bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does pH matter for ecosystem multifunctionality? An empirical test in a semi‐arid grassland on the Loess Plateau
Authors: Wei Yanan , Jing Xin , Su Fanglong , Li Zhen , Wang Fuwei , Guo Hui 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Globally, higher inputs of acid deposition and anthropogenic reactive nitrogen cause lower pH in soils, that is, soil acidification, which may broadly influence both above‐ and below‐ground biota and their habitats. However, we know little about the consequences of soil acidification for a wide range of ecosystem functions and services (i.e. ecosystem multifunctionality).

Here, we examined the impacts of short‐term soil acidification on 19 ecosystem functions relevant to ecosystem primary productivity and the cycling and/or storage of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) using a 2‐year acid addition field experiment in a semi‐arid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China. We further assessed the potential pathways through which plant diversity and soil processes drive ecosystem multifunctionality (hereafter, EMF, EMF‐productivity, EMF‐C, EMF‐N, EMF‐P).

We found that soil acidification suppressed 15 of the 19 individual ecosystem functions. By accounting for other biotic and abiotic confounding variables, we found that soil pH remains to be the dominant one explaining the variation in EMF, EMF‐C and EMF‐N. The underlying mechanisms of soil pH driving multifunctionality varied substantially among the groups of multifunctionality. Specifically, plant‐related variables (i.e. species richness and abundance) exhibited stronger mediating effects on EMF‐productivity and EMF‐C than did soil properties (i.e. soil K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ ions) and microbial‐related variables (i.e. microbial biomass C and N).

Our findings provide empirical evidence that short‐term soil acidification could have greater negative effects on ecosystem multifunctionality than expected in the arid and semi‐arid areas where alkaline soils are commonly seen. This study also indicates that more attention should be paid to the biological mechanisms mediating multifunctional ecosystems under a global change scenario in the future.

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Temporal stabilizing effects of species richness and seed arrangement on grassland biomass production
Authors: Ren Haiyan , Yurkonis Kathryn A. , Wang Lifeng , Chang Jiechao , Vogeler Iris , Chen Dima , Liu Manqiang , Yu Qiang 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

The extent to which individuals experience interspecific and intraspecific interactions through their spatial arrangements within diverse plant communities, whether because of confounding effects of species richness, evenness or direct changes in species patch sizes on their neighbourhood relationships, could affect grassland biomass production and its stability at community scales. Elucidating the ways in which neighbourhood effects and species richness contribute to such community responses has important implications for how practitioners establish grasslands to meet forage production and conservation goals.

We assessed the effects of altering plant species richness (3 levels: 2, 4 or 8 forage species per plot) and seed arrangements (4 levels: species mixed and seeded or seeded in 0.0625, 0.25 or 1.0 m2 single‐species patches while maintaining plot‐scale species evenness) on above‐ground biomass production and its temporal stability in developing grasslands seeded with a suite of globally common forage species (three legumes, three cool‐season grasses and two warm‐season grasses).

Communities seeded with more species and those with their seeds arranged into smaller conspecific patches produced more biomass and were more temporally stable than those seeded with fewer species and larger conspecific patches. The effect of manipulating species arrangements is attributable to greater neighbourhood‐scale interspecific interactions and stronger complementary effects. Furthermore, seeding species into conspecific patches resulted in communities that were 34% more productive, that were just as temporally stable, and that had similar diversity effects as those seeded with a species mixture, as is common in grassland reconstruction efforts.

Synthesis. In comparison with conventional mixed‐seeding methods, seeding grasslands with high species richness and small, single‐species patches may promote grassland reconstruction through increased biomass production, temporal stability and complementarity effects. Our study highlights the importance of regulating intraspecific interactions within diverse communities for improving grassland biomass production and suggests that efforts to re‐evaluate methods used to establish forage and conservation grasslands could result in greater biomass production and stability in these systems.
Growing threat of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae colonisation in high‐risk pregnancies: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Choi Yun‐sun , Kim Jin‐Ha , Kim Yejin , Cho Hye Jung , Sung Ji‐Hee , Choi Suk‐Joo , Oh Soo‐young , Kim Yae‐Jean , Roh Cheong‐Rae 
Published: April 2022

