bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hen harriers on a Scottish grouse moor: multiple factors predict breeding density and productivity
Authors: Baines David , Richardson Michael 
Published: July 2013

Summary

Predator density and productivity can be influenced by ecological and anthropogenic factors. Given the controversy over predators impacting on prey of economic and conservation importance, it is essential that these relationships are understood to provide a sound scientific basis for their conservation and management.

We compared numbers and productivity of hen harriers Circus cyaneus, a protected specialist predator of conservation importance, in relation to a change in generalist predator management at Langholm, a moor managed for red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus shooting in southern Scotland between 1992 and 2007. During 1992–1999, the moor was managed for grouse and keepers legally controlled predators, thereafter keepering ceased.

Following full protection being given to nesting harriers, their numbers increased from two breeding females in 1992 to 20 in 1997, when predation by harriers limited numbers of grouse available for shooting. After grouse management stopped in 1999, carrion crows Corvus corone and red foxes Vulpes vulpes increased and numbers of female harriers dropped to below five from 2002 onwards.

Numbers of breeding harriers were negatively correlated with meadow pipit Anthus pratensis, crow, and July grouse abundance during the keepered period and positively with spring grouse abundance. Harrier clutch size was positively correlated with vole abundance.

Harrier clutch survival and productivity were higher when the moor was keepered. Predation by foxes was the main cause of harrier breeding failure.

Synthesis and applications. We consider this study to be the first that quantifies how control of generalist predators as part of grouse moor management can benefit harrier productivity. This adds to the importance of finding ways to ensure that grouse moors are managed for harriers, but are still economically viable. If techniques can be devised and put in place to reduce the impact of harriers on grouse, then the control of generalist predators may be viewed as a more acceptable component of conservation management for ground‐nesting birds.
Giant vesicles: a powerful tool to reconstruct bacterial division assemblies in cell‐like compartments
Authors: Jiménez Mercedes , Martos Ariadna , Cabré Elisa J. , Raso Ana , Rivas Germán 
Published: July 2013

SummaryThe use of artificial lipid membranes, structured as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), provides the opportunity to investigate membrane‐associated biological processes under defined experimental conditions. Due to their large size, they are uniquely adapted to investigate the properties and organization (in time and space) of macromolecular complexes incorporated in the vesicle interior by imaging and micro‐spectroscopic techniques. Experimental methods to produce giant vesicles and to encapsulate proteins inside them are here reviewed. Previous experimental work to reconstitute elements of the bacterial division machinery in these membrane‐like systems is summarized. Future challenges towards reconstructing minimal divisome assemblies in giant vesicles as cytomimetic containers are discussed.
Foraging by a wood‐decomposing fungus is ecologically adaptive
Authors: Darrah P. R. , Fricker M. D. 
Published: July 2013

SummaryWe show that fungi that forage for wood do not conform to the paradigm of symmetric radial growth and grow asymmetrically by default. Asymmetry is further accentuated by contact with a resource that also partially polarizes growth in the direction of the resource. Despite marked changes at the perimeter, overall growth allocation on an area basis is, however, unchanged implying sophisticated regulation at the colony level. Using mathematical models, we show that this behaviour is best explained as a local response of the immediate segment contacting the resource. The model reveals that foraging behaviour is adaptive but only for resources that are clustered in space and is selectively neutral for randomly scattered resources. This clustered spatial distribution matches that found in the natural environment. Modelling also shows that the foraging strategy used by these fungi involves substantial risks as well as benefits.
The preparation of an oligochitosan‐glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate obtained by a microbial transglutaminase and its functional properties
Authors: Song Chun‐Li , Zhao Xin‐Huai 
Published: July 2013

A glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate (GCC) with glucosamine amount of 4.74 g/kg protein was generated from caseinate and oligochitosan by a microbial transglutaminase. The applied temperature, pH and molar ratio of acyl donor/acceptor were 37 °C, 7.5 and 1:3, respectively; while caseinate concentration, transglutaminase addition and reaction time selected from single‐factor trials were 50 g/L, 10 kU/kg protein and 3 h, respectively. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the cross‐linking and glycosylation of caseinate. Compared with caseinate, GCC showed improved solubility in pH 4–11, higher digestibility in vitro and water binding capacity, about 3‐fold, but lower surface hydrophobicity and oil binding capacity (34%).
Informational Feedback, Adverse Selection, and Optimal Disclosure Policy
Authors: GAO PINGYANG , LIANG PIERRE JINGHONG 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTFaceless trading in a secondary stock market not only redistributes wealth among investors but also generates information that feeds back to real decisions. Using this observation we re‐evaluate the “leveling‐the‐playing‐field” rationale for disclosure to secondary stock markets. By partially preempting traders' information advantage established from information acquisition, disclosure reduces private incentives to acquire information, resulting in two opposite effects on firm value. On one hand, this narrows the information gap between informed and uninformed traders and improves liquidity of firm shares. On the other hand, this reduces the informational feedback from the stock market to real decisions. This tradeoff determines the optimal disclosure policy. The model explains why firm value can be higher in an environment that simultaneously promotes disclosure and private information production and why growth firms are endogenously more opaque than value firms.
Applicability of Cranial Models in Urethane Resin and Foam as a Substitute for Bone: Are Synthetic Materials Reliable?
Authors: Muccino Enrico , Porta Davide , Magli Francesca , Cigada Alfredo , Sala Remo , Gibelli Daniele , Cattaneo Cristina 
Published: July 2013

AbstractAs literature is poor in functional synthetic cranial models, in this study, synthetic handmade models of cranial vaults were produced in two different materials (a urethane resin and a self‐hardening foam), from multiple bone specimens (eight original cranial vaults: four human and four swine), in order to test their resemblance to bone structure in behavior, during fracture formation. All the vaults were mechanically tested with a 2‐kg impact weight and filmed with a high‐speed camera. Fracture patterns were homogeneous in all swine vaults and heterogeneous in human vaults, with resin fractures more similar to bone fractures. Mean fracture latency time extrapolated by videos were of 0.75 msec (bone), 1.5 msec (resin), 5.12 msec (foam) for human vaults and of 0.625 msec (bone), 1.87 msec (resin), 3.75 msec (foam) for swine vaults. These data showed that resin models are more similar to bone than foam reproductions, but that synthetic material may behave quite differently from bone as concerns fracture latency times.
Preliminary Study on the Effect of Heated Surfaces Upon Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Authors: Larkin Bethany A. J. , Banks Craig E. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractBloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) involves the interpretation of distinct blood patterns found at crime scenes following a violent act. In this paper, we explored for the first time the effects of surface temperatures upon blood impacting a horizontal surface (steel) with its implications in BPA explored. Specific surface temperatures were explored over the range 24–250°C which relate to the four major boiling regimes of liquid media; natural convection, nucleate boiling, transition boiling, and film boiling, where a series of blood drops tests were performed at varying impact velocities. Blood was found to separate into its components at temperatures of 50°C+, displayed as temperature induced blood rings, where a single secondary and a series of further inner rings are exhibited. This consequently led to the development of a new constant expressing the decrease in spread factor (Ds/Do) at the secondary ring.
Application of Fordisc 3.0 to Explore Differences Among Crania of North American and South African Blacks and Whites,
Authors: L'Abbé Ericka N. , Kenyhercz Michael , Stull Kyra E. , Keough Natalie , Nawrocki Stephen 
Published: July 2013

