bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Consequences of swamp forest fragmentation on assemblages of vascular epiphytes and climbing plants: Evaluation of the metacommunity structure
Authors: Pincheira‐Ulbrich Jimmy , Hernández Cristián E. , Saldaña Alfredo 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAimHabitat reduction in fragmented landscapes provides an opportunity to study the biogeographic patterns that drive changes in diversity in poorly studied metacommunities. In this study, colonization–extinction dynamics were indirectly evaluated through the analysis of the species–area relationship and the nestedness of vascular epiphytes and climbing plants in 30 swamp forest fragments.LocationCoast of the Araucanía Region in Chile.TaxonVascular epiphytes (16 species, mainly Pteridophytes) and climbing plants (15 species).MethodsWe used the database in Pincheira‐Ulbrich et al. (New Zealand Journal of Botany, 54, 2016, 458), where 904 trees were sampled and a total abundance of 41,097 fern fronds and 3,098 climbing stems were reported. For the species–area relationship, a simple linear regression model (SLR) and two models that consider the spatial autocorrelation of species richness among fragments, generalized least squares (GLS) and simultaneous autoregressive model (SAR), were compared. For the species nestedness, the nestedness measure based on overlap and decreasing fills (NODF) and weighted nestedness metric based on overlap and decreasing fill (WNODF) indexes were used on presence–absence and abundance matrices, respectively. These matrices were sorted by area size and distance from the largest fragment and then contrasted with the probability distribution of a randomized null model based on 10,000 simulations.ResultsThe results showed that the area size had a significantly positive effect on epiphyte species richness, while spatial autocorrelation played a fundamental role in explaining the richness of climbing plants. Both metacommunities had a general nestedness structure in terms of species incidence, which was determined first by area size and secondly by isolation.Main conclusionsOur results indicate that local colonization processes determined by species’ dispersal capacities could be the predominant mechanism for the spatial configuration of climbing plant species composition. On the other hand, selective extinction determined by patch size could characterize the spatial structure of epiphyte species’ composition.
Temporal variation in pollination services to Cucurbita moschata is determined by bee gender and diversity
Authors: Delgado‐Carrillo Oliverio , Martén‐Rodríguez Silvana , Ashworth Lorena , Aguilar Ramiro , Lopezaraiza‐Mikel Martha , Quesada Mauricio 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIt has been proposed that species‐rich insect communities and species turnover across landscapes enhance the pollination efficiency of crops through complementarity, where both the dominant and less abundant species contribute to reaching a yield threshold from pollination. Alternatively, fluctuations in the most abundant pollinator species, rather than changes in species richness, may drive temporal variation in pollination services. In this study, we used Cucurbita moschata as a model to investigate temporal variation in pollinator communities in a Mexican tropical dry forest region. We sampled floral visitors in the coastal region of Jalisco during the wet and dry seasons and determined the pollination efficiency of all floral visitors. Our results showed that there was temporal variation in the pollinator community and in the pollination efficiency of the main pollinators of Cucurbita moschata crops. In the wet season, native bees of the genus Peponapis were the most frequent and effective pollinators of C. moschata, whereas in the dry season, Peponapis bees were scarce and Apis mellifera became the most frequent floral visitor. Apis mellifera transfers smaller pollen loads than Peponapis, but it provides an effective pollination service in conjunction with other native bees during the dry season. There was also an interaction between flower gender and pollinator species, where A. mellifera had higher visitation rate to female C. moschata flowers, and Peponapis bees to staminate flowers. Mean visitation rate by Peponapis female bees was 17 times higher than visitation rate by male bees. This is the first report of a vis‐à‐vis relationship of pollinator gender with respect to plant gender in which plants of the genus Cucurbita that produce unisexual staminate and pistillate flowers are differentially visited by Peponapis male and female bees, where females are the main pollinators. Understanding the temporal variation in pollinator communities and the contribution of the different species of pollinators to the reproductive success of different crop species and varieties can be crucial to maintaining pollination services under the current global pollination crisis.
Different cutting regimes improve species and functional diversity of insect‐pollinated plants in power‐line clearings
Authors: Steinert Mari , Moe Stein R. , Sydenham Markus A. K. , Eldegard Katrine 
Published: November 2018

