bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Economic selection index in small rural dairy farms
Authors: Yokoo Marcos Jun-Iti , Seno Leonardo de Oliveira , Oliveira Luiza Corrêa , Costa Pedro U N da , Silva Gustavo M da , Suñé Renata W , Cardoso Fernando Flores 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to calculate economic values (EVs) and economic selection indices for milk production systems in small rural properties. The traits 305-d milk yield in kg (MY), fat (FP) and protein (PP) percentage, daily fat (FY) and protein (PY) yield, cow live weight in kg (LW), calving interval (CI), and logarithm of daily somatic cell count (SCC) in milk were considered the goals and selection criteria. The production systems were identified from 29 commercial properties based on the inventory of revenues and costs and of zootechnical field data. Later, bioeconomic models were developed to calculate the productive performance, revenues, and costs concerning milk production to estimate EVs, which were calculated as the difference in annual profit with dairy production resulting from a change in one unit of the trait while keeping the others constant and dividing the value by the number of cows. After the EVs were known, ten economic selection indices were estimated for each system so they could be compared by modifying the selection criteria and calculating the relative importance of each selection criteria, the accuracy of the economic selection index, and response expected to the selection in USD, among other parameters. One of the systems detected was called less intensive (LS) and was characterized by having ten cows in lactation that produced 13·5 l/d and consumed 1·8 kg of concentrate/d. The second system detected was called more intensive (IS) and had 22 cows in lactation that produced 17·5 l/d and consumed 3·4 kg of concentrate/d. Monthly profits per cows in lactation of USD 2·60 and USD 68·77 were recorded for LS and IS, respectively. The EVs of the traits MY, FP, and PP were all positive, while for the other traits they were all negative in all situations. The best economic selection indices were those featuring selection criteria MY, LW, and CI, while the trait LW had the greatest importance in both systems. These results indicate that animal frame must be controlled in order to maximize the system's profit.
Re-Emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Armenia – first molecular diagnosis of clinical samples
Authors: Sukiasyan Anna , Keshishyan Ara , Manukyan Dezdemonia , Melik-Andreasyan Gayane , Atshemyan Liana , Apresyan Hripsime , Strelkova Margarita , Frohme Marcus , Cortes Sofia , Kuhls Katrin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) was firstly reported in Armenia in 1913. Following a considerable increase of the number of cases until the mid 1950s, the disease disappeared after 1969 and re-emerged in 1999. Scientific literature about VL in Armenia is available only in Russian or Armenian. This paper presents a historical overview about leishmaniasis in Armenia based on this literature as well as an epidemiological update since the re-emergence of the disease. In 1999–2016, 116 indigenous VL cases were recorded mainly in children in 8 of the 11 districts, however, VL is underreported because of lack of trained medical personal and diagnostic facilities. The aim of this work was to apply for the first time molecular diagnosis of VL in Armenia. Out of 25 VL suspected patients, 22 were positive by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping using internal transcribed spacer 1-PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing identified the causative agent of VL in Armenia as Leishmania infantum. The present work is an important step towards the inclusion of molecular techniques in the current diagnosis of VL in Armenia and the establishment of local molecular diagnostic facilities.
Maternal history of childhood maltreatment and later parenting behavior: A meta-analysis
Authors: Savage Laura-Émilie , Tarabulsy George M. , Pearson Jessica , Collin-Vézina Delphine , Gagné Lisa-Marie 
Published: February 2019

AbstractExposure to maltreatment during childhood (CM) can have deleterious effects throughout the life span of an individual. A parent's history of child maltreatment can also impact his or her own parenting behavior. Theoretically, parents who experienced maltreatment as children may have fewer resources to cope with the challenges of childrearing and may adopt more problematic parenting behaviors. However, empirical studies examining the association between CM and later parenting behavior have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis of studies that have examined the association between exposure to CM and the subsequent parenting outcomes of mothers of 0- to 6-year-old children. A secondary aim is to examine the potential impact of both conceptual and methodological moderators. A total of 32 studies (27 samples, 41 effect sizes, 17,932 participants) were retained for analysis. Results revealed that there is a small but statistically significant association between maternal exposure to CM and parenting behavior (r = –.13, p < .05). Moderator analyses revealed that effect sizes were larger when parenting measures involved relationship-based or negative, potentially abusive behaviors, when samples had a greater number of boys compared to girls, and when studies were older versus more recent. Results are discussed as they relate to the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment and abuse.
