mechanism in terms of speed and data quality. We find that all formats yield reports with similar levels of accuracy and precision, but that the instructions and reporting format adapted from Hao and Houser (J Risk Uncertain 44(2):161–180 2012) is significantly faster to implement. We use this format in a second experiment in which we vary the delivery method and quiz procedure. Dropping the pre-experiment quiz significantly compromises the accuracy of subject’s reports and leads to a dramatic spike in boundary reports. However, switching between electronic and paper-based instructions and quizzes does not affect the accuracy or precision of subjects’ reports.
Intelligent and effective informatic deconvolution of “Big Data” and its future impact on the quantitative nature of neurodegenerative disease therapy
Authors: Maudsley Stuart , Devanarayan Viswanath , Martin Bronwen , Geerts Hugo ,   on behalf of the Brain Health Modeling Initiative (BHMI)
Published: March 2018

AbstractBiomedical data sets are becoming increasingly larger and a plethora of high‐dimensionality data sets (“Big Data”) are now freely accessible for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. It is thus important that new informatic analysis platforms are developed that allow the organization and interrogation of Big Data resources into a rational and actionable mechanism for advanced therapeutic development. This will entail the generation of systems and tools that allow the cross‐platform correlation between data sets of distinct types, for example, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest strategies, including latent semantic analytics, topological data investigation, and deep learning techniques that will drive the future development of diagnostic and therapeutic applications for Alzheimer's disease. We contend that diverse informatic “Big Data” platforms should be synergistically designed with more advanced chemical/drug and cellular/tissue‐based phenotypic analytical predictive models to assist in either de novo drug design or effective drug repurposing.
The Point Value Maximization Problem for Positive Definite Functions Supported in a Given Subset of a Locally Compact Group
Authors: Krenedits Sándor , Révész Szilárd Gy. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe century-old extremal problem, solved by Carathéodory and Fejér, concerns a non-negative trigonometric polynomial $T(t) = a_0 + \sum\nolimits_{k = 1}^n {a_k} \cos (2\pi kt) + b_k\sin (2\pi kt){\ge}0$, normalized by a0=1, where the quantity to be maximized is the coefficient a1 of cos (2π t). Carathéodory and Fejér found that for any given degree n, the maximum is 2 cos(π/n+2). In the complex exponential form, the coefficient sequence (ck) ⊂ ℂ will be supported in [−n, n] and normalized by c0=1. Reformulating, non-negativity of T translates to positive definiteness of the sequence (ck), and the extremal problem becomes a maximization problem for the value at 1 of a normalized positive definite function c: ℤ → ℂ, supported in [−n, n]. Boas and Kac, Arestov, Berdysheva and Berens, Kolountzakis and Révész and, recently, Krenedits and Révész investigated the problem in increasing generality, reaching analogous results for all locally compact abelian groups. We prove an extension to all the known results in not necessarily commutative locally compact groups.
The influence of stunting on obesity in adulthood: results from the EPIPorto cohort
Authors: Henriques Ana , Teixeira Vânia , Cardoso Hugo FV , Azevedo Ana 
Published: March 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo retrospectively investigate the association between short stature and increased sitting height ratio (SHR) – indicators of stunting – and obesity markers in adults.DesignCross-sectional evaluation of the EPIPorto cohort. Weight, height, sitting height and waist circumference were measured. Obesity was assessed for men and women through BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Short stature (women, <152 cm; men, <164 cm) and high SHR (women, ≥54·05 %; men, ≥53·25 %) were taken as stunting measures. OR with 95 % CI were computed using logistic regression models.SettingRepresentative sample of adults from EPIPorto, an adult cohort study from Porto, Portugal.SubjectsA sample of 1682 adults, aged 18–86 years, was analysed.ResultsHigher obesity prevalence was found among women (BMI≥30·0 kg/m2: 25·5v.13·3 %,P<0·001) and a higher proportion of men presented abdominal obesity (WHtR≥0·5: 80·1v.71·1 %,P<0·001). A positive association was found between short stature and obesity measures for women (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 1·75; 1·17, 2·62 for BMI≥30·0 kg/m2; 1·89; 1·24, 2·87 for WHtR≥0·5). Increased SHR was associated with higher likelihood of having BMI≥30·0 kg/m2in both sexes (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 2·10; 1·40, 3·16 for women; 1·92; 1·07, 3·43 for men) but not with WHtR≥0·5.ConclusionsDifferent growth markers are associated with obesity in adults. However, this association depends on the population and anthropometric measures used: short stature is associated with a higher risk of presenting excessive weight in women but not in men; SHR is more sensitive to detect this effect in both sexes.
