bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seed dispersal via a new watercourse in a reconnected floodplain: differences in species groups and seasonality
Authors: Schwab André , Stammel Barbara , Kiehl Kathrin 
Published: February 2018

Reconnection of floodplains to rivers to enhance fluvial dynamics is a favored method of floodplain restoration in Europe. It is believed that the restoration of hydrological conditions of the floodplain facilitates natural dispersal of target species, and hence the reestablishment, of typical plant communities. The aim of our study was to investigate whether floodplain target species could reach restoration sites via hydrochorous dispersal. We analyzed seed inflow from the river and seed dispersal in different sectors of a new watercourse in the Danube floodplain. Seeds were captured using 27 seed traps during three sampling periods of 3 weeks each from summer 2011 to spring 2012. After germination seedlings were identified, we detected a total of almost 39,000 seeds of 176 species, including 80 target species of riparian habitats. We found significant differences between seasons (most seeds in autumn/winter) and between stream sectors. Fewer seeds came in from the Danube (2,800 seeds) than were transported within the floodplain. Several new floodplain target species were detected, which had not been found in the aboveground vegetation or soil seed bank before the start of the restoration. Seeds of nonnative species did not disperse further than approximately 1 km. Our results indicated that hydrochorous seed dispersal from upstream habitats along the new watercourse was important for the establishment of target species and hence for the success of floodplain restoration. Technical water diversion weirs must be traversable for seeds, and small donor sectors upstream might enhance the reestablishment of target vegetation along new sectors downstream.
Agencies’ formal independence and credible commitment in the Latin American regulatory state: A comparative analysis of 8 countries and 13 sectors
Authors: Pavón Mediano Andrés 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThis article tests functional and institutional explanations for the different levels of formal independence of regulatory agencies in Latin America. The analysis is grounded in an original database of the formal independence level of 104 regulators in 8 countries and 13 regulatory sectors. The results challenge a central claim of the credible commitment hypothesis as they indicate that privatization is not a significant determinant of agency independence nor are utility regulators more likely to be independent than other economic regulators. Veto players are positively correlated with formal independence, indicating that in developing countries they operate together as credibility‐enhancing mechanisms, rather than as functional equivalents, as previous studies on developed countries have shown. Democratization is positively correlated with formal independence, whereas trade opening and vulnerability to international pressures has no significant impact. Hence, this article enhances the understanding of the delegation of regulatory powers to formally independent agencies in developing countries.
Variability in Cross‐Domain Risk Perception among Smallholder Farmers in Mali by Gender and Other Demographic and Attitudinal Characteristics
Authors: Cullen Alison C. , Anderson C. Leigh , Biscaye Pierre , Reynolds Travis W. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPrevious research has shown that men and women, on average, have different risk attitudes and may therefore see different value propositions in response to new opportunities. We use data from smallholder farm households in Mali to test whether risk perceptions differ by gender and across domains. We model this potential association across six risks (work injury, extreme weather, community relationships, debt, lack of buyers, and conflict) while controlling for demographic and attitudinal characteristics. Factor analysis highlights extreme weather and conflict as eliciting the most distinct patterns of participant response. Regression analysis for Mali as a whole reveals an association between gender and risk perception, with women expressing more concern except in the extreme weather domain; however, the association with gender is largely absent when models control for geographic region. We also find lower risk perception associated with an individualistic and/or fatalistic worldview, a risk‐tolerant outlook, and optimism about the future, while education, better health, a social orientation, self‐efficacy, and access to information are generally associated with more frequent worry—with some inconsistency. Income, wealth, and time poverty exhibit complex associations with perception of risk. Understanding whether and how men's and women's risk preferences differ, and identifying other dominant predictors such as geographic region and worldview, could help development organizations to shape risk mitigation interventions to increase the likelihood of adoption, and to avoid inadvertently making certain subpopulations worse off by increasing the potential for negative outcomes.