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the epidemiological changes in extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL‐E) vaginal colonisation in pregnant women deemed at high risk, and to identify independent risk factors. Further, the differences in perinatal outcomes according to maternal ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation were analysed.DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingRepublic of Korea.PopulationA cohort of 1460 women admitted to our high‐risk pregnancy unit between 14+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation.MethodsThe trend of changes in the association of ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation from January 2010 to December 2020 was analysed. The main outcomes were analysed over the study period and ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation.Main outcome measuresRate of ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation, risk factors for ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation and perinatal outcomes.ResultsThe ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation rate has tended to increase over the past 11 years, which was attributed to a significantly higher proportion of ESBL‐producing Escherichia coli. Cerclage (RR 3.7, 95% CI 2.19–6.40) and prior antibiotic treatment (RR 4.0, 95% CI 2.44–6.54) were found as independent risk factors for ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation. Earlier gestational age at delivery and higher proven early‐onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) rate were observed in the ESBL‐E‐positive group.ConclusionsThe ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation rate in pregnant patients at high risk has increased over the past decade, and the independent risk factors for colonisation are cerclage and prior antibiotic treatment. Additionally, maternal ESBL‐E vaginal colonisation is associated with higher rates of proven EONS.
Microbial community succession in steam‐sterilized greenhouses infected with Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: Mukjang Nilita , Mombrikotb Shorok B. , Bell Thomas 
Published: April 2022

SummaryFusarium is an economically important crop pathogen but spends a large part of its life cycle in bulk soil environments where it interacts with a diverse community of soil microbes. Antagonistic interactions (e.g. competition) between the resident microbial community and Fusarium could constrain the growth of Fusarium in soil, which might therefore slow or prevent Fusarium establishment. We tracked Fusarium oxysporum in floriculture greenhouses where the soil had been steam‐sterilized to remove Fusarium. The data indicated a resurgence of soil bacteria and fungi during the first 90 days post‐sterilization, followed by a rapid decline in subsequent weeks, which was associated with an increase in F. oxysporum abundance at 148 days post sterilization. These changes over time were associated with successional changes in the bacterial but not the fungal communities. The results illustrate that, although soil steaming clears Fusarium in the short term, it may exacerbate re‐emergence as the resident community is continually depleted by the steaming process while Fusarium benefits from nutrients released by steaming. Observations suggest combining steaming with microbial inoculations could help reduce the recovery of Fusarium reducing the fungal load in the first instance and preventing subsequent build‐up by giving a head start to its saprophytic competitors.
“That is my birth child. I cannot walk away”: Motivations, self‐determination, and farmer entry and retention in Newfoundland's dwindling agricultural sector(s)
Authors: Abdulai Abdul‐Rahim , Oklikah Desmond Ofori , Tchoukaleyska Roza 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we report on the dynamics of motivations to farm among farmers in Newfoundland, and the potential to leverage these motives in policy interventions. The paper is the outcome of interviews with 24 farmers and two focus group discussions in the period 2017–2018. This paper aims to describe why participants engaged in farming and continue to farm in a region fraught with extensive challenges that undermine entry and retention. Using motivation and self‐determination theories, we show that individual need for autonomy (thus, the farmer's zest to be independent and to make free‐will choices); competence (farming because one can do so and believes in the work); and relatedness (farming to serve the community, to repay society and connect with family) aid the entry and retention of farmers by creating interests in farming and sustaining motivations. Therefore, we argue that, in light of diverse motivating factors and the need to satisfy basic psychological needs, interventions to attract and retain people in agriculture need to move beyond structural and economic concerns to consider how to satisfy the individual basic social, psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
Liposomal irinotecan (Onivyde): Exemplifying the benefits of nanotherapeutic drugs
Authors: Milano Gérard , Innocenti Federico , Minami Hironobu 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIrinotecan is a topoisomerase inhibitor, widely used in treatment of malignancies including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as part of the FOLFIRINOX regimen prescribed as a first‐line treatment in several countries. However, irinotecan has not been successfully introduced as a second‐line treatment for pancreatic cancer and few randomized clinical studies have evaluated its added value. Efficacy of liposomal irinotecan (nal‐IRI) combined with 5‐fluorouracil and leucovorin (5‐FU/LV) was reported in the phase III NAPOLI‐1 trial in metastatic PDAC following failure of gemcitabine‐based therapy. Several features of nal‐IRI pharmacokinetics (PK) could result in better outcomes versus nonliposomal irinotecan. Irinotecan is a prodrug that is converted to active SN‐38 by carboxylesterase enzymes and inactivated by cytochrome P450 3A4/3A5. SN‐38 is inactivated by UGT1A1 enzymes. Individual variations in their expression and activity could influence enhanced localized irinotecan activity and toxicity. Liposomal irinotecan exploits the enhanced permeability and retention effect in cancer, accumulating in tumor tissues. Liposomal irinotecan also has a longer half‐life and higher area under the concentration‐time curve (0–∞) than nonliposomal irinotecan, as the liposomal formulation protects cargo from premature metabolism in the plasma. This results in irinotecan activation in tumor tissue, leading to enhanced cytotoxicity. Importantly, despite the longer exposure, overall toxicity for nal‐IRI is no worse than nonliposomal irinotecan. Liposomal irinotecan exemplifies how liposomal encapsulation of a chemotherapeutic agent can alter its PK properties, improving clinical outcomes for patients. Liposomal irinotecan is currently under investigation in other malignancies including biliary tract cancer (amongst other gastrointestinal cancers), brain tumors, and small‐cell lung cancer.
Application of quantitative protein mass spectrometric data in the early predictive analysis of target engagement by monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Muliaditan Morris , Sepp Armin 
Published: April 2022

