bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A trait‐based approach for assessing and mapping niche overlap between native and exotic species: theMediterranean coastal fish fauna as a case study
Authors: Elleouet J. , Albouy C. , Ben Rais Lasram F. , Mouillot D. , Leprieur F. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractAimWe propose a trait‐based approach for assessing and mapping potential niche overlap between native and exotic species at large spatial scales.LocationThe Mediterranean Sea.MethodsWe developed two complementary indices based on ecological, biological and ecomorphological similarities between native and exotic species. The first index (FNNr) allows identifying areas where native species are the most at risk in terms of potential ecological interactions with exotic species. The second index (FGO) is species‐specific and allows identifying native species that display the broadest functional niche overlap and range overlap with exotic species. We illustrated our approach using the Mediterranean coastal fish fauna as a case study.ResultsWe found that endemic and exotic fishes had a similar global functional niche at the Mediterranean scale, that is, they filled the same functional space defined by trait axes. FNNrhotspots were found to be moderately congruent with exotic species richness hotspots. Higher values of FNNrwere observed along the coasts of the Levantine Sea. The computation of the FGO index showed that the geographical range of a given endemic species overlapped in average with 52 exotic species. Species showing the highest FGO values displayed localized and/or fragmented distributions in the eastern Mediterranean basin.Main conclusionsOur findings suggest that the number of exotic species alone cannot be used as a broad‐scale indicator of potential impact because this metric does not account for functional relatedness between native and exotic species. The trait‐based indices developed in this study can be used for other taxa in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and should help environmental managers to set up local‐scale studies on areas where the potential impact of exotic species on native biodiversity is the highest.
Spatiotemporal patterns of fish community composition in Great Lakes drowned river mouths
Authors: Janetski David J. , Ruetz Carl R. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractFreshwater river mouths in large lakes are centres of biological activity, yet little is understood about the spatial and temporal dynamics of fish communities in these systems. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, we sampled littoral fishes over 3 years in six drowned (i.e., protected) river mouths to: (i) quantify spatial (among river mouths) and temporal (among years) variation, (ii) evaluate associations with environmental conditions and (iii) assess spatial patterns of community similarity. We sampled 6787 fish representing 43 species over the course of the study. Multivariate analyses indicated that variation in fish species composition was more strongly partitioned among river mouths than among years. Fish communities across the six river mouths were partitioned into three groups, a pattern we attribute to variability in anthropogenic disturbance and environmental conditions. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that fish species composition was associated with specific conductivity, vegetation cover, turbidity and pH, suggesting species–environment relationships are similar to those shown for Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Finally, we found a negative relationship between geographic distance and community similarity, suggesting that dispersal and/or environmental gradients play a role in shaping these river mouth fish assemblages. We conclude that Great Lakes drowned river mouths can harbour diverse and spatially variable fish assemblages that are driven by a combination of local and regional factors.
Fundamental Rights and Citizenship of the Union at a Crossroads: A Promising Alliance or a Dangerous Liaison?
Authors: Iglesias Sánchez Sara 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe reinforcement of the protection of fundamental rights at the European level and the emergence of the status of Union citizenship are two closely connected phenomena. European citizenship has been and continues to be one of the central arguments in favour of the extension of the scope of EU fundamental rights. This argument arises out of a sentiment that vindicates equality at the core of the citizenship of the Union as a fundamental status. Against this background, this paper examines the different possibilities of interconnection between the traditional doctrine of EU fundamental rights and the jurisprudential construction of the citizenship of the Union. Particularly, it will be discussed whether fundamental rights should be placed at the core of the formula that protects the ‘genuine enjoyment of the substance’ of the rights conferred by EU citizenship, inaugurated by Ruiz Zambrano, already latent in Rottmann and substantially refined in an ever‐growing case‐law (McCarthy, Dereci, O. and S., Ymaraga and Alokpa). It will be argued that this formula carries the very valuable potential to reinforce citizenship of the Union as an independent source of rights able to overcome problems such as reverse discrimination. For these purposes, this formula could be considered to encompass not only the absolute deprivation of the ‘genuine enjoyment of the substance of citizenship rights’, but also the existence of serious obstacles thereto.
Structural enzymology and inhibition of the bi‐functional folate pathway enzyme HPPK–DHPS from the biowarfare agent Francisella tularensis
Authors: Shaw Gary X. , Li Yue , Shi Genbin , Wu Yan , Cherry Scott , Needle Danielle , Zhang Di , Tropea Joseph E. , Waugh David S. , Yan Honggao , Ji Xinhua 
Published: June 2014

