bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Perceived health of patients with common variable immunodeficiency – a cluster analysis
Authors: Bayrhuber M , Tinsel I , Goldacker S , Kindle G , Warnatz K , Farin E , Nieters A 
Published: January 2019

Summary
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a complex disease with various influences on perceived health, which correlate with different outcomes, including new morbidity and mortality. Our hypothesis was that CVID patients fall into distinct clusters of perceived health which can inform care. Ward hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means cluster analysis were performed on data of 209 CVID patients to identify subgroups regarding their self-reported physical and mental health status, assessed by the physical (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS) of the Short Form-12 (SF-12). Four clusters of CVID-patients were identified. Cluster 1 was the largest cluster, characterized by a relatively high physical and mental health status (44·0%). In contrast, cluster 2 (21·1%) included patients with low physical and mental health status. Clusters 3 and 4 were mixed groups with high mental and low physical health (15·8%) and vice versa (19·1%). Significant differences between the clusters were found for patient-reported outcomes such as work ability and health literacy, but not for CVID-associated complications such as enteropathy, interstitial lung disease, granulomatosis, lymphadenopathy and autoimmune cytopenia or laboratory parameters such as immunoglobulin levels or B cell-based classification. The results suggest different subgroups of CVID patients with contrasting individual needs which, surprisingly, did not differ in clinical or laboratory characteristics. The main finding of this study is that patients with CVID fall into four distinct clusters according to perceived health, which are largely independent of CVID complications.
Arthropod communities in fungal fruitbodies are weakly structured by climate and biogeography across European beech forests
Authors: Friess Nicolas , Müller Jörg C. , Aramendi Pablo , Bässler Claus , Brändle Martin , Bouget Christophe , Brin Antoine , Bussler Heinz , Georgiev Kostadin B. , Gil Radosław , Gossner Martin M. , Heilmann‐Clausen Jacob , Isacsson Gunnar , Krištín Anton , Lachat Thibault , Larrieu Laurent , Magnanou Elodie , Maringer Alexander , Mergner Ulrich , Mikoláš Martin , Opgenoorth Lars , Schmidl Jürgen , Svoboda Miroslav , Thorn Simon , Vandekerkhove Kris , Vrezec Al , Wagner Thomas , Winter Maria‐Barbara , Zapponi Livia , Brandl Roland , Seibold Sebastian 
Published: January 2019

