bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Opportunistic bacteria and mass mortality in ungulates: lessons from an extreme event
Authors: Robinson Sarah , Milner‐Gulland E. J. , Grachev Yuri , Salemgareyev Albert , Orynbayev Mukhit , Lushchekina Anna , Morgan Eric , Beauvais Wendy , Singh Navinder , Khomenko Sergei , Cammack Rosie , Kock Richard 
Published: June 2019

AbstractMass mortality events in wildlife are a growing concern. Under conditions of rapid global change, opportunistic responses in bacterial commensals, triggered by environmental stressors, may be increasingly implicated in die‐offs. In 2015, over 200,000 saiga antelope died of hemorrhagic septicemia caused by the pathogen Pasteurella multocida serotype B. We use this case to explore die‐offs from commensal bacteria more broadly, looking at factors which might favor such extreme events. We review other recorded disease outbreaks caused by Pasteurellaceae organisms, firstly in saiga and secondly in other wild ungulates, and ask whether the 2015 die‐off was unprecedented in terms of mortality rates, numbers dead, spatial scale, and in the nature of the predisposing or environmental factors involved. We also compare these outbreaks with mass mortality events associated with commensal bacteria in wildlife more generally. We identify three additional major die‐offs in saiga in which Pasteurellaceae organisms may be implicated, of which one in 1988 closely resembles the 2015 hemorrhagic septicemia event. No other recorded cases in wild ungulates approach the magnitude of these cases for any of the metrics considered, possible exceptions being die‐offs in Mongolian gazelles, in which the role of these pathogens is poorly substantiated. Environmental triggers were the most commonly suggested factor leading to pathogenesis, with warm humid conditions most commonly associated with hemorrhagic septicemia. Life history may also be significant—saigas are migratory and the largest pasteurellosis outbreaks outside this species also occur in migratory species of bird or other temperate ungulates aggregating in large numbers. Cases provoked by other commensals tend to be small in magnitude. Exceptions involve interactions between multiple pathogens and climatic conditions or sets of climatic conditions acting on different stages of the host–pathogen life cycle, leading to time lags between infection and subsequent disease. Overall, the scale and rapidity of the saiga die‐offs appear unprecedented among mortality events caused by bacterial commensals in wild mammals. Experimental research into the genetics and microbiology of host–pathogen interactions upon changes in the external environment, and monitoring of animals and conditions at calving sites, may eventually reveal the underlying causes of these die‐offs.
Index‐based approach for estimating vulnerability of Arctic biota to oil spills
Authors: Nevalainen Maisa , Vanhatalo Jarno , Helle Inari 
Published: June 2019

AbstractRisk of an Arctic oil spill has become a global matter of concern. Climate change induced opening of shipping routes increases the Arctic maritime traffic which exposes the area to negative impacts of potential maritime accidents. Still, quantitative analyses of the likely environmental impacts of such accidents are scarce, and our understanding of the uncertainties related to both accidents and their consequences is poor. There is an obvious need for analysis tools that allow us to systematically analyze the impacts of oil spills on Arctic species, so the risks can be taken into account when new sea routes or previously unexploited oil reserves are utilized. In this paper, an index‐based approach is developed to study exposure potential (described via probability of becoming exposed to spilled oil) and sensitivity (described via oil‐induced mortality and recovery) of Arctic biota in the face of an oil spill. First, a conceptual model presenting the relevant variables that contribute to exposure potential and sensitivity of key Arctic marine functional groups was built. Second, based on an extensive literature review, a probabilistic estimate was assigned for each variable, and the variables were combined to an index representing the overall vulnerability of Arctic biota. The resulting index can be used to compare the relative risk between functional groups and accident scenarios. Results indicate that birds have the highest vulnerability to spilled oil, and seals and whales the lowest. Polar bears’ vulnerability varies greatly between seasons, while ice seals’ vulnerability remains the same in every accident scenario. Exposure potential of most groups depends strongly on type of oil, whereas their sensitivity contains less variation.
