bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How much effort is required to accurately describe the complex ecology of a rodent‐borne viral disease?
Authors: Douglass Richard J. , Vadell María Victoria 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe use data collected on 18, 1‐ha live trapping grids monitored from 1994 through 2005 and on five of those grids through 2013 in the mesic northwestern United States to illustrate the complexity of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)/Sin Nombre virus (SNV) host‐pathogen system. Important factors necessary to understand zoonotic disease ecology include those associated with distribution and population dynamics of reservoir species as well as infection dynamics. Results are based on more than 851,000 trap nights, 16,608 individual deer mice and 10,572 collected blood samples. Deer mice were distributed throughout every habitat we sampled and were present during every sampling period in all habitats except high altitude habitats over 1900 m. Abundance varied greatly among locations with peak numbers occurring mostly during fall. However, peak rodent abundance occurred during fall, winter and spring during various years on three grids trapped 12 months/yr. Prevalence of antibodies to SNV averaged 3.9% to 22.1% but no grids had mice with antibodies during every month. The maximum period without antibody‐positive mice ranged from 1 to 52 months, or even more at high altitude grids where deer mice were not always present. Months without antibody‐positive mice were more prevalent during fall than spring. Population fluctuations were not synchronous over broad geographic areas and antibody prevalences were not well spatially consistent, differing greatly over short distances. We observed an apparently negative, but nonstatistically significant relationship between average antibody prevalence and average deer mouse population abundance and a statistically significant positive relationship between the average number of antibody positive mice and average population abundance. We present data from which potential researchers can estimate the effort required to adequately describe the ecology of a rodent‐borne viral system. We address different factors affecting population dynamics and hantavirus antibody prevalence and discuss the path to understanding a complex rodent‐borne disease system as well as the obstacles in that path.
Disturbance, complexity, and succession of net ecosystem production in North America's temperate deciduous forests
Authors: Gough Christopher M. , Curtis Peter S. , Hardiman Brady S. , Scheuermann Cynthia M. , Bond‐Lamberty Ben 
Published: June 2016

AbstractCentury‐old forests in the U.S. upper Midwest and Northeast power much of North America's terrestrial carbon (C) sink, but these forests' production and C sequestration capacity are expected to soon decline as fast‐growing early successional species die and are replaced by slower growing late successional species. But will this really happen? Here we marshal empirical data and ecological theory to argue that substantial declines in net ecosystem production (NEP) owing to reduced forest growth, or net primary production (NPP), are not imminent in regrown temperate deciduous forests over the next several decades. Forest age and production data for temperate deciduous forests, synthesized from published literature, suggest slight declines in NEP and increasing or stable NPP during middle successional stages. We revisit long‐held hypotheses by EP Odum and others that suggest low‐severity, high‐frequency disturbances occurring in the region's aging forests will, against intuition, maintain NEP at higher‐than‐expected rates by increasing ecosystem complexity, sustaining or enhancing NPP to a level that largely offsets rising C losses as heterotrophic respiration increases. This theoretical model is also supported by biological evidence and observations from the Forest Accelerated Succession Experiment in Michigan, USA. Ecosystems that experience high‐severity disturbances that simplify ecosystem complexity can exhibit substantial declines in production during middle stages of succession. However, observations from these ecosystems have exerted a disproportionate influence on assumptions regarding the trajectory and magnitude of age‐related declines in forest production. We conclude that there is a wide ecological space for forests to maintain NPP and, in doing so, lessens the declines in NEP, with significant implications for the future of the North American carbon sink. Our intellectual frameworks for understanding forest C cycle dynamics and resilience need to catch up to our more complex and nuanced understanding of ecological succession.
