bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Make‐believe play with the Internet of Toys: A case for multimodal playscapes
Authors: Palaiologou Ioanna , Kewalramani Sarika , Dardanou Maria
Published: May 2021

This study examines whether the Internet of Toys (IoToys) (de)limits children's make‐believe play and whether the functionality and manipulatives offered by the IoToys serve as motivational pleasure (tactile, virtual and visual) for children to engage in make‐believe play. Combining Piagetian and Vygotskian ideas of play as a unity of cognition and social context, we consider IoToys as a motivational conduit for children's symbolic actions that leads to make‐believe play. Qualitative methodology was employed using observations of young children at home when interacting with IoToys (total n = 10 families) from England (n = 5 families) and Australia (n = 5 families). Data showed that children's interaction does not limit the development of their make‐believe play as they engage in imitation schemata and create imaginative situations within and beyond the intended pre‐programmed functions of the IoToy. To conclude, it is argued that instead of differentiating virtual and physical play, we should (re)think play with multimodal playscape lenses.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Children from a very young age engage with mainly touch screen technology and this engagement has led to the discourse of digital play inquiries.

When children use technology, they create imaginary situations that leads to make‐believe play.

What this paper adds

Research on the haptic technologies is still in an embryonic stage. Thus, this paper aims to examine how children engage with this new developing technology in home‐based settings.

The findings of our research suggest that when haptic technological tools are used by children, this leads to make‐believe play using physical and virtual spaces as a continuum of child's learning and development.

Implications for practice and/or policy

As children's interactions with haptic technologies showed that they exhibit motivated actions and psychologically triggered interactions, this calls for parent‐educator partnerships to foster a pedagogy that embeds a poly‐pronged approach (digital, virtual, visual, physical) which enhances children's multimodal playscapes.
Point‐of‐care haemoglobin testing in African hospitals: a neglected essential diagnostic test
Authors: Uyoga Sophie , George Elizabeth C. , Bates Imelda , Olupot‐Olupot Peter , Chimalizeni Yami , Molyneux Elizabeth M. , Maitland Kathryn
Published: May 2021

Owing to the rapid turnaround time in the assessment of haemoglobin level by point‐of‐care tests (POC Hb), these have grown in popularity and scope in large parts of the world. However, whilst POC testing for malaria and HIV remains has been integrated into patient management in Africa, the use of POC haemoglobin testing remains neglected by health services. The main users of transfusions (paediatric, maternity and trauma services) present largely as emergencies. Ward‐based POC Hb could result in more rapid and accurate diagnosis of anaemia, contributing to saving of lives and at the same time reduce unnecessary transfusions which deplete the limited supplies of donated blood in Africa. Severe anaemia requiring transfusion is a major cause of paediatric admission in Africa. At a dissemination meeting to discuss the results of a large phase III paediatric transfusion trial and steps to implementation of the findings participants strongly recommended that one of the most pressing actions required was to prioritise the use of POC haemoglobin testing. This would facilitate implementation of the new transfusion algorithm, developed at the meeting, which refines patient management including blood transfusions. We present the rationale for the strongly recommended prioritisation of POC Hb, using paediatric transfusion as an exemplar.
Platelet autoantibody specificity and response to rhTPO treatment in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Yu Yafei , Hou Yu , Zhao Yajing , Zhou Hai , Jing Fangmiao , Liu Yanfeng , Peng Jun , Liu Xinguang , Hou Ming
Published: May 2021

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the relationship between plasma autoantibody species and rhTPO response in adult ITP patients who failed the first‐line treatments. Plasma anti‐glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa and anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies were detected in 47·2% and 40·6% of the 123 patients, respectively. Overall response rate to rhTPO treatment in patients without anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies was significantly higher than patients with anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies (82·2% vs. 60·0%, P = 0·006). By contrast, no statistical difference in response rate was observed between patients with or without anti‐GPIIb/IIIa autoantibodies (74·1% vs. 72·3%, P = 0·819). Therefore, the presence of anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies might serve as a predictive factor for poor response to rhTPO treatment in ITP.
A consequence of drug targeting of aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases in Mycobacteriumtuberculosis
Authors: Ndagi Umar , Kumalo Hezekiel M. , Mhlongo Ndumiso N.
Published: May 2021

