bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does succession run towards potential natural vegetation? An analysis across seres
Authors: Prach Karel , Tichý Lubomír , Lencová Kamila , Adámek Martin , Koutecký Tomáš , Sádlo Jiří , Bartošová Alena , Novák Jan , Kovář Pavel , Jírová Alena , Šmilauer Petr , Řehounková Klára 
Published: February 2016

AbstractQuestions(1) Do 17 seres studied proceed towards corresponding potential natural vegetation; (2) what are the similarities between seral and potential natural vegetation, and is it possible to estimate how long it takes to reach potential natural vegetation; and (3) do primary and secondary seres differ?LocationExtracted peatlands, corridors of the former iron curtain, artificial fishpond islands and barriers, sedimentary basins, various spoil heaps after mining, various stone quarries, forest clearings, burned‐down forests, road verges, sand and gravel‐sand pits, river gravel bars and abandoned arable fields located in various parts of the Czech Republic.MethodsSeral stages were sampled by phytosociological relevés (2602). The following categories of successional age were considered: early (1–10 yrs), intermediate (11–25 yrs) and late (>25 yrs). Phytosociological relevés (386) representing corresponding potential natural vegetation were extracted from the National Phytosociological Database. DCA and CCA ordinations were performed to compare the pattern of seral stages with potential natural vegetation and between primary and secondary seres. Dissimilarity between seral stages of primary and secondary successions and the corresponding potential natural vegetation was further assessed using the Bray‐Curtis dissimilarity measure. Extrapolation was performed to estimate when the seres will reach the stage corresponding to potential natural vegetation.ResultsThe ordination showed that successions proceeded towards the corresponding potential natural vegetation and reflected substrate pH, site moisture and successional age. The estimated average time needed to reach potential natural vegetation was about 180 yrs for primary successions and about 260 yrs for secondary successions, considering presence–absence species data, and 200 and 250 yrs, respectively, considering cover data. All species recorded in potential natural vegetation (421) were also recorded in seral vegetation.ConclusionsIn the general view across the high number of seres spread over the whole country, successions advanced in the direction of the corresponding potential natural vegetation. The extrapolated recovery of potential natural vegetation is faster in primary seres than in secondary ones, and seres sooner resemble the corresponding potential natural vegetation in species composition than in vegetation structure.
Alien biodiversity in Mediterranean marine caves
Authors: Gerovasileiou Vasilis , Voultsiadou Eleni , Issaris Yiannis , Zenetos Argyro 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe number of alien species in the Mediterranean Sea is increasing rapidly, but few attempts have been made to evaluate impacts on specific habitat types. The present study investigated alien biodiversity in Mediterranean marine caves, both by contributing new records of Eastern Mediterranean cave aliens, and by reviewing the scattered existing literature; the main goals were to highlight potential impacts and investigate the importance of cave environments for the expansion of alien species. Seven new alien species were found in marine caves of the Aegean and Ionian seas, raising the total number of aliens reported from Mediterranean marine caves to 56 species, classified as molluscs, cnidarians, bryozoans, polychaetes, crustaceans, macroalgae, fishes and tunicates. Most cave aliens (66%) were recorded from the Southeastern Levantine coasts, specifically from Lebanese caves. Shipping and Lessepsian migration have been suggested as the main pathways of alien introduction into caves of the Mediterranean Sea. The comparison of alien cave biodiversity with the updated Mediterranean alien inventory (32 species added to the latest inventory) showed similar patterns and trends for species richness, biogeographical origin and major introduction pathways, corroborating previous findings on the high local representativeness of Mediterranean cave biodiversity. Alien species seem to have invaded mostly the entrance and semi‐dark zones of shallow and/or semi‐submerged caves and tunnels, whereas only a few have reached the dark inner sectors or caves of the anchialine type; thus, the unfavourable cave environment seems to be naturally protected from impacts related to opportunistic invasive species, at least to a certain point. Currently there is no research confirming any direct impacts of alien biota on the native cavernicolous one. However, some issues have emerged, implying potential threats that need to be further explored: (i) the presence of a considerable proportion of aliens in most studied marine caves of the Southeastern Mediterranean basin, (ii) the recently observed population explosion of alien cave‐dwelling fishes in the same area, (iii) several indications that alien diversity in marine caves is much higher than we know today. Quantitative surveys and monitoring schemes are needed in order to evaluate potential effects of alien diversity on cave community structure and the role of marine caves as stepping stones for its expansion in the Mediterranean.
