bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating historical observations alters projections of eastern North American spruce–fir habitat under climate change
Authors: Andrews Caitlin , Foster Jane R. , Weiskittel Aaron , D'Amato Anthony W. , Simons‐Legaard Erin 
Published: April 2022

AbstractSpruce–fir (Picea–Abies) forests of the North American Acadian Forest Region are at risk of disappearing from the northeastern United States and Canada due to climate change. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been used to predict changes in this critical transitional ecosystem in the past, but none have addressed how seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation interact to influence tree species abundance. Inferences have also been limited by contemporary inventory data that could not fully characterize species ranges because they either, (1) only sampled species occurrence after large‐scale human disturbance and settlement, or (2) did not span critical geopolitical boundaries (e.g., the US–Canadian border) that intersect the focal species' range(s). Here, we built new SDM models to better assess the bioclimatic distribution of four spruce–fir species and to test the importance of seasonal climate interactions. We compiled an extensive database of tree occurrence and abundance from recent (~1955–2012) and historical time periods (1623–1869) to model current species distributions and to predict how these might change under future climate. We found that including historical tree data in our SDMs revealed previously unrecognized suitable habitat along the southern edge of species' contemporary ranges. Random forest models predicted occurrence with high accuracy (area under receiver operator curve >0.98), and the seasonal climate variables that emerged as most important for these cold‐adapted species all included interactions that reflected sensitivity to colder temperatures, and preferences for wet weather concentrated in the winter months. Under moderate climate warming (representative concentration pathway 6.0), the northeastern United States retained additional suitable habitat when historical data were included through 2060 for three of the four species: red spruce (Picea rubens), black spruce (Picea mariana), and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), while white spruce (Picea glauca) habitat contracted into Canada. In contrast, future predictions from models that used contemporary data alone forecast extirpation for all four species from the northeastern United States. Overall, these findings highlight that prediction of species ranges in transitional ecosystems that span geopolitical boundaries and gradients of intense land use are improved when historical data and seasonal climate interactions of both temperature and precipitation variables are incorporated.
Long‐term ecological research and the COVID‐19 anthropause: A window to understanding social–ecological disturbance
Authors: Gaiser Evelyn E. , Kominoski John S. , McKnight Diane M. , Bahlai Christie A. , Cheng Chingwen , Record Sydne , Wollheim Wilfred M. , Christianson Kyle R. , Downs Martha R. , Hawman Peter A. , Holbrook Sally J. , Kumar Abhishek , Mishra Deepak R. , Molotch Noah P. , Primack Richard B. , Rassweiler Andrew , Schmitt Russell J. , Sutter Lori A. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe period of disrupted human activity caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, coined the “anthropause,” altered the nature of interactions between humans and ecosystems. It is uncertain how the anthropause has changed ecosystem states, functions, and feedback to human systems through shifts in ecosystem services. Here, we used an existing disturbance framework to propose new investigation pathways for coordinated studies of distributed, long‐term social‐ecological research to capture effects of the anthropause. Although it is still too early to comprehensively evaluate effects due to pandemic‐related delays in data availability and ecological response lags, we detail three case studies that show how long‐term data can be used to document and interpret changes in air and water quality and wildlife populations and behavior coinciding with the anthropause. These early findings may guide interpretations of effects of the anthropause as it interacts with other ongoing environmental changes in the future, particularly highlighting the importance of long‐term data in separating disturbance impacts from natural variation and long‐term trends. Effects of this global disturbance have local to global effects on ecosystems with feedback to social systems that may be detectable at spatial scales captured by nationally to globally distributed research networks.
