bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ALMA observations of 99 GHz free–free and H40α line emission from star formation in the centre of NGC 253
Authors: Bendo G. J. , Beswick R. J. , D'Cruze M. J. , Dickinson C. , Fuller G. A. , Muxlow T. W. B. 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of 99.02 GHz free–free and H40α emission from the centre of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253. We calculate electron temperatures of 3700–4500 K for the photoionized gas, which agrees with previous measurements. We measure a photoionizing photon production rate of (3.2 ± 0.2) × 1053 s−1 and a star formation rate of 1.73 ± 0.12 M⊙ yr−1 within the central 20 × 10 arcsec, which fall within the broad range of measurements from previous millimetre and radio observations but which are better constrained. We also demonstrate that the dust opacities are ∼3 dex higher than inferred from previous near-infrared data, which illustrates the benefits of using millimetre star formation tracers in very dusty sources.
Distinguishing types of compact-object binaries using the gravitational-wave signatures of their mergers
Authors: Mandel Ilya , Haster Carl-Johan , Dominik Michal , Belczynski Krzysztof 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
We analyse the distinguishability of populations of coalescing binary neutron stars, neutron-star black hole binaries, and binary black holes, whose gravitational-wave signatures are expected to be observed by the advanced network of ground-based interferometers LIGO and Virgo. We consider population-synthesis predictions for plausible merging binary distributions in mass space, along with measurement accuracy estimates from the main gravitational-wave parameter-estimation pipeline. We find that for our model compact-object binary mass distribution, we can always distinguish binary neutron stars and black hole–neutron-star binaries, but not necessarily black hole–neutron-star binaries and binary black holes; however, with a few tens of detections, we can accurately identify the three subpopulations and measure their respective rates.
Role of Coping With Symptoms in Depression and Disability
Authors: van Tilburg Miranda A.L. , Claar Robyn L. , Romano Joan M. , Langer Shelby L. , Walker Lynn S. , Whitehead William E. , Abdullah Bisher , Christie Dennis L. , Levy Rona L. 
Published: May 2015

ABSTRACTBackground:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and abdominal pain of functional origin (AP) are common gastrointestinal disorders in children, which are associated with increased risk for depression and disability. Both symptom severity and coping with symptoms may contribute to these outcomes. We hypothesized that children with AP use different coping strategies compared with those with IBD for a number of reasons, including the fact that fewer treatment options are available to them. We also examined whether coping was related to depression and functional disability beyond the contributions of symptom severity.Methods:The study method included secondary data analysis of 2 existing data sets including 200 children with AP (73% girls, mean age 11.2 years) and 189 children with IBD (49% girls, mean age 13.8 years).Results:Compared with patients with IBD, patients with AP reported more use of coping strategies of self‐isolation, behavioral disengagement, and catastrophizing, as well as problem solving and seeking social support. Multivariate analyses revealed that, in both samples, ≥1 coping strategies were associated with depression and functional disability, independent of symptom severity, and controlling for age and sex. In IBD, symptoms were not a significant predictor of depression but coping was. Catastrophizing predicted depression and disability in both samples.Conclusions:Patients with AP report more frequent use of several of the coping strategies we measured compared with patients with IBD. Certain types of coping, particularly catastrophizing, were associated with greater depression and functional disability in both groups. Clinicians should be aware of maladaptive coping, which may be a risk factor for poor psychosocial and functional outcomes in both patient groups.
Plummer‐Vinson Syndrome in Children
Authors: Butori Mathilde , Mahmoudi Sana , Dugelay‐Ecochard Emmanuelle , Belarbi Nadia , Bellaïche Marc , Hugot Jean‐Pierre , Viala Jérôme 
Published: May 2015

ABSTRACTObjectives:Plummer‐Vinson syndrome (PVS), also called Kelly‐Paterson syndrome, is a rare cause of dysphagia in children. This syndrome associates single or multiple webs in the upper esophagus with frequent iron deficiency.Methods:We reported 3 pediatric cases of PVS before analyzing all of the cases of PVS in children reported in the PubMed and EMBASE databases.Results:Among 17 reported PVS cases in children, all of the patients experienced iron‐deficiency anemia, and no immunological disease was reported. The male/female ratio was 1/1.9, and most cases were observed in adolescents. Conversely to adults, endoscopic dilation was often necessary because dysphagia resisted iron supplementation. A single dilation was usually sufficient. One case of pediatric PVS experienced esophageal cancer in adulthood.Conclusions:In the case of dysphagia in children, a swallow barium exploration with lateral incidence should look for PVS. Conversely to adults, an endoscopic dilation is frequently necessary to control dysphagia in children.
Inferring species interactions from co-occurrence data with Markov networks
Authors: Harris David J. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractInferring species interactions from co-occurrence data is one of the most controversial tasks in community ecology. One difficulty is that a single pairwise interaction can ripple through an ecological network and produce surprising indirect consequences. For example, the negative correlation between two competing species can be reversed in the presence of a third species that is capable of outcompeting both of them. Here, I apply models from statistical physics, called Markov networks or Markov random fields, that can predict the direct and indirect consequences of any possible species interaction matrix. Interactions in these models can also be estimated from observed co-occurrence rates via maximum likelihood, controlling for indirect effects. Using simulated landscapes with known pairwise interaction strengths, I evaluated Markov networks and six existing approaches. The Markov networks consistently outperformed other methods, correctly isolating direct interactions between species pairs even when indirect interactions or abiotic factors largely overpowered them. Two computationally efficient approximations, based on controlling for indirect effects with linear or generalized linear models, also performed well. Indirect effects reliably caused a common null modeling approach to produce incorrect inferences, however.
Impacts of grazing by different large herbivores in grassland depend on plant species diversity
Authors: Liu Jun , Feng Chao , Wang Deli , Wang Ling , Wilsey Brian J. , Zhong Zhiwei 
Published: May 2015

