bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Delphi process – an expert‐based approach to ecological modelling in data‐poor environments
Authors: MacMillan D. C. , Marshall K. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractResource managers are involved in difficult decisions that affect rare species and habitats but often lack relevant ecological knowledge and experience. Ecological models are increasingly being looked to as a means of assisting the decision‐making process, but very often the data are missing or are unsuited to empirical modelling. This paper describes the development and application of the Delphi approach to develop a decision support tool for wildlife conservation and management. The Delphi process is an expert‐based approach to decision support that can be used as a means for predicting outcomes in situations where ‘absolute’ or ‘objective’ models are unavailable or compromised by lack of appropriate data. The method aims to develop consensus between experts over several rounds of deliberation on the assumption that combining the expertise of several individuals will provide more reliable results than consulting one or two individuals. In this paper the approach is used to engineer soft knowledge on the conservation requirements of capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, an endangered woodland grouse, into a model that can be used by forests managers to improve the quality of forest habitat for capercaillie over extensive commercial forest areas. This paper concludes with a discussion of the potential advantages and disadvantages of Delphi and other soft knowledge approaches to ecological modelling and conservation management.
Demography of an Afrotropical passerine in a highly fragmented landscape
Authors: Githiru M. , Lens L. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractDemographic attributes of discrete subpopulations of animals and plants that constitute a larger (meta)population network may affect the strength and direction of local population responses to habitat loss or degradation. To address this question in an Afrotropical context, we studied survival rates, population densities, sex ratios and age distributions in seven white‐starred robinPogonocichla stellatapopulations inhabiting differently sized forest remnants in a highly fragmented Kenyan landscape. Sex ratios were strongly male biased, especially during the non‐breeding season, but the level of bias did not differ between age groups nor fragment sizes. Juvenile to adult ratios were smallest in the medium‐sized fragment, but did not differ between the largest and smallest fragments. Low population density combined with a skewed sex ratio in the medium‐sized fragment pointed towards a local scarcity of females, which was supported by the presence of unmated territorial males. Based on capture–recapture analysis, all populations were considered stable on average. When combining demographic patterns with those emerging from a recent population genetic study and removal experiment, our results support the notion that small populations inhabiting tiny habitat remnants may play an important role in augmenting the long‐term survival of spatially structured populations.
Nest‐site selection of endangered cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) populations affected by anthropogenic disturbance: present and future conservation implications
Authors: Morán‐López R. , Sánchez Guzmán J. M. , Borrego E. Costillo , Sánchez A. Villegas 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThe cinereous vulture Aegypius monachus is the largest bird of the western Palaearctic, and is threatened over its entire range of distribution. Considering explicitly the influence of human interference, we studied breeding habitat selection in seven breeding colonies using a geographic information system and multivariate statistical models. Steep areas far from human disturbance constituted the preferential breeding sites in all the colonies. The nesting substrate and climatic conditions varied between colonies, but always corresponded to non‐extreme climates, and included tree species of adequate size. Since human activities influenced the breeding habitat choice, there is a potential for management policies that can clearly be of benefit for the conservation of this vulture. These would fundamentally be as follows: (1) forestry activity should be oriented to protecting oak (Quercus spp.) and pine (Pinus ssp.) stands, especially individual trees of great height, and to replacing eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) with autochthonous species; (2) activities (recreational, economic, etc.) around the breeding areas should be scheduled and spatially organized to avoid disturbance, particularly those deriving from the proximity of roads and tracks; (3) the expected effects of global warming should be compensated, identifying future sites where the habitat can be managed, supplementary food can be provided and reserves can be designed.
Wildlife conservation and animal temperament: causes and consequences of evolutionary change for captive, reintroduced, and wild populations
Authors: McDougall P. T. , Réale D. , Sol D. , Reader S. M. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWe argue that animal temperament is an important concept for wildlife conservation science and review causes and consequences of evolutionary changes in temperament traits that may occur in captive‐breeding programmes. An evolutionary perspective is valid because temperament traits are heritable, linked to fitness and potentially subject to intense selection in captivity. Natural, sexual and artificial selection can cause permanent shifts in temperament, reducing the diversity of temperament traits, diversity that may be critical to reintroduction success. Breeding programmes that ignore temperament risk leading the captive population towards domestication. Furthermore, shifts in temperament may involve alterations in linked morphological and physiological traits, and selection may even change functional relationships between traits. Captive‐breeding programmes can reduce changes in temperaments by closely monitoring temperament traits, equalizing reproductive success between temperament morphs and using environmental enrichment to reduce captive stress. Under certain circumstances, knowledge about temperament may also provide a useful tool to optimize captive reproduction and to increase reintroduction success. Outside reintroduction programmes, temperament can mediate responses to human contact, hunting, exploitation, habitat fragmentation and disease transmission. Consideration of temperaments could strengthen both captive and wild conservation efforts.