Negative impacts of summer heat on Sierra Nevada tree seedlings
Authors: Moran Emily V. , Das Adrian J. , Keeley Jon E. , Stephenson Nathan L. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractUnderstanding the response of forests to climate change is important for predicting changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services, including carbon storage. Seedlings represent a key demographic stage in these responses, because seedling establishment is necessary for population persistence and spread, and because the conditions allowing seedlings to survive and grow are often more restrictive than those adults can tolerate. However, detailed long‐term data on the responses of individual seedlings to climatic variation are rare. Here, we analyze a decade of seedling growth and survival data collected in 25 long‐term plots located in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. The forest types represented range from lower‐elevation mixed conifer, to red fir‐dominated, to high‐elevation western white pine stands. Twelve species, including two oaks and ten conifers, are found across these plots. Survival and transition to larger size classes are modeled within a Bayesian framework as a function of species, size, fire, and various climate variables. We initially expected that precipitation‐related variables would have a strong effect on seedling survival and growth in this Mediterranean‐climate region and that some species might respond positively to higher temperatures if they are adapted to warmer low‐elevation areas or to higher‐than‐average temperatures if they are high‐elevation species whose growing seasons are limited by cold. However, we found that higher July maximum temperature or temperature anomalies were associated with lower survival and growth for most species, while precipitation and snow effects were weaker and more variable. Higher precipitation had a positive effect on survival of most species, but snow effects and precipitation effects on growth could be negative. Given the estimated climate responses, under potential future scenarios of higher summer temperatures and altered precipitation, most species are predicted to have lower survival and reduced growth. This is likely to favor species that have relatively high survival and growth and less negative responses to climatic shift (such as several of the pines) and perhaps lead to a more open forest structure—or potentially transition to non‐forest vegetation types where seedling recruitment does not keep pace with adult mortality.
Great Lakes Cladophora harbors phylogenetically diverse nitrogen‐fixing microorganisms
Authors: Byappanahalli Muruleedhara N. , Nevers Meredith B. , Przybyla‐Kelly Katarzyna , Ishii Satoshi , King Timothy L. , Aunins Aaron W. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractNitrogen‐fixing microorganisms are among the epiphytic communities in Cladophora, potentially benefitting the algae in nutrient‐deficient waters, but their abundance and diversity remain unexplored. In this study, we determined the abundance and taxonomic composition of these nitrogen‐fixing microorganisms in Cladophora growing on rocks, breakwall structures, or submerged dreissenid mussel beds around southern Lake Michigan (N = 33) during the summer 2015, using two complementary genomic techniques: quantitative PCR (qPCR) and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Genomic DNA was extracted from processed algal pellets, and the nitrogen‐fixing microbes were quantified by qPCR by targeting the nifH gene. Mean nifH concentrations (log10 copy numbers/gram algae fresh weight ± SE) were 5.54 ± 0.09, ranging from 4.31 to 6.57. Mean nifH concentrations in water samples (log10 copy numbers/milliliter of water ± SE) were: 3.25 ± 0.06, ranging from 2.41 to 3.90. Shotgun sequencing of a subset of algal samples representing the four sampling locations (N = 10) revealed as many as 267 nifH reads from among the sequences of the 10 shotgun metagenomes (averaging 27 reads per metagenome), ranging from 5 to 91 reads from Jeorse Park (September) and North Beach (September) locations. Taxonomic assignment of nifH sequences identified members from bacteria and archaea domains showing a clear separation of reads at domain and lower taxonomic levels. Bacteria were relatively more abundant than archaea. Anabaena, Bradyrhizobium, Geobacter, Methylocystis, Oscillatoria sp., and Skermanella (all bacteria), and Methanoregula, Methanothrix, and Methanosarcina (archaea) were among the nitrogen‐fixing genera identified by the MEGAN Community Edition program. Collectively, these findings show that phylogenetically diverse nitrogen‐fixing microbial communities are part of the Cladophora microbiome, likely contributing to the algal nitrogen needs.
The influence of the fossil fuel and emission‐intensive industries on the stringency of mitigation policies: Evidence from the OECD countries and Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa
Authors: Stevens Daniela 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe article assesses the effects of different industrial sectors on the design of market‐based policies that mitigate climate change. It claims that the emission‐intensive and fossil fuel industries, especially those exposed to trade, have a negative impact on the stringency of domestic market‐based mitigation policies, namely, carbon taxes and Emission Trading Systems (ETS). To address endogeneity between industrial and policy outputs, the empirical analysis resorts to a nontraditional instrumental variable method constructing instruments with heteroskedastic errors in the data. With a dataset that covers 34 countries from 1990 to 2015, the analysis shows that there is a negative and statistically significant association between these industries and policy stringency, albeit in a differentiated way. Whereas the upstream fossil fuel industries have a negative relationship with carbon taxes, the power industry was only negatively associated with ETS. Emission‐intensive manufacturers and the downstream fossil fuels industry have a negative effect on both policies. The design and practical applications of each policy explain the disparities; although ETS regulate larger emission‐intensive installations such as power plants, carbon taxes tend to impose tariffs on activities that are not necessarily emission‐intensive, such as oil extraction or specific fuels. The results, robust to different estimation methods, support that larger industrial outputs are significantly associated with less stringent mitigation policies.