Intergenerational continuity/discontinuity of child maltreatment among low-income mother–child dyads: The roles of childhood maltreatment characteristics, maternal psychological functioning, and family ecology
Authors: St-Laurent Diane , Dubois-Comtois Karine , Milot Tristan , Cantinotti Michael 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDespite evidence of some intergenerational continuity of maltreatment, a notable proportion of parents maltreated in childhood do not perpetuate the cycle of maltreatment. The aim of this study was to identify factors that would distinguish mother–child dyads where intergenerational continuity was present from dyads characterized by intergenerational discontinuity. The sample included 193 children and their mothers, drawn from two populations: 74 maltreated children recruited through Child Protection Services and 119 nonmaltreated children recruited among low-income families. Factors investigated included maternal childhood maltreatment, psychological functioning, and family ecology. Compared to maltreated mothers who broke the cycle of maltreatment, those who perpetuated the cycle were more likely to have experienced childhood physical neglect and multitype maltreatment, and to experience sociodemographic risk, intimate partner violence, and lack of family support. Compared to nonmaltreated mothers who maintained a nonmaltreating child-rearing environment: (a) maltreated mothers who broke the cycle were more likely to experience residential instability and lack of family support, and (b) nonmaltreated mothers whose child was maltreated were more likely to experience sociodemographic risk and lack of family support. Maternal psychological functioning did not discriminate maltreatment groups. Lending empirical support to a diathesis-stress model of poor parenting, these findings suggest that family-ecology related stress, but not maternal psychological difficulties, may create additional burden that will precipitate the risk of maltreatment intergenerational continuity.
Randomized control trial report on the effectiveness of Group Attachment-Based Intervention (GABI©): Improvements in the parent–child relationship not seen in the control group
Authors: Steele Howard , Murphy Anne , Bonuck Karen , Meissner Paul , Steele Miriam 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis paper reports on a randomized control trial involving children less than 3 years old and their mothers who were regarded at risk of maltreating their children by referral agencies. Mothers’ risk status derived from a heavy trauma burden (average exposure over the first 18 years of their lives to 10 possible adverse childhood experiences [ACEs] was >5), mental health challenges (15%–28% had experienced a prior psychiatric hospitalization), and prior removal of a child to foster care (20%). Mothers were randomly assigned to either a widely used parenting class known as Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) or the Group Attachment-Based Intervention (GABI), a multifamily 26-week treatment. The resulting mother–child pairs available for consideration in this baseline versus end-of-treatment report were 35 families in the STEP arm and 43 families in the GABI arm. The focus of this paper is the outcome measure of observed parent–child relationship assessed with the Coding of Interactive Behavior (Feldman, 1998) collected at baseline and end of treatment. In comparison to STEP, results indicated that GABI was linked to significant improvements in maternal supportive presence and dyadic reciprocity, and significant declines in maternal hostility and dyadic constriction (proxies for risk of child maltreatment). These medium-to large-sized effects remained significant even after controlling for mothers’ prior ACEs in analysis of covariance procedures. In addition, two small interaction effects of ACEs by treatment type were found, underlining the need for, and value of, treatments that are sensitive to parents’ traumatic histories.
