bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feeding guild structure of beetles on Australian tropical rainforest trees reflects microhabitat resource availability
Authors: Wardhaugh Carl W. , Stork Nigel E. , Edwards Will 
Published: April 2012

Summary1. We tested the hypotheses that feeding guild structure of beetle assemblages changed with different arboreal microhabitats and that these differences were consistent across rainforest tree species.2. Hand collection and beating techniques were used from the gondola of the Australian Canopy Crane to collect beetles from five microhabitats (mature leaves, flush leaves, flowers, fruit and suspended dead wood) within the rainforest canopy. A simple randomization procedure was implemented to test whether the abundances of each feeding guild on each microhabitat were different from that expected based on a null hypothesis of random distribution of individuals across microhabitats.3. Beetles from different feeding guilds were not randomly distributed, but congregated on those microhabitats that are likely to provide the highest concentrations of their preferred food sources. Herbivorous beetles, in particular, were over‐represented on flowers and flush foliage and under‐represented on mature leaves and dead wood. Proportional numbers of species within each feeding guild were remarkably uniform across tree species for each microhabitat, but proportional abundances of feeding guilds were all significantly non‐uniformly distributed between host tree species, regardless of microhabitat, confirming patterns previously found for arthropods in trees in temperate and tropical forests.4. These results show that the canopy beetle community is partitioned into discrete assemblages between microhabitats and that this partitioning arises because of differences in feeding guild structure as a function of the diversity and the temporal and spatial availability of resources found on each microhabitat.
Myelin basic protein induces inflammatory mediators from primary human endothelial cells and blood–brain barrier disruption: implications for the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis
Authors: D'Aversa T. G. , Eugenin E. A. , Lopez L. , Berman J. W. 
Published: April 2012

T. G. D'Aversa, E. A. Eugenin, L. Lopez and J. W. Berman (2013) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology39, 270–283Myelin basic protein induces inflammatory mediators from primary human endothelial cells and blood–brain barrier disruption: implications for the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosisAim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, characterized by demyelination of white matter, loss of myelin forming oligodendrocytes, changes in the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and leucocyte infiltration. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is a component of the myelin sheath. Degradation of myelin is believed to be an important step that leads to MS pathology. Transmigration of leucocytes across the vasculature, and a compromised BBB participate in the neuroinflammation of MS. We examined the expression and regulation of the chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and the cytokine interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in human endothelial cells (EC), a component of the BBB, after treatment with MBP. Methods: EC were treated with full‐length MBP. CCL2 and IL‐6 protein were determined by ELISA. Western blot analysis was used to determine signalling pathways. A BBB model was treated with MBP and permeability was assayed using albumin conjugated to Evan's blue dye. The levels of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin‐1, and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)‐2 were assayed by Western blot. Results: MBP significantly induced CCL2 and IL‐6 protein from EC. This induction was partially mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway as there was phosphorylation after MBP treatment. MBP treatment of a BBB model caused an increase in permeability that correlated with a decrease in occludin and claudin‐1, and an induction of MMP2. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that MBP induces chemotactic and inflammatory mediators. MBP also alters BBB permeability and tight junction expression, indicating additional factors that may contribute to the BBB breakdown characteristic of MS.
HKT2;2/1, a K+‐permeable transporter identified in a salt‐tolerant rice cultivar through surveys of natural genetic polymorphism
Authors: Oomen Ronald J.F.J. , Benito Begoña , Sentenac Hervé , Rodríguez‐Navarro Alonso , Talón Manuel , Véry Anne‐Aliénor , Domingo Concha 
Published: April 2012