Relations between subdomains of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and quality of life in young adult men
Authors: Päivärinne V. , Kautiainen H. , Heinonen A. , Kiviranta I. 
Published: February 2018

To assess the relationship between physical activity (PA) in work, transport, domestic, and leisure‐time domains (with sitting time included) and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among young adult men. The long version of IPAQ and SF‐36 Health Survey were used to assess PA and HRQoL, respectively, in 1425 voluntary 20‐ to 40‐year‐old Finnish male participants. Participants were divided into tertiles (MET‐h/week): Lowest tertile (<38 MET‐h/week), Middle tertile (38‐100 MET‐h/week), and Highest tertile (>100 MET‐h/week). The IPAQ domain leisure‐time PA predicted positively the Physical Component Summary (PCS) (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.16) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.16) dimensions. Occupational PA predicted negative relationships in the PCS (β = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.19 to −0.07), and sitting time predicted negative relationships in the MCS dimension (β = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.18 to −0.07). In addition, a linear relationship was found between total PA level (including sitting time) and all of the IPAQ domains (<0.001). The Middle tertile had the highest leisure‐time PA (38% of total PA), whereas the highest sitting time (28%) and lowest occupational PA (8%) were found in the Lowest tertile. The Highest tertile had the highest occupational PA (61%), while the leisure‐time PA was the lowest (16%). Different PA domains appear to have positive and negative relationships to mental and physical aspects of HRQoL. Relatively high leisure‐time PA indicated a better HRQoL regardless of the amount of total PA, while occupational PA and higher daily sitting time related negatively to HRQoL.
Technical determinants of biathlon standing shooting performance before and after race simulation
Authors: Ihalainen Simo , Laaksonen Marko S. , Kuitunen Sami , Leppävuori Antti , Mikkola Jussi , Lindinger Stefan Josef , Linnamo Vesa 
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study was to identify performance‐determining factors in biathlon standing shooting in rest and after intense exercise. Eight Finnish national‐ and nine junior‐team biathletes participated in the study. Participants fired 40 resting shots (REST) and 2 × 5 competition simulation shots (LOAD) after 5 minutes of roller skiing at 95% of peak heart rate. Hit percentage, aiming point trajectory and postural balance were measured from each shot. Cleanness of triggering (ATV, movement of the aiming point 0‐0.2 second before the shot) and vertical stability of hold (DevY) were the most important components affecting shooting performance both in REST (DevY, R = −0.61, P < .01; ATV, R = −0.65, P < .01) and in LOAD (DevY, R = −0.50, P < .05; ATV, R = −0.77, P < .001). Postural balance, especially in shooting direction, was related to DevY and ATV. Stability of hold in horizontal (F(1,15) = 7.025, P < .05) and vertical (F(1,15) = 21.285, P < .001) directions, aiming accuracy (F(1,15) = 9.060, P < .01), and cleanness of triggering (F(1,15) = 59.584, P < .001) decreased from REST to LOAD, accompanied by a decrease in postural balance. National‐ and junior‐team biathletes differed only in hit percentage in REST (92 ± 8% vs 81 ± 8%, P < .05) and left leg postural balance in shooting direction in LOAD (0.31 ± 0.18 mm vs 0.52 ± 0.20 mm, P < .05), and the intense exercise affected the shooting technical components similarly in both national and junior groups. Biathletes should focus on cleanness of triggering and vertical stability of hold in order to improve biathlon standing shooting performance. More stable postural balance in shooting direction could help to improve these shooting technical components.
