bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Riparian Seepage Zones on Nitrate Variability in Two Agricultural Headwater Streams
Authors: Williams Mark R. , Buda Anthony R. , Elliott Herschel A. , Singha Kamini , Hamlett James 
Published: July 2015

AbstractRiparian seeps have been recognized for their contributions to stream flow in headwater catchments, but there is limited data on how seeps affect stream water quality. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of seeps on the variability of stream NO3‐N concentrations in FD36 and RS, two agricultural catchments in Pennsylvania. Stream samples were collected at 10‐m intervals over reaches of 550 (FD36) and 490 m (RS) on 21 occasions between April 2009 and January 2012. Semi‐variogram analysis was used to quantify longitudinal patterns in stream NO3‐N concentration. Seep water was collected at 14 sites in FD36 and 7 in RS, but the number of flowing seeps depended on antecedent conditions. Seep NO3‐N concentrations were variable (0.1‐29.5 mg/l) and were often greater downslope of cropped fields compared to other land uses. During base flow, longitudinal variability in stream NO3‐N concentrations increased as the number of flowing seeps increased. The influence of seeps on the variability of stream NO3‐N concentrations was less during storm flow compared to the variability of base flow NO3‐N concentrations. However, 24 h after a storm in FD36, an increase in the number of flowing seeps and decreasing streamflow resulted in the greatest longitudinal variability in stream NO3‐N concentrations recorded. Results indicate seeps are important areas of NO3‐N delivery to streams where targeted adoption of mitigation measures may substantially improve stream water quality.
Adaptive Targeting: Engaging Farmers to Improve Targeting and Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices
Authors: Kalcic Margaret M. , Frankenberger Jane , Chaubey Indrajeet , Prokopy Linda , Bowling Laura 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTargeting of agricultural conservation practices to cost‐effective locations has long been of interest to watershed managers, yet its implementation cannot succeed without meaningful engagement of agricultural producers who are decision makers on the lands they farm. In this study, we engaged 14 west‐central Indiana producers and landowners in an adaptive targeting experiment. Interviews carried out prior to targeting provided rich spatial information on existing conservation practices as well as producers' preferences for future conservation projects. We targeted six of the most accepted conservation practices using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and spatial optimization using a genetic algorithm approach. Fairly optimal conservation scenarios were possible with even the most limiting constraints of farmer‐accepted practices. We presented in follow‐up interviews a total of 176 conservation practice recommendations on 103 farm fields to 10 farmers whose lands were targeted for conservation. Primary findings indicated producers were interested in the project, were open to hearing recommendations about their lands, and expressed a high likelihood of adopting 35% of targeted recommendations. Farmers generally viewed the interview process and presentation of results quite favorably, and the interviews were found to build trust and make the targeting process more acceptable to them.
Spatial Optimization of Six Conservation Practices Using Swat in Tile‐Drained Agricultural Watersheds
Authors: Kalcic Margaret M. , Frankenberger Jane , Chaubey Indrajeet 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTargeting of agricultural conservation practices to the most effective locations in a watershed can promote wise use of conservation funds to protect surface waters from agricultural nonpoint source pollution. A spatial optimization procedure using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to target six widely used conservation practices, namely no‐tillage, cereal rye cover crops (CC), filter strips (FS), grassed waterways (GW), created wetlands, and restored prairie habitats, in two west‐central Indiana watersheds. These watersheds were small, fairly flat, extensively agricultural, and heavily subsurface tile‐drained. The targeting approach was also used to evaluate the model's representation of conservation practices in cost and water quality improvement, defined as export of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment from cropped fields. FS, GW, and habitats were the most effective at improving water quality, while CC and wetlands made the greatest water quality improvement in lands with multiple existing conservation practices. Spatial optimization resulted in similar cost‐environmental benefit tradeoff curves for each watershed, with the greatest possible water quality improvement being a reduction in total pollutant loads by approximately 60%, with nitrogen reduced by 20‐30%, phosphorus by 70%, and sediment by 80‐90%.
