bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Upper Limb Strength: Study Providing Normative Data for a Clinical Handheld Dynamometer
Authors: Van Harlinger Wanda , Blalock Lori , Merritt John L. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo establish normative clinical data for upper extremity strength of men and women, ages 20‐64 years, using a portable clinical device, the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester (NMMT).DesignThe study collected objective upper extremity strength data for 180 healthy men and women using the NMMT.SettingThe study was conducted in outpatient and community settings.SubjectsOne hundred eighty normal volunteers (90 men and 90 women).MethodsEleven upper extremity muscle groups were tested using standardized methodology.Main Outcome MeasurementsData were recorded for each muscle group in each subject.ResultsThis study presents data from 180 healthy, normal subjects, equally divided by gender and age. Means ± standard deviations were determined for each group and further categorized by age, gender, and hand dominance. These data confirm some expected patterns: In all the muscle groups men have significantly higher strength than women, and the dominant side is stronger than the nondominant side in men and women. Relative values for various muscle groups are analyzed and presented.ConclusionsThis study provides an initial normative database across a wide age range in men and women for upper extremity strength for monitoring clinical care and research for injured and impaired patients. These data are an essential and initial step toward comprehensive normative databases for upper extremity objective ordinal strength measurements with the NMMT.
Surface Electromyography of Wrist Flexors and Extensors in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Xu Kaishou , Mai Jianning , He Lu , Yan Xiaohua , Chen Ying 
Published: September 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of motor unit recruitment and coordination function of the wrist during maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) using surface electromyography (EMG) in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP).DesignA cross‐sectional trial.SettingHospital neurology and rehabilitation department.ParticipantsSixty‐eight children with spastic hemiplegic CP.MethodsThe signals of wrist flexors and extensors in unaffected and affected hands of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy were measured with surface EMG. The characteristics of integrated EMG (iEMG), root mean square (RMS), and co‐contraction ratio of surface EMG were analyzed.ResultsThe RMS and iEMG in the affected hand during MIVC were higher than that of the unaffected hand (P < .001). The RMS and iEMG of wrist extensors and the iEMG of wrist flexors of the affected hand had a good correlation with the unaffected hand (P < .01). The RMS and iEMG of the unaffected hand during MIVC were higher than that of the affected hand (P < .001), and the iEMG of the unaffected hand had a good correlation with the affected hand (P < .05). The RMS and iEMG in the unaffected hand during MIVC were significantly higher than that of the affected hand during MIVC (P < .001). The co‐contraction ratio of the unaffected hand was significantly lower than that of the affected hand (P < .001).ConclusionsThe affected side shows more co‐contractions than the unaffected side in children with hemiplegic CP. However, the unaffected side demonstrates stronger motor unit recruitment at maximal effort than the affected side. In addition, this study demonstrates the successful use of surface EMG for assessment of motor unit activation in young children with CP.
High-resolution Stratigraphy of Holocene Lagoon Terraces of Southern Brazil
Authors: dos Santos Natália B. , Lavina Ernesto L.C. , Paim Paulo S.G. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe northern portion of the coastal plain of the Rio Grande do Sul State (southernmost Brazil) comprises an outer sandy barrier that protects a complex lagoon system formed during the Holocene. The terraces of three different lagoons (Gentil, Malvas and Pinguela) formed along their margins record the depositional processes and the relative base level changes over the past 5000 yr. Therefore, our main objective was to characterize and quantify base level fluctuations from the study of these terraces, to correlate them to sea-level changes and to describe the depositional architecture related to the distinct sea-level stages (high-resolution sequence stratigraphy). Satellite images, topographic and GPR profiles, auger holes and radiometric dating were used. The main results indicate a close relationship between relative base level and relative sea-level changes, a stillstand period just after the last transgressive maximum (4840–4650 cal yr BP) and a subsequent overall relative sea-level fall of about 3 m. Both a normal (highstand systems tract) and a forced regression (falling-stage systems tract) controlled the geological record preserved in the terraces. The highstand (older terrace) is characterized by agradational bedding, whereas the falling stage comprises three progradational sets (terraces) bounded by erosive surfaces related to smaller-scale sea-level drops.
High harmonic generation and ionization effects in cluster targets
Authors: Aladi M. , Márton I. , Rácz P. , Dombi P. , Földes I.B. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract
High harmonic generation in gas jets was investigated in different gases up to more than 14 bar backing pressure. The observation of increase of harmonic intensity with increasing pressure and laser intensity shows evidence of the presence of clusters in Xe with an increased efficiency compared with He, whereas Ar is an intermediate case for which clusters will start to dominate above a certain backing pressure. Spectral investigations give evidence for tunable harmonic generation in a broad spectral range. A spectral shift of opposite signature caused by the free electrons in the focal volume and the nanoplasmas inside the cluster was observed.
Arbuscular mycorrhizas increase survival, precocity and flowering of herbaceous and shrubby species of early stages of tropical succession in pot cultivation
Authors: Rondina Artur Berbel Lirio , Lescano Luis Eduardo Azevedo Marques , de Almeida Alves Ricardo , Matsuura Enio Massao , Nogueira Marco Antonio , Zangaro Waldemar 
Published: September 2014

