bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing the impact of introduced cats on island biodiversity by combining dietary and movement analysis
Authors: Hervías S. , Oppel S. , Medina F. M. , Pipa T. , Díez A. , Ramos J. A. , Ruiz de Ybáñez R. , Nogales M. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractPopulations of feral (not owned by humans) and domestic cats Felis catus coexist in most inhabited islands, and they have similar impacts on native species. Feral cats are generally believed to vary their diet according to prey availability; however, no previous studies of diet have tested this hypothesis on insular ecosystems with a limited range of available prey. Because domestic cats kill prey independently of hunger, the spatial extent of their impact on wildlife will be influenced by home‐range size. In this study, we combined dietary information with cat movements to assess the impacts of feral and domestic cats on island biodiversity. We quantified the diet of cats from scat samples collected across one year and tested whether diet varies by season. The abundance of main prey categories was also estimated to document seasonal variation in prey availability for cats. Finally, we tracked domestic cats by global positioning system units in all four seasons to examine whether home‐range patterns varied seasonally. The diet of cats constituted three prey groups (rodents, birds and invertebrates), and the seasonal variation in consumption of each taxon matched the seasonal variation in prey availability, thus supporting the generalist behaviour of cats on oceanic islands. Roaming behaviour varied among individuals and across seasons, but could not be explained by availability of prey. Unconfined cats had larger home‐ranges than confined cats, but most domestic cats strayed <1 km from home. Thus, confinement of domestic cats might reduce the spatial extent of cat impact on native prey populations on oceanic islands.
Likelihood‐based inference of population history from low‐coverage de novo genome assemblies
Authors: Hearn Jack , Stone Graham N. , Bunnefeld Lynsey , Nicholls James A. , Barton Nicholas H. , Lohse Konrad 
Published: November 2013