Longitudinal relations between behavioral inhibition and social information processing: Moderating role of maternal supportive reactions to children's emotions
Authors: Nozadi Sara S. , White Lauren K. , Degnan Kathryn A. , Fox Nathan A. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUtilizing multiple measures of interpretive biases, the current study examined the roles of toddlers’ behavioral inhibition (BI) and maternal supportive reactions to children's negative emotions in relation to children's interpretive biases across middle to late childhood. Toddlers’ BI was measured during several laboratory tasks (n = 248) at 2 and 3 years of age. Mothers reported on their reactions to children's negative emotional expressions when children were 7 years old (n = 203), and children's interpretations of social cues were assessed at 7 and 10 years of age (ns = 179 and 161, respectively). Toddlers with high levels of BI expressed less positivity toward social engagement with unfamiliar peers during discussion of ambiguous social situations. Further, children with high BI were less likely to attribute the cause of negative social situations to external factors, particularly when mothers were less accepting of children's negative emotional displays. Findings are discussed in terms of cognition related to the interpretation of ambiguous and threat‐related social situations among temperamentally at‐risk children.
Maternal disclosure and adolescent prosocial behavior: The mediating roles of adolescent disclosure and coping
Authors: Kil Hali , Grusec Joan E. , Chaparro Maria Paula 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn this study, we considered the impact of mothers' willingness to disclose about distressing events and rule transgressions on their adolescent children's willingness to disclose about similar events, as well as adolescents' ability to cope and to show concern for others. Mothers and their 12‐ to 14‐year‐old children (N = 125) were asked to say how likely they would be to talk about moderately distressing concerns as well as minor rule transgressions. Adolescent positive coping skills were also assessed. Teachers (N = 92) rated the adolescents' prosocial behaviors in the classroom. Adolescents' disclosure about distressing events and positive coping mediated the relation between maternal disclosure about distressing events and adolescent prosocial behavior. Further, maternal disclosure alone about both distressing events and rule transgressions was related to adolescent prosocial behavior through positive coping. These results suggest that mothers' willingness to talk about their own negative experiences can help children cope better and, ultimately, to show greater empathy and concern for others.
Prior ingestion of exogenous ketone monoester attenuates the glycaemic response to an oral glucose tolerance test in healthy young individuals
Authors: Myette‐Côté Étienne , Neudorf Helena , Rafiei Hossein , Clarke Kieran , Little Jonathan Peter 
Published: February 2018

Key points
The recent development of exogenous ketone supplements allows direct testing of the metabolic effects of elevated blood ketones without the confounding influence of widespread changes experienced with ketogenic diets or prolonged fasting.
In the present study, we determined the effect of (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyl (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate ketone monoester on the glycaemic response and insulin sensitivity index during a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in humans.
The results obtained show that consuming a ketone monoester supplement 30 min prior to an OGTT reduced the glycaemic response and markers of insulin sensitivity without affecting insulin secretion.
The findings of the present study provides evidence that ketone supplements could have therapeutic potential for future application as a glucose‐lowering nutritional supplement.
AbstractThe main objectives of the present study were: (i) to determine whether acute ingestion of ketone monoester (Kme); (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyl (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate impacts plasma glucose levels during a standardized oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and (ii) to compare changes in insulin concentrations and estimates of insulin sensitivity after acute Kme supplementation. Twenty healthy participants (n = 10 males/females) aged between 18 and 35 years took part in a randomized cross‐over study. After an overnight fast, participants consumed a Kme supplement (ΔG®; TΔS Ltd, UK, Oxford, UK; 0.45 ml kg−1 body weight) or placebo (water) 30 min before completing a 75 g OGTT. Blood samples were collected every 15–30 min over 2.5 h. The participants and study personnel performing the laboratory analyses were blinded to the study condition. Kme acutely raised blood d‐beta‐hydroxybutyrate (β‐OHB) to 3.2 ± 0.6 mm within 30 min with levels remaining elevated throughout the entire OGTT. Compared to placebo, Kme significantly decreased the glucose area under the curve (AUC; −16%, P = 0.001), non‐esterified fatty acid AUC (–44%, P < 0.001) and C‐peptide incremental AUC (P = 0.005), at the same time as improving oral glucose insulin sensitivity index by ∼11% (P = 0.001). In conclusion, a Kme supplement that acutely increased β‐OHB levels up to ∼3 mm attenuated the glycaemic response to an OGTT in healthy humans. The reduction in glycaemic response did not appear to be driven by an increase in insulin secretion, although it was accompanied by improved markers of insulin sensitivity. These results suggest that ketone monoester supplements could have therapeutic potential in the management and prevention of metabolic diseases.
