bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preservation and preemption in Japan’s Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage Area
Authors: Mason Robert J 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine developments in Japan with regard to protected-area management. The focus is on ecological protection, citizen engagement, and the traditional users of the Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage Area.Design/methodology/approach– The study is based on an extensive review of literature, interviews with key actors, and field observations.Findings– This study of Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage Area, an area of ancient beech forest in northern Japan whose ecological integrity was threatened by construction of a forest road in the 1980s, points to a successful case of ecological preservation and an expanded governmental commitment to citizen engagement in protected-area planning, accompanied by a marginalization of the small number of remaining traditional users of the forest’s resources.Research limitations/implications– This study points to the challenges inherent in balancing civic engagement, ecological protection, cultural heritage, and administrative expediency in protected-areas management. The findings are directed toward researchers engaged with issues surrounding management of parks and protected areas.Practical implications– Park and protected-areas managers can learn from this experience about balancing ecosystem protection, civic engagement, inclusion of traditional users, and administrative optimization in planning and management of protected areas.Originality/value– The field elements of the study are original contributions. The paper will be of value to scholars and practitioners involved with protected-area management.
Geogenic contamination of groundwater in shallow aquifers in Ibadan, south-west Nigeria
Authors: Amanambu Amobichukwu Chukwudi , Egbinola Christiana Ndidi 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the presence of geogenic contaminants in groundwater from shallow aquifers of the crystalline basement complex rocks of Ibadan south-western, Nigeria.Design/methodology/approach– A total of 30 drinking water samples, (six samples each from the five major lithologic formations of the study area) were collected from hand dug wells during the rainy season. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to determine concentrations of arsenic, iron and fluoride in drinking water samples and also concentrations of other chemical parameters that could affect the concentrations of the geogenic contaminants including pH, Ca, Mg, Na and SO42−. Descriptive statistics, multiple correlation and analysis of variance were used to examine the relationship between the geogenic contaminants and concentration of other chemical parameters while inverse distance weighting was used to produce risk maps.Findings– The results showed Arsenic concentration exceeding the WHO recommended concentration for drinking water in all the samples within the area. Samples from 16.6 per cent of the wells exceeded the recommended limit for fluoride while iron was present in most of the samples within acceptable limits. The study also revealed no significant difference in concentration of contaminants between the geologic formations.Originality/value– Geogenic contamination has been scarcely studied in Nigeria. This research, therefore, is a paradigm shift in the study of groundwater contamination which had been mainly focused on anthropogenic contaminants. The outcome of this research will engender policy makers and researchers to pay more attention to geogenic contamination than anthropogenic contaminants in Nigeria.
Foraging activity and population estimation of Microtermes mycophagus Desneux (Isoptera: Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Iqbal Naeem , Saeed Shafqat , Evans Theodore A. , Kwon Yong Jung 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe knowledge of the seasonal foraging activity and the numbers of foragers in a colony would be helpful for designing effective termite baiting programs. The current study presents the seasonal activity of Microtermes mycophagus Desneux in a tree plantation in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, using silk cotton tree wood traps during 2011–2013. The population of M. mycophagus was also estimated using the constant removal method. The number of workers in the underground traps showed a seasonal trend with the highest capture rate occurring during summer and the lowest during winter. The peak in the population (1139 workers/trap) was observed in October after the rainy season. Positive and significant correlation was found between the mean air temperature and the numbers of M. mycophagus workers captured. The constant removal population estimates revealed 16 499–40 265 individuals in the colony of M. mycophagus. Our results suggest that for cost–effective management of the termite species, baiting programs should be started immediately after August when rapid increases in activity of M. mycophagus have been recorded.
