bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a behaviour graded activity program versus conventional exercise for chronic neck pain patients
Authors: Vonk Frieke , Verhagen Arianne P. , Twisk Jos W. , Köke Albère J.A. , Luiten Marlies W.C.T. , Koes Bart W. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTChronic neck pain is a common complaint in the Netherlands with a point prevalence of 14.3%. Patients with chronic neck pain are often referred to physiotherapy and, nowadays, are mostly treated with exercise therapy. It is, however, unclear which type of exercise therapy is to be preferred. Therefore, this study evaluates the effectiveness of behaviour graded activity (BGA) compared with conventional exercise (CE) for patients with chronic neck pain.Eligible patients with non‐specific chronic neck were randomly allocated to either BGA or CE. Primary treatment outcome is the patient's global perceived effect concerning recovery from complaint and daily functioning. Outcome assessment was performed at baseline, and at 4, 9, 26, and 52 weeks after randomization. Effectiveness was examined with general estimating equations analyses.Baseline demographics and patient characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. Mean age was 45.7 (SD 12.4) years and the median duration of complaints was 60 months. The mean number of treatments was 6.6 (SD 3.0) in BGA and 11.2 (SD 4.1) in CE. No significant differences between treatments were found in their effectiveness of managing patients with chronic neck pain. In both BGA and CE some patients reported recovery from complaints and daily function but the proportion of recovered patients did not exceed 50% during the 12‐month follow‐up period. Both groups showed clinically relevant improvements in physical secondary outcomes. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number: ISRCTN88733332.
Epigenetic regulation of human buccal mucosa mitochondrial superoxide dismutase gene expression by diet
Authors: Thaler Roman , Karlic Heidrun , Rust Petra , Haslberger Alexander G. 
Published: August 2008

The impact of nutrition on the epigenetic machinery has increasingly attracted interest. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effects of various diets on methylation and gene expression. The antioxidative enzyme mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was chosen as the model system because epigenetic regulation has been previously shown in cell lines for this gene. Promoter methylation and gene expression of MnSOD in buccal swabs from three sample groups were analysed. The three groups included: (1) forty vegetarians (aged 20–30 years); (2) age-matched omnivores; (3) elderly omnivores (aged>85 years). A 3-fold increase in the expression of the MnSOD gene was associated with decreased CpG methylation of the analysed promoter region in the vegetarian group compared with the age-matched omnivores group. Expression and promoter methylation of the MnSOD gene in elderly omnivores showed no significant differences compared with younger omnivores. In accordance with previous findings in various tissues, DNA global methylation was found to be significantly higher (30 %) in buccal swabs of younger subjects (independent of the diet), than in those of elderly omnivores. In the control experiment which was designed to verify the findings of the human buccal swab studies, the Caco-2 cell line was treated with zebularine. Results of the control study showed a 6-fold increase of MnSOD expression, an approximately 40 % decreased methylation of specified CpG in the MnSOD promoter and a 50 % reduction of global DNA methylation. These results indicate that diet affects the epigenetic regulation of human MnSOD.
Farming systems methodology for efficient resource management at the farm level: a review from an Indian perspective
Authors: BEHERA U. K. , YATES C. M. , KEBREAB E. , FRANCE J. 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYFarming systems research is a multi-disciplinary holistic approach to solve the problems of small farms. Small and marginal farmers are the core of the Indian rural economy constituting 0·80 of the total farming community but possessing only 0·36 of the total operational land. The declining trend of per capita land availability poses a serious challenge to the sustainability and profitability of farming. Under such conditions, it is appropriate to integrate land-based enterprises such as dairy, fishery, poultry, duckery, apiary, field and horticultural cropping within the farm, with the objective of generating adequate income and employment for these small and marginal farmers under a set of farm constraints and varying levels of resource availability and opportunity. The integration of different farm enterprises can be achieved with the help of a linear programming model. For the current review, integrated farming systems models were developed, by way of illustration, for the marginal, small, medium and large farms of eastern India using linear programming. Risk analyses were carried out for different levels of income and enterprise combinations. The fishery enterprise was shown to be less risk-prone whereas the crop enterprise involved greater risk. In general, the degree of risk increased with the increasing level of income. With increase in farm income and risk level, the resource use efficiency increased. Medium and large farms proved to be more profitable than small and marginal farms with higher level of resource use efficiency and return per Indian rupee (Rs) invested. Among the different enterprises of integrated farming systems, a chain of interaction and resource flow was observed. In order to make farming profitable and improve resource use efficiency at the farm level, the synergy among interacting components of farming systems should be exploited. In the process of technology generation, transfer and other developmental efforts at the farm level (contrary to the discipline and commodity-based approaches which have a tendency to be piecemeal and in isolation), it is desirable to place a whole-farm scenario before the farmers to enhance their farm income, thereby motivating them towards more efficient and sustainable farming.
