bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Productivity and resistance to weed invasion in four prairie biomass feedstocks with different diversity
Authors: Abernathy Jessica E. , Graham Dustin R. J. , Sherrard Mark E. , Smith Daryl D. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractHigh‐diversity mixtures of native tallgrass prairie vegetation should be effective biomass feedstocks because of their high productivity and low input requirements. These diverse mixtures should also enhance several of the ecosystem services provided by the traditional monoculture feedstocks used for bioenergy. In this study, we compared biomass production, year‐to‐year variation in biomass production, and resistance to weed invasion in four prairie biomass feedstocks with different diversity: one species – a switchgrass monoculture; five species – a mix of C4 grasses; 16 species – a mix of grasses, forbs, and legumes; and 32 species – a mix of grasses, forbs, legumes, and sedges. Each diversity treatment was replicated four times on three soil types for a total of 48 research plots (0.33–0.56 ha each). We measured biomass production by harvesting all plant material to ground level in ten randomly selected quadrats per plot. Weed biomass was measured as a subset of total biomass. We replicated this design over a five‐year period (2010–2014). Across soil types, the one‐, 16‐, and 32‐species treatments produced the same amount of biomass, but the one‐species treatment produced significantly more biomass than the five‐species treatment. The rank order of our four diversity treatments differed between soil types suggesting that soil type influences treatment productivity. Year‐to‐year variation in biomass production did not differ between diversity treatments. Weed biomass was higher in the one‐species treatment than the five‐, 16‐, and 32‐species treatments. The high productivity and low susceptibility to weed invasion of our 16‐ and 32‐species treatments supports the hypothesis that high‐diversity prairie mixtures would be effective biomass feedstocks in the Midwestern United States. The influence of soil type on relative feedstock performance suggests that seed mixes used for biomass should be specifically tailored to site characteristics for maximum productivity and stand success.
Trade and habitat change virtually eliminate theGreyParrotPsittacus erithacusfromGhana
Authors: Annorbah Nathaniel N. D. , Collar Nigel J. , Marsden Stuart J. 
Published: November 2015

The heavily traded Grey ParrotPsittacus erithacusis believed to have undergone rapid population decline, yet there are almost no quantitative data on abundance changes over time from anywhere within its huge range. We reviewed the species’ historical abundance across Ghana, undertook targeted searches during 3‐ to 5‐day visits to 42 100‐km2cells across the country's forest zone, repeated counts at 22 parrot roosts first performed two decades ago and gauged around 900 people's perceptions of the decline and its causes. In over 150 days of fieldwork, just 32 groups (maximum group size = 12) were recorded in 10 cells. Encounter rates averaged 0.15 individuals per hour of targeted search, around 15 times lower than those recorded in the early 1990s. No active roosts were found, and only 18 individuals were recorded in three roost areas that each harboured 700–1200 birds two decades ago. Interviewees stressed the importance of very tall trees of commercially important species such asTerminalia superbaandCeiba pentandrafor nesting and roosting, and believed that the felling of large trees on farmland (42% of responses) and trapping for trade (37%) were the two main causes of decline. Ghana has lost 90–99% of its Grey Parrots since 1992, a time when the population had presumably already been seriously reduced by two decades of extremely heavy trade. There is no evidence that, away from one or two localities, declines are less severe anywhere else within the West African range ofP. erithacus, or across the entire range of the recently split Timneh ParrotPsittacus timneh.
Classification success of six machine learning algorithms in radar ornithology
Authors: D. Rosa Isabel M. , Marques Ana Teresa , Palminha Gustavo , Costa Hugo , Mascarenhas Miguel , Fonseca Carlos , Bernardino Joana 
Published: November 2015

