bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detecting long‐term losses at the plant community level – arable fields in Germany revisited
Authors: Meyer Stefan , Bergmeier Erwin , Becker Thomas , Wesche Karsten , Krause Benjamin , Leuschner Christoph 
Published: March 2015

AbstractQuestionThe intensification of crop cultivation in much of Europe since the mid‐20th century has greatly increased crop yields but caused dramatic biodiversity losses in arable fields. We investigated the extent of these losses at the level of plant community types.LocationTen areas in central Germany with different soil/climate conditions and various arable plant communities.MethodsWe compiled historical surveys of arable fields in the 1950s/early 1960s before the onset of pervasive agricultural industrialization, and in 2009 revisited 392 arable fields. Historical and recent data were compared with supervised manual classification, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) andANOVA.ResultsTen out of 16 plant communities at association rank observed in fields in the 1950s/1960s were not recorded again. The proportion of relevés assignable at association level decreased from 75% to 5%, while the proportion of relevés assignable only at higher syntaxon level or not assignable at all had increased from 2% to 75%. The impoverishment of vegetation was slightly less pronounced at field margins, where around one quarter of the recent relevés could be assigned to associations. Present arable plant communities in the region are species‐poor and consist chiefly of common, often herbicide‐tolerant, generalist species, with no clear preference for cereal vs root crops, autumn‐ vs spring‐sown crops or base‐rich vs base‐poor soils.ConclusionOur new approach using phytosociological syntaxa and a semi‐permanent plot design enabled us to quantify biodiversity losses at the community type level. The currently used set of phytosociological associations is inadequate to represent present‐day arable plant assemblages. The concept of residual plant communities provides a useful methodological supplement.
Children tell white lies to make others feel better
Authors: Warneken Felix , Orlins Emily 
Published: March 2015

We investigated whether children tell white lies simply out of politeness or as a means to improve another person's mood. A first experimental phase probed children's individual insight to use white lies when prosocial behaviour was called for. We compared a situation in which a person had expressed sadness about her artwork and the goal was to make her feel better (Sad condition) with a situation in which a person was indifferent about her work (Neutral condition). Children at 7 years and older were more likely to tell a white lie than the blunt truth in the Sad over the Neutral condition. Five‐year‐olds showed only a trend. A second phase tested whether children selectively use white lie telling after it was modelled by an adult. Results showed that after modelling, children from all age groups were significantly more likely to use white lies in the Sad condition than in the Neutral condition. Taken together, these results show that children are attentive to another person's affective states when choosing whether to tell a white lie or tell the truth. We discuss the emergence of this behaviour in relation to children's developing social cognition and the increasing sophistication of children's prosocial behaviour.
Children's prosocial behavioural intentions towards outgroup members
Authors: Abrams Dominic , Van de Vyver Julie , Pelletier Joseph , Cameron Lindsey 
Published: March 2015

When will children decide to help outgroup peers? We examined how intergroup competition, social perspective taking (SPT), and empathy influence children's (5–10 years,N = 287) prosocial intentions towards outgroup members. Study 1 showed that, in a minimal group situation, prosociality was lower in an intergroup competitive than in a non‐competitive or interpersonal context. Study 2 revealed that, in a real groups situation involving intergroup competition, prosociality was associated with higher empathy and lower competitive motivation. In a subsequent non‐competitive context, there were age differences in the impact of SPT and competitive motivation. With age, relationships strengthened between SPT and prosociality (positively) and between competitiveness and prosociality (negatively). Among older children, there was a carry‐over effect whereby feelings of intergroup competitiveness aroused by the intergroup competitive context suppressed outgroup prosociality in the followingnon‐competitivecontext. Theoretical and practical implications for improving children's intergroup relationships are discussed.
