bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The abundance and distribution of guilds of riparian woody plants change in response to land use and flow regulation
Authors: Aguiar Francisca C. , Segurado Pedro , Martins Maria João , Bejarano Maria Dolores , Nilsson Christer , Portela Maria Manuela , Merritt David M. 
Published: January 2018

Abstract

Many riparian ecosystems in Mediterranean Europe are affected by land use and flow alteration by dams. We focused on understanding how these stressors and their components affect riparian forests in the region. We asked the following questions: (1) Are there well‐defined, responsive riparian guilds? (2) Do dam‐induced streamflows determine abundance and distribution of riparian guilds? (3) What are the main drivers governing composition and cover of riparian guilds in regulated rivers?

We inventoried the cover of riparian woody species in free‐flowing rivers and downstream of dams. We performed a cluster analysis and ordination to derive riparian guilds, using abundance data from 66 riparian woody species and 26 functional plant traits. We used a reduced set of principal components for the environment, land use and hydrology, and general linear modelling to explore the effect of these factors (separately and combined) on riparian guilds.

We found that: (1) four dominant guilds are responsive to disturbance in southwestern European streams, namely the obligate riparian, water‐stress tolerant, deciduous competitive and Mediterranean evergreen guilds; (2) a set of land use and hydrological variables differentially affect the diverse co‐occurring riparian guilds; (3) frequency and duration of high flow pulses and the low‐flow conditions were major drivers of change in landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture and forestry; (4) storage reservoirs reduced the cover of obligate riparian and Mediterranean evergreen guilds, and increased the abundance of water‐stress tolerant and deciduous competitive guilds, while run‐of‐river dams, having limited water storage, reduced both obligate and deciduous competitive guilds.

Synthesis and applications. Future research in southwestern Europe should address the resilience of riparian guilds and the effects of interacting landscape factors and stressors on guild distribution. Streamflow regulations downstream of reservoirs should focus on specific flow components, namely the magnitude of flows, and frequency and duration of extreme flow events. For successful mitigation of the dam‐induced effects on riparian vegetation, river management plans must incorporate the environmental and land use site‐specific contexts.
Paying for conservation: A bioeconomic analysis of the effects of land management options on the viability of an endangered species, Eryngium alpinum
Authors: Andrello Marco , Devaux Caroline , Quétier Fabien , Till–Bottraud Irène 
Published: January 2018

Abstract

Land management is critical for biodiversity conservation in mountain grasslands. It should be both ecologically effective and economically efficient. We provide an economic analysis of different options (spring and autumn grazing, mowing and abandonment) and their effects on population viability of a rare plant species, Eryngium alpinum (Apiaceae), in two French mountain grassland sites (Fournel and Pralognan).

Using data collected in a 10‐year individual‐based demographic study, we estimated the effects of land management options on the population growth rate and simulated the effect of combinations of options. Income earned through each option was estimated using data on associated costs (price of consumables, working time and wages) and benefits (forage production, quality and price), and we assessed the economic effects of agri‐environment subsidies (AESs). We also simulated the effects of increased frequencies of extreme climatic events (such as the 2003 heatwave).

Spring grazing was the worst option for E. alpinum demography but the best in economic terms, as it provided net positive incomes. Autumn grazing was the best option, resulting in positive growth rates and incomes, even if the latter were lower than for spring grazing. Mowing was the second best option for demography but resulted in economic losses for farmers. Abandonment provided zero income and was not favourable to population growth.

In Fournel, AESs allowed for economically and ecologically near‐optimal combinations of management options. In Pralognan, alternating years of grazing with mowing resulted in an acceptable compromise, with positive growth rates and incomes, but AESs were not sufficient to cover the opportunity cost of spring and autumn grazing. Mowing was also unattractive because of the inaccessibility of the site and impossibility to recover the hay to make forage.

Simulations with increased frequency of extreme climatic events resulted in negative growth rates in Pralognan, questioning the continuation of AESs in extinction‐prone populations.