Radar systems have been increasingly used to monitor birds. To take full advantage of the large datasets provided by radars, researchers have implemented machine learning (ML) techniques that automatically read and attempt to classify targets. Here we used data collected from two locations in Portugal with two marine radar antennas (VSR and HSR) to apply and compare the performance of six ML algorithms that are widely used in the literature: random forests (RF), support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural networks (NN), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and decision trees (DT), all trained with several dataset configurations. We found that all algorithms performed well (area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) and accuracy > 0.80, P < 0.001) when discriminating birds from non‐biological targets such as vehicles, rain or wind turbines, but greater variance in the performance among algorithms was apparent when separating different bird functional groups or bird species (e.g. herons vs. gulls). In our case study, only RF was able to hold an accuracy > 0.80 for all classification tasks, although SVM and DT also performed well. Further, all algorithms correctly classified 86% and 66% (VSR and HSR) of the target points, and only 2% and 4% of these points were misclassified by all algorithms. Our results suggest that ML algorithms are suitable for classifying radar targets as birds, and thereby separating them from other non‐biological targets. The ability of these algorithms to correctly identify among bird species functional groups was found to be much weaker, but if properly trained and supported by a good ground truthing dataset, targeted to the relevant species groups, some of these algorithms are still able to achieve high accuracies in classification tasks. Such results indicate that ML algorithms are suitable for use in near real‐time monitoring of bird movements, and may help to mitigate collision of birds with, for example, wind turbines or airplanes.
Unsettled teamwork: communication and learning in the operating theatres of an urban hospital
Authors: Bezemer Jeff , Korkiakangas Terhi , Weldon Sharon‐Marie , Kress Gunther , Kneebone Roger 
Published: November 2015

AbstractAimTo explore the unsettling effects of increased mobility of nurses, surgeons and other healthcare professionals on communication and learning in the operating theatre.BackgroundIncreasingly, healthcare professionals step in and out of newly formed transient teams and work with colleagues they have not met before, unsettling previously relatively stable team work based on shared, local knowledge accumulated over significant periods of close collaboration.DesignAn ethnographic case study was conducted of the operating theatre department of a major teaching hospital in London.MethodVideo recordings were made of 20 operations, involving different teams. The recordings were systematically reviewed and coded. Instances where difficulties arose in the communication between scrub nurse and surgeons were identified and subjected to detailed, interactional analysis.FindingsInstrument requests frequently prompted clarification from the scrub nurse (e.g. ‘Sorry, what did you want?’). Such requests were either followed by a relatively elaborate clarification, designed to maximize learning opportunities, or a by a relatively minimal clarification, designed to achieve the immediate task at hand.ConclusionsSignificant variation exists in the degree of support given to scrub nurses requesting clarification. Some surgeons experience such requests as disruptions, while others treat them as opportunities to build shared knowledge.
Early changes in extracellular matrix in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Lepelletier F.‐X. , Mann D. M. A. , Robinson A. C. , Pinteaux E. , Boutin H. 
Published: November 2015

AimsAlthough changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold have been reported previously in Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to normal ageing, it is not known how alterations in the numerous components of the perivascular ECM might occur at different stages of AD. This study therefore investigates potential changes in basement membrane‐associated ECM molecules in relation to increasing Braak stages.MethodsThirty patients were divided into three groups (control subject, subclinical AD and AD patients). ECM levels of collagen IV, perlecan and fibronectin as well as human platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (hPECAM) were quantified by immunohistochemistry. Von Willebrand factor staining was measured to assess vessel density. Expression levels were correlated with the presence of amyloid plaques.ResultsCollagen IV, perlecan and fibronectin expression was increased in subclinical AD and AD patients when compared to controls, in frontal and temporal cortex, whilst no further increase was detected between subclinical AD and AD. These changes were not associated with an increase in vessel density, which was instead decreased in the temporal cortex of AD patients. In contrast, hPECAM levels remained unchanged. Finally, we found similar pattern in levels of amyloid deposition between the different Braak stages and showed that changes in ECM components correlated with amyloid deposition.ConclusionPresent data support the hypothesis that significant ECM changes occur during the early stages of AD. ECM changes affecting brain microvascular functions could therefore drive disease progression and provide potential new early investigational biomarkers in AD.
Locally Efficient Semiparametric Estimators for Proportional Hazards Models with Measurement Error
Authors: Xu Yuhang , Li Yehua , Song Xiao 
Published: November 2015

