bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Abandoned pastures cannot spontaneously recover the attributes of old‐growth savannas
Authors: Cava Mário G. B. , Pilon Natashi A. L. , Ribeiro Milton Cezar , Durigan Giselda 
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Active restoration strategies have been recommended to recover Neotropical savannas in abandoned lands, but no studies have investigated the trajectories and speeds of spontaneous recovery for these systems. Research into the dynamics of degraded savannas is urgently needed to guide restoration decision making.

We analysed the dynamics of secondary savannas in the Brazilian Cerrado by sampling 29 abandoned pastures (time since abandonment ranging from 3 to 25 years) and applying the space‐for‐time substitution method. We modelled the temporal changes in plant community attributes and estimated the time (years) required for these attributes to match those of two reference ecosystems (three replicates each), old‐growth savanna and a forest‐type savanna, which had encroached following fire suppression (encroached savanna). We also analysed the plant community composition of the study sites.

Our models showed that tree canopy cover, richness and density rapidly increased with time since pasture abandonment, easily surpassing the values of the old‐growth savanna (28 years) and reaching the values of encroached savanna 49 years after abandonment. The cover and richness of the ground layer increased at a much slower pace. Since the species in this layer, including the exotic grasses, are shade intolerant, they will be eliminated by canopy closure over time.

Up to 25 years after abandonment, secondary savannas continued to lack many (37%) old‐growth savanna species, mostly from the ground layer (82% of grasses absent). This period was also not sufficient for the secondary savannas to become floristically similar to the encroached savannas, which are dominated by shade‐tolerant tree species.

Synthesis and applications. Despite the reported high natural regeneration of Neotropical savanna vegetation, abandoned pastures will not spontaneously return to an old‐growth savanna state. Protected from fire and lacking the native ground layer, the end state of secondary savannas will be a low‐diversity forest. If restoration goals include the recovery of old‐growth savanna biodiversity and structure, interventions are required to prevent woody encroachment and reintroduce native grasses, forbs and shrubs. However, if the desirable endpoint is a low‐diversity forest, passive restoration (non‐intervention) and fire protection are appropriate.
Identifying potential gaps in pesticide risk assessment: Terrestrial life stages of freshwater insects
Authors: Rasmussen Jes Jessen , Wiberg‐Larsen Peter , Baattrup‐Pedersen Annette , Bruus Marianne , Strandberg Beate , Soerensen Peter Borgen , Strandberg Morten Tune 
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Insecticides are important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological impairment in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater insects may be exposed to insecticides via water during larval/nymph stages and via air, habitats, and food during adult stages in the terrestrial environment.

The aquatic risk assessment (RA) of pesticides does not consider terrestrial life stages, and a literature review revealed that pesticide ecotoxicity data for adult freshwater insects are very scarce and outdated. Consequently, it is not possible to assess how adult freshwater insects may be protected through RA programs for terrestrial non‐target organisms.

We give guidance to generating and using of such ecotoxicity data focusing on species selection, test design and type of ecotoxicity information.

Policy implications. This commentary considers how terrestrial stages of aquatic insects are protected by pesticide risk assessment (RA) and highlights the necessity of performing holistic risk assessment, focusing on organisms and populations as supplement to current subdivisions in element‐based compartments (e.g. aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems).
Heterozygosity–fitness correlation at the major histocompatibility complex despite low variation in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex)
Authors: Brambilla Alice , Keller Lukas , Bassano Bruno , Grossen Christine 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCrucial for the long‐term survival of wild populations is their ability to fight diseases. Disease outbreaks can lead to severe population size reductions, which makes endangered and reintroduced species especially vulnerable. In vertebrates, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an important role in determining the immune response. Species that went through severe bottlenecks often show very low levels of genetic diversity at the MHC. Due to the known link between the MHC and immune response, such species are expected to be at particular risk in case of disease outbreaks. However, so far, only few studies have shown that low MHC diversity is correlated with increased disease susceptibility in species after severe bottlenecks. We investigated genetic variation at the MHC and its correlations with disease resistance and other fitness‐related traits in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), a wild goat species that underwent a strong bottleneck in the last century and that is known to have extremely low genetic variability, both genome‐wide and at the MHC. We studied MHC variation in male ibex of Gran Paradiso National Park, the population used as a source for all postbottleneck reintroductions. We found that individual MHC heterozygosity (based on six microsatellites) was not correlated with genome‐wide neutral heterozygosity. MHC heterozygosity, but not genome‐wide heterozygosity, was positively correlated with resistance to infectious keratoconjunctivitis and with body mass. Our results show that genetic variation at the MHC plays an important role in disease resistance and, hence, should be taken into account for successfully managing species conservation.
Annual Research Review: The persistent and pervasive impact of being bullied in childhood and adolescence: implications for policy and practice
Authors: Arseneault Louise 
Published: November 2017

