bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Messinian salinity crisis in Cyprus: a further step towards a new stratigraphic framework for Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Manzi Vinicio , Lugli Stefano , Roveri Marco , Dela Pierre Francesco , Gennari Rocco , Lozar Francesca , Natalicchio Marcello , Schreiber B. Charlotte , Taviani Marco , Turco Elena 
Published: December 2014

AbstractA revised stratigraphic framework for the Messinian succession of Cyprus is proposed demonstrating that the three‐stage model for the Messinian salinity crisis recently established for the Western Mediterranean also applies to the Eastern Mediterranean, at least for its marginal basins. This analysis is based on a multidisciplinary study of the Messinian evaporites and associated deposits exposed in the Polemi, Pissouri, Maroni/Psematismenos and Mesaoria basins. Here, we document for the first time that the base of the unit usually referred to the ‘Lower Evaporites’ in Cyprus does not actually correspond to the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis. The basal surface of this unit rather corresponds to a regional‐scale unconformity, locally associated with an angular discordance, and is related to the erosion and resedimentation of primary evaporites deposited during the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. This evidence suggests that the ‘Lower Evaporites’ of the southern basins of Cyprus actually belong to the second stage of the Messinian salinity crisis; they can be thus ascribed to the Resedimented Lower Gypsum unit that was deposited between 5.6 and 5.5 Ma and is possibly coeval to the halite deposited in the northern Mesaoria basin. Primary,in situevaporites of the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis were not preserved in Cyprus basins. Conversely, shallow‐water primary evaporites deposited during the third stage of the Messinian salinity crisis are well preserved; these deposits can be regarded as the equivalent of the Upper Gypsum of Sicily. Our study documents that the Messinian stratigraphy shows many similarities between the Western and Eastern Mediterranean marginal basins, implying a common and likely coeval development of the Messinian salinity crisis. This could be reflected also in intermediate and deep‐water basins; we infer that the Lower Evaporites seismic unit in the deep Eastern Mediterranean basins could well be mainly composed of clastic evaporites and that its base could correspond to the Messinian erosional surface.
Activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptors genes are associated with increased susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Díaz-Peña R , Vidal-Castiñeira J R , Mulero J , Sánchez A , Queiro R , López-Larrea C 
Published: December 2014

