bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphological convergence in a Mexican garter snake associated with the ingestion of a novel prey
Authors: Manjarrez Javier , Macías Garcia Constantino , Drummond Hugh 
Published: August 2017

AbstractMorphological convergence is expected when organisms which differ in phenotype experience similar functional demands, which lead to similar associations between resource utilization and performance. To consume prey with hard exoskeletons, snakes require either specialized head morphology, or to deal with them when they are vulnerable, for example, during molting. Such attributes may in turn reduce the efficiency with which they prey on soft‐bodied, slippery animals such as fish. Snakes which consume a range of prey may present intermediate morphology, such as that of Thamnophiine (Natricinae), which may be classified morphometrically across the soft–hard prey dietary boundary. In this study, we compared the dentition and head structure of populations ofThamnophis melanogasterthat have entered the arthropod–crustacean (crayfish)‐eating niche and those that have not, and tested for convergence between the former and two distantly related crayfish specialists of the genusRegina(R.septemvittataandR. grahamii). As a control, we included the congenerT. eques. Multivariate analysis of jaw length, head length, head width, and number of maxillary teeth yielded three significant canonical variables that together explained 98.8% of the variance in the size‐corrected morphological data. The first canonical variable significantly discriminated between the three species. The results show that head dimensions and number of teeth of the twoReginaspecies are more similar to those of crayfish‐eatingT. melanogasterthan to non‐crayfish‐eating snakes or ofT. eques. It is unclear how particular head proportions or teeth number facilitates capture of crayfish, but our results and the rarity of soft crayfish ingestion byT. melanogastermay reflect the novelty of this niche expansion, and are consistent with the hypothesis that some populations ofT. melanogasterhave converged in their head morphology with the two soft crayfish‐eatingReginaspecies, although we cannot rule out the possibility of a morphological pre‐adaptation to ingest crayfish.
Logged peat swamp forest supports greater macrofungal biodiversity than large‐scale oil palm plantations and smallholdings
Authors: Shuhada Siti Noor , Salim Sabiha , Nobilly Frisco , Zubaid Akbar , Azhar Badrul 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIntensive land expansion of commercial oil palm agricultural lands results in reducing the size of peat swamp forests, particularly in Southeast Asia. The effect of this land conversion on macrofungal biodiversity is, however, understudied. We quantified macrofungal biodiversity by identifying mushroom sporocarps throughout four different habitats; logged peat swamp forest, large‐scale oil palm plantation, monoculture, and polyculture smallholdings. We recorded a total of 757 clusters of macrofungi belonging to 127 morphospecies and found that substrates for growing macrofungi were abundant in peat swamp forest; hence, morphospecies richness and macrofungal clusters were significantly greater in logged peat swamp forest than converted oil palm agriculture lands. Environmental factors that influence macrofungi in logged peat swamp forests such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed, soilpH, and soil moisture were different from those in oil palm plantations and smallholdings. We conclude that peat swamp forests are irreplaceable with respect to macrofungal biodiversity. They host much greater macrofungal biodiversity than any of the oil palm agricultural lands. It is imperative that further expansion of oil palm plantation into remaining peat swamp forests should be prohibited in palm oil producing countries. These results imply that macrofungal distribution reflects changes in microclimate between habitats and reduced macrofungal biodiversity may adversely affect decomposition in human‐modified landscapes.
Predicting coexistence in species with continuous ontogenetic niche shifts and competitive asymmetry
Authors: Bassar Ronald D. , Travis Joseph , Coulson Tim 
Published: August 2017