Effects of gamma radiation on different developmental stages of the oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Park Jeong Sun , Lee Joo Young , Jeong Su Yeon , Ahn Seung‐Joon , Kim Iksoo 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIonizing radiation is increasingly used as an alternative to post‐harvest crop fumigation by methyl bromide. We studied the effects of gamma irradiation on Helicoverpa assulta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) at different stages of development to determine the minimal dose for the prevention of normal emergence of adults. We selected five doses of gamma rays (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 Gy) based on preliminary experiments and irradiated eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. A dose of 100 Gy to eggs allowed 21.83% of larvae to pupate, but these all died during the pupal stage. A dose of 100 Gy to last‐instar larvae caused larval or pupal death, or the emergence of abnormal adults; no normal adults developed. Irradiation of pupae with doses of 300 Gy and above resulted either in their death or emergence of abnormal adults; however, after 100 or 200 Gy, normal adults emerged and F1 eggs were produced, but no eggs hatched. Following irradiation of adults, eggs were produced at all doses, although the numbers were significantly decreased compared to untreated controls (P < 0.05; 69.45–125.50 vs. 475.05 eggs per female); however, none of the eggs hatched. As prevention of normal emergence is a key outcome for measuring the effectiveness of radiation, then the 100 Gy dose was effective for irradiation of eggs and larvae, and 300 Gy for pupae.
CNS microstructure in the wandering wolf spider Arctosa kwangreungensis (Araneae: Lycosidae)
Authors: Yang Sung‐Chan , Moon Myung‐Jin 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe supraesophageal ganglion of the wolf spider Arctosa kwangreungensis is made up of a protocerebral and tritocerebral ganglion, whereas the subesophageal ganglionic mass is composed of a single pair of pedipalpal ganglia, four pairs of appendage ganglia, and a fused mass of abdominal neuromeres. In the supraesophageal ganglion, complex neuropile masses are located in the protocerebrum which include optic ganglia, the mushroom bodies, and the central body. Characteristically, the only nerves arising from the protocerebrum are the optic nerves, and the neuropiles of the principal eyes are the most thick and abundant in this wandering spider. The central body which is recognized as an important association center is isolated at the posterior of the protocerebrum and appears as a complex of highly condensed neurons. These cells give off fine parallel bundles of axons arranged in the mushroom bodies. The subesophageal nerve mass can be divided into two main tracts on the basis of direction of the neuropiles. The dorsal tracts are contributed to from the motor or interneurons of each ganglion, whereas the ventral tracts are from incoming sensory axons.
Plaque Thrombosis is Reduced by Attenuating Plaque Inflammation with Pioglitazone and is Evaluated by Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography
Authors: Zhang Ming‐Duo , Zhao Xue‐Cheng , Zhang Yu‐Hui , Yan Yun‐Feng , Wang Zheng‐Ming , Lv Shu‐Zheng , Zhao Quan‐Ming 
Published: March 2015

SummaryIntroductionThe relationship between the beneficial effects of pioglitazone in reducing clinical events and plaque inflammatory burden remains unknown. This study aimed to determine whether pioglitazone can reduce the number of plaque thrombosis incidences and whether decreasing plaque inflammation is the mechanism by which pioglitazone reduces plaque thromboses.Methods and Resultstherosclerotic rabbits were divided into two groups: the atherosclerosis group (n = 13) and pioglitazone group (n = 10). The rabbits underwent pharmacological triggering to induce thrombosis. Serum inflammatory markers, FDG uptake, macrophage, and neovessel staining detected arterial inflammation. PET/CT scans were performed twice (baseline and posttreatment scans). Plaque area, macrophages, and neovessels were measured and the histologic sections were matched with the PET/CT scans. Serum MMP‐9 and hsCRP were lower in the pioglitazone group compared to the atherosclerosis group. The SUVmean significantly decreased in the pioglitazone group (0.62 ± 0.21 vs. 0.55 ± 0.19, P = 0.008), but increased in the atherosclerosis group (0.61 ± 0.15 vs. 0.91 ± 0.20, P < 0.000). The incidence rate of plaque rupture, plaque area, macrophage density, and neovessel density was significantly lower in rabbits with pioglitazone than without (15% vs. 38%, P < 0.001; 18.00 ± 2.30 vs. 27.00 ± 1.60; P < 0.001; 8.80 ± 3.94 vs. 28.26 ± 2.49; P < 0.001; 16.50 ± 3.09 vs. 29.00 ± 2.11; P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, plaque area and macrophage density were positively correlated with SUV values.ConclusionsOur study suggests that pioglitazone can reduce the number of plaque thrombosis incidences by decreasing plaque inflammation. 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT can detect plaque inflammation and assess the effects of antiatherosclerotic drugs.
