bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An association between volumes of the cardiac chambers and troponin levels in individuals submitted to cardiac coronary computed tomography
Authors: Rozenbaum Zach , Arbel Yaron , Granot Yoav , Cohen Dotan , Shmilovich Haim , Ziv‐Baran Tomer , Chorin Ehud , Havakuk Ofer , Cohen Merav , Berliner Shlomo , Topilsky Yan , Aviram Galit 
Published: June 2017

AbstractBackgroundPrevious echocardiographic studies have revealed an association between enlarged cardiac chamber volumes and elevated troponin concentrations. An automatic 4‐chamber volumetric analysis tool was adopted to investigate this association in patients who underwent cardiac‐gated computed tomography angiography (CCTA).HypothesisWe hypothesized that troponin concentration within the normal range correlates with cardiac chambers' volumes.MethodsSerum troponin was obtained from 157 ambulatory patients before undergoing CCTA for nonacute coronary artery evaluation. Volumes of the cardiac chambers and the left ventricular mass were automatically analyzed and indexed to body surface area. Patients with a troponin concentrations within the upper quartile (>0.007 ng/mL, n = 39) were compared to patients with a troponin concentrations within the 3 lower quartiles of troponin concentrations (≤0.007 ng/mL, n = 118).ResultsNone of the patients had a troponin concentration >0.05 ng/mL (the 99th percentile of the general population). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. There were significant correlations between troponin and ventricular volumes after adjustments for age and gender. In an analysis that included 107 patients without any known heart diseases, including those pathological findings in the current CCTA, there were significant correlations between troponin and the left and right ventricular volumes after adjustments for age, gender, and baseline characteristics (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03‐1.14, P = 0.002 and OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04‐1.19, P = 0.002; respectively).ConclusionsUsing the technology of automatic volumetric analysis in individuals undergoing CCTA, an association between larger right and left cardiac chambers and higher levels of troponin concentration was shown.
First‐Principles Simulation of Raman Spectra of Adsorbates on Metal Surfaces
Authors: Ding Zhao‐Bin , Tommasini Matteo , Maestri Matteo 
Published: June 2017

AbstractA general method is proposed to simulate the Raman spectra of adsorbates on metal surfaces. This method is based on an electrostatic‐corrected cluster model with additional charges to compensate the loss of coordination of metal atoms, and an external field added to simulate the surface dipole and to reproduce the charge distribution obtained from periodic calculations. As a result, it is possible to couple the phonon calculation with the Raman tensors computed by this corrected cluster model to simulate the Raman spectra of the adsorbates on metal surfaces. In doing so, it is possible to overcome both the infinite dielectric constant of the ideal metal, which makes calculating Raman spectra with current periodic models impossible, and the inaccuracy in adsorbate–metal interactions described by the cluster model. By means of this method, the relative experimental Raman intensity peaks of ethylene adsorbed on metal surfaces were successfully reproduced. Moreover, the model analysis allowed relating the enhancement of the Raman intensity of both CO and ethylene upon chemisorption on the metal surface to both the gain of charges on C atoms and the polarization of orbitals. As such, the proposed method provides an accurate and efficient way to simulate and interpret Raman spectra of adsorbates on metal surfaces.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Shareholder Proposals
Authors: Eding Erwin , Scholtens Bert 
Published: June 2017

AbstractWe study how corporate social responsibility relates to investors, firms, and shareholder proposals. We examine shareholder proposals on environmental, social, and governance issues at the annual general meeting of shareholders with US Fortune 250 firms during 2011–2014. We find that the probability of receiving shareholder proposals on environmental issues is positively associated with responsible institutional ownership. We find no systematic evidence that the outperformance regarding social responsibility of the firms themselves would significantly matter regarding the likelihood of shareholders filing proposals about corporate social responsibility, except for employee wellbeing. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Oxygen Vacancy Engineering of Co3O4 Nanocrystals through Coupling with Metal Support for Water Oxidation
Authors: Zhang Jun‐Jun , Wang Hong‐Hui , Zhao Tian‐Jian , Zhang Ke‐Xin , Wei Xiao , Jiang Zhi‐Dong , Hirano Shin‐Ichi , Li Xin‐Hao , Chen Jie‐Sheng 
Published: June 2017