Ungulate impacts on herbaceous‐layer plant communities in even‐aged and uneven‐aged managed forests
Authors: Murray Bryan D. , Webster Christopher R. , Jenkins Michael A. , Saunders Michael R. , Haulton G. Scott 
Published: June 2016

AbstractForest management and ungulate herbivory are extant drivers of herbaceous‐layer community composition and diversity. We conducted a white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) exclosure experiment across a managed landscape to determine how deer impacts interact with the type of forest management system in influencing herb‐layer (all vascular plants < 0.5 m tall) species richness and composition. Our study took place 3 yr after harvest in a deciduous forest landscape being managed through even‐aged (~4.1 ha openings) and uneven‐aged (~1.4 ha openings) silvicultural systems. We expected the severity of deer impacts on herb layer species richness and composition to vary according to opening position, opening size, and the spatial scale of inference. At forest stand and landscape scales, species richness within silvicultural openings was greater outside compared to inside deer exclosures, and did not differ according to deer access in edges or the forest matrix. However, greater levels of species richness associated with deer access were driven by infrequently occurring forbs, and overall species composition did not differ. Notably, these species were not exotics or ferns. Deer reduced the density of large saplings and blackberry (Rubusspp.) shrubs in the smaller openings characteristic of uneven‐aged management stands, but had no effect on sapling density in the larger openings characteristic of even‐aged management stands. This result extends the forage maturation hypothesis to silvicultural systems, and is consistent with predictions that plant tolerance and avoidance of herbivory increase with resource availability. Deer may have facilitated the establishment of forbs in recently created silvicultural openings by temporarily slowing sapling regeneration, creating establishment sites through physical disturbance, and seed dispersal via epizoochory and endozoochory. This outcome is contingent upon declining deer visitation rates as woody vegetation matures as well as distance from source populations of exotic species. We conclude that ecological context, such as local ungulate abundance, disturbance, and landscape factors, influence how ungulates interact with forest management systems.
A Surface Grafting of Carbon Allotropes with in‐situ Generated 3‐aryl Diazonium Chlorides: Electrochemical Kinetic Studies
Authors: Radtke Mariusz , Ignaszak Anna 
Published: June 2016

AbstractIn this work three different carbon allotropes: multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), graphene and carbon nanohorns (CNH) were covalently bound with in‐situ generated 3‐diazonium aryl chlorides. These species were attached to the carbon surface using an electrochemically‐initiated radical coupling, similar to the Gomberg‐Bachman type reaction. An electrochemical grafting of the extended π‐systems at the carbon surface was performed in aqueous media in a simple 3‐electrode system and its kinetics was investigated by a modified Butler‐Volmer approach. The analysis of Hammett constants demonstrated a strong influence of the type of electron donating‐/withdrawing substituents on the reduction potential peak position and the peak current. Moderately or strong electron withdrawing groups like ‐carboxy or ‐nitro tend to shift reduction potential towards more positive values, which facilitates an electron uptake. The deposition time varies for different carbon allotropes and depends on the carbon graphitization and the surface area. The best surface coverage was obtained at 90–150 sec of the deposition. Although, the surface functionalities are less conductive than the carbon, the electrodes showed a low internal resistance and thus a high rate of electron transfer (high exchange current density and the electron transfer rate constant), with the most promising observed for carbon nanohorns. The best performing carbon revealed also superior mass transport of the redox active species toward the electrode surface, owing to their unique particle shapes and its very porous structure. The Tafel analysis complemented by an impedance spectroscopy allowed selecting the best carbon substrate for the functionalization with a 3‐aminobenzoic acid.
The Reductive Cleavage Mechanism and Complex Stability of Glutathionyl‐Cobalamin in Acidic Media
Authors: Sajan Abin , Birke Ronald L. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe mechanisms of the electrode reduction of vitamin B12a and the reductive cleavage of glutathionyl cobalamin (GSCbl) were investigated with digital simulations in acid media at pH 3.78 and 2.78. Even though the pH is quite acidic, the 1‐electron reduction of B12a goes through the base‐on form in a step‐wise sequence forming base‐on vitamin B12r which then is protonated to the base‐off form, and finally reduced in another 1‐electron step to vitamin B12s Unlike the case of B12a, the GSCbl is found to go by a 1‐electron overall mechanism. In this case, electronic structure calculations at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level for a model GSCbl complex show that the one‐electron adduct is a radical anion with the unpaired electron in a corrin ring π* orbital. When the axial 5,6‐dimethylbenzimidazole dissociates, the Co(III)‐S bond will break forming Vitamin B12s and the GS• radical. This reductive cleavage mechanism is the same as in the case of alkylcobalmins and is relevant to the biological mechanism of the B12 trafficking chaperone proteins, CblC, for processing GSCbl in B12 dependent enzyme reactions. Finally, we determined conditional stability constants for the formation of the GSCbl complex, Kobs, which are 4.4±0.5×103 M−1 and 9.9±0.1×102 M−1 at pH 3.78 and 2.78, respectively.