AbstractUsing discriminant function analysis, classification accuracies for ancestry and sex in white and black South Africans were compared using North American (FDB), African groups in Howells (HDB), and South African (SADB) databases in FORDISC 3.0. (FD3). Twenty‐four standard linear measures were collected from a total of 86 black and 101 white crania obtained from the Pretoria Bone Collection. White and black South Africans classified 73% correctly in FDB, 55% correctly in HDB, and 71% correctly in SADB. The percentage of atypical cases was higher with FDB than SADB. In all three databases, misclassification occurred more with sex than ancestry revealing differences in sexual dimorphism between population groups. Broad ancestral differences may explain low misclassification rates for ancestry. FD3, with a modern South African reference sample, can assist South African anthropologists to standardize methodology and to justify procedures for estimating ancestry.
NewYork StateTrueAllele®Casework Validation Study
Authors: Perlin Mark W. , Belrose Jamie L. , Duceman Barry W. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractDNA evidence can pose interpretation challenges, particularly with low‐level or mixed samples. It would be desirable to make full use of the quantitative data, consider every genotype possibility, and objectively produce accurate and reproducibleDNAmatch results. Probabilistic genotype computing is designed to achieve these goals. This validation study assessedTrueAllele®probabilistic computer interpretation on 368 evidence items in 41 test cases and compared the results with human review of the same data. Whenever there was a human result, the computer's genotype was concordant. Further, the computer produced a match statistic on 81 mixture items (for 87 inferred matching genotypes) in the test cases, while human review reported a statistic on 25 of these items (30.9%). Using match statistics to quantify information, probabilistic genotyping was shown to be sensitive, specific, and reproducible. These results demonstrate that objective probabilistic genotyping of biological evidence can reliably preserveDNAidentification information.
A Simple Computer‐assisted Quantification of Contrast in a Fingerprint
Authors: Matuszewski Szymon , Szafałowicz Michał 
Published: July 2013

AbstractA simple method for quantification of contrast in a fingerprint is proposed. Contrast is defined as the average difference in intensity of pixels between valleys and ridges in a fingerprint. It is quantified from a scanner‐acquired image of the fingerprint using a histogram function of Adobe Photoshop. The method was validated with black inked prints and marks developed with aluminum powder. Moreover, we tested resistance of the method to rater‐dependent errors and dependence of the measurements on the resolution of an image and the model of the scanner. For both groups of fingerprints, the method gave coherent and easily interpretable quantitative values for contrast. There were no significant differences between measurements performed by different raters and by the same rater in a test–retest procedure. However, the method was found to be instrument dependent, as measurements were significantly affected by image resolution and the model of the scanner.
Capturing Finger and Palm Impressions Using a Hand Cream and Thermochromatic Paper
Authors: Bond John W. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractAn inkless set of finger and palm impressions has been obtained on thermochromatic paper by incorporating the protic solvent butylene glycol into a base hand cream mixture, which is rubbed into the hands for 30 sec before donation. This requires no washing of the hands before or after donation, removing many of the difficulties associated with inked impressions. In a random trial of 50 male and 50 female participants (mean age 41 years), 96 found the hand cream pleasant and easy to use and all produced identifiable finger and palm impressions. Following donation, participants continued to rub the hand cream into their hands. Impressions were visible immediately after donation and have not exhibited fading 2 years after being taken. 10% of participants produced impressions that captured third‐level detail, the variation between participants being thought to be associated with the amount of pressure applied during donation.
Forensic or Archaeological Issue: Is Chemical Analysis of Dental Restorations Helpful in Assessing Time Since Death and Identification of Skeletonized Human Remains?
Authors: Zelic Ksenija , Djonic Danijela , Neskovic Olivera , Stoiljkovic Milovan , Nikolic Slobodan , Zivkovic Vladimir , Djuric Marija 
Published: July 2013

