bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parallel changes in the taxonomical structure of bacterial communities exposed to a similar environmental disturbance
Authors: Laplante Karine , Derome Nicolas 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBacterial communities play a central role in ecosystems, by regulating biogeochemical fluxes. Therefore, understanding how multiple functional interactions between species face environmental perturbations is a major concern in conservation biology. Because bacteria can use several strategies, including horizontal gene transfers (HGT), to cope with rapidly changing environmental conditions, potential decoupling between function and taxonomy makes the use of a given species as a general bioindicator problematic. The present work is a first step to characterize the impact of a recent polymetallic gradient over the taxonomical networks of five lacustrine bacterial communities. Given that evolutionary convergence represents one of the best illustration of natural selection, we focused on a system composed of two pairs of impacted and clean lakes in order to test whether similar perturbation exerts a comparable impact on the taxonomical networks of independent bacterial communities. First, we showed that similar environmental stress drove parallel structural changes at the taxonomic level on two independent bacterial communities. Second, we showed that a long‐term exposure to contaminant gradients drove significant taxonomic structure changes within three interconnected bacterial communities. Thus, this model lake system is relevant to characterize the strategies, namely acclimation and/or adaptation, of bacterial communities facing environmental perturbations, such as metal contamination.
Body mass explains characteristic scales of habitat selection in terrestrial mammals
Authors: Fisher Jason T. , Anholt Brad , Volpe John P. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractNiche theory in its various forms is based on those environmental factors that permit species persistence, but less work has focused on defining the extent, or size, of a species’ environment: the area that explains a species’ presence at a point in space. We proposed that this habitat extent is identifiable from a characteristic scale of habitat selection, the spatial scale at which habitat best explains species’ occurrence. We hypothesized that this scale is predicted by body size. We tested this hypothesis on 12 sympatric terrestrial mammal species in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. For each species, habitat models varied across the 20 spatial scales tested. For six species, we found a characteristic scale; this scale was explained by species’ body mass in a quadratic relationship. Habitat measured at large scales best‐predicted habitat selection in both large and small species, and small scales predict habitat extent in medium‐sized species. The relationship between body size and habitat selection scale implies evolutionary adaptation to landscape heterogeneity as the driver of scale‐dependent habitat selection.
Soil Conservation in Transition Countries: the Role of Institutions
Authors: Prager Katrin , Prazan Jaroslav , Penov Ivan 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTDegradation of agricultural soils is a serious concern in transition countries in the EU. We investigate similarities and differences between the soil conservation policy frameworks of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and the former German Democratic Republic and their implementation. Our focus is on the differences in institutional arrangements, i.e. formally existing policies, property rights, informal institutions and governance structures. We conducted comparative case studies based on a framework of institutional analysis, using literature survey, document analysis and in‐depth stakeholder interviews. Results show that among the determining factors for policy effectiveness are property rights regimes and land‐use rights, traditions in the provision of advisory services, farmers' previous experience with soil conservation practices and policies, perceived threat of enforcement, and trust in administrative authorities. We conclude that the existence of similar legislation and a common policy framework does not guarantee similar outcomes because institutional arrangements and their evolution play a major role in the effectiveness of agricultural soil conservation policies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
From the individual to the group: The enhancement of linguistic bias
Authors: Menegatti Michela , Rubini Monica 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe present contribution tested the general hypothesis that individual tendencies in the choice of terms at different levels of abstraction are enhanced when the same descriptions are formulated by a group. We compared the level of abstraction of individual and collective written judgements about applicants for a job position and found that the selection linguistic bias collectively expressed by hiring committees became more extreme in the direction established by initial individual judgements. Negative terms used to describe rejected applicants became more abstract, and those used to describe selected applicants became more concrete from individual to collective judgements. Conversely, positive terms employed to describe rejected applicants were more concrete in collective than individual judgements. Implications of these findings for the notion of language as a tool that enables coupling between group‐shared knowledge and group goals activated by the task at hand are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Screening of bacterial strains capable of converting biodiesel‐derived raw glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol, 2,3‐butanediol and ethanol
Authors: Metsoviti Maria , Paramithiotis Spiros , Drosinos Eleftherios H. , Galiotou‐Panayotou Maria , Nychas George‐John E. , Zeng An‐Ping , Papanikolaou Seraphim 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe ability of bacterial strains to assimilate glycerol derived from biodiesel facilities to produce metabolic compounds of importance for the food, textile and chemical industry, such as 1,3‐propanediol (PD), 2,3‐butanediol (BD) and ethanol (EtOH), was assessed. The screening of 84 bacterial strains was performed using glycerol as carbon source. After initial trials, 12 strains were identified capable of consuming raw glycerol under anaerobic conditions, whereas 5 strains consumed glycerol under aerobiosis. A plethora of metabolic compounds was synthesized; in anaerobic batch‐bioreactor cultures PD in quantities up to 11.3 g/L was produced by Clostridium butyricum NRRL B‐23495, while the respective value was 10.1 g/L for a newly isolated Citrobacter freundii. Adaptation of Cl. butyricum at higher initial glycerol concentration resulted in a PDmax concentration of ∼32 g/L. BD was produced by a new Enterobacter aerogenes isolate in shake‐flask experiments, under fully aerobic conditions, with a maximum concentration of ∼22 g/L which was achieved at an initial glycerol quantity of 55 g/L. A new Klebsiella oxytoca isolate converted waste glycerol into mixtures of PD, BD and EtOH at various ratios. Finally, another new C. freundii isolate converted waste glycerol into EtOH in anaerobic batch‐bioreactor cultures with constant pH, achieving a final EtOH concentration of 14.5 g/L, a conversion yield of 0.45 g/g and a volumetric productivity of ∼0.7 g/L/h. As a conclusion, the current study confirmed the utilization of biodiesel‐derived raw glycerol as an appropriate substrate for the production of PD, BD and EtOH by several newly isolated bacterial strains under different experimental conditions.
