bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Post‐fire regeneration inMediterranean reforested sites as affected by mechanical site preparation: lessons for restoration
Authors: Hibsher Nurit , Moshe Yossi , Bney‐Moshe Eitan , Ben‐Moshe Ezra , Zangi Ela , Zuck Aviram , Osem Yagil 
Published: March 2013

AbstractQuestionThe importance of silvicultural site preparation techniques in determining vegetation succession is increasingly recognized. We studied the effects of mechanical site preparation (MSP) on post‐fire vegetation regeneration within reforested sites inMediterraneanIsrael.LocationUpperGalilee region,Israel.MethodsVegetation cover and composition, ruderal species colonization and pine regeneration were monitored in four reforested sites for 3 yr following wildland fires that burned maturePinus brutiaandP. halepensisplantations. In each reforested site, a 50 m × 50 m monitoring area was assigned and measurements were conducted within five subplots (2 m × 50 m) encompassing threeMSPpatch types: ploughed patches (P), unploughed patches (UP) and planting mounds (M) that combined ploughing, pit digging and wood‐chip mulching.ResultsRecovery of vegetation cover (excluding pines) was rapid. TheMSPpatch type significantly affected vegetation cover in the first spring following the fire: cover was lowest onM, intermediate onPand highest onUP. However, these differences became minor by the third spring following the fire. Total woody species richness was not affected byMSPpatch type, although there were minor effects on relative abundance of woody species. Two ruderal species were found, but their abundance became untraceable by the third year. Patterns ofMSPeffects on pine regeneration were similar forP. halepensisandP. brutia. Density of emerging seedlings of both pine species during the first year following the fire was significantly affected by MSP patch type: lower inPandMthan inUPby more than 50% and 90%, respectively. However, emergence and/or survival during the following 2 yr was higher inPandMthan inUP, with overall outcome of pine regeneration still about 50% lower inPandMthan inUP.ConclusionsTheMSPtreatments had only a minor, short‐term effect on post‐fire regeneration and colonization of vegetation, except for pine recruitment, which was more severely affected.
Global Labour‐Standards Advocacy by European Civil Society Organizations: Trends and Developments
Authors: Fransen Luc , Burgoon Brian 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIn recent years, developments in intergovernmental organizations and transnational private governance organizations have created new opportunities and constraints for the promotion of global labour‐standards governance by civil society organizations (CSOs). This article describes how European CSOs (including trade union organizations and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs)) respond to these developments. It argues that European civil society is witnessing a threefold shift in priorities of labour‐standards advocacy: from pushing regulatory approaches to organizational capacity building; from corporate responsibility strategies focused on compliance to strategies focused on transparency; and from fair labour standards within the sustainable development agenda to a host of other issues. The overall result is that labour‐standards advocacy in general and private labour governance in particular are receiving less attention from European CSOs.
COMPARATIVE STATICS OF A MONOPOLISTIC FIRM FACING RATE‐OF‐RETURN AND COMMAND‐AND‐CONTROL POLLUTION CONSTRAINTS
Authors: Caputo Michael R. , Popov Dmitriy 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTThe intrinsic comparative statics properties of a general rate‐of‐return regulated, profit‐maximizing model of a monopolist facing a command‐and‐control pollution constraint are derived. Recent advances in the theory of comparative statics are used to derive the basic comparative statics of the model, which are contained in an observable negative semi‐definite matrix and possess the form of Slutsky‐like expressions. We consider several command‐and‐control pollution constraints that are commonly implemented in practice, and conclude that the intrinsic comparative statics properties of the model are qualitatively invariant to the type of command‐and‐control pollution constraint imposed. We compare our results with those extant, and find that several basic results from the standard A–J model no longer hold in our model.