Two valid targets for antibiotic development, 6‐hydroxymethyl‐7,8‐dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (HPPK) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), catalyze consecutive reactions in folate biosynthesis. In Francisella tularensis (Ft), these two activities are contained in a single protein, FtHPPK–DHPS. Although Pemble et al. (PLoS One 5, e14165) determined the structure of FtHPPK–DHPS, they were unable to measure the kinetic parameters of the enzyme. In this study, we elucidated the binding and inhibitory activities of two HPPK inhibitors (HP‐18 and HP‐26) against FtHPPK–DHPS, determined the structure of FtHPPK–DHPS in complex with HP‐26, and measured the kinetic parameters for the dual enzymatic activities of FtHPPK–DHPS. The biochemical analyses showed that HP‐18 and HP‐26 have significant isozyme selectivity, and that FtHPPK–DHPS is unique in that the catalytic efficiency of its DHPS activity is only 1/260,000 of that of Escherichia coli DHPS. Sequence and structural analyses suggest that HP‐26 is an excellent lead for developing therapeutic agents for tularemia, and that the very low DHPS activity is due, at least in part, to the lack of a key residue that interacts with the substrate p‐aminobenzoic acid (pABA). A BLAST search of the genomes of ten F. tularensis strains indicated that the bacterium contains a single FtHPPK–DHPS. The marginal DHPS activity and the single copy existence of FtHPPK–DHPS in F. tularensis make this bacterium more vulnerable to DHPS inhibitors. Current sulfa drugs are ineffective against tularemia; new inhibitors targeting the unique pABA‐binding pocket may be effective and less subject to resistance because any mutations introducing resistance may make the marginal DHPS activity unable to support the growth of F. tularensis.DatabaseThe coordinates and structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession code 4PZV.
Structure solution with ARCIMBOLDO using fragments derived from distant homology models
Authors: Sammito Massimo , Meindl Kathrin , de Ilarduya Iñaki M. , Millán Claudia , Artola‐Recolons Cecilia , Hermoso Juan A. , Usón Isabel 
Published: June 2014

Molecular replacement, one of the general methods used to solve the crystallographic phase problem, relies on the availability of suitable models for placement in the unit cell of the unknown structure in order to provide initial phases. ARCIMBOLDO, originally conceived for ab initio phasing, operates at the limit of this approach, using small, very accurate fragments such as polyalanine α‐helices. A distant homolog may contain accurate building blocks, but it may not be evident which sub‐structure is the most suitable purely from the degree of conservation. Trying out all alternative possibilities in a systematic way is computationally expensive, even if effective. In the present study, the solution of the previously unknown structure of MltE, an outer membrane‐anchored endolytic peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylase from Escherichia coli, is described. The asymmetric unit contains a dimer of this 194 amino acid protein. The closest available homolog was the catalytic domain of Slt70 (PDB code 1QTE). Originally, this template was used omitting contiguous spans of aminoacids and setting as many ARCIMBOLDO runs as models, each aiming to locate two copies sequentially with PHASER. Fragment trimming against the correlation coefficient prior to expansion through density modification and autotracing in SHELXE was essential. Analysis of the figures of merit led to the strategy to optimize the search model against the experimental data now implemented within ARCIMBOLDO‐SHREDDER (http://chango.ibmb.csic.es/SHREDDER). In this strategy, the initial template is systematically shredded, and fragments are scored against each unique solution of the rotation function. Results are combined into a score per residue and the template is trimmed accordingly.
The role of urban and agricultural areas during avian migration: an assessment of within‐year temporal turnover
Authors: La Sorte Frank A. , Tingley Morgan W. , Hurlbert Allen H. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractAimMigration is often identified as the most vulnerable period in the annual cycle for birds, and land‐use change is likely to have altered how avian populations are regulated during migration events. However, the consequences of land‐use change for avian diversity are typically assessed based on annual surveys of breeding communities with little consideration given to migration or other phases of the annual cycle.LocationForty‐four North American ecoregions.MethodsWe use eBird avian occurrence data to estimate, at a monthly temporal resolution for the combined period 2004 to 2013, how species richness and temporal turnover in species composition is structured within years across a land‐use gradient (intact vegetation, agricultural and urban).ResultsSpecies richness peaked on average during spring and autumn migrations. Intact vegetation had the highest and urban areas the lowest species richness on average. Despite differences in community size, the three land‐use categories had similar patterns of within‐year temporal turnover, suggesting analogous effects of geographic diffusion by migrating species. Agricultural and urban areas had comparatively dampened temporal turnover across the annual cycle, suggesting more homogeneous within‐year species compositions. Relative to eastern ecoregions, differences in species richness and temporal turnover among land‐use categories were substantially more pronounced in western ecoregions.Main conclusionsAgricultural and urban areas have lower species richness and reduced within‐year temporal turnover across the annual cycle relative to areas of intact vegetation, particularly in the west. Our findings suggest that avian diversity has been simplified across the annual cycle through the influence of human activities, with human‐transformed landscapes maintaining a degree of relevance for migratory birds, especially in the east.
A quantitative and humane tail bleeding assay for efficacy evaluation of antihaemophilic factors in haemophilia A mice
Authors: Molina E. S. , Fujita A. , Sogayar M. C. , Demasi M. A. 
Published: June 2014

