bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Hollow State: Rural Governance in China
Authors: Smith Graeme 
Published: September 2010

AbstractOver the last decade, rural township governments have been subjected to intensive streamlining and rationalization programmes. This article examines which ongoing reforms and processes are causing township governments to become “hollow shells,” and explores the effects of “hollowing out” on township government leaders, staff and rural residents. While the aim of local government reform was to transform extractive township governments into “service-oriented” agencies, this article finds that the current logic of rural governance has produced township governments which are squeezed from above and below. From above, township leaders face the political imperatives of inspections, annual assessments, the need to attract industrial investment and an ongoing process of “soft centralization” by higher levels of government. From below, township staff are drawn out to the villages to enforce family planning policies and maintain social stability. Unprecedented numbers are working as “sent-down cadres” in villages where their capacity to deliver services has been weakened by village amalgamations and the lifting of agricultural taxes and fees. Despite significant boosts to rural health and education investment, rural residents still face a level of government that regards them as problems to be dealt with, rather than citizens to be served.
Opportunity for selection in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): the effect of spatial scale of analysis
Authors: Galimberti Filippo , Fabiani Anna , Sanvito Simona 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe opportunity for selection, I, calculated as the variance in relative fitness, sets an upper limit to the amount of adaptive change that selection may produce. Therefore, it is a potentially valuable, and frequently used, measure of the potential of action of phenotypic selection. Although many different aspects of I calculation and analysis have been explored, the effect of the spatial scale chosen for calculation received little attention, notwithstanding the growing evidence that natural populations are not homogeneous and present a hierarchical spatial structure. The effect of scale on the estimation of I was examined from data collected in two populations of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), an easily observable and strongly polygynous species. A significant effect of spatial scale on three important aspects of I calculation and analysis was found: dependence of I on mean fitness, between population variation of I, and effect of local demography on I.
Marking methods in small mammals: ear‐tattoo as an alternative to toe‐clipping
Authors: Lindner Elke , Fuelling Olaf 
Published: September 2010

AbstractIn a field study on the behavioural response of grey‐sided voles Clethrionomys rufocanus to predator odour ear tattoos were used for individual marking of the voles in the field. The study was conducted over three summer seasons in the tundra of northern Norway. In this paper we report our experience with ear‐tattooing in order to compare it with other methods used for marking small mammals. Methods should be compared for their different influences on physiology and behaviour and to find alternatives to the widely used toe‐clipping. Looking for alternatives becomes mandatory because in many countries this method needs a special permit or is totally prohibited by law. Marking a vole with ear‐tattoos took us 2 min on average. The rate for the first recapture after marking voles was 87%. This is much higher than reported recapture rates for toe‐clipped voles. From all recaptured individuals we were able to identify > 89.9% of the codes. The time lag between marking and first recapture was higher than the lag between second and third recapture, which indicates a trauma caused by the marking procedure. However, there was no evidence of any weight loss as reported for other marking methods, and most of the tattooed animals did not show any behaviour indicating irritation after being marked. It is concluded that ear‐tattooing, as an alternative to other methods of marking small mammals is useful even in the field. However, to assess different advantages and disadvantages in other circumstances, the chosen method should be examined critically before use.
A new species of horseshoe bat (Microchiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from south‐central Africa: with comments on its affinities and evolution, and the characterization of rhinolophid species
Authors: Cotterill F. P. D. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractA new species of horseshoe bat,Rhinolophus sakejiensis, is described from south‐central Africa, near the source of the Zambezi River in north‐west Zambia. A distinct combination of noseleaf, cranial and baculum characters are diagnostic of the species. It is a member of theferrumequinumgroup, and its evolutionary affinities lie closest toR. clivosusCretzschmar, 1828 and particularly the West AfricanR. hillorumKoopman, 1989. This discovery of a new species ofRhinolophusin theclivosuscomplex required reappraisal of these and other related taxa. Known only from high forest in West Africa,hillorumis the closest relative ofsakejiensiscollected in mesic savanna in south‐central Africa. Comparisons of this new species with other large AfrotropicalRhinolophusshows thathillorumis specifically distinct fromclivosus, and endorses the specific status ofdeckeniandsilvestris. The contemporary taxonomy of AfrotropicalRhinolophuswas incapable of accommodating this new taxon, and the latter part of this paper argues for a more objective characterization of rhinolophids as evolutionary species.
