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opencc-by-4.0Jul 2020View details →

Performance of 6 Different GNSS Receivers at Low Latitude under Moderate and Strong Scintillation

These data sets contain ionospheric scintillation (GPS L1) observations (S4 and \(\mathbf{\sigma_\phi}\) indexes) from 5 different GNSS receivers. The data are from two nights, 20/21 February and 27/28 November of 2013, and stored in different files. The files are in the HDF5 format using zlib compression and were generated by a Python script using the Pandas library. Each file contain the following folders: <ul> <li> /csm_maker_calc </li> <li> /csm_own_calc </li> <li> /csm_raw </li> <li> /gpstation6_maker_calc </li> <li> /gpstation6_own_calc </li> <li> /gpstation6_raw </li> <li> /gsv_4004b_lisn_calc </li> <li> /gsv_4004b_maker_calc </li> <li> /septentrio_maker_calc </li> <li> /septentrio_own_calc </li> <li> /septentrio_raw </li> <li> /su_iono_sdr_own_calc </li> <li> /su_iono_sdr_raw </li> </ul> The suffix maker_calc means that the indices were calculated in real time or post-processed using receiver manufacturer's tools. The suffix own_calc means that the indices were calculated using our own methodology. The suffix raw corresponds to the raw data (power and phase cycles). And finally the suffix lisn_calc corresponds to the S4 index obtained from the LISN network website.

opencc-zeroSep 2020View details →

Endometrioma ethanol sclerotherapy could increase IVF live birth rate in women with moderate-severe endometriosis

Objective: To examine the impact of ethanol sclerotherapy (EST) for endometrioma on in vitro fertilization (IVF) cumulative live birth rates (CLBR) in women with moderate-severe endometriosis. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included women with moderate-severe endometriosis (revised American Fertility Society stage III-IV) and endometrioma who underwent IVF with the ultra-long agonist protocol. We compared two groups: women undergoing EST for endometrioma before IVF (EST group), and women whose endometrioma was left in situ during IVF (No-EST group). The primary outcome was the CLBR per IVF cycle, including fresh and frozen embryo transfers. The secondary endpoints included the complication rate, number of mature oocytes retrieved, clinical pregnancy rate and pregnancy loss rate. Results: Seventy-four women were included in the study, with 37 in the EST group and 37 in the No-EST group, representing 67 and 69 IVF cycles, respectively. The population and cycle characteristics were comparable between the two groups, especially the ovarian response to stimulation. The CLBR was significantly increased in the EST group compared to the No-EST group (31.3% vs. 14.5%, p = 0.03). The clinical and biochemical pregnancy rates were significantly increased in the EST group (37.3% vs. 15.9%, p = 0.01 and 43.3% vs. 23.2%, p = 0.01, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed a significantly increased chance of live birth in women exposed to EST before IVF with an adjusted OR of 2.68 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.13–6.36, p = 0.02). In the EST group, we reported one major complication Clavien and Dindo classification grade III, complication involving an ovarian abscess that required a laparoscopic drainage. Conclusions: EST is an interesting technique to improve IVF success rates in women with moderate-severe endometriosis. EST could be discussed before IVF in infertile women.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from: Sacred groves and serpent-gods moderate human-snake relations

1. Serpent-god worship is an ancient tradition still practiced in many sacred groves across the Western Ghats of India. Although sacred groves there hold ecological conservation value, few studies have focused on arguably the most iconic taxon in the region, snakes. 2. We thus investigated the impact of sacred groves and snake deity worshipping on attitudes towards snakes by conducting surveys with people who had entered such forests prior. 3. We found that next to none of the participants who had encountered snakes inside sacred groves in the past harmed them under such circumstances. However, nearly a quarter of all participants do harm snakes if encountered outside sacred groves. 4. We also found that a larger proportion of participants who do not harm snakes outside sacred groves worship snake deities, relative to those that do harm them. 5. Our work thus highlights the influence of sacred groves and snake deity worshipping on pacifistic human-snake relations in Southwestern India.