BackgroundWe have known for some time that being bullied was associated with children's and adolescents’ adjustment difficulties and well‐being. In recent years, we have come to recognise that the impact of childhood bullying victimisation on the development of mental health problems is more complex. This paper aims to review the evidence for an independent contribution of childhood bullying victimisation to the development of poor outcomes throughout the life span, including mental, physical and socioeconomic outcomes, and discuss the implications for policy and practice.FindingsExisting research indicates that (a) being bullied in childhood is associated with distress and symptoms of mental health problems. This large body of evidence supports actions aimed at reducing the occurrence of bullying behaviours; (b) the consequences of childhood bullying victimisation can persist up to midlife and, in addition to mental health, can impact physical and socioeconomic outcomes. These new findings indicate that interventions should also focus on supporting victims of bullying and helping them build resilience; (c) research has identified some factors that predispose children to be targeted by bullying behaviours. These studies suggest that public health interventions could aim at preventing children from becoming the target of bullying behaviours from an early age.ConclusionsIt is a truism to emphasise that further work is needed to understand why and how young people's aspirations are often cut short by this all too common adverse social experience. In parallel, we must develop effective strategies to tackle this form of abuse and its consequences for the victims. Addressing bullying in childhood could not only reduce children's and adolescents’ mental health symptoms but also prevent psychiatric and socioeconomic difficulties up to adulthood and reduce considerable costs for society.
Variability in iodine in temperate seaweeds and iodine accumulation kinetics of Fucus vesiculosus and Laminaria digitata (Phaeophyceae, Ochrophyta)
Authors: Nitschke Udo , Walsh Philip , McDaid Jade , Stengel Dagmar B. 
Published: November 2017

The biogeochemistry of iodine in temperate coastal ecosystems is largely mediated by macroalgae, which act as a major biological sink and source of iodine. Their capacity to accumulate, retain and release iodine has been associated with abiotic and biotic stressors, but quantitative information is limited. We evaluated the seasonal iodine retention capacity of eleven macroalgal species belonging to different systematic groups, collected from two sites in Ireland. Iodine accumulation and retention were then further quantified in Fucus vesiculosus and Laminaria digitata in relation to I− concentrations in seawater and temperature. In general, iodine contents were ~101–102 μmol · (g dw)−1 for Laminariales, 100–101 μmol · (g dw)−1 for Fucales, 10−1–100 μmol · (g dw)−1 for Rhodophyta, and 10−1 μmol · (g dw)−1 for Chlorophyta. Typically, algal iodine contents were above average in winter and below average in summer. Iodine accumulation in F. vesiculosus and L. digitata depended on I− availability and followed the Michaelis‐Menten kinetic. The ratio of maximum accumulation rate to half accumulation coefficient (ρmax: Kt) was 2.4 times higher for F. vesiculosus than for L. digitata, suggesting that F. vesiculosus was more efficient in iodine accumulation. Both species exhibited a temperature‐dependent net loss of iodine, and only an exposure to sufficient external I− concentrations compensated for this loss. This study revealed that both environmental (e.g., I− in seawater, temperature) and organismal (e.g., the status of the iodine storage pool) variables determine retention and variability in iodine in temperate seaweeds.
Overexpression of a newly identified d‐amino acid transaminase in Mycobacterium smegmatis complements glutamate racemase deletion
Authors: Mortuza Roman , Aung Htin Lin , Taiaroa George , Opel‐Reading Helen K. , Kleffmann Torsten , Cook Gregory M. , Krause Kurt L. 
Published: November 2017

SummaryGlutamate racemase (MurI) has been proposed as a target for anti‐tuberculosis drug development based on the inability of ΔmurI mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis to grow in the absence of d‐glutamate. In this communication, we identify ΔmurI suppressor mutants that are detected during prolonged incubation. Whole genome sequencing of these ΔmurI suppressor mutants identified the presence of a SNP, located in the promoter region of MSMEG_5795. RT‐qPCR and transcriptional fusion analyses revealed that the ΔmurI suppressor mutant overexpressed MSMEG_5795 14‐fold compared to the isogenic wild‐type. MSMEG_5795, which is annotated as 4‐amino‐4‐deoxychorismate lyase (ADCL) but which also has homology to d‐amino acid transaminase (d‐AAT), was expressed, purified and found to have d‐AAT activity and to be capable of producing d‐glutamate from d‐alanine. Consistent with its d‐amino acid transaminase function, overexpressed MSMEG_5795 is able to complement both ΔmurI deletion mutants and alanine racemase (Δalr) deletion mutants, thus confirming a multifunctional role for this enzyme in M. smegmatis.
Fusion First
Authors: Kleinschmidt Shieva 
Published: November 2017