Determinants of voice recognition in monolingual and bilingual listeners
Authors: Theodore Rachel M. , Flanagan Erin G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRecent findings demonstrate a bilingual advantage for voice processing in children, but the mechanism supporting this advantage is unknown. Here we examined whether a bilingual advantage for voice processing is observed in adults and, if so, if it reflects enhanced pitch perception or inhibitory control. Voice processing was assessed for monolingual and bilingual adults using an associative learning identification task and a discrimination task in English (a familiar language) and French (an unfamiliar language). Participants also completed pitch perception, flanker, and auditory Stroop tasks. Voice processing was improved for the familiar compared to the unfamiliar language and reflected individual differences in pitch perception (both tasks) and inhibitory control (identification task). However, no bilingual advantage was observed for either voice task, suggesting that the bilingual advantage for voice processing becomes attenuated during maturation, with performance in adulthood reflecting knowledge of linguistic structure in addition to general auditory and inhibitory control abilities.
Simplified Sample Embedding and Polishing Methods for Preparing Hydrophilic, Fragile, or Solvent-Susceptible Materials for Thin Sections for Microscopic Analyses
Authors: Ueshima Masato , Sakanakura Hirofumi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn the preparation of thin sections for microscopy, embedding and polishing processes in particular can change the composition and morphologies of samples. Soils and ashes are very fragile and solvent-susceptible, and appropriate sample preparation procedures have not been well-established. To improve the existing preparation methods and make them easier and faster, we embedded freeze-dried blocks, polished, and then examined these thin-section samples using polarization microscopy, laser microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Appropriate thin-section samples can be prepared by: (1) rinsing with acetone and then embedding with Spurr resin along with repeated evacuation and ventilation, rather than conventional dehydration/replacement; (2) polishing using silicon carbide paper and diamond slurries, and then wiping with a cloth and a synthetic oil; and (3) slightly rinsing with 100% ethanol to remove the oil. The preparation method minimized contamination and pores, and showed flat surfaces and sometimes EBSD patterns. Freeze-drying has been claimed to cause the development of cracks due to ice crystal formation upon freezing, however, our method not only overcomes such problems for microscopic observation but saves substantial time, taking only 2 days in total to process a specimen, and requiring less than 1 g of resin and ~1 g of sample.
A Place at the Table? Parliamentary Committees, Witnesses and the Scrutiny of Government Actions and Legislation
Authors: Bochel Hugh , Berthier Anouk 
Published: February 2019

Issues of diversity in elected bodies have been highlighted in recent years, both with regard to elected representatives themselves, and, more recently, in respect of the treatment of those working in such institutions, especially women. This article focuses on another aspect of diversity, inequality and representation, the voices heard by parliamentary committees in their scrutiny of government actions and legislation.The article discusses the current position in the Scottish Parliament (and other UK legislatures) with, for example, around three-fifths of witnesses at Holyrood being male, and highlights both ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ factors that influence the make-up of committee witnesses. It also identifies a number of functions that witnesses can play for committees, and how these relate to diversity and representation, and suggests that there may be benefits to committees and legislatures in hearing from a wider range of voices.
Make federal food assistance rights-based
Authors: Anderson Molly D. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFederal food assistance in the USA is an agglomeration of programs, the legacy of charitable and needs-based approaches that have been in place since the 1930s. Moving toward a rights-based approach would overcome many of the problems of these programs, such as the stigma attached to receiving assistance, the fragmentation of different programs with different eligibilities and the disconnect between monitoring and strategies to reduce food insecurity. Although the USA has not accepted its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the right to adequate food and nutrition, steps can be taken regardless toward a rights-based approach at the federal, state and municipal levels. With federal recognition of the right to adequate food and nutrition and incorporation within the Nutrition Title, however, a complete reshaping of federal food policy would be possible.
MODAL LOGIC WITHOUT CONTRACTION IN A METATHEORY WITHOUT CONTRACTION
Authors: GIRARD PATRICK , WEBER ZACH 
Published: February 2019

AbstractStandard reasoning about Kripke semantics for modal logic is almost always based on a background framework of classical logic. Can proofs for familiar definability theorems be carried out using anonclassical substructural logicas the metatheory? This article presents a semantics for positive substructural modal logic and studies the connection between frame conditions and formulas, via definability theorems. The novelty is that all the proofs are carried out with anoncontractive logicin the background. This sheds light on which modal principles are invariant under changes of metalogic, and provides (further) evidence for the general viability of nonclassical mathematics.