Drug‐resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis poses a great threat to public health and remains one of the red‐flag tagged infectious diseases, with the tendency of comorbidity with other disease conditions such as HIV/AIDS. This perhaps is responsible for redoubling of effort in tuberculosis research and continuous change in patient management to optimize the drug therapy. Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases are essential enzymes in M. tuberculosis that catalyse the transfer of a particular amino acid to its corresponding specific tRNA to form an aminoacyl‐tRNA. These enzymes are believed to be novel antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic drug targets because of their role in the process of protein translation. Therefore, their existence as a compliment of M. tuberculosis has attracted a lot of research interest with the aim of curbing the scourge and provide the most effective drug in the treatment of tuberculosis. This leads to the discovery of a pool of aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases with their essential inhibitors. This review seeks to articulate the current advances in the development of new TB drugs exhibiting novelty in their mode of action with specific emphasis on aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases as drug targets.
Identification of novel P2X7R antagonists by using structure‐based virtual screening and cell‐based assays
Authors: Zhao Yunshuo , Chen Xiaotong , Lyu Sifan , Ding Zhe , Wu Yahong , Gao Yanfeng , Du Jiangfeng
Published: May 2021

In the tumor microenvironment, inflammation and necrosis cause the accumulations of ATP extracellularly, and high concentrations of ATP can activate P2X7 receptors (P2X7R), which leads to the influx of Na+, K+, or Ca2+ into cells and trigger the downstream signaling pathways. P2X7R is a relatively unique ligand‐gated ion channel, which is over‐expressed in most tumor cells. The activated P2X7R facilitates the tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Inhibition of the P2X7R activation can be applied as a potential anti‐tumor therapy strategy. There are currently no anti‐tumor agents against P2X7R, though several P2X7R antagonists for indications such as anti‐inflammatory and anti‐depression were reported. In this study, we combined homology modeling (HM), virtual screening, and EB intake assay to characterize the structural features of P2X7R and identify several novel antagonists, which were chemically different from any other known P2X7R antagonists. The identified antagonists could effectively prevent the pore opening of P2X7R with IC50 values ranging from 29.14 to 35.34 μM. HM model showed the area between ATP‐binding pocket, and allosteric sides were hydrophobic and suitable for small molecule interaction. Molecular docking indicated a universal binding mode, of which residues R294 and K311 were used as hydrogen bond donors to participate in antagonist interactions. The binding mode can potentially be utilized for inhibitor optimization for increased affinity, and the identified antagonists can be further tested for anti‐cancer activity or may serve as chemical agents to study P2X7R related functions.
UK general population willingness to pay for scale and polish, and detailed and personalized oral hygiene advice
Authors: Akuagwuagwu Chimezie , van der Pol Marjon , Boyers Dwayne
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Understanding the value the general population place on dentistry services is important for policymakers to aide service planning. Willingness to pay (WTP) is an economic method used to elicit the value of a good or service. The aim of this study is to estimate United Kingdom (UK) general population WTP for commonly provided scale and polish, and detailed and personalized oral hygiene advice (OHA), and to investigate what factors influence WTP.

Methods

Participants completed an online hypothetical WTP survey for scale and polish and detailed and personalized oral hygiene advice. The estimation sample consisted of 1405 participants, nationally representative of the UK general population in terms of age and sex. Regression analysis was used to estimate WTP and determine what factors are associated with WTP. Analyses were conducted including and excluding protest answers.

Results

The mean (SD) WTP for a scale and polish is £26.77 (£21.91) excluding protest answers and £24.80 (£22.71) for the full sample. The mean (SD) WTP for detailed and personalized OHA is £16.56 (£19.75) excluding protest answers and £12.77 (£22.28) for the full sample. Participants on higher incomes, private attenders and those who stated that maintaining clean and healthy gums was important had higher WTP for both services. Participants in Scotland and Northern Ireland were WTP less than their English counterparts, reflecting the different regional specific payment systems.

Conclusion

The general UK population value scale and polish, and detailed and personalized OHA. This study provides estimates of WTP for these services which can be used to inform resource allocation decisions.
Isolated‐ and Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome related‐ lateralised overgrowth (hemihypertrophy): Clinical and molecular correlations in 94 individuals
Authors: Radley Jessica A. , Connolly Melissa , Sabir Ataf , Kanani Farah , Carley Helena , Jones Rachel L. , Hyder Zerin , Gompertz Lianne , Reardon Willie , Richardson Ruth , McClelland Louise , Maher Eamonn R.
Published: May 2021