AbstractOxygen vacancies can help to capture oxygen‐containing species and act as active centers for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Unfortunately, effective methods for generating a high amount of oxygen vacancies on the surface of various nanocatalysts are rather limited. Here, we described an effective way to generate oxygen‐vacancy‐rich surface of transition metal oxides, exemplified with Co3O4, simply by constructing highly coupled interface of ultrafine Co3O4 nanocrystals and metallic Ti. Impressively, the amounts of oxygen vacancy on the surface of Co3O4/Ti surpassed the reported values of the Co3O4 modified even under highly critical conditions. The Co3O4/Ti electrode could provide a current density of 23 mA cm−2 at an OER overpotential of 570 mV, low Tafel slope, and excellent durability in neutral medium. Because of the formation of a large amount of oxygen vacancies as the active centers for OER on the surface, the TOF value of the Co3O4@Ti electrode was optimized to be 3238 h−1 at an OER overpotential of 570 mV, which is 380 times that of the state‐of‐the‐art non‐noble nanocatalysts in the literature.
Tree growth traits and social status affect the wood density of pioneer species in secondary subtropical forest
Authors: Chen Lingxiu , Xiang Wenhua , Wu Huili , Lei Pifeng , Zhang Shengli , Ouyang Shuai , Deng Xiangwen , Fang Xi 
Published: June 2017

AbstractWood density (WD) is not only an important parameter to estimate aboveground biomass but also an indicator of timber quality and plant adaptation strategies to stressful conditions (i.e., windthrow, pests, and pathogens). This study had three objectives: (1) to compare WD among seven subtropical tree species; (2) to determine how tree growth traits may influence possible differences in WD between the pioneer and shade‐tolerant species; and (3) to examine whether or not WD differs by tree social status (dominant vs. suppressed trees) within species. To do this, 70 trees were destructively harvested. From each tree, disks at different stem heights were obtained and subjected to a method of stem analysis to measure whole tree level WD. The results showed that WD differed significantly among the seven species (p < .001). Their average WD was 0.537 g/cm3, ranging from 0.409 g/cm3 for Choerospondias axillaris to 0.691 g/cm3 for Cyclobalanopsis glauca. The average WD of the four pioneer species (0.497 ± 0.13 g/cm3) was significantly lower (p < .01) than that of the three shade‐tolerant species (0.589 ± 0.12 g/cm3). The WD of the pioneers had a significant positive correlation with their stem diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (H), and tree age, but WD had a significant negative correlation with relative growth rate (RGR). In contrast, the WD of the shade‐tolerant tree species had no significant relationships with DBH, H, tree age, or RGR. The dominant trees of the pioneer species had a higher WD than the suppressed trees, whereas the shade‐tolerant species had a lower WD for dominant trees than the suppressed trees. However, the differences in WD between dominant and suppressed trees were not significant. Taken together, the results suggest that classifying species into pioneer and shade‐tolerant groups to examine the effects of tree growth traits and social status could improve our understanding of intra‐ and interspecific variation in WD among subtropical tree species.
Local Climate Governance in the Global South: The case of eThekwini Municipality and the Responsible Accommodation Campaign
Authors: Lervik Marita , Sutherland Catherine 
Published: June 2017

AbstractLocal climate governance has become a key focus of the climate change agenda. Much research has been conducted on the topic in northern countries, but more research is needed in the South, where local governments often are less equipped to deal with challenges associated with climate change. This paper discusses different forms of local climate governance, with a specific focus on the relevance of networks. Local climate governance in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, is used as a case study, particularly focusing on a campaign that was implemented in 2011 before the international climate conference (COP17). The modes of governing in eThekwini are considered through a framework of local climate governing and identified mainly as self‐governing and governing through enabling, the campaign being an example of the latter. The campaign also exemplifies how network governance can shape climate policy and significantly alter a project from initiation to implementation. While networks can contribute to improved communication and information exchange, there may be an inherent risk of private partners having a perverse incentive against implementing effective climate policies due to their own interests in maintaining current structures. It is not clear whether the change from regulative governance to governing by enabling will lead to more effective climate policies in the longer term. More research is required to determine this. While this study is too small to make broader generalizations, it does provide insight into how the introduction of network governance may impact climate governance at the local level in the South. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Building Practical Authority for Community Forestry in and through Networks: The role of community‐based organisations in the U.S. West
Authors: Abrams Jesse , Davis Emily Jane , Moseley Cassandra , Nowell Branda 
Published: June 2017

AbstractPolicy and economic changes in the late 20th century fundamentally reorganized the governance of public forestlands in the US West, throwing longstanding rural development trajectories into disarray. Place‐based NGOs emerged across the West in the wake of this transformation to help rural communities gain access to the benefits of new restoration‐oriented management paradigms. Here we analyse the practical efforts of two of these community‐based organizations, Wallowa Resources and the Watershed Research and Training Center, as they attempt to implement community forestry practices in highly complex institutional environments. We focus on the ways in which these organizations access and utilize social networks at multiple scales in order to build the ‘practical authority’ necessary to lead institutional change efforts in and on behalf of rural communities. We consider both the strategic advantages and the practical challenges of working in multiple forums at multiple scales in pursuit of linked community and environmental benefits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Surface uplift of the Central Yunnan Plateau since the Pliocene
Authors: Li Chaoyang , Jiang Xiaodian , Gong Wei , Li Deyong , Li Congying 
Published: June 2017