Summary
The aim of this study was to analyse the association of specific killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genes and haplotypes with susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its different clinical manifestations in a Spanish population. The presence or absence of all KIR genes was studied for their association with AS. A total of 176 patients with AS and 435 healthy control subjects were selected for this study based on clinical criteria. The commercial KIR-sequence-specific oligonucleotides (SSO) typing kit was used to investigate KIR typing. Frequencies of KIR2DS1 and KIR3DS1 genes were increased significantly in patients compared with healthy controls [52·8 versus 38·2%, PBonf &lt; 0·01, odds ratio (OR) = 1·81 (1·28–2·59); 51·7 versus 37·5%, PBonf &lt; 0·01, OR = 1·79 (1·25–2·54)]. Moreover, the frequency of activating genotypes in the AS patient group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P &lt; 0·05). KIR2DS1 and KIR3DS1, in addition to human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AS. However, we show that the contribution of the KIR genes to AS susceptibility extends beyond the association with individual KIRs, with an imbalance between activating and inhibitory KIR genes seeming to influence the susceptibility to AS.
Noninvasive study of coronary microcirculation response to a cold pressor test
Authors: Pham Isabelle , Nguyen Minh‐Tuan , Valensi Paul , Rousseau Hélène , Nitenberg Alain , Vicaut Eric , Cosson Emmanuel 
Published: December 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe aims of this study were to noninvasively (i) assess the coronary microcirculation changes in response to a cold pressor test (CPT) in control subjects, nondiabetic obese patients and patients with type 2 diabetes and (ii) investigate the response of the coronary microcirculation in patients with diabetes according to the presence or the absence of silent myocardial ischaemia (SMI), asymptomatic coronary stenosis (CS) and left ventricle hypertrophy (LVH).MethodsThe mean left anterior descending coronary flow velocity (mCFV) was measured using transthoracic Doppler before and after a CPT in 16 control subjects, 11 obese and 66 asymptomatic diabetic patients with a high cardiovascular risk. Patients with diabetes were screened for SMI using stress myocardial scintigraphy and/or echocardiography. A coronary angiography was performed in those with SMI.ResultsAt baseline, pressure–rate product (PRP) was correlated with mCFV (r = 0·23; P < 0·05) and left ventricle mass (r = 0·26; P < 0·05) in the whole population. Changes in PRP and mCFV during CPT were correlated with controls (r = 0·58, P < 0·05), obese (r = 0·75, P < 0·01) and diabetic patients without CS (r = 0·56, P < 0·0001) or without LVH (r = 0·63, P < 0·05) but not in diabetic patients with CS or with LVH. In patients with diabetes, SMI was associated with mCFV changes, independent of other parameters (P < 0·05).ConclusionTransthoracic coronary Doppler allows noninvasive study of changes in the coronary microcirculation during CPT. In asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes, this method showed that SMI was associated with mCFV changes during CPT and the presence of CS or LVH was associated with a mismatch between coronary microcirculation and myocardial oxygen demand.
Bees use honest floral signals as indicators of reward when visiting flowers
Authors: Knauer A. C. , Schiestl F. P. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractPollinators visit flowers for rewards and should therefore have a preference for floral signals that indicate reward status, so called ‘honest signals’. We investigated honest signalling in Brassica rapa L. and its relevance for the attraction of a generalised pollinator, the bumble bee Bombus terrestris (L.). We found a positive association between reward amount (nectar sugar and pollen) and the floral scent compound phenylacetaldehyde. Bumble bees developed a preference for phenylacetaldehyde over other scent compounds after foraging on B. rapa. When foraging on artificial flowers scented with synthetic volatiles, bumble bees developed a preference for those specific compounds that honestly indicated reward status. These results show that the honesty of floral signals can play a key role in their attractiveness to pollinators. In plants, a genetic constraint, resource limitation in reward and signal production, and sanctions against cheaters may contribute to the evolution and maintenance of honest signalling.
Predicting phytoplankton biomass and estimating critical N:P ratios with piecewise models that conform to Liebig's law of the minimum
Authors: Dolman Andrew M. , Wiedner Claudia 
Published: December 2014

Summary

The influence of nitrogen and phosphorus on the development of phytoplankton biomass is typically such that when one nutrient is limiting, variation in the availability of the other has little effect; this is known as Liebig's law of the minimum.

However, statistical models used to quantify the dependence of phytoplankton biomass on both nitrogen and phosphorus availability have typically assumed multiplicative effects of the two nutrients.

Here, we demonstrate that a new statistical model, which conforms to this law of the minimum, better describes the response of biomass to nitrogen and phosphorus and in addition provides an estimate of the ratio at which lake phytoplankton communities typically transition between nitrogen and phosphorus limitation.

This improvement holds for three large independent sets of lakes, and we conclude that the previous mismatch between the nature of resource limitation and the models used to investigate it may have contributed to an underestimation of the influence of nitrogen on freshwater phytoplankton biomass.
Microbial models with data‐driven parameters predict stronger soil carbon responses to climate change
Authors: Hararuk Oleksandra , Smith Matthew J. , Luo Yiqi 
Published: December 2014