Using computer‐assisted assessment heuristics for usability evaluations
Authors: Sim Gavin , Read Janet C. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractTeaching practices within educational institutions have evolved through the increased adoption of technology to deliver the curriculum and the use of computers for assessment purposes. For educational technologists, there is a vast array of commercial computer applications available for the delivery of objective tests, and in some instances, organisations have opted to develop bespoke systems to meet their individual pedagogical requirements. However, there is very little research published on the usability of these systems and on the possible usability problems that could ultimately affect users' learning or users' marks in summative tests. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of the heuristic evaluation method for the evaluation of computer‐assisted assessment (CAA) systems and proposes a set of CAA heuristics for evaluating assessment tools. The results of these tests show that, with little training, novice evaluators can effectively perform an evaluation and could, using this heuristic set, identify genuine usability problems within the assessment tool. Therefore, educational technologists or software developers could use the new CAA heuristic set to aid their procurement or inform their design decisions.
Interaction between gaming and multistage guiding strategies on students' field trip mobile learning performance and motivation
Authors: Chen Chih‐Hung , Liu Guan‐Zhi , Hwang Gwo‐Jen 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn this study, an integrated gaming and multistage guiding approach was proposed for conducting in‐field mobile learning activities. A mobile learning system was developed based on the proposed approach. To investigate the interaction between the gaming and guiding strategies on students' learning performance and motivation, a 2 × 2 experiment was conducted on an elementary school natural science course. Four groups of students were situated in a field trip to learn with different mobile learning approaches (ie, gaming or nongaming) and guiding mechanisms (ie, multistage or single‐stage). The experimental results showed that both the gaming and multistage guiding mechanisms proposed in this study significantly enhanced the students' learning achievements. Moreover, the interaction between the two showed that the lead‐in of the gaming strategy could significantly improve the learning motivation of the students who learned with the multistage guiding mechanism; on the contrary, their learning motivation could be significantly decreased without the gaming approach, although the multistage guiding mechanism was effective. The findings imply that “gamification” could be a good approach for helping students accept learning support or tools provided in mobile learning scenarios.
Factors associated with early childhood caries incidence among high caries‐risk children
Authors: Ghazal Tariq , Levy Steven M. , Childers Noel K. , Broffitt Barbara , Cutter Gary R. , Wiener Howard W. , Kempf Mirjam C. , Warren John , Cavanaugh Joseph E. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the relationships between different behavioral factors and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in African‐American pre‐school children.MethodsNinety‐six African‐American children aged 3–22 months old at baseline were recruited from a high caries risk, non‐fluoridated African‐American community in Uniontown, Alabama. The children had dental examinations annually following World Health Organization (WHO) criteria at mean ages 1.1, 2.0, 3.1 and 4.0 years. All children received fluoride varnish application at each study visit. Parents provided oral hygiene and dietary information semiannually by completing questionnaires. Area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC) with the trapezoidal rule was used to summarize longitudinal exposure data. Bivariate and multivariable relationships between ECC incidence and behavioral risk factors were assessed using logistic regression and negative binomial modeling for dichotomous and count dependent variables, respectively, with the independent variables defined at age 1, age 3 and as the AUC.ResultsGreater frequency of toothbrushing and greater AUC composite of daily frequency of consumption of 100% juices were associated with lower incidence of dental caries (P‐values = 0.01 and 0.049, ORs = 0.34 and 0.37, respectively). Greater AUC of daily frequency of consumption of sweetened foods and history of a previous visit to a dentist by age 3 were associated with greater incidence of ECC (ORs = 9.22 and 4.57, P‐values = 0.002 and 0.03, respectively).ConclusionFor these children living in a non‐fluoridated community, more frequent consumption of sweetened food, less frequent consumption of 100% juice, less frequent toothbrushing, and reporting a previous visit to a dentist were significantly associated with greater ECC incidence.