Demographic processes in colonizing populations of isard (Rupicapra pyrenaica) and ibex (Capra ibex)
Authors: Loison Anne , Toïgo Carole , Appolinaire Joel , Michallet Jacques 
Published: September 2010

AbstractRates of increase, survival and reproduction were studied in two re‐introduced populations of mountain ungulates, the Pyrenean chamois (also named isard, Rupicapra pyrenaica) and the ibex (Capra ibex) in the French Alps. The populations were monitored from 1983 to 1998 (ibex) or 1984 to 1999 (isard) using capture, marking and resighting of individuals. Population rates of increase were estimated during the colonizing phase from: (1) a time series of estimates of population size; (2) projection matrices based on rates of survival and fecundity. Both populations had exponential rates of increase, with annual multiplication rates of 1.28 for isard and 1.30 for ibex. Age of first reproduction was 2 years in both species, with 77% of females breeding at this age in isard and 43% in ibex. From 3 years of age onwards, 90% of isard and 87% of ibex females bred each year. Survival rates of adult females, estimated using capture–recapture models, equalled 0.94 for isard and 0.98 for ibex, whatever the age and year. The projection matrix led to a slightly lower asymptotic multiplication rate than the time series of population size. Despite adult body size of the ibex being about twice that of the isard, no difference was detected in the intrinsic rate of increase between the two species. This supported the hypotheses of homogeneous life‐history traits among ungulates, varying little with body size.
Time allocation to foraging in the mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis (Marsupialia, Petauridae) and a comparison of activity times in exudivorous and folivorous possums and gliders
Authors: Jackson Stephen M. , Johnson Christopher N. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe timing and duration of activity and foraging behaviour of mahogany gliders Petaurus gracilis was studied every 2 months over 2 years by direct observation. The amount of time spent active each night throughout the year ranged from 8 to 10.1 h (or 63–80% of the dark phase) and did not change significantly between the wet and dry seasons. Although gliders generally had one continuous period of activity, they were observed on eight occasions to return to their dens during the night for a mean of 85 min, with a mean entrance and exit being 22:59 and 00:25, respectively. The amount of time spent foraging (i.e. feeding and travelling) ranged from 40% of the time outside the den in January to 77% in September. The overall mean was 61.1%, with the remainder of the night spent either stationary (mean 24.3%), grooming (mean 11.8%), in the den and then re‐emerging (mean 2.5%) or vocalizing (mean 0.3%). Activity comprised mostly the behaviours associated with foraging: feeding (44.9%), climbing (13.2%) and gliding (3.0%). The amount of time spent active and feeding was similar to that observed for other petaurid marsupials such as yellow‐bellied glider P. australis, sugar glider P. breviceps and squirrel glider P. norfolcensis. There is a general relationship between diet, body size and amount of time spent feeding among the exudivorous gliders and folivorous possums, with feeding time increasing with increasing body mass in exudivorous possums and decreasing with increasing body mass in folivorous possums.
The physical and morphological characteristics of the red‐fronted gazelle (Gazella rufifrons kanuri Gray 1846) in Waza National Park, Cameroon
Authors: Nchanji A. C , Amubode F. O. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe physical and morphological characteristics of red‐fronted gazelles Gazella rufifrons kanuri Gray 1846 were determined in Waza National Park between September 1989 and December 1993 by describing body colour code and coloration, measuring body weight, body length, ear length, head length, horn length, hip height, shoulder height, tail length, and counting orbital glands from 141 carcasses. Mean body weight of red‐fronted gazelles ranged from 7.8 kg for the young to 29.7 kg for the adult, while shoulder height varied from 38.7 cm in the young to 68.7 cm in the adult. Irrespective of age and sex, the shoulder height was lower than hip height by a fixed ratio of c. 1.04. Regardless of age and sex, orbital glands, though deeper in the adults, numbered nine with the highest concentration of four in the inter‐digital fossae. The relationship between body weight and body length and horn length were significantly (P < 0.05, r= 0.8) positively correlated. The spatial appearance of horns, when viewed from the muzzle direction, is the most obvious physical and morphological characteristic for age and sex differenation of red‐fronted gazelles in the field.
Changes in lichen diversity and community structure with fur seal population increase on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands
Authors: Favero-Longo Sergio E. , Cannone Nicoletta , Roger Worland M. , Convey Peter , Piervittori Rosanna , Guglielmin Mauro 
Published: September 2010

AbstractSigny Island has experienced a dramatic increase in fur seal numbers over recent decades, which has led to the devastation of lowland terrestrial vegetation, with the eradication of moss turfs and carpets being the most prominent feature. Here we demonstrate that fur seals also affect the other major component of this region’s typical cryptogamic vegetation, the lichens, although with a lower decrease in variability and abundance than for bryophytes. Classification (UPGMA) and ordination (Principal Coordinate Analysis) of vegetation data highlight differences in composition and abundance of lichen communities between areas invaded by fur seals and contiguous areas protected from these animals. Multivariate analysis relating lichen communities to environmental parameters, including animal abundance and soil chemistry (Canonical Correspondence Analysis), suggests that fur seal trampling results in the destruction of muscicolous-terricolous lichens, including several cosmopolitan and bipolar fruticose species. In addition, animal excretion favours an increase in nitrophilous crustose species, a group which typically characterizes areas influenced by seabirds and includes several Antarctic endemics. The potential effect of such animal-driven changes in vegetation on the fragile terrestrial ecosystem (e.g. through modification of the ground surface temperature) confirms the importance of indirect environmental processes in Antarctica.
