bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seed survival in soil: interacting effects of predation, dormancy and the soil microbial community
Authors: Dalling James W. , Davis Adam S. , Schutte Brian J. , Elizabeth Arnold A. 
Published: October 2010

Summary 1.
Plant defence theory provides a robust framework for understanding interactions between plants and antagonists, and for interpreting broad patterns in the functional‐trait composition of plant communities. However, this framework has been built almost entirely on traits expressed by seedlings and mature plants. 2. No equivalent seed defence theory exists that recognizes the distinct suite of natural enemies that seeds encounter, and the unique constraints to their response. Furthermore, most attention has been paid to insect and vertebrate seed predators active above ground, whereas microbes in soil also have large effects on seed survival, particularly for plants that recruit from soil seed banks. 3. We suggest that concurrent selection on seed dormancy and resistance to microbial antagonists should result in distinct seed defence syndromes. We predict that species with physical seed dormancy will rely on physical defences to exclude predators and pathogens, and rapid seed germination to escape pathogens at the emergence stage. In contrast, species with physiological seed dormancy will deploy a continuum of physical and chemical defences, depending on soil pathogen pressure and duration of seed persistence. Finally, seeds of some species persist in the soil in a non‐dormant, imbibed state, and lack obvious chemical and physical defences. These seeds may be especially dependent upon protection from beneficial seed‐inhabiting microbes. 4. Framing a general ‘seed defence theory’ may help to account for the distribution of seed dormancy types across ecosystems. We predict that physiological dormancy will be favoured in dry or well‐drained environments where pathogen pressure is relatively low, germination cues are most unpredictable, and seedling recruitment success is most variable. In contrast, physical dormancy should be favoured in warm and moist environments where pathogen pressure is high, and where germination cues are a stronger predictor of recruitment success. Persistent, non‐dormant seeds are restricted to relatively aseasonal environments where favourable conditions for recruitment can occur over most of the year. 5.
Synthesis. Integrating seed defence and dormancy traits can provide new insights into selection on dormancy types, and will help elucidate major trends in seed ecology and evolution. Understanding how seeds are defended also may improve our ability to predict plant regeneration and help develop innovative management strategies for weedy and invasive species.
Development and evaluation of a checklist assessing communication skills of oncologists: the COM‐ON‐Checklist
Authors: Stubenrauch Sara , Schneid Eva‐Maria , Wünsch Alexander , Helmes Almut , Bertz Hartmut , Fritzsche Kurt , Wirsching Michael , Gölz Tanja 
Published: October 2010

AbstractObjectives  Communication skills training (CST) has to be proven effective, and therefore reliable instruments to evaluate CST are required. Most instruments assessing medical consultations do not take individual aspects of CST into consideration. Such assessment tools should naturally also be closely associated with the communication skills taught to the participants. Thus, we developed a new instrument which evaluates the effects of specific CST.Methods  Development: Based on a literature review, we developed a checklist with questions (‘items’) which assess the behaviour of a doctor in a special doctor–patient consultation (The COM‐ON‐Checklist, COM‐ON = communication in oncology). First, we developed items for general communication skills that are a requirement of every doctor–patient consultation, and in addition to this, we developed items for specific situations which present a particular challenge for doctors in terms of communication skills, namely: the situation in which the doctor is required to discuss the shift from curative to palliative care, and the disclosure of information about clinical trials. For assessment, a 5‐point rating scale with anchor points was used. Evaluation: Blinded raters were trained to use the COM‐ON‐Checklist. The intra‐class correlation (ICC) was used to calculate the agreement between raters.Results  The COM‐ON‐Checklist consists of two parts: the first part evaluates general communication skills; the second part evaluates content‐specific aspects of the consultation. The ICC ranged from 0.5 to 0.8, which demonstrates moderate to very good results of inter‐rater reliability.Discussion  The COM‐ON‐Checklist can be used to evaluate specific CST. It is also a feedback source for clinicians because it assesses their personal communication skills in different settings. In conclusion, the COM‐ON‐Checklist provides a reliable, structured method for assessing communication skills in oncological settings.