Abstract:Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an important biotic factor that influences tropical ecological succession and differently affect the woody species belonging to different successional stages. However, little is known about the influence of AMF on growth and reproduction of herbaceous and shrubby species of early phases of tropical succession. Thus, we assessed the effect of AMF on the development of 27 heliophilous herbaceous and shrubby tropical species. Plants were grown in greenhouse, in low- and high-fertility soils, with or without AMF, for 100 d. Most species grown with AMF exhibited high root infection intensity (≈80%), irrespective of soil fertility. In the low-fertility soil, non-mycorrhizal plants exhibited about 88% less shoot dry mass (SDM) than mycorrhizal plants, and AMF were crucial for the survival of most species. Non-mycorrhizal plants also had lower relative growth rate (RGR), total leaf area (TLA), leaf area expansion (LAE) and total root length (TRL). Six species flowered in the low-fertility soil, and flowering increased with AMF in one plant species and four species only flowered when mycorrhizal. In the high-fertility soil, non-mycorrhizal plants exhibited about 13% less SDM than mycorrhizal plants and also exhibited lower TLA, LAE, and nutrient concentrations in shoots. On the other hand, no major changes were observed for RGR, TRL and root dry mass for most of the species. Sixteen plant species flowered in the high-fertility soil, but most had earlier (11) and more abundant (10) flowering when mycorrhizal. Thus, AMF have different influences on the survival, growth and flowering of herbaceous and shrubby tropical species, depending on soil fertility: in low-fertility soil, AMF especially affect the survival, growth and flowering, whereas in high-fertility soil, AMF mainly influence the shoot nutrient concentrations and flowering.
Vestiges from the grammaticalization path: The expression of future temporal reference in Acadian French
Authors: COMEAU PHILIP 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACTThis study presents a variationist analysis of the expression of future temporal reference (variation between the inflected future and the periphrastic future) in a linguistically conservative variety of Acadian French spoken in Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia, Canada. Results show that Acadian French is distinct from Laurentian French and that the Baie Sainte-Marie variety also differs from other Acadian varieties in some respects. A comparison of the distribution of variants and of the conditioning factors reveals that Acadian and Laurentian varieties have different future temporal reference systems. The Baie Sainte-Marie variety retains vestiges of earlier stages of the grammaticalization of one of the variants, the periphrastic future, not found in other Acadian varieties, thus supporting its characterization as a conservative variety.
Climate change and plant pathogen invasions.
Authors: Garrett K. A. , Thomas-Sharma S. , Forbes G. A. , Nopsa J. H. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract

Climate has an important effect on plant disease and the probability of plant pathogen invasions, through effects on hosts and pathogen vectors as well as on the pathogens themselves. Aerially dispersed pathogens are an important group of plant pathogens, and their dispersal and invasion may be modified by changes in wind patterns. Pathogens vectored by arthropods may be affected by weather impacts on their vectors, often through the filter of vector behaviour. Soilborne pathogens have more challenges to rapid invasion, but human transport can introduce them quickly into novel settings. For pathogens, variability within a species may be of great importance, and many important pathogen invasions are invasions of new genotypes of ubiquitous pathogen species. The connectivity of a landscape for pathogen movement is determined by the spatial distribution of host, pathogen and environmental conditions, and connectivity may also be affected by climate change. Therefore, when there is a new invasion, it is often challenging to evaluate which of these factors was limiting prior to invasion. Most economically important pathogen invasions are influenced strongly by human decision making. Adaptation strategies are needed both to address increased disease risk and to manage pathogen species and important subpopulations before they are introduced and established.
Analysis of invasive insects: links to climate change.
Authors: Gutierrez A. P. , Ponti L. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract

Climate change is expected to alter the geographic distribution and abundance of many species, to increase the invasion of new areas by exotic species and, in some cases, to lead to species extinction. This chapter reviews some of the links between invasive insects and climate change. The effects of climate change on insect pest populations can be direct, through impacts on their physiology and behaviour, or indirect, through biotic interactions (i.e. bottom-up and top-down effects). Anthropogenic climate and global change is expected to be a major driver in the introduction, establishment, distribution, impact and changes in the efficacy of mitigation strategies for invasive species. To address these problems, we must be able to predict climate change impacts on species distribution and abundance. Commonly used ecological niche model ling approaches have implicit assumptions about the biology of the target species and attempt to characterize the ecological niche using aggregate weather and other factors in the area of recorded distribution. More holistic physiologically based demographic modelling approaches explicitly describe the biological and physiological responses of species to weather and the species they interact with on fine temporal and spatial scales. The geographic distribution and relative abundance of four invasive insect pests are reviewed under observed and +2°C weather scenarios across the USA and Mexico: the tropical New World screw worm, the pink bollworm, the Mediterranean fruit fly (i.e. medfly) and the olive fly. The distribution of the olive fly is examined across the Mediterranean basin to illustrate the transferability of the model to analyses of new regions and climate change scenarios.
Early detection and rapid response: a cost-effective strategy for minimizing the establishment and spread of new and emerging invasive plants by global trade, travel and climate change.
Authors: Westbrooks R. G. , Manning S. T. , Waugh J. D. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, considerable effort has been made by state and national agencies as well as other partners to minimize the establishment and spread of newly introduced and/or emerging invasive plants through single agency-led programmes, inter-agency councils and task forces and, most recently, the landscape approach to early detection and rapid response (EDRR). Examples of single agency-led programmes include the USDA-Carolinas Witchweed Eradication Program in the USA and the Kochia Eradication Project in Western Australia (EDRR 1.0). In recent years, state inter-agency councils and task forces have been formed to address all types of new invasive species - particularly newly introduced species that are not already regulated by federal or state agencies. The Delaware Invasive Species Council, the Ontario Invasive Plant Council and the Beach Vitex Task Force are good examples of this new trend in inter-agency partnering (EDRR 2.0). The landscape approach to EDRR involves the development of EDRR capacity at all levels of the landscape - local to national. It includes individual public and private land units, geographic land units (watersheds, biomes, corridors, etc.) and political land units (towns, counties, states/provinces and nations) (EDRR 3.0). From a societal standpoint, due to global climate change and increased global trade and travel, it is important to emphasize that the impacts of invasive species on food security, human health, and biodiversity will continue to increase unless steps are taken now to minimize their introduction, establishment and spread. Development of EDRR capacity at all levels of the landscape is a proven strategy for achieving those goals.
Comparison of diet and otolith growth of juvenile wild fish communities at fish farms and natural habitats
Authors: Fernandez-Jover Damian , Sanchez-Jerez Pablo 
Published: September 2014

AbstractJuvenile fish of &gt;20 different species use offshore floating sea cages as settlement habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. In the present work, surveys were conducted to identify differences between species composition and abundance of new settlers among farms and control rocky-shore environments and to test for variation in their diets. Along with this, otolith growth and morphology analyses were also applied to better understand the consequences for the ecology and growth performance of several fish species that use coastal farms as recruitment habitats in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea. Results showed that fish farms are acting as a new habitat for the settlement of juvenile fish and that detected abundance could be compared with that found at natural habitats such as shallow rocky environments. However, a consistent pattern for all the studied species was a significant variation in otolith-shape descriptors, principally identified through the Aspect Ratio index, which was lower for the farm-associated species Atherina boyeri, Oblada melanura, and Sarpa salpa. Otolith modifications were effectively detected by elliptic Fourier descriptors since multivariate analysis correctly identified farm or control origin at 78.8, 85.1, and 86.1% for A. boyeri, O. melanura, and S. salpa individuals, respectively. According to these results, fish farms may offer new settlement habitat for several fish species on open coastal areas and provide resources equivalent to rocky habitats, but at the same time causing some effect on fish growth as a potential consequence of the availability of particulate organic matter derived from feed pellets.
CD72 negatively regulates mouse mast cell functions and down-regulates the expression of KIT and FcεRIα
Authors: Kataoka Tatsuki R. , Kumanogoh Atsushi , Fukuishi Nobuyuki , Ueshima Chiyuki , Hirata Masahiro , Moriyoshi Koki , Tsuruyama Tatsuaki , Haga Hironori 
Published: September 2014