AbstractModel‐informed drug discovery is endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the flow of medicines from bench to bedside. In the case of monoclonal antibodies, this necessitates taking into account not only the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of the drug, but also the tissue distribution, concentration, and turnover of the target to guide dose and affinity selection, as well as serve as a link to downstream pharmacology. Relevant information (e.g., tissue proteomic data from quantitative mass spectrometry), is increasingly available from public domain data repositories, although not necessarily in the form that is directly usable for the purpose of quantitative, predictive, and mechanistic PK/pharmacodynamic (PD) modeling based on molarity or similar frameworks instead. Using secreted plasma protein concentrations measured both by immunochemical methods and mass spectrometry, we addressed this gap and derived an optimized nonlinear empirical function that establishes the correlation between the two data sets and validated the approach taken using a wider data set of all proteins found in plasma. In addition, we present a semimechanistic framework for the plasma half‐life of soluble proteins where clearance is expressed as a nonlinear function of the molecular weight of the protein. Finally, we apply the approach to two established therapeutic antibody targets: complement factor C5 and PCSK9 to demonstrate how the described framework can be applied to predictive PK/PD modeling.
Disease progression and response to therapy in pemphigus based on a registry
Authors: Pieper Josquin , Pollmann Robert , Eming Rüdiger , Greene Brandon , Hahmann Maik , Hertl Michael 
Published: April 2022

SummaryBackground and objectivesPemphigus diseases are potentially life‐threatening and rare autoimmune bullous disorders characterized by blisters and erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. These disorders can be largely divided into two major subtypes: pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF). The objective of this study was to evaluate the autoantibody profile and response to therapy of PV and PF patients by analyzing the clinicopathological data from a registry for bullous autoimmune dermatoses.Patients and methodsIn a retrospective study, data from 69 patients with PV and PF were included in the analysis. The Autoimmune Bullous Skin Intensity Score (ABSIS) was used to assess the clinical course, remissions, relapses and severity of the disease at first manifestation and throughout the observation period. ELISA was performed to assess levels of anti‐desmoglein (Dsg)‐1 and anti‐Dsg3 IgG serum autoantibodies.ResultsThe mean remission time in PV and PF patients was 63 weeks. PV patients with mucosal involvement showed a more favorable healing process. In PV patients with a moderate/high anti‐Dsg1 IgG serum level at baseline, anti‐Dsg3 IgG levels decreased during the observation period.ConclusionsOur study provides additional insights into the clinical course of patients with PV and PF, revealing that a mucosal phenotype is associated with a higher tendency towards remission.
Register‐Studie zu Krankheitsentwicklung und Therapieansprechen bei Pemphigus
Authors: Pieper Josquin , Pollmann Robert , Eming Rüdiger , Greene Brandon , Hahmann Maik , Hertl Michael 
Published: April 2022

ZusammenfassungHintergrund und ZielePemphigus gehört zu den seltenen, aber potentiell lebensbedrohlichen Autoimmunerkrankungen. Typisch sind Blasen und Erosionen der Haut und der Schleimhäute. Grundsätzlich unterscheiden wir zwei Subtypen: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) und Pemphigus foliaceus (PF). In dieser Studie wurden die klinisch‐pathologischen Daten aus einem Register für bullöse Autoimmundermatosen analysiert mit dem Ziel, das Autoantikörperprofil und das Therapieansprechen bei Patienten mit PV und PF genauer zu charakterisieren.Patienten und MethodenIn einer retrospektiven Studie wurden die Daten von 69 Patienten mit PV und PF analysiert. Zur Beurteilung des klinischen Verlaufs, der Remissionen und Rezidive sowie des Schweregrads der Krankheit bei Erstmanifestation und während des gesamten Beobachtungszeitraums diente der ABSIS (Autoimmune Bullous Skin Intensity Score) (ABSIS). Mittels ELISA wurden die Spiegel von Anti‐Desmoglein (Dsg)‐1‐ und Anti‐Dsg‐ IgG‐Autoantikörpern im Serum bestimmt.ErgebnisseDie mittlere Remissionszeit bei Patienten mit PV und PF betrug 63 Wochen. PV‐Patienten mit Schleimhautbeteiligung zeigten eine schnellere Heilung. Bei PV‐Patienten mit moderat oder stark erhöhten Anti‐Dsg1‐IgG‐Autoantikörpern im Serum zu Beginn erfolgte im Lauf des Beobachtungszeitraums ein Absinken der Anti‐Dsg3‐IgG‐Spiegel.SchlussfolgerungenUnsere Studie liefert neue Erkenntnisse zum Krankheitsverlauf bei Patienten mit PV und PF und offenbart, dass ein Phänotyp mit Schleimhautbeteiligung eine stärkere Neigung zur Remission aufweist.
Das Spektrum melanozytärer Nävi und deren klinische Bedeutung
Authors: Frischhut Nina , Zelger Bernhard , Andre Fiona , Zelger Bettina Gudrun 
Published: April 2022

