bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Submicroscopic Plasmodium infection during pregnancy is associated with reduced antibody levels to tetanus toxoid
Authors: Álvarez-Larrotta C , Agudelo OM , Duque Y , Gavina K , Yanow SK , Maestre A , Carmona-Fonseca J , Arango E 
Published: September 2018

Summary
Submicroscopic Plasmodium infections in pregnancy are common in endemic areas, and it is important to understand the impact of these low-level infections. Asymptomatic, chronic infections are advantageous for parasite persistence, particularly in areas where the optimal eco-epidemiological conditions for parasite transmission fluctuate. In chronic infections, the persistence of the antigenic stimulus changes the expression of immune mediators and promotes constant immune regulation, including increases in regulatory T cell populations. These alterations of the immune system could compromise the response to routine vaccination. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of submicroscopic plasmodial infection with P. falciparum and P. vivax during pregnancy on the immune response to the tetanus toxoid vaccine in Colombian women. Expression of different cytokines and mediators of immune regulation and levels of anti-tetanus toxoid (TT) immunoglobulin (Ig)G were quantified in pregnant women with and without submicroscopic plasmodial infection. The anti-TT IgG levels were significantly lower in the infected group compared with the uninfected group. The expression of interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3) was significantly higher in the infected group, while the expression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was lower in the group of infected. In conclusion, submicroscopic Plasmodium infection altered the development of the immune response to the TT vaccine in Colombian pregnant women. The impact of Plasmodium infections on the immune regulatory pathways warrants further exploration.
Superpixel Generation by Agglomerative Clustering With Quadratic Error Minimization
Authors: Dong Xiao , Chen Zhonggui , Yao Junfeng , Guo Xiaohu 
Published: September 2018

AbstractSuperpixel segmentation is a popular image pre‐processing technique in many computer vision applications. In this paper, we present a novel superpixel generation algorithm by agglomerative clustering with quadratic error minimization. We use a quadratic error metric (QEM) to measure the difference of spatial compactness and colour homogeneity between superpixels. Based on the quadratic function, we propose a bottom‐up greedy clustering algorithm to obtain higher quality superpixel segmentation. There are two steps in our algorithm: merging and swapping. First, we calculate the merging cost of two superpixels and iteratively merge the pair with the minimum cost until the termination condition is satisfied. Then, we optimize the boundary of superpixels by swapping pixels according to their swapping cost to improve the compactness. Due to the quadratic nature of the energy function, each of these atomic operations has only O(1) time complexity. We compare the new method with other state‐of‐the‐art superpixel generation algorithms on two datasets, and our algorithm demonstrates superior performance.
Education disparities in young people with and without neurodisabilities
Authors: Sentenac Mariane , Lach Lucyna M , Gariepy Genevieve , Elgar Frank J 
Published: September 2018

AimTo examine key outcomes in the education of young people with and without neurodisabilities, and to investigate additional disparities in educational achievement in relation to socio‐economic background.MethodData were collected on 2488 Canadian children (age range 10–11y) in 1994 and 1995 from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth whom were followed for 14 years. We performed separate, discrete‐time survival analysis to investigate the effects of having a neurodisability on high school completion, enrolment in post‐secondary education (PSE), and PSE completion.ResultsThe baseline prevalence of neurodisabilities was 12%. Fewer children with neurodisabilities completed high school or enrolled in PSE, compared to children without neurodisabilities, irrespective of parental education. The likelihood that students with neurodisabilities completed PSE differed according to their parents' education: students with neurodisabilities living in less‐educated families were about half as likely to complete PSE themselves.InterpretationChildren with neurodisabilities receive less education than children without neurodisabilities. Children from families with low educational attainment appear to be particularly vulnerable.What this paper adds

Twelve per cent of children in Canada aged 10 years to 11 years have a neurodisability.

High school completion rate was 70% for children with neurodisabilities versus 94% for children without neurodisabilities.