AbstractWe propose a new class of semiparametric estimators for proportional hazards models in the presence of measurement error in the covariates, where the baseline hazard function, the hazard function for the censoring time, and the distribution of the true covariates are considered as unknown infinite dimensional parameters. We estimate the model components by solving estimating equations based on the semiparametric efficient scores under a sequence of restricted models where the logarithm of the hazard functions are approximated by reduced rank regression splines. The proposed estimators are locally efficient in the sense that the estimators are semiparametrically efficient if the distribution of the error‐prone covariates is specified correctly and are still consistent and asymptotically normal if the distribution is misspecified. Our simulation studies show that the proposed estimators have smaller biases and variances than competing methods. We further illustrate the new method with a real application in an HIV clinical trial.
Single-cell transcriptomics reveals receptor transformations during olfactory neurogenesis
Authors: Hanchate Naresh K. , Kondoh Kunio , Lu Zhonghua , Kuang Donghui , Ye Xiaolan , Qiu Xiaojie , Pachter Lior , Trapnell Cole , Buck Linda B. 
Published: November 2015

Maturation of olfactory neuronsThe sense of smell depends on neurons in the olfactory epithelium to perceive chemical scents. Each neuron specializes with one receptor. Hanchateet al.now show that the one-for-one relationship is not as simple as thought. As new neurons develop to replenish the olfactory epithelium, they initially express several different alleles of olfactory receptors. Then, as each neuron matures, they specialize to express a single receptor.Science, this issue p. 1251
Genome Sequence of Complex HIV-1 Unique Recombinant Forms Sharing a Common Recombination Breakpoint Identified in Malaysia
Authors: Cheong Hui Ting , Ng Kim Tien , Ong Lai Yee , Takebe Yutaka , Chan Kok Gan , Koh Clayton , Al-Darraji Haider Abdulrazzaq Abed , Kamarulzaman Adeeba , Tee Kok Keng 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT
Three strains of HIV-1 unique recombinant forms (URFs) descended from subtypes B, B′, and CRF01_AE were identified among people who inject drugs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These three URFs shared a common recombination breakpoint in the reverse transcriptase region, indicating frequent linkage within the drug-injecting networks in Malaysia.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Cercospora arachidicola,
Causal Agent of Early Leaf Spot in Peanuts
Authors: Orner Valerie A. , Cantonwine Emily G. , Wang Xinye Monica , Abouelleil Amr , Bochicchio James , Nusbaum Chad , Culbreath Albert K. , Abdo Zaid , Arias Renee S. 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

Cercospora arachidicola
, causal agent of early leaf spot, is an economically important peanut pathogen. Lack of genetic information about this fungus prevents understanding the role that potentially diverse genotypes may have in peanut breeding programs. Here, we report for the first time a draft genome sequence of
C. arachidicola
.
Draft Genome Sequence of Caedibacter varicaedens, a Kappa Killer Endosymbiont Bacterium of the Ciliate
Paramecium biaurelia
Authors: Suzuki Haruo , Dapper Amy L. , Jackson Craig E. , Lee Heewook , Pejaver Vikas , Doak Thomas G. , Lynch Michael , Preer John R. 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

Caedibacter varicaedens
is a kappa killer endosymbiont bacterium of the ciliate
Paramecium biaurelia
. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of
C. varicaedens
.
Middle Pleistocene glaciations in the Apennines, Italy: new chronological data and preservation of the glacial record
Authors: Giraudi Carlo , Giaccio Biagio 
Published: November 2015