AbstractShort‐read sequencing technologies have in principle made it feasible to draw detailed inferences about the recent history of any organism. In practice, however, this remains challenging due to the difficulty of genome assembly in most organisms and the lack of statistical methods powerful enough to discriminate between recent, nonequilibrium histories. We address both the assembly and inference challenges. We develop a bioinformatic pipeline for generating outgroup‐rooted alignments of orthologous sequence blocks from de novo low‐coverage short‐read data for a small number of genomes, and show how such sequence blocks can be used to fit explicit models of population divergence and admixture in a likelihood framework. To illustrate our approach, we reconstruct the Pleistocene history of an oak‐feeding insect (the oak gallwasp Biorhiza pallida), which, in common with many other taxa, was restricted during Pleistocene ice ages to a longitudinal series of southern refugia spanning the Western Palaearctic. Our analysis of sequence blocks sampled from a single genome from each of three major glacial refugia reveals support for an unexpected history dominated by recent admixture. Despite the fact that 80% of the genome is affected by admixture during the last glacial cycle, we are able to infer the deeper divergence history of these populations. These inferences are robust to variation in block length, mutation model and the sampling location of individual genomes within refugia. This combination of de novo assembly and numerical likelihood calculation provides a powerful framework for estimating recent population history that can be applied to any organism without the need for prior genetic resources.
How generalist herbivores exploit belowground plant diversity in temperate grasslands
Authors: Wallinger Corinna , Staudacher Karin , Schallhart Nikolaus , Mitterrutzner Evi , Steiner Eva‐Maria , Juen Anita , Traugott Michael 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBelowground herbivores impact plant performance, thereby inducing changes in plant community composition, which potentially leads to cascading effects onto higher trophic levels and ecosystem processes and productivity. Among soil‐living insects, external root‐chewing generalist herbivores have the strongest impact on plants. However, the lack of knowledge on their feeding behaviour under field conditions considerably hampers achieving a comprehensive understanding of how they affect plant communities. Here, we address this gap of knowledge by investigating the feeding behaviour of Agriotes click beetle larvae, which are common generalist external root‐chewers in temperate grassland soils. Utilizing diagnostic multiplex PCR to assess the larval diet, we examined the seasonal patterns in feeding activity, putative preferences for specific plant taxa, and whether species identity and larval instar affect food choices of the herbivores. Contrary to our hypothesis, most of the larvae were feeding‐active throughout the entire vegetation period, indicating that the grassland plants are subjected to constant belowground feeding pressure. Feeding was selective, with members of Plantaginaceae and Asteraceae being preferred; Apiaceae were avoided. Poaceae, although assumed to be most preferred, had an intermediate position. The food preferences exhibited seasonal changes, indicating a fluctuation in plant traits important for wireworm feeding choice. Species‐ and instar‐specific differences in dietary choice of the Agriotes larvae were small, suggesting that species and larval instars occupy the same trophic niche. According to the current findings, the food choice of these larvae is primarily driven by plant identity, exhibiting seasonal changes. This needs to be considered when analysing soil herbivore–plant interactions.
Effect of nortriptyline on brain responses to painful esophageal acid infusion in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease
Authors: Forcelini C. M. , Tomiozzo J. C. , Farré R. , Van Oudenhove L. , Callegari‐Jacques S. M. , Ribeiro M. , Madalosso B. H. , Fornari F. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundNon‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) patients generally present with heartburn as the main symptom. Antidepressants might help to relieve heartburn by acting on the esophagus‐brain axis. We aimed to assess the effect of nortriptyline on behavioral and brain responses to painful esophageal acid infusion in NERD patients evaluated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).MethodsIn a randomized double‐blind crossover design, 20 NERD patients off proton pump inhibitors (36.1 ± 9.3 years, 75% women) were assigned to 21 days of nortriptyline and placebo, in counterbalanced order, with a 21 days washout period in between both treatment periods. Changes in acid‐induced brain response on fMRI and heartburn perception were assessed and at the end of each treatment.Key ResultsNortriptyline significantly reduced the acid‐induced brain response in prefrontal cortex (median [IQR]: −1.9 [−4.5 to −0.1] vs −0.3 [−2.5 to 2.3]; p = 0.050), caudate (−3.0 [−5.1 to −0.01] vs 0.48 [−1.9 to 3.1]; p = 0.029), insula (−2.4 [−4.8 to −0.6] vs −0.2 [−1.5 to 1.5]; p = 0.029), cingulate (−4.2 [−8.8 to −0.1] vs −0.6 [−1.8 to 3.0]; p = 0.017), and hippocampus (−2.7 [−6.0 to 0.5] vs −0.04 [−2.3 to 1.9]; p = 0.006) in comparison with placebo. However, there was no significant difference between nortriptyline and placebo in clinical outcomes and side effects.Conclusions & InferencesNortriptyline decreased the brain response to esophageal acid infusion more markedly than placebo, but without clinical significance.
Mucosal adenosine triphosphate mediates serotonin release from ileal but not colonic guinea pig enterochromaffin cells
Authors: Patel B. A. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundMechanical stimulation of the mucosal epithelium results in increased serotonin (5‐HT) release from enterochromaffin (EC) cells. Little is known about how this process varies in different regions of the intestinal tract; however, purines are felt to play a role. We studied the relationship between mechanical stimulation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and 5‐HT release from ileal and colonic mucosal tissue.MethodsAmperometric recordings of ATP and 5‐HT were carried out using an ATP biosensor and boron‐doped diamond microelectrode. Levels of extracellular ATP and 5‐HT were monitored using high performance liquid chromatography.Key ResultsUnder basal conditions, 5‐HT levels were significantly decreased in the ileum (p < 0.001) but not the colon in the presence of the P2 antagonist suramin (100 μM). Ecto‐ATPase inhibitor ARL67156 (10 μM) elevated ATP levels in the ileum and colon (both p < 0.001), but only 5‐HT levels in the ileum (p < 0.001). Exogenous ATP increased 5‐HT release in the presence of tetrodotoxin in the ileum (p < 0.001), but had not effect in the colon. Mechanical stimulation increased levels of 5‐HT in the ileum (p < 0.001) and colon (p < 0.01), but levels returned to baseline in the presence of suramin and MRS2179 in the ileum. The onset of 5‐HT release was delayed following mechanical stimulation. The rise time of the ATP response was quicker than that of 5‐HT during mechanical stimulation.Conclusions & InferencesDuring mechanical stimulation of the mucosal epithelium, ATP mediates 5‐HT release from EC cells in the ileum, but not the colon. Mucosal 5‐HT signaling following mechanical stimulation is varied in different regions of the intestinal tract.
On the Museum of Innocence: Caressing the World With Words
Authors: PAMUK ORHAN 
Published: November 2013