The effect of fibre content on the thermal and fire performance of polypropylene–glass composites
Authors: Kandola Baljinder K. , Toqueer‐Ul‐Haq Rana 
Published: November 2011

SUMMARYThermoplastic composites demand constant improvements in fire retardant and mechanical properties to fulfil their full market potential, especially in demanding sectors such as rail, aerospace and infrastructure, where fire performance is critical. The aim of this work is to understand the effect of reinforcing fibres on the flammability of polypropylene–glass (P‐G) composites and the means of improving their fire performance in a cost‐effective manner. A number of P‐G composites with 0%, 10% and 20% (w/w) glass fibres were prepared using short length glass fibres. The effect of fibre content on the thermal stability, flammability and mechanical performance of the P‐G composites without and in the presence of conventional fire retardants was studied. It was observed that while the presence of glass fibre lowered down the limiting oxygen index value of the composite, the rate of flame spread in a UL‐94 equivalent test was also lowered. The reduction in limiting oxygen index is due to the fact that glass fibre reduces the melt dripping behaviour of polypropylene and does not let the polymer (polypropylene) move away from flame, which then burns. Cone calorimetric study indicated that the presence of glass fibre reduces the overall flammability of the composite laminate. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolation and identification of oxacyclopentadecan‐2‐one from the dried fruiting body of Dictyophora echinovolvata Zang, Zheng et Hu
Authors: Huang Mingquan , Tian Hongyu , Sun Baoguo , Liu Yuping 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTA macrocyclic lactone was isolated from the dried fruiting body of Dictyophora echinovolvata Zang, Zheng et Hu by simultaneous distillation and extraction and column chromatography. Its chemical structure was identified as oxacyclopentadecan‐2‐one by Fourier transform infrared, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), high‐resolution electron impact mass spectrometry, 1H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and its relative retention index. The oxacyclopentadecan‐2‐one content in the dried fruiting body of Dictyophora echinovolvata Zang, Zheng et Hu (the water content was 14%) was quantified by GC‐MS through an external standard method and found to be about 0.091%. The compound isolated has a soft musk‐like odour. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐order implicit time integration for unsteady incompressible flows
Authors: Montlaur A. , Fernandez‐Mendez S. , Huerta A. 
