bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non‐stationarity in the co‐occurrence patterns of species across environmental gradients
Authors: Bar‐Massada Avi , Belmaker Jonathan 
Published: November 2016

Summary

Quantifying the role of biotic interactions in driving community assembly often relies on analysing species co‐occurrence patterns, where segregated patterns are taken to indicate antagonistic interactions such as competition. It is unknown, however, if co‐occurrence patterns are stationary across environmental gradients, as it is possible that the strength of biotic interactions that drive these patterns also depends on the environment. In this study, we aim to understand how patterns of co‐occurrence change when species move from their environmental range centre towards their range periphery while isolating the potential signal of biotic interactions from confounding factors.

We used two separate statistical approaches (null models and joint species distribution models) to quantify pairwise co‐occurrence patterns for tree species sampled in 9382 plots distributed across the conterminous US. We also analysed co‐occurrence patterns that emerged from a simple meta‐community model. We then assessed how patterns of species segregation and aggregation change in relation to habitat suitability while accounting for multiple factors known to confound co‐occurrence analyses.

We found strong non‐stationarity in co‐occurrences, with patterns shifting from segregated at the environmental range centre towards aggregated at range margins for the majority of tree species. Patterns were in full agreement between model simulations and both empirical analyses. Model simulations suggest that this pattern is at least partly driven by variation in the relative abundances of non‐focal species even when no direct biological interactions are present.

Synthesis. Patterns of tree species co‐occurrence vary across environmental gradients, with increased segregation when environmental conditions are optimal and increased aggregation when the environment is less suitable. This pattern may originate from a trade‐off between the abundance of the focal species pair, which decreases towards the environmental range margin, and the increasing abundance of non‐focal species to which the environment is more suitable. The strong dependence of co‐occurrence patterns on environmental conditions might limit the predictive ability of joint species distribution models, which couple species co‐occurrences and their environmental responses, because co‐occurrence patterns and environmental responses are confounded.
Herbivore size matters for productivity–richness relationships in African savannas
Authors: Burkepile Deron E. , Fynn Richard W. S. , Thompson Dave I. , Lemoine Nathan P. , Koerner Sally E. , Eby Stephanie , Hagenah Nicole , Wilcox Kevin R. , Collins Scott L. , Kirkman Kevin P. , Knapp Alan K. , Smith Melinda D. 
Published: November 2016

Summary

Productivity and herbivory often interact to shape plant community composition and species richness with levels of production mediating the impact of herbivory. However, differences in herbivore traits such as size, feeding guild and dietary requirements may result in different impacts of diverse herbivore guilds across productivity gradients.

We used size‐selective herbivore exclosures to separate the effects of herbivory by larger herbivores, such as elephant, Burchell's zebra and blue wildebeest from those of medium/smaller herbivores, such as impala and warthog, on herbaceous plant communities. These exclosures were established along a 10‐fold productivity gradient, ranging from 90 to 950 g m−2 of standing plant biomass in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Exclusion of all herbivores generally increased plant species richness at low productivity, but decreased richness at high productivity. Exclusion of medium/smaller herbivores (e.g. impala, warthog) showed stronger effects on plant richness, particularly loss of forbs, at higher productivity rather than at lower productivity. In contrast, exclusion of larger herbivores had stronger effects on plant richness, typically with increasing forb richness, at low rather than high productivity.

The change in species richness appeared linked to changes in light availability following herbivore exclusion. Strong increases in shading led to declines in species richness while more moderate increases in shading led to increases in species richness, possibly due to amelioration of heat and water stress by modest increases in shading.

Increasing plant dominance, which likely alters multiple mechanisms of plant interactions, was correlated with declines in plant richness following herbivore exclusion. The impact of increasing dominance on plant richness operated independent of productivity, with the exclusion of impala appearing particularly important in driving this relationship.