Seed size of co‐occurring forb species predicts rates of predispersal seed loss from insects
Authors: Palmer Jakob B. , Hahn Philip G. , Metcalf Elizabeth C. , Maron John L. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPlants often face chronic seed loss from predispersal seed predation by insects. Although many studies have documented the rates of seed loss for single species in different communities, it is unclear how rates of predispersal seed predation vary among co‐occurring species within the same community. If interspecific asymmetries in seed loss are great, this common interaction could have important implications for coexistence. Species traits, such as seed size or seed nitrogen and carbon, might correlate with interspecific variation in predispersal seed predation among co‐occurring grassland forb species. We collected infructescences from 13 co‐occurring forb species from each of four western Montana grasslands over 2 years. We quantified the magnitude of seed loss due to predispersal seed predation by insects. The average level of seed loss was 15.8%. Larger seeded species suffered significantly higher levels of predispersal seed predation than smaller seeded species, and seed size predicted seed loss more than seed nitrogen or carbon. Although large‐seeded species often have greater proportional recruitment and early survival than small‐seeded species, our study suggests that these advantages are partially counterbalanced by greater predispersal seed loss for larger versus smaller seeded species. Asymmetries in predispersal seed predation may importantly affect coexistence among these species.
Effect of systemic corticosteroid therapy for acute heart failure patients with elevated C‐reactive protein
Authors: Miró Òscar , Takagi Koji , Davison Beth A. , Edwards Christopher , Freund Yonathan , Jacob Javier , Llorens Pere , Mebazaa Alexandre , Cotter Gad 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAimsThe current study explores whether degree of inflammation, reflected by C‐reactive protein (CRP) level, modifies the effect of intravenous (IV) corticosteroid administered in the emergency department (ED) on clinical outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF).Methods and resultsWe selected patients diagnosed with AHF in the ED, with confirmed N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide > 300 pg/mL and CRP > 5 mg/L in the ED from the Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Departments (EAHFE) registry. In these 1109 patients, 121 were treated by corticosteroid. The corticosteroid therapy hazard ratio (HR) for 30 day all‐cause mortality was 1.26 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75–2.09, P = 0.38]. Although not statistically significant, HRs tended to decrease with increasing CRP level, with point estimates favouring corticosteroid at CRP levels above 20. In patients with CRP > 40 mg/L, with adjusted HRs of 0.56 (95% CI 0.20–1.55, P = 0.27) for 30 day all‐cause mortality, 0.92 (95% CI 0.52–1.62, P = 0.78) for 30 day post‐discharge ED revisit, hospitalization, or death, and adjusted odds ratio of 0.61 (95% CI 0.17–2.14, P = 0.44) for in‐hospital all‐cause mortality.ConclusionsThe present analysis suggests that corticosteroids might have the potential to improve outcomes in AHF patients with inflammatory activation. Larger, prospective studies of anti‐inflammatory therapy should be considered to assess potential benefit in patients with the highest degree of inflammation.
Synthesis of 1,2‐Disubstituted Benzimidazoles via Acceptorless Dehydrogenative Coupling Using Ru(II)‐Arene Catalysts Containing Ferrocene Thiosemicarbazone
Authors: Ravindran N E Aswathi , Sindhuja Dharmalingam , Bhuvanesh Nattamai , Karvembu Ramasamy 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe catalytic activity of Ru(II)‐arene complexes containing ferrocene thiosemicarbazone (Fc‐TSC) ligands was investigated towards the selective synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles via acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of diamines with primary alcohols. A series of Ru(II)‐p‐cymene complexes (1–4) containing Fc‐TSC ligands (L1–L4) were synthesized and characterized. From single crystal X‐ray crystallographic studies, the molecular structures of L3 and 4 were confirmed. The influence of electronic effect of ligands on the catalytic activity of their complexes was studied. The activity of good performer i. e. 4 was compared with that of its benzene counterpart (5). The catalysis was extended to aromatic, aliphatic and heterocyclic substituted primary alcohols, and phenylenediamines with electron‐donating or ‐withdrawing substituents. Overall, synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles was accomplished with good to moderate yields, with hydrogen and water as only by‐products.
Influence of Minor Oil Components on Sunflower, Rice Bran, Candelilla, and Beeswax Oleogels
Authors: Scharfe Maria , Niksch Jonas , Flöter Eckhard 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe impact of the solvent composition on wax oleogels is addressed by (1) increasing polar components (PC) in sunflower and canola oil through thermal treatment and (2) removing minor components from untreated oils by column chromatography. Subsequently, oleogels are produced at 0.05 and 10 °C min−1 using 4% or 10% w/w of either sunflower, rice bran, candelilla, or beeswax. Oleogels firmness, break‐up behavior during amplitude sweeps, and gelation and dissolution are studied using penetration tests, rheology, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Moreover, the crystal morphology of 4% w/w samples, gelled at 10 and 0.05 °C min−1, is studied using bright field microscopy. Distinct effects caused by the presence or absence of PCs on the characteristics mentioned above are observed, depending on the wax type. The formation of highly ordered wax crystal structures is favored in oils without PCs and low cooling rates. Data on gel formation and dissolution reveal a decrease in wax solubility in the absence of PCs. In contrast, the critical gelation concentration (CGC) decreases when PCs are present, independent of their concentration, indicating that PCs aid network formation. Moreover, the break‐up behavior during oscillatory stress is significantly different, leading to more network fragments and higher energy dissipation with increasing strain.Practical applications: It is found that the oil composition, in particular, the fatty acid composition of TAGs and dissolved minor polar oil components, profoundly affect wax oleogel properties. Although not all mechanisms leading to these changes can be unraveled within this study, a fundamental understanding of solvent composition's role on oleogel formation, dissolution, and network properties is vital in the light of product applications. Moreover, trustworthy and comparable oleogel research can only be achieved if the impact of solvent composition is considered in experiments. That way, the capability of oleogels for industrial applications might be maximized. For that, a detailed characterization of oil quality, particularly the fatty acid composition and presence of minor polar components, is required to conduct reliable scientific work in oleogel research.
Riparian shading mitigates warming but cannot revert thermal alteration by impoundments in lowland rivers
Authors: Marteau Baptiste , Piégay Hervé , Chandesris André , Michel Kristell , Vaudor Lise 
Published: April 2022

AbstractGiven the actual trajectory of greenhouse gases emissions, in situ actions are needed to limit rivers water warming. Riparian tree planting has been shown as a successful mitigation strategy, but most studies have been conducted on upland forested rivers. The hydraulic, geomorphic and thermal conditions of lowland rivers, subject to straightening and fragmentation, are very different from upland systems. In this study, the role of riparian cover relative to the presence of weirs was investigated in lowland slow‐flowing rivers within the agricultural context of the Bresse region, France. Using airborne thermal infrared (TIR) imaging, nine reaches of 20 to 30 km each were mapped to quantify water temperature, riparian vegetation and assess weir location. Campaigns were carried out during the hot summer 2018. Results have comforted that riparian vegetation is capable of limiting increase in temperature during warm events by 2 to 3°C, but with varying success depending on the rivers' thermal regimes. Rivers with a ‘colder’ regime (i.e., ground/karstwater‐fed) are thermally less influenced by riparian vegetation but also more resilient to the presence of weirs. Rivers with the highest degree of thermal alteration showed the highest positive response to riparian shading. Riparian vegetation prevents stagnant water from extreme warming but does not prevent alteration of the thermal regime, for example thermal stratification, likely to occur on a daily basis and to large extents (> 80%) during warm and low‐flow events in impounded rivers. Thermal conditions were sub‐optimal for most fish species that could be expected in these streams. Although the direct relation with thermal alteration is not proved, hydrobiological scores of flow alteration are correlated with our metric of thermo‐physical alteration. Management strategies to limit temperature increase should carefully consider restoring the thermal regime of rivers through weir removal when it is possible, combined with riparian tree planting as an additional mitigation measure.
Differential Effects of Atrazine on Chlorophyceae Species and Association with Morphology, Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll Content, and Glutathione-S-Transferase Activity
Authors: Castro Muryllo Santos , Silva Jaqueline Carmo , Machado Bruno Roswag , Guimarães Pablo Santos , Lombardi Ana Teresa , Martins Camila De Martinez Gaspar , Zanette Juliano 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Atrazine is a herbicide widely used in the control of weeds in crops such as corn, sugar cane, and sorghum. It is often found in aquatic environments, where it can potentially endanger nontarget organisms such as microalgae. The present study evaluated atrazine toxicity to seven different species of Chlorophyceae and the tolerance of the species to the herbicide was related to morphological, photosynthetic, chlorophyll-a content and the activity of the glutathione-S-transferase enzyme (GST). The comparison of median effect concentration (EC50) values for growth inhibition indicates higher toxicity of atrazine for Pseudopediastrum boryanum and Desmodesmus communis, intermediate toxicity for Ankistrodesmus densus, Chlamydomonas puliminiorfes, and Raphidocelis subcapitata, and lower toxicity for Kirchneriella lunaris and Ankistrodesmus falcatus (EC50: 38, 42, 66, 103, 248, 1004, and 1585 µg L−1 atrazine, respectively). Principal component analysis (PCA) with algal characteristics suggested that the atrazine-sensitive algae P. boryanum and D. communis were positively associated with photosynthetic levels and negatively associated with GST activity and chlorophyll-a concentration. The PCA also suggested that the atrazine-tolerant algae A. falcatus and K. lunaris were positively associated with morphological parameters, where the larger the cell size, the more tolerant. Although it is difficult to associate a single characteristic of algae as the key factor determining the tolerance to atrazine, results presented in this work indicate that the cell area, the photosynthetic parameters (mainly saturating irradiance), chlorophyll-a content, and the biotransformation by GST in combination may be potential predictors for the differential tolerance of Chlorophyceae species to the herbicide. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1675–1685. © 2022 SETAC
Abstract
Chlorophyceae species have different levels of tolerance to the herbicide atrazine. The morphology, photosynthesis, chlorophyll-a content and activity of the glutathione-S-transferase enzyme may influence this tolerance.
Interlaboratory Comparison of a Biomimetic Extraction Method Applied to Oil Sands Process–Affected Waters
Authors: Letinski Daniel J. , Bekele Asfaw , Connelly Martin J. 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Biomimetic extraction using solid-phase microextraction is a passive sampling analytical method that can predict the aquatic toxicity of complex petroleum substances. The method provides a nonanimal alternative to traditional bioassays with the potential to reduce both vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic toxicity testing. The technique uses commercially available polydimethylsiloxane-coated fibers that, following nondepletive extraction of water samples, are injected into a gas chromatograph with flame ionization detection. As the predictive nature of the method is operationally defined, it is critical that its application be harmonized with regard to extraction, analysis, and standardization parameters. Results are presented from a round robin program comparing the results from 10 laboratories analyzing four different sample sets of dissolved organics in water. Samples included two incurred oil sands process–affected waters and a cracked gas oil water accommodated fraction. A fourth sample of cracked gas oil blended in an oil sands process–affected water was analyzed to demonstrate the method's ability to differentiate between neutral and ionizable dissolved hydrocarbons. Six of the 10 laboratories applied an automated version of the method using a robotic autosampler where the critical extraction steps are precisely controlled and which permits batch screening of water samples for aquatic toxicity potential. The remaining four laboratories performed the solid-phase microextraction manually. The automated method demonstrated good reproducibility with between-laboratory variability across the six laboratories and four samples yielding a mean relative standard deviation of 14%. The corresponding between-laboratory variability across the four laboratories applying the manual extraction was 53%, demonstrating the importance of precisely controlling the extraction procedure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1613–1622. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
The impact of COVID‐19 on the interdependence between US and Chinese oil futures markets
Authors: Zhang Yongmin , Ding Shusheng , Shi Haili 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe oil futures market plays a vital role in the global financial system, especially after the negative future oil price rose during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This paper investigates the COVID‐19 impact on the interdependence between the US and Chinese oil futures markets by extending the dynamic conditional correlation‐generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (DCC‐GARCH) models with incorporating COVID‐19 variables and by applying vector autoregression (VAR) models. Our study reveals that the COVID‐19 pandemic enhanced the long‐run correlation between the two oil markets. In contrast, daily changes in pandemic severity had a negative effect on the short‐term transient correlation. Our results show that COVID‐19 changed the one‐direction causality from the US oil market to the Chinese market in the pre‐COVID period to a bidirectional causal relation between the two markets during the COVID period. It strengthened the volatility spillover effect from the Chinese to US markets. These findings are helpful to regulars' monitoring oil supply chain risk and investors' cross‐market hedging of spillover risks from a systematic risk perspective.
Uncovering variable neoplasms between ATM protein‐truncating and common missense variants using 394 694 UK Biobank exomes
Authors: Jiang Xiao , O'Neill Amanda , Smith Katherine R. , Lai Zhongwu , Carss Keren , Wang Quanli , Petrovski Slavé 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAs an essential regulator of DNA damage, ataxia‐telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene has been widely studied in oncology. However, the independent effects of ATM missense variants and protein‐truncating variants (PTVs) on neoplasms have not been heavily studied. Whole‐exome sequencing data and the clinical health records of 394,694 UK Biobank European participants were used in this analysis. We mined genetic associations from gene‐level and variant‐level phenome‐wide association studies, and conducted a variant‐level conditional association study to test whether the effects of ATM missense variants on neoplasms were independent of ATM PTV carrier status. The gene‐level PTV collapsing analysis was consistent with established ATM PTV literature showing that the aggregated impact of 286 ATM PTVs significantly (p < 2 × 10−9) associated with 31 malignant neoplasm phenotypes. Of 773 distinct protein‐coding variants in ATM, three individual missense variants significantly (p < 2 × 10−9) associated with nine phenotypes. Remarkably, although the nine phenotypes were tumor‐related, none overlapped the established ATM PTV‐linked malignancies. A subsequent conditional analysis identified that the missense signals were acting independently of the known clinically relevant ATM PTVs.
Shapes of subcortical structures in adolescents with and without familial history of substance use disorder
Authors: Wang Zhishun , Rodriguez‐Moreno Diana V. , Cycowicz Yael M. , Amsel Lawrence V. , Cheslack‐Postava Keely , He Xiaofu , Ryan Megan , Geronazzo‐Alman Lupo , Musa George J. , Bisaga Adam , Hoven Christina W. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIt has been suggested that intergenerational transmission of risk for substance use disorder (SUD) manifests in the brain anatomy of substance naïve adolescents. While volume and shapes of subcortical structures (SSS) have been shown to be heritable, these structures, especially the pallidum, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus, have also been associated with substance use disorders. However, it is not clear if those anatomical differences precede substance use or are the result of that use. Therefore, we examined if volume and SSS of adolescents with a family history (FH+) of SUD differed from adolescents without such a history (FH−). Because risk for SUD is associated with anxiety and impulsivity, we also examined correlations between these psychological characteristics and volume/SSS. Using structural MRI and FSL software, we segmented subcortical structures and obtained indices of SSS and volumes of 64 FH+ and 58 FH− adolescents. We examined group differences in volume and SSS, and the correlations between volume/SSS and trait anxiety and impulsivity. FH+ adolescents had a significant inward deformation in the shape of the right anterior hippocampus compared to FH− adolescents, while the volume of this structure did not differ between groups. Neither shape nor volume of the other subcortical structures differed between groups. In the FH+ adolescents, the left hippocampus shape was positively correlated with both trait anxiety and impulsivity, while in FH− adolescents a negative correlation pattern of SSS was seen in the hippocampus. SSS appears to capture local anatomical features that traditional volumetric analysis does not. The inward shape deformation in the right anterior hippocampus in FH+ adolescents may be related to the known increased risk for behavioral dysregulation leading to SUD in FH+ offspring. Hippocampus shape also exhibits opposite patterns of correlation with anxiety and impulsivity scores across the FH+ and FH− adolescents. These novel findings may reveal neural correlates, not captured by traditional volumetric analysis, of familial transmission of increased vulnerability to SUD.