The congenital imprinting disorder, Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is associated with variable clinical features including hemihypertrophy/lateralised overgrowth (LO) and embryonal tumour predisposition. BWS‐associated (epi)genetic alterations occur in a subset of patients with isolated LO (ILO), leading to the concept of BWS spectrum disorder (BWSp). We investigated the relationship between clinical features and molecular diagnostic results in a cohort with LO using the BWSp international consensus group (BWSICG) clinical scoring system. Clinical/molecular findings in 94 previously‐unreported patients with LO referred for BWSp molecular studies were reviewed retrospectively. The BWSICG score was assigned and diagnostic rate calculated. BWSp‐associated (epi)genetic alteration was identified in 15/94 (16%). The molecular diagnostic rate by MS‐MLPA (blood DNA) for BWS‐related molecular findings in patients with LO was positively correlated with the BWSICG score. 3/48 with ILO had a molecular alteration. No individuals with ILO had developed an embryonal tumour at last follow up. Among a cohort of individuals with LO referred for BWSp molecular testing, the BWSICG score correlated with diagnostic yield. The embryonal tumour risk in children with ILO and negative molecular testing appeared very low, however longer‐ and more complete follow up is required to better define tumour risks in this group.
Effects of experience with access regimes on stewardship behaviors of small‐scale fishers
Authors: Rivera‐Hechem María I. , Guzmán Ricardo A. , Rodríguez‐Sickert Carlos , Gelcich Stefan
Published: May 2021

Governance regimes that assign exclusive access to support collective action are increasingly promoted to manage common‐pool resources under the premise that they foster environmental stewardship. However, experimental evidence linked to existing policies that support this premise is lacking. Overlapping access policies in small‐scale fisheries provide a unique opportunity to test the effects of access regimes on users’ stewardship behaviors. We performed a lab‐in‐the‐field experiment to assess how fishers’ previous experience with access regimes relates to compliance and peer enforcement (n = 120). Fishers’ compliance and peer‐enforcement decisions were compared in a common‐pool‐resource game. Treatments differed in framing to represent exclusive access and pseudo‐open access regimes, both of which fishers face in real life. To contrast behavior in the game with real‐life observations, we compared fishers’ associations that have shown relatively high and low management performance under exclusive access policies. Compliance and peer enforcement were higher under the exclusive access treatment than under the pseudo‐open access treatment only for fishers’ associations with high management performance in real life. Behaviors in the game reflected differences between associations in real life. Our results support previous research on ocean governance by experimentally assessing the role of access regimes in determining users’ stewardship and suggest potential mechanisms for stewardship internalization.
Social comfort zones for transformative conservation decisions in a changing climate
Authors: Hagerman Shannon , Satterfield Terre , Nawaz Sara , St‐Laurent Guillaume Peterson , Kozak Robert , Gregory Robin
Published: May 2021

Novel management interventions intended to mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity are increasingly being considered by scientists and practitioners. However, resistance to more transformative interventions remains common across both specialist and lay communities and is generally assumed to be strongly entrenched. We used a decision‐pathways survey of the public in Canada and the United States (n= 1490) to test two propositions relating to climate‐motivated interventions for conservation: most public groups are uncomfortable with interventionist options for conserving biodiversity and given the strong values basis for preferences regarding biodiversity and natural systems more broadly, people are unlikely to change their minds. Our pathways design tested and retested levels of comfort with interventions for forest ecosystems at three different points in the survey. Comfort was reexamined given different nudges (including new information from trusted experts) and in reference to a particular species (bristlecone pine [Pinus longaeva]). In contrast with expectations of public unease, baseline levels of public comfort with climate interventions in forests was moderately high (46% comfortable) and increased further when respondents were given new information and the opportunity to change their choice after consideration of a particular species. People who were initially comfortable with interventions tended to remain so (79%), whereas 42% of those who were initially uncomfortable and 40% of those who were uncertain shifted to comfortable by the end of the survey. In short and across questions, comfort levels with interventions were high, and where discomfort or uncertainty existed, such positions did not appear to be strongly held. We argue that a new decision logic, one based on anthropogenic responsibility, is beginning to replace a default reluctance to intervene with nature.
Estimating the number of species shared by incompletely sampled communities
Authors: Zou Yi , Axmacher Jan Christoph
Published: May 2021

There are numerous ways to estimate the true number of species in a community based on incomplete samples. Nonetheless, comparable approaches to estimate the number of species shared between two incompletely sampled communities are scarce. Here, we introduce the ‘total expected species shared' (TESS) measure and provide the R function for its calculation. Based on parametric asymptotic models, TESS provides estimates of the true number of species shared between incompletely sampled communities based on abundance data. We compare TESS results with abundance‐based non‐parametric methods in terms of precision and accuracy, using different simulated sampling scenarios. We further calculate TESS using an empirical dataset, highlighting changes in accuracy and precision with increasing sample size. We also demonstrate how TESS values can be combined with species richness estimators in turnover estimates using traditional β‐diversity indices. Our results show that mean values of TESS reliably approximate the true shared species number for varying sample completeness scenarios, with both accuracy and precision increasing with increasing sample completeness. Overall, we demonstrate the viability of TESS in estimations of the true number of species shared between two incompletely sampled communities. We also stress the importance of a sufficient sample size for the accuracy of estimates – requiring sampling designs that carefully balance sampling effort per site with the number of sampling sites.
The geography of parasite local adaptation to host communities
Authors: Bellis Emily S. , McLaughlin Chloee M. , dePamphilis Claude W. , Lasky Jesse R.
Published: May 2021