Summary

It is well documented that large herbivores have pronounced effects on plant communities in grassland ecosystems, and the extent and course of their effects can largely depend on both plant and herbivore characteristics. Previous studies highlighted the importance of plant productivity in predicting the impact of herbivores on grasslands. Yet, there has been little consideration of how different herbivores affect plant communities that, in turn, differ in plant diversity.

In a 2‐year grazing experiment, we tested the effects of large herbivores (cattle or sheep, or both together) on plant communities under high and low plant diversity levels in eastern Eurasian steppe.

We found that, for high plant diversity grassland, mixed grazing by cattle and sheep significantly increases plant diversity, but we found no effect of grazing by cattle or sheep alone. Grazing by cattle or sheep alone or mixed grazing by cattle and sheep did not significantly affect plant biomass in the high diversity grassland. However, for low plant diversity grassland, grazing by cattle alone and mixed grazing by cattle and sheep significantly increased plant diversity, but significantly decreased plant biomass. There was no significant impact on both plant diversity and biomass from sheep grazing.

Synthesis and applications. We conclude that the effects of grazing in grassland strongly depend on herbivore assemblages and pre‐grazing plant diversity. Herbivore grazing might contribute more to the maintenance of grassland structure and ecosystem functioning under high plant diversity compared with low plant diversity. Furthermore, our data suggest that multiple‐species mixed grazing regimes in grassland systems with high plant diversity could represent the optimal protocol for grazing management. This study emphasizes the importance of maintaining both plant and herbivore diversity to optimize ecosystem functioning.
Organic farming enhances parasitoid diversity at the local and landscape scales
Authors: Inclán Diego J. , Cerretti Pierfilippo , Gabriel Doreen , Benton Tim G. , Sait Steven M. , Kunin William E. , Gillespie Mark A. K. , Marini Lorenzo 
Published: May 2015

Summary

The magnitude of the benefits derived from organic farming within contrasting managed landscapes remains unclear and, in particular, the potential scale‐dependent response of insect parasitoids is relatively unexplored. Identifying the scale at which parasitoids are affected by organic farming will be an important step to enhance their conservation.

We sampled tachinid parasitoids at the centre and margin of arable and grassland fields on paired organic and conventional farms located in landscapes with different proportions of organic land. A total of 192 fields were sampled in two biogeographical regions of the UK.

We found that the positive effect of organic farming on tachinid parasitoid diversity can be observed at multiple spatial scales. At the local scale, we found higher abundance and species richness of tachinid parasitoids on organic than on conventional farms and on field margins than on field centres. At the landscape scale, the diversity of tachinids was higher in landscapes with higher proportions of organic land. At both scales, the positive effect of organic farming was clear for arable fields, while it was almost neutral for grasslands.

Synthesis and applications. Any attempt to enhance parasitoid diversity in agricultural landscapes needs to consider the local management in relation to the habitat type, location within the field and agricultural management in the surrounding landscape. To restore parasitoid diversity, the promotion of organic agriculture should aim to increase both the total extent of organic farming and the connectivity of individual farms. As the benefits of organic farming to biodiversity clearly spread beyond individual farm boundaries, any assessment of organic farming should consider these positive externalities.
REVIEW: Identifying, preventing and mitigating ecological traps to improve the management of urban aquatic ecosystems
Authors: Hale Robin , Coleman Rhys , Pettigrove Vincent , Swearer Stephen E. 
Published: May 2015