Use of the Acoustic Energy Meter (AEM) for rapid geomorphological field assessment of rock hardness: comparison with Schmidt hammer R‐value
Authors: Brook M. S. , Winkler S. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractRapid, field‐based assessments of rock hardness are required in a broad range of geomorphological investigations where rock intact strength is important. Several different methods are now available for taking such measurements, in particular the Schmidt hammer, which has seen increasing use in geomorphology in recent decades. This is despite caution from within the engineering literature regarding choice of Schmidt hammer type, normalization of rebound (R‐) values, surface micro‐roughness, weathering degree and moisture content, and data reduction/analysis procedures. We present a pilot study of the use of an Acoustic Energy Meter (AEM), originally produced, tested and developed within the field of underground mining engineering as a rapid measure of rock surface hardness, and compare it with results from a mechanical N‐Type Schmidt hammer. We assess its capabilities across six lithological study sites in southeast Queensland, Australia, in the Greater Brisbane area. Each rock exposure has been recently exposed in the 20th/21st century. Using a ‘paired’ sampling approach, the AEM G‐value shows an inverse relationship with Schmidt hammer R‐value. While both devices show variability with lithology, the AEM G‐values show less scatter than the Schmidt hammer. We conclude that each device can contribute to useful rock hardness testing in geomorphological research, but the AEM requires further field testing in a range of environments, and in particular on older and naturally‐exposed rock surfaces. Future evaluations can extend this pilot study by focusing on sampling procedures, energy sources, and data reduction protocols, within the framework of a comparison study with other rock hardness testing apparatus. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Variant Inosine Triphosphatase Phenotypes Are Associated With Increased Ribavirin Triphosphate Levels
Authors: Jimmerson Leah C. , Urban Thomas J. , Truesdale Aimee , Baouchi‐Mokrane Fafa , Kottilil Shyam , Meissner Eric G. , Sims Zayani , Langness Jacob A. , Hodara Ariel , Aquilante Christina L. , Kiser Jennifer J. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractIndividuals with lower inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) enzyme activity have a reduced likelihood of experiencing hemolytic anemia during hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment containing ribavirin (RBV). Because ITPA degrades purines and RBV is a purine analogue, it is conceivable that ITPA activity may affect intracellular RBV concentrations. Here we assessed the association between ITPA activity phenotype and concentrations of RBV triphosphate (RBV‐TP) in red blood cells (RBCs) during HCV treatment. RBV‐TP was quantified in the RBCs of 177 HCV‐infected individuals at a median (range) of 84 (19 to 336) days into HCV treatment that included RBV. Mean (SD) RBV‐TP concentrations were 92.8 (51.6), 101.3 (53.5), 184.8 (84.5), and 197.7 (64.6) pmol/106 cells for 100%, 60%, 30%, and ≤10% ITPA activity groups, respectively. Overall, RBV‐TP was approximately 2‐fold higher in patients with ≤30% ITPA activity compared to 100% activity (P < .0001). Despite higher RBV‐TP levels, individuals with variant ITPA phenotypes had less anemia. The 100% activity group had, on average, a –2.20 g/dL drop in hemoglobin vs –1.43 g/dL (P = .04) for 60% activity, –1.14 g/dL (P = .008) for 30% activity, and –0.70 g/dL (P = .06) for ≤10% activity. This finding of higher RBV‐TP concentrations in RBCs in ITPA variants was unexpected given that ITPA activity‐deficient individuals have a reduced likelihood of RBV‐induced anemia. It also refutes the hypothesis that the mechanism by which ITPA variants are protected against anemia is due to lower RBV‐TP levels in RBCs.