AbstractLong‐term carbon (C) cycle feedbacks to climate depend on the future dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC). Current models show low predictive accuracy at simulating contemporarySOCpools, which can be improved through parameter estimation. However, major uncertainty remains in global soil responses to climate change, particularly uncertainty in how the activity of soil microbial communities will respond. To date, the role of microbes inSOCdynamics has been implicitly described by decay rate constants in most conventional global carbon cycle models. Explicitly including microbial biomass dynamics into C cycle model formulations has shown potential to improve model predictive performance when assessed against globalSOCdatabases. This study aimed to data‐constrained parameters of two soil microbial models, evaluate the improvements in performance of those calibrated models in predicting contemporary carbon stocks, and compare theSOCresponses to climate change and their uncertainties between microbial and conventional models. Microbial models with calibrated parameters explained 51% of variability in the observed totalSOC, whereas a calibrated conventional model explained 41%. The microbial models, when forced with climate and soil carbon input predictions from the 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), produced stronger soil C responses to 95 years of climate change than any of the 11CMIP5 models. The calibrated microbial models predicted between 8% (2‐pool model) and 11% (4‐pool model) soil C losses compared withCMIP5 model projections which ranged from a 7% loss to a 22.6% gain. Lastly, we observed unrealistic oscillatorySOCdynamics in the 2‐pool microbial model. The 4‐pool model also produced oscillations, but they were less prominent and could be avoided, depending on the parameter values.
Impact of agronomic uncertainty in biomass production and endogenous commodity prices on cellulosic biofuel feedstock composition
Authors: Dumortier Jerome 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThis study evaluates the effect of agronomic uncertainty on bioenergy crop production as well as endogenous commodity and biomass prices on the feedstock composition of cellulosic biofuels under a binding mandate in the United States. The county‐level simulation model focuses on both field crops (corn, soybean, and wheat) and biomass feedstocks (corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass, and Miscanthus). In addition, pasture serves as a potential area for bioenergy crop production. The economic model is calibrated to 2022 in terms of yield, crop demand, and baseline prices and allocates land optimally among the alternative crops given the binding cellulosic biofuel mandate. The simulation scenarios differ in terms of bioenergy crop type (switchgrass and Miscanthus) and yield, biomass production inputs, and pasture availability. The cellulosic biofuel mandates range from 15 to 60 billion L. The results indicate that the 15 and 30 billion L mandates in the high production input scenarios for switchgrass and Miscanthus are covered entirely by agricultural residues. With the exception of the low production input for Miscanthus scenario, the share of agricultural residues is always over 50% for all other scenarios including the 60 billion L mandate. The largest proportion of agricultural land dedicated to either switchgrass or Miscanthus is found in the southern Plains and the southeast. Almost no bioenergy crops are grown in the Midwest across all scenarios. Changes in the prices for the three commodities are negligible for cellulosic ethanol mandates because most of the mandate is met with agricultural residues. The lessons learned are that (1) the share of agricultural residue in the feedstock mix is higher than previously estimated and (2) for a given mandate, the feedstock composition is relatively stable with the exception of one scenario.
Making connections between global production networks for used goods and the realm of production: a case study on e‐waste governance
Authors: PICKREN GRAHAM 
Published: December 2014

AbstractRecent scholarship on waste within economic geography and global production network (GPN) studies has identified several unique characteristics of networks for used goods vis‐à‐vis ‘traditional’ GPN studies focused on production, exchange and consumption. However, in un‐bracketing GPNs to include analysis of post‐consumption activity, identifying how the distinct moments of production, exchange, consumption and disposal/recycling are related becomes a crucial task. Towards this end, I present a case study on the governance of e‐waste networks that draws upon discussions of performativity and Hudson's cultural political economy approach to GPNs. In my analysis, I demonstrate how multiple factors, such as ideological differences over how to handle e‐waste, the non‐standardized nature of used goods, as well as production factors such as design choices and planned obsolescence, all shape and disrupt efforts to standardize and coordinate resource recovery and hazard mitigation in the post‐consumption phase of electronic goods. Such analysis moves past the novelty of GPNs for used goods toward a more integrated understanding of GPNs as a whole.
Meiotic nuclear movements in fission yeast are regulated by the transcription factor Mei4 downstream of a Cds1‐dependent replication checkpoint pathway
Authors: Ruan Kun , Yamamoto Takaharu G. , Asakawa Haruhiko , Chikashige Yuji , Masukata Hisao , Haraguchi Tokuko , Hiraoka Yasushi 
Published: December 2014