Prevalence of undetected developmental delays in Iranian children
Authors: Sajedi F. , Vameghi R. , Kraskian Mujembari A. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackgroundRegarding the short‐ and long‐term benefits of early intervention for childhood developmental disorders, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of undetected developmental delays by the standardized form of the Persian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) in Iranian children.MethodsThis was a cross‐sectional study. The study was carried out on 11 000, 4‐ to 60‐month‐old children; in 19 age groups, in 41 selected cities throughout the country. Ninety physicians were invited from each of the selected cities to Tehran in groups, and trained about the ASQ scoring, during a 2‐day workshop. The questionnaires were completed at healthcare settings by parents of children who were apparently normal (lacking any gross developmental disorders) under the supervision of the physicians who consequently scored each child. The response rate was 95% (10 516 parents).ResultsAmong the 10 516 children studied, 5035 (47.87%) were girls. The average percentage of children delayed in the communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem‐solving and social‐personal domains was 3.87%, 4.04%, 4.31%, 4.15% and 3.69%, respectively, when considering the Iranian cut‐off points. In the 19 age‐domain groups, most frequently in the personal‐social and fine motor domains (in terms of domains), and also most frequently at 36 and 48 months of age (in terms of age ranges), girls showed significantly higher scores than boys. Boys showed significantly higher scores in two age‐domain groups (gross motor domain at 20 and 22 months of age).ConclusionsThe prevalence of undetected developmental delays in Iranian children screened by the ASQ questionnaires ranged from 3.69% to 4.31% in different developmental domains.
Contested attachments: rethinking adoptive kinship in the era of open adoption
Authors: Sales Sally 
Published: March 2013

AbstractSince its legal inception in 1926, adoption work has been centrally concerned with the matter of the adopted child's ‘first’ or prior life, whilst also focussed on achieving a new and secure substitute family for that child. Adoptive kinship has been formed through this dual and contradictory concern, a concern that has produced diverse policies and practices over the last 90 years. Drawing onFoucault's concept of technologies of the subject, this paper is an exploration of adoptive kinship within the new context of open adoption, a set of practices that more actively promotes the involvements of the adopted child's former family. These practices both promote a radical reworking of adoptive kinship, as well as confirming its more orthodox moorings. Drawing on an adoption archive study, the paper concludes with an analysis of letterbox contact to explore how far this form of open practice transforms adoptive kinship in the contemporary era.
Zygomatic Implants Placed Using the Zygomatic Anatomy‐Guided Approach versus the Classical Technique: A Proposed System to Report Rhinosinusitis Diagnosis
Authors: Aparicio Carlos , Manresa Carolina , Francisco Karen , Aparicio Arnau , Nunes Jonas , Claros Pedro , Potau Josep M. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractPurposeThe first aim of this study is to compare the outcomes in rehabilitating the atrophic maxilla using zygomatic implants (ZIs) and regular implants (RIs) using the classical zygomatic technique (CZT) versus the zygomatic anatomy‐guided approach (ZAGA). The second goal of this paper is to propose a standardized system to report rhinosinusitis diagnosis.Materials and MethodsTwenty‐two consecutive zygomatic patients operated on from 1998 to 2002 and 80 consecutive zygomatic patients operated on from 2004 to October 2009 were selected. All included patients were in a maintenance program. Survival rates (SRs) of ZI and RI were recorded. Implants were individually tested using Periotest® (Periotest value [PTv], Siemens AG, Bensheim, UK). Sinus health was radiographically and clinically assessed according to Lund‐Mackay system and Lanza and Kennedy survey recommended by Task Force on Rhinosinusitis for research outcomes. A satisfaction questionnaire (Oral Health Impact Profile for assessing health‐related quality of life in Edentulous adults) and different anatomical measurements were also performed.ResultsNo significant differences (p = .602) were observed with respect to SR between the two groups (95.12% vs 96.79%). Significant differences (p = .000) were found comparing measurements of ZI head distance to the alveolar crest (5.12 ± 2.38 mm vs 2.92 ± 2.30 mm). With the CZT, more palatal emergence of ZI was observed. PTv gave significantly greater stability for the CZT compared with the ZAGA group in both measurements (−4.38 ± 1.75 vs −2.49 ± 4.31, p = .000; −4.94 ± 1.46 vs −3.11 ± 5.06, p = .000). Lund‐Mackay score was significantly lower for the ZAGA group (2.38 ± 3.86 vs 0.56 ± 1.26, p = .042). Statistically significant difference (p = .047) regarding the percentage of patients with no signs or symptoms of rhinosinusitis (Lanza and Kennedy test negative and Lund‐Mackay score zero) was observed between groups (54.55% vs 76.25%, p = .047).ConclusionsBoth procedures had similar clinical outcomes with respect to implant survival. The ZAGA concept is able to immediately rehabilitate the severely atrophic maxillae, minimizing the risk of maxillary sinus‐associated pathology. Moreover, less bulky, more comfortable, and easy to clean prostheses are achieved.