SummaryThe tail bleeding model using haemophilic mice has been used as one of the standard assays for efficacy evaluation of novel antihaemophilic therapies at the preclinical level. A number of different configurations and endpoints have been proposed in the literature for this model, hindering interlaboratory comparisons. A particular configuration, known as the tail bleeding survival assay (TBS), adopted by several groups, involves measuring the ability of conscious haemophilic mice to survive exsanguination following tail transection. Major limitations to this configuration include ethical constraints and impaired quantitative determinations. The aim of this study was to standardize and validate a quantitative haemostatic assay for evaluation of antihaemophilic therapies employing an alternative to TBS, which involves a more humane endpoint associated with stable clot formation. Haemophilic mice were treated with vehicle or different doses of two antihaemophilic reference products licensed in Brazil. The haemostatic response was evaluated by our quantitative tail bleeding haemostatic assay (qTBA) over a period of 120 min and then quantified by dose–response modelling. We demonstrate that our qTBA method allows a direct relationship between the number of animals which achieved full haemostatic response and the dosage of both antihaemophilic factors evaluated over 120 min. In addition, the method sensitivity is suitable to demonstrate the conversion from a severe to a moderate haemophilia phenotype. Our proposed qTBA is easy to implement and constitutes an alternative and more ethical endpoint, which could be effectively used as a surrogate to the commonly employed survival endpoint, allowing quantitative haemostatic response evaluation associated with stable clot formation.
Can your public library improve your health and well‐being? An investigation of East Sussex Library and Information Service
Authors: Ingham Anneliese 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis article is only the second in the Dissertations into Practice series to highlight the role of public libraries in health information. It is the result of an investigation into the provision of health information in East Sussex Library and Information Service, which formed the basis of Anneliese Ingham's dissertation for her MA in Information Studies at the University of Brighton. At the time Anneliese was doing her research, the service was experimenting with different ways of providing healthcare information at one of its main libraries, and they were interested in the impact of this. The provision of health information to the public is one of my own research interests, and I was Anneliese's dissertation supervisor. I thought she produced a very good piece of work, and the results she highlights in this article are applicable to all public library authorities. Anneliese graduated with an MA in 2012 and worked for East Sussex Library and Information Service, which she joined whilst she was still studying.AM
Keeping up‐to‐date with current practice
Authors: Bridgen Richard , Grant Maria J. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractAcknowledging the need for continuous improvement to keep health libraries at the forefront of patient care, Richard Bridgen considers the alternative ways in which library and knowledge services can be provided, from regional hubs to embedded services. Richard echo's the words of the CILIP Chief Executive Officer that services are likely to be judged on provision rather than breadth of collection and emphasises the need for a properly educated workforce to enable staff to keep up with changes in their professional domains.
Development and Characterization of Continuous SiC Fiber‐Reinforced HfB2‐Based UHTC Matrix Composites Using Polymer Impregnation and Slurry Infiltration Techniques
Authors: Leslie Clifford J. , Boakye Emmanuel E. , Keller Kristin A. , Cinibulk Michael K. 
Published: June 2014