SummaryWe have investigated OsHKT2;1 natural variation in a collection of 49 cultivars with different levels of salt tolerance and geographical origins. The effect of identified polymorphism on OsHKT2;1 activity was analysed through heterologous expression of variants in Xenopus oocytes. OsHKT2;1 appeared to be a highly conserved protein with only five possible amino acid substitutions that have no substantial effect on functional properties. Our study, however, also identified a new HKT isoform, No‐OsHKT2;2/1 in Nona Bokra, a highly salt‐tolerant cultivar. No‐OsHKT2;2/1 probably originated from a deletion in chromosome 6, producing a chimeric gene. Its 5′ region corresponds to that of OsHKT2;2, whose full‐length sequence is not present in Nipponbare but has been identified in Pokkali, a salt‐tolerant rice cultivar. Its 3′ region corresponds to that of OsHKT2;1. No‐OsHKT2;2/1 is essentially expressed in roots and displays a significant level of expression at high Na+ concentrations, in contrast to OsHKT2;1. Expressed in Xenopus oocytes or in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, No‐OsHKT2;2/1 exhibited a strong permeability to Na+ and K+, even at high external Na+ concentrations, like OsHKT2;2, and in contrast to OsHKT2;1. Our results suggest that No‐OsHKT2;2/1 can contribute to Nona Bokra salt tolerance by enabling root K+ uptake under saline conditions.
Effect of light quality on movement of Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Authors: Allema A. B. , Rossing W. A. H. , van der Werf W. , Heusinkveld B. G. , Bukovinszky T. , Steingröver E. , van Lenteren J. C. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract Behaviour of nocturnal insects is routinely observed under red light, but it is unclear how the behaviour under red light compares to behaviour in complete darkness, or under a source of white light. Here, we measure movement behaviour of the nocturnal carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius Illiger (Coleoptera: Carabidae) using camera recording under a near‐infrared (nir), red or white radiation source. Red light significantly reduced movement speed in females similar to the effect of white light and different from nir. Also movement activity and pause length were affected by radiation source, with a significant difference between nir and white light, and with intermediate values in red light. The results presented here indicate that P. melanarius has different movement behaviour under the three radiation sources and suggest that nir rather than red radiation is most appropriate for measuring behaviour in total darkness. However, in the field total darkness is rare both because of natural light sources such as the moon and stars but increasingly also because of ecological light pollution, and therefore red light may still be of use for observing ecologically and practically relevant natural night‐time behaviour.
Localization mechanisms of the axon guidance molecule UNC‐6/Netrin and its receptors, UNC‐5 and UNC‐40, in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Ogura Ken‐ichi , Asakura Taro , Goshima Yoshio 
Published: April 2012