Dose‐ranging study with the glucokinase activator AZD1656 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on metformin
Authors: Wilding J. P. H. , Leonsson‐Zachrisson M. , Wessman C. , Johnsson E. 
Published: March 2013

AimTo investigate the effect of glucokinase activator AZD1656 on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as an add‐on to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsThis randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study (NCT01020123) was conducted over 4 months with an optional 2‐month extension. Patients (n = 458) with HbA1c 7.5–10% were randomized to AZD1656 20 mg (n = 40) or 40 mg (n = 52) fixed doses or 10–140 mg (n = 91) or 20–200 mg (n = 93) titrated doses, placebo (n = 88) or glipizide 5–20 mg titrated (n = 94). Patients (n = 72) with HbA1c >10 and ≤12% received open‐label AZD1656 (20–200 mg titrated). Primary outcome was placebo‐corrected change in HbA1c from baseline to 4 months of treatment.ResultsSignificant reductions in HbA1c from baseline to 4 months were observed with blinded AZD1656 10–140 and 20–200 mg versus placebo [mean (95% CI) changes: −0.80 (−1.14; −0.46) and −0.81 (−1.14; −0.47) %, respectively), with similar reductions observed with glipizide. A higher percentage of patients on AZD1656 than on placebo achieved HbA1c ≤7.0 or ≤6.5 % after 4 months. Mean (s.d.) change in HbA1c for open‐label AZD1656 (20–200 mg) was −2.8 (1.19) % after 4 months. AZD1656 was well tolerated, with less hypoglycaemia than glipizide. In the extension population, HbA1c was still reduced with AZD1656 versus placebo after 6 months, but the effect of AZD1656 on glucose control was not sustained over time.ConclusionAddition of AZD1656 (individually titrated) to metformin gave significant improvements in glycaemic control up to 4 months, although efficacy diminished over time.
Efficacy of Pulmonary Vein Isolation on Left Atrial Function in Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation and the Dependency on Its Baseline Function
Authors: Yoshida Naoyasu , Okamoto Mitsunori , Hirao Hidekazu , Suenari Kazuyoshi , Nanba Kiyomi , Kinoshita Hiroki , Matsumura Masaya , Uchida Mio , Kinoshita Mirai , Watari Yuichiro , Fukuda Yukihiro , Ueda Hironori 
Published: March 2013

BackgroundThe effects of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation in atrial fibrillation (AF) on left atrial (LA) function or PV flow have not been well documented.MethodsWe examined the LA function and PV flow before and 3–6 months after PV isolation in 67 AF patients (34 paroxysmal [PAF] and 33 persistent [CAF]) using transesophageal echocardiography.ResultsAF recurred in 6/34 patients with PAF and in 6/33 patients with CAF 6 months after PV isolation. A larger LA dimension, a lower systolic PV flow velocity, and a lower ratio of systolic to diastolic PV flow velocity were related to a higher incidence of AF recurrence. The increment of left atrial appendage (LAA) flow velocity (55% vs. 22%) and systolic PV flow velocity (57% vs. 20%) after PV isolation tended to be greater in CAF than in PAF. The changes in LAA flow velocity had reverse correlations with the baseline values before PV isolation (PAF: r = −0.73, CAF: r = −0.58). The changes in mitral flow velocity during atrial contraction in PAF had reverse correlations with the baseline values before PV isolation (r = −0.84). The changes in systolic and diastolic PV flow velocity of PAF had reverse correlations with the baseline values before PV isolation (r = −0.56, r = −0.66).ConclusionThe baseline LA function may affect AF recurrence as well as the improvement of LA function, and the benefit of successful PV isolation might be greater in CAF than in PAF.