Published: November 2011

SUMMARYThe spatial discretization of unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations is stated as a system of differential algebraic equations, corresponding to the conservation of momentum equation plus the constraint due to the incompressibility condition. Asymptotic stability of Runge–Kutta and Rosenbrock methods applied to the solution of the resulting index‐2 differential algebraic equations system is analyzed. A critical comparison of Rosenbrock, semi‐implicit, and fully implicit Runge–Kutta methods is performed in terms of order of convergence and stability. Numerical examples, considering a discontinuous Galerkin formulation with piecewise solenoidal approximation, demonstrate the applicability of the approaches and compare their performance with classical methods for incompressible flows. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Canopy rainfall storage capacity as affected by sub‐alpine grassland degradation in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Yu Kailiang , Pypker Thomas G. , Keim Richard F. , Chen Ning , Yang Yingbo , Guo Shuqing , Li Wenjin , Wang Gang 
Published: November 2011

AbstractGrassland degradation resulting from global climate change, overgrazing, and rodent damage is expected to influence the magnitude of canopy hydrological fluxes because of reduced vegetation biomass and changed species composition. The objectives of this study were to estimate herbaceous canopy rainfall storage capacity (S) along three different stages of sub‐alpine grassland degradation (non‐degraded, lightly degraded and moderately degraded) in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China, and relate changes in S to canopy properties. An artificial wetting method and the water budget balance method, using rain simulations, were used for estimating S. Grassland degradation significantly reduced S. In non‐degraded, lightly degraded and moderately degraded grasslands, S estimated using the artificial wetting method were 0.612 ± 0.08 mm, 0.289 ± 0.04 mm, and 0.217 ± 0.01 mm, respectively; S estimated using the water budget balance method were 0.979 ± 0.32 mm, 0.493 ± 0.13 mm, and 0.419 ± 0.09 mm, respectively. These changes could be explained by accompanying changes in above‐ground biomass and leaf area index, as well as changes in species composition. Species‐specific rainfall storage capacity varied by a factor of 2.7 among the investigated species, with graminoids having the lowest values. Leaf area index was more correlated to S than was canopy coverage. Converting fresh weight of non‐leaf tissues into effective leaf area of the corresponding species and then introducing a coefficient of leaf area according to the specific storage capacity of leaves improved the linear relationship between S and leaf area index. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Memory effects of depressional storage in Northern Prairie hydrology
Authors: Shook Kevin R. , Pomeroy John W. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe hydrography of the Prairies of western Canada and the north‐central United States is characterized by drainage into small depressions, forming wetlands rather than being connected to a large‐scale drainage system. In droughts, many of these water bodies completely dry up, while in wet periods, their expansion can cause infrastructure damage. As wetlands expand and contract with changing water levels, connections among them are formed and broken. The change in hydrographic connectivity dynamically changes the hydrological response of basins by controlling the area of the basin which contributes discharge to local streams.The objective of this research was to determine the behaviour of prairie basins dominated by wetlands through two sets of simulations. The first consisted of application and removal of water (simulating runoff and evaporation) from a LiDAR digital elevation model (DEM) of a small basin in the south‐east of the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. Plots of water surface area and of contributing area against depressional storage showed evidence of hysteresis, in that filling and emptying curves followed differing paths, indicating the existence of memory of prior conditions. It was demonstrated that the processes of filling and emptying produced differing changes in the frequency distributions of wetland areas, resulting in the observed hysteresis.Because the first model was computationally intensive, a second model was built to test the use of simpler wetland representations. The second model used a set of interconnected wetlands, whose frequency distribution and connectivity were derived from the original LiDAR DEM. When subjected to simple applications and removal of simulated water, the second model displayed hysteresis loops similar to those of the first model. The implications for modelling prairie basins are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preliminary evaluation of the runoff processes in a remote montane cloud forest basin using Mixing Model Analysis and Mean Transit Time
Authors: Crespo Patricio , Bücker Amelie , Feyen Jan , Vaché Kellie B. , Frede Hans‐Georg , Breuer Lutz 
Published: November 2011

AbstractIn this study, the Mean Transit Time and Mixing Model Analysis methods are combined to unravel the runoff generation process of the San Francisco River basin (73.5 km2) situated on the Amazonian side of the Cordillera Real in the southernmost Andes of Ecuador. The montane basin is covered with cloud forest, sub‐páramo, pasture and ferns. Nested sampling was applied for the collection of streamwater samples and discharge measurements in the main tributaries and outlet of the basin, and for the collection of soil and rock water samples. Weekly to biweekly water grab samples were taken at all stations in the period April 2007–November 2008. Hydrometric data, Mean Transit Time and Mixing Model Analysis allowed preliminary evaluation of the processes controlling the runoff in the San Francisco River basin. Results suggest that flow during dry conditions mainly consists of lateral flow through the C‐horizon and cracks in the top weathered bedrock layer, and that all subcatchments have an important contribution of this deep water to runoff, no matter whether pristine or deforested. During normal to low precipitation intensities, when antecedent soil moisture conditions favour water infiltration, vertical flow paths to deeper soil horizons with subsequent lateral subsurface flow contribute most to streamflow. Under wet conditions in forested catchments, streamflow is controlled by near surface lateral flow through the organic horizon. Exceptionally, saturation excess overland flow occurs. By absence of the litter layer in pasture, streamflow under wet conditions originates from the A horizon, and overland flow. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Musculoskeletal morphology and regionalization within the dorsal and anal fins of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