Naval robots and rescue
Authors: Sparrow Robert , McLaughlin Rob , Howard Mark 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe development of unmanned systems (UMS) for naval combat poses a profound challenge to existing conventions regarding the treatment of the shipwrecked and wounded in war at sea. Article 18 of the 1949 Geneva Convention II states that warring parties are required to take “all possible measures” to search for and collect seamen left in the water after each engagement. The authors of the present paper analyze the ethical basis of this convention and argue that the international community should demand that UMS intended for roles in war at sea be provided with the capacity to make some contribution to search and rescue operations.
Energy Budget of Intermediate‐Depth Earthquakes in Northern Chile: Comparison With Shallow Earthquakes and Implications of Rupture Velocity Models Used
Authors: Derode B. , Campos J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe calculate well‐resolved corner frequencies and radiated energies for a set of 96 earthquakes divided into two clusters located in the same tectonic setting but with different depths in northern Chile. Fifty‐three shallow events with a mean depth of 20 km are analyzed, along with 43 intermediate‐depth earthquakes with a mean depth of 110 km. We deduce and compare their static (stress drop Δσ) and dynamic (rupture energy EG and radiation efficiency ηR) source parameters and test the implications of different common assumptions on their depth dependence, such as stress drop invariance, strain drop invariance, or constant rupture velocities. Our data show that, in this zone of Chile, most of these models imply higher rupture velocities at depth than for shallow earthquakes. In these cases, high stress drop, high fracture energy release rate, and higher radiation efficiency are observed for intermediate‐depth earthquakes, suggesting short and impulsive ruptures.
Decoupled Freshwater Transport and Meridional Overturning in the South Atlantic
Authors: Mignac D. , Ferreira D. , Haines K. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFreshwater transports (Fov) by the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) are sensitive to salinity distributions and may determine AMOC stability. However, climate models show large salinity biases, distorting the relation between Fov and the AMOC. Using free‐running models and ocean reanalyses with realistic salinities but quite different AMOCs, we show that the fresh Antarctic Intermediate Water layer eliminates salinity differences across the AMOC branches at ~1,200 m, ∆S1200m, which decouples Fov from the AMOC south of ~10°N. As the Antarctic Intermediate Water disappears north of ~10°N, a large ∆S1200m allows the AMOC to drive substantial southward Fov in the North Atlantic. In the South Atlantic the 0–300 m zonal salinity contrasts control the gyre freshwater transports Fgyre, which also determine the total freshwater transports. This decoupling makes the southern Fov unlikely to play any role in AMOC stability, leaving indirect Fgyre feedbacks or Fov in the north, as more relevant factors.
On the Relationship Between the Rate of Change of Total Electron Content Index (ROTI), Irregularity Strength (CkL), and the Scintillation Index (S4)
Authors: Carrano Charles S. , Groves Keith M. , Rino Charles L. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe present a new quantitative theory for the rate of change of total electron content index (ROTI) by noting its straightforward relationship to the phase structure function of ionospheric turbulence. The theory provides the dependence of ROTI on the sampling interval, satellite motion, propagation geometry, and the spectral shape, strength, anisotropy, and drift of the irregularities. We also present useful approximations to the full theory that elucidate the principal dependencies. We show, for example, that ROTI varies with the effective scan velocity (Veff) to the power ν − 1/2, where 2ν + 1 is the spectral index of the 3‐D irregularities. This dependence on Veff persists in the ratio of ROTI to the intensity scintillation index (S4), which thus depends on the particular viewing geometry for each satellite. While irregularity strength cancels when forming this ratio, the dependence on Fresnel scale remains. We validate the theory by comparing predictions of irregularity strength (CkL) and S4 from 1‐Hz ROTI measurements with calculations derived from 20‐Hz intensity samples collected at Ascension Island. The theory explains the observations well, except when the scan is directed nearly along the field‐aligned irregularities (within 20° of meridional). For cross‐field scans the standard deviations of the error in predicting S4 from 1‐Hz ROTI were 0.05, 0.11, and 0.14 for weak, moderate, and strong scintillation, respectively. These encouraging results suggest the possibility of using dense networks of inexpensive total electron content monitors to provide quantitative diagnostics of ionospheric scintillation and the irregularities that cause them.