The megacities arising around the planet are like the Internet where many events are taking place simultaneously. The urban scape today is becoming more a space of flows—migrants, trade, capital, information, microbes—than a space of places rooted in an historical identity.The megaurban condition today encompasses many realities, from the glittering generic city‐state of Singapore to the slums climbing up the hillsides around Mexico City or Sao Paulo. In these spaces we work, love and live out the intimate moments of our lives. In these spaces we consume and spew out climate warming gases.In this section, two of the world's “star architects”—Rem Koolhaas and Frank Gehry—the visionary “arcologist” Paolo Soleri and the Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate, Orhan Pamuk, grasp at chronicling the reality of where we live.
Psychopaths of Faith vs. The Muse of Irreverence
Authors: SOYINKA WOLE 
Published: November 2013

Going through a protracted period of transition since the end of the Cold War, the world order in the making is neither what was nor what it is yet to become. It is in “the middle of the future.”To get our bearings in this uncertain transition, we explore the two grand post‐Cold War narratives—“The End of History” as posited by Francis Fukuyama and “The Clash of Civilizations” posited by the late Samuel Huntington. Mikhail Gorbachev looks back at his policies that brought the old order to collapse. The British philosopher John Gray critiques the supposed “universality” of liberalism and, with Homi Bhabha, sees a world of hybrid identities and localized cultures. The Singaporean theorist Kishore Mahbubani peels away the “veneer” of Western dominance. Amartya Sen, the economist and Nobel laureate, assesses whether democratic India or autocratic China is better at building “human capacity” in their societies.
Revolutionary Wealth
Authors: TOFFLER ALVIN 
Published: November 2013

Civilizations are mortal. Some rise to meet their challenges, others collapse and disappear into history. Why do some posses the capacity to change, and others not?Jared Diamond warns that the Anthropocentric Age, in which the human species for the first time is the dominant influence on the planet, could end up like the extinct Maya, terminating our civilization's accomplishments if we don't squarely face our ecological challenges.Bruce Mau, like Alvin Toffler, sees hope in the “distributed power” enabled by new technologies. Jared Cohen and Eric Schmidt examine the paradoxes of the digital age which has transformed how we live our lives in every respect.
The Central Paradox of the Digital Age
Authors: SCHMIDT ERIC , COHEN JARED 
Published: November 2013

Civilizations are mortal. Some rise to meet their challenges, others collapse and disappear into history. Why do some posses the capacity to change, and others not?Jared Diamond warns that the Anthropocentric Age, in which the human species for the first time is the dominant influence on the planet, could end up like the extinct Maya, terminating our civilization's accomplishments if we don't squarely face our ecological challenges.Bruce Mau, like Alvin Toffler, sees hope in the “distributed power” enabled by new technologies. Jared Cohen and Eric Schmidt examine the paradoxes of the digital age which has transformed how we live our lives in every respect.
Clinical Effectiveness of the Obturator Externus Muscle Injection in Chronic Pelvic Pain Patients
Authors: Kim Shin Hyung , Kim Do Hyeong , Yoon Duck Mi , Yoon Kyung Bong 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundBecause of its anatomical location and function, the obturator externus (OE) muscle can be a source of pain; however, this muscle is understudied as a possible target for therapeutic intervention in pain practice. In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated the clinical effectiveness of the OE muscle injection with a local anesthetic in chronic pelvic pain patients with suspected OE muscle problems.MethodsTwenty‐three patients with localized tenderness on the inferolateral side of the pubic tubercle accompanied by pain in the groin, anteromedial thigh, or hip were studied. After identifying the OE with contrast dye under fluoroscopic guidance, 5 to 8 mL of 0.3% lidocaine was injected. Pain scores were assessed before and after injection; patient satisfaction was also assessed.ResultsMean pain score decreased by 44.7% (6.6 ± 1.8 to 3.5 ± 0.9, P < 0.001) 2 weeks after OE muscle injection as compared with pain score before injection. In addition, 82% of patients (19 of 23 patients) reported excellent or good satisfaction during 2 weeks after injection. No patients reported complications from OE muscle injection.ConclusionsFluoroscopy‐guided injection of the OE muscle with local anesthetic reduced pain scores and led to a high level of satisfaction at short‐term follow‐up in patients with suspected OE muscle problem. The results of this study suggest that OE muscle injection may be a valuable therapeutic option for a select group of chronic pelvic pain patients who present with localized tenderness in the OE muscle that is accompanied by groin, anteromedial thigh, or hip pain.
Subcellular localization of minicircle DNA in the dinoflagellate Amphidinium massartii
Authors: Owari Satomi , Hayashi Aiko , Ishida Ken‐ichiro 
Published: November 2013

