bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pathway‐level models to predict non‐indigenous species establishment using propagule pressure, environmental tolerance and trait data
Authors: Bradie Johanna , Leung Brian 
Published: November 2014

Summary

Non‐indigenous species (NIS) establishments are a growing concern. Current quantitative methods for NIS risk assessment generally focus on only one species or only one of the main drivers of establishment [propagule pressure (PP), environmental suitability, or species' traits]. There is a need for quantitative models that estimate establishment probability for species at the pathway level; models would be particularly relevant if they could utilize available data, combine multiple predictors and were made accessible to managers.

We present and evaluate methodology that uses establishment data, PP proxy data and any available trait data for the suite of species present in an introduction pathway to generate a joint pathway‐level establishment model where species' establishment probabilities are influenced by their traits and environmental tolerances.

The consequence of using our joint model is that if traits are predictive and species differ in the number of propagules needed to establish, a family of species‐specific PP‐establishment curves is estimated. Theoretical results revealed that our model performs well and makes accurate predictions even when trait data are incomplete and/or extraneous data are used in fitting.

An empirical analysis of freshwater fish introductions to the United States identified species that have a high chance of establishment. The inclusion of species' trait and environmental data significantly improved upon predictions made with a PP‐only model. Further, by considering both PP and species traits, we were able to predict which species have been observed in the U.S. and which species were more likely to persist.

Synthesis and applications. Managers can use the methodology presented herein to generate quantitative pathway‐level models of establishment probability. This methodology is especially appealing because it gives managers the ability to make quantitative estimates of how proposed management actions will affect establishment probabilities, allows managers to control risk without completely restricting trade, can generate predictions for new species in a pathway given knowledge of the species' trait values and informs on the consequences associated with substitutions for species with trade restrictions.
Valuing Stillbirths
Authors: Phillips John , Millum Joseph 
Published: November 2014

AbstractEstimates of the burden of disease assess the mortality and morbidity that affect a population by producing summary measures of health such as quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs). These measures typically do not include stillbirths (fetal deaths occurring during the later stages of pregnancy or during labor) among the negative health outcomes they count. Priority‐setting decisions that rely on these measures are therefore likely to place little value on preventing the more than three million stillbirths that occur annually worldwide. In contrast, neonatal deaths, which occur in comparable numbers, have a substantial impact on burden of disease estimates and are commonly seen as a pressing health concern. In this article we argue in favor of incorporating unintended fetal deaths that occur late in pregnancy into estimates of the burden of disease. Our argument is based on the similarity between late‐term fetuses and newborn infants and the assumption that protecting newborns is important. We respond to four objections to counting stillbirths: (1) that fetuses are not yet part of the population and so their deaths should not be included in measures of population health; (2) that valuing the prevention of stillbirths will undermine women's reproductive rights; (3) that including stillbirths implies that miscarriages (fetal deaths early in pregnancy) should also be included; and (4) that birth itself is in fact ethically significant. We conclude that our proposal is ethically preferable to current practice and, if adopted, is likely to lead to improved decisions about health spending.
Linking ecosystem characteristics to final ecosystem services for public policy
Authors: Wong Christina P. , Jiang Bo , Kinzig Ann P. , Lee Kai N. , Ouyang Zhiyun 
Published: November 2014

AbstractGovernments worldwide are recognising ecosystem services as an approach to address sustainability challenges. Decision‐makers need credible and legitimate measurements of ecosystem services to evaluate decisions for trade‐offs to make wise choices. Managers lack these measurements because of a data gap linking ecosystem characteristics to final ecosystem services. The dominant method to address the data gap is benefit transfer using ecological data from one location to estimate ecosystem services at other locations with similar land cover. However, benefit transfer is only valid once the data gap is adequately resolved. Disciplinary frames separating ecology from economics and policy have resulted in confusion on concepts and methods preventing progress on the data gap. In this study, we present a 10‐step approach to unify concepts, methods and data from the disparate disciplines to offer guidance on overcoming the data gap. We suggest: (1) estimate ecosystem characteristics using biophysical models, (2) identify final ecosystem services using endpoints and (3) connect them using ecological production functions to quantify biophysical trade‐offs. The guidance is strategic for public policy because analysts need to be: (1) realistic when setting priorities, (2) attentive to timelines to acquire relevant data, given resources and (3) responsive to the needs of decision‐makers.
Effects of wind‐driven spatial structure and environmental heterogeneity on high‐altitude wetland macroinvertebrate assemblages with contrasting dispersal modes
Authors: Bertin Angéline , Alvarez Evelyn , Gouin Nicolas , Gianoli Ernesto , Montecinos Sonia , Lek Sovan , Gascoin Simon , Lhermitte Stefaan 
Published: November 2014

Summary

Dispersal is a major determinant of connectivity between communities that may modulate the importance of environmental and spatial processes on taxonomic composition. While wind is likely to influence transport distance, rate and direction for numerous species, its effects on community composition remain poorly understood.