opennotspecifiedDec 2020View details →

- Gonostylus with basal 2/3 moderately inflated; superior volsella digitoform............ C. rutteri Epler, 2018 (Nearctic) in A new species of the genus Cryptotendipes Beck et Beck, 1969 (Diptera Chironomidae) from India, with a world key to the males and tentative phylogenetic relationship

- Gonostylus with basal 2/3 moderately inflated; superior volsella digitoform............ C. rutteri Epler, 2018 (Nearctic)

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2021View details →

Data for Hydrogeochemical constraints shape hot spring microbial community compositions: Evidence from acidic, moderate-temperature springs and alkaline, high-temperature springs, southwestern Yunnan geothermal areas, China

Original data for Hydrogeochemical constraints shape hot spring microbial community compositions: Evidence from acidic, moderate-temperature springs and alkaline, high-temperature springs, southwestern Yunnan geothermal areas, China.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: High genetic variation and moderate to high values for genetic parameters of Picea abies resistance to Pissodes strobi

Genetic parameters of Picea abies resistance to the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck) were estimated from 193 full-sib and 166 half-sib families in six 10-year-old progeny trials. The estimated family and individual heritability values for the cumulative weevil attack rate between ages 6 and 10 (CWA6–10) were high and moderate for both full-sib families (0.61 and 0.28, respectively) and half-sib families (0.85 and 0.40, respectively), indicating strong genetic control for this trait in Norway spruce. The fact that specific combining ability (SCA) variance represents 35 % of the general combining ability (GCA) variance suggests that non-additive (dominant) effects are weak. The strong type B correlations found for CWA6–10 (rˆB=0.96 for full-sib families and rˆB=0.81 for half-sib families) indicate that family ranks were stable across sites. For three of the five sites with high attack levels, genetic correlations were not significant between CWA6–10 and tree height at age 5. Moderate positive genetic correlations were detected between CWA6–10 and tree diameter at age 10 (rˆA from 0.29 to 0.60), but specific families showing both high resistance and good diameter growth can be found. These results suggest that the genetic improvement of Norway spruce for resistance to white pine weevil can be achieved successfully without adversely affecting growth.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Landscape diversity moderates the effects of bee visitation frequency to flowers on crop production.

1.Reductions in natural habitat are implicated in declining honey bee Apis mellifera L. and wild bee populations, thereby threatening crop production. This concern has stimulated interest in identifying landscape-level impacts on bee-mediated pollination services, but previous studies have only inferred connections between landscape, bees and yield through generalized linear regressions. 2. We examined landscape impacts on bee-mediated crop yield using both a traditional linear regression approach and conditional process modelling, which combined landscape features, bee visits to crop flowers, interactions between landscape and bee visits to flowers into a single model predicting crop yield. We used the pumpkin Cucurbita pepo L. system in New York State and recorded bees visiting pumpkin flowers in 2011 and 2012. Landscape diversity and percentage of semi-natural grassland around each pumpkin field were calculated. 3. Results from the traditional approach indicated that landscape diversity, percentage of grassland in the landscape, bumble bee Bombus impatiens Cresson, and honey bee visitation frequency each positively predicted yield. A common conclusion from these results is that pumpkins grown in highly diverse or high grassland coverage landscapes would have greater yields via bumble bee and honey bee visits to flowers. However, this inference does not preclude the possibility that landscape features may be associated with crop yield, independent of bee visits to flowers. 4. Results from conditional process modelling indicated that only pumpkins grown in highly diverse landscapes were predicted to have greater yields as a consequence of more bumble bee visits to pumpkin flowers. None of the landscape features predicted greater fruit yields as a consequence of more honey bee visits to pumpkin flowers. This novel analysis indicated that traditional approaches may be misinterpreting the relationships among these variables. 5. Synthesis and applications. Bumble bees benefited from a diverse landscape and their visits to flowers positively impacted pumpkin production. Conservation of a diverse landscape should be promoted to support improved pumpkin production. Growers can use this information to decide where to plant pumpkins to improve the potential for high yields, to identify scenarios where landscape diversity could be increased, and where supplementation with bees might be beneficial.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Skin autofluorescence and subclinical atherosclerosis in mild to moderate chronic kidney disease: a case-control study