SummaryPeridinin‐containing dinoflagellates have small circular DNA molecules called minicircle DNAs, each of which encodes one, or occasionally a few, plastid proteins or ribosomal RNA. Dinoflagellate minicircle DNA is composed of two parts: a gene‐coding sequence and a non‐coding sequence that consists of several variable and core regions. The core regions are identical among the minicircle DNAs with different genes within a species or strain. Because such structure is very different from those of well known plastid DNAs, many functional and evolutionary questions have been raised for the minicircle DNAs, and several studies that focus on answering those questions are underway. However, the localization of minicircle DNA is still controversial: several lines of indirect evidence have implied plastid localization, whereas the nuclear localization of minicircle DNA has also been suggested in a species. In order to understand the evolution and function of minicircle DNA, it is important to know its precise localization. In this study, we sequenced two typical minicircle DNAs, one encodes psbA and the other encodes 23S rRNA genes, from an Amphidinium massartii strain (TM16). To determine the subcellular localization of these minicircle DNAs, we performed DNA‐targeted whole cell fluorescence in situ hybridization with A. massartii minicircle DNA‐specific probes and demonstrated that minicircle DNAs were present in plastids. This study provides the first direct evidence for the plastid localization of dinoflagellate minicircle DNAs.
Effects of Connectivity and Regional Dynamics on Restoration of Small Mammal Communities in Midwestern Grasslands
Authors: Mulligan Matthew P. , Schooley Robert L. , Ward Michael P. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractGrasslands are among the most imperiled North American ecosystems. State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) is a national conservation program that converts agricultural fields into grasslands mainly to improve habitat for high priority wildlife species. To provide a broader assessment of the contribution of the SAFE program to biodiversity in the Midwest region of North America, we evaluated local and landscape constraints to restoration of small mammal communities. We livetrapped small mammals during three summers (2009–2011) on plots that were recently seeded, seeded 1–4 years prior to sampling, or established references (>10 years old). Restoration trajectories for small mammal communities included a shift over time from dominance by the habitat generalist Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse) to communities dominated by grassland Microtus species (prairie voles and meadow voles). Vole abundance during the first year following restoration depended on spatial connectivity provided by linear habitats (roadside ditches and grass waterways) within 300 m of the restored grassland. Patch size and seeding type (cool‐season versus warm‐season grasses) were not predictors of early restoration success. In 2011, voles experienced a severe regional decline consistent with multi‐year population cycles. During the crash, most remaining voles occurred on restored SAFE grasslands, but not on established grasslands. This surprising outcome suggests young restoration plots could function as refuges for voles during population declines in agricultural landscapes.
Efficacy of procaterol combined with inhaled budesonide for treatment of cough‐variant asthma
Authors: Bao Wuping , Chen Qin , Lin Yanping , Liu Huiguo , Zhao Guangdong , Chen Zhibin , Zhou Xin 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackground and objectiveProcaterol, a selective, short‐acting beta‐2 adrenoceptor agonist, is effective in treating ‘classical’ asthma, but its efficacy for cough‐variant asthma (CVA) is unknown. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of procaterol combined with budesonide for CVA.MethodsA prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial in China was conducted. One hundred and fifty‐nine patients diagnosed with CVA (aged 18–75 years) were randomly divided into two groups to receive twice daily for 8 weeks, inhaled budesonide 100 μg plus either oral procaterol 25 μg or placebo. Primary and secondary efficacy variables were cough symptom severity scores and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) life quality scores. Adverse events were also assessed.ResultsThe budesonide/placebo and budesonide/procaterol groups contained 80 and 78 participants (one excluded for later diagnosis of eosinophilic bronchitis), respectively, with similar baseline characteristics. Daily cough score declined during treatment in both groups and was lower in the budesonide/procaterol group at 8 (0.44 vs 0.73) and 10 (0.36 vs 0.69) weeks (P < 0.05). Compared with the budesonide/placebo group, the proportion of patients with a reduction of 3 points or greater (66% vs 42%) and that of patients scoring 0 points (63% vs 51%) was higher in the budesonide/procaterol group for daily cough scores (P < 0.05). At 8 weeks, LCQ score improvement was superior in the budesonide/procaterol group (38.94 ± 19.24 vs 32.71 ± 18.92; P < 0.05).ConclusionProcaterol combined with budesonide was well tolerated and effective at improving cough symptoms and quality of life in patients with CVA.
Risk factors and intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China
Authors: Zhou Yumin , Chen Rongchang 
Published: November 2013