Direct Measurement of Acid Dissociation Constants of Trace Organic Compounds at Nanomolar Levels in Aqueous Solution by Condensed Phase–Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Feehan Jackelyn F. , Monaghan Joseph , Gill Chris G. , Krogh Erik T. 
Published: June 2019

Abstract
We report the use of condensed phase–membrane introduction mass spectrometry as a novel method for the determination of acid dissociation constants for hydrophobic organic acids in aqueous solution at nanomolar concentrations. The technique is based on the pH-dependent permeation of analytes through a semipermeable polydimethylsiloxane membrane probe that is immersed directly in aqueous samples. We describe the method and report the dissociation constant (pKa) values for compounds of biological and environmental relevance, including contaminants, pharmaceuticals, and naphthenic acids. The approach can be applied to individual compounds, combined suites, and complex mixtures at parts-per-billion levels. We report pKa values for 10 carboxylic acids with precision estimates and relative errors (where reliable literature values are available) of &lt;0.1 log units. We report acidity constants for 2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenyl butanoic acid (a biomarker for microcystin algal toxins) and 4-t-butylcyclohexane carboxylic acid (a model naphthenic acid) as 4.28 ± 0.03 and 5.15 ± 0.05, respectively. Furthermore, we employ this approach to measure the effect of both temperature and deuterium oxide (heavy water) on acid dissociation, reporting the enthalpy and entropy changes for the ionization of a representative carboxylic acid and substituted phenol. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1879–1889. © 2019 SETAC.
Understanding patients’ trust toward community healthcare providers under different primary care settings in China: Impact of hospital ownership and registration mode
Authors: Sun Na , Rau Pei‐Luen P. , Zhong Runting 
Published: June 2019

AbstractChina is currently undertaking healthcare reform, and promoting general practitioner (GP) practice is a major improvement. The key to the success of the GP practice is whether or not patients are willing to accept and trust in GPs in community healthcare centers (CHCs). The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of hospital ownership (public or private) and registration mode (registering with a CHC or a GP on patients’ trust in community health services. A user experiment was conducted, and 204 nonstudent participants were invited to finish simulated registration tasks in a self‐developed online registration system. Patients’ trust in CHCs, GPs, and GPs’ treatment outcomes was measured. The results indicated that patients had a significantly higher level of trust in private CHCs and private sector GPs, but they showed a higher level of trust in the treatment outcomes of public sector GPs due to the influence of their past medical experience seeing community doctors. The registration mode only influenced patients’ trust in GPs’ professional skills, that is, patients had a higher level of trust in GPs’ professional skills when registering with CHCs compared to registering with individual GPs.
Exergy analysis of a 1.2 MW waste heat power generation project
Authors: Hou Zhonglan , Shao Long , Wei Xinli , Ma Xinling , Wu Tan 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAccording to systematic features, analysis method based on exergy balance is established. Basic indicators in the system, the subsystem, and facilities are put forward in this paper. By using this method to analyze the generation system of megawatt‐scale in one chemical enterprise, it is found that the objective exergy efficiency of the system is 35.67%, and exergy loss of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is the highest. The thermal efficiency of the total system is 9.61%. For the condenser, the thermal efficiency is 91.18%, and the exergy efficiency is only 23.44%. The objective exergy efficiency of the evaporator is 74.04%. The influence coefficient of exergy loss of condenser is higher than that of pump and expander, but input exergy of the condenser is lower than that of the expander. It is revealed that ORC subsystem is the part which needs to be focused on, and the condenser is the most important component of ORC subsystem which should be optimized firstly.
Diagnostic and prognostic significance of mRNA expressions of apolipoprotein A and C family genes in hepatitis B virus‐related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Xiangkun , Gong Yizhen , Deng Teng , Zhang Linbo , Liao Xiwen , Han Chuangye , Yang Chengkun , Huang Jianlu , Wang Qiaoqi , Song Xiaowei , Zhang Tengfang , Yu Tingdong , Zhu Guangzhi , Ye Xinping , Peng Tao 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and lethal malignancies worldwide. Apolipoproteins (APOs) have been reported increasingly for their relationships with tumors. We aim at exploring the potential relationships of apolipoprotein A (APOA) and apolipoprotein C (APOC) family members with HCC.MethodsA data set, containing 212 hepatitis B virus‐related HCC patients, was used for analysis. The diagnostic and prognostic ability of APOA and APOC family genes was figured out. Risk score models and nomograms were developed for the HCC prognosis prediction. Moreover, molecular mechanism exploration were identified biological processes and metabolic pathways of these genes involved in. Validation analysis was carried out using online website.ResultsAPOA1, APOC1, APOC3, and APOC4 showed robust diagnosis significance (all P < 0.05). APOA4, APOC3, and APOC4 were associated with the overall survival (OS) while APOA4 and APOC4 were linked to recurrence‐free survival (RFS, all P ≤ 0.05). Risk score models and nomograms had the advantage of predicting OS and RFS for HCC. Molecular mechanism exploration indicated that these genes were involved in the steroid metabolic process, the PPAR signaling pathway, and fatty acid metabolism. Besides that, validation analysis revealed that APOC1 and APOC4 had an association with OS; and APOC3 was associated with OS and RFS (all P ≤ 0.05).ConclusionsAPOA1, APOC1, APOC3, and APOC4 are likely to be potential diagnostic biomarkers and APOC3 and APOC4 are likely to be potential prognostic biomarkers for hepatitis B virus‐related HCC. They may be involved in the steroid metabolic process, PPAR signaling pathway, and fatty acid metabolism.
