bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Where are Europe’s last primary forests?
Authors: Sabatini Francesco Maria , Burrascano Sabina , Keeton William S. , Levers Christian , Lindner Marcus , Pötzschner Florian , Verkerk Pieter Johannes , Bauhus Jürgen , Buchwald Erik , Chaskovsky Oleh , Debaive Nicolas , Horváth Ferenc , Garbarino Matteo , Grigoriadis Nikolaos , Lombardi Fabio , Marques Duarte Inês , Meyer Peter , Midteng Rein , Mikac Stjepan , Mikoláš Martin , Motta Renzo , Mozgeris Gintautas , Nunes Leónia , Panayotov Momchil , Ódor Peter , Ruete Alejandro , Simovski Bojan , Stillhard Jonas , Svoboda Miroslav , Szwagrzyk Jerzy , Tikkanen Olli‐Pekka , Volosyanchuk Roman , Vrska Tomas , Zlatanov Tzvetan , Kuemmerle Tobias 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAimPrimary forests have high conservation value but are rare in Europe due to historic land use. Yet many primary forest patches remain unmapped, and it is unclear to what extent they are effectively protected. Our aim was to (1) compile the most comprehensive European‐scale map of currently known primary forests, (2) analyse the spatial determinants characterizing their location and (3) locate areas where so far unmapped primary forests likely occur.LocationEurope.MethodsWe aggregated data from a literature review, online questionnaires and 32 datasets of primary forests. We used boosted regression trees to explore which biophysical, socio‐economic and forest‐related variables explain the current distribution of primary forests. Finally, we predicted and mapped the relative likelihood of primary forest occurrence at a 1‐km resolution across Europe.ResultsData on primary forests were frequently incomplete or inconsistent among countries. Known primary forests covered 1.4 Mha in 32 countries (0.7% of Europe’s forest area). Most of these forests were protected (89%), but only 46% of them strictly. Primary forests mostly occurred in mountain and boreal areas and were unevenly distributed across countries, biogeographical regions and forest types. Unmapped primary forests likely occur in the least accessible and populated areas, where forests cover a greater share of land, but wood demand historically has been low.Main conclusionsDespite their outstanding conservation value, primary forests are rare and their current distribution is the result of centuries of land use and forest management. The conservation outlook for primary forests is uncertain as many are not strictly protected and most are small and fragmented, making them prone to extinction debt and human disturbance. Predicting where unmapped primary forests likely occur could guide conservation efforts, especially in Eastern Europe where large areas of primary forest still exist but are being lost at an alarming pace.
Social complexity and kinship in animal societies
Authors: Lukas Dieter , Clutton‐Brock Tim 
Published: May 2018

AbstractStudies of eusocial invertebrates regard complex societies as those where there is a clear division of labour and extensive cooperation between breeders and helpers. In contrast, studies of social mammals identify complex societies as those where differentiated social relationships influence access to resources and reproductive opportunities. We show here that, while traits associated with social complexity of the first kind occur in social mammals that live in groups composed of close relatives, traits associated with the complexity of social relationships occur where average kinship between female group members is low. These differences in the form of social complexity appear to be associated with variation in brain size and probably reflect contrasts in the extent of conflicts of interest between group members. Our results emphasise the limitations of any unitary concept of social complexity and show that variation in average kinship between group members has far‐reaching consequences for animal societies.
Consequences of the taxonomic revision of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae and of the analysis of its associated pathogenicity for the recommendation of regulation (EPPO A2 List)
Authors: Cottyn B. , Constantin E. C. , Maes M. 
Published: May 2018

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae, the causal agent of bacterial blight of Araceae (aroids), is a regulated pest in several countries and is included in the EPPO A2 List. Reference strains of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae have recently been reclassified into the species Xanthomonas phaseoli, Xanthomonas citri and Xanthomonas euvesicatoria on the basis of different features, including multilocus sequence analysis, average nucleotide identity and homology in DNA–DNA hybridization analyses. Based on pathogenicity tests, Constantin et al. (2017) proposed naming the pathogens on aroids as X. phaseoli pv. dieffenbachiae, X. phaseoli pv. syngonii and X. citri pv. aracearum. Recommendations are made on how to deal with these changes for the group of pathogenic bacteria for Araceae. The name Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae on the EPPO List should be adjusted to the names proposed in the taxonomic study by Constantin et al. (2016). The current EPPO Diagnostic Standard is directed at strains pathogenic on Anthurium. They mainly belong to X. phaseoli pv. dieffenbachiae, but some also to X. citri pv. aracearum that are not detected by the EPPO Diagnostic Standard. Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. syngonii strains are also aggressive, but with a host range restricted to Syngonium. The pathogenicity specific to aroids of the bacterial isolates reclassified as Xanthomonas euvesicatoria was not confirmed and no pathovar epithet has been retained for these strains.
Soft songs in male ortolan buntings are used in an aggressive context but are not an aggressive signal
Authors: Jakubowska Aleksandra , Osiejuk Tomasz S. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractMany bird species produce low‐amplitude acoustic signals that have been poorly studied in comparison with loud, broadcast songs used for mate attraction and repelling rivals. In some birds, these soft signals were found to be emitted in an antagonistic context and were the most reliable predictor of a subsequent physical attack. The function of this signal is poorly understood, and several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanisms and possible functions of such low‐amplitude signals. The subject of this study is the ortolan bunting, a small passerine species that produces soft songs during territorial defence. In this study, we aim to study whether the soft songs of the ortolan bunting are a signal of increased aggressiveness by testing if they meet the context, prediction and response criteria of aggressive signals. We simulated stranger male intrusion into a focal male territory with three different playback experiments. We found no significant differences in the male responses to the taxidermic model regardless of whether they were or were not producing soft songs in response. The males responded more strongly to loud songs than to soft songs during the simulated intrusions, and the males did not treat soft songs as a predictor of conflict escalation. Although soft songs clearly appeared during territorial encounters and were not present during spontaneous singing before the intrusions, our results did not support the hypothesis that soft songs indicate aggressive character. We suggest that soft songs in the ortolan bunting are intentionally used by birds to modify their intentions or target‐specific individuals within a close range.
Cyclic viscoplastic analysis for steam generator material of Indian fast breeder reactor
Authors: Veerababu J. , Goyal S. , Sandhya R. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractCreep‐fatigue interaction behavior of grade 91 steel at 823 K has been studied. Creep component has been introduced with hold times 1, 10, and 30 minutes in tension and compression in continuous strain cycling. Fatigue life reduced due to application of hold and reduction was found to be more in compressive hold. The effect of various factors such as mean stress, stress relaxation, oxidation, microstructure, and inelastic strain accumulation on significant reduction in fatigue life in compression hold has been investigated. The oxidation has been observed as the key parameter that caused significant fatigue life reduction in compressive hold as compared with tensile hold. Chaboche unified viscoplasticity model has been used to understand the material's cyclic elasto‐viscoplastic behavior. The simulation results were in agreement with the experimental results. Fatigue lives under creep‐fatigue condition were estimated using frequency‐modified strain energy damage function method and linear damage summation method. Frequency‐modified strain energy damage function method under estimated the fatigue lives whereas linear damage summation method overestimated the lives.
Comparison of perennial ryegrass,Lolium perenneL., ploidy and white clover,Trifolium repensL., inclusion for herbage production, utilization and nutritive value
Authors: Guy Clare , Hennessy Deirdre , Gilliland Trevor J. , Coughlan Fergal , McClearn Bríd , Dineen Michael , McCarthy Brian 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIncreasing herbage dry‐matter (DM) production and utilization on‐farm improves efficiency and sustainability. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of perennial ryegrass,Lolium perenneL., ploidy and white clover,Trifolium repensL., inclusion on herbageDMproduction and utilization in an intensive animal grazing system, with high nitrogen (N) inputs (250 kg N ha−1) and a high stocking rate (2.75 livestock units ha−1). The study was a 2 × 2 factorial design, consisting of diploid and tetraploid cultivars sown as grass‐only and grass‐white clover to give four sward treatments (diploid‐only, tetraploid‐only, diploid‐white clover, tetraploid‐white clover). These were evaluated at each grazing occasion (8–10 per year) for 3 years (2014–2016). Tetraploid‐white and grass‐white clover swards had a lower sward density (−9 and −8 kg DM cm−1, respectively) and perennial ryegrass tiller density (−820 and −1,436 tillers m−2, respectively) leading to lower postgrazing sward heights (−0.15 and −0.41 cm, respectively), and maintained a superior nutritive value when compared with diploid‐only and grass‐only swards respectively. White clover inclusion resulted in higher productivity characterized by increased herbageDMproduction (+1,468 kg DM ha−1), improved nutritive value and increased utilization across the three grazing seasons. Varying sward composition with perennial ryegrass ploidy led to improved nutritive value and favourable grazing characteristics in tetraploid swards.