Synthesis and applications. The conservation effectiveness and economic efficiency of grassland management could be improved by alternating practices over several years. However, existing agri‐environment subsidies would barely be sufficient to increase uptake of the most favourable land management options for biodiversity.
Crop traits drive soil carbon sequestration under organic farming
Authors: García‐Palacios Pablo , Gattinger Andreas , Bracht‐Jørgensen Helene , Brussaard Lijbert , Carvalho Filipe , Castro Helena , Clément Jean‐Christophe , De Deyn Gerlinde , D'Hertefeldt Tina , Foulquier Arnaud , Hedlund Katarina , Lavorel Sandra , Legay Nicolas , Lori Martina , Mäder Paul , Martínez‐García Laura B. , Martins da Silva Pedro , Muller Adrian , Nascimento Eduardo , Reis Filipa , Symanczik Sarah , Paulo Sousa José , Milla Rubén 
Published: January 2018

Abstract

Organic farming (OF) enhances top soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in croplands compared with conventional farming (CF), which can contribute to sequester C. As farming system differences in the amount of C inputs to soil (e.g. fertilization and crop residues) are not enough to explain such increase, shifts in crop residue traits important for soil C losses such as litter decomposition may also play a role.

To assess whether crop residue (leaf and root) traits determined SOC sequestration responses to OF, we coupled a global meta‐analysis with field measurements across a European‐wide network of sites. In the meta‐analysis, we related crop species averages of leaf N, leaf‐dry matter content, fine‐root C and N, with SOC stocks and sequestration responses in OF vs. CF. Across six European sites, we measured the management‐induced changes in SOC stocks and leaf litter traits after long‐term ecological intensive (e.g. OF) vs. CF comparisons.

Our global meta‐analysis showed that the positive OF‐effects on soil respiration, SOC stocks, and SOC sequestration rates were significant even in organic farms with low manure application rates. Although fertilization intensity was the main driver of OF‐effects on SOC, leaf and root N concentrations also played a significant role. Across the six European sites, changes towards higher leaf litter N in CF also promoted lower SOC stocks.

Our results highlight that crop species displaying traits indicative of resource‐acquisitive strategies (e.g. high leaf and root N) increase the difference in SOC between OF and CF. Indeed, changes towards higher crop residue decomposability was related with decreased SOC stocks under CF across European sites.

Synthesis and applications. Our study emphasizes that, with management, changes in crop residue traits contribute to the positive effects of organic farming (OF) on soil carbon sequestration. These results provide a clear message to land managers: the choice of crop species, and more importantly their functional traits (e.g. leave and root nitrogen), should be considered in addition to management practices and climate, when evaluating the potential of OF for climate change mitigation.
Ptrf transgenic mice exhibit obesity and fatty liver
Authors: Li Qian , Bai Lin , Shi Guiying , Zhang Lianfeng , Dai Yifan , Liu Pingsheng , Cong Yu‐Sheng , Wang Miao 
Published: January 2018