AbstractTo mitigate biodiversity loss, it is essential to understand how areas altered by human land use can act as alternative habitats for functional groups of species, which are in decline. In forested landscapes, power‐line clearings can be valuable habitats for early successional plant species, which in turn provide important food resources for pollinating insects. However, we know little about how management practices affect plant diversity, or how changes in species diversity translate into the functional diversity of floral resources. We conducted an experiment at 19 sites in power‐line clearings across southeast Norway where the woody vegetation was (1) cut and left to decay, (2) cut and removed, or (3) uncut. We assessed the effects of treatments on species diversity (richness, evenness, diversity) and functional diversity (functional evenness, functional dispersion) of understory plant communities of insect‐pollinated plants. We also investigated the influence of environmental conditions within the power‐line clearings, the surrounding landscape, and climatic factors on species and functional diversity. We found that the cut and cut–remove treatments were effective in increasing biological diversity of insect‐pollinated plants. The species and functional diversity showed contrasting responses to treatments, and the treatment effects depended on the environmental context. This shows that ecosystem functioning is not necessarily predictable from the ecological processes that drive species composition. The treatment effects on species diversity were partly explained by the stress‐gradient hypothesis; species richness was higher in the cleared plots in areas of low environmental stress from precipitation and elevation. In contrast, the treatment effects on functional diversity were positively influenced by productivity, stem density, temperature, available source habitats, elevation, and canopy density. Functional diversity, based on effect traits, should be emphasized when the aim is to maintain a broad range of pollination functions and services in power‐line clearings. This study shows that inclusion of power‐line clearings in conservation plans can mitigate biodiversity decline in forested landscapes. We recommend the cut–remove treatment in productive areas with available source habitats and high stem density. In low productive areas, with high stem density and high temperatures, the standard cut treatment is sufficient, but a higher cutting frequency is recommended.
The effect of a small vegetation dieback event on salt marsh sediment transport
Authors: Coleman Daniel J. , Kirwan Matthew L. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractVegetation is a critical component of the ecogeomorphic feedbacks that allow a salt marsh to build soil and accrete vertically. Vegetation dieback can therefore have detrimental effects on marsh stability, especially under conditions of rising sea levels. Here, we report a variety of sediment transport measurements associated with an unexpected, natural dieback in a rapidly prograding marsh in the Altamaha River Estuary, Georgia. We find that vegetation mortality led to a significant loss in elevation at the dieback site as evidenced by measurements of vertical accretion, erosion, and surface topography compared to vegetated reference areas. Below‐ground vegetation mortality led to reduced soil shear strength. The dieback site displayed an erosional, concave‐up topographic profile, in contrast to the reference sites. At the location directly impacted by the dieback, there was a reduction in flood dominance of suspended sediment concentration. Our work illustrates how a vegetation disturbance can at least temporarily reverse the local trajectory of a prograding marsh and produce complex patterns of sediment transport. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dunefield geoarchaeology at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA: Site formation, resource use, and dunefield dynamics
Authors: Worman F. Scott , Kurota Alexander , Hogan Patrick 
Published: November 2018

AbstractA recent reconnaissance survey at White Sands National Monument highlighted the importance of understanding the unique geology of the gypsum dunefield in order to interpret the archaeological record. Our geoarchaeological studies, carried out in conjunction with that survey and follow‐up excavations, generated insights into site formation processes, the timing of past occupations, the landscape context of sites, and the resource procurement strategies of the people who visited the dunefield during the past several millennia. Our research also produced information about natural processes that can create landscape features superficially similar to archaeological sites, illuminated soil formation processes, and highlighted the importance of biotic soil crusts in the dunefield environment. The results are useful for interpreting archaeological data produced by other studies and will be helpful in guiding future archaeological investigations. In addition, our study suggests that continued archaeological research could contribute significantly to understanding rates of dune migration, the long‐term trajectory of dunefield growth, and local impacts of climate change.
An integrative review of acupressure interventions for older people: A focus on sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and agitation
Authors: Hmwe Nant Thin Thin , Browne Graeme , Mollart Lyndall , Allanson Viv , Chan Sally Wai‐Chi 
Published: November 2018