AbstractIn China, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic diseases with a prevalence of 8.2% in the population over 40 years of age. In 2006, it was the third most common cause of death in China accounting for 17.6% of all deaths. Although worldwide smoking is the most common risk factor for COPD, in China, additional important risk factors include environmental tobacco smoke, biomass smoke and post‐pulmonary tuberculosis. Interventions based on mitigating these risk factors have a particularly important role in strategies aimed at preventing COPD in China. Indeed, preliminary research findings have shown that early intervention based on minimizing these risk factors might be a cost‐effective way to prevent COPD in China. Future research should focus on large scale, randomized and controlled prospective studies to address the efficacy, feasibility and health economics of minimizing these important risk factors in China.
Asthma research in China: A five‐year review
Authors: Chen Zhi‐Hua , Wang Ping‐Li , Shen Hua‐Hao 
Published: November 2013

AbstractAsthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide with increasing morbidity. China has the largest asthmatic population and is one of the countries with the highest asthma mortality. Fortunately, asthma research in China, both clinical and scientific, has developed markedly over the past few years. This has resulted in significant increases in our understanding of Chinese asthma prevalence, risk factors, control status, pathogenesis, and new prevention or treatment strategies. In this review, the major achievements of asthma research in China from 2008 to 2012 are summarized.
On Modelling Early Life Weight Trajectories
Authors: Pizzi Costanza , Cole Tim J. , Corvalan Camila , Silva Isabel dos Santos , Richiardi Lorenzo , De Stavola Bianca L. 
Published: November 2013

SummaryThere is broad recognition that early life growth trajectories can contribute to the study of the onset and development of several health outcomes. We review the random-effects specifications of two models that have been purposely developed to describe anthropometric data and a shape invariant random-effects model recently proposed in the statistical literature. They are compared in terms of their ability to extract salient and biologically meaningful features of growth in infancy and also to represent the data validly. We discuss advantages and limitations in choosing and interpreting each of the models by using longitudinal weight data taken from 0 to 4 years from three contemporary birth cohorts.
Digital Exclusion Despite Digital Accessibility: Empirical Evidence from an English City
Authors: Bunyan Sabrina , Collins Alan 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis study provides a high resolution investigation into the socio‐economic determinants of digital exclusion, within a single, densely populated city, where access is less likely to be a barrier to users. It employs data drawn from a representative interview survey of 1,005 households from across the city of Portsmouth, UK. In this study digital exclusion refers to those individuals who do not use the internet either at home, work, place of study or elsewhere. Multivariate statistical analysis identifies those significant factors raising or depressing the probability of being categorised as digitally excluded including, inter alia, age, gender, income, education, disability, tenure, working status, the presence of young people in the household and city neighbourhood districts (‘super groups’).