bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anecdotes in Primatology: Temporal Trends, Anthropocentrism, and Hierarchies of Knowledge
Authors: Ramsay Malcolm S. , Teichroeb Julie A. 
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACTFormal narrative descriptions of primates have long been used by primatologists to describe novel events that are not captured by other data collection methods. However, there has been a shift away from narrative accounts toward more quantitative methods both within primatology and more broadly in the natural sciences. Our objective was to investigate the shifting use of anecdotal evidence in primatology. We systematically reviewed anecdotal accounts published in the four major primatology journals since the year 2000. We found 163 published anecdotal accounts out of 3,960 total articles published between 2000 and 2016. There was an overall decrease in the rates of anecdotes published during this time. Those published covered a wide range of topics and taxa but were skewed toward larger, diurnal primates—in particular, apes. We suggest that anecdotal evidence should continue to be published but that the publication of these data should better reflect the taxonomic diversity of primates. We also suggest potential venues for anecdote publication that may compensate for their loss from formal scientific journals. [narratives, qualitative data, anthropomorphic, primates, observation]
Stunting, recovery from stunting and puberty development in the MINIMat cohort, Bangladesh
Authors: Svefors Pernilla , Pervin Jesmin , Islam Khan Ashraful , Rahman Anisur , Ekström Eva‐Charlotte , El Arifeen Shams , Ekholm Selling Katarina , Persson Lars‐Åke 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAimThis paper aimed to analyse the association between small for size at birth, stunting, recovery from stunting and pubertal development in a rural Bangladeshi cohort.MethodsThe participants were 994 girls and 987 boys whose mothers participated in the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab trial. The birth cohort was followed from birth to puberty 2001‐2017. Pubertal development according to Tanner was self‐assessed. Age at menarche was determined and in boys, consecutive height measurements were used to ascertain whether pubertal growth spurt had started. The exposures and outcomes were modelled by Cox’s proportional hazards analyses and logistic regression.ResultsThere was no difference in age at menarche between girls that were small or appropriate for gestational age at birth. Boys born small for gestational age entered their pubertal growth spurt later than those with appropriate weight. Children who were stunted had later pubertal development, age at menarche and onset of growth spurt than non‐stunted children. Children who recovered from infant or early childhood stunting had similar pubertal development as non‐stunted children.ConclusionInfant and childhood stunting was associated with a later pubertal development. Recovery from stunting was not associated with earlier puberty in comparison with non‐stunted children.
Robust Spatial Extent Inference With a Semiparametric Bootstrap Joint Inference Procedure
Authors: Vandekar Simon N. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Xia Cedric H. , Adebimpe Azeez , Ruparel Kosha , Gur Ruben C. , Gur Raquel E. , Shinohara Russell T. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractSpatial extent inference (SEI) is widely used across neuroimaging modalities to adjust for multiple comparisons when studying brain-phenotype associations that inform our understanding of disease. Recent studies have shown that Gaussian random field (GRF)-based tools can have inflated family-wise error rates (FWERs). This has led to substantial controversy as to which processing choices are necessary to control the FWER using GRF-based SEI. The failure of GRF-based methods is due to unrealistic assumptions about the spatial covariance function of the imaging data. A permutation procedure is the most robust SEI tool because it estimates the spatial covariance function from the imaging data. However, the permutation procedure can fail because its assumption of exchangeability is violated in many imaging modalities. Here, we propose the (semi-) parametric bootstrap joint (PBJ; sPBJ) testing procedures that are designed for SEI of multilevel imaging data. The sPBJ procedure uses a robust estimate of the spatial covariance function, which yields consistent estimates of standard errors, even if the covariance model is misspecified. We use the methods to study the association between performance and executive functioning in a working memory functional magnetic resonance imaging study. The sPBJ has similar or greater power to the PBJ and permutation procedures while maintaining the nominal type 1 error rate in reasonable sample sizes. We provide an R package to perform inference using the PBJ and sPBJ procedures.