ObjectivesThis integrative review aimed to synthesize studies that investigated the effects of acupressure on sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and agitation in older people, and to describe the acupressure procedures and techniques applied in the included studies.MethodsA literature search was conducted using electronic databases including CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE. The inclusion criteria for the review were studies examining the effect of acupressure in older people aged 60 years and above, measured the outcomes for sleep quality, depression, anxiety or agitation, applied body acupressure, and published in English language. The exclusion criteria were studies using auricular acupoints only, and articles published in any language other than English. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using the critical appraised tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The information about study design, findings, and description of acupressure intervention were extracted, summarized, and synthesized.ResultsA total of 255 articles were identified from the search and as well one article from cross‐references. From there, a total of 19 studies were included in this review. Nine studies consistently showed positive effects of acupressure on sleep quality, and four studies consistently showed that acupressure reduced depression. The outcomes of acupressure on anxiety and agitation showed inconsistent findings, in which three studies measured anxiety and five studies measured agitation. There was also variation of acupressure techniques applied in the reviewed studies.ConclusionThis review found some emerging evidences that acupressure can be beneficial for older people who suffer from sleep problems and depression. Use of specific acupressure points, with standardized acupressure treatment protocols, may improve sleep quality and possibly psychological wellbeing of older people. Future research with well‐designed mixed method studies are required to produce stronger evidence, as well as in‐depth understanding of acupressure intervention in aged care context.
Quantitative assessment of field strength, total intracranial volume, sex, and age effects on the goodness of harmonization for volumetric analysis on the ADNI database
Authors: Ma Da , Popuri Karteek , Bhalla Mahadev , Sangha Oshin , Lu Donghuan , Cao Jiguo , Jacova Claudia , Wang Lei , Beg Mirza Faisal ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: November 2018

AbstractWhen analyzing large multicenter databases, the effects of multiple confounding covariates increase the variability in the data and may reduce the ability to detect changes due to the actual effect of interest, for example, changes due to disease. Efficient ways to evaluate the effect of covariates toward the data harmonization are therefore important. In this article, we showcase techniques to assess the “goodness of harmonization” of covariates. We analyze 7,656 MR images in the multisite, multiscanner Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. We present a comparison of three methods for estimating total intracranial volume to assess their robustness and correct the brain structure volumes using the residual method and the proportional (normalization by division) method. We then evaluated the distribution of brain structure volumes over the entire ADNI database before and after accounting for multiple covariates such as total intracranial volume, scanner field strength, sex, and age using two techniques: (a) Zscapes, a panoramic visualization technique to analyze the entire database and (b) empirical cumulative distributions functions. The results from this study highlight the importance of assessing the goodness of data harmonization as a necessary preprocessing step when pooling large data set with multiple covariates, prior to further statistical data analysis.
Health care purchasing in Kenya: Experiences of health care providers with capitation and fee‐for‐service provider payment mechanisms
Authors: Obadha Melvin , Chuma Jane , Kazungu Jacob , Barasa Edwine 
Published: November 2018

SummaryBackgroundProvider payment mechanisms (PPMs) play a critical role in universal health coverage due to the incentives they create for health care providers to deliver needed services, quality, and efficiency. We set out to explore public, private, and faith‐based providers' experiences with capitation and fee‐for‐service in Kenya and identified attributes of PPMs that providers considered important.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study in two counties in Kenya. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 29 management team members in six health providers accredited by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).ResultsCapitation and fee‐for‐service payments from the NHIF and private insurers were reported as good revenue sources as they contributed to providers' overall income. The expected fee‐for‐service payment amounts from NHIF and private insurers were predictable while capitation funds from NHIF were not because providers did not have information on the number of enrolees in their capitation pool. Moreover, capitation payment rates were perceived as inadequate. Capitation and fee‐for‐service payments from NHIF and private insurers were disbursed late. Finally, public providers had lost their autonomy to access and utilise capitation and fee‐for‐service payments from the NHIF.ConclusionThrough their experiences, health care providers revealed characteristics of PPMs that they considered important.
Application of differential transform method to unsteady free convective heat transfer of a couple stress fluid over a stretching sheet
Authors: Kumar Mahesh , Reddy Gudala Janardhana , Kumar Nedunuri Naresh , Bég Osman Anwar 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIn the present article, the transient rheological boundary layer flow over a stretching sheet with heat transfer is investigated, a topic of relevance to non‐Newtonian thermal materials processing. Stokes couple stress model is deployed to simulate non‐Newtonian characteristics. Similarity transformations are utilized to convert the governing partial differential equations into nonlinear ordinary differential equations with appropriate wall and free stream boundary conditions. The nondimensional boundary value problem emerging is shown to be controlled by a number of key thermophysical and rheological parameters, namely the rheological couple stress parameter (), unsteadiness parameter (), Prandtl number (Pr), buoyancy parameter . The semi‐analytical differential transform method (DTM) is used to solve the reduced nonlinear coupled ordinary differential boundary value problem. A numerical solution is also obtained via the MATLAB built‐in solver “bvp4c” to validate the results. Further validation with published results from the literature is included. Fluid velocity is enhanced with increasing couple stress parameter, whereas it is decreased with unsteadiness parameter. Temperature is elevated with couple stress parameter, whereas it is initially reduced with unsteadiness parameter. The flow is accelerated with increasing positive buoyancy parameter (for heating of the fluid), whereas it is decelerated with increasing negative buoyancy parameter (cooling of the fluid). Temperature and thermal boundary layer thickness are boosted with increasing positive values of buoyancy parameter. Increasing Prandtl number decelerates the flow, reduces temperatures, increases momentum boundary layer thickness, and decreases thermal boundary layer thickness. Excellent accuracy is achieved with the DTM approach.
Developmental effects of neonatal fractionated co‐exposure to low‐dose gamma radiation and paraquat on behaviour in adult mice
Authors: Philippot Gaëtan , Stenerlöw Bo , Fredriksson Anders , Sundell‐Bergman Synnöve , Eriksson Per , Buratovic Sonja 
Published: November 2018