3T MRI evaluation of large nerve perineural spread of head and neck cancers
Authors: Baulch Justin , Gandhi Mitesh , Sommerville Jennifer , Panizza Ben 
Published: July 2015

AbstractIntroductionAccurate definition of the presence and extent of large nerve perineural spread (PNS) is a vital component in planning appropriate surgery and radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Our research aimed to define the sensitivity and specificity of 3T MRI in detecting the presence and extent of large nerve PNS, compared with histologic evaluation.MethodsRetrospective review of surgically proven cases of large nerve PNS in patients with preoperative 3T MRI performed as high resolution neurogram.Results3T MRI had a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 84%, detecting PNS in 36 of 38 nerves and correctly identifying uninvolved nerves in 16 of 19 cases. It correctly identified the zonal extent of spread in 32 of 36 cases (89%), underestimating the extent in three cases and overestimating the extent in one case.ConclusionTargeted 3T MRI is highly accurate in defining the presence and extent of large nerve PNS in head and neck cancers. However, there is still a tendency to undercall the zonal extent due to microscopic, radiologically occult involvement. Superficial large nerve involvement also remains a difficult area of detection for radiologists and should be included as a ‘check area’ for review. Further research is required to define the role radiation‐induced neuritis plays in the presence of false‐positive PNS on MRI.
The de novo genome assembly and annotation of a female domestic dromedary of North African origin
Authors: Fitak Robert R. , Mohandesan Elmira , Corander Jukka , Burger Pamela A. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe single‐humped dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) is the most numerous and widespread of domestic camel species and is a significant source of meat, milk, wool, transportation and sport for millions of people. Dromedaries are particularly well adapted to hot, desert conditions and harbour a variety of biological and physiological characteristics with evolutionary, economic and medical importance. To understand the genetic basis of these traits, an extensive resource of genomic variation is required. In this study, we assembled at 65× coverage, a 2.06 Gb draft genome of a female dromedary whose ancestry can be traced to an isolated population from the Canary Islands. We annotated 21 167 protein‐coding genes and estimated ~33.7% of the genome to be repetitive. A comparison with the recently published draft genome of an Arabian dromedary resulted in 1.91 Gb of aligned sequence with a divergence of 0.095%. An evaluation of our genome with the reference revealed that our assembly contains more error‐free bases (91.2%) and fewer scaffolding errors. We identified ~1.4 million single‐nucleotide polymorphisms with a mean density of 0.71 × 10−3 per base. An analysis of demographic history indicated that changes in effective population size corresponded with recent glacial epochs. Our de novo assembly provides a useful resource of genomic variation for future studies of the camel's adaptations to arid environments and economically important traits. Furthermore, these results suggest that draft genome assemblies constructed with only two differently sized sequencing libraries can be comparable to those sequenced using additional library sizes, highlighting that additional resources might be better placed in technologies alternative to short‐read sequencing to physically anchor scaffolds to genome maps.
Untangling taxonomy: a DNA barcode reference library for Canadian spiders
Authors: Blagoev Gergin A. , deWaard Jeremy R. , Ratnasingham Sujeevan , deWaard Stephanie L. , Lu Liuqiong , Robertson James , Telfer Angela C. , Hebert Paul D. N. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractApproximately 1460 species of spiders have been reported from Canada, 3% of the global fauna. This study provides a DNA barcode reference library for 1018 of these species based upon the analysis of more than 30 000 specimens. The sequence results show a clear barcode gap in most cases with a mean intraspecific divergence of 0.78% vs. a minimum nearest‐neighbour (NN) distance averaging 7.85%. The sequences were assigned to 1359 Barcode index numbers (BINs) with 1344 of these BINs composed of specimens belonging to a single currently recognized species. There was a perfect correspondence between BIN membership and a known species in 795 cases, while another 197 species were assigned to two or more BINs (556 in total). A few other species (26) were involved in BIN merges or in a combination of merges and splits. There was only a weak relationship between the number of specimens analysed for a species and its BIN count. However, three species were clear outliers with their specimens being placed in 11–22 BINs. Although all BIN splits need further study to clarify the taxonomic status of the entities involved, DNA barcodes discriminated 98% of the 1018 species. The present survey conservatively revealed 16 species new to science, 52 species new to Canada and major range extensions for 426 species. However, if most BIN splits detected in this study reflect cryptic taxa, the true species count for Canadian spiders could be 30–50% higher than currently recognized.