AbstractIn 2011, small mass grave with completely skeletonized remains was discovered in Belgrade suburb. An eyewitness claimed that skeletons belonged to German soldiers killed in WWII. Anthropologists were engaged to investigate whether the skeletal remains correspond to the indicated German group or represent more recent case requiring court trial. Numerous dental restorations were noticed. Owing to the fact that different dental materials were used in dental practice at certain times, the aim of this study was to explore whether analysis of dental restorations could help in identification and estimation of time since death. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry revealed that dental fillings corresponded to copper amalgam, conventional silver amalgam, silicophosphate cement, and zinc phosphate cement. Chemical results combined with anthropological and historical facts suggest that the individuals lived before the 1960s in country with well‐developed dental service at that time. Therefore, chemical analysis of dental fillings was useful to distinguish between skeletal remains that are too old to be of forensic interest and the remains relevant to legal investigations.
Complex Suicide by Self‐stabbing with Subsequent Drowning in the Sea
Authors: Kaliszan Michał , Karnecki Karol , Tomczak Ewa , Gos Tomasz , Jankowski Zbigniew 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThe paper presents a unique case of a complex suicide committed by a young man, mostly probably triggered by a disappointment in love. The uniqueness of the suicide lies in the fact that the victim inflicted several deep stab wounds on himself, in the chest and abdomen, while standing partly submerged in the sea and, having done so, he dropped and disappeared in the water. The postmortem examination showed, apart from deep wounds in the trunk, characteristics of drowning that manifested itself in the form of aqueous emphysema of the lungs. Suicide was clearly determined on the basis of the circumstances preceding death, the location, and arrangement of the trunk wounds and the testimony given by a witness of the incident. The circumstances preceding the suicidal act clearly suggest an underlying undiagnosed mental disorder.
Formulae for Estimating Skeletal Height in Modern South‐East Asians
Authors: Gocha Timothy P. , Vercellotti Giuseppe , McCormick Lara E. , Van Deest Traci L. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractEstimating stature in human skeletal remains of Asian ancestry is problematic for forensic anthropologists due to the paucity and uncertain suitability of regression formulae. To address this issue, our study analyzed 64 individuals from a modern skeletal collection of South‐East Asian origin and developed population‐specific ordinary least squares regression formulae to estimate skeletal height from each of the long bones of the upper and lower limbs, as well as from trunk length. Results indicate that the most accurate estimates of skeletal height from a single bone (as measured by standard error of the estimate—SEE) are from tibial length in males (SEE = 2.40 cm) and from humeral length in females (SEE = 2.59 cm), followed by femoral length (SEE = 2.84 cm). When multiple elements are considered, the combination of femoral and tibial length yields the best estimates in both sexes as well as combined sex samples (male SEE = 2.40 cm; female SEE = 2.77 cm; combined sex SEE = 2.54 cm).
Factors for hepatitis B vaccination and abnormal liver function in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A single center experience
Authors: Leung Wai K , Liu Kevin SH , Seto Wai‐Kay Walter , Chan Kwok‐Hung , Tong Teresa , Yuen Man‐Fung , Lai Ching‐Lung , Hung Ivan FN 
Published: July 2013

ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic and past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and to determine the risk factors associated with having received no vaccination for HBV and abnormal liver function among our patients.MethodsThe prevalence of chronic or past infection with HBV infection and effective HBV vaccination were determined in patients with IBD who attended the IBD Clinic of the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong, China. Risk factors associated with the absence of HBV vaccination and abnormal liver function were identified.ResultsA total of 267 Chinese IBD patients (166 ulcerative colitis and 101 Crohn's disease) were enrolled. The mean follow‐up period was 10.5 years. Chronic and past HBV infection was detected in 6.7% and 28.5% patients, respectively. Altogether 102 patients lacked effective HBV vaccination. Multivariate analysis found that elder age at diagnosis of IBD (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–0.94) and the absence of using thiopurine (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29–0.94) were associated with the presence of anti‐HBs. Abnormal liver function was detected in 27 (10.1%) patients. The use of anti‐tumor necrosis factor agents (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3−16.0), previous bowel resection (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.5–9.2) and male gender (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.4−13.7) were significant risk factors for abnormal liver function.ConclusionsThe use of thiopurine and younger age at diagnosis were associated with no vaccination against HBV in Chinese IBD patients. Chronic or past HBV infection was, however, not associated with abnormal liver function in these patients.
Development of novel real‐time TaqMan®PCR assays for the species and sex identification of otter (Lutra lutra) and their application to noninvasive genetic monitoring
Authors: O'Neill David , Turner Peter D. , O'Meara Denise B. , Chadwick Elizabeth A. , Coffey Lee , O'Reilly Catherine 
Published: July 2013