Children with neurodisabilities from less‐educated families are particularly vulnerable to lower educational achievement.
Seizure evolution can be characterized as path through synaptic gain space of a neural mass model
Authors: Fan Xiaoya , Gaspard Nicolas , Legros Benjamin , Lucchetti Federico , Ercek Rudy , Nonclercq Antoine 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPhysiologically based models could facilitate better understanding of mechanisms underlying epileptic seizures. In this paper, we attempt to reveal the dynamic evolution of intracranial EEG activity during epileptic seizures based on synaptic gain identification procedure of a neural mass model. The distribution of average excitatory, slow and fast inhibitory synaptic gain in the parameter space and their temporal evolution, i.e., the path through the model parameter space, were analyzed in thirty seizures from ten temporal lobe epileptic patients. Results showed that the synaptic gain values located roughly on a plane before seizure onset, dispersed during seizure and returned to the plane when seizure terminated. Cluster analysis was performed on seizure paths and demonstrated consistency in synaptic gain evolution across different seizures from the individual patient. Furthermore, two patient groups were identified, each one corresponding to a specific synaptic gain evolution in the parameter space during a seizure. Results were validated by a bootstrapping approach based on comparison with random paths. The differences in the path revealed variations in EEG dynamics for patients despite showing identical seizure onset pattern. Our approach may have the potential to classify the epileptic patients into subgroups based on different mechanisms revealed by subtle changes in synaptic gains and further enable more robust decisions regarding treatment strategy.
Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models
Authors: Kayal Mohsen , Lenihan Hunter S. , Brooks Andrew J. , Holbrook Sally J. , Schmitt Russell J. , Kendall Bruce E. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPredicting whether, how, and to what degree communities recover from disturbance remain major challenges in ecology. To predict recovery of coral communities we applied field survey data of early recovery dynamics to a multi‐species integral projection model that captured key demographic processes driving coral population trajectories, notably density‐dependent larval recruitment. After testing model predictions against field observations, we updated the model to generate projections of future coral communities. Our results indicated that communities distributed across an island landscape followed different recovery trajectories but would reassemble to pre‐disturbed levels of coral abundance, composition, and size, thus demonstrating persistence in the provision of reef habitat and other ecosystem services. Our study indicates that coral community dynamics are predictable when accounting for the interplay between species life‐history, environmental conditions, and density‐dependence. We provide a quantitative framework for evaluating the ecological processes underlying community trajectory and characteristics important to ecosystem functioning.
Genetic decline, restoration and rescue of an isolated ungulate population
Authors: Poirier Marc‐Antoine , Coltman David W. , Pelletier Fanie , Jorgenson Jon , Festa‐Bianchet Marco 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIsolation of small populations is expected to reduce fitness through inbreeding and loss of genetic variation, impeding population growth and compromising population persistence. Species with long generation time are the least likely to be rescued by evolution alone. Management interventions that maintain or restore genetic variation to assure population viability are consequently of significant importance. We investigated, over 27 years, the genetic and demographic consequences of a demographic bottleneck followed by artificial supplementation in an isolated population of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Based on a long‐term pedigree and individual monitoring, we documented the genetic decline, restoration and rescue of the population. Microsatellite analyses revealed that the demographic bottleneck reduced expected heterozygosity and allelic diversity by 6.2% and 11.3%, respectively, over two generations. Following supplementation, first‐generation admixed lambs were 6.4% heavier at weaning and had 28.3% higher survival to 1 year compared to lambs of endemic ancestry. Expected heterozygosity and allelic diversity increased by 4.6% and 14.3% after two generations through new alleles contributed by translocated individuals. We found no evidence for outbreeding depression and did not see immediate evidence of swamping of local genes. Rapid intervention following the demographic bottleneck allowed the genetic restoration and rescue of this bighorn sheep population, likely preventing further losses at both the genetic and demographic levels. Our results provide further empirical evidence that translocation can be used to reduce inbreeding depression in nature and has the potential to mitigate the effect of human‐driven environmental changes on wild populations.