AbstractA longstanding problem in ecology is whether structured life cycles impede or facilitate coexistence between species. Theory based on populations with only two discrete stages in the life‐cycle indicates that for two species to coexist, at least one must shift its niche between stages and each species must be a better competitor in one of the niches. However, in many cases, niche shifts are associated with changes in an underlying continuous trait like body size and we have few predictions concerning conditions for coexistence for such a widespread form of ontogenetic development. We develop a framework for analyzing species coexistence based on Integral Projection Models (IPMs) that incorporates continuous ontogenetic changes in both the resource niche and competitive ability. We parameterize the model using experimental data from Trinidadian guppies and show how niche shifts and competitive symmetries impact species coexistence. Overall, our results show that the effects of competition on fitness depend upon trait‐mediated niche‐separation, trait‐mediated competitive asymmetry in the part of the niche that is shared across body sizes, and the sensitivity of fitness to body size. Interactions among these processes generate multiple routes to coexistence. We discuss how our modeling framework expands results from two‐stage models to mutli‐stage or continuous stage models and allows for deriving predictions that can be tested in populations displaying continuous changes in niche use and competitive ability.
Neural correlates of “Theory of Mind” in very preterm born children
Authors: Mossad Sarah I. , Smith Mary Lou , Pang Elizabeth W. , Taylor Margot J. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractVery preterm (VPT) birth (<32 weeks’ gestational age) has been implicated in social‐cognitive deficits including Theory of Mind (ToM); the ability to attribute mental states to others and understand that those beliefs can differ from one's own or reality. The neural bases for ToM deficits in VPT born children have not been examined. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) for its excellent spatial and temporal resolution to determine the neural underpinnings of ToM in 24 VPT and 24 full‐term born (FT) children (7–13 years). VPT children performed more poorly on neuropsychological measures of ToM but not inhibition. In the MEG task, both FT children and VPT children recruited regions involved in false belief processing such as the rIFG (VPT: 275–350 ms, FT: 250–375 ms) and left inferior temporal gyrus (VPT: 375–450 ms, FT: 325–375 ms) and right fusiform gyrus (VPT: 150–200 ms, FT: 175–250 ms). The rIPL (included in the temporal‐parietal junction) was recruited in FT children (475–575 ms) and the lTPJ in VPT children (500–575 ms). However, activations in all regions were reduced in the VPT compared to the FT group. We suggest that with increasing social‐cognitive demands such as varying the type of scenarios in the standardized measure of ToM, reduced activations in the rIFG and TPJ in the VPT group may reflect the decreased performance. With access to both spatial and temporal information, we discuss the role of domain general and specific regions of the ToM network in both groups. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5577–5589, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identifying and analyzing critical factors impacting on passenger comfort employing a hybrid model
Authors: Liu Jing , Yu Suihuai , Chu Jianjie , Gou Bingchen 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWith the increase in air travel, comfort is becoming an important issue with which airlines differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Passengers are paying more attention to their comfort experience during flights. However, passenger comfort is affected by various factors that result from the complex cabin system. Besides, the factors have interrelations between one another. How to identify the key factors and comb through their interrelations to improve passenger comfort efficiently is a critical problem in cabin design. To solve this problem, a hybrid model is proposed to identify the key factors and discuss the interrelation between them based on the questionnaire data. First, factor analysis is conducted to segment complex influencing factors into groups and to extract the most important factors. Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method and fuzzy set theory are combined in the next analysis, considering both the interrelation between factors and the fuzziness of subjective comfort perception concurrently. It forms a structural model and then visualizes the causal relationships among factors through a causal diagram. The results of an empirical study show that the proposed model is capable of identifying the critical factors that affect passenger comfort effectively and could offer a priority of factors to improve passenger comfort.
Memory integration in humans with hippocampal lesions
Authors: Pajkert Anna , Finke Carsten , Shing Yee Lee , Hoffmann Martina , Sommer Werner , Heekeren Hauke R. , Ploner Christoph J. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAdaptive behavior frequently depends on inference from past experience. Recent studies suggest that the underlying process of integrating related memories may depend on interaction between hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Here, we investigated how hippocampal damage affects memory integration. Subjects with mediotemporal lesions and healthy controls learned a set of overlapping AB‐ and BC‐associations (object‐face‐ and face‐object pairs) and were then tested for memory of these associations (“direct” trials) and of inferential AC‐associations (“indirect” trials). The experiment consisted of four encoding/retrieval cycles. In direct trials, performance of patients and controls was similar and stable across cycles. By contrast, in indirect trials, patients and controls showed distinct patterns of behavior. Whereas patients and controls initially showed only minor differences, controls increased performance across subsequent cycles, while patient performance decreased to chance level. Further analysis suggested that this deficit was not merely a consequence of impaired associative memory but rather resulted from an additional hippocampal contribution to memory integration. Our findings further suggest that contextual factors modulate this contribution. Patient deficits in more complex memory‐guided behavior may depend on the flexible interaction of hippocampus‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms of memory integration.
Resting‐state fMRI and social cognition: An opportunity to connect
Authors: Doruyter Alex , Groenewold Nynke A. , Dupont Patrick , Stein Dan J. , Warwick James M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractMany psychiatric disorders are characterized by altered social cognition. The importance of social cognition has previously been recognized by the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria project, in which it features as a core domain. Social task‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) currently offers the most direct insight into how the brain processes social information; however, resting‐state fMRI may be just as important in understanding the biology and network nature of social processing. Resting‐state fMRI allows researchers to investigate the functional relationships between brain regions in a neutral state: so‐called resting functional connectivity (RFC). There is evidence that RFC is predictive of how the brain processes information during social tasks. This is important because it shifts the focus from possibly context‐dependent aberrations to context‐independent aberrations in functional network architecture. Rather than being analysed in isolation, the study of resting‐state brain networks shows promise in linking results of task‐based fMRI results, structural connectivity, molecular imaging findings, and performance measures of social cognition—which may prove crucial in furthering our understanding of the social brain.
Analysis of the contributions of topographic, soil, and vegetation features on the spatial distributions of surface soil moisture in a steep natural forested headwater catchment
Authors: Liang Wei‐Li , Li Sheng‐Lun , Hung Feng‐Xu 
Published: August 2017