In meiosis, the fission yeast nucleus displays an elongated morphology, moving back and forth within the cell; these nuclear movements continue for approximately 2 h before meiotic nuclear divisions. Meiotic DNA replication occurs in an early phase of the nuclear movements and is followed by meiotic prophase. Here we report that in mutants deficient in meiotic DNA replication, the duration of nuclear movements is strikingly prolonged to four to 5 h. We found that this prolongation was caused by the Cds1‐dependent replication checkpoint, which represses expression of the mei4+ gene encoding a meiosis‐specific transcription factor. In the absence of Mei4, nuclear movements persisted for more than 8 h. In contrast, overproduction of Mei4 accelerated termination of nuclear movements to approximately 30 min. These results show that Mei4 is involved in the termination of nuclear movements and that Mei4‐mediated regulatory pathways link a DNA replication checkpoint to the termination of nuclear movements.
Root canal content from primary endodontic infection and upregulation of gelatinases in fibroblast cells
Authors: Herrera D. R. , Silva E. J. N. L. , Santos C. C. , Zaia A. A. , Ferraz C. C. R. , Almeida J. F. A. , Gomes B. P. F. A. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractAimTo investigate endotoxin levels from primary endodontic infections before and after chemomechanical preparation (CMP) and to determine their antigenicity against 3T3 fibroblasts through gelatinolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).MethodologyTwenty‐four root canals with primary endodontic infection and apical periodontitis were selected. Samples were collected using paper points before (S1) and after chemomechanical preparation (CMP) (S2). The limulus amebocyte lysate assay was used for endotoxin measurement. Fibroblasts were stimulated with root canal contents for 24 h. Supernatants of cell cultures stimulated with root canal contents were collected after 24 h to determine the levels of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 gelatinolytic activity using the zymography technique. Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the amount of endotoxin before (S1) and after CMP (S2) (P < 0.05). Data obtained from gelatinolytic activity were analysed using anova and Tukey's tests (P < 0.05).ResultsEndotoxin was recovered in 100% of the samples. There was a significant reduction in endotoxin levels after CMP (P < 0.05). A correlation was found between the levels of endotoxins and MMP‐2 expression (P < 0.05). Root canal contents of initial samples (S1) induced significantly greater MMP‐2 expression by fibroblasts when compared to S2 and the nonstimulated group (P < 0.05). No gelatinolytic activity of MMP‐9 was observed in S1, S2 and control group.ConclusionsRoot canal contents from primary endodontic infections had gelatinolytic activity for MMP‐2. Moreover, CMP was effective in reducing endotoxin levels and their antigenicity against fibroblasts on gelatinolytic activity.
A conceptual approach to the creation of public–private partnerships in social welfare
Authors: Estes Richard J. , Zhou Huiquan 
Published: December 2014

All societies are confronted with complex, often difficult to overcome, challenges associated with changing population demographics. These challenges have placed increasing demands on society for social protection. Individual citizens, politicians, and scholars alike all are searching for the ideal configuration of the welfare mix, that is, a combination of various institutions that can offer the best possible combination of essential goods and services for everyone in every society.Key Practitioner Message:● The organization of the public–private welfare partnership as viewed from a conceptual perspective; ● The unique contextual and contemporary social forces that shape public–private partnerships in modern welfare state practice; ● Contrasts in the origins and nature of public–private partnerships between two of the world's most populous countries whose histories, traditions, values, and norms differ fundamentally from one another. Even so, considerable learning regarding welfare state formation in different societies is possible through the application of the Public–Private Development Mix to the analysis of welfare state formation in these two contrasting societies.
Aerosol Codeposition of Ceramics: Mixtures of Bi2O3–TiO2 and Bi2O3–V2O5
Authors: Exner Jörg , Fuierer Paul , Moos Ralf 
Published: December 2014

