bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modulation of ruminal and intestinal fermentation by medicinal plants and zinc from different sources
Authors: Váradyová Zora , Mravčáková Dominika , Holodová Monika , Grešáková Ľubomira , Pisarčíková Jana , Barszcz Marcin , Taciak Marcin , Tuśnio Anna , Kišidayová Svetlana , Čobanová Klaudia 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTwo experiments were conducted on sheep to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with zinc and a medicinal plant mixture on haematological parameters and microbial activity in the rumen and large intestine. In Experiment 1, 24 male lambs were randomly divided into four groups: One group was fed an unsupplemented basal diet (control), and three groups were fed a diet supplemented with 70 mg Zn/kg diet in the form of Zn sulphate (ZnSO4), a Zn‐chelate of glycine hydrate (Zn‐Gly) or a Zn‐proteinate (Zn‐Pro), for five months. The ruminal content was collected separately from each lamb, and batch cultures of ruminal fluid were incubated in vitro with mixture of medicinal plants (Mix) with different roughage:concentrate ratios (800:200 and 400:600, w/w). Bioactive compounds in Mix were quantified by UPLC/MS/MS. In Experiment 2, four sheep were fed a diet consisting of meadow hay and barley grain (400:600, w/w), with Zn‐Gly (70 mg Zn/kg diet), Mix (10% replacement of meadow hay) or Zn‐Gly and Mix (Zn‐Gly‐Mix) as supplements in a Latin square design. Mix decreased total gas (p < 0.001) and methane (p < 0.01) production in vitro. In Experiment 1, caecal isobutyrate and isovalerate concentrations varied among the dietary treatments (p < 0.01). The isovalerate concentration of the zinc‐supplemented groups in the distal colon was higher (p < 0.001) compared with the control. In Experiment 2, the molar proportion of isobutyrate was the highest in the faeces of the sheep fed the diet with Zn‐Gly‐Mix (p < 0.01). The plasma zinc concentration was higher in the groups fed a diet supplemented with zinc (p < 0.001). The haematological profile and antioxidant status did not differ between the dietary groups (p > 0.05). The diets containing medicinal plants and organic zinc thus helped to modulate the characteristics of fermentation in ruminants.
Contesting Chineseness: An Examination of Religion and National Identity in Mainland China
Authors: Lu Jun , Gao Qin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractFor citizens of many countries around the world, religion is a necessary—though often contested—component of their national identity. From the vantage point of the symbolic boundaries approach, we argue that the Chinese government and various other social actors are in contestation to define “Chineseness” in religious terms. Using data from the 2007 Spiritual Life Study of Chinese Residents, this study explores the extent to which religion functions as a constitutive part of Chinese national identity. We find that the effectiveness of the Chinese government's demarcation of the symbolic boundaries around Chineseness related to religion varies across religious groups. Believers of each religion are likely to be strong advocates for their own religion's connection to Chinese national identity. Among the religions, traditional Chinese religions tend to demonstrate a stronger affinity with one another than with Christianity. Daoists are a particularly strong contestant in aligning Daoism with Chineseness, to the extent that they discredit the other religions’ suitability for the Chinese. We discuss the implications of these findings and point out directions for future research.
Adaptation to reef habitats through selection on the coral animal and its associated microbiome
Authors: van Oppen Madeleine J. H. , Bongaerts Pim , Frade Pedro , Peplow Lesa M. , Boyd Sarah E. , Nim Hieu T. , Bay Line K. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSpatially adjacent habitats on coral reefs can represent highly distinct environments, often harbouring different coral communities. Yet, certain coral species thrive across divergent environments. It is unknown whether the forces of selection are sufficiently strong to overcome the counteracting effects of the typically high gene flow over short distances, and for local adaptation to occur. We screened the coral genome (using restriction site‐associated sequencing) and characterized both the dinoflagellate photosymbiont‐ and tissue‐associated prokaryote microbiomes (using metabarcoding) of a reef flat and slope population of the reef‐building coral, Pocillopora damicornis, at two locations on Heron Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef. Reef flat and slope populations were separated by <100 m horizontally and ~5 m vertically, and the two study locations were separated by ~1 km. For the coral host, genetic divergence between habitats was much greater than between locations, suggesting limited gene flow between the flat and slope populations. Consistent with environmental selection, outlier loci primarily belonged to the conserved, minimal cellular stress response, likely reflecting adaptation to the different temperature and irradiance regimes on the reef flat and slope. The prokaryote community differed across both habitat and, to a lesser extent, location, whereas the dinoflagellate photosymbionts differed by habitat but not location. The observed intraspecific diversity associated with divergent habitats supports that environmental adaptation involves multiple members of the coral holobiont. Adaptive alleles or microbial associations present in coral populations from the environmentally variable reef flat may provide a source of adaptive variation for assisted evolution approaches, through assisted gene flow, artificial cross‐breeding or probiotic inoculations, with the aim to increase climate resilience in the slope populations.
Sequence of flower and leaf emergence in deciduous trees is linked to ecological traits, phylogenetics, and climate
Authors: Gougherty Andrew V. , Gougherty Steven W. 
Published: June 2018