Netrin is an evolutionarily conserved, secretory axon guidance molecule. Netrin's receptors, UNC‐5 and UNC‐40/DCC, are single trans‐membrane proteins with immunoglobulin domains at their extra‐cellular regions. Netrin is thought to provide its positional information by establishing a concentration gradient. UNC‐5 and UNC‐40 act at growth cones, which are specialized axonal tip structures that are generally located at a long distance from the neural cell body. Thus, the proper localization of both Netrin and its receptors is critical for their function. This review addresses the localization mechanisms of UNC‐6/Netrin and its receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on our recent reports. These findings include novel insights on cytoplasmic proteins that function upstream of the receptors.
Quantitative in situ study of short crack propagation in polygranular graphite by digital image correlation
Authors: MOSTAFAVI M. , MARROW T.J. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper reports experimental observations that show non‐irradiated Gilsocarbon polygranular nuclear graphite fits within the quasi‐brittle class of materials. Such materials exhibit a degree of damage tolerance that depends on the stability of cracks that nucleate in the microstructure. Modelling efforts to predict the influence of microstructure on damage tolerance require direct observation of crack nucleation and growth to support them.Here, the technique of digital image correlation was applied to optical observations to measure the full field distribution of displacements on the surface of large (>100 mm dimension) specimens, loaded in uniaxial flexure. Repeated cyclic loading to strains approaching failure results in an inelastic (i.e. non‐recoverable) strain, and a decrease in the static elastic modulus. Digital image correlation was also used for early detection and characterisation of fracture nuclei (short cracks). Such short cracks show a stable propagation stage before causing catastrophic failure. The displacement fields were used to calculate directly the energy release rate of the short cracks via a contour integral method. The value is consistent with the critical strain energy release rate for unstable fracture obtained from standard mode I fracture tests.
Characteristics of metal magnetic memory signals of different steels in high cycle fatigue tests
Authors: ZHANG Y.L. , GOU R.B. , LI J.M. , SHEN G.T. , ZENG Y.J. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTThe detection of crack initiation in steel Q235, 16MnR and 20 g was carried out by metal magnetic memory (MMM) technique. Fifty specimens of welded and base metal were tested. Both MMM testing and metallographic examination were done to them when unloaded at the different phase of high‐cycle fatigue testing, and hence MMM signals before and after crack initiation could be recorded. The values of magnetic intensity gradient were calculated, and whose critical value was determined and proposed for early defects detection. The results show that the magnetic intensity (Hp) curve became concave responding to the occurrence of stress concentration, and its gradient (dHp/dx) increased greatly; at the critical dHp/dx, no change occurred to the microstructure, but beyond the critical value, dHp/dx increased suddenly and a large number of intragranular slips were found in the microstructure. Three different kinds of materials have different critical values of magnetic intensity gradient.
BREAKING OUT OF CO‐OPERATION'S ‘IRON CAGE’:FROM MOVEMENT DEGENERATION TO BUILDING A DEVELOPMENTAL MOVEMENT
Authors: DIAMANTOPOULOS Mitch 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACT:  This article focuses on co‐operative movements’ role in developing new firms and sectors. In contrast to ‘developmental movements’ which secure legislative, policy, program, and promotional, financial, and technical assistance supports for co‐operative development campaigns, this paper investigates the problem of co‐operative ‘movement degeneration’ – why some movements’ developmental commitments gradually erode. The paper next investigates the project of ‘movement regeneration’ – how mature movements become reoriented toward movement goals, including fostering successful co‐operative formations. This discussion includes the role of institutional intermediaries, educational and cultural interventions, and mobilizing networks in regenerative movement action.
Wittgenstein's “Most Fruitful Ideas” and Sraffa
Authors: Engelmann Mauro Luiz 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn the preface of the Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein says that his “most fruitful ideas” are due to the stimulus of Sraffa's criticism, but Sraffa is not mentioned anywhere else in the book. It remains a puzzle in the literature how and why Sraffa influenced Wittgenstein. This paper presents a solution to this puzzle. Sraffa's criticism led Wittgenstein away from the calculus conception of language of the Big Typescript (arguably, an adaptation of the calculus of the Tractatus), and towards the “anthropological view,” which structures both the opening sections of the Philosophical Investigations and Wittgenstein's later philosophy of mathematics.
An Internal Reconstruction of Tibetan Stem Alternations1
Authors: Jacques Guillaume 
Published: April 2012

AbstractTibetan verbal morphology differs considerably from that of other Sino‐Tibetan languages. Most of the vocalic and consonantal alternations observed in the verbal paradigms remain unexplained after more than a hundred years of investigation: the study of historical Tibetan morphology would seem to have reached an aporia. This paper proposes a new model, explaining the origin of the alternations in the Tibetan verb as the remnant of a former system of directional prefixes, typologically similar to the ones still attested in the Rgyalrongic languages.
A Bayesian Hierarchical Model with Spatial Variable Selection: The Effect of Weather on Insurance Claims
Authors: Scheel Ida , Ferkingstad Egil , Frigessi Arnoldo , Haug Ola , Hinnerichsen Mikkel , Meze-Hausken Elisabeth 
Published: April 2012

SummaryClimate change will affect the insurance industry. We develop a Bayesian hierarchical statistical approach to explain and predict insurance losses due to weather events at a local geographic scale. The number of weather-related insurance claims is modelled by combining generalized linear models with spatially smoothed variable selection. Using Gibbs sampling and reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, this model is fitted on daily weather and insurance data from each of the 319 municipalities which constitute southern and central Norway for the period 1997–2006. Precise out-of-sample predictions validate the model. Our results show interesting regional patterns in the effect of different weather covariates. In addition to being useful for insurance pricing, our model can be used for short-term predictions based on weather forecasts and for long-term predictions based on downscaled climate models.
Testing Quantum States for Purity
Authors: Jupp Peter E. , Kim Peter T. , Koo Ja-Yong , Pasieka Aron 
Published: April 2012