Variation in floret size explains differences in wild bee visitation to cultivated sunflowers
Authors: Portlas Zoe M. , Tetlie Jonathan R. , Prischmann-Voldseth Deirdre , Hulke Brent S. , Prasifka Jarrad R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWild and managed bees are needed to move sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) pollen, both to create hybrid seed and to encourage high, consistent yields when those hybrids are subsequently grown. Among floral traits that influence bee preference, floret size may be critical, as the depth of the corolla affects the accessibility of nectar. Sampling and observation of inbred maintainer (HA) lines were used to assess variation in floret size, and to measure any effects of floret size on pollinator visitation. Among 100 inbreds sampled, there was significant variation among the lines, with floret lengths of 6.8–9.9 mm. Floret length, measured before anthesis, was closely related to corolla depth during anthesis and was consistent between 2 years (environments). Pollinator observations on 30 inbred lines showed floret size explained a majority (52%) of the variation in wild bee preference, with a reduction in floret length of 2 mm more than doubling pollinator activity. Though honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies were located ≈ 60 m from the plots, near-zero honey bee activity in the sunflowers precluded an assessment of how strongly this managed pollinator is affected by floret length. Production of inbreds and hybrids with smaller florets could enhance sunflower pollination, but genetic markers for floret size are needed to facilitate selection, and an understanding of potential trade-offs also is required. Information on variation and heritability of other traits, such as pollen and nectar rewards, could help explain residual variation in wild bee visitation to sunflowers.
Delays in making initial treatment contact after the first onset of mental health disorders in the Argentinean Study of Mental Health Epidemiology
Authors: Stagnaro J. C. , Cia A. H. , Vommaro H. , Sustas S. , Vázquez N. , Serfaty E. , Kessler R. C. , Benjet C. 
Published: March 2018

Aims.While there are effective treatments for psychiatric disorders, many individuals with such disorders do not receive treatment and those that do often take years to get into treatment. Information regarding treatment contact failure and delay in Argentina is needed to guide public health policy and planning. Therefore, this study aimed to provide data on prompt treatment contact, lifetime treatment contact, median duration of treatment delays and socio-demographic predictors of treatment contact after the first onset of a mental disorder.Methods.The Argentinean Study of Mental Health Epidemiology (EAESM) is a multistage probability sample representative of adults (aged 18+) living in large urban areas of Argentina. A total of 2116 participants were evaluated with the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview to assess psychiatric diagnosis, treatment contact and delay.Results.Projections of cases that will make treatment contact by 50 years taken from a survival curve suggest that the majority of individuals with a mood (100%) or anxiety disorder (72.5%) in Argentina whose disorder persist for a sufficient period of time eventually make treatment contact while fewer with a substance disorder do so (41.6%). Timely treatment in the year of onset is rare (2.6% for a substance disorder, 14.6% for an anxiety disorder and 31.3% of those with a mood disorder) with mean delays between 8 years for mood disorders and 21 years for anxiety disorders. Younger cohorts are more likely to make treatment contact than older cohorts, whereas those with earlier ages of disorder onset are least likely to make treatment contact. Those with anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder are more likely to make treatment contact when they have comorbid disorders, whereas those with substance use disorders are less likely.Conclusions.Argentina needs to implement strategies to get individuals with substance use disorders into treatment, and to reduce treatment delays for all, but particularly to target early detection and treatment among children and adolescents.
Effects of Exposure to Alcohol-Related Cues on Racial	Prejudice
Authors: Stepanova Elena V. , Bartholow Bruce D. , Scott Saults J. , Friedman Ronald S. , Chi Jinhao , Hollis Abigail M. 
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Prior research ( Stepanova, Bartholow, Saults, & Friedman, 2012 ) indicates that exposure to alcohol-related cues increases expressions of racial biases. This study investigated whether such effects can be replicated with other tasks assessing racial bias and whether they stem from stereotyping or prejudice. In two experiments participants (N1 = 118; N2 = 152) were exposed to either alcohol-related or neutral advertisements, and then completed a race-priming lexical decision task (LDT, Wittenbrink, Judd, and Park, 1997) . Experiment 1 provided weak evidence that exposure to alcohol cues decreases positive attitudes toward Blacks, which was not confirmed in a high-powered replication (Experiment 2). Our findings suggest a short-lived nature (if any) of alcohol priming effects on racial bias when measured by the primed LDT.
Catalytic mechanism and molecular engineering of quinolone biosynthesis in dioxygenase AsqJ
Authors: Mader Sophie L. , Bräuer Alois , Groll Michael , Kaila Ville R. I. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe recently discovered FeII/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase AsqJ fromAspergillus nidulansstereoselectively catalyzes a multistep synthesis of quinolone alkaloids, natural products with significant biomedical applications. To probe molecular mechanisms of this elusive catalytic process, we combine here multi-scale quantum and classical molecular simulations with X-ray crystallography, and in vitro biochemical activity studies. We discover that methylation of the substrate is essential for the activity of AsqJ, establishing molecular strain that fine-tunes π-stacking interactions within the active site. To rationally engineer AsqJ for modified substrates, we amplify dispersive interactions within the active site. We demonstrate that the engineered enzyme has a drastically enhanced catalytic activity for non-methylated surrogates, confirming our computational data and resolved high-resolution X-ray structures at 1.55 Å resolution. Our combined findings provide crucial mechanistic understanding of the function of AsqJ and showcase how combination of computational and experimental data enables to rationally engineer enzymes.