Concurrent Treatment of 1,4‐Dioxane and Chlorinated Aliphatics in a Groundwater Recirculation System Via Aerobic Cometabolism
Authors: Chu Min‐Ying Jacob , Bennett Peter J. , Dolan Mark E. , Hyman Michael R. , Peacock Aaron D. , Bodour Adria , Anderson Richard Hunter , Mackay Douglas M. , Goltz Mark N. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis research demonstrates that groundwater contaminated by a relatively dilute but persistent concentration of 1,4‐dioxane (1,4‐D), approximately 60 μg/L, and chlorinated aliphatic co‐contaminants (1.4 to 10 μg/L) can be efficiently and reliably treated by in situ aerobic cometabolic biodegradation (ACB). A field trial lasting 265 days was conducted at Operable Unit D at the former McClellan Air Force Base and involved establishing an in situ ACB reactor through amending recirculated groundwater with propane and oxygen. The stimulated indigenous microbial population was able to consistently degrade 1,4‐D to below 3 μg/L while the co‐contaminants trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,2‐dichloroethane (1,2‐DCA) were decreased to below 1 μg/L and 0.18 μg/L, respectively. A stable treatment efficiency of more than 95% removal for 1,4‐D and 1,2‐DCA and of more than 90% removal for TCE was achieved. High treatment efficiencies for 1,4‐D and all co‐contaminants were sustained even without propane and oxygen addition for a 2‐week period.
Root surface alterations following manual and mechanical scaling: A comparative study
Authors: Maritato M , Orazi L , Laurito D , Formisano G , Serra E , Lollobrigida M , Molinari A , De Biase A 
Published: May 2018

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the morphological and surface roughness changes in dental root samples following periodontal scaling by hand curette, piezoelectric ultrasonic devices or a combination of these.MethodsTwenty‐four monoradicular teeth extracted as a result of periodontal disease were divided into 4 groups: Group A was treated by piezoelectric ultrasonic scaler Piezon® Master 400; Group P by piezoelectric ultrasonic scaler PiezoSmart®; Group C using Gracey curette 7/8; Group AC by a combined technique of piezoelectric ultrasonic scaler Piezon® Master 400 and Gracey curette 7/8. The treated samples were then analysed using a white light interferometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).ResultsRoughness analysis revealed major surface alterations in Group C (Sa = 24.98 μm); the samples treated using the combined technique (Group AC) showed reduced but still significant alteration (Sa = 14.48 μm), while samples treated with the piezoelectric ultrasonic devices (Group A and Group P) presented the lowest roughness values (Sa = 8.99 and Sa = 4.45 μm, respectively). A significant difference was found between groups C and P (P = 0.036). SEM analysis confirmed the roughness analysis revealing non‐homogeneous surfaces in Group C, while a less morphological alteration was noted in the other groups.ConclusionAll periodontal devices used in this in vitro study produced a certain degree of surface alteration. Hand curettes appear to have a major impact on surface integrity compared with piezoelectric ultrasonic devices.