Synthesis. We show that the impact of herbivore losses on plant diversity will be strongly situation dependent and will vary with the herbivores lost (e.g. larger vs. smaller, grazers vs. browsers), plant functional type (e.g. grasses vs. forbs) and environmental context (e.g. productivity). Although larger herbivores are often emphasized for their strong impacts on community dynamics and ecosystem processes, we show that smaller, abundant herbivores can exert strong top‐down control on plant communities.
Mucosa‐associated biohydrogenating microbes protect the simulated colon microbiome from stress associated with high concentrations of poly‐unsaturated fat
Authors: De Weirdt Rosemarie , Hernandez‐Sanabria Emma , Fievez Veerle , Mees Eva , Geirnaert Annelies , Van Herreweghen Florence , Vilchez‐Vargas Ramiro , Van den Abbeele Pieter , Jauregui Ruy , Pieper Dietmar H. , Vlaeminck Bruno , Van de Wiele Tom 
Published: November 2016

SummaryPolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may affect colon microbiome homeostasis by exerting (specific) antimicrobial effects and/or interfering with mucosal biofilm formation at the gut mucosal interface. We used standardized batch incubations and the Mucosal‐Simulator of the Human Microbial Intestinal Ecosystem (M‐SHIME) to show the in vitro luminal and mucosal effects of the main PUFA in the Western diet, linoleic acid (LA). High concentrations of LA were found to decrease butyrate production and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii numbers dependent on LA biohydrogenation to vaccenic acid (VA) and stearic acid (SA). In faecal batch incubations, LA biohydrogenation and butyrate production were positively correlated and SA did not inhibit butyrate production. In the M‐SHIME, addition of a mucosal environment stimulated biohydrogenation to SA and protected F. prausnitzii from inhibition by LA. This was probably due to the preference of two biohydrogenating genera Roseburia and Pseudobutyrivibrio for the mucosal niche. Co‐culture batch incubations using Roseburia hominis and F. prausnitzii validated these observations. Correlations networks further uncovered the central role of Roseburia and Pseudobutyrivibrio in protecting luminal and mucosal SHIME microbiota from LA‐induced stress. Our results confirm how cross‐shielding interactions provide resilience to the microbiome and demonstrate the importance of biohydrogenating, mucosal bacteria for recovery from LA stress.
Genome‐wide association of functional traits linked with Campylobacter jejuni survival from farm to fork
Authors: Yahara Koji , Méric Guillaume , Taylor Aidan J. , de Vries Stefan P. W. , Murray Susan , Pascoe Ben , Mageiros Leonardos , Torralbo Alicia , Vidal Ana , Ridley Anne , Komukai Sho , Wimalarathna Helen , Cody Alison J. , Colles Frances M. , McCarthy Noel , Harris David , Bray James E. , Jolley Keith A. , Maiden Martin C. J. , Bentley Stephen D. , Parkhill Julian , Bayliss Christopher D. , Grant Andrew , Maskell Duncan , Didelot Xavier , Kelly David J. , Sheppard Samuel K. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryCampylobacter jejuni is a major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, primarily associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry. C. jejuni lineages vary in host range and prevalence in human infection, suggesting differences in survival throughout the poultry processing chain. From 7343 MLST‐characterised isolates, we sequenced 600 C. jejuni and C. coli isolates from various stages of poultry processing and clinical cases. A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) in C. jejuni ST‐21 and ST‐45 complexes identified genetic elements over‐represented in clinical isolates that increased in frequency throughout the poultry processing chain. Disease‐associated SNPs were distinct in these complexes, sometimes organised in haplotype blocks. The function of genes containing associated elements was investigated, demonstrating roles for cj1377c in formate metabolism, nuoK in aerobic survival and oxidative respiration, and cj1368‐70 in nucleotide salvage. This work demonstrates the utility of GWAS for investigating transmission in natural zoonotic pathogen populations and provides evidence that major C. jejuni lineages have distinct genotypes associated with survival, within the host specific niche, from farm to fork.
Angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐inhibitory and antithrombotic activities of soluble peptide extracts from buffalo and cow milk Cheddar cheeses
Authors: Rafiq Saima , Huma Nuzhat , Pasha Imran , Shahid Muhammad , Xiao Hang 
Published: November 2016