Fitness responses to environment can shape species distributions, though opposing eco‐evolutionary processes can obscure environmental effects. For example, host specificity influences parasite dynamics, but is unclear how adaptation of parasites to local host communities may scale up to continental distributions. Here, we develop a macroecological framework to determine how host community structure affects the distribution of specialist and generalist populations of Striga hermonthica, an African parasitic plant of cereal crops. Combining data from global crop production and parasite experimental trials, we find that parasites perform best on the host species that is most common in their location of origin. Moreover, niche model contrasts predict parasite specialization on two hosts that evolved alongside Striga during domestication (pearl millet and sorghum), indicating that specialist parasites may be most likely to occur where host niches differ most in multivariate environmental space. Our study demonstrates that patterns of parasite local adaptation to host communities can emerge at continental scales and that differential environmental tolerances of hosts indirectly shape the distribution of specialist and generalist parasites. By predicting spatial dynamics of parasite specialization versus generalization directly from environmental data, our approach may help inform current and future management of pests and disease.
A guide to investigating immune responses elicited by whole‐sporozoite pre‐erythrocytic vaccines against malaria
Authors: Moita Diana , Nunes‐Cabaço Helena , Mendes António M. , Prudêncio Miguel
Published: May 2021

In the last few decades, considerable efforts have been made toward the development of efficient vaccines against malaria. Whole‐sporozoite (Wsp) vaccines, which induce efficient immune responses against the pre‐erythrocytic (PE) stages (sporozoites and liver forms) of Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, are among the most promising immunization strategies tested until present. Several Wsp PE vaccination approaches are currently under evaluation in the clinic, including radiation‐ or genetically‐attenuated Plasmodium sporozoites, live parasites combined with chemoprophylaxis, or genetically modified rodent Plasmodium parasites. In addition to the assessment of their protective efficacy, clinical trials of Wsp PE vaccine candidates inevitably involve the thorough investigation of the immune responses elicited by vaccination, as well as the identification of correlates of protection. Here, we review the main methodologies employed to dissect the humoral and cellular immune responses observed in the context of Wsp PE vaccine clinical trials and discuss future strategies to further deepen the knowledge generated by these studies, providing a toolbox for the in‐depth analysis of vaccine‐induced immunogenicity.
MARCH8: the tie that binds to viruses
Authors: Tada Takuya , Zhang Yanzhao , Fujita Hideaki , Tokunaga Kenzo
Published: May 2021

Membrane‐associated RING‐CH (MARCH) family member proteins are RING‐finger E3 ubiquitin ligases that are known to downregulate cellular transmembrane proteins. MARCH8 is a novel antiviral factor that inhibits HIV‐1 envelope glycoprotein and vesicular stomatitis virus G by downregulating these envelope glycoproteins from the cell surface, resulting in their reduced incorporation into virions. More recently, we have found that MARCH8 reduces viral infectivity via two different mechanisms. Additionally, several groups have reported further antiviral or virus‐supportive functions of the MARCH8 protein and its other cellular mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms by which MARCH8 can regulate cellular homeostasis and inhibit and occasionally support enveloped virus infection.
Efficiency of Northern pike (Esox lucius) stocking in metropolitan France at large spatial and temporal scales
Authors: Guillerault Nicolas , Loot Géraldine , Blanchet Simon , Millet Paul , Musseau Camille , Cucherousset Julien , Santoul Frédéric
Published: May 2021

Stocking and electrofishing occurrence and abundance data for northern pike Esox lucius L. in >3800 km of French rivers across 7 years were compared to assess the effect of recreational fisheries stocking programmes on wild pike populations. A positive relationship was found between the additive effect of stocking and the size of the stocked pike. However, the stocking programmes implemented in France by recreational fishery managers from 2008 to 2013 increased the probability of pike occurring in the river network, without increasing abundance in well‐established pike populations, because pike stocked in their early‐life stages were used in most of the stocking programmes.
Ontogeny versus environmental forcing off the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: Nutritional condition of Fuegian sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) early stages
Authors: García Alonso Virginia Andrea , Diaz Marina Vera , Pájaro Marcelo , Capitanio Fabiana Lia
Published: May 2021