Sensor‐aware Normal Estimation for Point Clouds from 3D Range Scans
Authors: Comino M. , Andujar C. , Chica A. , Brunet P. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractNormal vectors are essential for many point cloud operations, including segmentation, reconstruction and rendering. The robust estimation of normal vectors from 3D range scans is a challenging task due to undersampling and noise, specially when combining points sampled from multiple sensor locations. Our error model assumes a Gaussian distribution of the range error with spatially‐varying variances that depend on sensor distance and reflected intensity, mimicking the features of Lidar equipment. In this paper we study the impact of measurement errors on the covariance matrices of point neighborhoods. We show that covariance matrices of the true surface points can be estimated from those of the acquired points plus sensor‐dependent directional terms. We derive a lower bound on the neighbourhood size to guarantee that estimated matrix coefficients will be within a predefined error with a prescribed probability. This bound is key for achieving an optimal trade‐off between smoothness and fine detail preservation. We also propose and compare different strategies for handling neighborhoods with samples coming from multiple materials and sensors. We show analytically that our method provides better normal estimates than competing approaches in noise conditions similar to those found in Lidar equipment.
Urinary volatile organic compounds and faecal microbiome profiles in colorectal cancer
Authors: McFarlane M. , Millard A. , Hall H. , Savage R. , Constantinidou C. , Arasaradnam R. , Nwokolo C. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAimVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are potential biomarkers for diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC). We characterized urinary VOCs from CRC patients, their spouses/cohabitors (spouses) and first‐degree relatives (relatives) to determine any differences. Correlation with stool‐derived microbiomes was also undertaken.MethodsUrine from 56 CRC patients, 45 spouses and 37 relatives was assayed using liquid chromatography, field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS), mass spectrometer technology. Analysis was performed using five‐fold cross‐validation and a random forest classifier. Faecal microbiome 16S rRNA was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq protocols and analysed using UPARSE and QIIME pipelines. VOC and microbiome profiles were also compared before and after cancer treatment.ResultsUrinary VOC profiles of CRC patients were indistinguishable from either spouses or relatives. When spouses and relatives were grouped together to form a larger non‐cancer control group (n = 82), their VOC profiles became distinguishable from those of CRC patients (n = 56) with 69% sensitivity and specificity, area under the curve 0.72 (P < 0.001). Microbiome analysis identified > 1300 operational taxonomic units across all groups. The analysis of similarity R value was 0.067 (P < 0.001), with significantly different bacterial abundances in 82 operational taxonomic units (6.2%) by Kruskal–Wallis testing. CRC patients’ VOC or stool microbiome profiles were unchanged after treatment.ConclusionAlthough CRC patients’ urinary VOC profiles cannot be differentiated from those of spouses or relatives they can be differentiated from a larger non‐cancer control group. Comparison of the groups’ microbiomes confirmed differences in bacterial species abundance. The current FAIMS‐based assay can detect a unique, but modest, signal in CRC patients’ urinary VOCs, which remains unaltered after treatment.
Technical Note: Should an Online Seller Post Inventory Scarcity Messages?
Authors: Park Sungho , Rabinovich Elliot , Tang Christopher S. , Yin Rui , Yu Jiayi Joey 
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACTRecent research suggests that the sales rate of a product would increase immediately after a seller posts a “scarcity message” to alert potential consumers that there are only a few units left in inventory. Knowing this effect, should an online seller post scarcity messages? In this technical note, we develop and analyze a variant of the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model to capture this effect in an environment involving the sale of slow moving items. Our result suggests that, in general, posting scarcity messages is beneficial only for products with high or low retail margins. Scarcity messages will not be beneficial for products with moderate retail margins because the resulting extra ordering/inventory cost per unit of time outweighs the resulting extra gross profit per unit of time for these products.
Rearing temperature and parasitoid load determine host and parasitoid performance in Manduca sexta and Cotesia congregata
Authors: Moore M. Elizabeth , Kester Karen M. , Kingsolver Joel G. 
