bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vegetation dynamics of managed Mediterranean forests 16 yr after large fires in southeastern Spain
Authors: Alfaro‐Sánchez Raquel , Sánchez‐Salguero Raúl , De las Heras Jorge , Hernández‐Tecles Enrique , Moya Daniel , López‐Serrano Francisco R. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractQuestionAdaptive forest management requires scientific knowledge about post‐fire vegetation dynamics, mainly on initial and transitional stages. We hypothesized that management practices are as important as the timing of the operations themselves, with respect to diversity and species composition of the understorey post‐fire regenerated Pinus halepensis forests.LocationTwo post‐fire regenerated P. halepensis stands burned in 1994 under contrasting climatic conditions (Dry ‐595 mm·yr−1‐ and Semi‐arid ‐340 mm·yr−1‐ sites) in southeast Spain.MethodsAt both sites, we set experimental plots to test early treatments, including removal of the understorey vegetation (scrubbing, at post‐fire year 5), thinning (at post‐fire years 5 and 10) and control plots. Alpha diversity indices, including species richness, Shannon diversity index and plant cover, as a measure of vegetation abundance, and beta diversity indices, such as Jaccard index and non‐metric multidimensional scaling were diachronically analysed at post‐fire years 5 (before the treatments) and 16.ResultsAt both sites, the most abundant species were obligate seeders or grass resprouters. Low overlap in the occurrence of species was also found between sites on both dates, but the number of shared species increased by the end of the study period. Significant differences in the diversity indices were detected between sites. Despite the silvicultural treatments, the species richness and Shannon diversity index values at the Dry site were similar in the treated and control plots at 16 yr. Conversely, at the Semi‐arid site, the species richness and Shannon diversity index values were enhanced by the thinning treatments carried out 10 yr after the fire. Plant cover increased despite the treatments (scrubbing and thinning) on both the pine and understorey layers in every treated plot.ConclusionOur forest management trials enhanced the diversity indices when applied to very high tree density post‐fire regenerated stands, even applied to areas with very limited resources (nutrients, water, etc.) such as semi‐arid ecosystems. Thus, scrubbing at post‐fire year 5 plus thinning carried out at post‐fire year 10 proved to be a suitable option to reduce fire hazards in the short term at both sites and to enhance plant diversity at the Semi‐arid site.
Bayesian Nonparametric Estimation of Targeted Agent Effects on Biomarker Change to Predict Clinical Outcome
Authors: Graziani Rebecca , Guindani Michele , Thall Peter F. 
Published: October 2014

SummaryThe effect of a targeted agent on a cancer patient's clinical outcome putatively is mediated through the agent's effect on one or more early biological events. This is motivated by pre-clinical experiments with cells or animals that identify such events, represented by binary or quantitative biomarkers. When evaluating targeted agents in humans, central questions are whether the distribution of a targeted biomarker changes following treatment, the nature and magnitude of this change, and whether it is associated with clinical outcome. Major difficulties in estimating these effects are that a biomarker's distribution may be complex, vary substantially between patients, and have complicated relationships with clinical outcomes. We present a probabilistically coherent framework for modeling and estimation in this setting, including a hierarchical Bayesian nonparametric mixture model for biomarkers that we use to define a functional profile of pre-versus-post-treatment biomarker distribution change. The functional is similar to the receiver operating characteristic used in diagnostic testing. The hierarchical model yields clusters of individual patient biomarker profile functionals, and we use the profile as a covariate in a regression model for clinical outcome. The methodology is illustrated by analysis of a dataset from a clinical trial in prostate cancer using imatinib to target platelet-derived growth factor, with the clinical aim to improve progression-free survival time.
Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation
Authors: Rose Robert A. , Byler Dirck , Eastman J. Ron , Fleishman Erica , Geller Gary , Goetz Scott , Guild Liane , Hamilton Healy , Hansen Matt , Headley Rachel , Hewson Jennifer , Horning Ned , Kaplin Beth A. , Laporte Nadine , Leidner Allison , Leimgruber Peter , Morisette Jeffrey , Musinsky John , Pintea Lilian , Prados Ana , Radeloff Volker C. , Rowen Mary , Saatchi Sassan , Schill Steve , Tabor Karyn , Turner Woody , Vodacek Anthony , Vogelmann James , Wegmann Martin , Wilkie David , Wilson Cara 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIn an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed data and analyses of those data. Our goals were to increase conservation practitioners’ use of remote sensing to support their work, increase collaboration between the conservation science and remote sensing communities, identify and develop new and innovative uses of remote sensing for advancing conservation science, provide guidance to space agencies on how future satellite missions can support conservation science, and generate support from the public and private sector in the use of remote sensing data to address the 10 conservation questions. We identified a broad initial list of questions on the basis of an email chain‐referral survey. We then used a workshop‐based iterative and collaborative approach to whittle the list down to these final questions (which represent 10 major themes in conservation): How can global Earth observation data be used to model species distributions and abundances? How can remote sensing improve the understanding of animal movements? How can remotely sensed ecosystem variables be used to understand, monitor, and predict ecosystem response and resilience to multiple stressors? How can remote sensing be used to monitor the effects of climate on ecosystems? How can near real‐time ecosystem monitoring catalyze threat reduction, governance and regulation compliance, and resource management decisions? How can remote sensing inform configuration of protected area networks at spatial extents relevant to populations of target species and ecosystem services? How can remote sensing‐derived products be used to value and monitor changes in ecosystem services? How can remote sensing be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts? How does the expansion and intensification of agriculture and aquaculture alter ecosystems and the services they provide? How can remote sensing be used to determine the degree to which ecosystems are being disturbed or degraded and the effects of these changes on species and ecosystem functions?
Hydrogel baits with low‐dose thiamethoxam for sustainable Argentine ant management in commercial orchards
Authors: Buczkowski Grzegorz , Roper Elray , Chin Darren , Mothapo Natasha , Wossler Theresa 
Published: October 2014

AbstractArgentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are a significant pest in various agricultural systems around the world, and are often associated with outbreaks of phloem‐feeding hemipteran insects. Previous research has evaluated a number of active ingredients and management approaches for controlling Argentine ant populations in agricultural systems, but various regulatory and economic issues have limited the development of effective management tools. Current chemical controls rely on residual sprays or toxic baits, each one posing unique disadvantages that limit their usefulness and efficacy. This study evaluated the potential of water‐storing crystals to effectively deliver liquid baits to Argentine ants. The efficacy of bait crystals containing 0.007% thiamethoxam was first evaluated in laboratory colonies. In addition, field studies were performed in a commercial plum orchard to determine the efficacy of the bait crystals. Protein marking was used within the orchard to examine the distribution of the bait in Argentine ant populations when delivered via water‐storing crystals. Results of laboratory tests showed that water‐storing crystals containing 0.007% thiamethoxam are highly attractive and effective against Argentine ants and require ca. 3–5 days to kill all castes and life stages. Results of the protein‐marking study demonstrated that the percentage of ants carrying protein‐labeled sugar water decreases sharply with increasing distance from the bait station. Bait movement was limited to within 17 m of the bait dispenser. Furthermore, bait efficacy tests in the field showed that Argentine ants can be effectively controlled using liquid thiamethoxam baits deployed via water‐storing crystals. The bait was highly effective and ant densities throughout the baited plots declined by 94 ± 2% within 14 days. The results of this study demonstrate that (1) thiamethoxam is highly effective for Argentine ant control in fruit orchards when used in low concentrations (0.007%), and (2) water‐storing crystals are an effective tool for delivering liquid baits to Argentine ants in agricultural settings.
Statistical sampling approaches for soil monitoring
Authors: Brus D. J. 
Published: October 2014

SummaryThis paper describes three statistical sampling approaches for regional soil monitoring, a design‐based, a model‐based and a hybrid approach. In the model‐based approach a space‐time model is exploited to predict global statistical parameters of interest such as the space‐time mean. In the hybrid approach this model is a time‐series model of the spatial means. In the design‐based approach no model is used: estimates are model‐free. Full design‐based inference requires that both sampling locations and times are selected by probability sampling, whereas the hybrid approach requires probability sampling of locations only. In a case study on soil eutrophication and acidification, a rotational panel design was implemented with probability sampling of locations and non‐probability sampling of times. The hybrid and model‐based predictions of the space‐time means and trend of the mean for pH and ammonium at three depths in the soil profile were very similar. For pH the standard errors of the space‐time means were about equal, but for ammonium the full model‐based predictor was more precise than the hybrid predictor. For soil monitoring I advocate the selection of sampling locations by probability sampling so that the statistical inference approach is flexible. Selecting locations by a self‐weighting probability sampling design ensures that the model‐based predictor is not affected by selection bias.
Can sexual selection theory inform genetic management of captive populations? A review
Authors: Chargé Rémi , Teplitsky Céline , Sorci Gabriele , Low Matthew 
Published: October 2014

