bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Climate change and functional traits affect population dynamics of a long‐lived seabird
Authors: Jenouvrier Stéphanie , Desprez Marine , Fay Remi , Barbraud Christophe , Weimerskirch Henri , Delord Karine , Caswell Hal 
Published: June 2018

Abstract

Recent studies unravelled the effect of climate changes on populations through their impact on functional traits and demographic rates in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, but such understanding in marine ecosystems remains incomplete.

Here, we evaluate the impact of the combined effects of climate and functional traits on population dynamics of a long‐lived migratory seabird breeding in the southern ocean: the black‐browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris, BBA). We address the following prospective question: “Of all the changes in the climate and functional traits, which would produce the biggest impact on the BBA population growth rate?”

We develop a structured matrix population model that includes the effect of climate and functional traits on the complete BBA life cycle. A detailed sensitivity analysis is conducted to understand the main pathway by which climate and functional trait changes affect the population growth rate.

The population growth rate of BBA is driven by the combined effects of climate over various seasons and multiple functional traits with carry‐over effects across seasons on demographic processes. Changes in sea surface temperature (SST) during late winter cause the biggest changes in the population growth rate, through their effect on juvenile survival. Adults appeared to respond to changes in winter climate conditions by adapting their migratory schedule rather than by modifying their at‐sea foraging activity. However, the sensitivity of the population growth rate to SST affecting BBA migratory schedule is small. BBA foraging activity during the pre‐breeding period has the biggest impact on population growth rate among functional traits. Finally, changes in SST during the breeding season have little effect on the population growth rate.

These results highlight the importance of early life histories and carry‐over effects of climate and functional traits on demographic rates across multiple seasons in population response to climate change. Robust conclusions about the roles of various phases of the life cycle and functional traits in population response to climate change rely on an understanding of the relationships of traits to demographic rates across the complete life cycle.
On the ecological insights provided by a long‐term study on an even longer‐lived bird
Authors: Bouwhuis Sandra 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn Focus: Weimerskirch, H. (2018). Linking demographic processes and foraging ecology in wandering albatross—Conservation implications. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87, 945–955. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12817Long‐term individual‐based studies are extremely valuable resources to study how life histories are shaped by selection on between‐individual variation in the acquisition and allocation of resources. In this issue, Weimerskirch (2018) synthesises a 50‐year study, uniquely including 20 years of individual‐based movement tracking, of the majestic wandering albatross. The synthesis shows how variation in foraging distribution and efficiency in relation to sex and age is reflected in physiology, fitness and population dynamics, and how understanding of such patterns and processes can aid conservation efforts. It thereby exemplifies why long‐term individual‐based studies are especially productive and informative and require maintenance and safeguarding.
Diversity in form and function: Vertical distribution of soil fauna mediates multidimensional trait variation
Authors: Ellers Jacintha , Berg Matty P. , Dias André T. C. , Fontana Simone , Ooms Astra , Moretti Marco 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIt has been widely recognized that species show extensive variation in form and function. Based on species’ attributes, they can be positioned along major axes of variation, which are often defined by life‐history traits, such as number of offspring, age at maturity or generation time. Less emphasis has been given in this respect to tolerance traits, especially to resistance to abiotic stress conditions, which often determine community (dis)assembly and distribution.Soil fauna species distribution is governed to a large extent by environmental conditions that filter communities according to functional traits, such as abiotic stress tolerance, morphology and body size. Trait‐based approaches have been successfully used to predict soil biota responses to abiotic stress. It remains unclear, though, how these traits relate to life‐history traits that determine individual performance, that is, reproduction and survival.Here, we analyse patterns in multidimensional trait distribution of dominant groups of soil fauna, that is, Isopoda, Gastropoda and Collembola, known to be important to the functioning of ecosystems. We compiled trait information from existing literature, trait databases and supplementary measurements. We looked for common patterns in major axes of trait variation and tested if vertical distribution of species in the soil explained trait variation based on three components of trait diversity (trait richness, evenness and divergence).Our results showed that two to three axes of variation structured the trait space of life‐history and tolerance traits in each of the taxonomic groups and that vertical distribution in soil explained the main axis of trait variation. We also found evidence of environmental filtering on soil fauna along the vertical soil distribution, with lower trait richness and trait divergence in soil‐dwelling than in surface‐living species.Our study was partially limited by the lack of detailed trait measurements for the selected taxonomic groups. In this regard, there is an urgent need for standardized trait databases across invertebrate groups to improve trait‐based diversity analysis and fill gaps in the mechanistic understanding behind trait distribution, trait filtering and the link with species fitness and performance.
Divergent temporal trends of net biomass change in western Canadian boreal forests
Authors: Luo Yong , Chen Han Y. H. , McIntire Eliot J. B. , Andison David W. 
Published: June 2018

Abstract

Forests play a strong role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide through increasing forest biomass. Understanding temporal trends of forest net above‐ground biomass change (ΔAGB) can help infer how forest carbon sequestration responds to ongoing climate changes. Despite wide spatial variation in the long‐term average of climate moisture availability (CMIaverage) across forest ecosystems, temporal trends of ΔAGB associated with CMIaverage remain unclear.