Impact of the Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding and child health outcomes: a systematic review
Authors: Pérez‐Escamilla Rafael , Martinez Josefa L. , Segura‐Pérez Sofia 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a key component of the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. The primary aim of this narrative systematic review was to examine the impact of BFHI implementation on breastfeeding and child health outcomes worldwide and in the United States. Experimental, quasi‐experimental and observational studies were considered eligible for this review if they assessed breastfeeding outcomes and/or infant health outcomes for healthy, term infants born in a hospital or birthing center with full or partial implementation of BFHI steps. Of the 58 reports included in the systematic review, nine of them were published based on three randomized controlled trials, 19 followed quasi‐experimental designs, 11 were prospective and 19 were cross‐sectional or retrospective. Studies were conducted in 19 different countries located in South America, North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia, Eurasia and Sub‐Saharan Africa. Adherence to the BFHI Ten Steps has a positive impact on short‐term, medium‐term and long‐term breastfeeding (BF) outcomes. There is a dose–response relationship between the number of BFHI steps women are exposed to and the likelihood of improved BF outcomes (early BF initiation, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at hospital discharge, any BF and EBF duration). Community support (step 10) appears to be essential for sustaining breastfeeding impacts of BFHI in the longer term.
Coexisting cryptic species of the Litoditis marina complex (Nematoda) show differential resource use and have distinct microbiomes with high intraspecific variability
Authors: Derycke S. , De Meester N. , Rigaux A. , Creer S. , Bik H. , Thomas W. K. , Moens T. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDifferences in resource use or in tolerances to abiotic conditions are often invoked as potential mechanisms underlying the sympatric distribution of cryptic species. Additionally, the microbiome can provide physiological adaptations of the host to environmental conditions. We determined the intra‐ and interspecific variability of the microbiomes of three cryptic nematode species of the Litoditis marina species complex that co‐occur, but show differences in abiotic tolerances. Roche 454 pyrosequencing of the microbial 16S rRNA gene revealed distinct bacterial communities characterized by a substantial diversity (85–513 OTUs) and many rare OTUs. The core microbiome of each species contained only very few OTUs (2–6), and four OTUs were identified as potentially generating tolerance to abiotic conditions. A controlled experiment in which nematodes from two cryptic species (Pm1 and Pm3) were fed with either an E. coli suspension or a bacterial mix was performed, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using the MiSeq technology. OTU richness was 10‐fold higher compared to the 454 data set and ranged between 1118 and 7864. This experiment confirmed the existence of species‐specific microbiomes, a core microbiome with few OTUs, and high interindividual variability. The offered food source affected the bacterial community and illustrated different feeding behaviour between the cryptic species, with Pm3 exhibiting a higher degree of selective feeding than Pm1. Morphologically similar species belonging to the same feeding guild (bacterivores) can thus have substantial differences in their associated microbiomes and feeding strategy, which in turn may have important ramifications for biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships.
Genetic loci with parent‐of‐origin effects cause hybrid seed lethality in crosses between Mimulus species
Authors: Garner Austin G. , Kenney Amanda M. , Fishman Lila , Sweigart Andrea L. 
Published: February 2016

Summary

In flowering plants, F1 hybrid seed lethality is a common outcome of crosses between closely related diploid species, but the genetic basis of this early‐acting and potentially widespread form of postzygotic reproductive isolation is largely unknown.

