bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Birds on the move in the face of climate change: High species turnover in northern Europe
Authors: Virkkala Raimo , Lehikoinen Aleksi 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSpecies richness is predicted to increase in the northern latitudes in the warming climate due to ranges of many southern species expanding northwards. We studied changes in the composition of the whole avifauna and in bird species richness in a period of already warming climate in Finland (in northern Europe) covering 1,100 km in south–north gradient across the boreal zone (over 300,000 km2). We compared bird species richness and species‐specific changes (for all 235 bird species that occur in Finland) in range size (number of squares occupied) and range shifts (measured as median of area of occupancy) based on bird atlas studies between 1974–1989 and 2006–2010. In addition, we tested how the habitat preference and migration strategy of species explain species‐specific variation in the change of the range size. The study was carried out in 10 km squares with similar research intensity in both time periods. The species richness did not change significantly between the two time periods. The composition of the bird fauna, however, changed considerably with 37.0% of species showing an increase and 34.9% a decrease in the numbers of occupied squares, that is, about equal number of species gained and lost their range. Altogether 95.7% of all species (225/235) showed changes either in the numbers of occupied squares or they experienced a range shift (or both). The range size of archipelago birds increased and long‐distance migrants declined significantly. Range loss observed in long‐distance migrants is in line with the observed population declines of long‐distance migrants in the whole Europe. The results show that there is an ongoing considerable species turnover due to climate change and due to land use and other direct human influence. High bird species turnover observed in northern Europe may also affect the functional diversity of species communities.
Determinants of native and non‐native plant community structure on an oceanic island
Authors: Paudel Shishir , Benavides Juan C. , MacDonald Beau , Longcore Travis , Wilson Gail W. T. , Loss Scott R. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractUnderstanding the relative importance of environmental and anthropogenic factors in driving plant community structure, including relative dominance of native and non‐native species, helps predict community responses to biological invasions. To assess factors influencing plant communities on San Clemente Island, USA, we conducted an islandwide vegetation survey in which we measured plant species richness and percent cover of native and non‐native plants, as well as physical environmental variables, soil chemical properties, abundance of soil microbial functional groups (e.g., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [AMF]), and a human disturbance variable (distance to road). We found that total plant species richness decreased with increasing non‐native plant cover, soil pH, and AMF abundance. Native plant cover increased with increasing distance to a major paved road and decreased with increasing soil moisture and pH. Non‐native plant cover decreased with increasing distance to a major paved road and increased with increasing soil moisture, AMF abundance, and from southwest to northeast, a geographic/climatic gradient that represents increasing moisture. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination further illustrated that trends in plant community composition were correlated with elevation, distance to a major paved road, and soil moisture, organic matter, and ammonium. These results suggest complex effects of physical environmental, soil chemical, and human‐related factors on plant community structure on an oceanic island, and moreover, that different factors affect cover of native and non‐native plants. Notably, our observation of apparent moisture limitation of non‐native plants suggests that, in some contexts, drought conditions can limit plant invasions and may even represent an opportunity for efficient control or eradication of invasive plants. The apparent negative effect of non‐native plants on native plant cover and overall plant species richness represents a conservation concern for native biodiversity on oceanic islands and suggests the potential for community reassembly as invasive species increasingly dominate due to anthropogenic disturbances.
Drivers of synchrony of acorn production in the valley oak (Quercus lobata) at two spatial scales
Authors: Koenig Walter D. , Knops Johannes M. H. , Pesendorfer Mario B. , Zaya David N. , Ashley Mary V. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWe investigated spatial synchrony of acorn production by valley oaks (Quercus lobata) among individual trees at the within‐population, local level and at the among‐population, statewide level spanning the geographic range of the species. At the local level, the main drivers of spatial synchrony were water availability and flowering phenology of individual trees, while proximity, temperature differences between trees, and genetic similarity failed to explain a significant proportion of variance in spatial synchrony. At the statewide level, annual rainfall was the primary driver, while proximity was significant by itself but not when controlling for rainfall; genetic similarity was again not significant. These results support the hypothesis that environmental factors, the Moran effect, are key drivers of spatial synchrony in acorn production at both small and large geographic scales. The specific environmental factors differed depending on the geographic scale, but were in both cases related to water availability. In addition, flowering phenology, potentially affecting either density‐independent pollination failure (the pollination Moran effect) or density‐dependent pollination efficiency (pollen coupling), plays a key role in driving spatial synchrony at the local geographic scale.