The genetic legacy of 50 years of desert bighorn sheep translocations
Authors: Jahner Joshua P. , Matocq Marjorie D. , Malaney Jason L. , Cox Mike , Wolff Peregrine , Gritts Mitchell A. , Parchman Thomas L. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractConservation biologists have increasingly used translocations to mitigate population declines and restore locally extirpated populations. Genetic data can guide the selection of source populations for translocations and help evaluate restoration success. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are a managed big game species that suffered widespread population extirpations across western North America throughout the early 1900s. Subsequent translocation programs have successfully re‐established many formally extirpated bighorn herds, but most of these programs pre‐date genetically informed management practices. The state of Nevada presents a particularly well‐documented case of decline followed by restoration of extirpated herds. Desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) populations declined to less than 3,000 individuals restricted to remnant herds in the Mojave Desert and a few locations in the Great Basin Desert. Beginning in 1968, the Nevada Department of Wildlife translocated ~2,000 individuals from remnant populations to restore previously extirpated areas, possibly establishing herds with mixed ancestries. Here, we examined genetic diversity and structure among remnant herds and the genetic consequences of translocation from these herds using a genotyping‐by‐sequencing approach to genotype 17,095 loci in 303 desert bighorn sheep. We found a signal of population genetic structure among remnant Mojave Desert populations, even across geographically proximate mountain ranges. Further, we found evidence of a genetically distinct, potential relict herd from a previously hypothesized Great Basin lineage of desert bighorn sheep. The genetic structure of source herds was clearly reflected in translocated populations. In most cases, herds retained genetic evidence of multiple translocation events and subsequent admixture when founded from multiple remnant source herds. Our results add to a growing literature on how population genomic data can be used to guide and monitor restoration programs.
Recruitment variation disrupts the stability of alternative life histories in an exploited salmon population
Authors: DeFilippo Lukas B. , Schindler Daniel E. , Ohlberger Jan , Schaberg Kevin L. , Foster Matt Birch , Ruhl Darin , Punt André E. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMales of many fish species exhibit alternative reproductive tactics, which can influence the maturation schedules, fishery productivity, and resilience to harvest of exploited populations. While alternative mating phenotypes can persist in stable equilibria through frequency‐dependent selection, shifts in tactic frequencies have been observed and can have substantial consequences for fisheries. Here, we examine the dynamics of precocious sneaker males called “jacks” in a population of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) from Frazer Lake, Alaska. Jacks, which are of little commercial value due to their small body sizes, have recently been observed at unusually high levels in this stock, degrading the value of regional fisheries. To inform future strategies for managing the prevalence of jacks, we used long‐term monitoring data to identify what regulates the frequencies of alternative male phenotypes in the population over time. Expression of the jack life history could not be explained by environmental factors expected to influence juvenile body condition and maturation probability. Instead, we found a strong positive association between the proportion of individuals maturing as jacks within a cohort and the prevalence of jacks among the males that sired that cohort. Moreover, due to differences in age‐at‐maturity between male phenotypes, and large interannual variability in recruitment strength, jacks from strong year‐classes often spawn among older males from the weaker recruitments of earlier cohorts. Through such “cohort mismatches,” which are amplified by size‐selective harvest on older males, jacks frequently achieve substantial representation in the breeding population, and likely high total fertilizations. The repeated occurrence of these cohort mismatches appears to disrupt the stabilizing influence of frequency‐dependent selection, allowing the prevalence of jacks to exceed what might be expected under equilibrium conditions. These results emphasize that the dynamics of alternative life histories can profoundly influence fishery performance and should be explicitly considered in the management of exploited populations.
Biological variation of routine haematology and biochemistry measurands in the horse
Authors: Wright M. E. , Croser E. L. , Raidal S. , Baral R. M. , Robinson W. , Lievaart J. , Freeman K. P. 
Published: September 2018