AbstractAimThe tinder fungusFomes fomentariusis a pivotal wood decomposer in European beechFagus sylvaticaforests. The fungus, however, has regionally declined due to centuries of logging. To unravel biogeographical drivers of arthropod communities associated with this fungus, we investigated how space, climate and habitat amount structure alpha and beta diversity of arthropod communities in fruitbodies ofF. fomentarius.LocationTemperate zone of Europe.TaxonArthropods.MethodsWe reared arthropods from fruitbodies sampled from 61 sites throughout the range of European beech and identified 13 orders taxonomically or by metabarcoding. We estimated the total number of species occurring in fruitbodies ofF. fomentariusin European beech forests using the Chao2 estimator and determined the relative importance of space, climate and habitat amount by hierarchical partitioning for alpha diversity and generalized dissimilarity models for beta diversity. A subset of fungi samples was sequenced for identification of the fungus’ genetic structure.ResultsThe total number of arthropod species occurring in fruitbodies ofF. fomentariusacross European beech forests was estimated to be 600. Alpha diversity increased with increasing fruitbody biomass; it decreased with increasing longitude, temperature and latitude. Beta diversity was mainly composed by turnover. Patterns of beta diversity were only weakly linked to space and the overall explanatory power was low. We could distinguish two genotypes ofF. fomentarius,which showed no spatial structuring.Main conclusionFomes fomentariushosts a large number of arthropods in European beech forests. The low biogeographical and climatic structure of the communities suggests that fruitbodies represent a habitat that offers similar conditions across large gradients of climate and space, but are characterized by high local variability in community composition and colonized by species with high dispersal ability. For European beech forests, retention of trees withF. fomentariusand promoting its recolonization where it had declined seems a promising conservation strategy.
Regional Financial Arrangements in the Global Financial Safety Net: The Arab Monetary Fund and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development
Authors: Fritz Barbara , Mühlich Laurissa 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTThe so‐called global financial safety net provides backstop insurance during financial crises. The three elements of the global safety net — the IMF, regional financial arrangements (RFAs) and bilateral swap agreements — underwent substantial changes after the global financial crisis. How have these changes influenced their use? What role do RFAs have in the safety net? This contribution addresses these questions by examining the timeliness, volume and policy conditionality of liquidity provision of each of the three elements, using a data set of 50 RFA member countries from the period 1976–2015. The article presents case studies of the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) to create a deeper institutional understanding of the governance mechanisms of regional funds. The authors find that today's global financial safety net produces inequalities in emergency liquidity provision. In terms of volume, RFAs improve the safety net only for small member countries — about one‐third of the countries in the sample can access sufficient liquidity regionally. The experiences of AMF and EFSD demonstrate that intra‐regional asymmetries of RFAs play a contradictory role: while the participation of large economies leverages liquidity provision, it simultaneously creates difficulties for the governance of the regional body.
Regime Complexity and the Institutions of Crisis and Development Finance
Authors: Henning C. Randall 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTThe theory of regime complexity offers a useful lens through which to analyse the increasing density of international institutions and the patterns of conflict and cooperation among them. Scholarship on crisis and development finance would benefit from more fully employing this approach to explain the emergence of overlapping institutions and offer recommendations for designing regime complexes. The theory advanced here emphasizes the strategies of key states to use institutional overlap to limit agency ‘drift’ away from their preferences. Prioritizing control often comes at the cost of conflict among the institutions, however, and can thus impede the achievement of financial stability and development goals. The regime complexity approach is distinct from the rational design of institutions, institutional experimentalism and theoretical realism. Drawing on lessons from the euro crisis, this article offers informed conjectures on financial arrangements in the regions of Latin America and East Asia and their interaction with global multilateral institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund.
The (Ineffective) Financial Statecraft of China's Bilateral Swap Agreements
Authors: McDowell Daniel 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTSince 2008, the People's Bank of China has signed bilateral swap agreements (BSAs) with 35 foreign central banks. Collectively, these deals amount to nearly US$ 500 billion in Chinese renminbi (RMB) available to Beijing's foreign partners. What has led China to be so aggressive in its efforts to sign so many swap agreements? What are the political economic implications of the swap programme for the US‐centric global economic order? China's BSAs can be understood as a form of financial statecraft: the use of national financial and monetary capabilities to achieve foreign policy ends. China has deployed BSAs for both defensive and offensive reasons. Defensively, Beijing has sought to use BSAs to promote trade settlement in RMB thereby reducing China's vulnerability to the dollar's structural dominance in trade. Yet, as explained in this article, they have been ineffective in this regard. Offensively, Beijing has used BSAs as a short‐term liquidity backstop outside of the Bretton Woods institutions for partner countries in need. Here, there is greater potential for BSAs to impact the status quo economic order by enhancing Chinese economic influence. However, their potential is dependent on Beijing's willingness to act as a unilateral crisis lender and its ability to further internationalize the RMB.
The relationship between attaining formal qualifications at older ages and outcomes related to active ageing
Authors: Desjardins Richard 
Published: January 2019