AbstractCaptive breeding for conservation purposes presents a serious practical challenge because several conflicting genetic processes (i.e., inbreeding depression, random genetic drift and genetic adaptation to captivity) need to be managed in concert to maximize captive population persistence and reintroduction success probability. Because current genetic management is often only partly successful in achieving these goals, it has been suggested that management insights may be found in sexual selection theory (in particular, female mate choice). We review the theoretical and empirical literature and consider how female mate choice might influence captive breeding in the context of current genetic guidelines for different sexual selection theories (i.e., direct benefits, good genes, compatible genes, sexy sons). We show that while mate choice shows promise as a tool in captive breeding under certain conditions, for most species, there is currently too little theoretical and empirical evidence to provide any clear guidelines that would guarantee positive fitness outcomes and avoid conflicts with other genetic goals. The application of female mate choice to captive breeding is in its infancy and requires a goal‐oriented framework based on the needs of captive species management, so researchers can make honest assessments of the costs and benefits of such an approach, using simulations, model species and captive animal data.
Calmodulin 4 is dispensable for epidermal barrier formation and wound healing in mice
Authors: Lessard Juliane C. , Kalinin Alexandr , Bible Paul W. , Morasso Maria I. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractCalcium‐mediated signals play important roles in epidermal barrier formation, skin homoeostasis and wound repair. Calmodulin 4 (Calm4) is a small, Ca2+‐binding protein with strong expression in suprabasal keratinocytes. In mice, Calm4 first appears in the skin at the time of barrier formation, and its expression increases in response to epidermal barrier challenges. In this study, we report the generation of Calm4 knockout mice and provide evidence that Calm4 is dispensable for epidermal barrier formation, maintenance and repair.
Non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer and bacillus Calmette‐Guerin treatment: a review of the literature
Authors: Alcorn Jason , Burton Rob L , Topping Annie 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACTBladder cancer is the second most common urological cancer in the UK, with over 10 000 cases diagnosed annually. With 80% of urothelial bladder cancers being non‐muscle invasive, it is important to understand the treatments available. This review aims to identify and review the literature regarding bacillus Calmette‐Guerin (BCG) treatment. An integrative‐based review was conducted to generate a broad overview of the existing knowledge for BCG treatment. An open search of online databases was conducted to identify articles published in English from the earliest date available to September 2013, using key terms related to BCG. A significant number of articles were identified. To narrow the results and identify the most relevant articles, the search terms were cross‐referenced. The resulting articles were then reviewed using the critical appraisal skills programme framework. The tools provided by CASP give a systematic, transparent and rigorous approach to the quality assessment of research studies. The research articles were then categorized under the following headings: side effects, including local, systemic and age; quality of life; and attrition. The major conclusion from this literature review is that BCG treatment, when given through an induction and maintenance regime, significantly reduces the risk of progression and recurrence. However, there are potential side effects which the patient and the nurse need to be aware. This review also highlighted that there is a lack of research from the UK and that there is a paucity of research showing why patients withdraw from BCG treatment
Cytochrome P450s from the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda): responses to plant allelochemicals and pesticides
Authors: Giraudo M. , Hilliou F. , Fricaux T. , Audant P. , Feyereisen R. , Le Goff G. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractSpodoptera frugiperda is a polyphagous lepidopteran pest that encounters a wide range of toxic plant metabolites in its diet. The ability of this insect to adapt to its chemical environment might be explained by the action of major detoxification enzymes such as cytochrome P450s (or CYP). Forty‐two sequences coding for P450s were identified and most of the transcripts were found to be expressed in the midgut, Malpighian tubules and fat body of S. frugiperda larvae. Relatively few P450s were expressed in the established cell line Sf9. In order to gain information on how these genes respond to different chemical compounds, larvae and Sf9 cells were exposed to plant secondary metabolites (indole, indole‐3‐carbinol, quercetin, 2‐tridecanone and xanthotoxin), insecticides (deltamethrin, fipronil, methoprene, methoxyfenozide) or model inducers (clofibrate and phenobarbital). Several genes were induced by plant chemicals such as P450s from the 6B, 321A and 9A subfamilies. Only a few genes responded to insecticides, belonging principally to the CYP9A family. There was little overlap between the response in vivo measured in the midgut and the response in vitro in Sf9 cells. In addition, regulatory elements were detected in the promoter region of these genes. In conclusion, several P450s were identified that could potentially be involved in the adaptation of S. frugiperda to its chemical environment.
Epigenomics of macrophages
Authors: Gosselin David , Glass Christopher K. 
Published: October 2014