Abstract
A review of the existing data for the Middle Pleistocene glacial remnants in the Apennines and new stratigraphic and tephrochronological data has enabled us to recognize at least five glacial stages during Marine Isotope Stages 14, 12, 10, 8 and 6. In particular, the identification of deposits attributable to Marine Isotope Stage 12 has filled a gap that was hitherto difficult to justify because, in the Mediterranean area, this glacial period is characterized by significant climatic changes that are connected with major environmental changes and glacial stages in the neighbouring Balkans and in Greece. The association between the Middle Pleistocene moraines and closed karst-tectonic basins, which are related to faults active in post-glacial times, suggests that tectonics has played a leading role in accommodating sediment deposition and thus in preserving the sedimentary record of these glaciations. Tectonic activity has, in some places, significantly influenced the altitude of the glacial cirques and the terminal moraines so that assessment of the equilibrium-line altitude based on these data is unreliable.
¿Amenaza o Realidad? La Judicialización del Conflicto Laboral en Chile.
Authors: Gutierrez Crocco Francisca 
Published: November 2015

El presente artículo muestra cómo el conflicto laboral en Chile se encuentra altamente judicializado. Se explica este proceso como el resultado de un doble proceso. Por un lado, las políticas laborales de las últimas tres décadas. Por el otro, la voluntad de trabajadores y sindicatos de luchar por sus derechos eludiendo las restricciones que impone la legislación a la huelga. Asimismo, el artículo discute los efectos que este proceso ha tenido para los trabajadores. Por último, se señalan algunas recomendaciones generales para una eventual Reforma Laboral.
Resident Memory T Cells as Surrogate Markers of the Efficacy of Cancer Vaccines
Authors: Nizard Mevyn , Roussel Hélène , Tartour Eric 
Published: November 2015

Abstract
Cancer vaccine boost via the cervicovaginal rather than the intramuscular route of immunization appears to be crucial to induce genital CD8+ T cells and tumor regression. This clinical activity is correlated with the ability of the mucosal boost to elicit resident memory T cells in the genital tract. Clin Cancer Res; 22(3); 530–2. ©2015 AACR.
See related article by Sun et al., p. 657
Impact of Collateral Status Evaluated by Dynamic Computed Tomographic Angiography on Clinical Outcome in Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Authors: van den Wijngaard Ido R. , Boiten Jelis , Holswilder Ghislaine , Algra Ale , Dippel Diederik W.J. , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Wermer Marieke J.H. , van Walderveen Marianne A.A. 
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose—
Status of collateral circulation is a strong predictor of outcome after acute ischemic stroke. Our aim was to compare the predictive value of strategies for collateral blood flow assessment with dynamic computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and conventional single-phase CT angiography.

Methods—
Patients with a proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion underwent noncontrast CT, single-phase CTA and whole brain CT perfusion/dynamic CTA within 9 hours after stroke onset. We defined poor outcome as a score on the modified Rankin Scale score of ≥3. The association between collateral score and clinical outcome at 3 months was analyzed with Poisson regression. The prognostic value of collateral scoring with dynamic CTA and single-phase CTA in addition to age, stroke severity, and noncontrast CT was assessed with logistic regression and summarized with the area under the curve.

Results—

Seventy patients were included, with a mean age of 68 years. We observed an increased risk of poor outcome in patients with poor collaterals on single-phase CTA (risk ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–3.1) and on dynamic CTA (risk ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–2.7). The prediction of poor clinical outcome by means of collateral adjustment was better with dynamic CTA (area under the curve, 0.84; likelihood ratio test
P
<0.01) than by single-phase CTA (area under the curve, 0.80; likelihood ratio test
P
=0.33).