Using eigenvector‐based spatial analyses, we investigated the influence of wind flows, estimated by mesoscale models, on the spatial structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages with contrasting flying abilities in high Andean wetlands (26–32°S). We further quantified the relative importance of local and regional processes through a variation partitioning approach.

The influence of environmental heterogeneity was prevalent and of relatively similar amplitude in both flying and non‐flying assemblages. Significant spatial structure more strongly driven by wind flows than by Euclidean schemes was detected for both assemblages. As expected, the highest levels of spatial structure were observed for the flying macroinvertebrate assemblage and they occurred at a much larger spatial scale in this group, suggesting a greater dispersal aptitude of the flying taxa.

Our results show that environmental effects are predominant in shaping the spatial structure of macroinvertebrate communities in high Andean wetlands, as generally found in other systems. They also demonstrate the significance of wind flows in regulating high‐altitude wetland macroinvertebrate communities and illustrate the importance of considering adequate spatial models and biological characteristics of species to advance our understanding of community patterns.
Caddisfly egg mass morphology mediates egg predation: potential costs to individuals and populations
Authors: Bovill William D. , Downes Barbara J. , Lancaster Jill 
Published: November 2014

Summary

Egg predation is seldom considered in life‐history studies of freshwater insects, but could be an important source of mortality with potential to limit population numbers. Costs of egg predation to prey can be considered at two levels: (i) fitness costs to individuals via reduced reproductive output; and (ii) population costs via reduced recruitment of benthic larvae.

Larvae of Orthotrichia armata (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) feed on the egg masses of caddisflies in the Little River, central Victoria, Australia, but the small size of O. armata suggests that they may be unable to penetrate egg masses that are covered with a thick layer of spumaline jelly. We predicted that predation by O. armata would be more severe for egg masses with thinner spumaline.

With field surveys throughout the peak caddisfly oviposition period (summer), we compared predation by O. armata on the egg masses of nine caddisfly taxa. Egg masses were categorised, according to the thicknesses of spumaline, into bulbous (thickly jellied), thinly jellied and jelly‐free morphotypes, with three species per morphotype. Bulbous egg masses were rarely consumed. Thinly jellied egg masses comprised just 4–13% of all egg masses in each survey, but attracted 52–93% of all egg predators. Jelly‐free egg masses were readily consumed, but O. armata were disproportionately scarce on them.

In a second survey, we compared the proportions of eggs that were consumed from egg masses with small and large clutch sizes, by monitoring the thinly jellied egg masses of Taschorema sp. (598 ± 95 eggs per mass) and Ethochorema turbidum (1195 ± 192 eggs per mass) to eclosion. More than 25% of Taschorema sp. egg masses were entirely consumed, causing complete reproductive failure of parent females (fitness costs to individuals). Consumption rates were < 25% for most egg masses of E. turbidum. Orthotrichia armata consumed 48% of all Taschorema sp. eggs and 20% of E. turbidum eggs, suggesting that egg predation may substantially curb larval recruitment (costs to populations), particularly for species with small clutch sizes.

Our results demonstrate that egg mortality varies for aquatic insect species that package their eggs in different ways. Combined with recent data from the same system, our results suggest egg mass morphology–mortality trade‐offs, with bulbous egg masses particularly vulnerable to flow forces (shear) and thinly jellied/jelly‐free egg masses particularly vulnerable to predation. Given the wide array of aquatic invertebrate species that lay single egg masses on hard substrata, it is feasible that this is a common trade‐off that warrants more research on the impacts of egg predation on aquatic species.
Alveolar bone loss and ageing: possible association with coronary heart diseases and/or severe vascular diseases
Authors: Ruquet Michel , Maille Gérald , Tavitian Patrick , Tardivo Delphine , Hüe Olivier , Bonfil Jean‐Jacques 
Published: November 2014