AbstractRadiological methods for screening, diagnostics and therapy are often used in healthcare; however, it has recently been reported that developmental exposure to low‐dose ionizing radiation (IR) causes neurotoxicity. Environmental chemicals also have the potential to affect the developing brain and the concomitant effects caused by IR and chemicals are of high interest today. We therefore aim to investigate if low‐dose IR can interact with the known neurotoxicant paraquat to induce neurotoxicity in the neonatal mouse model. Using the same model, we also aim to investigate if fractionated low‐dose IR can be as neurotoxic as higher acute doses. Male mice were exposed to a single dose of paraquat (0.2 or 0.02 mg/kg) on postnatal day 10 and 11. Two hours following paraquat exposure, mice were whole body irradiated with 100 or 300 mGy gamma radiation (137Cs). Behavioural observations were performed at 2 and 3 months of age. Following behavioural testing, we evaluated striatal dopaminergic gene transcription. Animals co‐exposed to IR and paraquat generally displayed altered spontaneous behaviour compared to controls and single agent exposed mice. Stronger effects by combined exposure were also observed on adult memory and learning. However, dopaminergic gene transcript levels remained unchanged by treatment. Co‐exposure to low‐dose IR and paraquat can interact to exacerbate neurotoxic effects and to impair cognitive function. Furthermore, fractionation of the radiation dose was observed to be as potent as higher acute exposure for induction of developmental neurotoxicity.
Combined effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and glucose on the cardiovascular system in young rats after oral administration
Authors: Chen Zhangjian , Zhou Di , Wang Yun , Zhao Lin , Hu Guiping , Liu Jiaxing , Feng Huimin , Long Changmao , Yan Tenglong , Zhou Shupei , Jia Guang 
Published: November 2018

AbstractTitanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have already been used as food additive in various products and are usually consumed with a considerable amount of sugar. Oral consumption of TiO2 NPs poses concerning health risks; however, research on the combined effect of ingested TiO2 NPs and glucose is limited. We examined young Sprague‐Dawley rats administrated TiO2 NPs orally at doses of 0, 2, 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight per day with and without 1.8 g/kg body weight glucose for 30 and 90 days. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood biochemical parameters and histopathology of cardiac tissues was assessed to quantify cardiovascular damage. The results showed that oral exposure to TiO2 NPs and high doses of glucose both could induce cardiovascular injuries. The toxic effects were dose‐, time‐ and gender‐dependent. The interaction effects between oral‐exposed TiO2 NPs and glucose existed and revealed to be antagonism in most of the biological parameters. However, toxic effects of the high‐dose glucose seemed to be more severe than TiO2 NPs and the interaction of TiO2 NPs with glucose. These results suggest that it may be more important to control the sugar intake than TiO2 NPs for protecting the health of TiO2 NP consumers.
FOXD2‐AS1 correlates with the malignant status and regulates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Ren Wenqing , Zhu Zirong , Wu Lina 
Published: November 2018

AbstractLong noncoding RNA (lncRNA) FOXD2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2‐AS1) has been shown to be dysregulated in several types of human cancer. However, the role of FOXD2‐AS1 in cutaneous melanoma was still unclear. In our study, FOXD2‐AS1 expression has been found to be upregulated in cutaneous melanoma tissue specimens and cell lines compared with that in normal tissue specimens and normal human epidermal melanocyte, respectively. Furthermore, high expression of FOXD2‐AS1 was obviously correlated with deep Breslow thickness, present ulceration, high Clark level and distant metastasis in cutaneous melanoma patients. However, there were no statistical associations between FOXD2‐AS1 expression and cutaneous melanoma patients’ disease‐free survival and overall survival. The results of loss‐of‐function study showed that inhibition of FOXD2‐AS1 suppresses cutaneous melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion through regulating phospho‐Akt expression. In conclusion, FOXD2‐AS1 is associated with clinical progression in cutaneous melanoma patients, and functions as oncogenic lncRNA in cutaneous melanoma cells.