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are increased and predict mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are undergoing hemodialysis, irrespective of the presence of type 2 diabetes. However, little information exits about the relationship between AGEs and subclinical atherosclerosis at the early stages of CKD. A case-control study was performed including 87 patients with mild-to-moderate stages of CKD (glomerular filtration rate from 89 to 30 ml/min/per 1.73m2) and 87 non-diabetic non-CKD subjects matched by age, gender, body mass index, and waist circumference. Skin autofluorescence (AF), a non-invasive assessment of AGEs, was measured. The presence of atheromatous disease in carotid and femoral arteries was evaluated using vascular ultrasound, and vascular age and SCORE risk were estimated. Patients with mild-to-moderate stages of CKD showed an increase in skin AF compared with control subjects (2.5±0.6 vs. 2.2±0.4 AU, p<0.001). A skin AF value >2.0 AU was accompanied by a 3-fold increased risk of detecting the presence of an atheromathous plaque (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4–6.5, p = 0.006). When vascular age was assessed through skin AF, subjects with CKD were almost 12 years older than control subjects (70.3±25.5 vs. 58.5±20.2 years, p = 0.001). Skin AF was negatively correlated with glomerular filtration rate (r = -0.354, p<0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (r = -0.269, p = 0.001), and positively correlated with age (r = 0.472, p<0.001), pulse pressure (r = 0.238, p = 0.002), and SCORE risk (r = 0.451, p<0.001). A stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that age and glomerular filtration rate independently predicted skin AF (R2 = 0.289, p<0.001). Skin AF is elevated in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD compared with control subjects. This finding may be independently associated with the glomerular filtration rate and the presence of subclinical atheromatous disease. Therefore, the use of skin AF may help to accurately evaluate the real cardiovascular risk at the early stages of CKD.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Probabilistic interfractional motion carbon ion radiation therapy dose distribution for prostate cancer shows rectum sparing with moderate target coverage degradation

Purpose: This observational study investigates the influence of interfractional motion on clinical target volume (CTV) coverage, planning target volume (PTV) margins, and rectum tissue sparing in carbon ion radiation therapy (CIRT). It reports dose coverage to target structures and organs at risk in the presence of interfractional motion, investigates rectal tissue sparing, and provides recommendations for further lowering the rate of toxicity. We also propose probabilistic DVH for consideration in treatment planning to represent probable dose to the clinic's patient population. Methods: At Gunma University Hospital intensity-modulated x-ray therapy (IMXT, aka IMRT) prostate cancer patients are positioned on a table which is shifted twice based on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to align bones and then align prostate tissue to isocenter. These shifts thereby contain interfractional motion. 1306 such tableshifts from 85 patients were collected. Normal probability distributions were fit to the difference between bone-matching and prostate-matching CBCT-to-planning CT tableshifts (i.e. interfractional motion). Between 2011 and 2016 CIRT prostate patients were treated with PTV1 and PTV2 margins as follows: PTV1 extends the prostate contour by 10/10, 5/10, 6/6 mm in the right/left, posterior/anterior, and superior/inferior directions, respectively, and the proximal seminal vesicles contour by 5 mm superiorly and inferiorly, 3 mm right and left. PTV2 reduces PTV1 posteriorly along a straight line to exclude the rectum and reduces the superior and inferior margins by 6 mm. From those treated with these margins, 40 patients' beam data were selected to create probable interfractional motion: The previously fit normal probability distributions were randomly sampled 2000 times per patient and beams shifted to simulate this motion. These shifted dose distributions were scaled down proportionately in magnitude and summed to obtain probable blurred dose distributions. Results: Probable dose to rectum is substantially less than planned for doses higher than 10 Gy(RBE). Absolute DVH show that mean clinical target volumes are about 138-670 cm3 smaller for a given probable dose than planned doses higher than 57 Gy(RBE) after accounting for standard error. Cumulative DVH show mean CTV fraction receiving a given probable dose is less than the mean fraction receiving the corresponding planned dose for doses larger than 52 Gy(RBE), up to 19% less at 57.4 Gy(RBE). Our PTV1 margins generally cover 95% of interfractional motion but seminal vesicles and inferior prostate receive less dose than planned due to insufficient PTV2 margins. Conclusion: Assuming rigidly shifting interfractional motion around the prostate region and neglecting minor changes in soft tissue stopping power, interfractional motion resulted in underdosing or tissue sparing in all cases. Given our low rates of relapse and recurrence, it appears less curative dose is needed than previously thought or else the target may be smaller than previously thought. In-room CT may be useful to lower dose, shrink target margins, conduct PET auto-activation dose verification studies and account for interfractional motion.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Age and sex-selective predation as moderators of the overall impact of predation