AbstractActive ageing has become a policy concept that serves as an important response to the ageing of many societies, primarily because it is thought to lead to positive outcomes such as increased employment, productivity, health and other well‐being into older ages. This article presents results of an analysis of the relationship between attaining qualifications at older ages and active ageing in later life. The analysis is based on data made available by the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Results of the analysis show that adults who attain higher levels of qualifications in mid to later life are associated with an increased probability of, being employed, participating in continued learning, and scoring higher on the PIAAC literacy scale when they are older. The findings suggest that open and flexible formal education structures at all levels is good for activating the population to be employed, to engage in continued learning and to develop and maintain literacy skills into older ages.
Barriers to hybridisation and their conservation implications for a highly threatened Australian fish species
Authors: Moy Karl G. , Unmack Peter J. , Lintermans Mark , Duncan Richard P. , Brown Culum 
Published: January 2019

AbstractHybridisation and introgression are natural phenomena that may lead to the transfer of adaptive alleles from one species to another and increased species diversity. At the same time, hybridisation and subsequent introgression threaten many species world‐wide through the loss of genetic and species diversity. In Australia, introgressive hybridisation between native and alien species has not typically been considered a significant threat to native biodiversity because of the taxonomic distance between native and alien biota. However, many native fish have been introduced outside their natural range. Recently, four taxa in the genus Melanotaenia have been nationally listed as threatened due to introgressive hybridisation with introduced Melanotaenia splendida. We examined pre‐ and post‐zygotic barriers to hybridisation between M. splendida and one of these threatened taxa—Running River rainbowfish (RRR)—to assess the potential for hybridisation to occur. We used dichotomous mate choice experiments to examine pre‐zygotic barriers and mating experiments to examine post‐zygotic barriers. Size was not a significant predictor of the proportion of time subjects spent with a potential mate, nor was there any significant difference in the amount of time subjects spent with potential mates of their own or the opposite species. Eggs from hybrid pairings with female RRR had a slightly higher hatching rate than those from hybrid pairings with female M. splendida, but neither were significantly different from intraspecies crosses. We could not identify any definite barriers to hybridisation, demonstrating that the introduction of “native” fish species outside their natural range poses a higher risk of hybridisation than previously thought. We call for better education around the consequences of moving “native” fish and the development of rapid response plans to deal with recently established alien populations of Australian fish species in order to prevent future extinctions due to introgressive hybridisation.
Uncovering predictability in the evolution of the WTI oil futures curve
Authors: Kearney Fearghal , Shang Han Lin 
Published: January 2019

AbstractAccurately forecasting the price of oil, the world's most actively traded commodity, is of great importance to both academics and practitioners. We contribute by proposing a functional time series based method to model and forecast oil futures. Our approach boasts a number of theoretical and practical advantages, including effectively exploiting underlying process dynamics missed by classical discrete approaches. We evaluate the finite‐sample performance against established benchmarks using a model confidence set test. A realistic out‐of‐sample exercise provides strong support for the adoption of our approach, which resides in the superior set of models in all considered instances.
Does Work–Family Conflict Vary According to Community Resources?
Authors: Young Marisa 
Published: January 2019

ObjectiveTo examine the gendered impact of community on work–family conflict (WFC) and whether respondents with young children benefit more from community resources compared with other residents.BackgroundStudies suggest that the gender gap in WFC is decreasing. Most attribute this trend to individual‐level antecedents of work and family. However, these explanations do not take into account important community‐level components—specifically, men's and women's differential access to and use of community resources.MethodIndividual‐level data from 1,702 Canadians matched to census‐level data from the Canadian census were used, and hierarchical linear modeling techniques were employed.ResultsKey findings were that women and parents with young children experience more conflict in less resourced communities, and collective efficacy affected men's and women's reports of WFC, but in opposite, nonlinear ways: At higher levels of collective efficacy, women reported heightened conflict. For men, this pressure was only felt when efficacy levels were high.ConclusionThere are important gender distinctions in reported WFC depending on one's community resources. In some circumstances, these resources are more beneficial for women than men and matter differently for parents with young children compared with those without young children.ImplicationsThese findings help inform community and policy‐based initiatives aimed at reducing residents' experiences of WFC, underscoring the utility of promoting efficacious communities.
Flexural fatigue damage analyses of recycled rubber‐modified epoxy‐based composites reinforced with alumina fibres
Authors: Irez Alaeddin Burak , Bayraktar Emin , Miskioglu Ibrahim 
Published: January 2019

AbstractManufacturers have been working towards finding clean and cost‐efficient solutions by utilizing recycled materials to produce new components. Recycled rubber is one such material widely used in aeronautic and automotive industries. In this study, fresh scrap ethylene‐propylene‐diene‐monomer (EPDM) rubber is mixed with epoxy to manufacture novel composites with the addition of alumina (Al2O3) fibres. These composites can potentially be used to manufacture components subjected to cyclic loading, and to ensure reliability of such components, fatigue behaviour of these composites should be evaluated. This article describes the manufacturing of recycled rubber‐modified epoxy‐based ternary composites and their fatigue behaviour as well as toughening mechanisms. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to determine thermomechanical properties. Three‐point bending and flexural fatigue tests and Shore D hardness measurements were carried out to determine mechanical properties. After static/fatigue fracture, fracture surfaces were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine toughening mechanisms in these composites.
The Laurentian Great Lakes: A case study in ecological disturbance and climate change
Authors: McKenna James E. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractClimate change effects are already significant, but can also magnify other ecological problems. This can be clearly seen in the Laurentian Great Lakes, which have suffered habitat degradation, fishery overharvest and dramatic alterations by invasive species. Thermal changes are expected to cause extensive loss of suitable fish habitat, and changing precipitation patterns will aggravate the problems with our highly modified lotic and lentic systems. A brief summary of the historic ecological context provided by the Great Lakes case is presented, followed by the descriptions of selected tools that help to understand and evaluate both ecological and climate change problems. Species distribution models and habitat classification combined with climate change predictions can identify the distribution and extent of optimal habitats, and identify which are most vulnerable to climate change. Ecological flow modelling can help to identify when critical flow changes are likely. Mechanistic simulation modelling specifies understanding of how aquatic systems function and can reveal cause and effect relationships. These tools can be used to help managers to protect optimal habitat, resist climate change effects to other habitats and adapt cultural systems to climate‐altered aquatic systems.
Stoichiometry of regenerated nutrients differs between native and invasive freshwater mussels with implications for algal growth
Authors: Benelli Sara , Bartoli Marco , Zilius Mindaugas , Vybernaite‐Lubiene Irma , Ruginis Tomas , Vaiciute Diana , Petkuviene Jolita , Fano Elisa A. 
Published: January 2019

Abstract

Filter‐feeding mussels couple benthic and pelagic environments and create biogeochemical hot spots. Mussels may exert either top‐down control (via filtration) or bottom‐up stimulation (via biodeposition and excretion) of primary producers. Mussel metabolism may be species‐specific and the disappearance of native species or their replacement by invasive species may affect ecosystem functioning, notably gas exchange, nutrient fluxes, and stoichiometry at the sediment–water interface.

In this study, we tested experimentally how native (unionids) and invasive (dreissenids) mussels, singly and in association, affect benthic fluxes of dissolved gas and nutrients in the light and in the dark, and indirectly phytoplankton growth from a freshwater estuary, the Curonian Lagoon, where the two species of mussel coexist.

We show that native and invasive mussels stimulated O2 consumption and the production of total dissolved inorganic carbon and N2 increasing sediment heterotrophy and nutrient regeneration, with species‐specific effects on nutrient stoichiometry and algal growth. Ammonium and SiO2 exchanges were similar for both species, while soluble reactive phosphorus fluxes and excretion rates were significantly higher in sediments with dreissenids. Phytoplankton growth was also significantly higher in the presence of dreissenids as compared to unionids. Dreissenid mussels decreased the dissolved inorganic N to P ratio of regenerated nutrients and may favour the growth of cyanobacteria.

