bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lack of impact of angiotensin‐converting enzyme gene polymorphism and salt intake on insulin resistance and limb blood flow
Authors: Foo Marjorie , Coppack Simon W. , Denver Ann E. , Bulmer Karen , Yudkin John S. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryObjectivesWe postulated the mechanism for the association between angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and insulin sensitivity might relate to changes in blood flow regulation. We studied the association of this polymorphism with insulin action, and insulin‐mediated changes in limb blood flow (LBF), under conditions of high and low salt intake. We also studied effects of genotype and salt loading on renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) activity.Materials/MethodsTwenty people with (10 I/I; 10 D/D) and 23 without (10 I/I; 13 D/D), type 2 diabetes were studied during 6 days of 40 mmol/day and 220 mmol/day sodium diet in a randomized, double‐blind cross‐over fashion. On the sixth day of each condition, we measured 24‐h blood pressure, plasma volume, LBF and insulin sensitivity during hyperinsulinaemic clamp at low (40 mU/m2/min) and high (600 mU/m2/min) dose insulin infusion.ResultsSalt intake variation produced greater effects on the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system than ACE genotype. Diabetes status and insulin infusion were associated with differences in the metabolic clearance rate of glucose, (P < 0·001 for each) and insulin infusion increased LBF (P < 0·001). However, ACE genotype and salt intake had no consistent impacts on either variable in nondiabetic and diabetic subgroups, or in the combined group.ConclusionsReported differences in insulin sensitivity between ACE genotypes were not found in this study under strict regulation of sodium intake. Insulin sensitivity was also unaffected in either group by sodium loading. ACE genotype and salt status do not impact on insulin sensitivity through changes in limb blood flow during hyperinsulinaemia.
Obstructive sleep apnoea, insulin resistance and adipocytokines
Authors: Lam David C.L. , Lam Karen S.L. , Ip Mary S.M. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with multiple cardiometabolic abnormalities. Obesity is considered a major risk factor for the development of OSA, and it is also an established risk factor for insulin resistance and other cardiometabolic disorders. The enigma remains whether OSA has any causal role in the adverse metabolic profile, independent of or beyond that due to obesity. Sleep apnoeas and hypopnoeas result directly in intermittent hypoxaemia and cerebral arousals, both of which may evoke a cascade of downstream biologic responses in various body tissues and cells. Adipose tissue is a major source of adipocytokines many of which play important roles in the regulation of various metabolic functions. It is hypothesized that OSA may, through its unique pathophysiology, affect metabolic function through modulation of production or action of adipocytokines. This review focuses on insulin resistance, glucose metabolism and relevant adipocytokines in the context of OSA.
Incorporating detectability of threatened species into environmental impact assessment
Authors: Garrard Georgia E. , Bekessy Sarah A. , McCarthy Michael A. , Wintle Brendan A. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractEnvironmental impact assessment (EIA) is a key mechanism for protecting threatened plant and animal species. Many species are not perfectly detectable and, even when present, may remain undetected during EIA surveys, increasing the risk of site‐level loss or extinction of species. Numerous methods now exist for estimating detectability of plants and animals. Despite this, regulations concerning survey protocol and effort during EIAs fail to adequately address issues of detectability. Probability of detection is intrinsically linked to survey effort; thus, minimum survey effort requirements are a useful way to address the risks of false absences. We utilized 2 methods for determining appropriate survey effort requirements during EIA surveys. One method determined the survey effort required to achieve a probability of detection of 0.95 when the species is present. The second method estimated the survey effort required to either detect the species or reduce the probability of presence to 0.05. We applied these methods to Pimelea spinscens subsp. spinescens, a critically endangered grassland plant species in Melbourne, Australia. We detected P. spinescens in only half of the surveys undertaken at sites where it was known to exist. Estimates of the survey effort required to detect the species or demonstrate its absence with any confidence were much higher than the effort traditionally invested in EIA surveys for this species. We argue that minimum survey requirements be established for all species listed under threatened species legislation and hope that our findings will provide an impetus for collecting, compiling, and synthesizing quantitative detectability estimates for a broad range of plant and animal species.Incorporación de la Capacidad de Detectar una Especie Amenazada a la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental
Determining Decision Thresholds and Evaluating Indicators when Conservation Status is Measured as a Continuum