Authors: Chadwell Brad A. , Ashley‐Ross Miriam A. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractRay‐finned fishes actively control the shape and orientation of their fins to either generate or resist hydrodynamic forces. Because of the emergent mechanical properties of their segmented, bilaminar fin rays (lepidotrichia), and actuation by multiple muscles, fish can control the rigidity and curvature of individual rays independently, thereby varying the resultant forces across the fin surfaces. Expecting that differences in fin‐ray morphology should reflect variation in their mechanical properties, we measured several musculoskeletal features of individual spines and rays of the dorsal and anal fins of bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, and assessed their mobility and flexibility. We separated the fin‐rays into four groups based on the fin (dorsal or anal) or fin‐ray type (spine or ray) and measured the length of the spines/rays and the mass of the three median fin‐ray muscles: the inclinators, erectors and depressors. Within the two ray groups, we measured the portion of the rays that were segmented vs. unsegmented and branched vs. unbranched. For the majority of variables tested, we found that variations between fin‐rays within each group were significantly related to position within the fin and these patterns were conserved between the dorsal and anal rays. Based on positional variations in fin‐ray and muscle parameters, we suggest that anterior and posterior regions of each fin perform different functions when interacting with the surrounding fluid. Specifically, we suggest that the stiffer anterior rays of the soft dorsal and anal fins maintain stability and keep the flow across the fins steady. The posterior rays, which are more flexible with a greater range of motion, fine‐tune their stiffness and orientation, directing the resultant flow to generate lateral and some thrust forces, thus acting as an accessory caudal fin. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
VP‐1 quasispecies in human infection with polyomavirus BK
Authors: Luo Chunqing , Hirsch Hans H. , Kant Jeffrey , Randhawa Parmjeet 
Published: November 2011

AbstractPolyomavirus BK is a recognized cause of nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis in kidney or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. This study explored a role of genetic variations in capsid protein VP‐1 gene as a factor in viral pathogenesis. VP‐1 was amplified from 7 healthy subjects with viruria, 7 transplant patients with viruria, and 11 patients with viremia or nephropathy. PCR products were cloned and a total of 558 clonal sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using standard methods. VP‐1 quasispecies were found in 25/25 and coinfection with different genotypes in 12/25 subjects. Genotype II was found as an unexpected minority species in 5/25 individuals. Recombinant strains of uncertain biologic significance, which frequently contained genotype II and IV sequences were identified in 9/25 subjects. Viremia/nephropathy group was characterized by (a) greater sequence complexity in whole VP‐1 versus BC loop and BC loop compared to the HI loop, (b) greater intra‐strain genetic diversity in the BC loop compared to whole VP‐1 protein and HI loop, (c) more non‐synonymous substitutions (dN) in the BC loop compared to whole VP‐1 and HI loop, (e) fewer synonymous substitutions (dS) compared to healthy‐viruria group, and (f) selection pressure (dN/dS >1.0) exerted on VP‐1. In conclusion, this study documents frequent occurrence of quasispecies in a host DNA polymerase dependent virus, which is theoretically expected to show high replication fidelity. Quasispecies occur even in healthy subjects with viruria, but evolutionary selection pressure directed at the viral capsid protein (VP‐1) is seen only in patients with viremia or nephropathy. J. Med. Virol. 84:152–161, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel polymerase chain reaction method for detecting cutaneous human papillomavirus DNA
Authors: Sasagawa Toshiyuki , Mitsuishi Tsuyoshi 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThere is no simple test to identify the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes that cause cutaneous warts. A new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, called SK‐PCR, was developed for this purpose. This PCR amplifies 210–238 base pairs of L1 DNA of 17 HPV types (HPV‐1a, ‐2a, ‐3, ‐4, ‐7, ‐10, ‐27, ‐28, ‐29, ‐40, ‐57, ‐60, ‐63, ‐65, ‐77, ‐91, and ‐94), which are thought to cause various cutaneous warts, including common, flat, butcher's, punctate, and pigmented warts. The method is novel because the location of these primers is completely different from that of any previous PCR method for HPV. The target sequences are specific to alpha‐, gamma‐, and mu‐papillomaviruses (PVs), but not to beta‐PVs. Furthermore, direct sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used to determine the HPV genotypes. Fifty of samples of plantar warts were examined, and HPV‐27 was identified in 22 warts, HPV‐57 in 15 warts, and HPV‐2a in 9 warts. These PVs, which are alpha species 4, were the most common. HPV‐4 and ‐65 (gamma‐PVs) and HPV‐1a and ‐63 (mu‐PVs) were detected in one case each. A single HPV type was identified in all of these warts. This method appears to be useful for genotyping the HPVs causing skin warts, and for distinguishing between HPV‐induced warts and warty lesions unrelated to HPV infection. J. Med. Virol. 84:138–144, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.