An evaluation of resource partitioning between two billfish, Tetrapturus belone and Xiphias gladius, in the central Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Romeo Teresa , Consoli Pierpaolo , Castriota Luca , Andaloro Franco 
Published: August 2008

The present study attempts to give information on the resource partitioning between the Mediterranean spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) and the swordfish (Xiphias gladius). The contents of 53 T. belone and 95 X. gladius non-empty stomachs were analysed from specimens caught in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina), from 2004 to 2006, by the harpoon fishery. Daily catches (expressed as number of fish) showed the contemporary occurrence of both species in the studied area then allowing direct comparison of diets. Epipelagic fish were the dominant prey (%IRI = 99.1) of T. belone. Eight families were identified among them, with the dominance of Belonidae and Clupeidae, which represented 40.9% and 36.8%, respectively, of the total preyed items in terms of %IRI and were mostly composed of Sardinella aurita and Belone belone.Xiphias gladius preyed mainly on teleosts and cephalopods, which represented 59% and 39.1%, respectively, of the total preyed items in terms of %IRI. Eleven teleost and five cephalopod families were recognized among them with the dominance of Trichiuridae (IRI% = 30.5) and Ommastrephidae (IRI% = 27.6). The first was represented only by Lepidopus caudatus (IRI% = 30.5), while the latter by the squid Todarodes sagittatus (IRI% = 21.1) and Illex coindettii (IRI% = 6.5). Results of a multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that the dietary compositions differed significantly between swordfish and spearfish. Diet overlap analysed with the Schoener and Horn indices showed low values (0.23 and 0.21 for the two indices) underlining a food partitioning that prevents competitive exclusion. Our results highlight a feeding strategy that is more related to the habitat of the species than to the food availability. In fact, migration patterns of the two predators are quite different. Swordfish show vertical migrations from 0 to 800 m while spearfish are characterized by limited migrations, ranging between 0 and 200 m depths. The observation of specific prey items in the stomach content of both billfish confirmed the bathymetric range of their migrations.
When successful conservation breeds conflict: an economic perspective on wild goose management
Authors: MacMillan Douglas C. , Leader-Williams Nigel 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWild bird conservation in the UK is a widely regarded as a success story. The populations of many endangered species have grown or at least stabilised, birds that were last seen in the UK over 100 years ago have been successfully re-introduced, and bird watching makes an increasingly important contribution to the rural economy in terms of employment and income. Nevertheless, some wild birds also generate costs and some deep rooted conflicts persist with other rural activities such as farming and game shooting. This paper describes a conceptual framework for understanding the costs and benefits of wild birds and, using wild goose conservation in the island of Islay as a case study, explores whether continued public investment in wild goose conservation is worthwhile from an economic perspective. The paper concludes with a discussion about future options for integrating wild bird conservation with sustainable rural development.
Estimating bird abundance: making methods work
Authors: Buckland Stephen T. , Marsden Stuart J. , Green Rhys E. 
Published: August 2008

SummaryIn many bird monitoring surveys, no attempt is made to estimate bird densities or abundance. Instead, counts of one form or another are made, and these are assumed to correlate with bird density. Unless complete counts on sample plots are feasible, this approach can easily lead to false conclusions, because detectability of birds varies by species, habitat, observer and many other factors. Trends in time of counts often reflect trends in detectability, rather than trends in abundance. Conclusions are further compromised when surveys are conducted at unrepresentative sites. We consider how to avoid these problems. We give a brief description of distance sampling methods, which allow detectability to be estimated. We consider strategies to ease their implementation, to enhance their reliability, to adapt the methods for difficult species, and to deal with circumstances in which representative sampling is problematic. We also consider some of the common problems encountered, and suggest solutions.