Interfering with long chain noncoding RNA ANRIL expression reduces heart failure in rats with diabetes by inhibiting myocardial oxidative stress
Authors: Dai Wenxin , Lee Dongwon 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis study is performed to elucidate whether long‐chain noncoding RNA ANRIL has an effect on diabetes, and further explore the mechanism of ANRIL in diabetes. The rat model of diabetes was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The modeled rats were grouped into normal, diabetes, siRNA‐NC, and ANRIL siRNA groups. Besides, the expression of ANRIL, cardiac function, inflammatory factor levels, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and levels of oxidative stress index were all determined. Upregulated ANRIL was found in myocardial tissue of diabetic rats. Downregulated ANRIL improved cardiac function index and the expression of inflammatory factors, improved the pathological state of myocardial tissue and myocardial remodeling, decreased myocardial collagen deposition area and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and reduced the oxidative level of myocardial tissue in diabetic rats. This present study suggests that upregulated ANRIL is found in myocardial tissue of diabetic rats. Additionally, silencing of ANRIL reduces myocardial injury in diabetes by inhibiting myocardial oxidative stress.
The entrepreneurship of survival among urban adults experiencing homelessness and mental illness
Authors: Isaak Corinne A. , Reynolds Kristin , Sareen Jitender , Distasio Jino 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAimsUsing an entrepreneurship lens, this study examined the narratives of urban adults experiencing homelessness and living with mental illness, to explore strategies used for day‐to‐day survival.MethodsSemi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 females, 30 males, and one individual identifying as “other,” living in a mid‐sized Canadian city. The average age was 39 years. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis informed by grounded theory.FindingsParticipants described creative and intentional strategies for managing life on the street without permanent shelter, including recognition of opportunities, mobilization of their own or acquired resources, and use of social connections and communication skills, and strategies that demonstrated entrepreneurial processes.ConclusionsFindings suggest that participants used survival entrepreneurship strategies and processes to navigate daily life while experiencing homelessness. Recognition and validation of the propensity for enterprise and self‐sufficiency are central for both individual recovery and ending homelessness within similar populations.
Magnetite nanoparticles enhance the bioelectrochemical treatment of municipal sewage by facilitating the syntrophic oxidation of volatile fatty acids
Authors: Cruz Viggi Carolina , Casale Stefania , Chouchane Habib , Askri Refka , Fazi Stefano , Cherif Ameur , Zeppilli Marco , Aulenta Federico 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDMicrobial electrochemical technologies (METs) represent a novel platform to harvest the energy trapped in municipal wastewater. At the anode of METs, electro‐active bacteria (EAB) anaerobically oxidize wastewater constituents using the electrode as the terminal electron acceptor and, by so doing, generate an electric current. To convert complex wastewater constituents into electricity, EAB must not only establish syntrophic relationships with other members of the microbial community, but also compete with methanogens for consumption of hydrogen and acetate. Here, we examined the addition of magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) (250 mg Fe L−1) as a novel strategy to manipulate such metabolic interactions and in turn maximize the efficiency of wastewater treatment and the yield of electric current generation.RESULTSBatch experiments carried out either in the presence of a mixture of volatile fatty acids or of a synthetic sewage demonstrated that magnetite addition accelerate the rate of electrogenic oxidation of specific compounds, particularly propionate (up to 120%), an intermediate which frequently accumulates during anaerobic treatment processes, while correspondingly enhancing electric current generation (up to 90%), and diminishing the rate of competing methane generation (up to 50%). Notably, the composition of the microbial community was not substantially affected by the presence of magnetite nanoparticles, possibly suggesting that these latter facilitated extracellular electron transfer mechanisms (among microbes and with the electrode), rather than enriching conditions for specific microorganisms.CONCLUSIONThe addition of magnetite NPs may represent a practical strategy to kick‐start a bioelectrochemical system designed for wastewater treatment and improve the effectiveness of electrogenic substrate oxidation processes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry