bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are abandoned wooded pastures suitable refugia for forest species?
Authors: Vojta Jaroslav , Drhovská Lucie 
Published: March 2012

AbstractQuestionsIs the species composition of the forest community in abandoned pastures different from that in ancient ungrazed forests? Do abandoned wooded pastures serve as refugia for forest species? Which factors influence forest species communities and the diversity of pastures more than 50 years after abandonment?LocationDoupovské hory, Czech Republic.MethodsThe species composition of the forest plant community was assessed in 90 plots located in abandoned pastures with different continuities of woody vegetation. The abandoned pastures were compared to 111 other plots located in ancient ungrazed forest. The effects of forest continuity, isolation, pH, canopy cover and terrain were analysed using CCA and GLMs.ResultsThe forest species communities in abandoned pastures differ from those in ancient ungrazed forests. The number of forest species in abandoned pastures was relatively high. However, abandoned pastures lack some species considered as indicators of ancient forests in Europe. The abandoned wooded pastures and more recently overgrown pastures generally lacked the same set of species in comparison to ancient forests. Additionally, we found no regular association of ancient forest indicators with wooded pastures compared to more recently overgrown pastures. The forest species communities in abandoned pastures are significantly influenced by continuity, soil pH (KCl) and habitat isolation. Forest species richness depends on continuity (with significantly more species in the abandoned wooded pastures than in most recently overgrown pastures). Furthermore, species richness is negatively correlated with habitat isolation particularly under the open canopy.ConclusionsAbandoned pastures and wooded pastures offer suitable habitats for forest species. However, these forest communities remained unsaturated after more than a half‐century of succession. Surprisingly, pastures with a long continuity in woody cover (wooded pastures) were not better refugia for forest species than more recently overgrown pastures. The importance of habitat isolation, soil pH and light conditions for forest species community composition and richness was confirmed.
Structural analysis, enzymatic characterization, and catalytic mechanisms of β‐galactosidase from Bacillus circulans sp. alkalophilus
Authors: Maksimainen Mirko , Paavilainen Sari , Hakulinen Nina , Rouvinen Juha 
Published: March 2012

Crystal structures of native and α‐d‐galactose‐bound Bacillus circulans sp. alkalophilusβ‐galactosidase (Bca‐β‐gal) were determined at 2.40 and 2.25 Å resolutions, respectively. Bca‐β‐gal is a member of family 42 of glycoside hydrolases, and forms a 460 kDa hexameric structure in crystal. The protein consists of three domains, of which the catalytic domain has an (α/β)8 barrel structure with a cluster of sulfur‐rich residues inside the β‐barrel. The shape of the active site is clearly more open compared to the only homologous structure available in the Protein Data Bank. This is due to the number of large differences in the loops that connect the C‐terminal ends of the β‐strands to the N‐terminal ends of the α‐helices within the (α/β)8 barrel. The complex structure shows that galactose binds to the active site as an α‐anomer and induces clear conformational changes in the active site. The implications of α‐d‐galactose binding with respect to the catalytic mechanism are discussed. In addition, we suggest that β‐galactosidases mainly utilize a reverse hydrolysis mechanism for synthesis of galacto‐oligosaccharides.Database
The coordinates for free and α‐d‐galactose‐bound Bca‐β‐gal structures have been deposited in the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) Protein Data Bank under accession codes 3TTS and 3TTY, respectively.
Fidelity of After‐School Program Implementation Targeting Adolescent Youth: Identifying Successful Curricular and Programmatic Characteristics
Authors: Rajan Sonali , Basch Charles E. 
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND: This study consisted of a formative evaluation of an after‐school health education program designed for adolescent females, entitled Girls on Track. Evidence‐based after‐school programs have potential to supplement the traditional school day, encourage social and emotional skill development, improve the quality of student health, and contribute to a healthier school environment. Implementing comprehensive programs outside of the classroom, however, is challenging and gaps exist in the literature regarding implementation fidelity.METHODS: The national program was in a cohort of adolescent females from 11 Girls on Track locations in fall 2008 and 10 locations in spring 2009. Mixed‐method analyses evaluated fidelity of lesson implementation, described curricular and programmatic characteristics associated with implementation fidelity, and assessed coach perceptions toward program quality and feasibility.RESULTS: Specific lesson characteristics associated with higher rates of implementation fidelity and favorable coach perceptions toward program feasibility included improved lesson clarity, more time to process health topics, teaching and learning objectives that were well aligned with lesson activities, incorporation of alternative activities for less‐motivated participants, and provision of resources on key health topics for coaches.CONCLUSION: Girls on Track is currently being implemented across the United States and Canada, reaching over 5000 adolescent females annually. Identifying and incorporating specific curricular and programmatic characteristics associated with high levels of implementation fidelity can enhance the quality and benefits of after‐school programs.
Measuring the Performance of Partnerships: Why, What, How, When?
Authors: Kelly Claire 
Published: March 2012

AbstractPartnerships have become increasingly prevalent across a wide range of sectors for the delivery of services and implementation of policy. Partnerships are seen as a more effective way of delivering policy interventions than state‐led or ‘top‐down’ approaches. Evaluating partnership performance is therefore crucial in order to determine whether partnerships really are better than more traditional methods of policy implementation. To date, however, partnership effectiveness has often been conceptualised as cumulative; the result of a set of variables acting in a one‐dimensional, linear way which results in the ability (or not) of a partnership to achieve its goals. This paper highlights the shortcomings of such a linear conceptualisation of effectiveness and argues instead that when evaluating partnerships, effectiveness should be viewed as a non‐linear, multi‐faceted composite which changes in space and time.
Environment, Business and the Firm
Authors: Caprotti Federico 
Published: March 2012

AbstractFrom wind turbines and renewable energy landscapes to environmental talks at the UN summits in Copenhagen (2009) and Cancún (2010), there is growing interest in the links between business and the environment. Much geographical work has critically focused on state‐environment links, while economic geographers have attempted to theorize the emergence of markets and economies, in part through understanding the economy through a relational, cultural lens. However, while there has been significant work on critical approaches to the environment and capitalism, there has been a lack in explicit focus on the firm and its role, firstly, in mediating economic‐environmental relations, and secondly in the production of specific environmental outcomes. Drawing on literatures on cultural political economy (CPE), Science and Technology Studies (STS), Actor Network Theory (ANT) and political ecology, the paper argues for a reincorporation of the firm into critical work on the environment in geography, and proposes three ways in which the firm can be usefully theorized in such work: as a relational economic and cultural actor, as a sociotechnical mediator, and as the producer of hybrid socionatures.
Transmission dynamics and risk factors for pandemic H1N1‐related illness: outbreak investigation in a rural community of British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Janjua Naveed Z. , Skowronski Danuta M. , Hottes Travis S. , Osei William , Adams Evan , Petric Martin , Lem Marcus , Tang Patrick , De Serres Gaston , Patrick David M. , Bowering David 
Published: March 2012