Assessment of the historical population size of an endangered bird, the black‐faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) by analysis of mitochondrial DNA diversity
Authors: Yeung C. K.‐L. , Yao C.‐T. , Hsu Y.‐C. , Wang J.‐P. , Li S.‐H. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWe present a practical case of inferring historical demography in an endangered avian species, the black‐faced spoonbill Platalea minor, which may be of reference for strategizing conservation planning for species lacking historical records. We applied a genetic approach, complemented by limited knowledge of demographic parameters and life history, to infer the historical population size in the black‐faced spoonbill, based on 2369 bp of three protein‐coding mitochondrial DNA fragments from 87 individuals. The best estimate of θ (a product of two times the female effective population and the mutation rate) was 0.00028, which led a historical population size of 10 320 (95% CI: 1976–37 254) individuals – roughly nine times larger than the current estimated global population size of 1206 individuals. For an avian species lacking historical demographic records, this study extrapolates the occurrence of a severe and probably recent historical population reduction in the endangered black‐faced spoonbill. We suggest that the population decline of this bird might not be fully explained by factors such as the Korean War or loss of habitat; rather, a bottleneck resulting from pollution by pesticides seems more congruent with the demographic history in terms of the scale of the population reduction and the timing and pattern of recovery. Environmental monitoring is therefore suggested as a proactive step to prevent future pollution or disease outbreak.
Managing the matrix for large carnivores: a novel approach and perspective from cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) habitat suitability modelling
Authors: Muntifering J. R. , Dickman A. J. , Perlow L. M. , Hruska T. , Ryan P. G. , Marker L. L. , Jeo R. M. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractEffective management within the human‐dominated matrix, outside of formally protected areas, is of paramount importance to wide‐ranging carnviores. For instance, the largest extant population of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus currently persists on privately owned Namibian ranchlands, and provides an excellent case study to examine and design matrix conservation approaches. Although human‐caused mortality is likely the principal threat to this population, ancedotal evidence suggests that ‘bush encroachment’, the widespread conversion of mixed woodland and savannah habitats to dense, Acacia‐dominated thickets, is another probable threat. A better understanding of cheetah habitat use, outside of protected areas, could be used to directly influence habitat management strategies and design local restoration and conflict mitigation efforts. To identify specific habitat characteristics associated with cheetah use, we used radio‐telemetry locations to identify areas used intensively by cheetahs on commercial Namibian farms. We then compared the habitat characteristics of these ‘high‐use’ areas with adjacent ‘low‐use’ areas. A binary logistic regression model correctly categorized 92% of plot locations as high or low use, and suggested that cheetahs may be utilizing ‘rewarding patches’ with better sighting visibility and greater grass cover. We discuss the possible reasons for kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, Namibian cheetahs' preferred prey, exhibiting significantly lower abundance in high‐use areas. Using habitat characteristics to identify areas intensively utilized by cheetahs has important implications for guiding future habitat restoration and developing effective predator conflict mitigation efforts.
Trends, dynamics and resilience of an Ethiopian wolf population
Authors: Marino J. , Sillero‐Zubiri C. , Macdonald D.W. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractFifteen years of monitoring in the Bale Mountains provide a valuable time series to better understand the dynamics of populations of the endangered Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis in the face of epizootics and increasing human pressure. Line‐transect counts in four study areas were used to identify trends in the local abundances of wolves, people, livestock and domestic dogs (a putative rabies reservoir). Estimates of wolf abundance were validated against total counts in prime wolf habitats, where two local populations decimated by rabies in the early 1990s had recovered fully by 2000. Growth appeared to be regulated by negative density dependence, but the rate of growth was unexpectedly low at reduced densities. Limitations to rapid growth, including an initial gap for which data were sparse, are discussed. In a poorer habitat, wolf abundance estimates were less reliable but indicated slight fluctuations without an overall trend. A local extinction was recorded in an area of marginal habitat. With this exception, trends in wolf abundances were unrelated to trends in the abundance of people, livestock or dogs. Rabies emerged as the main cause of decline for high‐density populations. The rapidly increasing livestock grazing pressure in Bale gives cause for concern, calling for further research on its impacts upon long‐term wolf survival.