The dual function of barred plumage in birds: camouflage and communication
Authors: GLUCKMAN T.‐L. , CARDOSO G. C. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractA commonly held principle in visual ecology is that communication compromises camouflage: while visual signals are often conspicuous, camouflage provides concealment. However, some traits may have evolved for communication and camouflage simultaneously, thereby overcoming this functional compromise. Visual patterns generally provide camouflage, but it was suggested that a particular type of visual pattern – avian barred plumage – could also be a signal of individual quality. Here, we test if the evolution of sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, as well as differences between juvenile and adult plumage, indicate camouflage and/or signalling functions across the class Aves. We found a higher frequency of female‐ rather than male‐biased sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, indicating that camouflage is its most common function. But we also found that, compared to other pigmentation patterns, barred plumage is more frequently biased towards males and its expression more frequently restricted to adulthood, suggesting that barred plumage often evolves or is maintained as a sexual communication signal. This illustrates how visual traits can accommodate the apparently incompatible functions of camouflage and communication, which has implications for our understanding of avian visual ecology and sexual ornamentation.
Looking Beyond Credit Ratings: Factors Investors Consider In Pricing European Asset‐Backed Securities
Authors: Fabozzi Frank J. , Vink Dennis 
Published: October 2010

AbstractIn this paper, we empirically investigate what credit factors investors rely upon when pricing the spread at issue for European asset‐backed securities. More specifically, we investigate how credit factors affect new issuance spreads after taking into account credit rating. We do so by investigating primary market spreads for tranches of non‐mortgage‐related asset‐backed securities issued from 1999 to the year prior to the subprime mortgage crisis, 2007. We find that although credit ratings play a major role in determining spreads, investors appear to not rely exclusively on these ratings. Our findings strongly suggest that investors do not ignore other credit factors beyond the assigned credit rating.
Greenspan's Retrospective of Financial Crisis and Stochastic Optimal Control
Authors: Stein Jerome L. 
Published: October 2010

Abstract Alan Greenspan argues that the crisis was unpredictable and inevitable, given the ‘excessive’ leverage of the financial intermediaries. I focus upon the housing sector, which has been at the origin of the financial crisis because the value of the financial derivatives ultimately depended upon the ability of the mortgagors to repay their debts. The uncertainty concerns the capital gains – housing price appreciation – and the rate of interest. I explain why the application of stochastic optimal control (SOC) is an effective approach to determine the optimal degree of leverage, the optimum and excessive risk and the probability of a debt crisis. I show that the theoretically derived early warning signal of a crisis is the excess debt ratio, equal to the difference between the actual and optimal ratio. The excess debt of households starting from 2004‐05 indicated that a housing crisis was most likely.
ERP measures indicate both attention and working memory encoding decrements in aging
Authors: Finnigan Simon , O'Connell Redmond G. , Cummins Tarrant D. R. , Broughton Megan , Robertson Ian H. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractWe investigated age‐related attention and encoding deficits, and their possible interaction, by analyzing visual event‐related potentials from young and older adults during a modified Sternberg word recognition task. Young adults performed more accurately, albeit not significantly so. P1 latency was shorter in young adults and correlated negatively with task accuracy (with age partialed out). These data support proposals that P1 indexes attentional suppression, which is less efficient in older adults. N1 was larger in older adults but did not correlate with accuracy. Young adults had higher P2 amplitudes and P2 latency correlated with accuracy (age partialed), supporting the view that semantic operations during encoding are affected by aging. These data indicate that attention (P1) and encoding (P2) decrements may contribute to memory or related cognitive decrements in aging, and P1 and P2 latency measures from appropriate paradigms may be salient ERP markers of these decrements.