Developing innovative models of practice at the interface between the NHS and child and family social work where children living at home are at risk of abuse and neglect: a scoping review
Authors: Luckock Barry , Barlow Jane , Brown Chris 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe case has been made for introducing a rights‐based, public health approach to child protection in England. A continuum of prevention is proposed, with multi‐agency responses calibrated more carefully to the level of risk identified by children, parents and practitioners. The aim was to allocate inter‐professional authority and resources in such a way as to ensure the safeguarding response is proportionate to the nature and level of concerns expressed and reliable in achieving good outcoSmes for children and parents alike. Recent research findings confirm the need for new models of service alignment and inter‐professional responsibility at the interface of ‘primary’ and ‘specialist’ health‐care services and ‘children's social care’, where significant safeguarding concerns are raised. This paper reports the findings of a scoping study, designed to establish the extent to which innovative practice methodologies have been implemented and evaluated in England to date. While the evidence to support the effectiveness of specific practice methodologies and contrasting logics of service design and implementation is shown to be very limited still, achieving reliability and legitimacy in the safeguarding relationships established at the service interface seems to depend on the integrity of the dialogue facilitated in each case.
New insights into dye chemistry and physics
Authors: Batchelor Stephen N. 
Published: March 2015

A review of the academic dye research performed by the Port Sunlight group and its coworkers over the past 15 years is presented. The work is focused on three areas: (1) substrate structure; (2) dye interactions in aqueous solution and on substrates; (3) dye degradation and products. For substrates, a detailed model of the nanoenvironment experienced by chemicals within cellulose fibre is given, showing the different environments and remarkable mobility of absorbed chemicals. Advanced nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion measurements provide the complex pathways by which compounds find their way in and out of the fibre. For dye interaction, detailed theoretical and experimental studies are reported on three model dye systems, the anionic monoazo dye Orange II, the bisazo anionic dye CI Direct Blue 1, and cationic monoazo thiazolium dyes, providing a comprehensive picture of their structure. A quantitative mechanism of dye binding to cellulose is shown. Resonance Raman provides an effective forensic tool for dye identification, even from single fibres. The products and kinetics of Orange II dye degradation by one‐electron reduction in aqueous solution is given, with the identification of an indophenol dye end‐product. In cellulosic materials the reduction mechanism is similar to solution, when the higher microviscosity is accounted for. Hydrolysis of thiazolium dyes occurs at both aromatic rings of the dye but on different timescales. Measurement and calculations of the electronic structures of one‐electron‐reduced and ‐oxidised dyes are presented. The mechanism of photooxidation by sunlight of azo dyes in cotton is delineated.
Making Democracy Legible? Voter Registration and the Permanent Electronic Electoral List in Benin
Authors: Piccolino Giulia 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTA core component of the infrastructural power of the modern state is the capacity to make its population ‘legible’, through the development of accurate registration and identification mechanisms. In discussing the relationship between democratization and state building, little attention has been paid to the electoral process as a technical process. Yet, the introduction of competitive elections presupposes the registration of voters and thus requires the development of the ‘legibility’ capacities of states. This is particularly evident in sub‐Saharan Africa, where democratizing states have been confronted with the weakness of their existing records and forced to develop new mechanisms for registering voters in a reliable manner. This article looks at the experience of the Liste Electorale Permanente Informatisée (the Permanent Electronic Electoral List) in Benin and discusses the potentialities and limits of voter registration as a state‐building tool.