Currently, there is no general agreement about the extent to which predators' impact prey population dynamics, as it is often poorly predicted by predation rates and species abundances. This could in part be caused by variation in the type of selective predation occurring. Notably, if predation is selective on categories of individuals that contribute little to future generations, it may moderate the impact of predation on prey population dynamics. However, despite its prevalence, selective predation has seldom been studied in this context. Using recoveries of ringed tawny owls (Strix aluco) predated by 'superpredators', northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) as they colonised the area, we investigated the extent to which predation was sex and age-selective. Predation of juvenile owls was disproportionately high. Amongst adults, predation was strongly biased towards females and predation risk appeared to increase with age. This implies age-selective predation may shape the decline in survival with age, observed in tawny owls. To determine whether selective predation can modulate the overall impact of predation, age-based population matrix models were used to simulate the overall impact of five different patterns of age-selective predation, including the pattern actually observed in the study site. The impact on owl population size varied by up to 50%, depending on the pattern of selective predation. The simulation of the observed pattern of predation had a relatively small impact on population size, close to the least harmful scenario, predation on juveniles only. The actual changes in owl population size and structure, observed during goshawk colonisation were also analysed. Owl population size and immigration were unrelated to goshawk abundance. However, goshawk abundance appeared to interact with owl food availability to have a delayed effect on recruitment into the population. This study provides strong evidence to suggest that predation of other predators is both age and sex-selective and that selective predation of individuals with a low reproductive value may mitigate the overall impact of predators on prey population dynamics. Consequently, our results highlight how accounting for the type of selective predation occurring is likely to improve future predictions of the overall impact of predation.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Territory configuration moderates the frequency of extra-group mating in superb fairy-wrens

The frequency of extra-pair paternity (EPP) in socially monogamous birds varies substantially between and within species, but ecological drivers of this variation remain poorly understood. Habitat configuration could influence EPP by moderating access to extra-pair mates, because species occupying territories in a clustered 'honeycomb' configuration have a larger pool of potential extra-group mates in their immediate neighbourhood than those living in linearly arranged territories (e.g. along narrow strips of riparian or fragmented habitat). We exploited variation in the spatial arrangement of territories due to anthropogenic modification of habitat of the cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus to test whether habitat configuration influenced the frequency of EPP. In this species, most paternity is obtained by males outside the social group (extra-group paternity, EGP). We found that the frequency of EGP among groups living in linear strips of roadside vegetation (41% of 44 offspring) was lower than it was for groups living in clustered territories within continuous habitat (59% of 70 offspring). Differences in group size and pair relatedness did not explain differences in EGP associated with territory configuration, though the frequency of EGP was negatively correlated with pair relatedness. Our finding suggests that territory configuration can influence rates of EGP and that anthropogenic habitat fragmentation has the potential to limit access to extra-pair mates, affecting mating systems and ultimately fitness.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: High tolerance of tropical sapling growth and gas exchange to moderate warming