Complete Sequence of the IncA/C
1
Plasmid pCf587 Carrying
bla
PER-2
from Citrobacter freundii
Authors: Ruggiero Melina , Girlich Delphine , Dabos Laura , Power Pablo , Naas Thierry , Gutkind Gabriel 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

The
bla
PER-2
-harboring plasmid pCf587 (191,541 bp) belongs to lineage IncA/C
1
and is closely related to pRA1. It contains a large resistance island including the
bla
PER-2
gene between two copies of IS
Kox2
-like elements, the toxin-antitoxin module
pemK-pemI
, several other resistance genes inserted within a Tn
2
transposon, a Tn
21
-like structure, and a class 1 integron. pCf587 belongs to sequence type 13 (ST13), a new plasmid multilocus sequence typing (pMLST) ST.
Insights into the Fundamental Physiology of the Uncultured Fe-Oxidizing Bacterium Leptothrix ochracea
Authors: Fleming E. J. , Woyke T. , Donatello R. A. , Kuypers M. M. M. , Sczyrba A. , Littmann S. , Emerson D. 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Leptothrix ochracea
is known for producing large volumes of iron oxyhydroxide sheaths that alter wetland biogeochemistry. For over a century, these delicate structures have fascinated microbiologists and geoscientists. Because
L. ochracea
still resists long-term
in vitro
culture, the debate regarding its metabolic classification dates back to 1885. We developed a novel culturing technique for
L. ochracea
using
in situ
natural waters and coupled this with single-cell genomics and nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrophotometry (nanoSIMS) to probe
L. ochracea
's physiology. In microslide cultures
L. ochracea
doubled every 5.7 h and had an absolute growth requirement for ferrous iron, the genomic capacity for iron oxidation, and a branched electron transport chain with cytochromes putatively involved in lithotrophic iron oxidation. Additionally, its genome encoded several electron transport chain proteins, including a molybdopterin alternative complex III (ACIII), a cytochrome
bd
oxidase reductase, and several terminal oxidase genes.
L. ochracea
contained two key autotrophic proteins in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, a form II ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, and a phosphoribulose kinase.
L. ochracea
also assimilated bicarbonate, although calculations suggest that bicarbonate assimilation is a small fraction of its total carbon assimilation. Finally,
L. ochracea
's fundamental physiology is a hybrid of those of the chemolithotrophic
Gallionella-
type iron-oxidizing bacteria and the sheathed, heterotrophic filamentous metal-oxidizing bacteria of the
Leptothrix-Sphaerotilus
genera. This allows
L. ochracea
to inhabit a unique niche within the neutrophilic iron seeps.

IMPORTANCE
Leptothrix ochracea
was one of three groups of organisms that Sergei Winogradsky used in the 1880s to develop his hypothesis on chemolithotrophy.
L. ochracea
continues to resist cultivation and appears to have an absolute requirement for organic-rich waters, suggesting that its true physiology remains unknown. Further,
L. ochracea
is an ecological engineer; a few
L. ochracea
cells can generate prodigious volumes of iron oxyhydroxides, changing the ecosystem's geochemistry and ecology. Therefore, to determine
L. ochracea
's basic physiology, we employed new single-cell techniques to demonstrate that
L. ochracea
oxidizes iron to generate energy and, despite having predicted genes for autotrophic growth, assimilates a fraction of the total CO
2
that autotrophs do. Although not a true chemolithoautotroph,
L. ochracea
's physiological strategy allows it to be flexible and to extensively colonize iron-rich wetlands.