AbstractDeveloping strategies to maintain biodiversity requires baseline information on the current status of each individual species. The development of genetic techniques and their application to noninvasively collected samples have the potential to yield information on the structure of elusive animal populations and so are important tools in conservation management. Using DNA isolated from faecal samples can be challenging owing to low quantity and quality. This study, however, presents the development of novel real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays using fluorescently labelled TaqMan® MGB probes enabling species and sex identification of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints (faeces). These assays can also be used in determining an optimum microsatellite panel and can be employed as cost‐saving screening tools for downstream genetic testing including microsatellite genotyping and haplotype analysis. The techniques are shown to work efficiently with L. lutra DNA isolated from tissue, hair, spraint, blood and anal jelly samples.
Simultaneous pneumonectomy and esophagectomy in an elderly patient
Authors: Guo Chenglin , Mei Jiandong , Liao Hu , Liu Chengwu , Pu Qiang , Ma Lin , Liu Lunxu 
Published: July 2013

AbstractReports of simultaneous pneumonectomy and esophagectomy for synchronous lung and esophageal carcinoma are extremely rare. We report on a 64‐year‐old male patient with lung adenocarcinoma who was originally scheduled to undergo a left pneumonectomy. During the operation, an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was discovered in the mid‐thoracic esophagus. Thus, a simultaneous left pneumonectomy and esophagectomy was performed, and part of the pericardium was sutured to the tunica adventitia of the descending aorta using a “net‐making” method for prevention postoperative dilatation of the stomach.
Improved software detection and extraction of ITS1 and ITS2 from ribosomal ITS sequences of fungi and other eukaryotes for analysis of environmental sequencing data
Authors: Bengtsson‐Palme Johan , Ryberg Martin , Hartmann Martin , Branco Sara , Wang Zheng , Godhe Anna , De Wit Pierre , Sánchez‐García Marisol , Ebersberger Ingo , de Sousa Filipe , Amend Anthony , Jumpponen Ari , Unterseher Martin , Kristiansson Erik , Abarenkov Kessy , Bertrand Yann J. K. , Sanli Kemal , Eriksson K. Martin , Vik Unni , Veldre Vilmar , Nilsson R. Henrik 
Published: July 2013

Summary

The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is the primary choice for molecular identification of fungi. Its two highly variable spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) are usually species specific, whereas the intercalary 5.8S gene is highly conserved. For sequence clustering and blast searches, it is often advantageous to rely on either one of the variable spacers but not the conserved 5.8S gene. To identify and extract ITS1 and ITS2 from large taxonomic and environmental data sets is, however, often difficult, and many ITS sequences are incorrectly delimited in the public sequence databases.

We introduce ITSx, a Perl‐based software tool to extract ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 – as well as full‐length ITS sequences – from both Sanger and high‐throughput sequencing data sets. ITSx uses hidden Markov models computed from large alignments of a total of 20 groups of eukaryotes, including fungi, metazoans and plants, and the sequence extraction is based on the predicted positions of the ribosomal genes in the sequences.

ITSx has a very high proportion of true‐positive extractions and a low proportion of false‐positive extractions. Additionally, process parallelization permits expedient analyses of very large data sets, such as a one million sequence amplicon pyrosequencing data set. ITSx is rich in features and written to be easily incorporated into automated sequence analysis pipelines.

ITSx paves the way for more sensitive blast searches and sequence clustering operations for the ITS region in eukaryotes. The software also permits elimination of non‐ITS sequences from any data set. This is particularly useful for amplicon‐based next‐generation sequencing data sets, where insidious non‐target sequences are often found among the target sequences. Such non‐target sequences are difficult to find by other means and would contribute noise to diversity estimates if left in the data set.