The Central Yunnan Plateau (CYP) is located in the southeastern end of the Sichuan‐Yunnan rhombic block. CYP is surrounded by the South China Block to the east and the Indo‐China Block to the southwest. Stratigraphy and topography research shows the relative surface uplift of the CYP since the Pliocene. However, the widely accepted model of lower crustal flow is very difficult to fully explain the surface uplift of CYP, with faults and fold structures in the brittle shallow crust. The lower crust thickening led by the lower crustal flow only contributes 34–54% (600–950 m) of the total surface uplift. The wide‐angle seismic profiles and topography analysis show that the CYP surface uplift is predominately a consequence of isostatic compensation due to surface erosion, upper‐middle crustal shortening, and lower crustal thickening. The average isostatic adjustment caused by surface erosion of CYP is about 500 m, which is about 29% of the total surface uplift (1750 m). The GPS station velocities, focal mechanisms, and seismic anisotropy show the strong decoupling relationship between upper‐middle crust and lower crust. In detail, there is a movement with southeast‐directed and clockwise rotation around the Eastern Himalayan syntaxis in the upper‐middle crust, although south‐directed flow in the lower crust. The southeast motion of the upper‐middle crust could be resolved into two portions. The eastward component of upper‐middle crust motion is obstructed by the South China Block in the east. The result is the W‐E direction shortening of upper‐middle crust, shown by the S‐N trending CYP anticlinorium. The W‐E direction shortening of upper‐middle crust contributes 17–37% (300–650 m) of the total surface uplift. In contrast, the southward component of upper‐middle crust motion, shown by the sinistral strike‐slip displacement of the Xiaojiang fault zone, could pass through the Red River fault zone into the Indo‐China Block, where the left‐lateral Dien Bien Phu Fault would be the counterpart. The contribution of upper‐middle crustal shortening in a S‐N direction is very limited. The lower crustal flow could have been playing a prominent role in the growth of the whole southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and the contribution from upper‐middle crustal shortening cannot be ignored in some local areas.
Geochemical and Sr‐Nd isotopic records of Paleoproterozoic metavolcanics and mafic intrusive rocks from the West African Craton: Evidence for petrogenesis and tectonic setting
Authors: Sakyi Patrick Asamoah , Anum Solomon , Su Ben‐Xun , Nude Prosper M. , Su Ben‐Can , Asiedu Daniel Kwadwo , Nyame Frank , Kwayisi Daniel 
Published: June 2017

Metavolcanics and mafic intrusive rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Birimian terrane in the southeastern part of the West African Craton, Ghana, were analyzed for major and trace elements and Nd and Sr isotopic data to constrain the geodynamic evolution of the Birimian Supergroup. The metavolcanic rocks consist of metabasalts, meta‐andesites, and amphibolites, whereas the mafic intrusions are mainly gabbros, hornblendites, and dolerites. The rocks are tholeiitic in composition and show the classic features of arc magmatism. The metavolcanics display significant enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements, relative to high field strength elements (HFSE) and heavy rare earth elements. The multielement patterns of the rocks also show positive Pb, Ba, Th, and Sr and negative Nb, Ta, and Ce anomalies that are typical characteristics of subduction‐related magmas. They also have La/Nb ratios <3 and La/Ta ratios <43 that are similar to other Archean and Birimian greenstone belts in West Africa. The rocks have εNd (2.1 Ga) values of −0.96 to +2.60, and Nd model ages of 2.24–2.51 Ga (TDM1) and 2.16–2.45 Ga (TDM2), indicating their juvenile character with possible contributions from pre‐Birimian crustal materials in their sources. The εNd values suggest a depleted source and further indicate that they were probably produced in an almost entirely oceanic environment with minor influence from the continental crust. The Nd isotopic results are consistent with the island arc model, which views Paleoproterozoic terranes of the West African Craton in the context of subduction–accretion processes. Accordingly, these processes may have played a role in the formation of the Columbia supercontinent during the Paleoproterozoic (2.1–1.8 Ga) orogenic events.
The cost‐effectiveness implications of suboptimal treatment for different severities of Alzheimer's disease in the UK
Authors: Zala Darshan , Chan Dennis , McCrone Paul 
Published: June 2017

ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the impact of suboptimal treatment, defined in terms of lower population coverage (percentage of total patient population receiving optimal treatment) and delay to treatment on the cost‐effectiveness of pharmacological therapies approved for the treatment of different severities of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the UK.MethodsA 5‐year Markov model was used to simulate transition to full‐time care, as delay and coverage were varied for AD patients with mild‐to‐moderate and moderate‐to‐severe dementia. The time‐varying predictive equations, resource use, utilities, treatment effects and mortality were derived using published sources.ResultsFor the cohort with moderate‐to‐severe dementia, cost‐effectiveness was optimised when delay was minimised and coverage maximised. For mild‐to‐moderate dementia, results were similar but varied widely depending on the inputted cost of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.ConclusionsThe average cost‐effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for AD is sensitive to delays to treatment and population coverage. The results of this study can inform future healthcare policy in order to maximise cost‐effectiveness of pharmacological therapies for AD. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A weight of evidence framework for environmental assessments: Inferring quantities
Authors: Suter Glenn , Cormier Susan , Barron Mace 
Published: June 2017