This paper discusses the development of continuous SiC fiber‐reinforced HfB2‐SiC composite laminates. A range of techniques, based on resin‐based precursors and slurries, for infiltrating porous SiC preforms with HfB2 powder were developed. While resin‐based precursors proved to be ineffective due to low HfB2 yield and poor adhesion, the slurry infiltration techniques were effective to varying degrees. The greatest pore filling and composite densities were achieved using pressure and vibration‐assisted pressure infiltration techniques. SiCf/HfB2‐SiC laminates were subsequently developed via lamination, cure and pyrolysis of fabrics using a HfB2‐loaded polymeric SiC precursor, followed by HfB2 slurry infiltration and preceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP). Repeated PIP processing, for 6–10 cycles, resulted in density increases, from the 3.03–3.22 g/cm3 range after HfB2 slurry infiltration, to 3.97–4.03 g/cm3 after PIP processing. Correspondingly, there was a decrease in open porosity from approximately 52% to less than 11%. The matrix consisted of discreet, lightly sintered HfB2 particles dispersed in SiC. The PIP SiC matrix was primarily nanocrystalline after 1300°C pyrolysis, but experienced grain growth with further heat treatment at 1600°C.
Scoping the context of programs and services for maintaining wellness of older people in rural areas of Indonesia
Authors: Kadar K.S. , McKenna L. , Francis K. 
Published: June 2014

IntroductionAgeing and problems concerning the aged are an increasing and concerning reality in developing and underdeveloped countries such as Indonesia. Improving service quality is important to promote and maintain wellness of older persons, especially in rural areas.AimTo explore programs and services offered to the elderly in a rural area of Indonesia to support them in promoting and maintaining their wellness. To describe roles and practices of health professionals and teams responsible for delivering services to older people.MethodsAction research was used with mixed method data collection (interview and survey).ResultsResults demonstrated that activities related to the elderly health programs were limited due to budget and facilities. Practices of health staff for elderly in the community focused on intervention tasks, rather than prevention.LimitationLack of available information on the range of programs and services implemented in Indonesia for the elderly in community settings was a limitation of this study.ConclusionPrograms and services for older people have been implemented in Indonesia. However, these do not yet meet their needs, especially in rural areas. There is a need for greater focus on health promotion and illness prevention.Implication for Nursing and Health PolicyFindings contribute to development of international knowledge in community health nursing, as these issues may not be only relevant to Indonesia. It is timely for governments, including in Indonesia, to evaluate health workforce needs in the community and appropriate educational qualifications for delivering optimal health services for older people.
Influence of oxygen on wound healing
Authors: Yip Wai Lam 
Published: June 2014

AbstractOxygen has an important role in normal wound healing. This article reviews the evidence concerning the role of oxygen in wound healing and its influence on the different stages of wound healing. The evidence reviewed has demonstrated that improving oxygenation may be helpful in limiting wound infection, although there is a lack of good quality studies on the role of oxygen in the proliferative phase and in reepithelialisation. Overall, the relationship between oxygen and wound healing is complex. Knowledge of this aspect is important as many treatment modalities for refractory wounds are based on these principles.
East Asian pollen database: modern pollen distribution and its quantitative relationship with vegetation and climate
Authors: Zheng Zhuo , Wei Jinhui , Huang Kangyou , Xu Qinghai , Lu Houyuan , Tarasov Pavel , Luo Chuanxiu , Beaudouin Celia , Deng Yun , Pan Anding , Zheng Yanwei , Luo Yunli , Nakagawa Takeshi , Li Chunhai , Yang Shixiong , Peng Huanhuan , Cheddadi Rachid 
Published: June 2014

AbstractAimOur aims were to provide new pollen data for establishing a sub‐continental surface pollen database (East Asian Pollen Database, EAPD) and to study relationships between vegetation and climate.LocationThe sample sites covered most regions of East Asia, including China, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.MethodsData quality control procedures were applied, including taxonomic standardization, removal of duplicates, and adjustment of geographical coordinates. Vegetation types and climate parameters were assigned to each sample. Modern pollen distribution maps were drawn using circle scattergrams. The plots of pollen percentages versus climate variables allowed quantitative estimates of climate values. The modern analogue technique (MAT) was used to predict modern biomes and climate parameters.ResultsPollen assemblages extracted from 2858 sites were used to model the geographical distribution of selected taxa and their relationships with climate. For most taxa, the reconstructed range fitted the observed geographical distribution rather well. Arboreal pollen (AP) and Pinus dominated the transition zone between forest and steppe. Use of the MAT revealed that the predicted and observed biomes matched in 71% of the cases. The warm temperate evergreen broadleaf forest had the best agreement between predictions and observations. Climate values reconstructed using MAT were highly correlated with observed values in January temperature. The correlation coefficient of the temperature variables ranged from 0.799 to 0.930 and was as high as 0.939 for precipitation.Main conclusionsThis paper documents a new modern pollen database for East Asia and makes the data readily available. The reconstructed biomes and climate variables are significantly correlated with the observed values, thus demonstrating the utility of the pollen database for future multiscale palaeoenvironmental studies.