Pencil graphite electrodes for improved electrochemical detection of oleuropein by the combination of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and graphene oxide
Authors: Gomez Federico J. V. , Spisso Adrian , Fernanda Silva María 
Published: September 2017

AbstractA novel methodology is presented for the enhanced electrochemical detection of oleuropein in complex plant matrices by Graphene Oxide Pencil Grahite Electrode (GOPGE) in combination with a buffer modified with a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent, containing 10% (v/v) of Lactic acid, Glucose and H2O (LGH). The electrochemical behavior of oleuropein in the modified‐working buffer was examined using differential pulse voltammetry. The combination of both modifications, NADES modified buffer and nanomaterial modified electrode, LGH‐GOPGE, resulted on a signal enhancement of 5.3 times higher than the bare electrode with unmodified buffer. A calibration curve of oleuropein was performed between 0.10 to 37 μM and a good linearity was obtained with a correlation coefficient of 0.989. Detection and quantification limits of the method were obtained as 30 and 102 nM, respectively. In addition, precision studies indicated that the voltammetric method was sufficiently repeatable, %RSD 0.01 and 3.16 (n = 5) for potential and intensity, respectively. Finally, the proposed electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to the determination of oleuropein in an olive leaf extract prepared by ultrasound‐assisted extraction. The results obtained with the proposed electrochemical sensor were compared with Capillary Zone Electrophoresis analysis with satisfactory results.
Technoeconomic Analysis of a Hybrid Biomass Thermochemical and Electrochemical Conversion System
Authors: Dang Qi , Wright Mark Mba , Li Wenzhen 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThis study explores an integrated biomass conversion system based on a common fast pyrolysis step and two subsequent bio‐oil upgrading pathways. The two options are bio‐oil thermochemical upgrading to drop‐in transportation biofuels through hydrotreating and hydrocracking, and bio‐oil electrochemical conversion for electrical power generation using a direct bio‐oil fuel cell method. The technoeconomic performances of biomass‐to‐biofuels and biomass‐to‐electricity pathways are first examined individually, and then integrated for the analysis of a hybrid biomass conversion system. A biomass facility of 2000 tonnes per day is investigated as a baseline. The minimum fuel‐selling price (MFSP) is estimated to be $ 2.48 per gallon, with biomass feedstock and other operating costs as major contributors. A very high minimum electricity‐selling price (MESP) of $ 5.36 per kWh is projected based on the current laboratory‐scale fuel cell configuration. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the effective reactant content in bio‐oil, the degree of oxidation, and the fuel cell system efficiency play key roles in the MESP. The estimate can be reduced to $ 0.96 per kWh if target values of the three parameters are met. The results of the hybrid system suggest that the MESP can be reduced substantially from $ 0.96 to $ 0 per kWh when the hybrid system increases the bio‐oil fraction for biofuel production from 0 to 75.8 %, given a biofuel MFSP of $ 3 per gallon.
Integrating visual damage simulation, virtual inspection, and collapse capacity to evaluate post‐earthquake structural safety of buildings
Authors: Burton Henry V. , Deierlein Gregory G. 
Published: September 2017

SummaryA methodology is introduced to assess the post‐earthquake structural safety of damaged buildings using a quantitative relationship between observable structural component damage and the change in collapse vulnerability. The proposed framework integrates component‐level damage simulation, virtual inspection, and structural collapse performance assessment. Engineering demand parameters from nonlinear response history analyses are used in conjunction with component‐level damage simulation to generate multiple realizations of damage to key structural elements. Triggering damage state ratios, which describe the fraction of components within a damage state that results in an unsafe placard assignment, are explicitly linked to the increased collapse vulnerability of the damaged building. A case study is presented in which the framework is applied to a 4‐story reinforced concrete frame building with masonry infills. The results show that when subjected to maximum considered earthquake level ground motions, the probability of experiencing enough structural damage to trigger an unsafe placard, leading to building closure, is more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than the risk of collapse.
Computational simulation of slab vibration and horizontal‐vertical coupling in a full‐scale test bed subjected to 3D shaking at E‐Defense
Authors: Guzman Pujols Jean C. , Ryan Keri L. 
Published: September 2017

SummaryThis paper focuses on slab vibration and a horizontal‐vertical coupling effect observed in a full‐scale 5‐story moment frame test bed building in 2 configurations: isolated with a hybrid combination of lead‐rubber bearings and cross‐linear (rolling) bearings, and fixed at the base. Median peak slab vibrations were amplified—relative to the peak vertical shake table accelerations—by factors ranging from 2 at the second floor to 7 at the roof, and horizontal floor accelerations were significantly amplified during 3D (combined horizontal and vertical) motions compared with 2D (horizontal only) motions of comparable input intensity. The experimentally observed slab accelerations and the horizontal‐vertical coupling effect were simulated through a 3D model of the specimen using standard software and modeling assumptions. The floor system was modeled with frame elements for beams/girders and shell elements for floor slabs; the insertion point method with end joint offsets was used to represent the floor system composite behavior, and floor mass was finely distributed through element discretization. The coupling behavior was partially attributed to the asymmetry of the building that was intensified by asymmetrically configured supplemental mass at the roof. Horizontal‐vertical coupled modes were identified through modal analysis and verified with evaluation of floor spectral peaks.