SummaryBackgroundClinical pathology results are typically interpreted by referring to population‐based reference intervals. The use of individualised (subject‐based) reference intervals is more appropriate for measurands with a high degree of variation between individuals.ObjectivesTo determine the biological variation of routinely analysed equine haematology and biochemistry measurands and calculate indices of individuality and reference change values which enable production of individualised reference intervals, in a group of healthy, privately owned horses.Study designIn a prospective cohort study, thirty‐nine privately owned horses were sampled by jugular venipuncture for analysis of haematology and biochemistry measurands at weekly intervals for 6 weeks.MethodsHaematology was analysed on the day of collection. Serum was frozen and biochemistry analyses performed on thawed samples. Duplicate results were obtained and the coefficient of variation was calculated for analytical variation, within‐subject variation and between‐subject variation. The index of individuality and reference change value were derived for each measurand.ResultsHaematology (red blood cell count, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean cell volume) and biochemistry measurands (total protein, globulins, albumin, gamma‐glutamyl transferase, aspartate aminotransferase) demonstrated high individuality, indicating that individualised reference intervals are more appropriate for evaluation of these measurands. Two haematology (mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and platelets) and three biochemistry measurands (chloride, glucose and sodium) had low individuality, indicating that the use of traditional population‐based reference intervals is appropriate for these measurands. Remaining measurands had intermediate individuality suggesting interpretation of the reference change value should occur with consideration of the population‐based reference interval.Main limitationsThe use of privately owned horses, variable management and environmental factors.ConclusionsThe use of individualised reference intervals is justified for many measurands in horses, supporting the use of serial sampling, consideration of biological variation and application of reference change values for improved clinical decision making and patient management in equine practice.
Desert leaf litter decay: Coupling of microbial respiration, water‐soluble fractions and photodegradation
Authors: Day Thomas A. , Bliss Michael S. , Tomes Alexander R. , Ruhland Christopher T. , Guénon René 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe mechanisms of plant litter decay in drylands are poorly understood, limiting the accuracy of nutrient‐cycling models for these systems. We monitored the decay of 12 leaf litter types on the soil surface of the Sonoran Desert for 34 months and assessed what traits predicted mass loss and how exposure to different wavebands of sunlight influenced mass loss. Mass loss varied considerably among litter types, ranging from 42%–96% after 34 months in full sunlight. Traditional indices of litter quality (e.g., initial C:N or lignin:N ratios) failed to predict differences in mass loss among litter types. The strongest predictor of mass loss was the microbial respiration rate of initial litter, which explained 45%–54% of the variation in loss among litter types. Microbial respiration rates were not correlated with traditional indices of litter quality, but were positively correlated with the water‐soluble fraction in litter and concentrations of dissolved organic C in this fraction. Traditional indices of litter quality failed to predict decay likely because they did a poor job of predicting microbial degradability of litter, not because microbial degradation was a minor driver of decay. In all radiation‐exposure treatments, water‐soluble fractions and respiration rates increased through decay and were several times higher after 34 months than initially. Hence, labile pools and microbial degradability of litter increased through decay in contrast to traditional views that labile pools decline and constrain microbes. Litter exposed to UV or UV through blue radiation wavelengths, lost on average 1.3 times or 1.5 times more mass, respectively, than litter not exposed to these wavebands. The magnitude of this photodegradation was greater in litter types that had higher initial concentrations of hemicellulose and cellulose per unit surface area. Litter exposed to full sun had higher water‐soluble fractions and usually had higher respiration rates, illustrating that sunlight accelerated microbial degradation by increasing labile pools. The processes driving litter decay appeared to differ appreciably from mesic systems and involved strong couplings between abiotic and biotic drivers.
Soil N2O emissions as affected by long‐term residue removal and no‐till practices in continuous corn
Authors: Yuan Mingwei , Greer Kristin D. , Nafziger Emerson D. , Villamil Maria B. , Pittelkow Cameron M. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe environmental consequences of residue removal practices to support cellulosic biofuel production remain poorly understood. In the U.S. Midwest, corn (Zea mays L.) stover removal combined with no‐till practices may increase or decrease soil N2O emissions by influencing soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics, yet empirical evidence from long‐term field experiments is inconsistent. We investigated the effects of residue management (residue retained or removed) and tillage (chisel‐till or no‐till) on cumulative soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, grain yield, and yield‐scaled N2O emissions in a 3‐year study initiated 10 years after treatment implementation in a long‐term, continuous corn experiment in Illinois, United States. Crop yields were affected by treatment in only one of three study years, with the combination of residue removal and no‐till reducing yields compared to both chisel‐till treatments. Cumulative N2O emissions, soil inorganic N concentrations, and yield‐scaled N2O emissions differed over the 3‐year period and were significantly affected by tillage, with no response to residue management. In 2 years, no‐till decreased cumulative N2O emissions and yield‐scaled N2O emissions by an average of 64% and 60%, respectively. Correlations between daily N2O fluxes and soil moisture, temperature, and inorganic N concentrations suggested that the relative importance of these variables changed depending on year and treatment. While more research across a range of sites and management practices is needed, our findings support previous studies which have challenged IPCC methodology assumptions regarding the effects of residue removal on N2O emissions. We conclude there is inherent difficulty in predicting the impacts of residue removal due to the complexity of soil processes underlying N2O emissions coupled with inter‐annual weather variability in this rainfed continuous corn system. Future efforts to evaluate the net greenhouse gas emissions of cellulosic biofuel production may benefit from accounting for this uncertainty.
Preparation and corrosion behavior studies of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coating reinforced with modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)
Authors: Rongli Xu , Bian Da , Aradhyula Thirumala Vasu , Chavali Murthy , Zhao Yongwu 
Published: September 2018

AbstractTo improve the corrosion resistance of the chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coating, the MWCNTs are selected as the reinforcement after the modification. Through the analysis of TEM, Raman, XRD, and FTIR, it can be shown that MWCNTs are modified with carboxyl groups and the surfactant after treatment, and show good dispersion. In addition, the electrochemical experiments were carried out with 3.5 wt% NaCl solution to investigate the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results suggest that the corrosion resistance of coatings is improved with the introduction of MWCNTs and the corrosion resistance increases with the increase in MWCNTs. Besides, the corrosion mechanism of MWCNTs reinforced coating corrosion resistance was also investigated based on the corrosion behavior and microstructural characterizations. The gel strength is improved with the addition of MWCNTs because of its strong strength, which can prevent crack occurring and form the bridge when crack happens. Therefore, H2O, O2, and Cl− can be prevented from reaching to the substrate, which leads to good corrosion resistance.