SummaryMacrophages play essential roles in tissue homeostasis, pathogen elimination, and tissue repair. A defining characteristic of these cells is their ability to efficiently adapt to a variety of abruptly changing and complex environments. This ability is intrinsically linked to a capacity to quickly alter their transcriptome, and this is tightly associated with the epigenomic organization of these cells and, in particular, their enhancer repertoire. Indeed, enhancers are genomic sites that serve as platforms for the integration of signaling pathways with the mechanisms that regulate mRNA transcription. Notably, transcription is pervasive at active enhancers and enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are tightly coupled to regulated transcription of protein‐coding genes. Furthermore, given that each cell type possesses a defining enhancer repertoire, studies on enhancers provide a powerful method to study how specialization of functions among the diverse macrophage subtypes may arise. Here, we review recent studies providing insights into the distinct mechanisms that contribute to the establishment of enhancers and their role in the regulation of transcription in macrophages.
Mononuclear phagocytes of the intestine, the skin, and the lung
Authors: Scott Charlotte L. , Henri Sandrine , Guilliams Martin 
Published: October 2014

SummaryTissues that are in direct contact with the outside world face particular immunological challenges. The intestine, the skin, and the lung possess important mononuclear phagocyte populations to deal with these challenges, but the cellular origin of these phagocytes is strikingly different from one subset to another, with some cells derived from embryonic precursors and some from bone marrow‐derived circulating monocytes. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the developmental pathways that control the differentiation of mononuclear phagocytes in these barrier tissues. We have also attempted to build a theoretical model that could explain the distinct cellular origin of mononuclear phagocytes in these tissues.
Allelic variation at innate immune genes (avian β‐defensins), within a natural population of great tits
Authors: Hellgren Olof 
Published: October 2014

In order to fully understand pathogen induced natural variation in fitness in wild animal populations it is important to identify and study the degree of non‐synonymous alleles in genes that code for components of the immune system. This study investigates the degree of natural genetic variation at 6 innate immune genes belonging to the β‐defensin family within a single population of birds, the great tits Parus major. In 40 adult individuals, all belonging to the same local population in Wytham Woods, Oxford, UK, screened across 6 different β‐defensin genes, all but one individual showed non‐synonymous heterozygosity within the exon coding for the mature defensin peptide. The non‐synonomous variation was thus associated with the part of the defensin gene that directly interacts with potential pathogens. Within the sample, 31 different genotypes were identified across the 6 different loci. Much of the found allelic variation affected the amino acid composition, which in turn alter the net charge and hydrophilicity of the produced peptide; properties associated with the efficiency of binding to and rupture pathogens.This study demonstrates that non‐synonymous genetic variation exists at β‐defensins genes, a part of the immune system that forms an important first line of defence against various pathogens. Understanding the degree of underlying genetic variation at different parts of the immune system will help achieve a holistic view of the reasons behind individual variation in pathogen susceptibility, as well as why individuals are affected differently once they become infected.
Identifying Stakeholders’ Views on the Eco‐efficiency Assessment of a Municipal Solid Waste Management System
Authors: Meylan Grégoire , Stauffacher Michael , Krütli Pius , Seidl Roman , Spoerri Andy 
Published: October 2014

SummaryLife cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the most popular methods of technical‐environmental assessment for informing environmental policies, as, for instance, in municipal solid waste (MSW) management. Because MSW management involves many stakeholders with possibly conflicting interests, the implementation of an LCA‐based policy can, however, be blocked or delayed. A stakeholder assessment of future scenarios helps identify conflicting interests and anticipate barriers of sustainable MSW management systems. This article presents such an approach for Swiss waste glass‐packaging disposal, currently undergoing a policy review. In an online survey, stakeholders (N = 85) were asked to assess disposal scenarios showing different LCA‐based eco‐efficiencies with respect to their desirability and probability of occurrence. Scenarios with higher eco‐efficiency than the current system are more desirable and considered more probable than those with lower eco‐efficiency. A combination of inland recycling and downcycling to foam glass (insulation material) in Switzerland is desired by all stakeholders and is more eco‐efficient than the current system. In contrast, institutions of MSW management, such as national and regional environmental protection agencies, judge a scenario in which nearly all cullet would be recycled in the only Swiss glass‐packaging factory as more desirable than supply and demand stakeholders of waste glass‐packaging. Such a scenario involves a monopsony rejected by many municipalities and scrap traders. Such an assessment procedure can provide vital information guiding the formulation of environmental policies.