Authors: CONNORS B. M. , COOPER A. B. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractCategorization of the status of populations, species, and ecosystems underpins most conservation activities. Status is often based on how a system's current indicator value (e.g., change in abundance) relates to some threshold of conservation concern. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves can be used to quantify the statistical reliability of indicators of conservation status and evaluate trade‐offs between correct (true positive) and incorrect (false positive) classifications across a range of decision thresholds. However, ROC curves assume a discrete, binary relationship between an indicator and the conservation status it is meant to track, which is a simplification of the more realistic continuum of conservation status, and may limit the applicability of ROC curves in conservation science. We describe a modified ROC curve that treats conservation status as a continuum rather than a discrete state. We explored the influence of this continuum and typical sources of variation in abundance that can lead to classification errors (i.e., random variation and measurement error) on the true and false positive rates corresponding to varying decision thresholds and the reliability of change in abundance as an indicator of conservation status, respectively. We applied our modified ROC approach to an indicator of endangerment in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) (i.e., percent decline in geometric mean abundance) and an indicator of marine ecosystem structure and function (i.e., detritivore biomass). Failure to treat conservation status as a continuum when choosing thresholds for indicators resulted in the misidentification of trade‐offs between true and false positive rates and the overestimation of an indicator's reliability. We argue for treating conservation status as a continuum when ROC curves are used to evaluate decision thresholds in indicators for the assessment of conservation status.Determinación de Umbrales de Decisiones y Evaluación delos Indicadores cuando se Mide el Estado de de Conservación como un Continuo
Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums to Aichi Biodiversity Target 1
Authors: Moss Andrew , Jensen Eric , Gusset Markus 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThe United Nations Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 is a key initiative within global efforts to halt and eventually reverse the loss of biodiversity. The very first target of this plan states that “by 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably.” Zoos and aquariums worldwide, attracting more than 700 million visits every year, could potentially make a positive contribution to this target. However, a global evaluation of the educational impacts of visits to zoos and aquariums is entirely lacking in the existing literature. To address this gap, we conducted a large‐scale impact evaluation study. We used a pre‐ and postvisit repeated‐measures survey design to evaluate biodiversity literacy—understanding of biodiversity and knowledge of actions to help protect it—of zoo and aquarium visitors worldwide. Ours was the largest and most international study of zoo and aquarium visitors ever conducted. In total, 5661 visitors to 26 zoos and aquariums from 19 countries around the globe participated in the study. Aggregate biodiversity understanding and knowledge of actions to help protect biodiversity both significantly increased over the course of zoo and aquarium visits. There was an increase from previsit (69.8%) to postvisit (75.1%) in respondents demonstrating at least some positive evidence of biodiversity understanding. Similarly, there was an increase from previsit (50.5%) to postvisit (58.8%) in respondents who could identify actions to help protect biodiversity that could be achieved at an individual level. Our results are the most compelling evidence to date that zoo and aquarium visits contribute to increasing the number of people who understand biodiversity and know actions they can take to help protect biodiversity.Evaluación de la Contribución de los Acuarios y Zoológicos al Objetivo 1 de Biodiversidad de Aichi
Does the Centre Hold? Testing Palma's Proposition (A Comment)
Authors: Hazledine Tim 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTThis Comment tests empirically the important proposition made by Palma in this journal (Development and Change, 2011) that deciles 5 to 9 of the income distribution across developing economies have been able to secure and defend a stable share (around 50 per cent) of the total available income, so that changes in income inequality are now a matter of struggle between the top 10 per cent and the bottom 40 per cent of the population, ranked by income. The author finds that the proposition does not hold: changes in top 10 per cent shares are matched by changes in the shares of both the other cohorts.
Variable precision intuitionistic fuzzy rough set model and applications based on conflict distance
Authors: Liu Yong , Lin Yi , Zhao Huan‐huan 
Published: August 2014

AbstractDue to the complexity and uncertainty of the physical world, as well as the limitation of human ability to comprehend, it is very difficult for any single method of uncertainty to effectively deal with the decision‐making problem that exists in real life. So, it is natural for us to think about incorporating the advantages of various theories of uncertainty to develop a more powerful hybrid method of soft decision‐making. In view of this recognition, the thought and method of intuitionistic fuzzy sets and variable precision rough sets are used to construct a novel intuitionistic fuzzy rough set model. With respect to the fact that the information system is intuitionistic fuzzy, the idea of measuring intuitionistic fuzzy similarity is used to define conflict distance. After that, this concept is combined with the variable precision rough sets so that a variable precision intuitionistic fuzzy rough set model is established, and its properties are investigated. After proposing an attribute reduction algorithm based on variable precision intuitionistic fuzzy rough sets, a case study is used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of our novel model. The results show that our model indeed improves the classification ability of earlier models and possesses some ability to tolerate faults through adjusting the parameter λ and the confidence threshold β; it realizes the correct classification and extracts the decision rules.