Resilience metrics to inform ecosystem management under global change with application to coral reefs
Authors: Mumby Peter J. , Anthony Kenneth R. N. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryEnvironmental policy instruments often require that natural resource managers safeguard the resilience of ecosystems. However, ‘resilience’ has been a difficult concept to operationalise. Two forms of resilience are recognised in the ecological literature. ‘Ecological resilience’ concerns ecosystems that possess alternative equilibrial states (attractors) and has been operationalised in a few systems. ‘Engineering resilience’ was developed for ecosystems with a single attractor, but its use is confined to systems that gravitate towards a stable equilibrium.We present a general method to quantify engineering resilience that can be applied irrespective of an ecosystem's stability or proclivity to obey multiple attractors. The technique uses a system model to distinguish the effects of globally driven (and essentially unmanageable) stressors, such as climate change and ocean acidification, from regional‐ and local‐scale (manageable) stressors on the ecosystem.We illustrate the technique using a simple coral reef model and find it able to calculate the impacts of managing crown‐of‐thorns starfish against a background of increasing stress from climate change and ocean acidification.Resilience analyses using our approach help assess the relative importance of local‐ or regional‐scale management interventions under varying degrees of global environmental change, even if they preside over long‐term ecosystem decline. Several frameworks of varying complexity are provided to guide the linkage of resilience metrics to environmental decision‐making.
Quantifying physiological influences on otolith microchemistry
Authors: Sturrock Anna M. , Hunter Ewan , Milton J. Andrew ,   EIMF, Johnson Rachel C. , Waring Colin P. , Trueman Clive N. 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Trace element concentrations in fish earstones (‘otoliths’) are widely used to discriminate spatially discrete populations or individuals of marine fish, based on a commonly held assumption that physiological influences on otolith composition are minor, and thus variations in otolith elemental chemistry primarily reflect changes in ambient water chemistry.

We carried out a long‐term (1‐year) experiment, serially sampling seawater, blood plasma and otoliths of mature and immature European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) to test relationships between otolith chemistry and environmental and physiological variables.

Seasonal variations in otolith elemental composition did not track seawater concentrations, but instead reflected physiological controls on metal transport and biokinetics, which are likely moderated by ambient temperature. The influence of physiological factors on otolith composition was particularly evident in Sr/Ca ratios, the most widely used elemental marker in applied otolith microchemistry studies. Reproduction also triggered specific variations in otolith and blood plasma metal chemistry, especially Zn/Ca ratios in female fish, which could potentially serve as retrospective spawning indicators.

The influence of physiology on the trace metal composition of otoliths may explain the success of microchemical stock discrimination in relatively homogenous marine environments, but could complicate alternative uses for trace element compositions in biominerals of higher organisms.
Clinical and image improvement of Raynaud's phenomenon after botulinum toxin type A treatment
Authors: Zhao HongMei , Lian YaJun 
Published: March 2015

AbstractRaynaud's phenomenon is often accompanied by pain, digital ulceration and compromised daily activities. Pharmacological therapy or sympathectomies have been administered to diminish these symptoms but existing treatments are not invariably efficacious. A recent case series has described the use of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon. We report two patients with severe or mild Raynaud's phenomenon who were injected with BTX‐A; both of whom experienced clinical and image improvement after treatment.