Summary

While much research has focused on the timing of individual plant phenological events, the sequence of phenological events has received considerably less attention. Here we identify drivers and patterns of flower and leaf emergence sequence (FLS) in deciduous tree species of the Great Lakes region of North America.

Five hypotheses related to cold tolerance, water dynamics, seed mass, pollination syndrome, and xylem anatomy type were compared for their ability to explain FLS. Phylogenetic and geographic patterns of FLS were also assessed. We identified additional traits associated with FLS using Random Forest models.

Of the hypotheses assessed, those related to species’ water dynamics and seed mass had the greatest support. The spatial pattern of FLS was found to be strongly related to minimum monthly temperature and the phylogenetic pattern was clustered among species. Based on results from Random Forest models, species’ fruiting characteristics were found to be the most important variables in explaining FLS.

Our results show that FLS is related to a suite of plant traits and environmental tolerances. We emphasize the need to expand phenological research to include both the timing and sequence of plant's entire phenology, in particular in relation to plant physiology and global change.
Using patient cases to educate health professionals, patients, institutions, and society: the swallowing disorder example
Authors: Wagner‐Menghin Michaela , Hirsch Alexander , Pokieser Peter 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe problems and symptoms of patients are at the heart of medicine and pertinent to information, communication, and education. Patients present their problems to health professionals looking for relief and a cure, while institutions collect data about symptoms of patients and the way health professionals treated them to support society's care providers in administrating and managing care. The information on the problems of patients and the way health professionals treated them, which is gathered and stored in patient files, is valuable as educational material in the field of medicine. Driven by the fast developments of new technical tools case‐based information, communication and education starts to enter educational domains beyond the field of medicine, such as school systems and public health services. In our discussion we seek to understand and outline how to use the material gathered and stored in patient files to educate health professionals. Additionally, this paper gives examples of case‐based education for all members of society.
Mineral and bone disorders in conventional hemodialysis: Challenges and solutions
Authors: Hamano Takayuki 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDespite the advent of cinacalcet and noncalcium‐containing phosphate binders, controlling the progression of vascular calcification (VC) is still challenging. Recent reports demonstrate that carbamylation driven by high urea concentration aggravates VC, suggesting the importance of adequate dialysis in retarding its progression. Theoretically, other promising measures include the use of iron‐based phosphate binders, vitamin K, and magnesium supplements, which should be investigated in future randomized controlled trials (RCTs), ideally with hard outcomes. While incidence of hip fracture in patients on dialysis is decreasing in the United States and Japan (possibly owing to better control of PTH levels by cinacalcet) it remains much higher than that in the general population. Many drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis, including bisphosphonate, raloxifene, denosumab, and teriparatide can, under specific conditions, increase bone mineral density (BMD), which is associated with a lower fracture rate. However, the efficacy of these drugs in reducing the fracture rate remains to be proven in hemodialysis (HD) patients, given their adverse effects such as severe hypocalcemia and resultant worsening of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Some clinical studies have shown that cinacalcet, lanthanum carbonate, and sevelamer reduce mortality in elderly patients on HD, suggesting the benefits of reducing PTH and serum phosphate levels. However, the target ranges of PTH and phosphate levels are based solely on observational studies. This is also the case when treating low PTH levels by decreasing vitamin D or calcium load. RCTs with hard clinical endpoints comparing different targets are necessary in the future.
The Role of Social Capital in Agricultural and Rural Development:Lessons Learnt from Case Studies in Seven Countries
Authors: Rivera Maria , Knickel Karlheinz , María Díaz‐Puente José , Afonso Ana 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe importance of social capital for agricultural and rural development is explored in this paper through the analysis of seven comprehensive case studies that have been carried out in the framework of the European RETHINK research programme. The case studies are based on rather different initiatives at the interface between agricultural and rural development in Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark and Israel. The case studies represent a broad spectrum of socio‐economic and agricultural contexts and focus on the role of social capital for development. We explore how social capital materialises in the context of rural areas, and what nuances it acquires in different rural environments. The case studies are used to better understand, and to illustrate, different expressions of social capital in different situations. Within the broad notion of social capital, we pay particular attention to trust, cooperation, sense of community, and culture and tradition. All four dimensions play a critical role in agricultural and rural development as they affect how people relate to each other, organise themselves and interact for development.