A new methodology for carbon price forecasting in EU ETS
Authors: Han Sung Kwon , Ahn Jae Joon , Oh Kyong Joo , Kim Tae Yoon 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThis paper proposes a new methodology for carbon price forecasting. It posits a finite distributed lag (FDL) model and then applies a GA‐ridge algorithm to determine a set of proper predictors with coefficient estimates. An empirical study was conducted in the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading market, revealing that our methodology not only yields good forecasting results but also provides some interesting analysis on the carbon price market. It turns out that the combination of the FDL model and GA‐ridge algorithm is desirable for forecasting and analyzing the complicated carbon price market because of its capability of selecting proper predictors from a class of predictors of itself.
Which design elements of individual quota fisheries help to achieve management objectives?
Authors: Melnychuk Michael C , Essington Timothy E , Branch Trevor A , Heppell Selina S , Jensen Olaf P , Link Jason S , Martell Steven J D , Parma Ana M , Smith Anthony D M 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIndividual quota (IQ) management systems in commercial marine fisheries are highly diverse, differing in the security, durability and exclusivity of the harvesting privilege and the transferability of quota units. This diversity in the degree of harvest rights may influence the effectiveness of IQ fisheries to meet management objectives. We conducted a global meta‐analysis of 167 stocks managed under IQs to test whether the strength of harvest rights impacts the conservation status of stocks in terms of catch, exploitation rate and biomass relative to management targets. We used non‐parametric methods to assess non‐linear relationships and linear regression models to explicitly consider interactions among predictors. Most IQ fisheries consistently met fleet‐wide quota limits (94% of stocks had recent catches below or within 10% of quotas), but only 2/3 of IQ fisheries adhered to sustainable management targets for biomass and exploitation rate (68% of stocks had exploitation rates below or within 10% of targets and 63% of stocks had biomass above or within 10% of biomass targets). Strikingly, when exclusivity of the harvesting privilege was low, exploitation rates depended on whether IQ implementation was industry‐driven (exploitation below targets) or government‐mandated (exploitation above targets). At high levels of exclusivity, exploitation rates converged to just below management targets. Transferability of quota units was associated with stock biomass closer to and slightly above target levels than stocks with non‐transferable quota. However, regional differences had the strongest effect on biomass, suggesting that other management or biological attributes of regional fishery systems have greater influence on marine populations.
Integrating ecophysiology and forest landscape models to improve projections of drought effects under climate change
Authors: Gustafson Eric J. , De Bruijn Arjan M. G. , Pangle Robert E. , Limousin Jean‐Marc , McDowell Nate G. , Pockman William T. , Sturtevant Brian R. , Muss Jordan D. , Kubiske Mark E. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractFundamental drivers of ecosystem processes such as temperature and precipitation are rapidly changing and creating novel environmental conditions. Forest landscape models (FLM) are used by managers and policy‐makers to make projections of future ecosystem dynamics under alternative management or policy options, but the links between the fundamental drivers and projected responses are weak and indirect, limiting their reliability for projecting the impacts of climate change. We developed and tested a relatively mechanistic method to simulate the effects of changing precipitation on species competition within the LANDIS‐II FLM. Using data from a field precipitation manipulation experiment in a piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus monosperma) ecosystem in New Mexico (USA), we calibrated our model to measurements from ambient control plots and tested predictions under the drought and irrigation treatments against empirical measurements. The model successfully predicted behavior of physiological variables under the treatments. Discrepancies between model output and empirical data occurred when the monthly time step of the model failed to capture the short‐term dynamics of the ecosystem as recorded by instantaneous field measurements. We applied the model to heuristically assess the effect of alternative climate scenarios on the piñon–juniper ecosystem and found that warmer and drier climate reduced productivity and increased the risk of drought‐induced mortality, especially for piñon. We concluded that the direct links between fundamental drivers and growth rates in our model hold great promise to improve our understanding of ecosystem processes under climate change and improve management decisions because of its greater reliance on first principles.
Clinical and molecular analyses of sporadic acute hepatitis A and E and the specific viral genotypes isolated in Iwate and three neighboring prefectures in the northern part of Honshu, Japan, between 2004 and 2013
Authors: Suzuki Kazuyuki , Kataoka Kojiro , Miyamoto Yasuhiro , Miyasaka Akio , Kumagai Ichiro , Takikawa Yasuhiro , Takahashi Masaharu , Okamoto Hiroaki 
Published: August 2014

AimTo examine the prevalence and characteristics of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in the northern part of Honshu, Japan, during the last decade.MethodsUsing the registration system of a prospective cohort study for acute liver injury (ALI) in Iwate and three neighboring prefectures, we examined the prevalence of sporadic acute hepatitis (AH) with HAV (AH‐A) and HEV (AH‐E) and the distribution of viral genotypes in 487 patients diagnosed with ALI between 2004 and 2013.ResultsAmong all 487 patients, 135 (28%) had ALI with viral infection. In the cases with viral ALI, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus‐related AH was highest (55.6%). AH‐E was seen in 23 patients (17.0%) and its prevalence was higher than that of AH‐A (10 patients, 7.4%). There were no appreciable differences in the prevalence of AH‐A and AH‐E between 2004–2008 and 2009–2013. However, subgenotype IIIA HAV homologous to Korean strains has recently emerged, and the number of AH‐E cases seems to be increasing. HEV genotype 3 was predominant throughout the observation period, but HEV genotype 4 was found in three patients after 2010. The transmission routes of HAV and HEV infections were unknown in approximately 60% of the patients.ConclusionIn the northern part of Honshu, Japan, HEV has been more frequently implicated in the development of AH than HAV, and HEV genotype 4 has been recently increasing. To provide an effective prophylactic management for HAV and HEV infections, further clarification of the transmission routes is needed.