Effects of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells Delivered through a Graft Vessel for Patients with Previous Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Heart Failure: An Echocardiographic Study of Left Atrium Function
Authors: Qi Zhi , Liu Sheng , Lv Xiuzhang , Duan Fujian , Wang Hao , Gao Yiming , Wang Jianpeng 
Published: March 2015

ObjectivesThe graft of stem cells to treat ischemic cardiomyopathy is popular in many clinical trials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of isolated coronary artery bypass graft combined with bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) delivered through the graft vessels to improve left atrium (LA) function of patients with previous myocardial infarction and chronic heart failure using echocardiography.MethodsForty‐two patients with previous myocardial infarction and chronic heart failure were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) only (18 in CABG group) or CABG with BMMNC transplantation (24 in CABG + BMMNC group). Echocardiographic parameters were measured on two‐dimensional (2D) imaging, three‐dimensional imaging, 2D strain, and strain rate imaging, eight parameters were measured totally.ResultsPostoperative LA global strain (LAGS) versus Preoperative LAGS were 24.875 ± 1.588% versus 14.250 ± 1.281% (P < 0.05) in CABG + BMMMNC group and 17.556 ± 1.834% versus 13.111 ± 1.479% (P < 0.05) in CABG group, LVEF was 49.083 ± 1.914% versus 36.042 ± 1.185% (P < 0.05) in CABG + BMMMNC group and 41.389 ± 2.210% versus 34.667 ± 1.369% (P < 0.05) in CABG group, and LA volume (LAV) was 15.651 ± 0.631 mL versus 23.894 ± 0.831 mL (P < 0.05) in CABG + BMMMNC group and 21.429 ± 0.707 mL versus 22.379 ± 0.959 mL (P < 0.05) in CABG group. LAGS, LVEF, and LAV were significantly improved postoperatively in both groups. The degree of the improvement was significantly different between the two groups with the CABG + BMMNC group improved more versus the group of CABG only (P < 0.05). Postoperative LVEDV and LVESV were significantly improved compared with those obtained prior to operation in CABG + BMMNC group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe improvement of LA function in CABG + BMMNC group is better than CABG group. 2D strain imaging is a more sensitive tool to evaluate LA function.
Timing of maxillofacial–oral injuries in an individual of the ancient city of Herculaneum (79 AD, Naples, Italy): a case report
Authors: Viciano Joan , D'Anastasio Ruggero , Capasso Luigi 
Published: March 2015

AbstractBackgroundThis study is based on the skeletal remains of an adult female from the ancient city of Herculaneum (Naples, Italy), who was a victim of the eruption of the nearby Vesuvius Volcano on 24–25 August, AD 79.Results and DiscussionExamination of the maxillofacial region revealed evidence of unilateral condylar fracture and dislocation, as well as traumatic dental injuries. The injuries observed might have been the consequence of a direct blow to the mental region that was transmitted in a direction that raised the mandible, causing an indirect fracture in the right condylar neck when the condylar head collided directly with the temporal glenoid fossa. This indirect impact also resulted in partial fracture of three dental crowns due to the violent impact of the arches between them, and the sharp impact together of the upper and lower teeth. It is suggested that these injuries were sustained due to an accidental fall when the individual was between 7 and 15 years old, which is supported by the morphology, location and extension of the injuries, and the characterization of the impact.ConclusionThese results are an illustration of how dental anthropology and forensic approaches can be applied with great benefit to archaeological skeletal remains.
A systematic review on definitions and assessments of psychotic‐like experiences
Authors: Lee Kit‐Wai , Chan Kit‐Wa , Chang Wing‐Chung , Lee Edwin Ho‐Ming , Hui Christy Lai‐Ming , Chen Eric Yu‐Hai 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAimsPsychotic‐like experiences (PLEs) or subclinical psychotic experiences have received increased attention as some studies have suggested continuity between PLEs and psychotic disorders. However, epidemiological and correlational studies of PLEs showed mixed findings – it is observed that different studies use a wide variety of definitions of PLEs, as well as different assessment tools that are designed to capture such described experiences. The differences in definitions and assessment tools adopted could contribute to the discrepancy of findings. The current review aims to examine the definitions and assessment tools adopted in the studies of PLEs.MethodsLiterature search was conducted between October 2013 and February 2014 using three search engines: Medline, Web of Science and PubMed.ResultsA total of 76 papers met the selection criteria and were included in the current review. It is found that the majority of papers reviewed defined PLEs quantitatively using assessment tools and do not have a specific phenomenological definition, whereas assessment tools adopted have a wide variety. Furthermore, phenomenological studies of PLEs were rare.ConclusionsThe variations in definitions and assessment tools of PLEs might contribute to mixed findings in researches. Reaching to a consensus through the study of phenomenology of PLEs is essential to further advancement of the research in this area.
