bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can a copper sulphate pulse below toxic threshold change plankton communities?
Authors: Del Arco Ana I. , Jiménez-Gómez Francisco , Guerrero Francisco , Parra Gema 
Published: October 2017

More field relevant ecological assessments, apart from single species tests using standard species, are needed to better predict agrochemical effects at higher ecosystems levels. Therefore, an experiment using a non-target aquatic community was used to test the hypothesis of the negative effect of a single pulse of copper sulfate on plankton abundance, structure, richness and diversity endpoints. Microcosms (20 l volume) were established during 21 days of experimentation, using six replicates for controls and with two concentrations of copper sulfate (High treatment, H: 20 µg Cu l−1; and Low treatment, L: 2 µg Cu l−1), both within the copper legal threshold following the Water Framework Directive (2000). The general lineal model found significant differences at the phytoplankton abundance endpoint at the end of the experiment, with an increase of phytoplankton abundance in L treatments dominated by the smaller cell size class. The principal response curve on zooplankton data, despite being insignificant, pointed out some dissimilarities in abundance and structure between treatments and controls: treatments showed lower abundances and were richer in cladocerans and copepods than the control microcosm where rotifers and nauplii were dominant. This indicated that trends change in community structure due to the effects of copper sulfate, and that even if the copper concentrations under study were within legal limits, they showed potential to induce changes in planktonic communities.
Macroalgal assemblage changes on coral reefs along a natural gradient from fish farms in southern Hainan Island
Authors: Li Xiubao , Titlyanov Eduard A. , Zhang Jing , Titlyanova Tamara V. , Zhang Guosen , Huang Hui 
Published: October 2017

Degradation processes on coral reefs are associated with changes in macroalgal assemblages. In this study, a floristic study of the macrophyte species on coral reefs along a pollution gradient at 3 transects in southern Hainan Island, China, was conducted in April 2014. A total of 73 benthic macroalgal taxa were collected, of which 58% were reds, 23% browns and 19% greens. Along with the distance away from the outlet of fish farms, macroalgal species richness increased significantly from 40 species to 71 species. However, macroalgal biomass decreased from 1.58 kg m−2 to 1.1 kg m−2. Brown blooms of Chnoospora implexa, Padina australis, Sargassum polycystum and S. sanyaense changed to green blooms of Ulva lactuca and Caulerpa racemosa from moderately polluted sites to severely polluted sites close to the outlet. This study supports the results that severe pollution can lead not only to a significant decline of macroalgal species richness and changes in macroalgal assemblages, but also to the occurrence of green blooms. This study will hopefully provide more accurate cases to link nutrient pollution to changes in benthic organisms on coral reefs.
Long term urban impacts on the ecological status of a lowland river as determined by diatom indices
Authors: Szczepocka E. , Nowicka-Krawczyk P. , Knysak P. , Żelazna-Wieczorek J. 
Published: October 2017

This study determined changes in the ecological status of a lowland river under the impact of an urban agglomeration after modernizing the wastewater management. For 174 years the Ner River was loaded with pollution from expanding industry. Construction of the Group Sewage Treatment Plant (GOŚ) in 1994 and its subsequent modernization should have improved the water quality. After 20 years of proper sewage treatment the ecological status of the river hasn't improved.Study sites were established on the river above and below sewage disposal from GOŚ, and the ecological status was assessed on the basis of benthic diatoms. Diatom indices: IO, GDI, IPS were calculated in order to determine the ecological status and water quality. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multivariate analysis of diatom assemblages were used to reveal differences of the study sites. It was revealed that the river is divided into two sections: the first is above the sewage disposal and the second is below it. In the first section, domination of species sensitive to organic pollution Meridion circulare and Ulnaria ulna was noted, while in the second section species resistant and tolerant to organic pollution, Hippodonta capitata and Navicula gregaria, were noted. The ecological status at the first section was moderate to poor, while at the second it was poor to very poor.The division of the urban river into two sections with different ecological status stems from the history of water management. The present location of the GOŚ outflow served in the past as a dump of untreated sewage from the industry of the Łódź Agglomeration. Development of the city led to the degradation of the ecosystem. Modernization of wastewater management did not reverse the degradation of the river. The persistence of accumulated industrial pollution in sediments caused by the long-term impact of urban agglomeration almost completely destroyed the ecosystem of the river.
Seasonal variation of dissolved oxygen in Sanya Bay
Authors: Xu Hongzhou , Liu Sumin , Xie Qiang , Hong Bo , Zhou Weihua , Zhang Yanying , Li Tao 
Published: October 2017