We tested the hypothesis that the negative impacts of climate change on ΔAGB would decrease with CMIaverage using the data from permanent sample plots, monitored from 1958 to 2011, with stand ages varying from 17 to 210 years, in western boreal forests of Canada.

We found that ΔAGB on average increased with CMIaverage. Temporally, ΔAGB declined sharply between 1958 and 2011 in plots with low CMIaverage owing to increased biomass loss from mortality accompanied by little growth gain, whereas ΔAGB changed little in plots with high CMIaverage. The temporal decrease of ΔAGB in drier areas was attributable to its negative responses to warming‐induced temporal decreases in climate moisture availability.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that large‐scale changes in forest carbon functioning associated with climate change depend on the long‐term average of climate moisture availability. Our finding suggests a possible retreat of boreal biome at the drier distribution limits with predicted declines in water availability in the 21st century.
Pseudomonas sp. ST4 produces variety of active compounds to interfere fungal sexual mating and hyphal growth
Authors: Liu Shiyin , He Fei , Lin Nuoqiao , Chen Yumei , Liang Zhibin , Liao Lisheng , Lv Mingfa , Chen Yufan , Chen Shaohua , Zhou Jianuan , Zhang Lian‐Hui 
Published: June 2018

SummarySexual mating of compatible sporida is essential for Sporisorium scitamineum to form dikaryotic mycelia and then cause infection on sugarcane. Our previous work identified a Pseudomonas sp. ST4 from a soil sample, which showed a promising biocontrol potential by inhibiting the mating of S. scitamineum sporida and hyphal growth. In this study, we set to isolate the active compounds from Pseudomonas sp. ST4 through solid fermentation. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation coupling with bioassay showed that Pseudomonas sp. ST4 produced a range of antimicrobial compounds. Two of the major components were purified following acetate extraction, silica gel and HPLC separation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) analysis identified these active compounds are 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and indole‐3‐carbaldehyde respectively. Further analysis showed that the former compound only inhibited the hyphal growth of the fungus at a concentration of 3 mM, while the latter interfered the fungal sexual mating at a concentration of 0.6 mM and affected hyphal growth at a concentration of 2 mM. Treatment of corn plants with 3 mM indole‐3‐carbaldehyde significantly inhibited corn smut infection, with a control rate up to 94%. Further analysis of the structure and activity relationship revealed that indole has a much stronger inhibitory activity against the fungal sexual mating than indole‐3‐carbaldehyde. The results from this study provide new agents for control and prevention of the sugarcane smut disease, and the active compounds could also be used to probe the molecular mechanisms of fungal sexual mating.
Effect of requiring a general practitioner at scenes of serious injury: A systematic review
Authors: Straumann G. S. H. , Austvoll‐Dahlgren A. , Holte H. H. , Wisborg T. 
Published: June 2018

BackgroundIn Norway, each municipality is responsible for providing first line emergency healthcare, and it is mandatory to have a primary care physician/general practitioner on call continuously. This mandate ensures that a physician can assist patients and ambulance personnel at the site of severe injuries or illnesses. The compulsory presence of the general practitioner at the scene could affect different parts of patient treatment, and it might save resources by obviating resources from secondary healthcare, like pre‐hospital anaesthesiologists and other specialized resources. This systematic review aimed to examine how survival, time spent at the scene, the choice of transport destination, assessment of urgency, the number of admissions, and the number of cancellations of specialized pre‐hospital resources were affected by the presence of a general practitioner at the scene of a suspected severe injury.MethodsWe searched for published and planned systematic reviews and primary studies in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, OpenGrey, GreyLit and trial registries. The search was completed in December 2017. Two individuals independently screened the references and assessed the eligibility of all potentially relevant studies.ResultsThe search for systematic reviews and primary studies identified 5981 articles. However, no studies met the pre‐defined inclusion criteria.ConclusionNo studies met our inclusion criteria; consequently, it remains uncertain how the presence of a general practitioner at the injury scene might affect the selected outcomes.
Two MC1R loss‐of‐function alleles in cream‐coloured Australian Cattle Dogs and white Huskies
Authors: Dürig N. , Letko A. , Lepori V. , Hadji Rasouliha S. , Loechel R. , Kehl A. , Hytönen M. K. , Lohi H. , Mauri N. , Dietrich J. , Wiedmer M. , Drögemüller M. , Jagannathan V. , Schmutz S. M. , Leeb T. 
Published: June 2018