Combined lesions of direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways but not changes in dopamine levels explain learning deficits in patients with Huntington's disease
Authors: Schroll Henning , Beste Christian , Hamker Fred H. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractHuntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease of the basal ganglia that causes severe motor, cognitive and emotional dysfunctions. In the human basal ganglia, these dysfunctions are accompanied by a loss of striatal medium spiny neurons, dysfunctions of the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus, and changes in dopamine receptor binding. Here, we used a neuro‐computational model to investigate which of these basal ganglia dysfunctions can explain patients’ deficits in different stimulus–response learning paradigms. We show that these paradigms are particularly suitable for scrutinising the effects of potential changes in dopamine signaling and of potential basal ganglia lesions on overt behavior in HD. We find that combined lesions of direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways, but none of these lesions alone, reproduce patients’ learning impairments. Degeneration of medium spiny neurons of the direct pathway accounts for patients’ deficits in facilitating correct responses, whereas degeneration of indirect pathway medium spiny neurons explains their impairments in inhibiting dominant but incorrect responses. The empirical results cannot be explained by lesions of the subthalamic nucleus, which is part of the hyperdirect pathway, or by changes in dopamine levels. Overall, our simulations suggest combined lesions of direct and indirect pathways as a major source of HD patients’ learning impairments and, tentatively, also their motor and cognitive deficits in general, whereas changes in dopamine levels are suggested to not be causally related to patients’ impairments.
The incidence of SCN1A‐related Dravet syndrome in Denmark is 1:22,000: A population‐based study from 2004 to 2009
Authors: Bayat Allan , Hjalgrim Helle , Møller Rikke S. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryDravet syndrome is a severe infantile‐onset epileptic encephalopathy associated with mutations in the sodium channel alpha‐1 subunit gene SCN1A. We aimed to describe the incidence of Dravet syndrome in the Danish population. Based on a 6‐year birth cohort from 2004 to 2009, we propose an incidence of 1:22,000, which is higher than what has been established earlier. We identified 17 cases with SCN1A mutation–positive Dravet syndrome. Fifteen patients were found, by conventional Sanger sequencing. Two additional patients with clinical Dravet syndrome, but without a detectable SCN1A mutation by Sanger sequencing, were diagnosed with a SCN1A mutation after using a targeted next‐generation sequencing gene panel.
Equine platelet lysate as an alternative to fetal bovine serum in equine mesenchymal stromal cell culture – too much of a good thing?
Authors: Russell K. A. , Koch T. G. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryReasons for performing studyMultipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are often culture‐expanded in vitro. Presently, expansion medium (EM) for MSC is supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS). However, increasing cost, variable composition and potential risks associated with bovine antigens call for alternatives. Platelet lysate (PL) has shown promise as an alternative supplement.ObjectivesTo determine how equine umbilical cord blood (CB) MSC proliferate in EM enriched with PL or FBS at various concentrations.Study designRandomised dose escalation study.MethodsPlatelet concentrate was generated from 5 equine whole blood samples through a double centrifugation method and standardised to 1 × 1012 platelets/l prior to a freeze/thaw cycle to produce PL. Pooled PL or pooled FBS was added to EM at concentrations of 5% to 60%. Proliferation of 4 equine CB‐MSC cultures was determined after 4 days using a resazurin semiquantitative assay.ResultsCord blood‐MSC proliferated with a dose‐dependent response with no significant difference found between PL and FBS up to a 30% concentration. Beyond 30%, proliferation fell in the PL‐cultured cells, while continued dose‐dependent proliferation was noted in the FBS‐cultured cells. Despite reduced cell numbers in high PL concentrations, live/dead staining revealed that adherent cells remained viable.ConclusionsExpansion medium enriched with PL can support short‐term equine CB‐MSC proliferation at conventional culture concentrations. Based on the unexpected suppression of CB‐MSC at higher PL concentrations, an in vivo dose study is indicated to investigate if combinational therapies of CB‐MSC and platelet‐rich plasma are associated with synergistic or antagonistic effect on CB‐MSC function.