Please cite this paper as: Janjua et al. (2012) Transmission dynamics and risk factors for pandemic H1N1‐related illness: outbreak investigation in a rural community of British Columbia, Canada. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(3), e54–e62.Objective  To characterize the first‐wave epidemiologic features of influenza‐like illness (ILI) associated with the novel pandemic A/H1N1 [A(H1N1)pdm09] virus.Methods  We used generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to assess risk factors and non‐parametric and/or parametric distributions to estimate attack rates, secondary attack rates (SAR), duration of illness, and serial interval during a laboratory‐confirmed community outbreak of A(H1N1)pdm09 clustered around on‐reserve residents and households of an elementary school in rural British Columbia, Canada, in late April/early May 2009. ILI details were collected as part of outbreak investigation by community telephone survey in early June 2009.Results  Overall, 92/408 (23%) of participants developed ILI and 36/408 (9%) experienced medically attended ILI (MAILI). The overall SAR in households was 22%: highest among participants 1–4 years of age (yoa) (50%) followed by <1 yoa (38%), 5–8 yoa (20%), 10–19 yoa (13%), 20–49 yoa (20%), and 50–64 yoa (0%). The median serial interval was estimated at 3·5 days (95% CI: 2·1–5·1). In multivariable GLMM analysis, having a chronic condition (OR: 2·58; 95% CI: 1·1–6·04), younger age [1–8 yoa: OR: 4·63; 95% CI: 2·25–9·52; 9–19 yoa: OR: 1·95; 95% CI: 0·97–3·9 (referent: ≥20 yoa)] and receipt of 2008–2009 influenza vaccine (OR: 2·68; 95% CI: 1·37–5·25) were associated with increased risk of ILI. Median duration of illness was 9 days, longer among those with chronic conditions (21 days). Median time to seeking care after developing illness was 4·5 days. On‐reserve participants had higher chronic conditions, household density, ILI, MAILI, and SAR.Conclusions  During a community outbreak of A(H1N1)pdm09‐related illness, we identified substantial clinical ILI attack rates exceeding 20% with secondary household attack rates as high as 50% in young children. The serial interval was short suggesting a narrow period to prevent transmission.
Cold Plasma Reduction of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Almonds Using Ambient Pressure Gases
Authors: Niemira Brendan A. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  Contamination of raw nuts, including almonds, is a food safety concern. Cold plasma is a novel antimicrobial intervention that can eliminate foodborne pathogens. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of rapid cold plasma treatments in eliminating Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 from dry almonds. Three isolates of Salmonella (S. Anatum F4317, S. Stanley H0558, and S. Enteritidis PT30) and 3 isolates of E. coli O157:H7 (C9490, ATCC 35150, and ATCC 43894) were separately grown and spot‐inoculated (10 μL) onto whole almonds and allowed to dry for 10 min. Inoculated almonds were treated with a cold plasma jet, with treatment variables evaluated in a factorial design for each isolate: time, distance, and feed gas. Treatment time was 0 s (control), 10 s, or 20 s. Distance from the emitter was 2, 4, or 6 cm. Feed gas was dry air or nitrogen. After treatment, the almonds were sampled using swabs. Survivors were enumerated on tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates. Cold plasma significantly reduced both pathogens on almonds. The greatest reduction observed was 1.34 log cfu/mL reduction of E. coli O157:H7 C9490 after 20 s treatment at 6 cm spacing. The interaction of treatment time with distance from plasma emitter head was complex, and isolate‐dependent. Longer duration of treatment did not always result in enhanced reductions. In general, nitrogen as a feed gas resulted in a reduced antimicrobial efficacy compared to dry air. These results indicate that short pulses of atmospheric pressure cold plasma can significantly reduce Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on almonds.Practical Application:  Contamination of raw nuts, including almonds, is a food safety concern. Cold plasma is a novel antimicrobial intervention that can eliminate foodborne pathogens. The results of this research show that short pulses of atmospheric pressure cold plasma can significantly reduce Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on almonds. A 20 s treatment was sufficient to achieve up to 1.34 log reduction, depending on treatment parameters. This process is a waterless, contact‐less, chemical‐free method of killing hard‐to‐reach pathogens on almonds.
Light‐Induced Retinal Degeneration Is Prevented by Zinc, a Component in the Age‐related Eye Disease Study Formulation†
Authors: Organisciak Daniel , Wong Paul , Rapp Christine , Darrow Ruth , Ziesel Alison , Rangarajan Rekha , Lang John 
Published: March 2012