Published: July 2019

1. Temperature strongly influences the rates of physiological processes in insects, including the herbivore Manduca sexta and its larval endoparasitoid Cotesia congregata. Parasitisation by C. congregata decreases the growth and consumption of food by larval M. sexta. However, the effects of temperature on parasitised caterpillars and the developing wasp larvae are largely unknown.2. In this study, parasitised and unparasitised caterpillars were reared at three constant temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C) throughout larval development. Caterpillar mass gain and consumption were monitored daily until wandering (unparasitised control group) or wasp emergence (parasitised group) was observed. Development time and survival to emergence were measured as metrics of parasitoid performance.3. Parasitised M. sexta developed more slowly than unparasitised controls, but had similar cumulative consumption until the terminal instar. Parasitised caterpillars with relatively large parasitoid loads had higher rates of consumption and growth than those with smaller loads. Both temperature and parasitoid load strongly affected wasp success. Mean development time to wasp emergence increased with low temperatures and with large loads. The combination of warm temperature and large parasitoid loads greatly reduced wasp survival.4. These results demonstrate the interactive effects of rearing temperature and parasitisation on host consumption and growth rates throughout larval development. In addition, wasp performance was affected by the interaction of temperature and parasitoid load size. High temperatures alter the dynamics of the interaction between the parasitoid and its caterpillar host, which could have far‐reaching impacts as the global temperatures continue to rise.
The response of U.S. regional demographics to import shocks
Authors: Chung Seung‐hun , Bae Jung Dae 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWe analyze regional demographic responses to increased competition from Chinese imports. Treating the opening up of the Chinese economy in recent decades as an exogenous shock to the degree of trade exposure faced by U.S. regions, we find that demographic characteristics such as education level, population growth, immigrant share, and age structure, are not significantly impacted by increased Chinese trade exposure. We also discuss possible mechanisms that may explain this finding and explain why our results may differ in direction from previous studies. Specifically, our finding is consistent with a story where moving costs hamper labor mobility and significant demographic shifts do not occur even after employment falls due to trade exposure.
Buying Citizenship? Chinese Golden Visa Migrants in Portugal
Authors: Gaspar Sofia , Ampudia de Haro Fernando 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIn 2011, Portugal launched a residence permit programme to attract foreign investment from non‐EU citizens, with Chinese business migrants representing those taking most advantage of this initiative. This paper analyses this policy measure and assesses its social consequences, as a new way that Chinese migrants have to enter Portugal. Firstly, we characterise this programme by identifying its principles and legal requirements, using official data from 2012 to 2018. We then describe the emergence of this type of residence permit as a response to the financial crisis of 2011, and as part of a neoliberal political rationality that has guided a governance model since this time. Next, we characterise the profile of Chinese citizens who benefit from this initiative and claim residence permits on the basis of their economic power. Finally, we discuss the social and political implications of this kind of entrance to Portugal, to provide some insights for policymakers.
Penal Disenfranchisement and Equality of Status
Authors: Porro Costanza 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThis article discusses the removal of voting rights from those convicted of crimes. I focus on two recent defences of penal disenfranchisement: firstly, I question one justification of the view that voting rights are conditional on the fulfilment of certain responsibilities that offenders fail to meet. Secondly, I criticise an expressivist justification of disenfranchisement based on the idea that it is uniquely suited to express dissociation from serious wrongdoing. While embracing the expressivist perspective of the latter line of argument, I argue that disenfranchisement also expresses attitudes that are incompatible with the commitment to equality. Disenfranchisement conveys the judgment that offenders are not fit to participate in the democratic process. In doing so, it violates the duty of the state to treat all its citizens with equal respect and undermines offenders’ equal status. Moreover, this policy fosters objectionable inequalities of esteem: other members of the community are very likely to internalise the judgment that offenders are second‐class citizens and to regard them as inferior, which in turn undermines their status in society.