Summary
Urbanization alters the environmental characteristics of aquatic ecosystems, often reducing the availability and quality of habitats for animals. Improving the condition of urban waterbodies is increasingly important, but management activities could have unintended outcomes that increase the extinction risk for animals.
A mismatch can exist between human perceptions of habitat quality, and what represents functional habitats for animals. This can lead to animals not responding to management activities, if presumed high‐quality habitats are unsuitable. More seriously, the fitness of animals could be compromised by management activities, especially if animals prefer threatening habitats resulting in an ecological trap.
Ecological traps can drive populations to extinction and may arise directly from management activities. However, there has been limited work on how to best manage traps despite their important implications for the conservation and management of animal populations.
We illustrate how urban management activities could cause ecological traps, and potential ways that traps could be managed. We outline a decision framework to identify, prevent and mitigate ecological traps, and illustrate this framework using stormwater wetlands as a case study. Stormwater wetlands have many features of natural wetlands but accumulate pollutants as part of the stormwater treatment process and there is a high likelihood some are traps. If so, this will be an important environmental issue, given the rate at which these wetlands are being created around many cities.
Synthesis and application. Ecological traps that arise as unintended outcomes of management activities could represent a serious but currently underappreciated environmental problem. Our study will help minimize the risk that management activities inadvertently decouple habitat selection cues from habitat quality, and mitigate the potential consequences for animals when this does occur. This is an important step to ensure that management activities achieve desired ecological outcomes and do not result in unintentional environmental degradation.
Cost‐effective assessment of extinction risk with limited information
Authors: Bland Lucie M. , Orme C. David L. , Bielby Jon , Collen Ben , Nicholson Emily , McCarthy Michael A. 
Published: May 2015

Summary

Cost‐effective reduction of uncertainty in global biodiversity indicators is a central goal of conservation. Comprising a sixth of the 74 000+ species currently on the IUCN Red List, Data Deficient species contribute to considerable uncertainty in estimates of extinction risk. Estimating levels of risk in Data Deficient species will require large resources given the costs of surveys and Red List assessments. Predicting extinction risk from species traits and geographical information could provide a cheaper approach for determining the proportion of Data Deficient species at risk of extinction.

We use double sampling theory to compare the cost‐effectiveness of predictive models and IUCN Red List assessments for estimating risk levels in Data Deficient terrestrial mammals, amphibians, reptiles and crayfish. For each group, we calibrate machine learning models of extinction risk on species of known conservation status and assess their cost and reliability relative to field surveys followed by Red List assessments.

We show that regardless of model type used or species group examined, it is always more cost‐effective to determine the conservation status of all species with models and assess a small proportion of species with IUCN criteria (double sampling), rather than spend the same resources on field surveys and Red List assessments alone (single sampling).

We estimate that surveying and re‐assessing all Data Deficient species currently listed on the IUCN Red List (12 206 species) with IUCN criteria would cost a minimum of US $323 million. Double sampling reduces the cost of determining the proportion of Data Deficient species at risk of extinction by up to 68%, because <6% of Data Deficient species would need to be surveyed and assessed with IUCN criteria.

Synthesis and applications. Double sampling with models cost‐effectively estimates extinction risk levels in poorly known species and can be used to reduce the impact of uncertainty in the Red List and Red List Index. We provide recommendations for uptake by managers and a sampling planner spreadsheet. Double sampling could be applied more widely in ecology and conservation to formally compare the cost‐effectiveness of sampling methods differing in cost and reliability.
The Future of Social Policy in Scotland: Will Further Devolved Powers Lead to Better Social Policies for Disabled People?
Authors: Rummery Kirstein , McAngus Craig 
Published: May 2015

AbstractScotland has laid claim to being ‘different’ from the rest of the UK with regards to disability policy. This article examines the evidence for that with regard to long‐term and social care, and discusses the possibilities opened up by the devolution of disability benefits. It asks whether Scotland will demonstrate policy divergence from the rest of the UK, and whether that is likely to be beneficial for disabled people. It argues that Scotland has the potential to create better social policies for disabled people, but faces significant challenges in doing so.
letsR: a new R package for data handling and analysis in macroecology
Authors: Vilela Bruno , Villalobos Fabricio 
Published: May 2015

Summary

The current availability of large ecological data sets and the computational capacity to handle them have fostered the testing and development of theory at broad spatial and temporal scales. Macroecology has particularly benefited from this era of big data, but tools are still required to help transforming this data into information and knowledge.

Here, we present ‘letsR’, a package for the R statistical computing environment, designed to handle and analyse macroecological data such as species’ geographic distributions (polygons in shapefile format and point occurrences) and environmental variables (in raster format). The package also includes functions to obtain data on species’ habitat use, description year and current as well as temporal trends in conservation status as provided by the IUCN RedList online data base.

‘letsR’ main functionalities are based on the presence–absence matrices that can be created with the package's functions and from which other functions can be applied to generate, for example species richness rasters, geographic mid‐points of species and species‐ and site‐based attributes.