The Fuegian sprat, Sprattus fuegensis, plays a key trophic role in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. Growth and survival of small pelagic fishes like sprat are strongly affected by environmental variability and can determine recruitment success. We estimated the nucleic acid composition and assessed with a standardized RNA/DNA index (sRD) the nutritional condition of 273 larvae, metamorphosing, and juvenile Fuegian sprat from two environmentally distinct habitats: the waters off Tierra del Fuego (TDF) and the Marine Protected Area Namuncurá/Burdwood Bank (MPAN/BB). A similar ontogenetic pattern, in which nucleic acid concentrations decreased and sRD increased with increasing standard length (SL) among larval stages was observed in both habitats. A higher percentage of preflexion larvae were under the sRD threshold for growth and optimal growth performance, with sRD values being significantly higher in TDF. Postflexion larvae in both habitats showed maximum sRD values, suggesting that both habitats are suitable nursery grounds. In contrast, metamorphosing and juvenile sprat (only captured in TDF) had consistently low nucleic acid concentrations and sRD values despite increasing SL. Environmental forcing (temperature, salinity, and station depth) was assessed over size‐corrected larval sRD. The best model included a negative response to station depth, and the effect of processes associated with this factor are discussed. Although further analyses are needed to reveal underlying dynamics determining early development, these results comprise a baseline for future monitoring approaches on Fuegian sprat life traits and factors affecting their recruitment in this region.
Long‐term increases in shell thickness in Elliptio complanata (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the freshwater tidal Hudson River
Authors: Strayer David L. , Hamilton Stephen K. , Malcom Heather M.
Published: May 2021

The shells of freshwater molluscs are highly plastic in response to environmental and ecological conditions, which can affect ecological interactions and ecosystem functioning.

We tested for changes in relative shell thickness in the unionid bivalve Elliptio complanata in the freshwater tidal Hudson River over 1991–2017, a period of changing water chemistry and predation pressure.

Shells of both juveniles (shells <20 mm long) and larger animals became substantially (c. 10%–25%) and significantly heavier (for a given shell length) over the study period. This parallels previously published results for the non‐native zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha in the Hudson.

Increased shell thickness during the study period could be explained by rising pH, alkalinity, and temperature, which increased calcite saturation and favoured the precipitation of calcium carbonate shells, as well as a response to greater predation by shell‐crushing predators.

Because the factors that affect shell thickness (e.g. calcium carbonate saturation and presence and abundance of predators) are changing rapidly in many lakes and rivers, similar large changes in shell thickness may be occurring in fresh waters around the world, affecting ecological interactions and ecosystem functioning.
Regime shift tipping point in hare population collapse associated with climatic and agricultural change during the very early 20th century
Authors: Reid Neil , Brommer Jon E. , Stenseth Nils C. , Marnell Ferdia , McDonald Robbie A. , Montgomery W. Ian
Published: May 2021

Animal populations at northern latitudes may have cyclical dynamics that are degraded by climate change leading to trophic cascade. Hare populations at more southerly latitudes are characterized by dramatic declines in abundance associated with agricultural intensification. We focus on the impact of historical climatic and agricultural change on a mid‐latitude population of mountain hares, Lepus timidus hibernicus. Using game bag records from multiple sites throughout Ireland, the hare population index exhibited a distinct regime shift. Contrary to expectations, there was a dynamical structure typical of northern latitude hare populations from 1853 to 1908, during which numbers were stable but cyclic with a periodicity of 8 years. This regime was replaced by dynamics more typical of southern latitude hare populations from 1909 to 1970, in which cycles were lost and numbers declined dramatically. Destabilization of the autumn North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) led to the collapse of similar cycles in the hare population, coincident with the onset of agricultural intensification (a shift from small‐to‐large farms) in the first half of the 20th century. Similar, but more recent regime shifts have been observed in Arctic ecosystems and attributed to anthropogenic climate change. The present study suggests such shifts may have occurred at lower latitudes more than a century ago during the very early 20th century. It seems likely that similar tipping points in the population collapse of other farmland species may have occurred similarly early but went undocumented. As northern systems are increasingly impacted by climate change and probable expansion of agriculture, the interaction of these processes is likely to disrupt the pulsed flow of resources from cyclic populations impacting ecosystem function.
Long‐term nitrogen input alters plant and soil bacterial, but not fungal beta diversity in a semiarid grassland
Authors: Liu Weixing , Liu Lingli , Yang Xian , Deng Meifeng , Wang Zhou , Wang Pandeng , Yang Sen , Li Ping , Peng Ziyang , Yang Lu , Jiang Lin
Published: May 2021

