bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bone stability around implants in elderly patients with reduced bone mineral density – a prospective study on mandibular overdentures
Authors: Chow Luke , Chow Tak Wah , Chai John , Mattheos Nikos 
Published: June 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this prospective clinical study was to determine whether reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is correlated with a higher risk for dental implant therapy in an elderly patient population.Material and methodsSeventy‐nine patients recruited at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital were provided with 2‐implant‐supported mandibular overdentures. Skeletal BMD was recorded before the implant therapy. The World Health Organization Osteoporosis Diagnosis Classification (femoral neck score) was utilized to define the osteoporosis status of patients. Periapical radiographs were taken with a special radiographic holder at the time of implant loading (baseline) and at follow‐up examinations. The mesial and distal marginal bone levels of each implant were measured. The mean marginal bone loss (mMBL) and greatest marginal bone loss (GBL) of four implant sites at patient level were recorded for data analysis. Clinical examination including plaque score (PI) and bleeding on probing (BOP) was recorded.ResultsOf the 79 patients recruited in the study, the survival rate of implant was 98.7%. Sixty‐three patients (79.7%) were finally available for data collection and statistical analyses. The mean follow‐up time was 62.9 (SD = 15.2) months with the mean MBL 0.65 mm (SD = 0.67) and mean GBL 1.25 mm (SD = 0.83), respectively. The average BOP and PI of patients were 49.6% (SD = 30.8) and 47.4% (SD = 37.4). Only BOP was found significantly correlated with mMBL (r = 0.321, P = 0.01). Skeletal BMD was not associated with marginal bone loss (mean MBL: r = −0.094, P = 0.466; mean GBL: r = 0.04, P = 0.761).ConclusionsWithin the limits of this study, osteoporosis was not a contraindication for implant therapy, and reduced skeletal BMD was not associated with increased marginal bone loss around implants or other complications in an elderly population.
Formulating Smart Commitments on Biodiversity: Lessons from the Aichi Targets
Authors: Butchart Stuart H. M. , Di Marco Moreno , Watson James E. M. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe world is currently not on course to achieve most of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Targets to address biodiversity loss. One challenge for those implementing actions to achieve them may be the complexity and lack of clarity in the wording of the targets, which also make it difficult to stimulate and quantify progress. Drawing on experience in developing and measuring indicators to assess progress toward targets, we identify four key issues: ambiguity, quantifiability, complexity, and redundancy. The magnitude of required commitments under some targets is rendered ambiguous by the use of imprecise terms (e.g., “substantially”), while many targets contain poorly defined operational terms (e.g., “essential services”). Seventy percent of targets lack quantifiable elements, meaning that there is no clear binary or numeric threshold to be met in order for the target to be achieved. Most targets are excessively complex, containing up to seven different elements, while one‐third of them contain redundancies. In combination, these four issues make it difficult to operationalize the targets and to ensure consistent interpretation by signatories. For future policy commitments, we recommend the adoption of a smaller number of more focused headline targets (alongside subsidiary targets) that are specific, quantified, simple, succinct, and unambiguous.
The North Wyke Farm Platform: effect of temperate grassland farming systems on soil moisture contents, runoff and associated water quality dynamics
Authors: Orr R. J. , Murray P. J. , Eyles C. J. , Blackwell M. S. A. , Cardenas L. M. , Collins A. L. , Dungait J. A. J. , Goulding K. W. T. , Griffith B. A. , Gurr S. J. , Harris P. , Hawkins J. M. B. , Misselbrook T. H. , Rawlings C. , Shepherd A. , Sint H. , Takahashi T. , Tozer K. N. , Whitmore A.P. , Wu L. , Lee M. R. F. 
Published: June 2016

SummaryThe North Wyke Farm Platform was established as a United Kingdom national capability for collaborative research, training and knowledge exchange in agro‐environmental sciences. Its remit is to research agricultural productivity and ecosystem responses to different management practices for beef and sheep production in lowland grasslands. A system based on permanent pasture was implemented on three 21‐ha farmlets to obtain baseline data on hydrology, nutrient cycling and productivity for 2 years. Since then two farmlets have been modified by either (i) planned reseeding with grasses that have been bred for enhanced sugar content or deep‐rooting traits or (ii) sowing grass and legume mixtures to reduce nitrogen fertilizer inputs. The quantities of nutrients that enter, cycle within and leave the farmlets were evaluated with data recorded from sensor technologies coupled with more traditional field study methods. We demonstrate the potential of the farm platform approach with a case study in which we investigate the effects of the weather, field topography and farm management activity on surface runoff and associated pollutant or nutrient loss from soil. We have the opportunity to do a full nutrient cycling analysis, taking account of nutrient transformations in soil, and flows to water and losses to air. The NWFP monitoring system is unique in both scale and scope for a managed land‐based capability that brings together several technologies that allow the effect of temperate grassland farming systems on soil moisture levels, runoff and associated water quality dynamics to be studied in detail.Highlights
Can meat production systems be developed that are productive yet minimize losses to the environment?