Comparison of time utilization in an academic inpatient versus an outpatient vascular laboratory
Authors: Oriowo Babatunde A. , Hoffman Kaitlin , Evans Julie , Haurani Mounir J. , Satiani Bhagwan 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTPurposeEfficient, cost‐effective services in vascular laboratories (VLs) will be required in tomorrow's health care environment. Inpatient VLs (IPVL) are burdened with complex patients, excessive workload, and a high percentage of bedside tests. Outpatient VLs (OPVL) are therefore presumed to be more productive and efficient. We compared time utilization in OPVLs and IPVL to test this hypothesis.MethodsVascular sonographers at an academic IPVL and OPVL were asked to track their daily activities during five consecutive weekdays. Test type, scan time, delays in patient arrival, preparation for the test, computer entry, and administrative time (patient‐ and non‐patient‐related) were logged.ResultsDelay in patient arrival and non‐patient‐related administration activities were both significantly greater in the OPVL (p < 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Actual scan time occupied only 38.8% of the technologist's day, with the rest spent on patient‐ and non‐patient‐related activities.ConclusionsNo appreciable differences were noted between IPVL and OPVL in most of the efficiency parameters measured. General administration time and delay in patient arrival were greater in the OPVL. Thus, OPVL were not more efficient than IPVL. In order to maximize efficiency in the OPVL, non‐patient‐related activities, which occupy over a quarter of the daily workday, must be shifted from technologists to support staff. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:540–544, 2016
Planar Digraphs without Large Acyclic Sets
Authors: Knauer Kolja , Valicov Petru , Wenger Paul S. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractGiven a directed graph, an acyclic set is a set of vertices inducing a directed subgraph with no directed cycle. In this note, we show that for all integers , there exist oriented planar graphs of order n and digirth g for which the size of the maximum acyclic set is at most . When this result disproves a conjecture of Harutyunyan and shows that a question of Albertson is best possible.
On Lower Bounds for the Matching Number of Subcubic Graphs
Authors: Haxell P. E. , Scott A. D. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe give a complete description of the set of triplesof real numbers with the following property. There exists a constantKsuch thatis a lower bound for the matching numberof every connected subcubic graphG, wheredenotes the number of vertices of degreeifor eachi.
Minimum Degrees of Minimal Ramsey Graphs for Almost‐Cliques
Authors: Grinshpun Andrey , Raina Raj , Sengupta Rik 
Published: June 2016

AbstractFor graphs F and H, we say F is Ramsey for H if every 2‐coloring of the edges of F contains a monochromatic copy of H. The graph F is Ramsey H‐minimal if F is Ramsey for H and there is no proper subgraph of F so that is Ramsey for H. Burr et al. defined to be the minimum degree of F over all Ramsey H‐minimal graphs F. Define to be a graph on vertices consisting of a complete graph on t vertices and one additional vertex of degree d. We show that for all values ; it was previously known that , so it is surprising that is much smaller. We also make some further progress on some sparser graphs. Fox and Lin observed that for all graphs H, where is the minimum degree of H; Szabó et al. investigated which graphs have this property and conjectured that all bipartite graphs H without isolated vertices satisfy . Fox et al. further conjectured that all connected triangle‐free graphs with at least two vertices satisfy this property. We show that d‐regular 3‐connected triangle‐free graphs H, with one extra technical constraint, satisfy ; the extra constraint is that H has a vertex v so that if one removes v and its neighborhood from H, the remainder is connected.
Purified rutin and rutin‐rich asparagus attenuates disease severity and tissue damage following dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colitis
Authors: Power Krista A. , Lu Jenifer T. , Monk Jennifer M. , Lepp Dion , Wu Wenqing , Zhang Claire , Liu Ronghua , Tsao Rong , Robinson Lindsay E. , Wood Geoffrey A. , Wolyn David J. 