Recent increase of river–floodplain suspended sediment exchange in a reach of the lower Amazon River
Authors: Rudorff Conrado M. , Dunne Thomas , Melack John M. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWe analyzed variation of channel–floodplain suspended sediment exchange along a 140 km reach of the lower Amazon River for two decades (1995–2014). Daily sediment fluxes were determined by combining measured and estimated surface sediment concentrations with river–floodplain water exchanges computed with a two‐dimensional hydraulic model. The average annual inflow to the floodplain was 4088 ± 2017 Gg yr−1 and the outflow was 2251 ± 471 Gg yr−1, respectively. Prediction of average sediment accretion rate was twice the estimate from a previous study of this same reach and more than an order of magnitude lower than an estimate from an earlier regional scale study. The amount of water routed through the floodplain, which is sensitive to levee topography and increases exponentially with river discharge, was the main factor controlling the variation in total annual sediment inflow. Besides floodplain routing, the total annual sediment export depended on the increase in sediment concentration in lakes during floodplain drainage. The recent increasing amplitude of the Amazon River annual flood over two decades has caused a substantial shift in water and sediment river–floodplain exchanges. In the second decade (2005–2014), as the frequency of extreme floods increased, annual sediment inflow increased by 81% and net storage increased by 317% in relation to the previous decade (1995–2004). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The paleoenvironmental significance of spatial distributions of grain size in groundwater‐recharged lakes: A case study in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert, northwest China
Authors: Li Zhuolun , Wei Zhiqiao , Dong Shipei , Chen Qiujie 
Published: September 2017

AbstractFor lakes in desert hinterlands that are not recharged by river runoff, sediment input solely comes from wind transport. While the processes of sediment transport and deposition in these lakes differ significantly from those with river discharge, the spatial distribution of sediment grain size in these groundwater‐recharged lakes remains largely unknown. Moreover, whether the grain size distribution in these lake sediments can be used as a proxy in the study of past climatic change and environmental evolution studies is unclear. In this study, five lakes with a range of surface areas that had no runoff recharge were selected from the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert of north‐western China, and a total of 108 samples of lake surface sediments were collected to examine the spatial distribution of grain size. Moreover, an end‐member‐modeling algorithm was used to calculate end members from all grain size measurements. Our results showed that both the median and mean grain sizes in the lake sediments decreased from the nearshore to the offshore, deep‐water zone. However, the lowest median and mean grain sizes were not found in the center of the lakes, in contrast to lakes recharged by surface runoff. The median grain size of sediment in the lake center was negatively correlated with lake level, and thus could help reveal lake evolution at low resolutions. Moreover, EM1 and EM2 were interpreted as wind transported sediment, and sediment perturbed by lake waves after wind transport, respectively. The modal grain size of EM1 varied slightly between lakes, while changes in the modal grain size of EM2 were related to lake area. Given the positive relationship found between EM2 content and lake level, changes in the EM2 content (%) can serve as a rough indicator of lake level fluctuations at low temporal resolutions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Brief Memory and Executive Test (BMET): A cognitive screening tool to detect and differentiate vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hollocks Matthew J. , Brookes Rebecca L. , Morris Robin G. , Markus Hugh S. 
Published: September 2017

ObjectiveWhile there are several cognitive screening tests available for the detection of cortical dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), these are rarely designed to be sensitive to vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The Brief Memory and Executive Test (BMET) is a screening measure designed to be sensitive to the cognitive profile of both VCI and AD. This study investigated the ability of the BMET to detect AD, and to differentiate between VCI and AD.MethodsThis study included 150 patients, with either SVD, both with (n = 48) and without VCI (n = 51), or AD (N = 51) and 51 healthy controls. Participants were aged between 40 and 90 years of age and completed both the BMET and the MMSE.ResultsReceiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed as before the BMET is a good predictor SVD. Additionally, the BMET was a good predictor of AD (AUC = 0.96) and performed at least as well as the MMSE (AUC = 0.92) when differentiating AD patients from healthy controls. The BMET had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 100% for detecting AD patients from control subjects. Using the difference in cognitive profile between the AD and VCI group, we developed an index score which correctly classified 76% of patients as either having VCI or AD.ConclusionThe BMET is a brief and sensitive tool for the detection of cognitive impairment due to both SVD and AD and can be used to aid in the differentiation of the 2 diseases.