Dissolved oxygen concentration is central in determining the water quality level for an aquatic ecosystem. In this article, we analyzed in situ dissolved oxygen and other related parameters from a dataset observed during 2004–2010 in Sanya Bay to find out its status in recent years and what controlled its seasonal variation. Different to worldwide coastal and estuarine ecosystems, dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Bay reached minimum values in autumn rather than summer during most of the seven years, while maximum values were seen in winter. Results showed that the seasonal trend of dissolved oxygen was mainly controlled by physical instead of biochemical processes. While many harmful factors normally act to lower dissolved oxygen concentration during summer, such as high surface water temperature, strong stratification, and large loads of nutrients from the river basin, upwelling driven by summer monsoons cooled down the bottom water. This increased dissolved oxygen saturation and hindered biochemical oxygen demand. On the contrary, the bottom water was warmed up abruptly during autumn, when upwelling was reduced due to the cessation of summer monsoon. This decreased bottom water dissolved oxygen saturation and enhanced some biochemical processes. Overall, dissolved oxygen values were greater than 6.0 mg l−1 during most years, indicating a healthy water quality environment in the Bay. Nevertheless, low dissolved oxygen bottom water conditions (&lt;6.0 mg l−1) still existed in the whole Bay during some seasons—like the summer of 2009—which indicates there is some concern for the current stage of water quality in the Bay.
Agricultural Cooperatives and Investment in Organic Soil Amendments and Chemical Fertilizer in China
Authors: Ma Wanglin , Abdulai Awudu , Goetz Renan 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn this article, we develop a dynamic model to show how membership in agricultural cooperatives influences smallholder farmers' decisions to invest in organic soil amendments and chemical fertilizer. The model considers management decisions of heterogonous producers within an intertemporal framework, with the decision to join the cooperative assumed to be endogenous. Farm‐level data of apple farmers from three provinces in China are used to estimate the impact of cooperative membership on investment in organic soil amendments and chemical fertilizer. A recursive bivariate probit model that accounts for potential endogeneity of cooperative membership and selection bias is employed in the empirical analysis. The empirical results show that cooperative membership exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on the likelihood of investing in organic soil amendments. The findings also reveal that tenure security, human capital, farm size, and access to credit positively and significantly influence the probability of a farmer joining a cooperative and the likelihood of investing in soil quality measures.
Microvascular Adaptations to Exercise: Protective Effect of PGC-1 Alpha
Authors: Kadlec Andrew O , Barnes Chad , Durand Matthew J , Gutterman David D 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Sedentary behavior and obesity are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity has independent protective effects on the cardiovascular system, but the mechanisms responsible remain elusive. Recent studies suggest that the protein peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) participates in the response to exercise training. We hypothesized that the arterioles of athletes maintain dilation to flow despite combined inhibition of multiple vasodilators, but loss of PGC-1α renders these vessels susceptible to inhibition of a single vasodilator pathway. In addition, arterioles from overweight and obese individuals will display an an exercise-like phenotype when PGC-1α is activated.

METHODS
Isolated arterioles from exercise-trained (ET) and from mildly overweight or obese subjects (body mass index &gt;25) were cannulated, and changes in lumen diameter in response to graded increases in flow were recorded in the absence and presence of compounds that inhibit various endothelium-dependent vasodilators.

RESULTS
Microvessels of ET subjects displayed robust dilation that could not be inhibited through targeting the combination of nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and hydrogen peroxide, but were inhibited via interference with membrane hyperpolarization. Loss of PGC-1α (siRNA) in the microcirculation of ET subjects eliminates this vasodilatory robustness rendering vessels susceptible to blockade of H2O2 alone. Pharmacological activation of PGC-1α with alpha-lipoic acid in isolated microvessels from sedentary, overweight, and obese subjects increases arteriolar resistance to vasodilator blockade and protects against acute increases in intraluminal pressure.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the microvascular adaptations to exercise training, and the exercise-induced protection against acute vascular stress in overweight/obese subjects, are mediated by PGC-1α.
Joan of Arc as prisonnière de guerre
Authors: Ambühl Rémy 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Contrary to long-standing claims, the French term prisonnier de guerre dates back to long before the early seventeenth century. The corpus of documents at the centre of this article includes some sixty occurrences of the term (in French or Latin) over a period of more than a century, the earliest dating to 1357. In contrast with previous studies on the status of prisoners of war which have tended to rely on a modern conception of the term, this investigation focuses on contemporary perceptions of those who were designated prisonniers de guerre in the later Middle Ages. The significance of this discussion is demonstrated through a detailed examination of the example of Joan of Arc, who, perhaps surprisingly, was considered a prisonnière de guerre by the English. In her case—which was by no means an exception to the general rule—the status of prisonnier de guerre derived from the property rights which her ‘master’ (or captor) enjoyed over her. It did not involve any protection of the prisoner her- (or him-) self. Contemporary debates about the status of prisonniers de guerre, when such questions were raised, were focused on the rights of the master. It may, therefore, be more appropriate to speak not of the status of prisoner of war but rather of the status of the master of the prisoner of war.
Impact of Required Versus Self-Directed Use of Virtual Patient Cases on Clerkship Performance: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Kim Sarang , Willett Laura R. , Pan Wilbur J. , Afran Joyce , Walker John A. , Shea Judy A. 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
To explore how students use and benefit from virtual patient cases (VPCs).