AbstractSurface soil moisture has been extensively studied for various land uses and landforms. Although many studies have reported potential factors that control surface soil moisture over space or time, the findings have not always been consistent, indicating a need for identification of the main factors. This study focused on the static controls of topographic, soil, and vegetation features on surface soil moisture in a steep natural forested headwater catchment consisting of three hillslope units of a gully area, side slope, and valley‐head slope. Using a simple correlation analysis to investigate the effects of the static factors on surface soil moisture at depths of 0–20 cm at 470 points in 13 surveys, we addressed the characteristics of surface soil moisture and its main controlling factors. The results indicated that the mean of surface soil moisture was in the decreasing order of gully area > valley‐head slope > side slope. The relationship between the mean and standard deviation of surface soil moisture showed a convex‐upward shape in the headwater catchment, a negative curvilinear shape in the gully area, and positive curvilinear shapes at the side and valley‐head slopes. At the headwater catchment and valley‐head slope, positive contributions of soil porosity and negative contributions of slope gradient and saturated hydraulic conductivity were the main controlling factors of surface soil moisture under wetter conditions, whereas positive contributions of topographic wetness index and negative contributions of vegetation density were the main controlling factors of surface soil moisture under drier conditions. At the side slope underlain by fractured bedrocks, only saturated hydraulic conductivity and vegetation density were observed to be the controlling factors. Surface soil moisture in the gully area was mainly affected by runoff rather than were static features. Thus, using hillslope units is effective for approximately estimating the hydrological behaviours of surface moisture on a larger scale, whereas dependency between the main static factors and moisture conditions is helpful for estimating the spatial distributions of surface moisture on a smaller scale.
Effects of phenology and meteorological disturbance on litter rainfall interception for a Pinus elliottii stand in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Van Stan John T. , Coenders‐Gerrits Miriam , Dibble Michael , Bogeholz Philine , Norman Zachary 
Published: August 2017

AbstractLitter layers develop across a diverse array of vegetated ecosystems and undergo significant temporal compositional changes due to canopy phenological phases and disturbances. Past research on temporal dynamics of litter interception has focused primarily on litter thickness and leaf fall, yet forest phenophases can change many more litter attributes (e.g., woody debris, bark shedding, and release of reproductive materials). In this study, weekly changes in litter composition over 1 year were used to estimate litter water storage dynamics and model event‐based litter interception. Litter interception substantially reduced throughfall (6–43%), and litter water storage capacity ranged from 1 to 3 mm, peaking when megastrobili release and liana leaf senescence occurred simultaneously during fall 2015. Tropical storm disturbances occurred during the sampling period, allowing evaluation of how meteorological disturbances altered litter interception. High wind speeds and intense rainfall from 2 tropical storms increased litter interception by introducing new woody debris, which, in this study, stored more water than the pre‐existing woody debris. After 2 extreme weather events, a third (Hurricane Hermine) did not increase woody debris (or litter interception), suggesting that the canopy pool of branches susceptible to breakage had been largely depleted. Needle and bark shedding had minor effects on litter interception. Results suggest that the release of reproductive materials and meteorological disturbances appear to be the major compositional drivers of litter interception beyond their obvious contribution to litter thickness.
A model for prioritizing landfills for remediation and closure: A case study in Serbia
Authors: Ubavin Dejan , Agarski Boris , Maodus Nikola , Stanisavljevic Nemanja , Budak Igor 
Published: August 2017