The data are from an intensively instrumented capability, which is globally unique and topical.
We use sensing technologies and surveys to show the effect of pasture renewal on nutrient losses.
Platforms provide evidence of the effect of meteorology, topography and farm activity on nutrient loss.
Cautious Crows: Neophobia in Torresian Crows (Corvus orru) Compared with Three Other Corvoids in Suburban Australia
Authors: Brown Matthew J. , Jones Darryl N. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractCorvids (Family: CORVIDAE) are a clade of some 120 species widespread throughout much of the world that have attracted the interest of researchers due to their impressive cognitive abilities. The group is, however, also generally described as neophobic, a trait that increases the difficulty of undertaking such research. In Australia, Torresian crows (Corvus orru) have, like corvid species worldwide, thrived in urban environments, sharing this habitat with a number of other corvoid (Superfamily: CORVOIDEA) species. While each of these species has successfully colonised urban areas, the extent to which neophobia is present is not known. This study empirically tested the extent to which neophobia is exhibited in wild urban Torresian crows by measuring the delaying effect of a novel object to obtaining food and any changes in neophobic behaviours displayed. This was then compared with the other urban corvoid species that inhabit similar niches. This study confirmed that Torresian crows are significantly wary of a novel objects, displaying more neophobic behaviours and taking longer to attain the food. Crow behaviour provided evidence in support of both the dangerous niche hypothesis and the two‐factor model of neophobia and neophilia. Crows also displayed these behaviours to a significantly greater extent than the three other corvoids studied. However, the individual variation in crow behaviours when exposed to a novel object was extensive. This variation may be attributed to differing behavioural types between individuals, or different experiences with novel objects or humans in the bird's past.
The political ecology of gear bans in two fisheries: Florida's net ban and Alaska's Salmon wars
Authors: Loring Philip A 
Published: June 2016

AbstractParametric management in fisheries, which describes the management of how, where and when fishing occurs, is often essential for achieving sustainability. Changes to these parameters likely have impacts on stakeholders, however, for example through the costs and allocative consequences of spatial restrictions or gear changes. Here, I discuss two cases where gear bans have been implemented or proposed in response to conservation concerns: the commercial net ban enacted in Florida in 1995 and the failed ban on set gill‐nets in parts of Alaska. The two cases are remarkably similar, although the outcomes were quite different because of the social context of each fishery. Lessons from the Florida ban, which resulted in numerous negative social and ecological impacts, are informative regarding the impacts that likely would have accompanied the Alaska ban, had it proceeded. In both cases, the gear bans have had or were poised to have notable impacts on allocation, but scientific evidence for their necessity was limited. These cases show how ethical considerations can be inseparable from the ecological aspects of managing fisheries, and that when communities grapple with the sustainability of fisheries, they are simultaneously seeking to define the socially acceptable uses of those resources. I suggest a set of questions that can be asked when proposing parametric changes to fisheries, including how those changes will impact social well‐being and community resilience. These are questions that I argue must be addressed if both ethical and sustainable fisheries are the goal.
Rapid climate‐driven loss of breeding habitat for Arctic migratory birds
Authors: Wauchope Hannah S. , Shaw Justine D. , Varpe Øystein , Lappo Elena G. , Boertmann David , Lanctot Richard B. , Fuller Richard A. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractMillions of birds migrate to and from the Arctic each year, but rapid climate change in the High North could strongly affect where species are able to breed, disrupting migratory connections globally. We modelled the climatically suitable breeding conditions of 24 Arctic specialist shorebirds and projected them to 2070 and to the mid‐Holocene climatic optimum, the world's last major warming event ~6000 years ago. We show that climatically suitable breeding conditions could shift, contract and decline over the next 70 years, with 66–83% of species losing the majority of currently suitable area. This exceeds, in rate and magnitude, the impact of the mid‐Holocene climatic optimum. Suitable climatic conditions are predicted to decline acutely in the most species rich region, Beringia (western Alaska and eastern Russia), and become concentrated in the Eurasian and Canadian Arctic islands. These predicted spatial shifts of breeding grounds could affect the species composition of the world's major flyways. Encouragingly, protected area coverage of current and future climatically suitable breeding conditions generally meets target levels; however, there is a lack of protected areas within the Canadian Arctic where resource exploitation is a growing threat. Given that already there are rapid declines of many populations of Arctic migratory birds, our results emphasize the urgency of mitigating climate change and protecting Arctic biodiversity.