Combining Probability Distributions by Multiplication in Metrology: A Viable Method?
Authors: Grientschnig Dieter , Lira Ignacio 
Published: August 2014

SummaryIn measurement science quite often the value of a so‐called ‘output quantity’ is inferred from information about ‘input quantities’ with the help of the ‘mathematical model of measurement’. The latter represents the functional relation through which outputs and inputs depend on one another. However, subsets of functionally independent quantities can always be so defined that they suffice to express the entire information available. Reporting information in terms of such a subset may in certain circumstances require aggregating probability distributions whose arguments are interrelated quantities. The option of aggregating by multiplication of distributions is shown to be susceptible of yielding inconsistent results when the roles of inputs and outputs are assigned differently to the quantities. Two alternatives to this practice that do not give rise to such discrepancies are discussed, namely (i) logarithmic pooling with weights summing to one and (ii) linear pooling, of which the former appears to be slightly more favourable for applications in metrology. An example illustrates the inconsistency of results obtained by distinct ways of multiplying distributions and the manner in which these results differ from a logarithmically pooled distribution.
Micro Structural Investigations and Mechanical Properties of Macro Porous Ceramic Materials from Capillary Suspensions
Authors: Dittmann Jens , Willenbacher Norbert 
Published: August 2014

Recently, we have introduced a novel, material‐independent processing method for producing macro porous ceramics with capillary suspensions as a stable precursor. A capillary suspension is a three‐phase system where a small amount of an immiscible secondary liquid is added to a suspension resulting in the formation of a sample spanning particle network. This technology provides open porosities well above 50% and pore sizes ranging from 0.5–100 μm. Here we focus on microstructure formation in the capillary suspensions and its impact on mechanical strength of the corresponding sintered parts. Based on the rheological data and SEM‐images, three regimes (I, II, III) are identified with distinctly different flow properties of the wet suspension and characteristic structural features of the sintered ceramic parts depending on the amount of added secondary liquid phase. The average pore size increases and the pore size distribution changes from monomodal (I) to bimodal (II) and broad multimodal (III) with increasing amount of secondary liquid phase. A clear correlation between the yield stress of the wet suspension and the porosity and pore size is observed for regime (I) and (II). Compressive and flexural strength as well as the Young's modulus monotonically decrease with increasing amount of the secondary liquid phase. Absolute values are mainly determined by the porosity and are well predicted by the Gibson & Ashby model for samples corresponding to regime (I) and (II). The broad pore size distribution in regime (III) results in a significantly lower mechanical strength.
Relationship Between Universal Health Outcome Priorities and Willingness to Take Medication for Primary Prevention of Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Case Siobhan M. , O'Leary John , Kim Nancy , Tinetti Mary E. , Fried Terri R. 
Published: August 2014

ObjectivesTo determine how well universal health outcome priorities represent individuals' preferences in specific clinical situations.DesignObservational cohort study.SettingCommunity.ParticipantsCommunity‐dwelling adults aged 65 and older (N = 357).MeasurementsParticipants used three tools assessing universal health outcome priorities related to two common trade‐offs: quality versus quantity of life and future health versus present inconveniences and burdens of treatment. The tools' ability to identify participants who were unwilling to take a medication that reduced the risk of myocardial infarction but caused dizziness and fatigue was analyzed.ResultsThere were consistent and significant associations between unwillingness to take the medication and prioritizing quality of life or future health for all three tools in the expected direction (P < .05). Despite these associations, the positive (PPV) and negative predictive values for the tools were generally modest (0.49–0.83). The tool with the most specific statements resembling the medication scenario had the best specificity (0.97) and PPV (0.83).ConclusionUniversal health outcome priorities only modestly identified older persons who would be unwilling to take a medication for primary prevention of myocardial infarction that causes adverse effects. Although tools that are the most general in their assessment of priorities have the benefit of being applicable across the widest range of scenarios, tools with greater specificity may be necessary to inform individual treatment decisions.