Diet composition of smelt Osmerus eperlanus (Linnaeus) in brackish near‐shore ecosystem (Eru Bay, Baltic Sea)
Authors: Taal Imre , Saks Lauri , Nedolgova Snežana , Verliin Aare , Kesler Martin , Jürgens Kristiina , Svirgsden Roland , Vetemaa Markus , Saat Toomas 
Published: March 2013

AbstractWe present new data on seasonal diet composition of subadult and adult smelt Osmerus eperlanus in near‐shore areas of the eastern Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland). These findings elucidate the food web structure and the ecological role of smelt in the shallow littoral zone. The seasonal diet composition and feeding activity of adult and subadult smelt in the coastal area of the Gulf of Finland were studied by examining the stomach contents of 1397 individuals collected from April to December 2009. Amphipods and mysids were the most common prey. Piscivorous feeding was also very important, particularly in larger smelt during August–October. Seven fish species were recorded in the stomach contents; gobies and sticklebacks dominated. Smelt preyed also on isopods, cladocerans, decapods, molluscs, insects, insect larvae as well as polychaete annelids. Prey composition varied monthly and depended on smelt size. The higher proportion of empty stomachs was observed during June, September and October.
Risk factors, antithrombotic treatment and outcome in retinal vein occlusion: an age‐related prospective cohort study
Authors: Sartori Maria Teresa , Barbar Sofia , Donà Annalisa , Piermarocchi Stefano , Pilotto Elisabetta , Saggiorato Graziella , Prandoni Paolo 
Published: March 2013

AbstractObjectivesAntithrombotic treatment for retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is controversial, although RVO has been surmised as a predictor of a subsequent vascular event. We aimed to evaluate risk factors, the effects of antithrombotic therapy and the occurrence of subsequent vascular events in patients with a first episode of RVO, according to age of RVO onset.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, patients with central (CRVO) and branch RVO (BRVO) confirmed by fluorescein angiography were studied; they were divided according to age. Cardiovascular risk factors and thrombophilia were evaluated. Anticoagulants or aspirin were given for at least 3 months. Patients were followed every 6–12 months and vascular events were recorded.ResultsOne hundred CRVO and 32 BRVO patients were enrolled. Five of 60 (8.3%) patients <50 yr and 4/72 (5.5%) over 50 yr had a hereditary thrombophilic defect. One or more cardiovascular risk factors were found in 35 (58%) patients of the younger group, and in 66 (91%) of the older group (P < 0.001). Antithrombotic treatment led to both a satisfactory recanalization of occluded veins and visual acuity improvement especially in younger patients. Vascular events occurred in 19 (14%) cases after 4 ± 3.3 yr from RVO, more frequently in older than in younger patients (22% vs. 5%, P = 0.005).ConclusionsDistribution of cardiovascular, but not of thrombophilic risk factors seems to be influenced by age in RVO patients. Patients with a first RVO, especially those >50 yr, are likely at risk of a subsequent vascular event.
Modulation of proprioceptive feedback during functional electrical stimulation: an fMRI study
Authors: Christensen Mark Schram , Grey Michael James 
Published: March 2013

AbstractFunctional electrical stimulation (FES) is sometimes used as a therapeutic modality in motor rehabilitation to augment voluntary motor drive to effect movement that would otherwise not be possible through voluntary activation alone. Effective motor rehabilitation should require that the central nervous system integrate efferent commands and appropriate afferent information to update the internal models of acquired skills. Here, we investigate whether FES‐evoked (FES‐ev) and FES‐assisted (FES‐as) movement are associated with the normal integration of motor commands and sensory feedback in a group of healthy participants during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Sensory feedback was removed with a peripheral ischaemic nerve block while the participants performed voluntary (VOL), FES‐ev or FES‐as movement during fMRI. Before the peripheral nerve block, secondary somatosensory area (S2) activation was greater for the FES‐ev and FES‐as conditions than for the VOL condition. During the ischaemic nerve block, S2 activation was reduced for the FES‐ev condition but not for FES‐as and VOL conditions. The nerve block also reduced activation during FES in the primary somatosensory cortex and other motor areas including primary motor cortex, dorsal premotor cortex and supplementary motor area. In contrast, superior parietal lobule (area 7A) and precuneus activation was reduced as a consequence of the ischaemic nerve block in the VOL condition. These data suggest FES‐related S2 activation is mainly a sensory phenomenon and does not reflect integration of sensory signals with motor commands.