Efficient local search algorithms for the linear ordering problem
Authors: Sakuraba Celso S. , Yagiura Mutsunori 
Published: October 2010

AbstractGiven a directed graph with n vertices, m edges and costs on the edges, the linear ordering problem consists of finding a permutation π of the vertices so that the total cost of the reverse edges is minimized. We present two local search algorithms, named LIST and TREE, for the neighborhood of the insert move, which can handle larger instances than existing methods. LIST is simpler and can search the whole neighborhood in O(m) time and TREE performs the neighborhood search in O(n+Δlog Δ) time, where Δ represents the maximum vertex degree. Computational experiments show good results for sparse instances using LIST, while TREE presents the best results independent of the density of the instance.
Price Discovery in Illiquid Markets: Do Financial Asset Prices Rise Faster Than They Fall?
Authors: GREEN RICHARD C. , LI DAN , SCHÜRHOFF NORMAN 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTWe study price discovery in municipal bonds, an important OTC market. As in markets for consumer goods, prices “rise faster than they fall.” Round‐trip profits to dealers on retail trades increase in rising markets but do not decrease in falling markets. Further, effective half‐spreads increase or decrease more when movements in fundamentals favor dealers. Yield spreads relative to Treasuries also adjust with asymmetric speed in rising and falling markets. Finally, intraday price dispersion is asymmetric in rising and falling markets, as consumer search theory would predict.
Hedge Fund Contagion and Liquidity Shocks
Authors: BOYSON NICOLE M. , STAHEL CHRISTOF W. , STULZ RENÉ M. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTDefining contagion as correlation over and above that expected from economic fundamentals, we find strong evidence of worst return contagion across hedge fund styles for 1990 to 2008. Large adverse shocks to asset and hedge fund liquidity strongly increase the probability of contagion. Specifically, large adverse shocks to credit spreads, the TED spread, prime broker and bank stock prices, stock market liquidity, and hedge fund flows are associated with a significant increase in the probability of hedge fund contagion. While shocks to liquidity are important determinants of performance, these shocks are not captured by commonly used models of hedge fund returns.
“Time for a Change”: Loan Conditions and Bank Behavior when Firms Switch Banks
Authors: IOANNIDOU VASSO , ONGENA STEVEN 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThis paper studies loan conditions when firms switch banks. Recent theoretical work on bank–firm relationships motivates our matching models. The dynamic cycle of the loan rate that we uncover is as follows: a loan granted by a new (outside) bank carries a loan rate that is significantly lower than the rates on comparable new loans from the firm's current (inside) banks. The new bank initially decreases the loan rate further but eventually ratchets it up sharply. Other loan conditions follow a similar economically relevant pattern. This bank strategy is consistent with the existence of hold‐up costs in bank–firm relationships.
Individual Investors and Local Bias
Authors: SEASHOLES MARK S. , ZHU NING 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThe paper tests whether individuals have value‐relevant information about local stocks (where “local” is defined as being headquartered near where an investor lives). Our methodology uses two types of calendar‐time portfolios—one based on holdings and one based on transactions. Portfolios of local holdings do not generate abnormal performance (alphas are zero). When studying transactions, purchases of local stocks significantly underperform sales of local stocks. The underperformance remains when focusing on stocks with potentially high levels of information asymmetries. We conclude that individuals do not help incorporate information into stock prices. Our conclusions directly contradict existing studies.
Colonisation tactics of three temperate catadromous species, eel Anguilla anguilla, mullet Liza ramada and flounder Plathychtys flesus, revealed by Bayesian multielemental otolith microchemistry approach
Authors: Daverat F. , Martin J. , Fablet R. , Pécheyran C. 