Effect of human activities on the behaviour of breeding Spanish imperial eagles (Aquila adalberti): management implications for the conservation of a threatened species
Authors: González L. M. , Arroyo B. E. , Margalida A. , Sánchez R. , Oria J. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWe studied (14 500 h of field observations during 20 breeding attempts by 10 pairs) the effects of human activities on the behaviour of breeding Spanish imperial eagles. The probability that human activities around nest sites provoked a flight reaction varied significantly among territories and among types of activity, and increased when the distance between the activity and the nest site decreased, and increased when the number of people involved in each intrusion was higher. Pedestrian activities (mainly by hunters, campers and ecotourists) caused more flight reactions than vehicles. Overall, the probability of a reaction increased sharply when activities occurred at less than 450 m from the nest, but was negligible if they occurred at 800 m. Reaction probability was lower in territories with higher intrusion frequencies (which suggests that some habituation occurs), where the nest was not visible from the tracks, and in less ‘plain’ or ‘accessible’ territories. Hatching rate was affected negatively by the frequency of human activities. Our results suggest that the critical inner buffer zone around Spanish imperial eagle nests should be established at a minimum radius of 500 m, and the vulnerable zones at a minimum of 800 m, bearing in mind the physiography of the terrain and the visibility of the nests. Finally, in future studies of nest‐site selection with this species, it would be advisable to use a variable that quantifies (through field observations) human disturbance frequency.
Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation Type Ia: Searching for the Origin of Common Mutations in PMM2
Authors: Quelhas D. , Quental R. , Vilarinho L. , Amorim A. , Azevedo L. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryCongenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are a group of recessive genetic disorders characterized by hypoglycosylation of glycoproteins. CDG‐Ia, the most common type, is caused by mutations in the PMM2 gene, coding for a phosphomannomutase (PMM2; EC 5.4.2.8). The mutational spectrum of PMM2 comprises more than 80 different mutations but one of them, R141H, is particularly interesting due to its high frequency among CDG‐Ia patients worldwide. In contrast, other mutations are ethnically or geographically restricted, such as D65Y which is only found in patients of Iberian ancestry.In the present study a population genetic approach was used in an attempt to clarify the origins of two important disease causing mutations: R141H and D65Y. Based on SNP and STR genotypic analysis, we ascertained an association between the R141H substitution and a particular haplotype, suggesting a common origin for all the mutated chromosomes. Similar results were found for D65Y, although the associated haplotype was different from that of R141H, suggesting independent origins for these two mutations. Our results enable us to infer an Iberian origin for the D65Y mutation.
Association of a Common Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) Variant with Increased Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Authors: Demirci F. Y. K. , Manzi S. , Ramsey‐Goldman R. , Minster R. L. , Kenney M. , Shaw P. S. , Dunlop‐Thomas C. M. , Kao A. H. , Rhew E. , Bontempo F. , Kammerer C. , Kamboh M. I. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryInterferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) belongs to a family of transcription factors that control the transactivation of type I interferon system‐related genes, as well as the expression of several other genes involved in immune response, cell signalling, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Two recent studies reported a significant association between the IRF5/rs2004640 T allele and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the reported rs2004640 T allele association could be replicated in our independent SLE case‐control sample. We genotyped DNA samples from 370 white SLE‐affected female subjects and 462 white healthy female controls using the TaqMan Assay‐on‐Demand for rs2004640, and performed a case‐control genetic association analysis. Frequency of the rs2004640 T allele was significantly higher in cases than in controls (56.5% vs. 50%; P= 0.008). The odds ratio for T allele carriers was 1.68 (95% CI: 1.20 – 2.34; P= 0.003). Our results in an independent case‐control sample confirm the robust association of the IRF5/rs2004640 T allele with SLE risk, and further support the relevance of the type I interferon system in the pathogenesis of SLE and autoimmunity.
Localization of a Novel Autosomal Recessive Non‐syndromic Hearing Impairment Locus DFNB63 to Chromosome 11q13.3‐q13.4
Authors: Tlili A. , Masmoudi S. , Dhouib H. , Bouaziz S. , Rebeh I. Ben , Chouchen J. , Turki K. , Benzina Z. , Charfedine I. , Drira M. , Ayadi H. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryHereditary hearing impairment is the most genetically heterogeneous trait known in humans. So far, 50 published autosomal recessive non‐syndromic hearing impairment (ARNSHI) loci have been mapped, and 23 ARNSHI genes have been identified. Here, we report the mapping of a novel ARNSHI locus, DFNB63, to chromosome 11q13.3‐q13.4 in a large consanguineous Tunisian family. A maximum LOD score of 5.33 was obtained with microsatellite markers D11S916 and D11S4207. Haplotype analysis defined a 5.55 Mb critical region between microsatellite markers D11S4136 and D11S4081. DFNB63 represents the sixth ARNSHI locus mapped to chromosome 11. We positionally excluded MYO7A from being the DFNB63‐causative gene. In addition, the screening of two candidate genes, SHANK2 and KCNE3, failed to reveal any disease‐causing mutations.