Sarcoidosis presenting as non‐scarring non‐scalp alopecia
Authors: Dan Luke , Relic John 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn this article we describe a 39‐year‐old man who presented with non‐scarring non‐scalp alopecia of his limbs as the initial presentation of sarcoidosis. Alopecia is a rare cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis. A literature review has found only one other example of sarcoidosis presenting as non‐scarring non‐scalp alopecia in an area other than the scalp in a patient who was otherwise asymptomatic. Several reported cases have described scarring alopecia of the scalp, which is the area of skin most commonly affected by sarcoidosis. There has been one documented case of sarcoidosis manifesting as total body non‐scarring alopecia in a patient who had systemic symptoms of sarcoidosis. Other cases have presented rare cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis but in all these cases several other organ systems have been involved, and the patient has had systemic symptoms on presentation or the cutaneous presentation did not include non‐scalp non‐scarring alopecia.
Factors contributing to poor treatment outcomes in childhood atopic dermatitis
Authors: Sokolova Anna , Smith Saxon D 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the skin and is the most common paediatric dermatological condition. While no cure is available, it can be treated effectively if adherence to a therapeutic plan is maintained. Poor adherence to treatment is common in AD and can lead to treatment failure, which has significant impacts on the patient, family and society. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify factors that contribute to poor treatment adherence in childhood AD and to identify possible strategies to remedy these. Identified factors leading to poor treatment adherence include: complexity of treatment regimen, lack of knowledge, impaired quality of life, dissatisfaction with treatment strategies, infrequent follow up, corticosteroid phobia and the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Effective strategies to increase treatment adherence include: caregiver education and utilisation of education adjuncts, optimisation of the patient/caregiver–clinician relationship, early and frequent follow up and improvement of patient and caregiver quality of life.
Assessment of attitudes towards sun‐protective behaviour in Australians: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Garbutcheon‐Singh Kieran B , Dixit Shreya , Lee Andrew , Brown Pam , Smith Saxon D 
Published: March 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards sun protection measures in a sample of Australian adults.MethodsA multicentre, cross‐sectional study was undertaken during 2014 using a population‐based survey of 416 individuals over the age of 18. The knowledge, behaviour and attitudes towards sun protection measures in this group of adults were assessed. The impact of educational level and employment status on responses was also evaluated.ResultsSunscreen is the most common sun‐protective measure. Daily sunscreen use is below 20%. Forgetfulness was the largest barrier to sunscreen use. A total of 85% of respondents did not apply a sufficient amount of sunscreen. Only 32% of individuals reapplied sunscreen every 2 hours and 20% never reapplied it. In the preceding year, one or more sun burns were suffered by 46% of the participants in the survey. In all, 36% of individuals rarely or never check their sunscreens expiry date and less than 50% of individuals replaced their sunscreen each year. Furthermore, 65% were unaware that sunscreens stored above 25°C were less effective than when stored correctly as per manufactures labelling.ConclusionsThis study highlights a number of significant deficiencies that future sun‐protection programmes could target in order to improve the general public's knowledge and attitudes towards sun protection. There is also a need for this to be translated into the public's sun‐protection behaviour.
Colorectal preOperative Surgical Score (CrOSS) for mortality in major colorectal surgery
Authors: Kong Cherng Huei , Guest Glenn D. , Stupart Douglas A. , Faragher Ian G. , Chan Steven T. F. , Watters David A. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractBackgroundColorectal surgery carries a significant mortality risk, with reported rates of 1–6% for elective surgery and up to 22% in the emergency setting. Both clinicians and patients will benefit from being able to predict the likelihood of death before surgery. Recently, we have described and validated two risk stratification models for colorectal surgery, the Barwon Health 2012 and Association Française de Chirurgie models. However, these models are not suitable for assessment at patient's bedside. The purpose of this study is to develop a simplified preoperative model capable of predicting mortality following colorectal surgery.MethodsThe new model is termed Colorectal preOperative Surgical Score (CrOSS). The development and internal validation of CrOSS was performed using a prospectively maintained colorectal database. External validation was performed using retrospective data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in model development. Calibration and discrimination were used for model validation.ResultsThere were 474 and 389 consecutive colorectal surgeries at Geelong Hospital and Western Hospital. Overall mortality rates were 5.16% and 1.03%, respectively. Significant predictors for mortality were as follows: age ≥70, urgent operation, albumin ≤30 g/L and congestive heart failure (receiver operating characteristic (ROC) = 0.870, calibration P‐value = 0.937). The predicted risk of mortality was stratified according to the risk profile of 0.39–66.51%. When validated externally, CrOSS predicted mortality accurately (ROC = 0.847, calibration P‐value = 0.199).ConclusionsA robust and simple preoperative model has been created to risk‐stratify patients for colorectal surgery. This was successfully validated at another tertiary hospital.