Published: October 2010

Daverat F, Martin J, Fablet R, Pécheyran C. Colonisation tactics of three temperate catadromous species, eel Anguilla anguilla, mullet Liza ramada and flounder Plathychtys flesus, revealed by Bayesian multielemental otolith microchemistry approach. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2011: 20: 42–51. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/SAbstract –  The colonisation of Gironde (SW France) river catchment by juvenile, eel, Anguilla anguilla, flounder Platychtys flesus and thinlipp mullet Liza ramada was investigated comparatively using Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca composition of otolith. The relation between Sr, Ba and habitat was investigated based on Sr and Ba water composition sampled each month along the estuary‐river gradient. A total of 50 mullets, 30 eels and 47 flounders were collected in the Gironde river catchment. Analysis was performed with a Femtosecond LA‐ICPMS along a trajectory from the core to the edge. Sr and Ba water concentrations discriminated three habitats within the Gironde system, the lower estuary, the upper estuary and the freshwater sites. A signal processing method based on Gaussian hidden Markov models was applied to the multielemental life‐history data. The linear model used to allocate a Gironde habitat to coupled Sr, Ca values was parameterised with seasonal patterns and magnitude of Sr and Ba water values in the different habitats. The results showed that the three species used three different habitats and they had a large diversity of habitat use patterns with resident and nomadic tactics. Resident tactics were less frequent than nomadic tactics that suggested individual fish used two or more habitats. Mullet used a wider range of habitats in the lower part of the estuary than eel and flounder and switched habitats more frequently. Flounders tended to colonise initially freshwater, and then estuarine habitats later in life while mullets used the entire range of available catchment habitats throughout their life.
Flavor evaluation of yak butter in Tsinghai‐Tibet Plateau and isolation of microorganisms contributing flavor
Authors: HU SongQing , WEI HaiLiu , GUO ShaSha , LI Lin , HOU Yi 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTYak butter in Tsinghai‐Tibet Plateau possesses the characters of high energy, abundant alimentation and a special flavor with certain medical and health care functions. In this paper the organoleptic flavor of yak butter was estimated, and 28 kinds of substance with different flavors were identified with the technique of coupling gas chromatography to mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS). The results showed that there are many microorganisms in yak butter with natural inoculation, which contribute to the formation of its special flavors. It was found that three of these 15 microorganisms, identified as Saccharomycetaceae, Penicillium and Asperillus separately, contributed the most to flavors. The microorganisms are expected to be applied in the food industry, especially to produce dairy food with the unique flavor of yak butter.
Ontogenesis of the rumen: A comparative analysis of the Merino sheep and Iberian red deer
Authors: FRANCO Antonio , MASOT Javier , REDONDO Eloy 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to describe differences in the ontogenesis of the rumen in the sheep (domestic ruminant) and deer (wild ruminant). A total of 50 embryos and fetuses of Merino sheep and 50 of Iberian deer were used, from the first stages of prenatal life until birth. For the study, the animals were divided into five experimental groups according to the most relevant histological characteristics. The appearance of the rumen from the primitive gastric tube was earlier in the sheep (22% gestation, 33 days) than in the deer (25% gestation, 66 days). In both cases it displayed a primitive epithelium of a stratified, cylindrical, non‐ciliary type. At around 28% gestation in the sheep (42 days) and 26% (67 days) in the deer, the rumen was configured of three clearly‐differentiated layers: internal or mucosal, middle or muscular and external or serosal. In both species the stratification of the epithelial layer was accompanied by modifications in its structure with the appearance of the ruminal pillars and papillae. The pillars appeared before the papillae and the appearance of both structures was always earlier in the deer (pillars: 70 days, 27% gestation; papillae: 97 days, 36% gestation) than in the sheep (pillars: 42 days, 28% gestation; papillae: 57 days, 38% gestation). The outlines of the ruminal papillae appeared as evaginations of the basal zone toward the ruminal lumen, dragging in their formation the basal membrane, the lamina propria and the submucosa. The tegumentary mucosa of the rumen was without secretion capability in the first embryonic phases. From 67 days (26% gestation) the neutral mucopolysaccharides appeared in the deer and at 46 days (30% gestation) in the sheep. In both cases they continued to decrease until birth, this diminution being more pronounced in the deer. Finally, the presence of neuroendocrine and glial cells was detected in the deer at earlier stages than in the sheep.
Development of novel intracytoplasmic sperm injection and somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques for animal reproduction
Authors: WAKAYAMA Teruhiko 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTAnimal biotechnology has made new biological experiments possible and new discoveries are being made on an almost daily basis. Among these discoveries is a method for directly injecting a spermatozoa or somatic nucleus into an oocyte that has brought a revolution in the world of micromanipulators. Experiments that were unfeasible until now have become possible, and normal offspring can be generated from infertile cells, such as using dead sperm or a dead frozen body. In this review, I will introduce the progress of animal reproductive biotechnology, including our current research.