We intercrossed two closely related species of monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus and Mimulus tilingii, to characterize the mechanisms and strength of postzygotic reproductive isolation. Then, using a reciprocal backcross design, we performed high‐resolution genetic mapping to determine the genetic architecture of hybrid seed lethality and directly test for loci with parent‐of‐origin effects.

We found that F1 hybrid seed lethality is an exceptionally strong isolating barrier between Mimulus species, with reciprocal crosses producing < 1% viable seeds. This form of postzygotic reproductive isolation appears to be highly polygenic, indicating that multiple incompatibility loci have accumulated rapidly between these closely related Mimulus species. It is also primarily caused by genetic loci with parent‐of‐origin effects, suggesting a possible role for imprinted genes in the evolution of Mimulus hybrid seed lethality.

Our findings suggest that divergence in loci with parent‐of‐origin effects, which is probably driven by genomic coevolution within lineages, might be an important source of hybrid incompatibilities between flowering plant species.
Variation in wood nutrients along a tropical soil fertility gradient
Authors: Heineman Katherine D. , Turner Benjamin L. , Dalling James W. 
Published: February 2016

Summary

Wood contains the majority of the nutrients in tropical trees, yet controls over wood nutrient concentrations and their function are poorly understood.

We measured wood nutrient concentrations in 106 tree species in 10 forest plots spanning a regional fertility gradient in Panama. For a subset of species, we quantified foliar nutrients and wood density to test whether wood nutrients scale with foliar nutrients at the species level, or wood nutrient storage increases with wood density as predicted by the wood economics spectrum.

Wood nutrient concentrations varied enormously among species from fourfold in nitrogen (N) to > 30‐fold in calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P). Community‐weighted mean wood nutrient concentrations correlated positively with soil Ca, K, Mg and P concentrations. Wood nutrients scaled positively with leaf nutrients, supporting the hypothesis that nutrient allocation is conserved across plant organs. Wood P was most sensitive to variation in soil nutrient availability, and significant radial declines in wood P indicated that tropical trees retranslocate P as sapwood transitions to heartwood. Wood P decreased with increasing wood density, suggesting that low wood P and dense wood are traits associated with tree species persistence on low fertility soils.