We exemplify the package's functionality by describing and evaluating the geographic pattern of species’ description year in tailless amphibians. All data preparation and most analyses were made using the ‘letsR’ functions. Our example illustrates the package's capability for conducting macroecological analyses under a single computer platform, potentially helping researchers to save time and effort in this endeavour.
Valid auto‐models for spatially autocorrelated occupancy and abundance data
Authors: Bardos David C. , Guillera‐Arroita Gurutzeta , Wintle Brendan A. 
Published: May 2015

Summary

Spatially autocorrelated species abundance or distribution data sets typically generate spatially autocorrelated residuals in generalized linear models; a broader modelling framework is therefore required. Auto‐logistic and related auto‐models, implemented approximately as autocovariate regression, provide simple and direct modelling of spatial population processes. The auto‐logistic model has been widely applied in ecology since Augustin, Mugglestone and Buckland (Journal of Applied Ecology, 1996, 33, 339) analysed red deer census data using a hybrid estimation approach, combining maximum pseudo‐likelihood estimation with Gibbs sampling of missing data. However, Dormann (Ecological Modelling, 2007, 207, 234) questioned the validity of auto‐logistic regression even for fully observed data, giving examples of apparent underestimation of covariate parameters in analysis of simulated ‘snouter’ data. Dormann et al. (Ecography, 2007, 30, 609) extended this critique to auto‐Poisson and certain auto‐normal models, finding again that autocovariate‐regression estimates for covariate parameters bore little resemblance to values employed to generate ‘snouter’ data.

We note that all the above studies employ neighbourhood weighting schemes inconsistent with auto‐model definitions; in the auto‐Poisson case, a further inconsistency was the failure to exclude cooperative interactions. We investigate the impact of these implementation errors on auto‐model estimation using both empirical and simulated data sets.

We show that when ‘snouter’ data are reanalysed using valid weightings, very different estimates are obtained for covariate parameters. For auto‐logistic and auto‐normal models, the new estimates agree closely with values used to generate the ‘snouter’ simulations. Re‐analysis of the red deer data shows that invalid neighbourhood weightings generate only small estimation errors for the full data set, but larger errors occur on geographic subsamples. A substantial fraction of papers employing auto‐logistic regression use these invalid neighbourhood weightings, which were embedded as default options in the widely used ‘spdep’ spatial dependence package for R.

Auto‐logistic analyses conducted using invalid neighbourhood weightings will be erroneous to an extent that can vary widely. These analyses can easily be corrected by using valid neighbourhood weightings available in ‘spdep’. The hybrid estimation approach for missing data is readily adapted for valid neighbourhood weighting schemes and is implemented here in R for application to sparse presence–absence data.
Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in a South African City with a Predominantly Black African Population
Authors: Urban Michael F. , Olivier Leana , Viljoen Denis , Lombard Chanelle , Louw Jacobus G. , Drotsky Lian‐Marie , Temmerman Marleen , Chersich Matthew F. 
Published: May 2015

BackgroundFetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are common in some South African populations, notably those of mixed ancestry descent in rural areas and small towns. Little is known about FAS/FASD prevalence in the majority of South Africans: city dwellers of Black African ethnicity. This study describes the prevalence of FAS in a South African city, comparing 2 suburbs with predominantly mixed ancestry (Roodepan) and Black African (Galeshewe) populations that house over 60% of the city population.MethodsWe conducted a tiered, active case ascertainment study for the prevalence of FAS and also detected some less clinically specific FASD cases. All first‐grade learners in the 2 suburbs were eligible for anthropometric screening, and screen‐positive learners were assessed for dysmorphic features of FAS. Those with suggestive clinical features received neurocognitive assessment, and maternal or collateral interview. Final diagnosis was made following a case conference.ResultsComplete ascertainment of FAS status was made in 1,503 (94.7%) of 1,587 eligible learners (435 in Roodepan and 1,152 in Galeshewe). Overall, FAS was diagnosed in 83 (5.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.4 to 6.8) learners and FASD in 96 (6.4%, 95% CI = 5.2 to 7.7). Levels of FAS were high in both areas: 26 (6.3%, 95% CI = 4.2 to 9.2) learners from Roodepan, compared to 57 (5.2%, 95% CI = 4.0 to 6.7) from Galeshewe (p = 0.39). No cases were previously diagnosed. The mortality rate for mothers of FASD children from Galeshewe was 19 of 65 (29%), compared to 3 of 31 (9.7%; p = 0.03) for Roodepan. Interviewed mothers in Galeshewe were older and had higher body mass index.ConclusionsPrevalence of FAS is high in both Galeshewe and Roodepan, and the lack of prior diagnoses indicates that awareness remains low. The maternal mortality rate was especially high in Galeshewe. The unexpectedly high burden of FAS in an urban area with predominantly Black African population mandates extension of surveillance and intervention measures in southern Africa.