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to utilise a new methodological approach based on radiographic examinations to demonstrate a potential association between coronary heart diseases (CHD) as well as severe hypertension and alveolar bone loss (ABL) in older adults.BackgroundMany studies, primarily assessing clinical parameters, underline the association between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between ABL and CHD/vascular diseases (VD) is potentially of high importance because of their prevalence in populations, and they represent an important issue in the fields of epidemiology and public health. Therefore, this topic was approached with new tools.Materials and methodsThe study was comprised of 236 participants over 50 years. A clinical examination and a radiographic assessment of ABL were performed. Direct measures of alveolar bone level were recorded using CT scans, and different variables were studied (age, sex, Plaque index, cigarettes per day, coronary heart disease and vascular disease status). A medical examination report was attached to the investigation file.ResultsThe results confirmed a positive association between CHD/VD and periodontal destruction; alveolar bone destruction represented a risk factor for CHD/VD [odds ratio (OR): 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01–1.60; p < 0.037].ConclusionThis study supports an association between periodontal diseases and CHD/VD independent of known confounders, although an aetiological link of causality has not been established.
Good coercion: Patients' moral evaluation of coercion in mental health care
Authors: Lorem Geir F. , Hem Marit H. , Molewijk Bert 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe use of coercion in mental health care is not self‐evident and requires moral justification. A joint understanding is difficult to achieve, because patients and health professionals often evaluate coercion differently. The present study aims to discuss patients' ‘moral’ evaluation of coercion. We believe that such a focus can form the basis for a better and more differentiated understanding of how we evaluate coercion. This is a qualitative study based on participant observation and interviews with patients. In order to focus specifically on the moral evaluation of coercion, we looked within patients' narratives to examine whether we could differentiate between how they experienced coercion and how they morally evaluated its use, and how they envision/describe good coercion. We found that patients differentiated implicitly between experiences and moral evaluation. The findings have been ordered into three types of reactions: agreeing and accepting, fighting or resisting, and resignation. Further reflection upon patients' positive and negative moral evaluations of coercion resulted in the formulation of different concrete elements at three levels: threshold elements, process elements, and empathic elements. These elements helped us to understand what these patients considered ‘good coercion’. The implications are that good clinical practice cannot be separated from the formal, moral evaluation of coercion. A differentiated moral understanding of coercion can form the basis for better and more sensitive communication about coercion among all those involved. A more respectful dialogue on the moral evaluation of coercion might also raise awareness during both the decision‐making process and the actual practising of coercion.
Extreme variation in the atrial septation of caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Authors: de Bakker Desiderius M. , Wilkinson Mark , Jensen Bjarke 
Published: November 2014

AbstractCaecilians (order Gymnophiona) are elongate, limbless, snake‐like amphibians that are the sister‐group (closest relatives) of all other recent amphibians (frogs and salamanders). Little is known of their cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, but one nearly century old study suggests that Hypogeophis (family Indotyphlidae), commonly relied upon as a representative caecilian species, has atrial septation in the frontal plane and more than one septum. In contrast, in other vertebrates there generally is one atrial septum in the sagittal plane. We studied the adult heart of Idiocranium (also Indotyphlidae) using immunohistochemistry and confirm that the interatrial septum is close to the frontal plane. Additionally, a parallel right atrial septum divides three‐fourths of the right atrial cavity of this species. Idiocranium embryos in the Hill collection reveal that atrial septation initiates in the sagittal plane as in other tetrapods. Late developmental stages, however, see a left‐ward shift of visceral organs and a concordant rotation of the atria that reorients the atrial septa towards the frontal plane. The gross anatomies of species from six other caecilian families reveal that (i) the right atrial septum developed early in caecilian evolution (only absent in Rhinatrematidae) and that (ii) rotation of the atria evolved later and its degree varies between families. In most vertebrates a prominent atrial trabeculation associates with the sinuatrial valve, the so‐called septum spurium, and the right atrial septum seems homologous to this trabeculation but much more developed. The right atrial septum does not appear to be a consequence of body elongation because it is absent in some caecilians and in snakes. The interatrial septum of caecilians shares multiple characters with the atrial septum of lungfishes, salamanders and the embryonic septum primum of amniotes. In conclusion, atrial septation in caecilians is based on evolutionarily conserved structures but possibly exhibits greater variation than in any other vertebrate order.
Cloning and characterisation of JAZ gene family in Hevea brasiliensis
Authors: Hong H. , Xiao H. , Yuan H. , Zhai J. , Huang X. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractMechanical wounding or treatment with exogenous jasmonates (JA) induces differentiation of the laticifer in Hevea brasiliensis. JA is a key signal for latex biosynthesis and wounding response in the rubber tree. Identification of JAZ (jasmonate ZIM‐domain) family of proteins that repress JA responses has facilitated rapid progress in understanding how this lipid‐derived hormone controls gene expression and related physiological processes in plants. In this work, the full‐length cDNAs of six JAZ genes were cloned from H. brasiliensis (termed HbJAZ). These HbJAZ have different lengths and sequence diversity, but all of them contain Jas and ZIM domains, and two of them contain an ERF‐associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif in the N‐terminal. Real‐time RT‐PCR analyses revealed that HbJAZ have different expression patterns and tissue specificity. Four HbJAZ were up‐regulated, one was down‐regulated, while two were less effected by rubber tapping treatment, suggesting that they might play distinct roles in the wounding response. A yeast two‐hybrid assay revealed that HbJAZ proteins interact with each other to form homologous or heterogeneous dimer complexes, indicating that the HbJAZ proteins may expand their function through diverse JAZ–JAZ interactions. This work lays a foundation for identification of the JA signalling pathway and molecular mechanisms of latex biosynthesis in rubber trees.
Electrophysiological dynamics reveal distinct processing of stimulus‐stimulus and stimulus‐response conflicts
Authors: Li Qi , Wang Kai , Nan Weizhi , Zheng Ya , Wu Haiyan , Wang Hongbin , Liu Xun 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe present study examined electroencephalogram profiles on a novel stimulus‐response compatibility (SRC) task in order to elucidate the distinct brain mechanisms of stimulus‐stimulus (S‐S) and stimulus‐response (S‐R) conflict processing. The results showed that the SRC effects on reaction times (RTs) and N2 amplitudes were additive when both S‐S and S‐R conflicts existed. We also observed that, for both RTs and N2 amplitudes, the conflict adaptation effects—the reduced SRC effect following an incongruent trial versus a congruent trial—were present only when two consecutive trials involved the same type of conflict. Time‐frequency analysis revealed that both S‐S and S‐R conflicts modulated power in the theta band, whereas S‐S conflict additionally modulated power in the alpha and beta bands. In summary, our findings provide insight into the domain‐specific conflict processing and the modular organization of cognitive control.
Time Zone Politics and Challenges of Globalisation
Authors: Benediktsson Karl , Brunn Stanley D. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractTime zones are an under researched topic in geography. In this paper, their political construction is examined, and the conflicts that can arise between biological temporalities on one hand and the interests of international business and state politics on the other are discussed. A detailed map of major deviations from theoretical time zones in China and Europe is presented. The geographically complex and uneven adoption of daylight saving time is also shown on a map. An extended case study of time zone politics in Iceland is then presented. Its current time zone allocation has been contested from two very different viewpoints, where business concerns and geographical position are in conflict. Finally, new challenges to the global time zone system, arising from the increased economic globalisation and opportunities for social interaction in the new reality of cyberspace, are discussed. The concept of ‘time elasticity’ is proposed for partially grappling with these conditions.
Divergent muscle sympathetic responses to dynamic leg exercise in heart failure and age‐matched healthy subjects
Authors: Notarius Catherine F. , Millar Philip J. , Murai Hisayoshi , Morris Beverley L. , Marzolini Susan , Oh Paul , Floras John S. 
Published: November 2014