SummaryPolymerase I and transcript release factor (Ptrf, also known as Cavin1) is an essential component in the biogenesis and function of caveolae. Ptrf knockout mice or patients with PTRF mutations exhibit numerous pathologies including markedly aberrant fuel metabolism, lipodystrophy and muscular dystrophy. In this study, we generated Ptrf transgenic mice to explore its function in vivo. Compared with wild‐type (WT) mice, we found that the Ptrf transgenic mice showed obesity with an increased level of ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate transaminase). Ptrf transgenic mice exhibited severe fat degeneration and a higher degree of fat accumulation in the liver compared with WT mice. Consistently, we found that the expression of the fat synthesis gene, Fasn, was increased in the liver of Ptrf transgenic mice. Thus, Ptrf transgenic mice would be a good model for investigating the molecular mechanism and therapeutic targets of obesity and fatty liver associated diseases.
Beyond Space: Spatial (Re)Production and Middle‐Class Remaking Driven by Jiaoyufication in Nanjing City, China
Authors: Wu Qiyan , Edensor Tim , Cheng Jianquan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAn extension of gentrification, jiaoyufication–urban change driven by a desire for high‐quality education–is not only displacing previous lower‐class residents, but also replacing earlier jiaoyufiers with newcomers, turning formerly blue‐collar neighbourhoods into white‐collar ones. New middle‐class communities are emerging as spatially limited school catchment zones attract social groups who occupy these spaces in an attempt to facilitate social mobility or consolidate social status, causing tension between them. Consequently, jiaoyufication has narrowed down opportunities for intergenerational social mobility and exacerbated social polarization, gradually replacing traditional social hierarchies with intergenerational neoliberal stratification.
Brain atrophy in middle‐aged subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, with and without microvascular complications
Authors: Fang Fang , Zhan Ya‐Feng , Zhuo Yao‐Yao , Yin Da‐Zhi , Li Kang‐An , Wang Yu‐Fan 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Background: The rapid rise in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among young adults makes it important to understand structural changes in the brain at a presenile stage. This study examined global and regional brain atrophy in middle‐aged adults with T2DM, with a focus on those without clinical evidence of microvascular complications.
Methods: The study recruited 66 dementia‐free middle‐aged subjects (40 with T2DM, 26 healthy volunteers [HVs]). Patients were grouped according to the presence (T2DM‐C; n = 20) or absence (T2DM‐NC; n = 20) of diabetic microvascular complications. Global brain volume (including gray matter [GM] and white matter) was calculated based on voxel‐based morphometry analysis. Regional GM volumes were further extracted using the anatomical automatic labeling template.
Results: There was a significant difference in global brain volume among groups (P = 0.003, anova). Global brain volume was lower in T2DM‐C patients than in both T2DM‐NC patients and HVs (mean [±SD] 0.720 ± 0.024 vs 0.736 ± 0.021 and 0.743 ± 0.019, respectively; P = 0.032 and P = 0.001, respectively). Regional analysis showed significant GM atrophy in the right Rolandic operculum (t = 3.42, P = 0.001) and right superior temporal gyrus (t = 2.803, P = 0.007) in T2DM‐NC patients compared with age‐ and sex‐matched HVs.
Conclusions: Brain atrophy is present in dementia‐free middle‐aged adults with T2DM. Regional brain atrophy appears to be developing even in those with no clinical evidence of microvascular disturbances. The brain seems to be particularly vulnerable to metabolic disorders prior to peripheral microvascular pathologies associated with other target organs.
Spatial Epidemiology of Alcohol‐ and Drug‐Related Health Problems Among Northern Plains American Indians: Nebraska and South Dakota, 2007 to 2012
Authors: Ponicki William R. , Henderson Jeffrey A. , Gaidus Andrew , Gruenewald Paul J. , Lee Juliet P. , Moore Roland S. , Davids Sharice , Tilsen Nick 
Published: January 2018

BackgroundDespite high abstinence rates, American Indians experience elevated rates of many alcohol and other drug problems. American Indians also predominantly reside in poor and rural areas, which may explain some observed health disparities. We investigated whether geographic areas including reservations or large American Indian populations exhibited greater incidence of alcohol‐ and drug‐related hospitalizations.MethodsWe obtained inpatient hospitalization records for 2 Northern Plain states (Nebraska and South Dakota) for the years 2007 to 2012. We constructed zip code counts for 10 categories of hospitalization with diagnoses or injury causation commonly associated with alcohol or drug use. We related these to community sociodemographic characteristics using Bayesian Poisson space–time regression models and examined associations with and without controls for whether each zip code was located within an American Indian reservation.ResultsControlling for other demographic and economic characteristics, zip codes with greater percentage of American Indians exhibited greater incidence for all 10 substance abuse‐related health outcomes (9 of 10 well supported); zip code areas within American Indian reservations had greater incidence of self‐inflicted injury and drug dependence and abuse, and reduced incidence of alcohol cirrhosis and prescription opioid poisoning. However, the analyses generally demonstrated no well‐supported differences in incidence associated with local residence percentages of American Indian versus African American.ConclusionsIn our analyses, ethnicity or heredity alone did not account for alcohol‐ and drug‐related hospitalizations among Native populations. Aspects of social, economic, and political dimensions of Native lives must be considered in the etiology of alcohol‐ and drug‐related problems for rural‐dwelling indigenous peoples.
Employee stock options with performance conditions: do commonly used valuation heuristics work?
Authors: Kanne Stefan , Uhrig‐Homburg Marliese 
Published: January 2018