Abstract

The existence of large numbers of landfills that do not fulfill sanitary prerequisites presents a serious hazard for the environment in lower income countries. One of the main hazards is landfill leachate that contains various pollutants and presents a threat to groundwater. Groundwater pollution from landfills depends on various mutually interconnected factors such as the waste type and amount, the amount of precipitation, the landfill location characteristics, and operational measures, among others. Considering these factors, lower income countries face a selection problem where landfills urgently requiring remediation and closure must be identified from among a large number of sites. The present paper proposes a model for prioritizing landfills for closure and remediation based on multicriteria decision making, in which the hazards of landfill groundwater pollution are evaluated. The parameters for the prioritization of landfills are the amount of waste disposed, the amount of precipitation, the vulnerability index, and the rate of increase of the amount of waste in the landfill. Verification was performed using a case study in Serbia where all municipal landfills were included and 128 landfills were selected for prioritization. The results of the evaluation of Serbian landfills, prioritizing sites for closure and remediation, are presented for the first time. Critical landfills are identified, and prioritization ranks for the selected landfills are provided. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:105–119. © 2017 SETAC

Key Points
Municipal landfills without appropriate cover layers and leachate collection. The selection problem among numerous critical landfills in developing countries. Multicriteria decision making considering landfill groundwater pollution and other hazards. A model for prioritization of landfills for closure and remediation is presented.
Alkyl chitosan film‐high strength, functional biomaterials
Authors: Lu Li , Xing Cao , Xin Shen , Shitao Yu , Feng Su , Shiwei Liu , Fusheng Liu , Congxia Xie 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBiofilm with strong tensile strength is a topic item in the area of tissue engineering, medicine engineering, and so forth. Here we introduced an alkyl chitosan film with strong tensile strength and its possibility for an absorbable anticoagulation material in vivo was tested in the series of blood test, such as dynamic coagulation time, plasma recalcification time and hemolysis. Alkyl chitosan film was a better biomaterial than traditional chitosan film in the anticoagulation, tissue compatibility and cell compatibility. The unique trait of alkyl chitosan film may be for its greater contact angle and hydrophobicity ability to reduce the adsorption capacity for the blood component and the activity of fibrinolytic enzymes, enhance the antibacterial capacity than chitosan film. Moreover, none of chitosan film or butyl chitosan film exhibited quick inflammation or other disadvantage and degraded quickly by implanted test. Therefore, Alkyl chitosan film is of prospective properties as an implantable, absorbable agent for tissue heals, and this material need further research. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3034–3041, 2017.
Multimodal analysis of in vivo resorbable CaP bone substitutes by combining histology, SEM, and microcomputed tomography data
Authors: Sweedy Ahmed , Bohner Marc , Baroud Gamal 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis study introduced and demonstrated a new method to investigate the repair process of bone defects using micro‐ and macroporous beta‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) substitutes. Specifically, the new method combined and aligned histology, SEM, and preimplantation microcomputed tomography (mCT) data to accurately characterize tissue phases found in biopsies, and thus better understand the bone repair process. The results included (a) the exact fraction of ceramic remnants (CR); (b) the fraction of ceramic resorbed and substituted by bone (CSB); and (c) the fraction of ceramic resorbed and not substituted by bone (CNSB). The new method allowed in particular the detection and quantification of mineralized tissues within the 1–10 µm micropores of the ceramic (“micro‐bone”). The utility of the new method was demonstrated by applying it on biopsies of two β‐tricalcium phosphate bone substitute groups with two differing macropore sizes implanted in an ovine model for 6 weeks. The total bone deposition and ceramic resorption of the two substitute groups, having macropore sizes of 510 and 1220 μm, were 25.1 ± 8.1% and 67.5 ± 3.2%, and 24.4 ± 4.1% and 61.4 ± 6.5% for the group having the larger pore size. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1567–1577, 2018.
(−)‐Epicatechin rescues the As2O3‐induced HERG K+ channel deficiency possibly through upregulating transcription factor SP1 expression
Authors: Dong Zengxiang , Shi Yuanqi , Feng Lifang , Shen Zhaoqian , Fang Li , Zheng Sijia , Hai Xin , Li Baoxin 
Published: August 2017

Abstract(−)‐Epicatechin (EPI) has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular disease. The human ether‐a‐go‐go‐related gene (HERG) potassium channel is crucial for repolarization of cardiac action potential. Dysfunction of the HERG channel can cause long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2). Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has shown efficacy in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, As2O3 can induce the deficiency of HERG channel and cause LQT2. In this study, we examined whether EPI could rescue the As2O3‐induced HERG channel deficiency. We found that 3 μM EPI obviously increased protein expression and current of HERG channel. EPI was able to recover the protein expression and current of HERG channel disrupted by As2O3. EPI was able to increase the expression of SP1 protein and recover the expression of SP1 protein disrupted by As2O3. In addition, EPI significantly shortened action potential duration prolonged by As2O3. Our data suggest that EPI rescues As2O3‐induced HERG channel deficiency through upregulating SP1 expression.