SummaryLoss‐of‐function variants in the MC1R gene cause recessive red or yellow coat‐colour phenotypes in many species. The canine MC1R:c.916C>T (p.Arg306Ter) variant is widespread and found in a homozygous state in many uniformly yellow‐ or red‐coloured dogs. We investigated cream‐coloured Australian Cattle Dogs whose coat colour could not be explained by this variant. A genome‐wide association study with 10 cream and 123 red Australian Cattle Dogs confirmed that the cream locus indeed maps to MC1R. Whole‐genome sequencing of cream dogs revealed a single nucleotide variant within the MITF binding site of the canine MC1R promoter. We propose to designate the mutant alleles at MC1R:c.916C>T as e1 and at the new promoter variant as e2. Both alleles segregate in the Australian Cattle Dog breed. When we considered both alleles in combination, we observed perfect association between the MC1R genotypes and the cream coat colour phenotype in a cohort of 10 cases and 324 control dogs. Analysis of the MC1R transcript levels in an e1/e2 compound heterozygous dog confirmed that the transcript levels of the e2 allele were markedly reduced with respect to the e1 allele. We further report another MC1R loss‐of‐function allele in Alaskan and Siberian Huskies caused by a 2‐bp deletion in the coding sequence, MC1R:c.816_817delCT. We propose to term this allele e3. Huskies that carry two copies of MC1R loss‐of‐function alleles have a white coat colour.
Chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ng Ivy Weishan , Soon Yu Yang , Chen Desiree , Tey Jeremy Chee Seong 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPurposeTo determine the benefit of adding radiotherapy (RT) to chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAUPC).MethodsWe searched MEDLINE for comparative studies comparing chemoradiotherapy with chemotherapy for patients with LAUPC. We performed the meta‐analysis with random effects model. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS); secondary outcomes include progression‐free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AE).ResultsWe found five randomized (RCT) and three observational studies (OBS) including 830 patients. For RCTs, the addition of radiotherapy did not improve PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–1.10; P = 0.30; I2 = 11%,) or OS (HR 0.87; 95% CI, 0.63–1.21; P = 0.41; I2 = 67%,) and was associated with increased grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal AE. In contrast, OBS reported an improvement in PFS (HR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37–0.92; P = 0.02; I2 = 32%) and OS (HR 0.48; 95% CI, 0.35–0.60; P < 0.0001; I2 = 6%).ConclusionThe addition of radiotherapy did not improve the OS and PFS in RCTs. The divergence in results seen in OBS may be due to imbalance in baseline characteristics. Further research incorporating biomarkers may help to better select patients who will benefit from RT.
Potential issues with complementary medicines commonly used in the cancer population: A retrospective review of a tertiary cancer center's experience
Authors: Brooks Sally L. , Rowan Gail , Michael Michael 
Published: June 2018