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) input is known to alter plant and microbial α‐diversity, but how N enrichment influences β‐diversity of plant and microbial communities remains poorly understood. Using a long‐term multilevel N addition experiment in a temperate steppe, we show that plant, soil bacterial and fungal communities exhibited different responses in their β‐diversity to N input. Plant β‐diversity decreased linearly as N addition increased, as a result of increased directional environmental filtering, where soil environmental properties largely explained variation in plant β‐diversity. Soil bacterial β‐diversity first increased then decreased with increasing N input, which was best explained by corresponding changes in soil environmental heterogeneity. Soil fungal β‐diversity, however, remained largely unchanged across the N gradient, with plant β‐diversity, soil environmental properties, and heterogeneity together explaining an insignificant fraction of variation in fungal β‐diversity, reflecting the importance of stochastic community assembly. Our study demonstrates the divergent effect of N enrichment on the assembly of plant, soil bacterial and fungal communities, emphasizing the need to examine closely associated fundamental components (i.e., plants and microorganisms) of ecosystems to gain a more complete understanding of ecological consequences of anthropogenic N enrichment.
Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future
Authors: Severson John P. , Johnson Heather E. , Arthur Stephen M. , Leacock William B. , Suitor Michael J.
Published: May 2021

Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space‐use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter‐annual shifts in their calving and post‐calving distributions across the U.S.–Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space‐use, and then projected future distributions based on climate‐driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale‐dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post‐calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space‐use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post‐calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space‐use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.
Plant evolution overwhelms geographical origin in shaping rhizosphere fungi across latitudes
Authors: Wei Chunqiang , Gao Lunlun , Tang Xuefei , Lu Xinmin
Published: May 2021

As the number of non‐native invasive species in the world is increasing, there is a pressing need to understand the effects of invasive species on recipient biotic communities to improve our ability to migrate or relieve their potential negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Plant invasions have been shown to impose great threats to aboveground biotic communities; however, invasive impacts on soil biota remain ambiguous, partially because of the paucity of studies with a large number of species across biogeographic gradients. Here, we characterized rhizosphere fungal communities of 53 native and invasive plants spanning approximately 1800 km in China, as well as eight pairs of phylogenetically related native versus invasive plants in a greenhouse experiment. The results of both field survey and greenhouse experiment showed that rhizosphere fungal composition was primarily predicted by plant phylogeny (e.g. family and species), and plant geographic origin (native vs. invasive) and abiotic factors had much smaller effects. We detected no differences in the number and relative abundance of total and family/species‐specific OTUs (i.e. overall, pathogens and mutualists) associated with these native and invasive plants on average, suggesting novel co‐evolution between native soil fungi and these invasive plants. These results suggest that non‐native plant invasions had only a weak impact on soil fungi, partially due to stronger controls of plant evolution on rhizosphere fungi and adaptation of native fungi to these invasive species. Interestingly, rhizosphere fungal composition was more variable between invasive plants than between native plants at middle latitudes, potentially creating spatial variations in plant–soil interactions and, in turn, invasion dynamics. These novel findings highlight the importance of integrating phylogenetic and biogeographical approaches to explore invasive effects on native biota.
Rapid functional shifts across high latitude forests over the last 65 years
Authors: Hisano Masumi , Ryo Masahiro , Chen Xinli , Chen Han Y. H.
Published: May 2021

Global environmental changes have strongly affected forest demographic rates, particularly amplified tree mortality in high latitude forests (e.g., two to five times greater mortality probability over the half‐century). Although forest functional composition is critical for multitrophic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, it remains unclear how functional composition has changed over time across large high latitude regions, which have been warming twice the rate of the globe as a whole. Using extensive spatial and long‐term forest inventory data (17,107 plots monitored 1951–2016) across Canada, we found that after accounting for stand age‐dependent functional shifts, functional composition shifted toward fast‐growing deciduous broadleaved trees and higher drought tolerance over time. The temporal shift toward deciduous broadleaved trees was consistent across the baseline climate. However, over the study period, drought tolerance increased (or shade tolerance decreased) by 300% in colder boreal regions, while drought tolerance did not shift significantly in warmer temperate climates. A further analysis accounting for temporal changes in atmospheric CO2, temperature, and water availability indicated that the functional composition of colder regions shifted toward drought tolerance more rapidly with rising CO2 than warmer regions, suggesting the greater vulnerability of boreal forests than temperate forests under ongoing global environmental changes. Future ecosystem management practices should consider spatial differences in functional responses to global environmental change, focusing on high latitude forests experiencing higher rates of warming and compositional changes.
Forests buffer the climate‐induced decline of body mass in a mountain herbivore
Authors: Reiner Rudolf , Zedrosser Andreas , Zeiler Hubert , Hackländer Klaus , Corlatti Luca
Published: May 2021