Method
In academic years 2013–2014 and 2014–2015, cohorts of students in pediatrics (Peds), family medicine (FM), and internal medicine (IM) clerkships were allocated to either core required use (CRU) or self-directed use (SU) of MedU VPCs. Outcomes included number and time of case review, student perception of learning from VPCs, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject examination scores, and summative clinical ratings for medical knowledge and differential diagnoses/problem solving. Focus groups were conducted each year. Mean differences were compared by t test.

Results
A total of 255 students participated in the study. Mean number of cases completed by the CRU group was significantly higher than that by the SU group (13.9 vs. 3.1 for FM, 16.1 vs. 3.9 for Peds, and 10.4 vs. 1.2 for IM) (P < .001). Student-perceived value ratings of VPCs were similar between groups. Students described VPCs as time consuming but useful for supplementing clinical conditions not seen in person. Mean scores on NBME subject examinations for CRU versus SU groups were not different between groups in any clerkship, nor were there significant differences in the summative clinical ratings for medical knowledge or differential diagnosis/clinical reasoning.

Conclusions
Although VPCs continue to serve an important role in exposing students to clinical conditions not seen in person, the optimal employment of this technology in clerkship pedagogy requires further exploration.
Medical Education in Decentralized Settings: How Medical Students Contribute to Health Care in 10 Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Talib Zohray , van Schalkwyk Susan , Couper Ian , Pattanaik Swaha , Turay Khadija , Sagay Atiene S. , Baingana Rhona , Baird Sarah , Gaede Bernhard , Iputo Jehu , Kibore Minnie , Manongi Rachel , Matsika Antony , Mogodi Mpho , Ramucesse Jeremais , Ross Heather , Simuyeba Moses , Haile-Mariam Damen 
Published: October 2017

Purpose
African medical schools are expanding, straining resources at tertiary health facilities. Decentralizing clinical training can alleviate this tension. This study assessed the impact of decentralized training and contribution of undergraduate medical students at health facilities.

Method
Participants were from 11 Medical Education Partnership Initiative–funded medical schools in 10 African countries. Each school identified two clinical training sites—one rural and the other either peri-urban or urban. Qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were used to gather information about the sites, student activities, and staff perspectives between March 2015 and February 2016. Interviews with site staff were analyzed using a collaborative directed approach to content analysis, and frequencies were generated to describe site characteristics and student experiences.

Results
The clinical sites varied in level of care but were similar in scope of clinical services and types of clinical and nonclinical student activities. Staff indicated that students have a positive effect on job satisfaction and workload. Respondents reported that students improved the work environment, institutional reputation, and introduced evidence-based approaches. Students also contributed to perceived improvements in quality of care, patient experience, and community outreach. Staff highlighted the need for resources to support students.

Conclusions
Students were seen as valuable resources for health facilities. They strengthened health care quality by supporting overburdened staff and by bringing rigor and accountability into the work environment. As medical schools expand, especially in low-resource settings, mobilizing new and existing resources for decentralized clinical training could transform health facilities into vibrant service and learning environments.
Fathers: The Lost Ring in the Chain of Family-Centered Care
Authors: Valizadeh Sousan , Mirlashari Jila , Navab Elham , Higman Wendy , Ghorbani Fatemeh 
Published: October 2017

Background:
The basic principles of family-centered care in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) include the unlimited presence of parents and their participation in infant's care. Nurses play a central role in encouraging parental attachment with their infant.

Purpose:
This study was carried out with the aim of understanding NICU nurses' lived experiences of family participation in family-centered care.

Methods:
This interpretative phenomenological study was conducted on the basis of Heideggerian philosophy. The data were collected using semistructured interviews and field notes and analyzed through the 7-stage Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner approach.

Findings:
Two overarching themes emerged including “mother's centrality in the care chain” and “fathers; the lost ring in the care chain” each of which consisted of 3 and 4 subthemes, respectively. Interviews indicated that in Iran's NICUs, conditions for the presence of parents were appropriate for the mothers and they were encouraged to engage in family-centered care but the fathers' participation was limited due to traditional attitudes, cultural-religious background, and difficulties relating to the hospitals' organizational rules.

Implications for Practice:
Fathers' participation in family-centered care seems to be enhanced through providing facilities, altering the organizational rules, attempting to modify traditional social attitudes, and educating parents and nurses.