Noneruptive Unrest at the Caldera of Alcedo Volcano (Galápagos Islands) Revealed by InSAR Data and Geodetic Modeling
Authors: Galetto Federico , Bagnardi Marco , Acocella Valerio , Hooper Andrew 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUnderstanding volcanic unrest is crucial to forecasting eruptions. At active mafic calderas unrest culminates in eruption more frequently than at felsic calderas. However, the mafic caldera of Alcedo Volcano (Ecuador) has experienced repeated episodes of unrest without erupting, since at least 1992, when geodetic monitoring began. Here we investigate the unrest that occurred between 2007 and 2011 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data and geodetic modeling. We observe an initial asymmetric uplift of the southern caldera floor (~30 cm of vertical motion) from 2007 to 2009, followed by subsidence of the uplifted area and contemporary uplift of the northwestern caldera rim between January and June 2010. Finally, from June 2010 through March 2011, caldera uplift resumed. The first uplift episode is best explained by inflation of a sill and the activation of an inner ring fault. Successive caldera subsidence and rim uplift are compatible with the withdrawal of magma from the previously inflated sill and its northwestern migration. The resumption of uplift is consistent with the repressurization of the sill. This evolution suggests episodic magma emplacement in a shallow reservoir beneath the caldera, with aborted lateral magma migration, probably due to the discontinuous supply from depth. This short‐term deformation pattern matches well geological observations showing a longer‐term (hundreds of years at least) asymmetric uplift of the caldera floor, culminating in a weak resurgence of ~30 m. We propose that the monitored episodes of uplift represent short‐term stages of the rarely observed incremental growth of a resurgent basaltic caldera.
Seasonal Precipitation Legacy Effects Determine the Carbon Balance of a Semiarid Grassland
Authors: Delgado‐Balbuena J. , Arredondo J. T. , Loescher H. W. , Pineda‐Martínez L. F. , Carbajal J. N. , Vargas R. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSemiarid grasslands are water‐limited ecosystems where precipitation (PPT) controls the onset and duration of the growing season; however, this variable does not fully explain interannual variability of productivity at temporal scales. We examined the relationship between PPT and carbon (C) fluxes in a semiarid grassland at both seasonal and interannual scales, as well as the role of lagged effects of PPT and asymmetric sensitivities of net ecosystem carbon exchange to PPT and its components (gross ecosystem exchange [GEE] and ecosystem respiration [ER]). Six years of continuous net ecosystem C exchange data measured with the eddy covariance technique and GEE estimated with 15 years of enhanced vegetation index and the gross primary productivity of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer were used. The semiarid grassland was a C source and a C sink among contrasting PPT years (114 to −107 g C·m−2·year−1). At seasonal scale, PPT relationship with the 15 years of GEE derived from enhanced vegetation index and gross primary productivity was sigmoidal. Moreover, PPT legacies of the previous dry season determined the C balance of the grassland by affecting the C uptake and ecosystem respiration of the following growing season, but productivity was more sensitive to PPT changes than respiration. Models of climate change for semiarid grasslands in North America predict up to 30% reduction of winter‐spring PPT and slight summer PPT decrease. Thus, our results suggest that future changes in PPT may have a strong impact on the C uptake capacity of this ecosystem due to weakened legacy effects in summer C uptake.