Substantial variation among species and communities in wood nutrient concentrations suggests that allocation of nutrients to wood, especially P, influences species distributions and nutrient dynamics in tropical forests.
Preserved retinotopic brain connectivity in macular degeneration
Authors: Haak Koen V. , Morland Antony B. , Rubin Gary S. , Cornelissen Frans W. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPurposeThe eye disease macular degeneration (MD) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. There is no cure for MD, but several promising treatments aimed at restoring vision at the level of the retina are currently under investigation. These treatments assume that the patient's brain can still process appropriately the retinal input once it is restored, but whether this assumption is correct has yet to be determined.MethodsWe used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and connective field modelling to determine whether the functional connectivity between the input‐deprived portions of primary visual cortex (V1) and early extrastriate areas (V2/3) is still retinotopically organised. Specifically, in both patients with juvenile macular degeneration and age‐matched controls with simulated retinal lesions, we assessed the extent to which the V1‐referred connective fields of extrastriate voxels, as estimated on the basis of spontaneous fMRI signal fluctuations, adhered to retinotopic organisation.ResultsWe found that functional connectivity between the input‐deprived portions of visual areas V1 and extrastriate cortex is still largely retinotopically organised in MD, although on average less so than in controls. Patients with stable fixation exhibited normal retinotopic connectivity, however, suggesting that for the patients with unstable fixation, eye‐movements resulted in spurious, homogeneous signal modulations across the entire input‐deprived cortex, which would have hampered our ability to assess their spatial structure of connectivity.ConclusionsDespite the prolonged loss of visual input due to MD, the cortico‐cortical connections of input‐deprived visual cortex remain largely intact. This suggests that the restoration of sight in macular degeneration can rely on a largely unchanged retinotopic representation in early visual cortex following loss of central retinal function.
A new Upper Cretaceous titanosaur nesting site from La Rioja (NW Argentina), with implications for titanosaur nesting strategies
Authors: Hechenleitner E. Martín , Fiorelli Lucas E. , Grellet‐Tinner Gerald , Leuzinger Léa , Basilici Giorgio , Taborda Jeremías R. A. , de la Vega Sergio R. , Bustamante Carlos A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractCretaceous titanosaur nesting sites are currently known only from Europe, Asia and South America. In the latter, only the Auca Mahuevo and Sanagasta nesting sites have been confidently assigned to this clade of sauropod dinosaurs. Here we report the discovery of the first eggs and egg clutches found at Tama, a new Upper Cretaceous fossiliferous locality in the Los Llanos Formation, Sierra de Los Llanos (La Rioja, NW Argentina). At least five egg clutches, several partially preserved, isolated eggs and many eggshell fragments were discovered in a single outcrop of a sandstone horizon which represents a cumulative palaeosol profile. Although the mechanical and digital preparation of eggs did not reveal any embryonic remains in ovo, the morphology of the eggs and eggshells closely matches that of titanosaur eggs and eggshells found worldwide. The morphology and spatial grouping of the titanosaur eggs from Tama, along with geological observations support a burrow‐nesting strategy for these dinosaurs. Although the Sanagasta and Tama eggs were found in the same stratigraphical unit and share several morphological characters, they clearly differ in shell thickness and egg size. This, coupled with the interpretation of different sedimentary contexts for these nesting sites, strongly suggests that at least two different titanosaur species nested in La Rioja during the Late Cretaceous, using different nesting strategies. The occurrence of this new titanosaur nesting site in a semiarid palaeoenvironment represents an interesting case study for the reproductive biology of the titanosaur dinosaurs, particularly their labile nesting behaviour.
Transcriptome analysis reveals a comprehensive insect resistance response mechanism in cotton to infestation by the phloem feeding insect Bemisia tabaci (whitefly)
Authors: Li Jianying , Zhu Lizhen , Hull J. Joe , Liang Sijia , Daniell Henry , Jin Shuangxia , Zhang Xianlong 
Published: February 2016

SummaryThe whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) causes tremendous damage to cotton production worldwide. However, very limited information is available about how plants perceive and defend themselves from this destructive pest. In this study, the transcriptomic differences between two cotton cultivars that exhibit either strong resistance (HR) or sensitivity (ZS) to whitefly were compared at different time points (0, 12, 24 and 48 h after infection) using RNA‐Seq. Approximately one billion paired‐end reads were obtained by Illumina sequencing technology. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the cotton transcriptional response to whitefly infestation involves genes encoding protein kinases, transcription factors, metabolite synthesis, and phytohormone signalling. Furthermore, a weighted gene co‐expression network constructed from RNA‐Seq datasets showed that WRKY40 and copper transport protein are hub genes that may regulate cotton defenses to whitefly infestation. Silencing GhMPK3 by virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in suppression of the MPK‐WRKY‐JA and ET pathways and lead to enhanced whitefly susceptibility, suggesting that the candidate insect resistant genes identified in this RNA‐Seq analysis are credible and offer significant utility. Taken together, this study provides comprehensive insights into the cotton defense system to whitefly infestation and has identified several candidate genes for control of phloem‐feeding pests.
The enhancement of tolerance to salt and cold stresses by modifying the redox state and salicylic acid content via the cytosolic malate dehydrogenase gene in transgenic apple plants
Authors: Wang Qing‐Jie , Sun Hong , Dong Qing‐Long , Sun Tian‐Yu , Jin Zhong‐Xin , Hao Yu‐Jin , Yao Yu‐Xin 
Published: February 2016