Conclusions—
Collateral assessment with dynamic CTA better predicts clinical outcome at 3 months than single-phase conventional CTA.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg
. Unique identifier: NTR1804. URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00880113.
Phone and Video-Based Modalities of Central Blinded Adjudication of Modified Rankin Scores in an Endovascular Stroke Trial
Authors: López-Cancio Elena , Salvat Mercè , Cerdà Neus , Jiménez Marta , Codas Javier , Llull Laura , Boned Sandra , Cano Luis M. , Lara Blanca , Molina Carlos , Cobo Erik , Dávalos Antoni , Jovin Tudor G. , Serena Joaquín 
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose—
The standard outcome measure in stroke research is modified Rankin scale (mRS) evaluated by local blinded investigators. We aimed to assess feasibility and reliability of 2 central adjudication methods of mRS in the setting of a randomized endovascular stroke trial.

Methods—
This is a secondary analysis derived from the Randomized Trial of Revascularization With Solitaire FR Device Versus Best Medical Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Stroke Due to Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion Presenting Within Eight Hours of Symptom Onset (REVASCAT) trial cohort. Primary outcome was distribution of mRS at 90 days. Local evaluation was done by certified investigators masked to treatment assignment using structured face-to-face interviews. In addition, central assessment was performed by 2 independent raters via structured phone interview (n=120) and via video recordings of the face-to-face interviews with local investigators (n=106). Interrater agreement was evaluated using kappa and discordance statistics. Sensitivity analyses for the primary end point using different adjudication approaches were performed. Correlation between mRS obtained with each modality and 24-hour follow-up infarct volumes was studied.

Results—

Using local evaluation as the reference, higher agreement rates were noted with central video than with central phone evaluations (
k
w
0.92 [0.88–0.96] versus 0.77 [0.72–0.83]). Discrepancies in mRS scoring between local and central raters (phone- and video-based) were similar in both treatment allocation arms. Sensitivity analyses showed benefit of endovascular treatment irrespective of adjudication method, but higher odds ratios were observed with local evaluations. Final infarct volume was similarly correlated with mRS across all 3 evaluation modalities.

Conclusions—
Central adjudication of mRS is feasible, reducing interrater variability and avoiding potential problems related to lack of blinding. Our findings may have implications in the planning of future randomized acute stroke trials, especially in those including nonpharmacological interventions.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01692379.
Observations of Small-Scale Secondary Instabilities during the Shoaling of Internal Bores on a Deep-Ocean Slope
Authors: Cyr Frédéric , van Haren Hans 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe Rockall Bank area, located in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, is a region dominated by topographically trapped diurnal tides. These tides generate up- and downslope displacements that can be locally described as swashing motions on the bank. Using high spatial and time resolution of moored temperature sensors, the transition toward the upslope flow (cooling phase) is described as a rapid upslope-propagating bore, likely generated by breaking trapped internal waves. Buoyant anomalies are found during the bore propagation, likely resulting from small-scale instabilities. The imbalance between the rate of disappearance of available potential energy and the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy suggests that these instabilities are growing (i.e., young) and have high mixing potential.
Professional values of Turkish nurses: A descriptive study
Authors: Cetinkaya-Uslusoy Esin , Paslı-Gürdogan Eylem , Aydınlı Ayse 
Published: November 2015

Background: Professional values improve the quality of nurses’ professional lives, reduce emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, increase personal success, and help to make collaborations with the members of the healthcare team more frequent. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the professional values of Turkish nurses and to explore the relationships between nurses’ characteristics. Methods: This was a descriptive study of a convenience sample consisting of 269 clinical nurses. A questionnaire was used to identify socio-demographic characteristics, and the Nurses’ Professional Values Scale was applied. Ethical considerations: Permission to conduct the study was received from the hospital and the Institutional Review Boards of the Süleyman Demirel University ethic committee. Results: The mean scale score of the participant nurses was 165.41 ± 20.79. The results of this study revealed that human dignity was the most important professional value for nurses, and the importance attached to these values showed statistically significant differences by age, length of service, educational level, marital status, position at work, and receiving relevant in-service training. Conclusion: Nurses’ Professional Values Scale scores showed that nurses give above average and attached importance to professional values.