Comorbidities in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a comparison with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
Authors: Nas Kemal , Karkucak Murat , Durmus Bekir , Karatay Saliha , Capkın Erhan , Kaya Arzu , Ucmak Derya , Akar Zeynel Abidin , Cevik Remzi , Kilic Erkan , Kilic Gamze , Ozgocmen Salih 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimPsoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between PsA and comorbid conditions. This is the first study to investigate comorbid diseases in PsA in Turkey.MethodsThis study was performed under the auspices of the Anatolian Group for the Assessment in Rheumatic Diseases (ANGARD) and involved participation by six university research hospitals. Patients diagnosed with and treated for PsA on the basis of clinical, radiological and laboratory findings and expert opinion were monitored using standardized examination methods and jointly prepared forms. Clinical status, accompanying systemic diseases and surgical history were recorded.ResultsOne hundred and seventy‐three patients with PsA (75 male, 98 female, mean age 41.8) and 138 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (17 male, 121 female, mean age 48.6) and 67 with psoriasis (PsO) (43 male, 24 female, mean age 36.1) were included in the study. No accompanying disease was determined in 72.8% of PsA, 50.0% of RA and 80.6% of PsO groups. In regression analysis, patients with PsA had higher risk for cataract/glaucoma surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 11.99; 95% CI 1.36–105.4, P = 0.025) compared to patients with RA, and higher risk for hypertension (HT) (OR = 4.26; 95% CI 1.27–14.23, P = 0.018) compared to the patients with PsO.ConclusionPatients with PsA have relatively lower frequency of comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, HT and cataract/glaucoma surgery compared to the patients with RA. The increased risk for having cataract/glaucoma surgery in RA compared to PsA may be particularly attributed to the more prevalent glucocorticoid use in RA.
Does knee malalignment predict the efficacy of realignment therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis?
Authors: Rezaeian Zahra Sadat , Smith Margaret Mary , Skaife Tyler L. , Harvey William F. , Gross Kevin Douglas , Hunter David John 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBackgroundRealignment therapies, including knee braces, foot orthoses and shoes are prescribed to patients with medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) with the goal of unloading the medial tibiofemoral (TF) compartment. It is uncertain whether realignment therapies have different effects in those with knee malalignment. We studied whether the efficacy of realignment therapy for pain and function in persons with medial TF OA is predicted by the severity of the baseline knee malalignment.MethodsThe baseline characteristics of 48 participants with moderate to severe medial knee OA were collected. Participants' pain and function were measured using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale before and after 12 weeks of realignment therapy using a valgus unloader knee brace plus bilateral neutral foot orthoses and motion control shoes. Anatomical axis (AA) was measured on weight‐bearing knee radiographs by a blinded reader and knee malalignment was categorized as either varus malaligned (moderate or severe) or neutral according to the AA angle. We assessed for differences in response to treatment according to alignment category. General linear statistical models were generated to determine which of the measured alignment variables and covariates predicted change in the pain outcome.ResultsAnatomical axis knee alignment was not a significant predictor of pain or function change with active treatment. Baseline WOMAC scores were the best predictor of change in WOMAC (P < 0.01 and P = 0.06 for pain and function, respectively).ConclusionsBaseline knee alignment did not predict the efficacy of 12 weeks realignment therapy in participants with medial tibiofemoral OA. [Correction added on 27 August 2015, after first online publication: ‘did predict’ has been corrected to ‘did not predict’ in the conclusions of the abstract section.]
Inhibition of B‐cell apoptosis is mediated through increased expression of Bcl‐2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Yang Jin , Zhao Shaolin , Yang Xinling , Zhang Huanhuan , Zheng Ping , Wu Huiyi 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimAbnormal B‐cell apoptosis is believed to have a role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis, but the exact mechanisms of B‐cell apoptosis in RA have not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the percentage of circulating B cells and its relationship with apoptosis in a cohort of patients with RA.MethodsB cells were quantified by flow cytometry in RA patients and matched controls, and the relationships between these proportions and RA disease parameters were calculated. Rates of apoptosis were determined by annexin V/propidium iodine analysis, and Bcl‐2 and caspase‐3 protein levels were determined by western blot.ResultsRA patients had significantly higher percentage of B cells in the peripheral blood than healthy controls but a significantly lower rate of B‐cell apoptosis. The percentage of B cells correlated with Disease Activity Score of 28 joints and serum immunoglobulin G concentration in RA patients. Expression of anti‐apoptosis protein Bcl‐2 was higher in RA patients than in healthy controls, whereas expression of apoptosis marker caspase‐3 in B cells was lower.ConclusionThe higher percentage of B cells in the peripheral blood of RA patients may be due, at least partially, to disruption of the normal pathway of apoptosis in these cells. The inhibition of B‐cell apoptosis in these patients may be attributable to the enhanced expression of Bcl‐2 in these cells.