Aerosol deposition (AD) is a promising method to apply ceramic films on a wide range of substrate materials. Until now, AD has mainly been performed using a single ceramic powder. In this work, mixtures of two different ceramic powders were prepared. The first mixture consisted of Bi2O3 and TiO2 and the second consisted of Bi2O3 and V2O5, in stoichiometric ratios to form Bi4Ti3O12 and Bi4V2O11−δ, respectively. Aerosol codeposition produced films with homogeneously distributed particle fractions and thicknesses between 10 and 100 μm. Composite films were annealed to temperatures up to 750°C to enable an in situ calcination and attempted formation of the above‐mentioned compounds. Successful formation of Bi4Ti3O12 was tracked by hot‐stage X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and confirmed by dielectric measurements. Formation of the intended Bi4V2O11−δ, on the other hand, was not achieved, but rather BiVO4, which was confirmed by XRD, EDX and electrical measurements. The bismuth deficiency occurred during spray deposition, and is attributed to powder/material characteristics. Additional insight about the AD process is gained by comparing mixtures of oxides with different relative hardness values. Aerosol codeposition of ceramics may be an interesting new technique for producing porous functional ceramics.
Effect of Ta2O5 Substituting on Thermal and Optical Properties of High Refractive Index La2O3–Nb2O5 Glass System Prepared by Aerodynamic Levitation Method
Authors: Ma Xiaoguang , Peng Zhijian , Li Jianqiang 
Published: December 2014

High refractive index glasses with nominal composition of 0.35La2O3–(0.65−x)Nb2O5–xTa2O5 (x ≤ 0.35) were prepared by aerodynamic levitation method. The effect of Ta2O5 substituting on their thermal and optical properties was investigated. All the glasses obtained were colorless and transparent. Differential thermal analyzer results show that as the content of Ta2O5 increased, the thermal stability of the glasses increased but the glass‐forming ability decreased. The transmittance spectra of all the obtained glasses exhibited a wide transmittance window ranging from 380 to 5500 nm. As the content of Ta2O5 increased, the refractive index of the glasses was enhanced from 2.15 to 2.21 and the dispersion was reduced with the Abbe number increasing from 20 to 27.
Novel Synthesis of Low Hydroxyl Content Yb3+‐Doped Fluorophosphate Glasses with Long Fluorescence Lifetimes
Authors: Zheng Ruilin , Wang Zhongyue , Lv Peng , Yuan Ye , Zhang Ying , Zheng Jiajin , Wei Wei 
Published: December 2014

A novel dehydration method for preparing rare‐earth ions‐doped fluorophosphate glasses was presented using raw materials soaking and rapid heating process, and a series of water‐free Yb3+‐doped fluorophosphate glasses (FPC) were obtained. In contrast with other dehydration methods, we found that the Yb3+‐doped FPC has wide transmission range and long fluorescence lifetime. The hydroxyl groups (‐OH) absorption was barely observed in the range 260–3750 nm, and the UV absorption cut‐off wavelength was blue shifted by 100 nm. Under the optimal conditions, the maximum value of emission cross section and the fluorescence lifetime of FPC reached 0.82 pm2 and 2.67 ms, respectively. These excellent optical properties implied a potential application of the FPC glass in multicomponent glass fibers, IR lasers, and optical amplifiers.
What Explains the Valuation Difference between Intangible‐intensive Profit and Loss Firms?
Authors: Ciftci Mustafa , Darrough Masako 
Published: December 2014

AbstractPrior research suggests that loss firms are valued based on their abandonment/adaptation option values, while profit firms are valued as going concerns. However, conservative accounting treatment of expensing of R&D leads many R&D‐intensive firms to report losses even though they are not in financial distress. In this paper we investigate the difference in valuation of profit and loss firms that invest in intangibles, either through internal development (R&D) or purchases. The accounting treatment for internally developed intangibles is conservative in that US GAAP requires immediate expensing. Yet, it allows recognition of purchased intangibles. We find that in valuation of firms with high recognized‐intangible assets, book value has more prominence in loss firms than profit firms, while that is not the case for firms with high R&D expenditures. This suggests that their abandonment/adaptation option explains the difference in valuation between profit and loss firms with high recognized‐intangibles, while conservative accounting explains the valuation difference between profit and loss firms with high R&D intensity. This result suggests that recognition of intangibles in financial statements might mitigate the conservative bias in accounting numbers.