The aim of the study was to evaluate potential role of a water‐soluble peptide (WSP) extracts derived from buffalo and cow milk Cheddar cheeses with special reference to their antihypertension and antithrombotic activities. The WSP fractions collected at different stages of ripening were tested to assess their degree of proteolysis, their peptides were profiled by RP‐HPLC and in vitro assays for potential bioactivity were conducted. The peptide peak development was observed with slight differences in peaks number, area and height. Both angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐inhibitory and antithrombotic activities increased progressively during ripening. In comparison, the highest activities were observed in peptide extracts obtained from buffalo milk Cheddar cheese, in a dose‐dependent fashion.
The weakness of postcommunist civil society reassessed
Authors: FOA ROBERTO STEFAN , EKIERT GRZEGORZ 
Published: November 2016

AbstractDuring the last two decades, scholars from a variety of disciplines have argued that civil society is structurally deficient in postcommunist countries. Yet why have the seemingly strong, active and mobilised civic movements of the transition period become so weak after democracy was established? And why have there been diverging political trajectories across the postcommunist space if civil society structures were universally weak? This article uses a new, broader range of data to show that civil societies in Central and Eastern European countries are not as feeble as commonly assumed. Many postcommunist countries possess vigorous public spheres and active civil society organisations strongly connected to transnational civic networks able to shape domestic policies. In a series of time‐series cross‐section models, the article shows that broader measures of civic and social institutions are able to predict the diverging transition paths among postcommunist regimes, and in particular the growing gap between democratic East Central Europe and the increasingly authoritarian post‐Soviet space.
Impact of male condition on his spermatophore and consequences for female reproductive performance in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
Authors: Duplouy Anne , Woestmann Luisa , Gallego Zamorano Juan , Saastamoinen Marjo 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn butterflies, male reproductive success is highly related to the quality and the size of the spermatophore transferred to the female. The spermatophore is a capsule produced by the male during copulation, which in many species contains sperm in addition to a nuptial gift, and which is digested by the female after copulation. The nuptial gift may contribute to egg production and offspring quality, and in some cases also to female body maintenance. The production of the spermatophore, however, represents a cost for the male and, in polyandrous species, ejaculates are sometimes allocated adaptively across matings. Nonetheless, although the ecological factors affecting the reproductive success of female butterflies have been the topic of numerous studies, little information exists on the factors affecting males’ contribution to reproduction, and the indirect impacts on female fecundity and fitness. We used the Glanville fritillary butterfly,Melitaea cinxia(Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae), in order to assess variation in male allocation to matings. In this species, smaller males produce smaller spermatophores, but variation in spermatophore size is not correlated with female reproductive success. We show that spermatophore size increases with male age at first mating, decreases with mating frequency and adult food‐deprivation, and is not influenced by developmental food‐limitation. The length of copulation period does not influence the spermatophore size nor influences the polyandrous mating behavior in this species. Male contribution to his spermatophore size is clearly influenced by his condition and adult‐resource at the time of mating. Despite this variation, spermatophore size does not seem to have a direct impact on female reproductive output or mating behavior.
Phase I study of irinotecan for previously treated lung cancer patients with the UGT1A1*28 or *6 polymorphism: Results of the Lung Oncology Group in Kyushu (LOGIK1004A)
Authors: Fukuda Minoru , Shimada Midori , Kitazaki Takeshi , Nagashima Seiji , Hashiguchi Kohji , Ebi Noriyuki , Takayama Koichi , Nakanishi Yoichi , Semba Hiroshi , Harada Taishi , Seto Takashi , Okamoto Isamu , Ichinose Yukito , Sugio Kenji 
Published: November 2016

BackgroundVarious polymorphisms have been detected in the UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A (
UGT1A
) gene, and
UGT1A1

*28 and
UGT1A1

*6 have important effects on the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan and the risk of severe toxicities during irinotecan therapy. This study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of irinotecan chemotherapy according to the
UGT1A1
genotype in previously treated lung cancer patients with the
UGT1A1

*28 or
UGT1A1

*6 polymorphism.MethodsThe eligibility criteria were as follows: lung cancer patients that had previously been treated with anticancer agents other than irinotecan, possessed the
UGT1A1