The new privatized market: A question of ideology or pragmatism within the Swedish addiction treatment system?
Authors: Storbjörk Jessica , Stenius Kerstin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractGiven its traditions of universal welfarism and social democracy, Sweden had already scored unexpectedly high on New Public Management by the 1980s. Health and welfare services remain primarily tax‐funded, but the production of care is increasingly transferred to a competitive quasi‐market. To what extent can this development be understood in terms of right‐wing governments, and to what extent in terms of other, socioeconomic and pragmatic factors? We examined this question through official statistics on providers of institutional addiction care since 1976, and through the total expenditure and purchases by local‐level municipal social services of interventions for substance users in Sweden in 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. We have analyzed the distribution across public and private providers within the addiction treatment system, and whether national developments and local differences across the 290 municipalities—which bear the major treatment responsibility—can be understood in terms of local‐level political majority, population size, and local wealth. The share of purchased services has remained stable, but the treatment system shows increasing financial turnover and an increasing share of for‐profit providers among producers of purchased care, especially in outpatient treatment. While venture capital enterprises emerged as a new actor, non‐governmental organizations lost out in importance. Bourgeois government correlated with larger shares of purchasing and purchases from for‐profit providers. However, purchasing on a market dominated by for‐profit providers has also become the “new normal”, regardless of ideology, and recent years have shown a reversed effect of left‐wing municipalities purchasing more services than right‐wing governments. Pragmatic reasons also influence local‐level purchasing.
Comparison of seven water retention functions used for modelling soil hydraulic conductivity due to film flow
Authors: Liao K. , Zhou Z. , Li Y. , Lai X. , Zhu Q. , Shan N. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity accounting for film flow is important for understanding soil hydrological and biological processes, especially in arid and semi‐arid regions. Recently, a theoretically based hydraulic conductivity model was developed to describe the hydraulic conductivity as a function of water content. We have used this model to compare seven soil water retention functions commonly used for predicting soil hydraulic conductivity due to film flow. A total of 30 soils, varying in basic properties, were selected from the Unsaturated Soil Hydraulic Database to evaluate the seven functions. The Webb method was applied to identify the critical soil matric potential (hc) below which thin film flow controls water movement. Soil hydraulic conductivity measurements at matric potential below hc were then used for curve fitting according to the seven functions. Slight differences were observed among the functions in predicting soil hydraulic conductivity due to film flow. Six of the seven functions in combination with the hydraulic conductivity model described the hydraulic conductivity due to film flow well, according to the terms of the coefficient of efficiency. The relatively poor performance of the one exception was due to the fact that the linear shape of the function made it less flexible at low matric potentials. In addition, the effect of textural class on its performance was substantial, showing a poorer fit for the sand soil compared with the loam and clay soils. These findings have important applications related to soil and water resources conservation especially in arid and semi‐arid regions.
The limits of GIS: Towards a GIS of place
Authors: Giordano Alberto , Cole Tim 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn this article we reflect back on our decade‐long collaboration on the geographies of the Holocaust to argue for a GIS of place. Our previous work on ghettoization in Budapest and on the spatio‐temporal patterns of Jewish persecution in Italy had a marked spatial dimension, both in the research questions we set out to answer and the methods we used, which were largely quantitative. During the course of our research, we progressively came to realize that a spatial perspective favors the voice of the perpetrator and that to fully comprehend and understand the geography of the Holocaust, we needed to engage with the voice of the victim, extend the set of methods and tools used, and broaden our epistemology. While proposing a fully‐fledged model of a qualitative GIS of the places and spaces of the Holocaust is beyond the scope of this article, we: (a) argue for the integration of social network analysis, corpus linguistics, and spatio‐temporal methods and for a mixed‐methods analytical approach and (b) note how the topological and relational foundations we identify as fundamental to a GIS of place parallel the long‐standing call for an “integrated history” of the Holocaust.
Pinaceae show elevated rates of gene turnover that are robust to incomplete gene annotation
Authors: Casola Claudio , Koralewski Tomasz E. 
Published: June 2018