Glucose transporter‐1 (GLUT‐1) expression in psoriasis: correlation with disease severity
Authors: Hodeib Abeer A.‐H. , Neinaa Yomna M.E.‐H. , Zakaria Soha S. , Alshenawy Hanan A.‐S. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundEpidermal hyperproliferation with abnormal differentiation, inflammation, and angiogenesis are the key features of psoriasis. Glucose transporter‐1 (GLUT‐1) is a member of facilitative sugar transporters that are integral membrane glycoproteins moving sugar across cell membrane.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to study the GLUT‐1 expression in psoriasis.Patients and methodsForty patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 20 healthy individuals were included in the study. Skin biopsies were taken from lesional and nonlesional skin of psoriasis patients as well as normal skin of control subjects. All were examined for GLUT‐1 antibody expression by immunohistochemistry and GLUT‐1 mRNA expression by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In addition, specimens of psoriasis lesions were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and CD31 for morphometric analysis of histopathological parameters.ResultsThe intensity of GLUT‐1 immunohistochemical expression and the relative levels of GLUT‐1 mRNA expression in psoriasis lesions were upregulated in lesional skin of psoriasis patients in comparison with their nonlesional skin as well as normal control skin. GLUT‐1 expression in psoriasis lesions showed significant positive correlations with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, mean of epidermal thickness, inflammatory cell density, and microvessel density.ConclusionGlucose transporter‐1 could play a role not only in the onset of psoriasis but also in the progression and severity of the disease. It may participate in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through the facilitation of epidermal hyperproliferation, inflammation, and angiogenesis.
Mixed coordination mechanisms for scheduling games on hierarchical machines
Authors: Chen Qianqian , Tan Zhiyi 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we study scheduling games under mixed coordination mechanisms on hierarchical machines. The two scheduling policies involved are ‐ and ‐, where ‐ (resp., ‐) policy sequences jobs in nondecreasing order of their hierarchies, and jobs of the same hierarchy in nonincreasing (resp., nondecreasing) order of their processing times. We first show the existence of a Nash equilibrium. Then we present the price of anarchy and the price of stability for the games with social costs of minimizing the makespan and maximizing the minimum machine load. All the bounds given in this paper are tight.
Using kernel density estimation to model surgical procedure duration
Authors: Taaffe Kevin , Pearce Bryan , Ritchie Gilbert 
Published: May 2018

AbstractEstimating the length of surgical cases is an important research topic due to its significant effect on the accuracy of the surgical schedule and operating room (OR) efficiency. Several factors can be considered in the estimation, for example, surgeon, surgeon experience, case type, case start time, etc. Some of these factors are correlated, and this correlation needs to be considered in the prediction model in order to have an accurate estimation. Extensive research exists that identifies the preferred estimation methods for cases that occur frequently. However, in practice, there are many procedure types with limited historical data, which makes it hard to use common statistical methods (such as regression) that rely on a large number of data points. Moreover, only point estimates are typically provided. In this research, kernel density estimation (KDE) is implemented as an estimator for the probability distribution of surgery duration, and a comparison against lognormal and Gaussian mixture models is reported, showing the efficiency of the KDE. In addition, an improvement procedure for the KDE that further enables the algorithm to outperform other methods is proposed. Based on the analysis, KDE can be recommended as an alternative estimator of surgical duration for cases with low volume (or limited historical data).
Effect of particle size on the optical properties of lead zirconate titanate nanopowders
Authors: Pakizeh Esmaeil , Moradi Mahmood 
Published: May 2018

AbstractNanopowder samples of lead zirconate titanate (Pb1.1Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 or PZT) were prepared by the sol‐gel method with controlled pH values. The samples were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, FE‐SEM, and TEM techniques. Most of the peaks in the XRD pattern were related to the coexistence of tetragonal‐rhombohedral phases and confirmed the formation of PZT with a perovskite structure. Also, the crystallite size of PZT nanopowders was in a range of 17‐28 nm. FTIR spectroscopy revealed a longitudinal optical (LO) and transverse optical (TO) phonon modes corresponding to the stretching vibration of Ti‐O and Zr‐O bonds. The influence of pH values on the LO and TO phonon modes, LO‐TO splitting, refractive index n(ω), extinction coefficient k(ω), and the real ɛ1(ω) and imaginary ɛ2(ω) parts of dielectric function was discussed. These properties were investigated in the mid‐infrared region (450‐750 cm−1). The energy loss function Im[−1/(ɛ)] of PZT nanopowders was obtained by Kramers‐Kronig dispersion relations. The TO phonon frequency decreases with increasing crystallite size of the PZT samples. This effect does not happen at pH 8 to pH 9. As the crystallite size increased from 17.26 nm (at pH 5) to 27.25 nm (at pH 7), the LO‐TO splitting increased as well. This result showed that the optimum pH for absorption of IR radiation and optical application was at pH 7.