The process of setting micronutrient recommendations: a cross-European comparison of nutrition-related scientific advisory bodies
Authors: Timotijevic Lada , Barnett Julie , Brown Kerry , Shepherd Richard , Fernández-Celemín Laura , Dömölki Livia , Ruprich Juri , Dhonukshe-Rutten Rosalie A , Sonne Anne-Mette , Hermoso Maria , Koletzko Berthold , Frost-Andersen Lene , Timmer Arnold , Raats Monique M 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the workings of the nutrition-related scientific advisory bodies in Europe, paying particular attention to the internal and external contexts within which they operate.DesignDesk research based on two data collection strategies: a questionnaire completed by key informants in the field of micronutrient recommendations and a case study that focused on mandatory folic acid (FA) fortification.SettingQuestionnaire-based data were collected across thirty-five European countries. The FA fortification case study was conducted in the UK, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary.ResultsVaried bodies are responsible for setting micronutrient recommendations, each with different statutory and legal models of operation. Transparency is highest where there are standing scientific advisory committees (SAC). Where the standing SAC is created, the range of expertise and the terms of reference for the SAC are determined by the government. Where there is no dedicated SAC, the impetus for the development of micronutrient recommendations and the associated policies comes from interested specialists in the area. This is typically linked with anad hocselection of a problem area to consider, lack of openness and transparency in the decisions and over-reliance on international recommendations.ConclusionsEven when there is consensus about the science behind micronutrient recommendations, there is a range of other influences that will affect decisions about the policy approaches to nutrition-related public health. This indicates the need to document the evidence that is drawn upon in the decisions about nutrition policy related to micronutrient intake.
Report finds hypoxia increasing
Authors: Showstack Randy 
Published: September 2010

The occurrence of hypoxia is increasing in coastal waters worldwide and represents a significant threat to the health and economy of U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes, according to a 3 September report issued by the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health. The report found that the incidence of hypoxia—low dissolved oxygen that can negatively affect fish and other aquatic species—has increased tenfold globally in the past 50 years and almost thirtyfold in the United States since 1960.Noting that federal research programs are addressing many aspects of eutrophication, enrichment, and hypoxia, the report indicates, “Despite decades of research, however, management efforts to reduce nutrients—particularly from nonpoint sources—and their adverse impacts on coastal ecosystems have not made significant headway, in part due to increased development and population in coastal watersheds.”
SeqEM: an adaptive genotype-calling approach for next-generation sequencing studies
Authors: Martin E. R. , Kinnamon D. D. , Schmidt M. A. , Powell E. H. , Zuchner S. , Morris R. W. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Motivation: Next-generation sequencing presents several statistical challenges, with one of the most fundamental being determining an individual's genotype from multiple aligned short read sequences at a position. Some simple approaches for genotype calling apply fixed filters, such as calling a heterozygote if more than a specified percentage of the reads have variant nucleotide calls. Other genotype-calling methods, such as MAQ and SOAPsnp, are implementations of Bayes classifiers in that they classify genotypes using posterior genotype probabilities.
Results: Here, we propose a novel genotype-calling algorithm that, in contrast to the other methods, estimates parameters underlying the posterior probabilities in an adaptive way rather than arbitrarily specifying them a priori. The algorithm, which we call SeqEM, applies the well-known Expectation-Maximization algorithm to an appropriate likelihood for a sample of unrelated individuals with next-generation sequence data, leveraging information from the sample to estimate genotype probabilities and the nucleotide-read error rate. We demonstrate using analytic calculations and simulations that SeqEM results in genotype-call error rates as small as or smaller than filtering approaches and MAQ. We also apply SeqEM to exome sequence data in eight related individuals and compare the results to genotypes from an Illumina SNP array, showing that SeqEM behaves well in real data that deviates from idealized assumptions.
Conclusion: SeqEM offers an improved, robust and flexible genotype-calling approach that can be widely applied in the next-generation sequencing studies.
Availability and implementation: Software for SeqEM is freely available from our website: www.hihg.org under Software Download.