Pressureless glass crystallization of transparent yttrium aluminum garnet-based nanoceramics
Authors: Ma Xiaoguang , Li Xiaoyu , Li Jianqiang , Genevois Cécile , Ma Bingqian , Etienne Auriane , Wan Chunlei , Véron Emmanuel , Peng Zhijian , Allix Mathieu 
Published: March 2018

AbstractTransparent crystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG; Y3Al5O12) is a dominant host material used in phosphors, scintillators, and solid state lasers. However, YAG single crystals and transparent ceramics face several technological limitations including complex, time-consuming, and costly synthetic approaches. Here we report facile elaboration of transparent YAG-based ceramics by pressureless nano-crystallization of Y2O3–Al2O3 bulk glasses. The resulting ceramics present a nanostructuration composed of YAG nanocrystals (77 wt%) separated by small Al2O3 crystalline domains (23 wt%). The hardness of these YAG-Al2O3 nanoceramics is 10% higher than that of YAG single crystals. When doped by Ce3+, the YAG-Al2O3 ceramics show a 87.5% quantum efficiency. The combination of these mechanical and optical properties, coupled with their simple, economical, and innovative preparation method, could drive the development of technologically relevant materials with potential applications in wide optical fields such as scintillators, lenses, gem stones, and phosphor converters in high-power white-light LED and laser diode.
Visible light-driven C−H activation and C–C coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol
Authors: Xie Shunji , Shen Zebin , Deng Jiao , Guo Pu , Zhang Qinghong , Zhang Haikun , Ma Chao , Jiang Zheng , Cheng Jun , Deng Dehui , Wang Ye 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe development of new methods for the direct transformation of methanol into two or multi-carbon compounds via controlled carbon–carbon coupling is a highly attractive but challenging goal. Here, we report the first visible-light-driven dehydrogenative coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol, an important chemical currently produced from petroleum. Ethylene glycol is formed with 90% selectivity and high efficiency, together with hydrogen over a molybdenum disulfide nanofoam-modified cadmium sulfide nanorod catalyst. Mechanistic studies reveal a preferential activation of C−H bond instead of O−H bond in methanol by photoexcited holes on CdS via a concerted proton–electron transfer mechanism, forming a hydroxymethyl radical (⋅CH2OH) that can readily desorb from catalyst surfaces for subsequent coupling. This work not only offers an alternative nonpetroleum route for the synthesis of EG but also presents a unique visible-light-driven catalytic C−H activation with the hydroxyl group in the same molecule keeping intact.
Review on modeling of the anode solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Aiping , Kadam Sanket , Li Hong , Shi Siqi , Qi Yue 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA passivation layer called the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is formed on electrode surfaces from decomposition products of electrolytes. The SEI allows Li+ transport and blocks electrons in order to prevent further electrolyte decomposition and ensure continued electrochemical reactions. The formation and growth mechanism of the nanometer thick SEI films are yet to be completely understood owing to their complex structure and lack of reliable in situ experimental techniques. Significant advances in computational methods have made it possible to predictively model the fundamentals of SEI. This review aims to give an overview of state-of-the-art modeling progress in the investigation of SEI films on the anodes, ranging from electronic structure calculations to mesoscale modeling, covering the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrolyte reduction reactions, SEI formation, modification through electrolyte design, correlation of SEI properties with battery performance, and the artificial SEI design. Multi-scale simulations have been summarized and compared with each other as well as with experiments. Computational details of the fundamental properties of SEI, such as electron tunneling, Li-ion transport, chemical/mechanical stability of the bulk SEI and electrode/(SEI/) electrolyte interfaces have been discussed. This review shows the potential of computational approaches in the deconvolution of SEI properties and design of artificial SEI. We believe that computational modeling can be integrated with experiments to complement each other and lead to a better understanding of the complex SEI for the development of a highly efficient battery in the future.
Consensus and conflict among ecological forecasts of Zika virus outbreaks in the United States
Authors: Carlson Colin J. , Dougherty Eric , Boots Mike , Getz Wayne , Ryan Sadie J. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractEcologists are increasingly involved in the pandemic prediction process. In the course of the Zika outbreak in the Americas, several ecological models were developed to forecast the potential global distribution of the disease. Conflicting results produced by alternative methods are unresolved, hindering the development of appropriate public health forecasts. We compare ecological niche models and experimentally-driven mechanistic forecasts for Zika transmission in the continental United States. We use generic and uninformed stochastic county-level simulations to demonstrate the downstream epidemiological consequences of conflict among ecological models, and show how assumptions and parameterization in the ecological and epidemiological models propagate uncertainty and produce downstream model conflict. We conclude by proposing a basic consensus method that could resolve conflicting models of potential outbreak geography and seasonality. Our results illustrate the usually-undocumented margin of uncertainty that could emerge from using any one of these predictions without reservation or qualification. In the short term, ecologists face the task of developing better post hoc consensus that accurately forecasts spatial patterns of Zika virus outbreaks. Ultimately, methods are needed that bridge the gap between ecological and epidemiological approaches to predicting transmission and realistically capture both outbreak size and geography.