Assessing mechanical function of the zygomatic region in macaques: validation and sensitivity testing of finite element models
Authors: Kupczik K. , Dobson C. A. , Fagan M. J. , Crompton R. H. , Oxnard C. E. , O’Higgins P. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractCrucial to the interpretation of the results of any finite element analysis of a skeletal system is a test of the validity of the results and an assessment of the sensitivity of the model parameters. We have therefore developed finite element models of two crania of Macaca fascicularis and investigated their sensitivity to variations in bone material properties, the zygomatico‐temporal suture and the loading regimen applied to the zygomatic arch. Maximum principal strains were validated against data derived from ex vivo strain gauge experiments using non‐physiological loads applied to the macaque zygomatic arch. Elastic properties of the zygomatic arch bone and the zygomatico‐temporal suture obtained by nanoindentation resulted in a high degree of congruence between experimental and simulated strains. The findings also indicated that the presence of a zygomatico‐temporal suture in the model produced strains more similar to experimental values than a completely separated or fused arch. Strains were distinctly higher when the load was applied through the modelled superficial masseter compared with loading an array of nodes on the arch. This study demonstrates the importance of the accurate selection of the material properties involved in predicting strains in a finite element model. Furthermore, our findings strongly highlight the influence of the presence of craniofacial sutures on strains experienced in the face. This has implications when investigating craniofacial growth and masticatory function but should generally be taken into account in functional analyses of the craniofacial system of both extant and extinct species.
Black bear femoral geometry and cortical porosity are not adversely affected by ageing despite annual periods of disuse (hibernation)
Authors: McGee Meghan E. , Miller Danielle L. , Auger Janene , Black Hal L. , Donahue Seth W. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractDisuse (i.e. inactivity) causes bone loss, and a recovery period that is 2–3 times longer than the inactive period is usually required to recover lost bone. However, black bears experience annual disuse (hibernation) and remobilization periods that are approximately equal in length, yet bears maintain or increase cortical bone material properties and whole bone mechanical properties with age. In this study, we investigated the architectural properties of bear femurs to determine whether cortical structure is preserved with age in bears. We showed that cross‐sectional geometric properties increase with age, but porosity and resorption cavity density do not change with age in skeletally immature male and female bears. These findings suggest that structural properties substantially contribute to increasing whole bone strength with age in bears, particularly during skeletal maturation. Porosity was not different between skeletally immature and mature bears, and showed minimal regional variations between anatomical quadrants and radial positions that were similar in pattern and magnitude between skeletally immature and mature bears. We also found gender dimorphisms in bear cortical bone properties: females have smaller, less porous bones than males. Our results provide further support for the idea that black bears possess a biological mechanism to prevent disuse osteoporosis.
The Magpie Trial: a randomised trial comparing magnesium sulphate with placebo for pre‐eclampsia. Outcome for children at 18 months
Authors:   Magpie Trial Follow‐Up Study Collaborative Group
Published: December 2006

Objective  To assess the long‐term effects of in utero exposure to magnesium sulphate for children whose mothers had pre‐eclampsia.Design  Assessment at 18 months of age for children whose mothers were recruited to the Magpie Trial (recruitment 1998–2001 ISRCTN 86938761), which compared magnesium sulphate with placebo.Setting  Follow‐up of children born at 125 centres in 19 countries across five continents.Population  A total of 6922 children were born to women randomised before delivery at follow‐up centres. Of these, 2271 were not included for logistic reasons and 168 were excluded (101 at a centre where <20% were contacted, 40 whose death or disability was due to a problem at conception or embryogenesis and 27 whose parent/s opted out). Therefore, 4483 children were included in follow‐up, of whom 3283 (73%) were contacted.Methods  Assessment by questionnaire, with interview and neurodevelopmental testing of selected children.Main outcome measures  Death or neurosensory disability at age of 18 months.Results  Of those allocated magnesium sulphate, 245/1635 (15.0%) were dead or had neurosensory disability at 18 months compared with 233/1648 (14.1%) allocated placebo (relative risk [RR] 1.06, 95% CI 0.90–1.25), and of survivors, 19/1409 (1.3%) had neurosensory disability at 18 months compared with 27/1442 (1.9%) (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.40–1.29). There were no substantial differences in causes of death or in the risk of individual impairments or disabilities.Conclusions  The lower risk of eclampsia following prophylaxis with magnesium sulphate was not associated with a clear difference in the risk of death or disability for children at 18 months.