AbstractAimComplementary medicine (CAM) use in the cancer population is higher than the general population: some studies estimate up to 70%. Our Medicines Information Centre, in a tertiary cancer institution, receives many enquiries regarding use and safety of CAM with conventional cancer therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery). This project aims to review the CAM most commonly enquired about with an emphasis on potential interactions with conventional cancer therapies.MethodsAn audit and review of CAM enquiries from patients or medical professionals at our center, over a 2‐year period (July 2011–June 2013), was conducted. The most commonly enquired about CAM, excluding vitamins and minerals, were identified, reviewed and potential interactions described.ResultsEnquiries were received from 462 patients involving 330 different CAMs. The 10 CAMs most commonly enquired about were fish oil (3.54%), turmeric (3.24%), coenzyme Q10 (2.63%), milk thistle (2.44%), green tea (2.38%), ginger (2.14%), lactobacillus (2.08%), licorice (1.83%), astragalus (1.77%) and reishi mushroom (1.59%). All were found to have predicted or potential drug interactions or therapeutic issues when combined with conventional therapies. Human studies are lacking and potential drug interactions are often predicted using in vitro or in vivo animal data.ConclusionsWhile many CAMs may be safe when taken by themselves, there is theoretically a potential for interactions and/or increased risk of serious adverse effects when taken concurrently with conventional anticancer therapies. The paucity of human data implies that their clinical significance is difficult to quantify and hence caution is required.
Treating melanoma in situ and lentigo maligna with Mohs micrographic surgery in Australia
Authors: Foxton Glen C , Elliott Timothy G , Litterick Kelly A 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackground/ObjectivesThere is a paucity of Australian data on the use of Mohs micrographic surgery for treating melanoma in situ and lentigo maligna. We share an Australian centre's experience with the technique.MethodsA total of 62 patients with 62 lesions of melanoma in situ and lentigo maligna referred for treatment between 2015 and 2017 comprised the study group. All melanomas were excised with Mohs micrographic surgery utilising melanoma‐associated antigen recognised by T‐cells (MART‐1) immunostaining.ResultsFollow up ranged from 3 to 30 months with no reported recurrences or melanoma‐related deaths. 94% (58/62) of lesions were primary melanomas and 6% were locally recurrent. 89% of lesions involved head and neck sites with 11% involving trunk or limbs. In total 55% (12/62) of lesions were cleared with 3‐mm clinical margins, 68% with 6 mm, 92% with 9 mm and 100% with 12‐mm. The mean clinical excision margin was 6.7 mm. All lesions with a tumour diameter greater than 2.2 cm required a 9‐mm clinical margin or greater for excision. The mean clinical excision margin for recurrent tumours was 9 mm.ConclusionWe provide the first Australian data on the use of Mohs micrographic surgery for melanoma.
The evolution of molluscs
Authors: Wanninger Andreas , Wollesen Tim 
Published: June 2018

ABSTRACTMolluscs are extremely diverse invertebrate animals with a rich fossil record, highly divergent life cycles, and considerable economical and ecological importance. Key representatives include worm‐like aplacophorans, armoured groups (e.g. polyplacophorans, gastropods, bivalves) and the highly complex cephalopods. Molluscan origins and evolution of their different phenotypes have largely remained unresolved, but significant progress has been made over recent years. Phylogenomic studies revealed a dichotomy of the phylum, resulting in Aculifera (shell‐less aplacophorans and multi‐shelled polyplacophorans) and Conchifera (all other, primarily uni‐shelled groups). This challenged traditional hypotheses that proposed that molluscs gradually evolved complex phenotypes from simple, worm‐like animals, a view that is corroborated by developmental studies that showed that aplacophorans are secondarily simplified. Gene expression data indicate that key regulators involved in anterior–posterior patterning (the homeobox‐containing Hox genes) lost this function and were co‐opted into the evolution of taxon‐specific novelties in conchiferans. While the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/decapentaplegic (Dpp) signalling pathway, that mediates dorso‐ventral axis formation, and molecular components that establish chirality appear to be more conserved between molluscs and other metazoans, variations from the common scheme occur within molluscan sublineages. The deviation of various molluscs from developmental pathways that otherwise appear widely conserved among metazoans provides novel hypotheses on molluscan evolution that can be tested with genome editing tools such as the CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats‐associated protein9) system.
Pharmacodynamic analysis of eribulin safety in breast cancer patients using real‐world postmarketing surveillance data
Authors: Kawamura Takahisa , Kasai Hidefumi , Fermanelli Valentina , Takahashi Toshiaki , Sakata Yukinori , Matsuoka Toshiyuki , Ishii Mika , Tanigawara Yusuke 
Published: June 2018

Postmarketing surveillance is useful to collect safety data in real‐world clinical settings. In this study, we applied postmarketing real‐world data on a mechanistic model analysis for neutropenic profiles of eribulin in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Demographic and safety data were collected using an active surveillance method from eribulin‐treated recurrent or metastatic breast cancer patients. Changes in neutrophil counts over time were analyzed using a mechanistic pharmacodynamic model. Pathophysiological factors that might affect the severity of neutropenia were investigated, and neutropenic patterns were simulated for different treatment schedules. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from 401 patients (5199 neutrophil count measurements) who had not received granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor and were eligible for pharmacodynamic analysis. The estimated mean parameters were as follows: mean transit time = 104.5 h, neutrophil proliferation rate constant = 0.0377 h−1, neutrophil elimination rate constant = 0.0295 h−1, and linear coefficient of drug effect = 0.0413 mL/ng. Low serum albumin levels and low baseline neutrophil counts were associated with severe neutropenia. The probability of grade ≥3 neutropenia was predicted to be 69%, 27%, and 27% for patients on standard, biweekly, and triweekly treatment scenarios, respectively, based on virtual simulations using the developed pharmacodynamic model. In conclusion, this is the first application of postmarketing surveillance data to a model‐based safety analysis. This analysis of safety data reflecting authentic clinical settings will provide useful information on the safe use and potential risk factors of eribulin.