The effects of global warming on tropical forest growth and carbon storage are uncertain. While observations on canopy trees indicate negative correlations between temperature and growth, some seedling studies suggest the opposite. These contrasting results may reflect ontogenetic differences in temperature responses, or differences between the performance of potted plants under controlled conditions and plants under more variable conditions in the field. To try to bridge the gap between highly-controlled experiments on small seedlings and field observations on canopy trees we conducted two sets of outdoor experiments on saplings up to 2.5 m tall; one set to study the effects of night warming, and another set on the effects of day warming. To test the hypothesis that night warming would reduce growth in tropical saplings through stimulation of respiration, we grew the early-successional species Ochroma pyramidale in large 380-liter soil containers under ambient nighttime temperature and ambient +4.5°C. To test the hypothesis that day warming would reduce growth by reducing photosynthesis we compared plants in multi-species and single-species mesocosms rooted in the ground under ambient and passively warmed daytime conditions. In all experiments we monitored growth and measured foliar physiology and plant biomass allocation. Neither night warming nor day warming significantly affected biomass accumulation and allocation. Height growth increased with night warming in Ochroma pyramidale, but decreased with day warming in late-successional species. Night warming resulted in acclimation of dark respiration. Day warming resulted in acclimation of photosynthesis in early-successional species, but warming decreased photosynthesis in late-successional tree species. The seedling-to-sapling transition is a critical stage in the life of trees. We found no evidence that in this juvenile growth phase moderate increases in mean temperature reduce the performance of tropical trees, although increases in peak daytime temperature may negatively impact photosynthesis, especially in late-successional species.

FIGURE 5 in A new species of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) associated with the moderately evelated massifs of French Guiana

FIGURE 5. Variation among the type series of Pristimantis espedeus sp. nov. in preservative. R133 (AG270) is the only female collected and R121 (AF1520) is the holotype.

FIGURE 4 in A new species of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) associated with the moderately evelated massifs of French Guiana

FIGURE 4. Comparison between the four Pristimantis species of the unistrigatus group occurring with certainty in French Guiana. The four specimens are adult males. P. espedeus sp. nov. holotype: R121 (AF1520), P. inguinalis: R179 (AF804), P. sp. 1: R189 (AF757) and P. sp. 4: R211 (AF1030). (a) Photographs of living specimens (unreferenced); (b) dorsal view; (c) ventral view; (d) lateral view of head; (e) ventral view of hand and foot. Some characters of the diagnosis are indicated by arrows and corresponding numbers.

FIGURE 1 in A new species of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) associated with the moderately evelated massifs of French Guiana

FIGURE 1. Map showing documented populations of Pristimantis espedeus sp. nov. (a) The Guiana Shield is delimited by a white line and the eastern part is separated from the western by a dotted line. A white convex polygon delimits the documented range of Pristimantis espedeus sp. nov. (b) A focus on French Guiana with white dots indicating populations for which vouchers exist (1: Réserve Naturelle de la Trinité, 2: Mont Lucifer, 3: Mont Kotika, 4: Montagne Grande Tortue (type locality), 5: Réserve Naturelle des Nouragues, 6: Pic Coudreau, 7: Monts Belvédère); black dots indicate populations without collected material (8: Monts Atachi-Bacca, 9: Mont Itoupé).

FIGURE 3 in A new species of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) associated with the moderately evelated massifs of French Guiana

FIGURE 3. Plots of discriminant scores from MDFA based on (a) raw morphological measurements (b) residual from the different measurement and SVL taken on the four Pristimantis spp. of the unistrigatus group occurring in French Guiana. Eigen value of each axis is indicated on the right and on the top. We plotted (c) the distribution of SVL for each species and given the results from the two MDFA (d) the ratio between TiL and HL.