AbstractValuation heuristics are widely used to value traditional time vesting option plans. This study analyses if these heuristics also qualify for valuing performance vesting plans. We examine performance conditions tied to the underlying stock, the stock's performance relative to a stock index, and an earnings measure. The differences between the approximated option values and the values assuming optimal exercise are overall smaller with the performance conditions than without them. In particular, this result holds when the heuristic exercise assumptions are based on the case without performance conditions, which is a considerable simplification in practice.
Nickel hypersensitivity following closure of atrial septal defect: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Dickison Philippa , Harris Victoria , Smith Saxon D 
Published: January 2018

AbstractWe present an unusual case where symptoms of headache and chest pain persisted for 3 years following the implantation of a septal occluder device for an atrial septal defect despite endothelialisation of the device. The patient was found to have nickel hypersensitivity on patch testing. Following the removal of the device the patient had complete resolution of headaches and chest pain up to 10 months post‐explantation.
Opposing forces of seed dispersal and seed predation by mammals for an invasive cactus in central Kenya
Authors: Dudenhoeffer Megan , Hodge Anne‐Marie C. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe invasive erect prickly pear cactus (Opuntia stricta) has reduced rangeland quality and altered plant communities throughout much of the globe. In central Kenya's Laikipia County, olive baboons (Papio anubis) frequently consume O. stricta fruits and subsequently disperse the seeds via defecation. Animal‐mediated seed dispersal can increase germination and subsequent survival of plants. However, consumption of seeds (seed predation) by rodents may offset the potential benefits of seed dispersal for cactus establishment by reducing the number of viable seeds. We investigated foraging preferences of a common and widely distributed small mammal—the fringe‐tailed gerbil (Gerbilliscus robustus), between O. stricta seeds deposited in baboon faeces versus control O. stricta seeds. In addition to providing evidence of seed predation on O. stricta by G. robustus, our data show that seed removal was higher (shorter time to use) for seeds within faeces than for control seeds. G. robustus clearly prefers seeds within faeces compared to control seeds. These results suggest that high abundances of rodents may limit successful establishment of O. stricta seeds, possibly disrupting seed dispersal via endozoochory by baboons.
IgE‐expressing memory B cells and plasmablasts are increased in blood of children with asthma, food allergy, and atopic dermatitis
Authors: Heeringa J. J. , Rijvers L. , Arends N. J. , Driessen G. J. , Pasmans S. G. , van Dongen J. J. M. , de Jongste J. C. , van Zelm M. C. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDespite the critical role of soluble IgE in the pathology of IgE‐mediated allergic disease, little is known about abnormalities in the memory B cells and plasma cells that produce IgE in allergic patients. We here applied a flow cytometric approach to cross‐sectionally study blood IgE+ memory B cells and plasmablasts in 149 children with atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and/or asthma and correlated these to helper T(h)2 cells and eosinophils. Children with allergic disease had increased numbers of IgE+CD27‐ and IgE+CD27+ memory B cells and IgE+ plasmablasts, as well as increased numbers of eosinophils and Th2 cells. IgE+ plasmablast numbers correlated positively with Th2 cell numbers. These findings open new possibilities for diagnosis and monitoring of treatment in patients with allergic diseases.
The effect of itraconazole and rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of osimertinib
Authors: Vishwanathan Karthick , Dickinson Paul A. , So Karen , Thomas Karen , Chen Yuh‐Min , De Castro Carpeño Javier , Dingemans Anne‐Marie C. , Kim Hye Ryun , Kim Joo‐Hang , Krebs Matthew G. , Chih‐Hsin Yang James , Bui Khanh , Weilert Doris , Harvey R. Donald 
Published: January 2018