GABAergic inhibition gates excitatory LTP in perirhinal cortex
Authors: Kotak Vibhakar C. , Mirallave Ana , Mowery Todd M. , Sanes Dan H. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe perirhinal cortex (PRh) is a key region downstream of auditory cortex (ACx) that processes familiarity linked mnemonic signaling. In gerbils, ACx‐driven EPSPs recorded in PRh neurons are largely shunted by GABAergic inhibition (Kotak et al., 2015, Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 9). To determine whether inhibitory shunting prevents the induction of excitatory long‐term potentiation (e‐LTP), we stimulated ACx‐recipient PRh in a brain slice preparation using theta burst stimulation (TBS). Under control conditions, without GABA blockers, the majority of PRh neurons exhibited long‐term depression. A very low concentration of bicuculline increased EPSP amplitude, but under this condition TBS did not significantly increase e‐LTP induction. Since PRh synaptic inhibition included a GABAB receptor‐mediated component, we added a GABAB receptor antagonist. When both GABAA and GABAB receptors were blocked, TBS reliably induced e‐LTP in a majority of PRh neurons. We conclude that GABAergic transmission is a vital mechanism regulating e‐LTP induction in the PRh, and may be associated with auditory learning.
Combining growth factor releasing microspheres within aligned nanofibers enhances neurite outgrowth
Authors: Whitehead Tonya J. , Avila Christian Oliver C. , Sundararaghavan Harini G. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractCurrent treatments for peripheral nerve injuries include autografts, the gold standard, and commercially available nerve growth conduits (NGCs). Autografts have several drawbacks including donor site morbidity and nerve size mismatch, which lead to incomplete recovery. However, even with these drawbacks, autografts work better then commercially available NGCs that lack sufficient cues to promote complete regeneration. This study evaluated a combination of biomaterial components that can be added to the hollow internal space of a NGC to promote and direct nerve regeneration; specifically, mechanical, chemical, and topographical cues. Methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA, mechanical cue) is electrospun into aligned fibers (topographical cue), with poly‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid microspheres to deliver nerve growth factor (NGF, chemical cue). The properties of the scaffold were evaluated under physiological conditions using environmental scanning electron microscopy and mechanical testing. The resulting scaffolds have hydrated porosities of 35–55% and Young's modulus in the range of 0.43–2.86 MPa. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay showed that NGF is released from the microspheres for up to 4 weeks. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons showed that the released NGF is bioactive. DRG testing on the scaffolds also showed that the combination of NGF released from the microspheres and the aligned nanofibers significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 17–25, 2018.
Biochemical and aerosol characterization of ricin for use in non‐clinical efficacy studies
Authors: Barnewall Roy E. , Riffle Carol G. , Jones Randy L. , Guistino David J. , Chou Richard M. , Anderson Mike S. , Vassar Michelle L. , Howland Carrie A. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractRicin toxin may be used as a biological warfare agent and no medical countermeasures are currently available. Here, a well‐characterized lot of ricin was aerosolized to determine the delivered dose for future pre‐clinical efficacy studies. Mouse intraperitoneal (IP) median lethal dose (LD50) bioassay measured potency at 5.62 and 7.35 μg/kg on Days 0 and 365, respectively. Additional analyses included total protein, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and rabbit reticulocyte lysate activity assay. The nebulizer aerosol produced consistent concentrations (2.5 × 103, 5.0 × 103, 1.0 × 104, and 1.5 × 104 μg/mL) and spray factor values. The aerosol particle size distribution was of sufficient size to deposit in lung alveoli (1.12–1.43 μm). Ricinus communis Agglutinin II (RCA 60), prepared at 19 mg/mL in phosphate‐buffered saline, pH 7.8, and stored at −70°C, maintained attributes for toxicity following 1‐year storage and aerosolized consistently.
Exposure to suicide in the family: Suicide risk and psychache in individuals who have lost a family member by suicide
Authors: Campos Rui C. , Holden Ronald R. , Santos Sara 
Published: September 2017

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to compare a sample of Portuguese individuals exposed to suicide in their families with a control group, for lifetime suicidality. This study also evaluated the incremental value of psychache (i.e., extreme psychological pain) in determining suicide risk beyond the contribution associated with having lost a family member by suicide.MethodA total of 225 community adults participated. Two groups were defined: a group exposed to suicide (n = 53), and a control group (n = 172).ResultsResults demonstrated that groups did significantly differ on the total score of the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire‐Revised (SBQ‐R), on the four individual SBQ‐R items, and on psychache. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that having lost a family member by suicide and the construct of psychache each provided a significant unique contribution to explaining variance in suicide risk. The interaction between group membership and psychache also provided a further enhancement to the statistical prediction of suicide risk.ConclusionFindings are discussed with regard to their implications for clinical intervention and postvention.