Implications for Research:
Future research should explore the experience of mothers and fathers of infants in NICU in Iran to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their role in family-centered care.
Effect of Clozapine vs Other Second-Generation Antipsychotics on Hospitalization and Seclusion
Authors: Misawa Fuminari , Suzuki Takefumi , Fujii Yasuo 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Background
Clozapine has been regarded as the gold standard for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but a recent network meta-analysis has questioned its relative superiority over other second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) such as olanzapine and risperidone.

Purpose
We conducted a retrospective mirror-image study of clozapine vs other SGAs to evaluate real-world effectiveness of clozapine in terms of the duration of hospitalization and seclusion, both of which represent a critical outcome.

Methods
We included all patients who initiated clozapine at the Yamanashi Prefectural KITA Hospital and had continued to take any SGA(s) other than clozapine for at least 1 year before the initiation of clozapine. We obtained data on hospitalization and seclusion during 1 year of SGA treatment (SGA phase) and 1 year after the treatment was switched to clozapine (clozapine phase).

Results
The study included 35 patients (21 men, 31 with schizophrenia, 4 with schizoaffective disorder) with the average ± SD age of 37.3 ± 11.1 years. The results indicated that total hospitalization days did not differ significantly between SGA and clozapine treatment. However, total duration of seclusion was significantly shorter in the clozapine phase than in the SGA phase. Furthermore, the number of patients who were secluded at least once was significantly smaller in the clozapine phase than in the SGA phase. The results were essentially unchanged when outlier patients were excluded and only when patients taking olanzapine and/or risperidone during the SGA phase were considered.

Conclusions
Although the findings from this retrospective analysis need to be further tested in prospective trials, they endorse the relative effectiveness of clozapine over other SGAs in the real world.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement before abdominal intervention in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension: lessons from a pilot study
Authors: Fares Nadim , Robic Marie-Angèle , Péron Jean-Marie , Muscari Fabrice , Otal Philippe , Suc Bertrand , Vinel Jean-Pierre , Bureau Christophe 
Published: October 2017

Background
Abdominal interventions are usually contraindicated in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension because of increased morbidity and mortality. Decreasing portal pressure with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) may improve patient outcomes. We report our experience with patients treated by neoadjuvant TIPS to identify those who would most benefit from this two-step procedure.

Patients and methods
All patients treated by dedicated neoadjuvant TIPS between 2005 and March 2013 in two tertiary referral hospitals were included. The primary endpoint was the rate of failure, defined by the inability to proceed to the planned intervention after TIPS placement or persistent liver decompensation 3 months after intervention. The secondary endpoints were the rate of complications, parameters associated with failure, and 1-year survival.

Results
Twenty-eight consecutive patients were included, with a mean age of 61.2±6.6 years, mean Child–Pugh score of 6.6±1.5, and mean model for end-stage liver disease score of 10.4±3.3. Procedures were digestive (43%) or liver (25%) resections, abdominal wall surgery (21%), or interventional gastrointestinal endoscopies (11%). The scheduled procedure was performed in 24 (86%) patients within a median of 25 days after TIPS. Procedure failures occurred in six (21%) patients: four did not undergo surgery and two experienced persistent liver decompensation. Seven (25%) patients had postoperative complications, mainly local. Viral origin of cirrhosis, history of encephalopathy, and hepatic surgery were found to be associated with failure. One-year survival in the whole cohort was 70%.

Conclusion
In selected patients, extrahepatic surgery or interventional endoscopies can be safely performed after portal hypertension has been controlled by TIPS.
Binaural integration: a challenge to overcome for children with hearing loss
Authors: Gordon Karen A. , Cushing Sharon L. , Easwar Vijayalakshmi , Polonenko Melissa J. , Papsin Blake C. 
Published: October 2017

Purpose of review
Access to bilateral hearing can be provided to children with hearing loss by fitting appropriate hearing devices to each affected ear. It is not clear, however, that bilateral input is properly integrated through hearing devices to promote binaural hearing. In the present review, we examine evidence indicating that abnormal binaural hearing continues to be a challenge for children with hearing loss despite early access to bilateral input.

Recent findings
Behavioral responses and electrophysiological data in children, combined with data from developing animal models, reveal that deafness in early life disrupts binaural hearing and that present hearing devices are unable to reverse these changes and/or promote expected development. Possible limitations of hearing devices include mismatches in binaural place, level, and timing of stimulation. Such mismatches could be common in children with hearing loss. One potential solution is to modify present device fitting beyond providing audibility to each ear by implementing binaural fitting targets.

Summary
Efforts to better integrate bilateral input could improve spatial hearing in children with hearing loss.