lncRNA H19 contributes to oxidative damage repair in the early age‐related cataract by regulating miR‐29a/TDG axis
Authors: Cheng Tianyu , Xu Mudong , Qin Bai , Wu Jian , Tu Yuanyuan , Kang Lihua , Wang Yong , Guan Huaijin 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAge‐related cataract (ARC) is caused by the exposure of the lens to UVB which promotes oxidative damage and cell death. This study aimed to explore the role of lncRNA H19 in oxidative damage repair in early ARC. lncRNAs sequencing technique was used to identify different lncRNAs in the lens of early ARC patients. Human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) were exposed to ultraviolet irradiation; and 8‐OHdG ELISA, Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8), EDU, flow cytometry and TUNEL assays were used to detect DNA damage, cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis. Luciferase assay was used to examine the interaction among H19, miR‐29a and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) 3'UTR. We found that lncRNA H19 and TDG were highly expressed while miR‐29a was down‐regulated in the three types of early ARC and HLECs exposed to ultraviolet irradiation, compared to respective controls. lncRNA H19 knockdown aggravated oxidative damage, reduced cell viability and proliferation, and promoted apoptosis in HLECs, while lncRNA H19 overexpression led to opposite effects in HLECs. Mechanistically, miR‐29a bound TDG 3'UTR to repress TDG expression. lncRNA H19 up‐regulated the expression of TDG by repressing miR‐29a because it acted as ceRNA through sponging miR‐29a. In conclusion, the interaction among lncRNA H19, miR‐29a and TDG is involved in early ARC. lncRNA H19 could be a useful marker of early ARC and oxidative damage repair pathway of lncRNA H19/miR‐29a/TDG may be a promising target for the treatment of ARC.
The advantages of UK Biobank's open‐access strategy for health research
Authors: Conroy M. , Sellors J. , Effingham M. , Littlejohns T. J. , Boultwood C. , Gillions L. , Sudlow C. L. M. , Collins R. , Allen N. E. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractReady access to health research studies is becoming more important as researchers, and their funders, seek to maximize the opportunities for scientific innovation and health improvements. Large‐scale population‐based prospective studies are particularly useful for multidisciplinary research into the causes, treatment and prevention of many different diseases. UK Biobank has been established as an open‐access resource for public health research, with the intention of making the data as widely available as possible in an equitable and transparent manner. Access to UK Biobank's unique breadth of phenotypic and genetic data has attracted researchers worldwide from across academia and industry. As a consequence, it has enabled scientists to perform world‐leading collaborative research. Moreover, open access to an already deeply characterized cohort has encouraged both public and private sector investment in further enhancements to make UK Biobank an unparalleled resource for public health research and an exemplar for the development of open‐access approaches for other studies.
Toward “hardened” accountability? Analyzing the European Union's hybrid transnational governance in timber and biofuel supply chains
Authors: Moser Christine , Leipold Sina 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe voluntary/mandatory divide is a constant feature of scholarly debates on corporate accountability for sustainability in global supply chains. A widely held assumption is that the addition of state authority to private transnational governance in global supply chains will “harden” accountability and, thus, promote more sustainable production. The state's ability to set legally binding requirements is expected to coerce companies into complying. The hybridization of private and state authority is seen to strengthen good practice in private authority. This empirical study questions these assumptions based on an analysis of two hybrid governance arrangements for sustainability in global supply chains: the EU's Timber Regulation (EUTR) and Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The results demonstrate that both EUTR and EU‐RED yield sector wide efforts of compliance and to this extent can be seen as enhancing accountability in the sense of answerability. At the same time, we find that the policies in both cases are not more demanding, nor enforced strictly, the latter putting into question their potential to coerce companies. Further, a “hardening” of accountability is at least obscured as both EUTR and EU‐RED have stripped private authority they employ in their hybrid transnational governance from the need to establish legitimacy with a broader audience. This makes legal compliance and cost‐effectiveness the core factor for companies’ efforts to demonstrate compliance. Our findings hence question whether the EUTR and EU‐RED have led to “hardened” accountability compared to private transnational governance, and ask for an empirical, more nuanced understanding of what there is to gain or lose from hybridizing private and state authority in transnational governance.