Climate change is known to affect key life‐history traits, such as body mass, reproduction, and survival in many species. Animal populations inhabiting mountain habitats are adapted to extreme seasonal environmental conditions but are also expected to be especially vulnerable to climate change. Studies on mountain ungulates typically focus on populations or sections of populations living above the tree line, whereas populations inhabiting forested habitats are largely understudied. Here, we investigate whether forested areas can mitigate the impact of climatic change on life‐history traits by evaluating the interactive effects of temperature and habitat characteristics on body mass variation in the Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra. We examined data of 20,573 yearling chamois collected from 1993 to 2019 in 28 mountain ranges in the Austrian Eastern Alps, characterized by different proportion of forest cover. Our results show that the temporal decline of chamois body mass is less pronounced in areas with greater proportion of forest cover. For chamois living in forest habitats only, no significant temporal change in body mass was detected. Variation in body mass was affected by the interaction between density and snow cover, as well as by the interaction between spring temperatures and forest cover, supporting the role of forests as thermal buffer against the effects of increasing temperatures on life‐history traits in a mountain ungulate. In turn, this study suggests a buffering effect of forests against climate change impacts. Assessments of the consequences of climate change on the life‐history traits and population dynamics of mountain‐dwelling species should thus consider the plasticity of the species with respect to the use and availability of different habitat types.
Accumulation of C4‐carbon from Miscanthus in organic‐matter‐rich soils
Authors: Leifeld Jens , Alewell Christine , Paul Sonja M.
Published: May 2021

To evaluate the sustainability of biomass plantations, effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) need to be quantified. Miscanthus × giganteus is increasingly used as a bioenergy plant, and it has been hypothesized that, after conversion from cropland, Miscanthus cropping increases SOC storage, whereas conversion from grassland to Miscanthus provides, on average, no sequestration. All field studies hitherto were carried out on mineral soils with topsoil SOC contents of below 3.3%. Here, we analyze in the temperate zone of Switzerland five sites that have been cultivated with Miscanthus for 19–24 years and of which four sites are higher in topsoil SOC content (4.7%–16.2%) and storage (188–262 t SOC) than any previously studied Miscanthus plantation in Europe. We used the difference in carbon isotopic signature between C4 (Miscanthus) and neighboring plots with C3 vegetation (grassland) to quantify the accumulation of new SOC from Miscanthus down to 0.75 m. Annual C4‐C accumulation rates were 1.66 (standard error ± 0.14) t C4‐C ha−1 year−1 (range: 1.26–2.01) in the upper 0.3 m of soil and 1.96 (±0.18) t C4‐C ha−1 year−1 (1.40–2.38) in 0–0.75 m. Average rates for 0–0.3 m were higher than those of mineral soils (n = 37) published previously (0.96 [±0.10] t C4‐C ha−1 year−1). However, high rates of C4‐C accumulation were also reported previously for some mineral soils. Nevertheless, the one mineral soil in our study did not reveal a systematically different accumulation of Miscanthus‐derived carbon compared with the four carbon‐rich soils. We therefore conclude that soils rich in organic matter do not show a different C4‐C accumulation pattern as compared with mineral soils. However, their C4‐C accumulation rates are at the upper end of the data ensemble. Our results further underpin that conversion to Miscanthus, despite C4‐C accumulation, provides no means to increase soil carbon stocks relative to grassland management.
Evaluation of repair activity by quantification of ribonucleotides in the genome
Authors: Iida Tetsushi , Iida Naoko , Sese Jun , Kobayashi Takehiko
Published: May 2021

Ribonucleotides incorporated in the genome are a source of endogenous DNA damage and also serve as signals for repair. Although recent advances of ribonucleotide detection by sequencing, the balance between incorporation and repair of ribonucleotides has not been elucidated. Here, we describe a competitive sequencing method, Ribonucleotide Scanning Quantification sequencing (RiSQ‐seq), which enables absolute quantification of misincorporated ribonucleotides throughout the genome by background normalization and standard adjustment within a single sample. RiSQ‐seq analysis of cells harboring wild‐type DNA polymerases revealed that ribonucleotides were incorporated nonuniformly in the genome with a 3′‐shifted distribution and preference for GC sequences. Although ribonucleotide profiles in wild‐type and repair‐deficient mutant strains showed a similar pattern, direct comparison of distinct ribonucleotide levels in the strains by RiSQ‐seq enabled evaluation of ribonucleotide excision repair activity at base resolution and revealed the strand bias of repair. The distinct preferences of ribonucleotide incorporation and repair create vulnerable regions associated with indel hotspots, suggesting that repair at sites of ribonucleotide misincorporation serves to maintain genome integrity and that RiSQ‐seq can provide an estimate of indel risk.
The effectiveness of cognitive‐behavioural therapy on emotional regulation and quality of life in children with Haemophilia
Authors: Arbab Siyar Nikoo , Amiri Majd Mojtaba , Baghdassarians Anita
Published: May 2021

Summary and Background Data

Haemophilia has known as an inherited bleeding disorder accompanied by remarkable pain, emotional distress, and impaired quality of life (QoL) and emotional regulation. Psychological interventions, such as cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT), have cost‐effectiveness to promote emotional well‐being, QoL and emotional regulation; however, they have been scarcely used in the treatment of haemophilia.