Climate warming and heat waves affect reproductive strategies and interactions between submerged macrophytes
Authors: Li Zhongqiang , He Liang , Zhang Huan , Urrutia‐Cordero Pablo , Ekvall Mattias K. , Hollander Johan , Hansson Lars‐Anders 
Published: June 2016

AbstractExtreme climatic events, such as heat waves, are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity during the next hundred years, which may accelerate shifts in hydrological regimes and submerged macrophyte composition in freshwater ecosystems. Since macrophytes are profound components of aquatic systems, predicting their response to extreme climatic events is crucial for implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. We therefore performed an experiment in 24 outdoor enclosures (400 L) separating the impact of a 4 °C increase in mean temperature with the same increase, that is the same total amount of energy input, but resembling a climate scenario with extreme variability, oscillating between 0 °C and 8 °C above present conditions. We show that at the moderate nutrient conditions provided in our study, neither an increase in mean temperature nor heat waves lead to a shift from a plant‐dominated to an algal‐dominated system. Instead, we show that species‐specific responses to climate change among submerged macrophytes may critically influence species composition and thereby ecosystem functioning. Our results also imply that more fluctuating temperatures affect the number of flowers produced per plant leading to less sexual reproduction. Our findings therefore suggest that predicted alterations in climate regimes may influence both plant interactions and reproductive strategies, which have the potential to inflict changes in biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning.
Whose voices? Patient and public involvement in clinical commissioning
Authors: O'Shea Alison , Chambers Mary , Boaz Annette 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimThis paper aims to explore patient and public representation in a NHS clinical commissioning group and how this is experienced by staff and lay members involved.BackgroundPatient and public involvement is believed to foster greater public representativeness in the development and delivery of health care services. However, there is widespread debate about what representation is or what it should be. Questions arise about the different constructions of representation and the representativeness of patients and the public in decision‐making structures and processes.DesignEthnographic, two‐phase study involving twenty‐four observations across two types of clinical commissioning group meetings with patient and public involvement, fourteen follow‐up interviews with NHS staff and lay members, and a focus group with five lay members.ResultsPerceptions of what constitutes legitimate representativeness varied between respondents, ranging from representing an individual patient experience to reaching large numbers of people. Consistent with previous studies, there was a lack of clarity about the role of lay members in the work of the clinical commissioning group.ConclusionsUnlike previous studies, it was lay members, not staff, who raised concerns about their representativeness and legitimacy. Although the clinical commissioning group provides resources to support patient and public involvement, there continues to be a lack of clarity about roles and scope for impact. Lay members are still some way from constituting a powerful voice at the table.
Justice, Injustice, and Critical Potential Beyond Borders: A Multi‐Dimensional Affair
Authors: Ronzoni Miriam 
Published: July 2016

AbstractUntil fairly recently, positions within the global justice debate have been quite polarised along the statism/cosmopolitanism dichotomy. Recently, the dichotomy has been challenged (although somewhat unsystematically), but the idea that the proximity of a view to cosmopolitanism also tracks its critical potential in political terms has not. This article rejects this premise. In order to do so, it also provides a novel, more systematic challenge to the statism/cosmopolitanism dichotomy. The main suggestion is that we should consider two aspects simultaneously, and identify positions within the debate on the basis of how they relate to both of these. First of all, participants in the debate can make three different kinds of claims, which I shall call moral, political, and institutional. Secondly, views position themselves within a spectrum in each of the three dimensions, rather than deciding between cosmopolitanism and statism – and at different at different points of the spectrum with regard to their moral, political, and institutional commitments respectively. This account gives us a better grasp of what taking a stand in the global justice entails. Crucially, it enables us to understand that the transformative and critical potential of a specific view depends on a variety of factors, and not only on its stand at the moral level. One can be fairly critical of the status quo without endorsing a cosmopolitan, or even nearly cosmopolitan, moral outlook. In short, the moral story is not the whole story.