Contact: emartin1@med.miami.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
SpotXplore: a Cytoscape plugin for visual exploration of hotspot expression in gene regulatory networks
Authors: Westenberg Michel A. , Roerdink Jos B.T.M. , Kuipers Oscar P. , van Hijum Sacha A.F.T. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Summary: SpotXplore is a plugin for Cytoscape for extraction and visualization of differentially expressed subnetworks (hotspots) from gene networks. The hotspot-based visualization approach enables interactive exploration of regulatory interactions in differentially expressed gene sets, and it allows a researcher to explore gene expression in direct relation to the affected cellular gene network. The hotspots provide a view beyond the commonly used metabolic pathways and gene ontologies.
Availability: http://www.win.tue.nl/∼mwestenb/spotxplore/
Contact: m.a.westenberg@tue.nl
Supplementary information: Example data and user manual are available at SpotXplore's web site.
MOBI: a web server to define and visualize structural mobility in NMR protein ensembles
Authors: Martin Alberto J. M. , Walsh Ian , Tosatto Silvio C. E. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Motivation: MOBI is a web server for the identification of structurally mobile regions in NMR protein ensembles. It provides a binary mobility definition that is analogous to the commonly used definition of intrinsic disorder in X-ray crystallographic structures. At least three different use cases can be envisaged: (i) visualization of NMR mobility for structural analysis; (ii) definition of regions for reliable comparative modelling in protein structure prediction and (iii) definition of mobility in analogy to intrinsic disorder. MOBI uses structural superposition and local conformational differences to derive a robust binary mobility definition that is in excellent agreement with the manually curated definition used in the CASP8 experiment for intrinsic disorder in NMR structure. The output includes mobility-coloured PDB files, mobility plots and a FASTA formatted sequence file summarizing the mobility results.
Availability: The MOBI server and supplementary methods are available for non-commercial use at URL: http://protein.bio.unipd.it/mobi/
Contact: silvio.tosatto@unipd.it
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
DisGeNET: a Cytoscape plugin to visualize, integrate, search and analyze gene–disease networks
Authors: Bauer-Mehren Anna , Rautschka Michael , Sanz Ferran , Furlong Laura I. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Summary: DisGeNET is a plugin for Cytoscape to query and analyze human gene–disease networks. DisGeNET allows user-friendly access to a new gene–disease database that we have developed by integrating data from several public sources. DisGeNET permits queries restricted to (i) the original data source, (ii) the association type, (iii) the disease class or (iv) specific gene(s)/disease(s). It represents gene–disease associations in terms of bipartite graphs and provides gene centric and disease centric views of the data. It assists the user in the interpretation and exploration of the genetic basis of human diseases by a variety of built-in functions. Moreover, DisGeNET permits multicolouring of nodes (genes/diseases) according to standard disease classification for expedient visualization.
Availability: DisGeNET is compatible with Cytoscape 2.6.3 and 2.7.0, please visit http://ibi.imim.es/DisGeNET/DisGeNETweb.html for installation guide, user tutorial and download
Contact: lfurlong@imim.es
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prognosis of heart failure patients with reduced and preserved ejection fraction and coexistent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kwon Beom‐June , Kim Dong‐Bin , Jang Sung‐Won , Yoo Ki‐Dong , Moon Keun‐Woong , Shim Byung Ju , Ahn Seo‐Hee , Cho Eun‐Ju , Rho Tae‐Ho , Kim Jae‐Hyung 
Published: September 2010

AimsThe long‐term prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFPEF) and coexistent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been previously investigated. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether the long‐term prognosis of HFPEF patients with COPD differs from that of heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFREF) and COPD. The secondary aim was to identify independent predictors of event‐free survival in patients with HF and COPD.Methods and resultsWe investigated 184 patients with coexistent HF and COPD. Heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction was present in 98 cases (53%) and HFREF in the remaining 86 cases (47%). Mean follow‐up time was 731 ± 369 days. Cardiovascular/pulmonary hospitalization or mortality occurred in 71 patients (39%). No significant difference was observed between the two study groups in terms of event‐free survival (P = 0.457), but event‐free survival was found to be independently associated with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class [III vs. I, hazard ratio (HR) 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–7.82], Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage (III vs. I, HR 3.20, 95% CI 1.33–7.68), systemic hypertension (SHT; HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.41–6.33), and pulmonary hypertension (PH; HR 4.35, 95% CI 1.95–9.68).ConclusionIn HF patients with coexisting COPD, cardiovascular and pulmonary event‐free survival of HFPEF was found to be similar to that of HFREF over 3 years follow‐up. Furthermore, severe NYHA class, severe GOLD stage, SHT, and PH were found to be independent predictors of event‐free survival.