Objectives of the Study

This research aimed at examining the effect of CBT on emotional regulation and QoL in children with haemophilia using quasi‐experimental research with pretest and post‐test design and a control group.

Method

30 subjects were selected using convenient sampling and divided into two groups (n = 15). Both groups responded to the QoL questionnaire, the Persian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) developed and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ‐k) in the pretest. The experimental group was then subjected to the CBT intervention through 9 sessions. The analysis of covariance was used for data analysis.

Results

There was a significant increase in the QoL and emotion regulation in the experimental group than the control group.

Conclusion

The CBT training was effective to stop negative thinking and control their anger at school and also to adopt more appropriate strategies to deal efficaciously with concerns in social situations. Awareness about the thoughts, feelings and behaviours and being able to solve problems enables children to have better social relations and friendships with peers and also in other social situations. It also can increase the QoL and emotion regulation.
High‐resolution upper Pliocene to Pleistocene calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy in Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1146A in the South China Sea
Authors: Emanuel Sara , Sato Tokiyuki , Chiyonobu Shun , Shyu J. Bruce H. , Bassi Davide , Iryu Yasufumi
Published: May 2021

We established a high‐resolution calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy for the late Pliocene–Pleistocene by analyzing a 242 m‐thick, continuous sedimentary succession from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1146, Hole A, in the South China Sea (SCS). A total of 14 calcareous nannofossil datums were detected in the SCS succession. They are, in descending order: first occurrence (FO) of Emiliania huxleyi, last occurrence (LO) of Pseudoemiliania lacunosa, LO of Reticulofenestra asanoi, FO of Gephyrocapsa parallela, FO of R. asanoi, LO of large Gephyrocapsa spp., FO of large G. spp., FO of Gephyrocapsa oceanica, FO of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica, LO of Calcidiscus macintyrei, LO of Discoaster brouweri, LO of Discoaster pentaradiatus, LO of Discoaster surculus, and LO of Discoaster tamalis. The FO of E. huxleyi was not precisely detected due to poor preservation and dissolution of nannofossils in the underlying strata. We refined the previous calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy in the SCS by identifying Gephyrocapsa species and four evolutionary extinction events of the genus Discoaster. The proposed calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy correlates with those reported in other terrestrial and marine areas/sites and global benthic foraminiferal δ18O records. The age–depth curves based on nannofossil biostratigraphy indicate a significant increase in the sedimentation rates at the LO of R. asanoi (0.91–0.85 Ma). The timing of this increase corresponds to reef expansion in the Ryukyu Islands linked to a stepwise increase in Kuroshio Current intensity. This timing is broadly coeval with a sea surface temperature increase of ∼2 °C in the northwestern Pacific due to expansion of the Western Pacific Warm Pool towards the north and south subtropical regions. This can be explained by increased weathering and erosion of terrestrial areas in glacial periods and increased rainfall causing higher sediment transport in interglacial periods, which were both linked to Middle Pleistocene Transition‐related climatic changes.
Development and quality characteristics of functional Kulfi fortified with microencapsulated betalains
Authors: Kaur Navneet , Kaur Amandeep , Sridhar Kandi , Sharma Minaxi , Singh Tajendra Pal , Kumar Shiv
Published: May 2021

Fruit and vegetable waste valorisation has opened opportunities for the utilisation of food waste for extraction and development of valuable functional foods. Therefore, the study was designed to develop a functional Kulfi fortified with encapsulated betalains extracted from red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) pomace. Moreover, fortified functional Kulfi samples were studied for physico‐chemical, antioxidant, microbiological and sensory analyses. Fortified functional Kulfi reported the higher antioxidant activity (64.88% and 75.27%) with reduced melting rate (1.84 mL min−1 and 2.08 mL min−1) and microbial profile (3.77 log CFU g−1 and 3.14 log CFU g−1) compared with control. Sensory analysis showed a no significant (P > 0.05) impact on the overall acceptability of functional Kulfi (7.25) compared with the commercial Kulfi (7.20), which was further confirmed by a bi‐plot of principal component analysis. Overall, the encapsulated betalains improved the quality characteristics of functional Kulfi and could be used for the development of frozen dairy products.