Published: June 2016

ScopeThis study investigated the effects of cooked whole asparagus (ASP) versus its equivalent level of purified flavonoid glycoside, rutin (RUT), on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis and subsequent colitis recovery in mice.Methods and resultsC57BL/6 male mice were fed an AIN‐93G basal diet (BD), or BD supplemented with 2% cooked ASP or 0.025% RUT for 2 wks prior to and during colitis induction with 2% DSS in water for 7 days, followed by 5 days colitis recovery. In colitic mice, both ASP and RUT upregulated mediators of improved barrier integrity and enhanced mucosal injury repair (e.g. Muc1, IL‐22, Rho‐A, Rac1, and Reg3γ), increased the proportion of mouse survival, and improved disease activity index. RUT had the greatest effect in attenuating DSS‐induced colonic damage indicated by increased crypt and goblet cell restitution, reduced colonic myeloperoxidase, as well as attenuated DSS‐induced microbial dysbiosis (reduced Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroides, and increased unassigned Clostridales, Oscillospira, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium).ConclusionThese findings demonstrate that dietary cooked ASP and its flavonoid glycoside, RUT, may be useful in attenuating colitis severity by modulating the colonic microenvironment resulting in reduced colonic inflammation, promotion of colonic mucosal injury repair, and attenuation of colitis‐associated microbial dysbiosis.
Copolymers possessing dithienothiophene and boron for optoelectronic applications
Authors: Sevinis Emine Billur , Sahin Canan , Cinar Mehmet Emin , Eroglu Mehmet Sayip , Ozturk Turan 
Published: June 2016

In this work, copolymers of dithienothiophenes (DTT) and DTT‐4,4‐dioxide (DTT‐S,S‐O2) with mesitylboron were prepared for optoelectronic applications. Optical and electrochemical investigations were performed giving rise to the band gaps of 2.46–3.21 and 2.18–2.88 eV, respectively. Copolymers possessing DTT‐S,S‐O2 units demonstrated the lower band gaps. Density functional theory investigations of the model compounds revealed the presence of an intramolecular charge transfer transition between the donor DTT units and the boron acceptor atoms. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:1390–1398, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Reactive blends derived from modified soybean oil and silicone
Authors: Tambe Chetan , Kaufmann John , Graiver Daniel , Narayan Ramani 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTReactive blends prepared from methoxysilane terminated silicone polymers and silylated soybean oil are described and characterized. Although simple mixing of soy and silicones results in gross phase separation, homogeneous polymeric products are obtained by introducing reactive sites. These products can be used as protective coatings, additives to adhesives and new sealants. Exposure of the mixtures to moisture leads to hydrolysis of the methoxysilanes and subsequent condensation of the resulting silanols that yields stable siloxane linkages between the two immiscible phases. FTIR, TGA, and swell‐gel analyses indicate effective formation of these siloxane crosslinks. Reactive blends containing less than 20% silylated oil appeared completely transparent but increasing the soy content decreased the optical transparency. SEM micrographs reveal the silicone polymer as the continuous phase with individual spherical silylated soy oil particles distributed in it. The properties of these reactive blends vary from high elongation elastomers to high modulus resins depending on the composition. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 3086–3093
UV‐curable thio‐ether‐urethane network with tunable properties
Authors: Perrot David , Croutxé‐Barghorn Céline , Allonas Xavier 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTA photoinitiating system composed of a sensitizer (isopropylthioxanthone, ITX) and a photobase generator (triazabicyclodecene tetraphenylborate TBD.HBPh4) was successfully applied to the photopolymerization of a thiol‐isocyanate‐epoxy mixture. The final polymer network was considered in term of the compositional ratio between the thiol‐isocyanate and thiol‐epoxy coupling reactions. In parallel with structural investigation by spectroscopic technics, the relationships between the compositional ratio and kinetics of photopolymerization, thermomechanical properties and hardness were investigated. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 3119–3126