The International Year of Biodiversity: A Celebration and Cogitation
Authors: Ghazoul Jaboury , Peña‐Claros Marielos 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTTo both celebrate and reflect upon this International Year of Biodiversity, Biotropica has invited opinion articles from a number of scientists across the globe. As lightly edited personal opinions, the commentaries reflect the diversity of passionate and often controversial views expressed across the scientific community. Thus, these commentaries should provide much food for thought, and hopefully some inspiration, on how we perceive biodiversity on our currently human‐dominated planet and how we should respond to its loss.
A Cost‐effective High‐resolution Melting Approach using the EvaGreen Dye for DNA Polymorphism Detection and Genotyping in Plants
Authors: Li Yi‐Dan , Chu Zhi‐Zhan , Liu Xiang‐Guo , Jing Hai‐Chun , Liu Yao‐Guang , Hao Dong‐Yun 
Published: October 2010

Abstract High‐resolution melting (HRM) analysis relies on the use of fluorescent dyes, such as LCGreen, ResoLight, and SYTO9, which bind in a saturated manner to the double‐stranded DNAs. These dyes are expensive in use and may not be affordable when dealing with a large quantity of samples. EvaGreen is a much cheaper DNA helix intercalating dye and has been used in quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and post‐PCR DNA melt curve analysis. Here we report on the development of an EvaGreen‐based HRM analysis and its performance, in comparison with the popular LCGreen‐based HRM analysis, in detection of DNA polymorphism in plants. We found that various polymorphisms ranged from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to Indels were equally detected by using EvaGreen‐ or LCGreen‐based HRM. EvaGreen dye was sensitive enough in discovery of SNPs in fivefold pooled samples. Using this economical dye we successfully identified multiple novel mutant alleles of Gln1‐3 gene, which produces a cytosolic glutamine synthetase isoenzyme (GS1), in a maize ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)‐mutagenized library, and genotyped rice mapping populations with SNP markers. The current results suggest that EvaGreen is a promising dye for HRM analysis for its ease to use and cost effectiveness.
AVERAGE SHEAR RATE IN A TWIN‐SCREW EXTRUDER AS A FUNCTION OF DEGREE OF FILL, FLOW BEHAVIOR INDEX, SCREW SPEED AND SCREW CONFIGURATION
Authors: SUPARNO M. , DOLAN K.D. , NG P.K.W. , STEFFE J.F. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTMixer viscometry assumptions were used to model average shear rate in a co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder. Screw speed was varied at 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 rpm in an MPF‐19APV twin‐screw extruder for Newtonian and non‐Newtonian fluids with different flow behavior indices (n). A composite screw configuration was used. Degree of fill was varied from 0.4 to 1.0. Also, for three separate all‐one‐type screw configurations, screw speed was varied from 50 to 400 rpm to estimate the average shear rate for 30° forwarding paddles, single‐lead, and twin‐lead screws individually for 1.0° fill. A modified matching viscosity technique was used to estimate average shear rate for all conditions.Average shear rate was modeled as a function of extruder constant (k′), screw speed and an empirical parameter α. The k′ increased as a power‐law and α decreased linearly with degree of fill. The k′ ranged from 5.7 to 45.1 sα−1 rev−α and was independent of screw speed and flow behavior index. Alpha increased with n. Average shear rates for the composite screw configuration ranged from 10.5 to 404 s−1 for fluids with flow behavior indexes of 0.24, 0.60 and 0.67, respectively. For the separate screw configurations at fill = 1.0, average shear rate at a constant screw speed was highest for 30 forwarding paddles, followed by single‐lead and twin‐lead screws.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSPractical applications include providing a convenient method to estimate average shear rate for composite screw configurations under partial‐fill conditions. Also, the study provides the basis for follow‐up studies where the influence of shear on food product quality and nutritional value can be examined.