Forming a belief: The contribution of comprehension to the evaluation and persuasive impact of argumentative text
Authors: Diakidoy Irene‐Anna N. , Christodoulou Stelios A. , Floros Georgios , Iordanou Kalypso , Kargopoulos Philip V. 
Published: March 2015

BackgroundResearch has shown substantial belief change as a result of reading text and the pervasive influence of prior belief in the evaluation of short arguments. Both outcomes have been attributed to the depth to which the text or the argument has been processed. This study brings together critical thinking and text comprehension research by employing an extended argumentative text and varying the quality of its arguments.AimThe study examines the contribution of comprehension outcomes to the critical evaluation and persuasive impact of argumentative text.SampleOne hundred and sixteen first‐year graduate and third‐ and fourth‐year undergraduate university students.MethodMeasures of initial topic‐related beliefs, perceived topic knowledge, and need for cognition were obtained. Students read one of two versions of a two‐sided, implicitly persuasive argumentative text (677 words) varying in argument quality. Post‐reading tasks included main claim recall, overall recall, inference generation, claim agreement, and text evaluation.ResultsThe text was positively evaluated and highly persuasive regardless of argument quality, but half of the students either failed to identify the main claim promoted or confused it with individual arguments. Despite a modest but positive association between inference generation and text evaluation, no comprehension measure had a significant main or interactive effect. Need for cognition contributed to positive evaluations in the absence of prior topic knowledge regardless of argument quality.ConclusionsThe findings suggest a dissociation between the elaboration associated with deep comprehension and the elaboration associated with critical evaluation with implications for belief formation and the teaching of thinking.
Prognostic roles of absolute monocyte and absolute lymphocyte counts in patients with advanced‐stage follicular lymphoma in the rituximab era: an analysis from theFOLL05 trial of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi
Authors: Marcheselli Luigi , Bari Alessia , Anastasia Antonella , Botto Barbara , Puccini Benedetta , Dondi Alessandra , Carella Angelo M. , Alvarez Isabel , Chiarenza Annalisa , Arcari Annalisa , Salvi Flavia , Federico Massimo 
Published: March 2015

SummaryRecently, in an attempt to improve the discrimination power of the international prognostic index (IPI), patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma were evaluated to determine the prognostic roles of peripheral blood absolute monocyte count (AMC) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC). Here, we analysed data of 428 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) enrolled in a prospective, randomized trial (FOLL05 study) conducted by Fondazione Italiana Linfomi, to assess the impact ofAMCandALCon progression‐free survival (PFS). All patients had been treated with one of three treatment combinations: (i) rituximab (R) plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone; (ii) R plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone or (iii) R plus mitoxantrone and fludarabine. We showed that onlyAMCwas a powerful predictor ofPFS, and possibly overall survival, in patients withFLtreated with combination chemotherapy regimens that contained R. TheAMCcan be used alone as a novel, simple factor that can predict survival outcome in patients withFL, independent of the immunochemotherapy regimen. It may therefore be widely used by clinicians, due to its simplicity and broad applicability. Additionally, it can be combined with other factors that determine theIPIorFLIPI, to increase the discriminating ability of these indices.