SummaryThe simplest states of finite quantum systems are the pure states. The paper is motivated by the need to test statistically whether or not a given physical state is pure. Because the pure states lie in the boundary of the set of all states, the usual regularity conditions that justify the standard large sample approximations to the null distributions of the deviance and the score statistic are not satisfied. For a large class of quantum experiments that produce Poisson count data, the paper uses an enlargement of the parameter space of all states to develop likelihood ratio and score tests of purity. The asymptotic null distributions of the corresponding statistics are χ2. The tests are illustrated by the analysis of some quantum experiments involving unitarily correctable codes.
The prediction of 30‐day mortality in patients with primary pontine hemorrhage: a scoring system comparison
Authors: Huang K.‐B. , Ji Z. , Wu Y.‐M. , Wang S.‐N. , Lin Z.‐Z. , Pan S.‐Y. 
Published: April 2012

Background and purposeOwing to its low morbidity but high mortality, no accurate scoring system focuses on primary pontine hemorrhage (PPH) has been established. We aim to compare the performances of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II with the ICH score in predicting the 30‐day mortality in patients with PPH.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of patients admitted with a diagnosis of PPH to a university‐affiliated hospital in southern China from May 2000 to June 2011. Data related to patient demographics and that necessary to calculate APACHE II, SAPS II, and ICH score were recorded. Performances of these scoring systems were presented as calibration and discrimination, which were measured by the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness‐of‐fit test and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, respectively.ResultsAmong 75 patients with PPH finally included, 31 (41.3%) died within 30 days. SAPS II (χ2 = 6.57, P = 0.682) had the best calibration, followed by APACHE II (χ2 = 8.06, P = 0.428) and ICH score (χ2 = 4.94, P = 0.176). Furthermore, in terms of area under the ROC curve, APACHE II (0.919) was more discriminative than SAPS II (0.890) and ICH score (0.844).ConclusionsIn predicting 30‐day mortality in patients with PPH, SAPS II has the best calibration, while APACHE II has the highest discrimination. The ICH score, which is easier and simpler to calculate, should be modified for PPH.
Amniotic fluid embolism: incidence, risk factors, and impact on perinatal outcome
Authors: Kramer MS , Rouleau J , Liu S , Bartholomew S , Joseph KS ,   for the Maternal Health Study Group of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System
Published: April 2012