AbstractMineral supplements are often included in multivitamin preparations because of their beneficial effects on metabolism. In this study, we used an animal model of light‐induced retinal degeneration to test for photoreceptor cell protection by the essential trace element zinc. Rats were treated with various doses of zinc oxide and then exposed to intense visible light for as long as 8 h. Zinc treatment effectively prevented retinal light damage as determined by rhodopsin and retinal DNA recovery, histology and electrophoretic analysis of DNA damage and oxidized retinal proteins. Zinc oxide was particularly effective when given before light exposure and at doses two‐ to four‐fold higher than recommended by the age‐related eye disease study group. Treated rats exhibited higher serum and retinal pigment epithelial zinc levels and an altered retinal gene expression profile. Using an Ingenuity database, 512 genes with known functional annotations were found to be responsive to zinc supplementation, with 45% of these falling into a network related to cellular growth, proliferation, cell cycle and death. Although these data suggest an integrated and extensive regulatory response, zinc induced changes in gene expression also appear to enhance antioxidative capacity in retina and reduce oxidative damage arising from intense light exposure.
Maternal antioxidants prevent β‐cell apoptosis and promote formation of dual hormone‐expressing endocrine cells in male offspring following fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure
Authors: BRUIN Jennifer E. , WOYNILLOWICZ Amanda K. , HETTINGA Bart P. , TARNOPOLSKY Mark A. , MORRISON Katherine M. , GERSTEIN Hertzel C. , HOLLOWAY Alison C. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground:  Fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure causes β‐cell oxidative stress and apoptosis in neonates, leading to adult‐onset dysglycemia. The aim of the present study was to determine whether an antioxidant intervention could prevent nicotine‐induced β‐cell loss.Methods:  Nulliparous female Wistar rats received daily subcutaneous injections of either saline or nicotine bitartrate (1.0 mg/kg per day) for 2 weeks prior to mating until weaning. Nicotine‐exposed dams received either normal chow or diet containing antioxidants (1000 IU/kg vitamin E, 0.25% w/w coenzyme Q10, and 0.1% w/w α‐lipoic acid) during mating, pregnancy, and lactation; saline‐exposed dams received normal chow. Pancreatic tissue was collected from male offspring at 3 weeks of age to measure β‐cell fraction, apoptosis, proliferation, and the presence of cells coexpressing insulin and glucagon.Results:  The birth weight of offspring born to nicotine‐exposed dams was significantly reduced in those receiving dietary antioxidants compared with those fed normal chow. Most interestingly, the antioxidant intervention to nicotine‐exposed dams prevented the β‐cell loss and apoptosis observed in nicotine‐exposed male offspring whose mothers did not receive antioxidants. Male pups born to nicotine‐treated mothers receiving antioxidants also had a tendency for increased β‐cell proliferation and a significant increase in islets containing insulin/glucagon bihormonal cells compared with the other two treatment groups.Conclusion:  The present study demonstrates that exposure to maternal antioxidants protects developing β‐cells from the damaging effects of nicotine, thus preserving β‐cell mass.
Investigating the ecology and evolution of cryptic marine nematode species through quantitative real‐time PCR of the ribosomal ITS region
Authors: DERYCKE S. , SHEIBANI TEZERJI R. , RIGAUX A. , MOENS T. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe presence of morphologically similar but genetically distinct species has impacted biogeographical and ecological paradigms. In marine sediments, free‐living nematodes form one of the most abundant and diverse faunal groups. Inferring the importance of nematode diversity for ecosystem functioning requires species‐level identification, which is hampered by the lack of easily observable diagnostic characters and the presence of cryptic species. New techniques are urgently needed to adequately study the ecology and evolution of cryptic species. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of a quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) assay using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA to detect and quantify cryptic species of the R. (P.) marina complex. All primer pairs proved to be highly specific, and each primer pair was able to detect a single juvenile in a pool of 100 nematodes. Ct values were significantly different between developmental stages for all species except for PmIII. Despite differences between developmental stages, a strong correlation was observed between the amount of extracted DNA and the number of nematodes present. Relative and absolute quantification estimates were comparable and resulted in strong positive correlations between the qPCR estimate and the actual number of nematodes present in the samples. The qPCR assay developed here provides the ability to quickly identify and quantify cryptic nematode species and will facilitate their study in laboratory and field settings.
Two‐ and Four‐Year‐Olds Learn to Adapt Referring Expressions to Context: Effects of Distracters and Feedback on Referential Communication
Authors: Matthews Danielle , Butcher Jessica , Lieven Elena , Tomasello Michael 
Published: March 2012