AbstractLogics of part/whole relations frequently takeparthoodorproper parthoodas primitive, defining the remaining mereological properties and relations in terms of them. I argue from considerations involving Weak Supplementation for the conclusion that we should takefusionas our mereological primitive. I point out that the intuitions supporting Weak Supplementation also support a stronger principle, Weak Supplementation of Pluralities, and that the principle can only do the work demanded by our intuitions when formulated in terms of a notion offusionthat cannot be defined merely in terms of mereological properties and relations, logic, and a membership relation. So, insofar as we think any definition offusionmust be so restricted, we have motivation to takefusionas primitive; further, we have greater insight into the motivation for our supplementation principle and which version of that principle we ought to endorse.
The design of a Social Cost‐Benefit Analysis of preventive interventions for toxoplasmosis: An example of the One Health approach
Authors: Suijkerbuijk A. W. M. , van Gils P. F. , Bonačić Marinović A. A. , Feenstra T. L. , Kortbeek L. M. , Mangen M.‐J. J. , Opsteegh M. , de Wit G. A. , van der Giessen J. W. B. 
Published: November 2017

SummaryToxoplasma gondiiinfections cause a large disease burden in the Netherlands, with an estimated health loss of 1,900 Disability Adjusted Life Years and a cost‐of‐illness estimated at €44 million annually. Infections in humans occur via exposure to oocysts in the environment and after eating undercooked meat containing tissue cysts, leading to asymptomatic or mild symptoms, but potentially leading to the development of ocular toxoplasmosis. Infection in pregnant women can lead to stillbirth and disorders in newborns. At present, prevention is only targeted at pregnant women. Cat vaccination, freezing of meat destined for undercooked consumption and enhancing biosecurity in pig husbandries are possible interventions to prevent toxoplasmosis. As these interventions bear costs for sectors in society that differ from those profiting from the benefits, we perform a social cost‐benefit analysis (SCBA). In anSCBA, costs and benefits of societal domains affected by the interventions are identified, making explicit which stakeholder pays and who benefits. Using an epidemiological model, we consider transmission ofT. gondiiafter vaccination of all owned cats or cats at livestock farms. To identify relevant high‐risk meat products that will be eaten undercooked, a quantitative microbial risk assessment model developed to attribute predictedT. gondiiinfections to specific meat products will be used. In addition, we evaluate serological monitoring of pigs at slaughter followed by an audit and tailor made advice for farmers in case positive results were found. The benefits will be modelled stochastically as reduction inDALYs and monetized in Euro's following reference prices forDALYs. If the balance of total costs and benefits is positive, this will lend support to implementation of these preventive interventions at the societal level. Ultimately, theSCBAwill provide guidance to policy makers on the most optimal intervention measures to reduce the disease burden ofT. gondiiin the Netherlands.
SHARED VALUE STRATEGY: A SUSTAINABLE STAKEHOLDER APPROACH TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Authors: HAN HO SHELEN WAI 
Published: November 2017

“In recent years, business increasingly has been viewed as a major cause of social, environmental and economic problems”. Shared value gurus Porter and Kramer (2011) argue that a big part of the problem lies with business being trapped in an outdated approach to value creation. They propose that the solution lies in the establishment of practices that enhance the competitiveness of a business while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. They popularize the concept of creating shared value (CSV) which has received enormous attention among management scholars and sophisticated business leaders. Yet, to date, the work on shared value has been largely conceptual and few empirical study has focused on how the concept can be implemented in practice. This paper integrates scholarly literatures and the author’s decades of business experiences to study strategic initiatives that would bring about high shared value for enterprise and society in practice. An extensive empirical study at various project sites is initiated to prove relevancy of CSV theory in a real world context with the aim to contribute to the knowledge-base of shared value strategy. The paper discusses implementation plans for two of these project sites where an interventional tool from tactical urbanism movement is the shared value initiative. This paper also presents the rationale and the key elements for the strategic construct.
Genetic Predisposition, Clinical Risk Factor Burden, and Lifetime Risk of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Weng Lu-Chen , Preis Sarah R. , Hulme Olivia L. , Larson Martin G. , Choi Seung Hoan , Wang Biqi , Trinquart Ludovic , McManus David D. , Staerk Laila , Lin Honghuang , Lunetta Kathryn L. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Lubitz Steven A. 
Published: November 2017

Background:
The long-term probability of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) considering genetic predisposition and clinical risk factor burden is unknown.

Methods:
We estimated the lifetime risk of AF in individuals from the community-based Framingham Heart Study. Polygenic risk for AF was derived using a score of ≈1000 AF-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Clinical risk factor burden was calculated for each individual using a validated risk score for incident AF comprised of height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, current smoking status, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes mellitus, history of myocardial infarction, and history of heart failure. We estimated the lifetime risk of AF within tertiles of polygenic and clinical risk.