ZusammenfassungDie Größe der Thematik melanozytärer Nävi (MN) steht in einem direkten Verhältnis zur Relevanz in der alltäglichen klinischen Arbeit. Die klinische Präsentation ist hochgradig variabel und verschiedene MN haben unterschiedliche prognostische Bedeutung in Bezug auf Komorbidität und mögliches Entartungsrisiko. Relevante Kriterien in der Einschätzung eines MN sind neben den Kriterien der ABCDE‐Regel der Zeitpunkt des Auftretens des MN, die Wachstumstendenz, die Verteilung und der Vergleich mit anderen MN des jeweiligen Individuums.Es soll hier eine Übersicht gegeben werden, welche Erkenntnisse in Bezug auf die Entwicklung und genetischen Hintergründe MN und ein gegebenenfalls bestehendes Entartungsrisiko gewonnen werden konnten. Zudem können gewisse klinische und/oder dermatoskopische Merkmale dem Kliniker eine Entscheidungshilfe im Management unterschiedlicher MN liefern.
Therapeutic indications and metabolic effects of metreleptin in patients with lipodystrophy syndromes: Real‐life experience from a national reference network
Authors: Mosbah Héléna , Vantyghem Marie‐Christine , Nobécourt Estelle , Andreelli Fabrizio , Archambeaud Francoise , Bismuth Elise , Briet Claire , Cartigny Maryse , Chevalier Benjamin , Donadille Bruno , Daguenel Anne , Fichet Mathilde , Gautier Jean‐François , Janmaat Sonja , Jéru Isabelle , Legagneur Carole , Leguier Lysiane , Maitre Julie , Mongeois Elise , Poitou Christine , Renard Eric , Reznik Yves , Spiteri Anne , Travert Florence , Vergès Bruno , Zammouri Jamila , Vigouroux Corinne , Vatier Camille 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAimTo describe baseline characteristics and follow‐up data in patients with lipodystrophy syndromes treated with metreleptin in a national reference network, in a real‐life setting.Patients and MethodsClinical and metabolic data from patients receiving metreleptin in France were retrospectively collected, at baseline, at 1 year and at the latest follow‐up during treatment.ResultsForty‐seven patients with lipodystrophy including generalized lipodystrophy (GLD; n = 28) and partial lipodystrophy (PLD; n = 19) received metreleptin over the last decade. At baseline, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) patient age was 29.3 (16.6‐47.6) years, body mass index was 23.8 (21.2‐25.7) kg/m2 and serum leptin was 3.2 (1.0‐4.9) ng/mL, 94% of patients had diabetes (66% insulin‐treated), 53% had hypertension and 87% had dyslipidaemia. Metreleptin therapy, administered for a median (IQR) of 31.7 (14.2‐76.0) months, was ongoing in 77% of patients at the latest follow‐up. In patients with GLD, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting triglyceride levels significantly decreased from baseline to 1 year of metreleptin treatment, from 8.4 (6.5‐9.9)% [68 (48‐85) mmol/mol] to 6.8 (5.6‐7.4)% [51(38‐57) mmol/mol], and 3.6 (1.7‐8.5) mmol/L to 2.2 (1.1‐3.7) mmol/L, respectively (P < 0.001), with sustained efficacy thereafter. In patients with PLD, HbA1c was not significantly modified (7.7 [7.1‐9.1]% [61 (54‐76) mmol/mol] at baseline vs. 7.7 [7.4‐9.5]% [61(57‐80) mmol/mol] at 1 year), and the decrease in fasting triglycerides (from 3.3 [1.9‐9.9] mmol/L to 2.5 [1.6‐5.3] mmol/L; P < 0.01) was not confirmed at the latest assessment (5.2 [2.2‐11.3] mmol/L). However, among PLD patients, at 1 year, 61% were responders regarding glucose homeostasis, with lower baseline leptin levels compared to nonresponders, and 61% were responders regarding triglyceridaemia. Liver enzymes significantly decreased only in the GLD group.ConclusionsIn this real‐life setting study, metabolic outcomes are improved by metreleptin therapy in patients with GLD. The therapeutic indication for metreleptin needs to be clarified in patients with PLD.
The role of experience in deterring crime: A theory of specific versus general deterrence
Authors: Miceli Thomas J. , Segerson Kathleen , Earnhart Dietrich 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThis paper examines the role of experience in determining the deterrent effect of criminal punishment. Economic models of crime typically assume potential offenders know the probability of apprehension. Thus, neither the individual's personal experience of being caught and punished nor the observation of someone else's punishment experience affects that individual's future behavior. This paper incorporates a role for experience in determining criminal activity, distinguishing between (1) how individuals form perceptions of the probability of punishment, including how those perceptions are influenced by what they experience or observe, and (2) how those perceptions, once formed, influence their decisions about criminal activity.
Fatigue behavior of agricultural rims under rotating bending load
Authors: Wöllner Uli , Szlosarek Robert , Kröger Matthias 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAgricultural rims are highly loaded components which affect the functionality and safety of tractors significantly. For this reason, it is essential to prevent a damage of the rims. However, fatigue‐initiated cracks along the bolt circle arise at any time during application. Until now, the determining load for the crack initiation is unclear. The paper investigates this fatigue problem by experimental, analytical, and numerical methods. Therefore, a test rig using hydraulic actuators is designed to load the rim by rotating bending in combination with a lateral force. The loads are deduced by an analytical model of the tractor under different driving situations like cornering. The finite element model shows the critical locations by performing a fatigue analysis of the driving situation. The experimental and numerical results verify the assumption that the rotating bending in combination with a lateral force leads to the fatigue cracks also found by tractors in reality.