AbstractChildren often refer to things ambiguously but learn not to from responding to clarification requests. We review and explore this learning process here. In Study 1, eighty‐four 2‐ and 4‐year‐olds were tested for their ability to request stickers from either (a) a small array with one dissimilar distracter or (b) a large array containing similar distracters. When children made ambiguous requests, they received either general feedback or specific questions about which of two options they wanted. With training, children learned to produce more complex object descriptions and did so faster in the specific feedback condition. They also tended to provide more information when requesting stickers from large arrays. In Study 2, we varied only distracter similarity during training and then varied array size in a generalization test. Children found it harder to learn in this case. In the generalization test, 4‐year‐olds were more likely to provide information (a) when it was needed because distracters were similar to the target and (b) when the array size was greater (regardless of need for information). We discuss how clear cues to potential ambiguity are needed for children to learn to tailor their referring expression to context and how several cues of heuristic value (e.g., more distracters > say more) can promote the efficiency of communication while language is developing. Finally, we consider whether it would be worthwhile drawing on the human learning process when developing algorithms for the production of referring expressions.
Alignment in Interactive Reference Production: Content Planning, Modifier Ordering, and Referential Overspecification
Authors: Goudbeek Martijn , Krahmer Emiel 
Published: March 2012

AbstractPsycholinguistic studies often look at the production of referring expressions in interactive settings, but so far few referring expression generation algorithms have been developed that are sensitive to earlier references in an interaction. Rather, such algorithms tend to rely on domain‐dependent preferences for both content selection and linguistic realization. We present three experiments showing that humans may opt for dispreferred attributes and dispreferred modifier orderings when these were primed in a preceding interaction (without speakers being consciously aware of this). In addition, we show that speakers are more likely to produce overspecified references, including dispreferred attributes (although minimal descriptions with preferred attributes would suffice), when these were similarly primed.
The Body in the Mind: On the Relationship Between Interoception and Embodiment
Authors: Herbert Beate M. , Pollatos Olga 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe processing, representation, and perception of bodily signals (interoception) plays an important role for human behavior. Theories of embodied cognition hold that higher cognitive processes operate on perceptual symbols and that concept use involves reactivations of the sensory‐motor states that occur during experience with the world. Similarly, activation of interoceptive representations and meta‐representations of bodily signals supporting interoceptive awareness are profoundly associated with emotional experience and cognitive functions. This article gives an overview over present findings and models on interoception and mechanisms of embodiment and highlights its relevance for disorders that are suggested to represent a translation deficit of bodily states into subjective feelings and self‐awareness.
Feasibility of thoracoscopic esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Tanaka E , Okabe H , Tsunoda S , Obama K , Kan T , Kadokawa Y , Akagami M , Sakai Y 
Published: March 2012

AbstractIntroductionMinimally invasive esophagectomy has been increasingly accepted to treat esophageal cancer. In Japan, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery has become the standard procedure for advanced esophageal cancer. A randomized control study has shown neoadjuvant chemotherapy's survival benefits, but it is unknown whether minimally invasive esophagectomy after chemotherapy is viable. This study investigated the feasibility of thoracoscopic esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.MethodsFrom a database of patients with esophageal cancer, 105 patients who had undergone thoracoscopic esophagectomy with radical lymphadenectomy were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 51 patients had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5‐fluorouracil and cisplatin (NAC group). Their operative outcomes, including operative duration, blood loss, the number of dissected lymph nodes, and postoperative morbidity and mortality, were compared with those of 54 patients who underwent surgery without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (control group). The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was also assessed.ResultsThe operating time in the NAC group was significantly longer than in the control group (543 vs 472 min, P < 0.001), but the blood loss was less (323 vs 528 mL, P < 0.001). Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was the most frequently observed complication in both groups (27% vs 32%, P = 0.65). No significant differences were observed in the frequency of postoperative complications. There was no mortality in either group. In the NAC group, 43 patients (84.3%) underwent curative resection, and response of more than two‐thirds of the pathological tumor was achieved in 11 patients (21.6%), including complete response in one patient (2.0%).ConclusionThoracoscopic esophagectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be safely adopted for patients with advanced esophageal cancer.