Please cite this paper as: Kramer M, Rouleau J, Liu S, Bartholomew S, Joseph K for the Maternal Health Study Group of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Amniotic fluid embolism: incidence, risk factors, and impact on perinatal outcome. BJOG 2012;119:874–879.Objective  To extend our previous work on AFE in Canada by including stricter criteria for case identification and by examining risks for stillbirth, neonatal mortality and serious maternal and neonatal morbidity.Design  Population‐based cohort study.Setting  Canada.Population or sample  In all, 4 508 462 hospital deliveries from fiscal year 1991/92 to 2008/09.Methods  To reduce false‐positive diagnoses, we restricted our analysis to AFE cases with cardiac arrest, shock or severe hypertension, respiratory distress, mechanical ventilation, coma, seizure, or coagulation disorder. Linkage of maternal and neonatal records, available since 2001/02, enabled us to examine the effects of AFE on neonatal outcomes. Detailed demographic and clinical data facilitated control for a broad array of potential confounding variables.Main outcome measures  Amniotic fluid embolism, in‐hospital neonatal death, asphyxia, mechanical ventilation, bacterial sepsis, seizure, nonimmune haemolytic or traumatic jaundice and length of hospital stay.Results  A total of 292 AFE cases were identified, of which only 120 (40%) were confirmed after applying our additional diagnostic criteria, yielding an AFE incidence of 2.5 per 100 000 deliveries. Of the 120 confirmed cases, 33 (27%) were fatal. Significant modifiable risk factors included medical induction, caesarean delivery, instrumental vaginal delivery, and uterine or cervical trauma. Amniotic fluid embolism was associated with significantly increased risks of stillbirth and neonatal asphyxia, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, seizures and prolonged length of hospital stay.Conclusions  Amniotic fluid embolism remains a rare but serious obstetric outcome, with several important modifiable risk factors and major implications for maternal, fetal and neonatal health.
Physical activation of biochar and its meaning for soil fertility and nutrient leaching – a greenhouse experiment
Authors: Borchard N. , Wolf A. , Laabs V. , Aeckersberg R. , Scherer H. W. , Moeller A. , Amelung W. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe slow alteration of the surface of charred biomass (biochar) over time may contribute to an improved nutrient retention and thus fertility of tropical soils. Here, we investigated soils from temperate climates and investigated whether a technical steam activation of biochar could accelerate its positive effects on nutrient retention and uptake by plants relative to nonactivated biochar. To this aim, we performed microcosm experiments with sandy or silty soil, mixed with 2.0, 7.5 and 15.0 g/kg soil of fine (<2 mm) or coarse‐sized (2–10 mm) biochar from beech wood (Fagus sp.). After initial fertilizer (NPK), ashes and excess nutrients were leached with water, and the microcosms were planted for 142 days with Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum). Thereafter, leachate, soil and plant samples were analysed for their nutrient contents. The results showed that biochar additions of ≤15 g/kg soil left elevated contents of available P and N in the surface soil but reduced their uptake into the plants. As a result, total biomass production was unchanged. Different particle size and application amounts influenced these findings only marginally. Nitrate leaching was enhanced in the sandy soil (+41% for nitrate, but reduced in the silty soil −17%) and P was immobilized. Hence, the fertility of the temperate soils under study was only marginally affected by pure biochar amendments. Steam activation, however, almost doubled the positive effects of biochars in all instances, thus being an interesting option for future biochar applications.
The impact of information acquisition on EU performance judgements
Authors: ELENBAAS MATTHIJS , DE VREESE CLAES H. , BOOMGAARDEN HAJO G. , SCHUCK ANDREAS R.T. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractPublic evaluations of EU performance are not only critical indicators of the EU's output legitimacy, but also shape future support for European integration. For citizens to monitor the political performance of the EU they need relevant facts, yet it is anything but clear that gains in information about EU performance causechangein judgements about such performance. Drawing on two‐wave panel data, this article examines whether acquiring information following a real‐world EU decision‐making event alters citizens' judgements about the utilitarian and democratic performance of the EU. It also examines how this effect differs for people with different levels of general political information. It is found that citizens who acquired performance‐relevant information became more approving of the EU's utilitarian performance but did not change their judgements about its democratic performance. Also, individuals with moderate levels of general political information were affected most strongly by new facts about performance. The implications of these findings for EU‐level representative democracy are considered.
Dissent in Iberia: The ideal points of justices on the Spanish and Portuguese Constitutional Tribunals
Authors: HANRETTY CHRIS 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn this article, the non‐unanimous decisions of the Portuguese and Spanish Constitutional Tribunals for the periods 1989–2009 and 2000–2009 are analysed. It is shown that judicial dissent can be predicted moderately well on the basis of judicial ideal points along a single dimension. This dimension is equivalent to the left–right cleavage in both Portugal and Spain. The characteristics of the recovered dimension are demonstrated by analysing both the properties of the cases and the properties of the justices who decided them.
Motivating the European voter: Parties, issues and campaigns in European Parliament elections
Authors: HOBOLT SARA B. , SPOON JAE‐JAE 
Published: April 2012

AbstractVoters behave differently in European Parliament (EP) elections compared to national elections because less is at stake in these ‘second‐order’ elections. While this explains the primary characteristic of EP elections, it has often led to a conflation of distinct motivations for changing behaviour – namely sincere and protest voting. By distinguishing these motivations, this article addresses the question of when and why voters alter their behaviour in EP elections. In addition, it argues that the degree of politicisation of the EU in the domestic debate shapes the extent to which voters rely on EU, rather than national, considerations. These propositions are tested in a multilevel analysis in 27 countries in the 2009 EP elections. The findings have important implications for understanding why voters change their behaviour between different types of elections.