The role of science and advocacy in the conservation of Southern Ocean albatrosses at sea
Authors: Croxall John P. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractMortality of albatrosses (and petrels) as bycatch in longline fisheries is one of the most important and pervasive sources of mortality for many species and is often closely linked to observed population declines. In the area of the Southern Ocean managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which includes the waters around South Georgia, Prince Edward Islands, Iles Crozet and Kerguelen (the most important sub-Antarctic breeding sites for many albatross - and petrel - species), such bycatch was reduced to negligible levels (in demographic terms) over the last decade. The process by which this was achieved, in terms of data, policy and practice, together with an assessment of the main drivers and obstacles, is described. The extent to which the CCAMLR example is a model for other Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) (and even for states with jurisdiction in relevant coastal waters) is assessed. Some current actions and priorities for further action in relation to seabird bycatch are summarised.
The generation and use of bird population indicators in Europe
Authors: Gregory Richard D. , Vořišek Petr , Noble David G. , Van Strien Arco , Klvaňová Alena , Eaton Mark , Gmelig Meyling Adriaan W. , Joys Andrew , Foppen Ruud P. B. , Burfield Ian J. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractGlobal and regional targets to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss bring with them the need to measure the state of nature and how it is changing. A number of different biodiversity indicators have been developed in response and here we consider bird population indicators in Europe. Birds are often used as surrogates for other elements of biodiversity because they are so well known and well studied, and not for their unique intrinsic value as environmental indicators. Yet, in certain situations and at particular scales, trends in bird populations correlate with those of other taxa making them a valuable biodiversity indicator with appropriate caveats. In this paper, we look at two case studies, in the UK and Europe as a whole, where headline bird indicators, that is, summary statistics based on bird population trends, have been developed and used to inform and assist policy makers. Wild bird indicators have been adopted by many European countries and by the European Union as indicators of biodiversity and of sustainable development. In the discussion, we review the strengths and weaknesses of using bird populations in this way, and look forward to how this work might be developed and expanded.
Red List Indices to measure the sustainability of species use and impacts of invasive alien species
Authors: Butchart Stuart H. M. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractAfter habitat loss and degradation, the leading threats to biodiversity are over-exploitation and invasive alien species. For birds, newly synthesised data using the standard classification schemes for utilisation and threat types for the IUCN Red List allow novel analyses on the importance of these threats and permit the calculation of Red List Indices (RLIs) to show trends in the status of birds driven by these factors. At least 45.7% of extant bird species (4,561 species) are used by humans, principally for pets (37.0%) and for hunting for food (14.2%), but other uses include sport hunting, ornamentation and traditional medicine. Much of this use drives trade at an international scale, involving at least 3,337 species (33.9%, substantially higher than previous estimates), mostly for the pet trade. RLIs show that although successful control and management of use and trade have led to some species improving in status, this has been outweighed by the number of species deteriorating in status owing to unsustainable exploitation. Overall, the RLI showing trends in extinction risk driven by issues related to use shows a negative slope: human use of birds is currently unsustainable. Similarly, and of relevance to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the RLI for internationally traded bird species showing trends in extinction risk driven by issues related to international trade is also declining: international trade remains a threat to the world's birds. Invasive species impact at least one third of the world's threatened bird species (398 species, 32.6%), with mammals being the most important (impacting 81.1%), particularly through predation by carnivores and rodents. The RLI illustrating impacts of invasive species shows that they are driving a deterioration in the status of the world's birds. RLIs for the impacts of use and invasive species will be important indicators to help track progress towards the target of significantly reducing biodiversity loss by 2010.
Using endogenous and exogenous markers in bird conservation
Authors: Hobson Keith A. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractUnderstanding how avian populations are structured spatially and temporally is fundamental to their effective conservation. Protecting migratory species in one jurisdiction or period of the annual cycle may be ineffective if they periodically move to areas where they are not protected or are exposed to factors that limit populations or cause their decline. Unfortunately, for most species, our understanding of connectivity between breeding, wintering or stopover sites during the annual cycle are poorly understood and there is an urgent need to define such connections in order to achieve more effective conservation. This paper provides an overview of the methods used to mark individuals in order to track their movements. Passive exogenous markers such as numbered rings or bands are typically ineffective for most avian species. Active exogenous markers such as satellite tags have provided significant breakthroughs but are still prohibitive financially and still cannot be applied to species under 200g. Endogenous markers such as DNA markers, trace elements and stable isotopes show significant promise as a means of moving forward the field of animal tracking. The advantage of these endogenous approaches is that they depend only on sampling a population once and so are not biased by limitations of mark-recapture methods. Nonetheless, all methods have disadvantages and the path ahead must consider multiple approaches to tracking avian populations.