*28 or
UGT1A1

*6 polymorphism (group A included *28/*28, *6/*6, and *28/*6, and group B included *28
/− and *6
/−), were aged ≤75 years old, had a performance score of 0–1, and exhibited adequate bone marrow function. The patients were scheduled to receive irinotecan on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and 36.ResultsFour patients were enrolled in this trial. Two patients were determined to be ineligible. The remaining two patients, who belonged to group B, received an initial irinotecan dose of 60 mg/m2, but did not complete the planned treatment because of diarrhea and leukopenia. Thus, in group B patients, 60 mg/m2 was considered to be the MTD of irinotecan. The study was terminated in group A because of poor case recruitment.ConclusionsThe MTD of irinotecan for previously treated lung cancer patients that are heterozygous for the
UGT1A1

*
28 or
UGT1A1

*
6 gene polymorphism is 60 mg/m2.
Against Imagination: On the Ambiguities of a Composite Concept
Authors: Stankiewicz Damien 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTIn this article, I argue that “imagination” and “imaginaries” (arguably quite different but often conflated) have acquired too many meanings, which are in turn too imprecisely applied and combined, to usefully illuminate mechanisms of social belonging. I begin by reviewing others’ critiques of the concepts and the ways scholars have sought to organize and manage its meaning(s) and offering a synthesis of these. I argue for the arbitrariness of such lineages before demonstrating the ways in which various combinations of imagination‐imaginaries have been assembled and deployed in current literature. I contend that ongoing efforts to use and extrapolate the term, or to decipher or cull its meaning, merely recuperate its value as a catchall device for asserting social collectivity and claiming broad relevance of often limited ethnographic data. After arguing, through example, that other theories and concepts often better do the analytical work that anthropologists intend imagination and imaginaries to perform, I conclude with a metatheoretical reflection on the relationship between imagination and contradiction.
Preterm infants exhibited less pain during a heel stick when they were played the same music their mothers listened to during pregnancy
Authors: Kurdahi Badr Lina , Demerjian Taline , Daaboul Tania , Abbas Hanan , Hasan Zeineddine Mirvat , Charafeddine Lama 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAimPlaying music during painful procedures has shown inconsistent benefits for preterm infants. This study observed preterm infants during a heel stick procedure to assess whether listening to the music their mothers listened to during pregnancy had any impact on their pain and physiological and behavioural parameters.MethodsWe randomly exposed 42 preterm infants, with a mean gestational age of 31.8 ± 2.79 weeks, to the music their mothers listened to during pregnancy, recorded lullabies and no music, before, during and after a heel stick. Pain responses were measured using the Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N‐PASS), and physiological and behavioural responses were recorded by a nurse blinded to the intervention.ResultsN‐PASS pain scores were lowest during mothers’ music, with a mean of 1.40 (±1.28), compared to 2.33 (±1.64) for no music and 1.62 (±2.27) for the lullabies [F(3/121) = 4.86, p = 0.009]. Physiological parameters were not significantly different between the conditions. During the mothers’ music, infants spent more time in a quiet alert state, with a significant decrease in their respiratory rates.ConclusionThe music mothers listened to during pregnancy was more beneficial for preterm infants, as it decreased pain and improved behavioural states during a heel stick.
Nutrients, amino acid, fatty acid and non‐starch polysaccharide profile and in vitro digestibility of macadamia nut cake in swine
Authors: Tiwari Utsav P. , Jha Rajesh 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe highly variable cost and limited availability of conventional feedstuffs make it imperative to explore alternative feedstuffs to be used in swine. Macadamia nut cake (MNC), a coproduct of the macadamia nut oil industry, has not been well studied. MNC was analyzed for its nutrient profile, gross energy (GE), fibers, amino acids and fatty acids content. Dry matter (DM) and GE digestibility of MNC in swine was determined using an in vitro model. On a DM basis, ash, crude protein, ether extract, NDF, ADF, lignin and GE were found to be 3.7, 25.5, 11.9, 35.8, 28.0, 16.0% and 5581 kcal/kg, respectively. Total and soluble non‐starch polysaccharide content were 32.2 and 11.8%, respectively. The concentration of lysine was found to be 0.7%. The DM and GE digestibility were found to be 75.7 and 71.4%, respectively. Gross energy content of MNC is comparable with that of corn and higher than soybean meal, while protein content is twice as high as corn but lower than soybean meal. In conclusion, MNC is not merely a good source of protein and energy but also has fairly high digestibility in swine. Hence, it can be used as a viable alternative source of energy and protein in swine diets.
Impact of the Chronic Omega‐3 Fatty Acids Supplementation in Hemiparkinsonism Model Induced by 6‐Hydroxydopamine in Rats
Authors: Barros Alexandre Sales , Crispim Rafael Yuri Gouveia , Cavalcanti Juliana Uchoa , Souza Ricardo Basto , Lemos Jonatas Cavalcante , Cristino Filho Gerardo , Bezerra Mirna Marques , Pinheiro Thales Fontenele Moraes , de Vasconcelos Silvânia Maria Mendes , Macêdo Danielle Silveira , de Barros Viana Glauce Socorro , Aguiar Lissiana Magna Vasconcelos 
Published: November 2016

AbstractParkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The neuronal degeneration may result from the convergence of a number of different pathogenic factors, including apoptosis, excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. Many studies emphasize the importance of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω‐3 PUFAs) in vital processes such as maintenance of the properties of cell membranes and the participation in signal transduction and biodynamic activity of neuronal membranes. In this study, the protective effect of ω‐3 PUFA administration on the 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) model of PD in rats was investigated. ω‐3 PUFA (1.5 and 3.0 g/kg) was orally administered by gavage during 28 consecutive days to male Wistar rats. On the 4th day, hemiparkinsonism was induced through intrastriatal injection of 6‐OHDA. On the 25th day, the animals were submitted to behavioural analysis. On the 28th day, after euthanasia, the brain areas were collected for neurochemical evaluation. ω‐3 PUFAs (1.5 and 3.0 g/kg) restored monoamine and amino acid levels on the striatum from hemiparkinsonian rats, followed by reduction in the number of apomorphine‐induced rotations and promotion of a partial locomotor recovery. In addition, ω‐3 PUFAs (1.5 and 3.0 g/kg) decreased the lipid peroxidation levels and nitrite levels in the brain areas from hemiparkinsonian rats. Thus, this study suggests that supplementation with ω‐3 PUFAs prevents behavioural and neurochemical disturbances induced by 6‐OHDA, presenting a potential neuroprotective action.
Oil‐Fortified Maize Porridge Increases Absorption of Lumefantrine in Children with Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria
Authors: Mwebaza Norah , Jerling Markus , Gustafsson Lars L. , Silva Antero V. , Pohanka Anton , Obua Celestino , Waako Paul , Beck Olof , Homann Manijeh Vafa , Färnert Anna , Hellgren Urban 
Published: November 2016

AbstractArtemether‐lumefantrine (AL) is a first‐line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. Absorption of lumefantrine (LUM) is fat dependent, and in children, intake is recommended with milk. We investigated whether oil‐fortified maize porridge can be an alternative when milk is not available. In an open‐label pharmacokinetic study, Ugandan children <5 years with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were randomized to receive standard six‐dose AL treatment [one tablet (20 mgA/120 mg LUM) if <15 kg and two tablets if >15 kg] with milk (A) or maize porridge plus oil (B). Parametric two‐sample t‐test was used to compare relative oral LUM bioavailability. The primary end‐point was LUM exposure till 8 hr after the first dose (AUC0–8 hr). Secondary outcome included day 7 concentrations (d7LUM), LUM exposure between days 7 and 28 (AUCd7–28) and day 28 PCR‐adjusted parasitological response. Evaluable children (n = 33) included 16 in arm A and 17 in arm B. The AUC0–8 hr was comparable between A and B [geometric mean (95% CI): 6.01 (3.26–11.1) versus 6.26 (4.5–8.43) hr*μg/mL, p = 0.9]. Less interindividual variability in AUC0–8 hr was observed in B (p = 0.01), but d7LUM and AUCd7–28 were comparable. Children receiving two tablets had significantly higher exposure than those receiving one tablet [median d7LUM (505 versus 289 ng/mL, p = 0.02) and AUCd7–28 (108 versus 41 hr*μg/mL, p = 0.006)]. One parasitological failure (d28 recrudescence) was observed. Our findings suggest that oil‐fortified maize porridge can be an alternative to milk in augmenting absorption of LUM. The lower LUM exposure observed in children dosed with one AL tablet needs further attention.