The Role of 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Scanning in the Diagnosis and Management of Systemic Vasculitis
Authors: Danve Abhijeet , O'Dell James 
Published: July 2015

AbstractPrimary systemic vasculitis is a group of heterogeneous disorders, characterized by inflammation of blood vessels causing end organ damage from ischemia, aneurysm formation or dissection. Delay in the early diagnosis owing to non‐specific symptoms, lack of definitive serological tests, limited availability of biopsy and standard imaging tests pose significant challenge in the management of these diseases. 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning is being increasingly used in the management of systemic vasculitis, especially the large vessel vasculitides: giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TAK). FDG‐PET involves detection of positron rays emitted by FDG, a fluorinated glucose analogue which is avidly taken up by metabolically active inflammatory cells in the walls of involved blood vessels. 18F‐FDG‐PET scan, especially when combined with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can give information about active inflammation as well as structural damage associated with vasculitis. In patients with GCA, FDG‐PET has acceptable sensitivity and specificity for the early diagnosis in non‐cranial GCA, cranial GCA with negative biopsy, assessment of immediate response to treatment, predicting prognosis, but has limited value in serial follow‐up and prediction of relapses. In TAK, FDG‐PET can be useful for early diagnosis and probably for serial assessment of disease activity. FDG‐PET has a limited role in medium and small vessel vasculitis.
The Median is the Message: A Good Enough Measure of Material Wellbeing and Shared Development Progress
Authors: Birdsall Nancy , Meyer Christian J. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe argue that survey‐based median household consumption expenditure (or income) per capita be incorporated into standard development indicators, as a simple, robust and durable indicator of typical individual material wellbeing in a country. Using household survey data available for low and middle‐income countries from the World Bank's PovcalNet tool, we show that as a measure of income‐related wellbeing, it is far superior to the commonly used GDP per capita as well as survey‐based measures at the mean. We also argue that survey‐based median measures are ‘distribution‐aware’, i.e. when used as the denominator of various widely available indicators such as mean consumption expenditure per capita they provide a ‘good enough’ indicator of consumption (or income) inequality. Finally, as a post‐2015 indicator of progress at the country‐level in promoting shared development and reducing inequality, we propose that the rate of increase in median consumption per capita after taxes and transfers exceeds the rate of increase in average consumption in the same period.
Will the AIIB and the NDB Help Reform Multilateral Development Banking?
Authors: Reisen Helmut 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWhat will be the future impact of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB), two multilateral banks created in 2014 outside the established Bretton Woods system, on multilateral lending shares? So far, the bulk of multilateral lending has been provided by institutions created and ruled by the west. Will the new institutions led by China and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) help rebalance multilateral development finance away from western dominance? The answer comes in three steps: first, the pressure for the BRICS to ‘exit’ rises with past, present and expected failure for ‘voice’ reform in the established international financial institutions (IFIs). Second, excess demand for multilateral soft loans and, third, the potential lending capacity by the AIIB and the NDB are quantified to assess how much relative business – hence political influence – the existing IFIs might lose in favour of the new competitors. Based on current evidence for loan‐equity leverage ratios in established multilateral development banks (MDBs), it is estimated that the NDB and AIIB combined will attract sufficient cofinancing to rival the established MDBs in terms of annual lending. The combined loan portfolios (c. US$230 billion) of AIIB and NDB would equal the combined loan portfolios of ADB and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), according to a simple scenario presented in this survey article.
Wildlife NGOs: From Adversaries to Collaborators
Authors: Prideaux Margi 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMany governments perceive a ‘contested ground’ between Non‐governmental Organisations (NGOs) and governments in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Governments have asserted a concern that increasing NGO involvement is an erosion of their sovereignty.The other side of this coin is that wildlife related MEAs including the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) are a low order political priority and government budgets for these environment issues are stretched. Many governments lack even basic implementation budgets, let alone capacity for progressive work. MEA secretariats are funded so minimally that there is insufficient facility to really progress implementation.A recent review of wildlife related NGOs associated with the work of the CMS family has found that NGOs will commit to increase implementation efforts if the right dynamic is created.Moving beyond the impression of ‘contested ground’ to a ‘collaborative governance’ future, where all participants are invested in policy, discourse, negotiation and arbitration could increase human and financial resource and in turn increase implementation for the CMS family.
Responsibility Shirking at the United Nations Security Council: Constraints, Frustrations, Remedies
Authors: Engelbrekt Kjell 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe United Nations Security Council is the primary international body in charge of upholding international peace and security. Permanent and nonpermanent member states share in the responsibility to avert great power conflicts and thwart asymmetric disputes, regional instability and civil war, but the former task has priority and the prerogatives and therefore the obligations of the five permanent member states widely exceed those of countries that hold two‐year elected seats. The bifurcation of roles nevertheless produces ‘responsibility shirking’, which weakens Council performance on the latter type of tasks. This article suggests that responsibility shirking is underreported in the literature even though it is well known to diplomatic practitioners. It considers three types of remedies to the situation, arguing that amendments to theUNCharter or the Provisional Rules of Procedure are unlikely, but that piecemeal and pragmatic reform could precipitate a change of mindset. In particular, allowing nonpermanent member states to co‐chair the drafting of resolutions is likely to engage all member states in the core business of the Council.