Bird atlases – how useful are they for conservation?
Authors: Pomeroy Derek , Tushabe Herbert , Cowser Richard 
Published: August 2008

AbstractIn this paper, we argue that bird atlases, and the databases from which they are produced, are becoming increasingly valuable resources – but only in some parts of the world. There is a striking lack of atlases for almost all of the world's species-rich areas, most notably tropical America and tropical Asia. Yet even comparatively modest data sets (we take Uganda as an example) can be used to create an atlas. Further, their data can yield interesting information with clear value for conservation planning. For instance, we can see that Uganda's main savanna parks are quite well-placed in relation to raptor species richness, whilst other species of conservation concern are less well covered. In contrast, the fine-scale data-rich atlas projects in many American and European countries provide detailed information of great value. Taking examples from England, we show some of their uses in planning both for physical developments and for conservation. Repeating atlas projects after an interval of several years highlights changing distributions and, increasingly, changing levels of abundance. We believe that every encouragement should be given to new (and repeat) atlasing projects - but most especially in the tropics.
Automated sound recording and analysis techniques for bird surveys and conservation
Authors: Scott Brandes T. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThere is a great need for increased use and further development of automated sound recording and analysis of avian sounds. Birds are critical to ecosystem functioning so techniques to make avian monitoring more efficient and accurate will greatly benefit science and conservation efforts. We provide an overview of the hardware approaches to automated sound recording as well as an overview of the prominent techniques used in software to automatically detect and classify avian sound. We provide a comparative summary of examples of three general categories of hardware solutions for automating sound recording which include a hardware interface for a scheduling timer to control a standalone commercial recorder, a programmable recording device, and a single board computer. We also describe examples of the two main approaches to improving microphone performance for automated recorders through small arrays of microphone elements and using waveguides. For the purposes of thinking about automated sound analysis, we suggest five basic sound fragment types of avian sound and discuss a variety of techniques to automatically detect and classify avian sounds to species level, as well as their limitations. A variety of the features to measure for the various call types are provided, along with a variety of classification methods for those features. They are discussed in context of general performance as well as the monitoring and conservation efforts they are used in.
The Ethnogenesis of the Crimean Tatars. An Historical Reinterpretation
Authors: Williams Brian Glyn 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWith the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe the west has been confronted with the existence of several, little-understood Muslim ethnic groups in this region whose contested histories can be traced back to the Ottoman period and beyond. Previously overlooked Muslim ethnies, such as the Bulgarian Turks, Bosniaks, Pomaks, Kosovars, Chechens, and Crimean Tatars, have begun to receive considerable attention from both western scholars and the general public. Much of the interest revolves around the question of the identity of these Muslim communities and the history of their formation as distinct ethnic groups. The history of the formation of these groups has in many cases been contested terrain as Bulgarian authorities, for example, attempted in the 1980s to prove that the Bulgarian Turks were actually “Turkified Bulgarians”, as the Greek government sought to demonstrate that the Pomaks (Slavic Muslims) were actually Islamicized Greeks, and as Bosniaks were labelled “Turks” by their Serbian nationalist foes in spite of their Slavic background.
Returning to Europa: can traces of surficial life be detected?
Authors: Chela-Flores J. , Kumar N. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThere is at present a possibility for returning to Europa with LAPLACE, a mission to Europa and the Jupiter System for European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision Programme. The question of habitability by the identification of reliable bio-indicators is a major priority. We explain the options for approaching the question of selecting the right instrumentation for measuring the more abundant sulphur isotope, in spite of the fact that32S is isobaric (samem/z) with16O2. Two technologies are available for investigating the possible biogenicity of the surficial sulphur on the icy patches discovered by the Galileo mission. We argue that there is a need to use higher-order statistics in the data that are to be gathered with the instruments chosen for the payload (ion-traps for orbital measurements, or penetrators for surficial measurements). In particular, we argue in favour of data analysis taken from an orbital spacecraft that addresses fluctuations of the data retrieved, rather than the mean. For this purpose, we reconsider the significance of deviations of sulphur abundances relative to normal (meteoritic) values. In the present work, we consider the experimentally testable possibility of biogenically driven isotopic anomalies in the light of statistical data analysis. The fluctuation test that is being proposed in the context of future missions to Europa may well be appropriate to a laboratory experiment with sulphur-reducing bacteria with the corresponding isotopic fractionation.