Hence, the replacement of native with invasive mussels may produce large changes in benthic nutrient cycling and in phytoplankton growth and community composition.
Environmental controls on benthic food web functions and carbon resource use in subarctic lakes
Authors: Kivilä E. Henriikka , Luoto Tomi P. , Rantala Marttiina V. , Kiljunen Mikko , Rautio Milla , Nevalainen Liisa 
Published: January 2019

Abstract

Climate warming and consequent greening of subarctic landscapes increase the availability of organic carbon to the detrital food webs in aquatic ecosystems. This may cause important shifts in ecosystem functioning through the functional feeding patterns of benthic organisms that rely differently on climatically altered carbon resources.

Twenty‐five subarctic lakes in Finnish Lapland across a tree line ecotone were analysed for limnological and optical variables, carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope (SI) composition of surface sediment organic matter (OM) and fossil Chironomidae (Diptera) remains to examine environmental controls behind chironomid functional feeding group (FFG) structure and their isotopic associations for assessing ecosystem functioning and carbon utilisation. We hypothesise that the chironomid SI signatures reflect increased allochthony with increasing allochthonous input, but the resource use may be altered by the functional characteristics of the assemblage.

Multivariate analyses indicated that carbon geochemistry in the sediments (δ13C, δ15N, C/N), nutrients, indices of productivity (chlorophyll‐a) and lake water optical properties, related to increasing presence of OM, played a key role in defining the chironomid FFG composition and isotopic signatures.

Response modelling was used to examine how individual FFGs respond to environmental gradients. They showed divergent responses for OM quantity, dissolved organic carbon and nutrients between feeding strategies, suggesting that detritivores and filter feeders prefer contrasting carbon and nutrient conditions, and may thus hold paleoecological indicator potential to identify changes between different carbon fluxes.

Benthic production was the primary carbon source for the chironomid assemblages according to a three‐source SI mixing model, whereas pelagic and terrestrial components contributed less. Between‐lake variability in source utilisation was high and controlled primarily by allochthonous OM inputs.

Combination of biogeochemical modelling and functional classification is useful to widen our understanding of subarctic lake ecosystem functions and responses to climate‐driven changes in limnology and catchment characteristics for long‐term environmental change assessments and functional paleoecology.
Muscle wasting and branched‐chain amino acid, alpha‐ketoglutarate, and ATP depletion in a rat model of liver cirrhosis
Authors: Holeček Milan , Vodeničarovová Melita 
Published: January 2019

SummaryThe aim of the study was to examine whether a rat model of liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a suitable model of muscle wasting and alterations in amino acid metabolism in cirrhotic humans. Rats were treated by intragastric gavage of CCl4 or vehicle for 45 days. Blood plasma and different muscle types—tibialis anterior (mostly white fibres), soleus (red muscle) and extensor digitorum longus (white muscle) ‐ were analysed at the end of the study. Characteristic biomarkers of impaired hepatic function were found in the plasma of cirrhotic animals. The weights and protein contents of all muscles of CCl4‐treated animals were lower when compared with controls. Increased concentrations of glutamine (GLN) and aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) and decreased concentrations of branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA), glutamate (GLU), alanine and aspartate were found in plasma and muscles. In the soleus muscle, GLN increased more and GLU and BCAA decreased less than in the extensor digitorum and tibialis muscles. Increased chymotrypsin‐like activity (indicating enhanced proteolysis) and decreased α‐ketoglutarate and ATP levels were found in muscles of cirrhotic animals. ATP concentration also decreased in blood plasma. It is concluded that a rat model of CCl4‐induced cirrhosis is a valid model for the investigation of hepatic cachexia that exhibits alterations in line with a theory of role of ammonia in pathogenesis of BCAA depletion, citric cycle and mitochondria dysfunction, and muscle wasting in cirrhotic subjects. The findings indicate more effective ammonia detoxification to GLN in red than in white muscles.