SummaryIn this study, we characterized the role of an apple cytosolic malate dehydrogenase gene (MdcyMDH) in the tolerance to salt and cold stresses and investigated its regulation mechanism in stress tolerance. The MdcyMDH transcript was induced by mild cold and salt treatments, and MdcyMDH‐overexpressing apple plants possessed improved cold and salt tolerance compared to wild‐type (WT) plants. A digital gene expression tag profiling analysis revealed that MdcyMDH overexpression largely altered some biological processes, including hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis, citrate cycle and oxidation–reduction. Further experiments verified that MdcyMDH overexpression modified the mitochondrial and chloroplast metabolisms and elevated the level of reducing power, primarily caused by increased ascorbate and glutathione, as well as the increased ratios of ascorbate/dehydroascorbate and glutathione/glutathione disulphide, under normal and especially stress conditions. Concurrently, the transgenic plants produced a high H2O2 content, but a low production rate was observed compared to the WT plants. On the other hand, the transgenic plants accumulated more free and total salicylic acid (SA) than the WT plants under normal and stress conditions. Taken together, MdcyMDH conferred the transgenic apple plants a higher stress tolerance by producing more reductive redox states and increasing the SA level; MdcyMDH could serve as a target gene to genetically engineer salt‐ and cold‐tolerant trees.
Psychophysiological arousal and inter‐ and intraindividual differences in risk‐sensitive decision making
Authors: Studer Bettina , Scheibehenne Benjamin , Clark Luke 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe current study assessed peripheral responses during decision making under explicit risk, and tested whether intraindividual variability in choice behavior can be explained by fluctuations in peripheral arousal. Electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR) were monitored in healthy volunteers (N = 68) during the Roulette Betting Task. In this task, participants were presented with risky gambles to bet on, with the chances of winning varying across trials. Hierarchical Bayesian analyses demonstrated that EDA and HR acceleration responses during the decision phase were sensitive to the chances of winning. Interindividual differences in this peripheral reactivity during risky decision making were related to trait sensitivity to punishment and trait sensitivity to reward. Moreover, trial‐by‐trial variation in EDA and HR acceleration responses predicted a small portion of intraindividual variability in betting choices. Our results show that psychophysiological responses are sensitive to explicit risk and can help explain intraindividual heterogeneity in choice behavior.
Multiple neural signatures of social proof and deviance during the observation of other people's preferences
Authors: Schnuerch Robert , Richter Jasmin , Koppehele‐Gossel Judith , Gibbons Henning 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDetecting one's agreement with or deviation from other people, a key principle of social cognition, relies on neurocognitive mechanisms involved in reward processing, mismatch detection, and attentional orienting. Previous studies have focused on explicit depictions of the (in)congruency of individual and group judgments. Here, we report data from a novel experimental paradigm in which participants first rated a set of images and were later simply confronted with other individuals’ ostensible preferences. Participants strongly aligned their judgments in the direction of other people's deviation from their own initial rating, which was neither an effect of regression toward the mean nor of evaluative conditioning (Experiment 1). Most importantly, we provide neurophysiological evidence of the involvement of fundamental cognitive functions related to social comparison (Experiment 2), even though our paradigm did not overly boost this process. Mismatches, as compared to matches, of preferences were associated with an amplitude increase of a broadly distributed N400‐like deflection, suggesting that social deviance is represented in the human brain in a similar way as conflicts or breaches of expectation. Also, both early (P2) and late (LPC) signatures of attentional selection were significantly modulated by the social (mis)match of preferences. Our data thus strengthen and valuably extend previous findings on the neurocognitive principles of social proof.
Do Leadership Training and Development Make a Difference in the Public Sector? A Panel Study
Authors: Seidle Brett , Fernandez Sergio , Perry James L. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Although significant progress has been made in developing leadership theory and understanding the traits, skills, behaviors, and styles that make a good leader, progress in bridging the gap between theory and practice using models of leadership training and development has been slow. This research attempts to answer the question of whether leadership training and development programs in the public sector improve leader and organizational performance. The findings indicate that a combination of coaching, classroom instruction, feedback, and experiential training has a significant impact on leader performance. In addition, organizational effectiveness improves for organizations whose leaders received the intervention. This article enhances our understanding of the impact that training and development can have on leader and organizational outcomes.