AimsWe investigated the effects of a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor (itraconazole) or inducer (rifampicin) on the pharmacokinetics of the epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib, in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer in two Phase I, open‐label, two‐part clinical studies. Part one of both studies is reported.MethodsIn the itraconazole study (NCT02157883), patients received single‐dose osimertinib 80 mg on Days 1 and 10 and itraconazole (200 mg twice daily) on Days 6–18 orally. In the rifampicin study (NCT02197247), patients received osimertinib 80 mg once daily on Days 1–77 and rifampicin 600 mg once daily on Days 29–49.ResultsIn the itraconazole study (n = 36), the geometric least squares mean (GMLSM) ratios (osimertinib plus itraconazole/osimertinib alone) for Cmax and AUC were 80% (90% CI 73, 87) and 124% (90% CI 115, 135), respectively, below the predefined no‐effect upper limit of 200%. In the rifampicin study (n = 40), the GMLSM ratios (osimertinib plus rifampicin/osimertinib alone) for Css,max and AUCτ were 27% (90% CI 24, 30) and 22% (90% CI 20, 24), respectively, below the predefined no‐effect lower limit of 50%. The induction effect of rifampicin was apparent within 7 days of initiation; osimertinib Css,max and AUCτ values returned to pre‐rifampicin levels within 3 weeks of rifampicin discontinuation. No new osimertinib safety findings were observed.ConclusionsOsimertinib can be co‐administered with CYP3A4 inhibitors, but strong CYP3A inducers should be avoided if possible.
WHO Global Consultation on Public Health Intervention against Early Childhood Caries
Authors: Phantumvanit Prathip , Makino Yuka , Ogawa Hiroshi , Rugg‐Gunn Andrew , Moynihan Paula , Petersen Poul Erik , Evans Wendell , Feldens Carlos Alberto , Lo Edward , Khoshnevisan Mohammad H. , Baez Ramon , Varenne Benoit , Vichayanrat Tippanart , Songpaisan Yupin , Woodward Margaret , Nakornchai Siriruk , Ungchusak Chantana 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEarly Childhood Caries (ECC) is prevalent around the world, but in particular the disease is growing rapidly in low‐ and middle‐income countries in parallel with changing diet and lifestyles. In many countries, ECC is often left untreated, a condition which leads to pain and adversely affects general health, growth and development, and quality of life of children, their families and their communities. Importantly, ECC is also a global public health burden, medically, socially and economically. In many countries, a substantial number of children require general anaesthesia for the treatment of caries in their primary teeth (usually extractions), and this has considerable cost and social implications. A WHO Global Consultation with oral health experts on “Public Health Intervention against Early Childhood Caries” was held on 26‐28 January 2016 in Bangkok (Thailand) to identify public health solutions and to highlight their applicability to low‐ and middle‐income countries. After a 3‐day consultation, participants agreed on specific recommendations for further action. National health authorities should develop strategies and implement interventions aimed at preventing and controlling ECC. These should align with existing international initiatives such as the Sixtieth World Health Assembly Resolution WHA 60.17 Oral health: action plan for promotion and integrated disease prevention, WHO Guideline on Sugars and WHO breastfeeding recommendation. ECC prevention and control interventions should be integrated into existing primary healthcare systems. WHO public health principles must be considered when tackling the effect of social determinants in ECC. Initiatives aimed at modifying behaviour should focus on families and communities. The involvement of communities in health promotion, and population‐directed and individual fluoride administration for the prevention and control of ECC is essential. Surveillance and research, including cost‐effectiveness studies, should be conducted to evaluate interventions aimed at preventing ECC in different population groups.