SummaryGene duplications and gene losses are major determinants of genome evolution and phenotypic diversity. The frequency of gene turnover (gene gains and gene losses combined) is known to vary between organisms. Comparative genomic analyses of gene families can highlight such variation; however, estimates of gene turnover may be biased when using highly fragmented genome assemblies resulting in poor gene annotations. Here, we address potential biases introduced by gene annotation errors in estimates of gene turnover frequencies in a dataset including both well‐annotated angiosperm genomes and the incomplete gene sets of four Pinaceae, including two pine species, Norway spruce and Douglas‐fir. We show that Pinaceae experienced higher gene turnover rates than angiosperm lineages lacking recent whole‐genome duplications. This finding is robust to both known major issues in Pinaceae gene sets: missing gene models and erroneous annotation of pseudogenes. A separate analysis limited to the four Pinaceae gene sets pointed to an accelerated gene turnover rate in pines compared with Norway spruce and Douglas‐fir. Our results indicate that gene turnover significantly contributes to genome variation and possibly to speciation in Pinaceae, particularly in pines. Moreover, these findings indicate that reliable estimates of gene turnover frequencies can be discerned in incomplete and potentially inaccurate gene sets. Because gymnosperms are known to exhibit low overall substitution rates compared with angiosperms, our results suggest that the rate of single‐base pair mutations is uncoupled from the rate of large DNA duplications and deletions associated with gene turnover in Pinaceae.
Autonomous and non‐autonomous functions of the maize Shohai1 gene, encoding a RWP‐RK putative transcription factor, in regulation of embryo and endosperm development
Authors: Mimura Manaki , Kudo Toru , Wu Shan , McCarty Donald R. , Suzuki Masaharu 
Published: June 2018

SummaryIn plants, establishment of the basic body plan during embryogenesis involves complex processes of axis formation, cell fate specification and organ differentiation. While molecular mechanisms of embryogenesis have been well studied in the eudicot Arabidopsis, only a small number of genes regulating embryogenesis has been identified in grass species. Here, we show that a RKD‐type RWP‐RK transcription factor encoded by Shohai1 (Shai1) is indispensable for embryo and endosperm development in maize. Loss of Shai1 function causes variable morphological defects in the embryo including small scutellum, shoot axis bifurcation and arrest during early organogenesis. Analysis of molecular markers in mutant embryos reveals disturbed patterning of gene expression and altered polar auxin transport. In contrast with typical embryo‐defective (emb) mutants that expose a vacant embryo pocket in the endosperm, the endosperm of shai1 kernels conforms to the varied size and shape of the embryo. Furthermore, genetic analysis confirms that Shai1 is required for autonomous formation of the embryo pocket in endosperm of emb mutants. Analyses of genetic mosaic kernels generated by B–A translocation revealed that expression of Shai1 in the endosperm could partially rescue a shai1 mutant embryo and suggested that Shai1 is involved in non‐cell autonomous signaling from endosperm that supports normal embryo growth. Taken together, we propose that the Shai1 gene functions in regulating embryonic patterning during grass embryogenesis partly by endosperm‐to‐embryo interaction.
Improved Overhead Contact System Operation With Inclined Pendulum Suspension
Authors: White Paul F. , Keo Daria S. , Kola Gerti 
Published: June 2018

Overhead Contact Systems for electric transit vehicles utilize catenary or single contact wire suspended from cantilevers, bracket arms or span wires. For single contact wire, inclined pendulum suspension provides optimal performance for pantograph or trolley pole current collectors, though it is under-utilized in the United States. Typical suspension for single contact wire consists of direct suspension hangers or stitch suspension with steady arms where stagger is achieved by pulling off the contact wire with the hanger (direct suspension) or steady arms (stitch suspension). This results in the full weight of the contact wire in the span length being supported by the stitch or line insulator. This rigid point of attachment results in a heavy, stiff suspension leading to current collector bouncing, arcing and premature contact wire wear as the upward movement of the wire is restricted and a hard spot is created. It also results in excessive sag at elevated temperatures and contributes to an increased angle at the support span approach.
Inclined pendulums can be utilized in constant tension systems or variable tensioned systems where they impart a semi-constant tensioning into the line and keep the wire tension relatively stable over a particular temperature range. The expansion/contraction of the contact wire is taken up in the inclination of the pendulums where they rise or fall so that the tension and sag in the contact wire remains relatively consistent. In addition, they provide less resistance to uplift of the current collectors at the suspension point so that rising of the contact wire occurs as the collector approaches and passes under it. The vertical angle of the contact wire approaching the span support is kept to minimum levels and collector performance during hot weather conditions tends to remain trouble free. Further, the energy wave set up in the wire from the moving collector is not grossly reflected at the suspension point as with direct suspension thus allowing the collector to pass through smoothly without bounce or loss of continuous contact.
This paper describes the benefits of inclined pendulums in constant and variable tensioned systems such as creating a semi-constant tensioning effect, preventing current collector bounce and premature contact wire wear at the supports by reducing the uplift resistance on current collectors. It also provides the least visual obtrusiveness of all the suspension systems. In addition, this paper will present the associated costs of the inclined pendulum suspensions.