Mulching effects on soil nutrient levels and yield in coffee farming systems in Rwanda
Authors: Nzeyimana Innocent , Hartemink Alfred E. , Ritsema Coen , Mbonigaba Jean Jacques M. , Geissen Violette 
Published: July 2019

AbstractDifferent combinations of organic mulch were applied in smallholder coffee farming systems to assess their effects on soil nutrient contents and coffee yield at three sites in different agro‐ecological zones in Rwanda. Mulching systems consisted of Cymbopogon spp. (T1), Panicum spp. (T2), Cymbopogon spp. and Panicum spp. (T3), Eucalyptus spp. and Cymbopogon spp. (T4), mixed residues (T5) and un‐mulched coffee used as control (T6). Mulch had significant and specific effects at each site (p < 0.001). T3 reduced soil pH value and exchangeable acidity at Kibirizi, while at Karongi and Ruli, these effects were observed with T4 and T5. T4 and T5 significantly increased the content of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). The amount of nutrients released was regulated by the amount and type of mulch applied, the agro‐ecological conditions and the soil properties at each site. The increased soil nutrient levels led to improved soil fertility conditions and increased coffee yields. The coffee yields were significantly increased with T1 at Karongi (p < 0.05) by up to 1.9 t ha−1. T2 and T3 had significantly higher yields at Kibirizi. Yields at Kibirizi were 48% lower compared to yields at Karongi; at this site, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 increased yields by 57%, 26%, 31%, 20% and 28%, respectively, when compared to the no mulching treatment (T6). However, coffee yields over 1.9 t ha−1 can only be obtained with additional applications of inorganic fertilizer at different rates depending on the agro‐ecological zone and soil type.
Evaluation of infectious risk and outcomes in the hmong renal transplant population
Authors: Jorgenson Margaret R. , Cardinale Brianna , Descourouez Jillian L. , Yang Dou‐Yan , Leverson Glen E. , Parajuli Sandesh , Smith Jeannina A. , Redfield Robert R. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackgroundHmong ethnicity has been associated with infection, particularly fungal. The risk of infection after transplant in the Hmong population is unknown.MethodsObservational study of adult renal transplant (RTX) recipients between 1/1/1994 and 12/31/2015. Primary objective was to identify infectious risk in the Hmong RTX population as compared to non‐Hispanic whites (NHW). Secondary objective was to evaluate transplant outcomes.ResultsThere was a total of 2599 patients in the study window; 95 Hmong, 2504 NHW. The Hmong population had significantly fewer bacterial and fungal infections at 1 and 3 years (Bacterial: Hmong 21.7%, 32.4% vs NHW 36.9%, 46.7%, P = .004; Fungal: Hmong 3.3%, 5.7% vs NHW 12.7%, 16.6%, P = .0005) and improved graft and patient survival at 1, 5, and 10 years (Graft: Hmong 92.6%, 78.4%, 61.9% vs NHW 90.7%, 72.2%, 48.5%, P = .006; Patient: Hmong 97.8%, 94.5%, 83.3% vs NHW 95.3%, 82.1%, 62.1% P < .001). Spectrum of bacterial infection was similar, but with significantly more Staphylococcal infection in the NHW population. Blastomycoses were the major fungal pathogen in Hmong (2/3, 67%) vs Candida in NWH (77%). When minimally adjusted for PRA and age, rates of bacterial infection (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48‐0.99, P = .047), fungal infection (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17‐0.87, P = .02), and mortality (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.28‐0.88, P = .02) were more favorable in the Hmong population. When analyzed in a stepwise Cox proportional hazards model; Hmong ethnicity was not a significant risk factor for graft failure, rejection, CMV, BK, or fungal infection after RTX and was associated with reduced risk of bacterial infection (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.4‐0.9, P = .02) and mortality (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27‐0.96, P = .04).ConclusionsDespite concern regarding infective risk in the Hmong population, infection after RTX is no higher than NHW comparator. In all analyses, the Hmong population has equal or better outcomes. It does not appear variance in standard infection prophylaxis is necessary for the Hmong population after RTX.