Results:

Among 4606 participants without AF at 55 years of age, 580 developed incident AF (median follow-up, 9.4 years; 25th–75th percentile, 4.4–14.3 years). The lifetime risk of AF >55 years of age was 37.1% and was substantially influenced by both polygenic and clinical risk factor burden. Among individuals free of AF at 55 years of age, those in low-polygenic and clinical risk tertiles had a lifetime risk of AF of 22.3% (95% confidence interval, 15.4−9.1), whereas those in high-risk tertiles had a risk of 48.2% (95% confidence interval, 41.3−55.1). A lower clinical risk factor burden was associated with later AF onset after adjusting for genetic predisposition (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:
In our community-based cohort, the lifetime risk of AF was 37%. Estimation of polygenic AF risk is feasible and together with clinical risk factor burden explains a substantial gradient in long-term AF risk.
Shadowy Realism
Authors: Sapir Itay 
Published: November 2017

Realism is closely related to knowledge: in order to create an artwork that is a faithful account of reality, or that seeks to convey such an impression, knowledge is necessary. Some currents of seventeenth-century painting may seem to exemplify this connection; in particular, the painters following Caravaggio are usually described as realists or naturalists, and are often attributed an uncompromising ambition to transmit visual knowledge about the world, perhaps similarly to the “New Scientists.”
If the Caravaggisti do represent and transmit knowledge, however, it is a highly shadowy one. Literally speaking, the major innovation of these painters was the audacious use of darkness. More abstractly, their paintings are full of lacunae and ambiguities. Some recent discussions of realism in philosophy make it possible to conceptualize realism as “negative” or “minimal.” In this paper, such ideas will be brought to bear on Caravaggist painters in Naples just after Della Porta’s time.
AXIS—An Autonomous Expendable Instrument System
Authors: Fratantoni D. M. , O’Brien J. K. , Flagg C. , Rossby T. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractExpendable bathythermographs (XBT) to profile upper-ocean temperatures from vessels in motion have been in use for some 50 years now. Developed originally for navy use, they were soon adapted by oceanographers to map out upper-ocean thermal structure and its space–-time variability from both research vessels and merchant marine vessels in regular traffic. These activities continue today. This paper describes a new technology—the Autonomous Expendable Instrument System (AXIS)—that has been developed to provide the capability to deploy XBT probes on a predefined schedule, or adaptively in response to specific events without the presence of an observer on board. AXIS is a completely self-contained system that can hold up to 12 expendable probes [XBTs, XCTDs, expendable sound velocimeter (XSV)] in any combination. A single-board Linux computer keeps track of what probes are available, takes commands from ashore via Iridium satellite on what deployment schedule to follow, and records and forwards the probe data immediately with a time stamp and the GPS position. This paper provides a brief overview of its operation, capabilities, and some examples of how it is improving coverage along two lines in the Atlantic.
Interdisciplinary palliative care services for cancer patients: Assessing quality of care and outcomes measures of successful intervention.
Authors: Li Yun Rose , Anderson Eric , Ingelson Beverly , Noorizadeh Kiarash 
Published: November 2017

127 Background: Interdisciplinary palliative care (IPC) services play a critical role in improving patient care by establishing goals of care and expectations, reducing unnecessary readmissions, and limiting the resource and economic costs associated with end-of-life care. Identifying factors that impact the likelihood of readmissions and measures that help facilitate the transition of patients to hospice care may reduce these costs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the demographics, clinical parameters, and outcomes of nearly 500 patient consultations performed by the IPC service at our institution between 2014-2016. Focusing on patients with cancer as the primary diagnosis, we evaluated factors that increased the risk of 6-month readmission, likelihood of transitioning to hospice, and documentation of code-status at time of discharge using Fisher’s exact test and student’s t-tests. Results: Among all patients evaluated by IPC, the median age at consultation was 79.2+/-14.7, and 56.3% are male. Advanced cancer was the most common primary diagnosis (45.5%), with median age 70.9+/-16.0, and 62.1% are male. The 6-month readmission rate among oncology patients (6.5%) was not significantly greater than observed in non-oncology patients (5.9%), P = 0.95, although it was significantly lower than in Medicare patients (~20% in 30 days). Shortness of breath (SOB) was the most common chief complaint (53.9%) on admission. Compared to other chief complaints, such as failure to thrive and frailty, SOB was not associated with increased readmission rates. Reduced readmission rates were strongly reduced with transition to hospice (p < 2.1x10-4) and Do-Not-Resuscitate code status (p < 0.04). Disposition to home at discharge (p < 8.01e-05) was significantly associated with 6-month readmission, as compared to discharge to hospice (0.8%) or SNF (15.0%). Female patients (9/74) were more likely to be readmitted as compared to males (4/132), p < 0.035. Conclusions: We identified multiple predictors of 6-month readmission in our retrospective cohort, which may help stakeholders to identify opportunities to reduce readmission rates for terminal cancer patients.