Key points
People with diminished ventricular contraction who develop heart failure have higher sympathetic nerve firing rates at rest compared with healthy individuals of a similar age and this is associated with less exercise capacity.
During handgrip exercise, sympathetic nerve activity to muscle is higher in patients with heart failure but the response to leg exercise is unknown because its recording requires stillness.
We measured sympathetic activity from one leg while the other leg cycled at a moderate level and observed a decrease in nerve firing rate in healthy subjects but an increase in subjects with heart failure.
Because these nerves release noradrenaline, which can restrict muscle blood flow, this observation helps explain the limited exercise capacity of patients with heart failure.
Lower nerve traffic during exercise was associated with greater peak oxygen uptake, suggesting that if exercise training attenuated sympathetic outflow functional capacity in heart failure would improve.
AbstractThe reflex fibular muscle sympathetic nerve (MSNA) response to dynamic handgrip exercise is elicited at a lower threshold in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The present aim was to test the hypothesis that the contralateral MSNA response to mild to moderate dynamic one‐legged exercise is augmented in HFrEF relative to age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure and MSNA were recorded in 16 patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction = 31 ± 2%; age 62 ± 3 years, mean ± SE) and 13 healthy control subjects (56 ± 2 years) before and during 2 min of upright one‐legged unloaded cycling followed by 2 min at 50% of peak oxygen uptake (). Resting HR and blood pressure were similar between groups whereas MSNA burst frequency was higher (50.0 ± 2.0 vs. 42.3 ± 2.7 bursts min−1, P = 0.03) and lower (18.0 ± 2.0 vs. 32.6 ± 2.8 ml kg−1 min−1, P < 0.001) in HFrEF. Exercise increased HR (P < 0.001) with no group difference (P = 0.1). MSNA burst frequency decreased during mild to moderate dynamic exercise in the healthy controls but increased in HFrEF (−5.5 ± 2.0 vs. 6.9 ± 1.8 bursts min−1, P < 0.001). Exercise capacity correlated inversely with MSNA burst frequency at 50% (n = 29; r = −0.64; P < 0.001). At the same relative workload, one‐legged dynamic exercise elicited a fall in MSNA burst frequency in healthy subjects but sympathoexcitation in HFrEF, a divergence probably reflecting between‐group differences in reflexes engaged by cycling. This finding, coupled with an inverse relationship between MSNA burst frequency during loaded cycling and subjects’ , is consistent with a neurogenic determinant of exercise capacity in HFrEF.