Evaluation of the Elecsys Chagas Assay for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific Antibodies in a Multicenter Study in Europe and Latin America
Authors: Flores-Chavez Maria Delmans , Sambri Vittorio , Schottstedt Volkmar , Higuera-Escalante Fernando Aparicio , Roessler Dieter , Chaves Monica , Laengin Tina , Martinez Alfredo , Fleischer Bernhard 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Serology is the preferred method to confirm a Chagas disease diagnosis and to screen blood donors. A battery of assays is often required due to the limited accuracy of single assays. The Elecsys Chagas assay is a newly developed, double-antigen sandwich assay for use on the Elecsys and cobas e immunoassay analyzers, intended to identify individuals infected with
Trypanosoma cruzi
, for diagnosis and screening. The performance of the Elecsys Chagas assay was evaluated in comparison with those of other widely used
T. cruzi
antibody assays, at multiple sites (Europe/Latin America). Relative sensitivity and specificity were assessed by using samples from blood donors, pregnant women, and hospitalized patients from regions where Chagas disease is endemic and from regions of nonendemicity. The Elecsys Chagas assay had an overall relative sensitivity of 100% (
n
= 674). Overall relative specificities were 99.90% (
n
= 14,681), 100% (
n
= 313), and 100% (
n
= 517) for samples from blood donors, pregnant women, and hospitalized patients, respectively. The analytical specificity was 99.83% (
n
= 594). The Elecsys Chagas assay detected
T. cruzi
antibodies in two World Health Organization (WHO) standard
T. cruzi
reference panels (panels 09/188 and 09/186) at a 1:512 dilution, corresponding to a cutoff sensitivity of approximately 1 mIU/ml. The Elecsys Chagas assay demonstrated robust performance under routine conditions at multiple sites in Europe and Latin America. In contrast to other available Chagas assays, the Elecsys assay uses a reduced number of recombinant
T. cruzi
antigens, resulting in a significantly smaller number of cross-reactions and improved analytical specificity while being highly sensitive.
Global Influenza Hospital-based Surveillance Network (GIHSN): results of surveillance of influenza and other respiratory viruses in hospitalised patients in Brazil, 2015
Authors: Raboni Sonia M , Moura Fernanda EA , Caetano Braulia C , Avanzi Valéria M , Pereira Luciane A , Nogueira Meri B , Vidal Luine R , Tavares Isabel CF , Pradel Florence K , Picot Valentina S , Puig-Barbera Joan , Siqueira Marilda M 
Published: February 2018

BackgroundInfluenza-like illness occurs annually worldwide, with peak timing and severity varying seasonally, resulting in significant annual mortality.ObjectivesThere were three objectives: (1) to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory infection caused by influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORVs); (2) to report the influenza seasonality in the region and (3) to correlate findings of influenza circulation and immunisation time in Brazil.Patients/methodsThis study took place in three Brazilian hospitals located in cities with different climatic conditions (Curitiba (south), Rio de Janeiro (south-east) and Fortaleza (north-east)). Patients presenting with an acute process with indication for admission consisting of a predefined set of conditions potentially associated with recent influenza infection were enrolled.ResultsWe screened 1666 patients, with 595 meeting the inclusion criteria. Influenza viruses and ORVs were detected in 6.5% and 59% of patients, respectively. Influenza-positive cases fell into the severe spectrum as compared with those with ORVs (30% vs 11%), but without any difference in mortality rates. Epidemiological results revealed variations in the peak time of influenza infections between north-east (Fortaleza) and south (Curitiba) Brazil, basically following the rain period of each region. In north-east Brazil, viral circulation was prevalent in the first 4 months of the year, indicating that the vaccination campaign occurred in a postseasonal period, possibly explaining the low effectiveness.ConclusionsThe active-surveillance model is a valuable tool for investigating respiratory virus impact on hospitalised patients, with influenza-infection monitoring enabling implementation of adequate preventive measures.