Abstract

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has developed a generally applicable framework for a weight-of-evidence (WoE) process for deriving quantitative values from multiple estimates. These guidelines are intended for environmental assessments that require the generation of quantitative parameters such as degradation rates or that develop quantitative products such as criterion values or magnitudes of effects. The basic steps are to weigh evidence for the environmental quality to be quantified, generate the value by merging estimates or by identifying the best estimate, and weight the results to determine confidence in the numerical value. When multiple data sets or outputs of multiple models are available, it may be appropriate to weigh the evidence. Use of the framework to weigh multiple estimates may increase the accuracy of quantitative results compared to a single estimate from a default method. Its use can provide greater transparency compared to ad hoc weighing of evidence. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:1045–1051. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Key Points
Heterogeneous evidence can be weighed to derive quantities such as water quality criteria or magnitudes of effects in risk assessments. The quality to be quantified, such as the endpoint in a risk assessment, may be derived by weighing evidence. The quantity may be derived by a combining weighted estimates (meta analysis) or by weighing the alternative estimates to choose the best. Confidence in a final estimate is a result of both the statistical scatter and the qualitative weight of the estimate.
A weight of evidence framework for environmental assessments: Inferring qualities
Authors: Suter Glenn , Cormier Susan , Barron Mace 
Published: June 2017

Abstract

The weighing of heterogeneous evidence such as conventional laboratory toxicity tests, field tests, biomarkers, and community surveys is essential to environmental assessments. Evidence synthesis and weighing is needed to determine causes of observed effects, hazards posed by chemicals or other agents, the completeness of remediation, and other environmental qualities. As part of its guidelines for weight of evidence (WoE) in ecological assessments, the US Environmental Protection Agency has developed a generally applicable framework. Its basic steps are these: assemble evidence, weight the evidence, and weigh the body of evidence. Use of the framework can increase the consistency and rigor of WoE practices and provide greater transparency than ad hoc and narrative-based approaches. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:1038–1044. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Key Points
A general framework for weighing evidence in environmental assessments includes assembling evidence, weighting the evidence, and weighing the body of evidence. Heterogeneous evidence should be weighed to determine qualities such as causation of observed effects, adverse outcome pathways, and hazards posed by chemicals. The properties to be weighted are relevance, strength, reliability, and collective properties such as the number and diversity of pieces of evidence. A formal consistent method for weighing evidence can increase the transparency and defensibly of assessments.
Life cycle assessment case study: Tertiary treatment process options for wastewater reuse
Authors: Carré Erwan , Beigbeder Joana , Jauzein Vincent , Junqua Guillaume , Lopez-Ferber Miguel 
Published: June 2017

Abstract

Tertiary treatment process (including filtration and/or disinfection) is necessary to obtain a water quality suited for high-quality reuse from wastewater treatment. Industrial pilots representing small real-size treatment units were set up downstream of a conventional secondary treatment of a wastewater treatment plant in the South of France and their performance followed for 2 y. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used to compare the environmental impacts of different treatment processes. Five tertiary treatment trains were studied: 1) sand filtration (SF) + storage followed by ultraviolet (UV) dynamic reactor disinfection (SF-UVD), 2) sand filtration + UV batch reactor disinfection (SF-UVB), 3) ultrafiltration (UF), 4) ultrafiltration and UV batch reactor disinfection (UF-UVB), and 5) microfiltration (MF) and storage followed by dynamic UV disinfection (MF-UVD). The chosen functional unit is “To supply 1 m3 of water with a quality in compliance with the highest standard of the French reuse regulations.” The combination of SF with UV disinfection or the use of UF alone was found to be equivalent in terms of environmental impact for most of the midpoint indicators chosen. Combination of UF with UV disinfection was significantly more impacting because the electricity consumption was nearly doubled. This study was conducted on an industrial pilot; it may thus be representative of industrial facilities implemented to treat higher water flows. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:1113–1121. © 2017 SETAC

Key Points
Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used as a decision-support tool to determine the best treatment process option for wastewater reuse. The combination of sand filtration with UV disinfection (SF-UVD and SF-UVB) or the use of only ultrafiltration (UF) was found to be equivalent in terms of environmental impact for most of the midpoint indicators chosen. The operation phase is the major contributor to the environmental impacts, mainly due to the origin of the electricity required.