Emerging role of exosome signalling in maintaining cancer stem cell dynamic equilibrium
Authors: Sun Zhen , Wang Li , Dong Lihua , Wang Xiujie 
Published: May 2018

AbstractCancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of heterogeneous cells existed in tumour tissues or cancer cell lines with self‐renewal and differentiation potentials. CSCs were considered to be responsible for the failure of conventional therapy and tumour recurrence. However, CSCs are not a static cell population, CSCs and non‐CSCs are maintained in dynamic interconversion state by their self‐differentiation and dedifferentiation. Therefore, targeting CSCs for cancer therapy is still not enough,exploring the mechanism of dynamic interconversion between CSCs and non‐CSCs and blocking the interconversion seems to be imperative. Exosomes are 30‐100 nm size in diameter extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by multiple living cells into the extracellular space. They contain cell‐state‐specific bioactive materials, including DNA, mRNA, ncRNA, proteins, lipids, etc. with their specific surface markers, such as, CD63, CD81, Alix, Tsg101, etc. Exosomes have been considered as information carriers in cell communication between cancer cells and non‐cancer cells, which affect gene expressions and cellular signalling pathways of recipient cells by delivering their contents. Now that exosomes acted as information carriers, whether they played role in maintaining dynamic equilibrium state between CSCs and non‐CSCs and their mechanism of activity are unknown. This review summarized the current research advance of exosomes’ role in maintaining CSC dynamic interconversion state and their possible mechanism of action, which will provide a better understanding the contribution of exosomes to dedifferentiation and stemness acquisition of non‐CSCs, and highlight that exosomes might be taken as the attractive target approaches for cancer therapeutics.
The correlation between intensive care unit attending physician continuity of care with financial and clinical outcomes
Authors: Selvam Pooja V. , Furqan Muhammad M. , York Sarah , Vaidya Dhananjay , Hoang Etter , Trost Jeffrey C. , Williams Marlene S. , Chandra‐Strobos Nisha , Zakaria Sammy 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPurpose“Attending rotations” on intensive care unit (ICU) services have been in place in most teaching hospitals for decades. However, the ideal frequency of patient care handoffs is unknown. Frequent attending physician handoffs could result in delays in care and other complications, while too few handoffs can lead to provider burnout and exhaustion. Therefore, we sought to determine the correlation between frequency of attending shifts with ICU charges, 30‐day readmission rates, and mortality rates.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study at a large, urban, academic community hospital in Baltimore, MD. We included patients admitted into the cardiac or medical ICUs between September 1, 2012, and December 10, 2015. We tracked the number of attending shifts for each patient and correlated shifts with financial outcomes as a primary measure.ResultsFor any given ICU length of stay, we found no distinct association between handoff frequency and charges, 30‐day readmission rates, or mortality rates.ConclusionsDespite frequent handoffs in care, there was no objective evidence of care compromise or differences in cost. Further validation of these observations in a larger cohort is justified.
On Quality and Variety Bias in Aggregate Prices
Authors: HAMANO MASASHIGE , ZANETTI FRANCESCO 
Published: May 2018

AbstractHow do product variety and quality affect the aggregate price bias? We develop a general equilibrium model that accounts for the joint interaction of product quality and variety. Our findings show that the aggregate price bias is procyclical and the contribution of product variety is persistent whereas the contribution of product quality becomes countercyclical in the medium to long run. We show that accounting for product quality and variety has critical implications on the measure of cyclical fluctuations. Measurements of cyclical fluctuations derived using the consumption deflator, which abstracts from changes in product quality and variety, underestimate the variables' true volatility.