AbstractCD72 is a transmembrane protein belonging to the C-type lectin family that is expressed by various hematopoietic cells. When bound to its natural ligand, CD100 (semaphorin 4D), CD72 inhibits the KIT-mediated responses of human mast cells, but not IgE/FcεRI-mediated mast cell degranulation. We extended these findings to examine the role of CD72 in mouse mast cells. CD72 expression was detected in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (mBMMCs). As for human mast cells, an agonistic antibody against CD72 (K10.6) suppressed the KIT-mediated cell growth of, IL-6 production by and chemotaxis of mBMMCs. However, in contrast to human mast cells, the IgE-triggered degranulation of mBMMCs was suppressed by K10.6. K10.6 did not affect the phosphorylation of SHP-1 in mBMMCs, although SHP-1 mediated the inhibitory effects of CD72 in human mast cells. Administration of K10.6 induced phosphorylation of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b and decreased the expression of KIT and FcεRIα on the surface of murine mast cells. We also observed expression of CD72 in a mouse neoplastic cell line, P815, harboring gain-of-function mutations in KIT genes. In addition, we found that K10.6 activated Cbl-b, down-regulated KIT expression and suppressed the mutated KIT-driven growth of these cells. Thus, the mechanism by which CD72 mediates inhibitory effects in mast cells is species-dependent.
Mumps Antibody Response in Young Adults After a Third Dose of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
Authors: Fiebelkorn Amy Parker , Coleman Laura A. , Belongia Edward A. , Freeman Sandra K. , York Daphne , Bi Daoling , Zhang Cheryl , Ngo Laurie , Rubin Steven 
Published: September 2014

Abstract
Background.  Mumps outbreaks in populations with high 2-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage raise the question whether a third dose of MMR vaccine (MMR3) is needed. However, data on the immunogenicity of MMR3 are limited. We assessed mumps virus neutralizing antibody levels pre- and post-MMR3 in a nonoutbreak setting.
Methods.  Mumps antibody titers were assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 1 year after MMR3 in subjects aged 18–28 years.
Results.  At baseline, 5 of 656 (0.8%) subjects had seronegative mumps neutralizing antibody titers and 38 (5.8%) had low titers. One year post-MMR3, these numbers declined to 3 (0.5%) and 16 (2.4%), respectively. Subjects with low baseline titers were more likely to have low 1-month and 1-year titers (R2 = 0.81–0.87, P &lt; .0001). Compared to baseline, geometric mean titers were significantly higher at 1 month (P &lt; .0001) and 1 year (P &lt; .01) post-MMR3; however, reverse cumulative distribution curves showed only minimal shifts in mumps titers from baseline to 1 month and 1 year.
Conclusions.  Very few subjects had negative or low baseline mumps titers. Nonetheless, mumps titers had modest but significant increases when measured 1 month and 1 year post-MMR3. This temporary increase in titers could decrease susceptibility to disease during outbreaks, but may have limited value for routine use in vaccinated populations.
Quantifying and understanding reproductive allocation schedules in plants: a lifetime of decisions
Authors: Wenk Elizabeth Hedi , Falster Daniel 
Published: September 2014

SummaryA plant's reproductive allocation (RA) schedule describes the fraction of surplus energy allocated to reproduction as it increases in size. RA schedules distinguish between energy allocated to different tissue types and thus links to a key physiological trade-off in an organism's functioning and life history. While theorists have adopted RA schedules as an elegant connection between life history and energy allocation, little is known about RA schedules in real vegetation.Here we review what is known about RA schedules for woody plants using studies either directly quantifying RA, or which collected data from which the shape of an RA schedule can be inferred.We find that RA schedules vary considerably across species: some species abruptly shift all resources from growth to reproduction (the “big-bang” strategy); most others gradually shift resources into reproduction, but under a variety of graded schedules (“partial bang”, “asymptotic”, “gradual”, and “declining”). Available data suggest the maximum fraction of energy allocated to production ranges from 0.1 to 1 and that shorter-lived species have higher initial RA and increase their RA more quickly than do longer-lived species.‘Synthesis’ Available data suggests a wide variety of RA schedules exist among plant species. The collection of more data on RA, and not only on easy-to-measure proxies such as maximum height, would enable a tighter integration between theory and observation in plant ecology.
Relationship between protein thermodynamic constraints and variation of evolutionary rates among sites
Authors: Echave Julian , Jackson Eleisha L. , Wilke Claus O. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractEvolutionary-rate variation among sites within proteins depends on functional and biophysical properties that constrain protein evolution. It is generally accepted that proteins must be able to fold stably in order to function. However, the relationship between stability constraints and among-sites rate variation is not well understood. Here, we present a biophysical model that links the thermodynamic stability changes due to mutations at sites in proteins (ΔΔG) to the rate at which mutations accumulate at those sites over evolutionary time. We find that such a “stability model” generally performs well, displaying correlations between predicted and empirically observed rates of up to 0.75 for some proteins. We further find that our model has comparable predictive power as does an alternative, recently proposed “stress model” that explains evolutionary-rate variation among sites in terms of the excess energy needed for mutants to adopt the correct active structure (ΔΔG*). The two models make distinct predictions, though, and for some proteins the stability model outperforms the stress model and vice versa. We conclude that both stability and stress constrain site-specific sequence evolution in proteins.