DLQI as a major criterion for introduction of systemic agents in patients with mild psoriasis
Authors: Mermin D. , Boursault L. , Milpied B. , Taieb A. , Ezzedine K. , Seneschal J. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBackgroundPsoriasis is a skin inflammatory chronic disease with negative physical, psychological and social repercussions for those affected. However, patients suffering from mild disease also complain about negative impact on their quality of life, making it difficult for physicians to choose the best treatment strategy.ObjectivesUnderstanding the impact of systemic treatments on Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with mild psoriasis in daily practice.MethodsThis is a monocentric retrospective study analysing patients affected by mild psoriasis [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) ≤ 6]. Patients were divided into two groups, depending on the treatment decision taken by the physicians: patients who received local and/or UV light therapies and patients who were treated with systemic therapies as a first choice. PASI and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores were measured at each visit.ResultsPatients who received systemic therapies as a first choice reported higher QoL impairment, mainly due to psoriasis lesions localized on visible areas. During Follow‐up, this group showed better improvement of PASI score and DLQI compared to patients receiving local and/or UV light treatment.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the potential benefit of using systemic therapies in patients with mild psoriasis and high QoL impairment. This study will help physicians to make the right therapeutic decision in patients suffering from mild psoriasis.
Optimization of Microwave Pretreatment Variables for Canola Oil Extraction
Authors: Ramos L.B. , Sánchez R.J. , De Figueiredo A.K. , Nolasco S.M. , Fernández M.B. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe influence of microwave pretreatment on the oil yield (solvent extraction) and oil quality of canola was studied. Response surface methodology was used to analyze the variables of microwave pretreatment, working with two microwave powers 80 and 100% (457 and 607 W, respectively, referred absorbed power of 1 L of water). The independent variables were initial moisture content (5–10% dry basis) and pretreatment time (10–350 s), considering five levels. Second‐order polynomial equations were used for oil yield, and first‐order polynomial for final moisture content. The response models obtained were validated with independent experiments. Under optimal pretreatment conditions, no significant differences were detected in acidity, fatty acid profile and tocopherol content between the unpretreated and pretreated samples. However, significant differences were observed for peroxide index.Practical ApplicationsCanola oil is classified as one of the healthiest vegetable oils due to its fatty acid composition (low in saturated fatty acids and high in essential fatty acids). Vegetable oils are conventionally obtained by pressing or solvent extraction, the latter being the more efficient method. However, the use of organic solvents has some disadvantages such as health and safety issues, emission of volatile organic compounds, high operating costs and poor oil quality caused by the high temperatures of the process. Microwave pretreatment applied to canola seeds is a new technique that offers shorter processing times and lower energy consumption and provides better yields within short times and with reduced solvent use in the extraction step, maintaining the quality of the oil.
Online Discriminant Model of Blood Spot Eggs Based on Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhu Zhi‐Hui , Li Wan‐Qing , Wang Qiao‐Hua , Tang Yong , Cao Fan‐Long , Ma Rui 
Published: June 2016

AbstractTo explore the best method for online detection of blood spot eggs, fiber‐optic spectrometer was used to collect the transmission spectra of eggs. Three different kinds of wavebands were extracted using competitive adaptive reweighed sampling (CARS), interval partial least squares (IPLS) and successive projections algorithm (SPA), respectively. The discrimination results of the models established with partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA) and support vector machine (SVM) showed that the CARS‐screened wavebands had the best modeling results. Through stepwise Bayes discriminant analysis (SBDA) based on the spectral characteristic variables of CARS, five wavelength variables (509, 511, 526, 571 and 599 nm) were determined to be the characteristic variables for the detection of blood spot eggs finally. The detection accuracy of blood spot eggs and normal eggs by Bayes discriminant model using these five variables was 95%. These results show that stepwise Bayes discriminant model can effectively simplify the characteristic wavebands and improve the prediction accuracy, indicating that it can be applied to the real‐time online detection of blood spot eggs.Practical ApplicationsThis study explore three different kinds of spectral characteristic variables were extracted using CARS, IPLS and SPA, respectively, only five characteristic variables are required in the stepwise Bayes discriminant model. This model can avoid the influence of excessive spectral variables on the accuracy of the model, so it is feasible to apply this model to real‐time online detection of blood spot eggs.
Microstructure of a granular amorphous silica ceramic synthesized by spark plasma sintering
Authors: RÖDING M. , DEL CASTILLO L.A. , NYDÉN M. , FOLLINK B. 
Published: June 2016

SummaryWe study the microstructure of a granular amorphous silica ceramic material synthesized by spark plasma sintering. Using monodisperse spherical silica particles as precursor, spark plasma sintering yields a dense granular material with distinct granule boundaries. We use selective etching to obtain nanoscopic pores along the granule borders. We interrogate this highly interesting material structure by combining scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray computed nanotomography and simulations based on random close packed spherical particles. We determine the degree of anisotropy caused by the uni‐axial force applied during sintering, and our analysis shows that our synthesis method provides a means to avoid significant granule growth and to fabricate a material with well‐controlled microstructure.