Combining domain knowledge and machine learning for robust fall detection
Authors: Mirchevska Violeta , Luštrek Mitja , Gams Matjaž 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThis paper presents a method for combining domain knowledge and machine learning (CDKML) for classifier generation and online adaptation. The method exploits advantages in domain knowledge and machine learning as complementary information sources. Whereas machine learning may discover patterns in interest domains that are too subtle for humans to detect, domain knowledge may contain information on a domain not present in the available domain dataset. CDKML has three steps. First, prior domain knowledge is enriched with relevant patterns obtained by machine learning to create an initial classifier. Second, genetic algorithms refine the classifier. Third, the classifier is adapted online on the basis of user feedback using the Markov decision process. CDKML was applied in fall detection. Tests showed that the classifiers developed by CDKML have better performance than machine‐learning classifiers generated on a training dataset that does not adequately represent all real‐life cases of the learned concept. The accuracy of the initial classifier was 10 percentage points higher than the best machine‐learning classifier and the refinement added 3 percentage points. The online adaptation improved the accuracy of the refined classifier by an additional 15 percentage points.
Implications of the dichotomy between the spatial scales at which abalone are managed and harvested
Authors: Bedford R. A. , Hearne J. W. , Gorfine H. K. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractCommercial abalone divers make decisions about the location of their harvesting activities at a relatively fine scale. Management of these abalone fisheries, however, is normally conducted at a larger scale. To gauge the implications of this dichotomy, the following question was asked: Would it be worthwhile managing the fishery at a finer scale that corresponds with the harvesters' spatial preferences? To answer this, an existing abalone model was applied to a population of blacklip abalone, Haliotis rubra Leach. The model simulates both the existing practice of large scale spatial management combined with smaller scale spatial harvest and an alternative practice, whereby management and harvest are synchronised at a similarly small scale. It was concluded that the costs and effort associated with managing at a finer scale would unlikely yield benefits substantial enough to justify its implementation.
Plumbing the depths: extending ecological niche modelling and species distribution modelling in three dimensions
Authors: Bentlage Bastian , Peterson A. Townsend , Barve Narayani , Cartwright Paulyn 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAimEcological niche modelling (ENM) and species distribution modelling (SDM) have been used extensively to study biogeographic and macroecological patterns of terrestrial fauna and flora. Few studies to date have applied ENM and SDM to marine ecosystems, and those that have treated the marine environment as a two‐dimensional space owing to limitations of the implementations of current ENM/SDM tools. For many marine organisms, ENM/SDM should be performed in three‐dimensional space, taking into account latitude, longitude and depth. We present a case study demonstrating a strategy for three‐dimensional ENM/SDM.LocationOpen ocean; global.MethodsWe decompose the three‐dimensional structure of marine environmental and species occurrence data into a series of two‐dimensional spaces using an easy‐to‐implement transformation, after which existing ENM/SDM tools can be used to analyse the data. We demonstrate our approach by modelling the potential distribution of a deep‐sea‐dwelling jellyfish with two commonly used algorithms. Potential effects of missing data and spatial sampling biases were assessed using resampling approaches.ResultsWe demonstrate that it is feasible to derive predictive models of three‐dimensional distributions of marine species using existing software tools developed with two‐dimensional terrestrial situations in mind. The strategy presented here allowed us to model the distribution of a jellyfish species that inhabits the deep sea. We assessed the effects of missing occurrence data and spatial bias of occurrence data, and found that interpolation among occurrence data‐points and extrapolation into unsampled conditions present distinct challenges that may require different modelling algorithms and interpretations.Main conclusionsOur modified ENM/SDM approach is straightforward, and can be used to model situations that have heretofore been beyond the reach of ENM/SDM applications. In particular, geographic distributions and ecological niches of organisms inhabiting three‐dimensional habitats such as water columns in marine and freshwater environments can be modelled using the framework presented here.