bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sailing in rough waters: examining volatility of fMRI noise
Authors: Leppanen Jenni , Stone Henry , Lythgoe David J. , Williams Steven , Horvath Blanka
Published: June 2020

Background

The assumption that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) noise has constant volatility has recently been challenged by studies examining heteroscedasticity arising from head motion and physiological noise. The present study builds on this work using latest methods from the field of financial mathematics to model fMRI noise volatility.

Methods

Multi-echo nd human fMRI scans were used and realised volatility was estimated. The Hurst parameterH∈ (0, 1), which governs the roughness/irregularity of realised volatility time series, was estimated. Calibration ofHwas performed pathwise, using well-established neural network calibration tools.

Results

In all experiments the volatility calibrated to values within the rough case,H< 0.5, and on average fMRI noise was very rough with 0.03 <H< 0.05. Some edge effects were also observed, wherebyHwas larger near the edges of the phantoms.

Discussion

The findings suggest that fMRI volatility is not only non-constant, but also substantially more irregular than a standard Brownian motion. Thus, further research is needed to examine the impact such pronounced oscillations in the volatility of fMRI noise have on data analyses.
Disruption of Adaptive Immunity Enhances Disease in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Syrian Hamsters
Authors: Brocato Rebecca L. , Principe Lucia M. , Kim Robert K. , Zeng Xiankun , Williams Janice A. , Liu Yanan , Li Rong , Smith Jeffrey M. , Golden Joseph W. , Gangemi Dave , Youssef Sawsan , Wang Zhongde , Glanville Jacob , Hooper Jay W.
Published: June 2020

Animal models recapitulating human COVID-19 disease, especially with severe disease, are urgently needed to understand pathogenesis and evaluate candidate vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we develop novel severe disease animal models for COVID-19 involving disruption of adaptive immunity in Syrian hamsters. Cyclophosphamide (CyP) immunosuppressed orRAG2knockout (KO) hamsters were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by the respiratory route. Both the CyP-treated andRAG2KO hamsters developed clinical signs of disease that were more severe than in immunocompetent hamsters, notably weight loss, viral loads, and fatality (RAG2KO only). Disease was prolonged in transiently immunosuppressed hamsters and uniformly lethal inRAG2KO hamsters. We evaluated the protective efficacy of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody and found that pretreatment, even in immunosuppressed animals, limited infection. Our results suggest that functional B and/or T cells are not only important for the clearance of SARS-CoV-2, but also play an early role in protection from acute disease.

One Sentence Summary

An antibody targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 limits infection in immunosuppressed Syrian hamster models.
Multi-pronged human protein mimicry by SARS-CoV-2 reveals bifurcating potential for MHC detection and immune evasion
Authors: Venkatakrishnan AJ , Kayal Nikhil , Anand Praveen , Badley Andrew D. , Church George M. , Soundararajan Venky
Published: June 2020

The hand of molecular mimicry in shaping SARS-CoV-2 evolution and immune evasion remains to be deciphered. We identify 33 distinct 8-mer/9-mer peptides that are identical between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteomes, along similar extents of viral mimicry observed in other viruses. Interestingly, 20 novel peptides have not been observed in any previous human coronavirus (HCoV) strains. Four of the total mimicked 8-mers/9-mers map onto HLA-B*40:01, HLA-B*40:02, and HLA-B*35:01 binding peptides from human PAM, ANXA7, PGD, and ALOX5AP proteins. This mimicry of multiple human proteins by SARS-CoV-2 is made salient by the targeted genes being focally expressed in arteries, lungs, esophagus, pancreas, and macrophages. Further, HLA-A*03 restricted 8-mer peptides are shared broadly by human and coronaviridae helicases with primary expression of the mimicked human proteins in the neurons and immune cells. This study presents the first comprehensive scan of peptide mimicry by SARS-CoV-2 of the human proteome and motivates follow-up research into its immunological consequences.
Predatory behaviour as a personality trait in a wild fish population
Authors: Szopa-Comley Andrew W. , Duffield Callum , Ramnarine Indar W. , Ioannou Christos C.
Published: June 2020

Consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour (i.e. animal personality variation) can influence a range of ecological and evolutionary processes, including predation. Variation between individual predators in commonly measured personality traits, such as boldness and activity, has previously been linked to encounter rates with their prey. Given the strong selection on predators to respond to prey, individual predators may also vary consistently in their response to prey in a manner that is specific to the context of predation. By studying wild piscivorous fish (pike cichlids,Crenicichla frenata) in their natural environment using experimental presentations of prey and control stimuli, we show that individual predators differ consistently in the amount of time spent near prey. Crucially, these differences were not explained by the behaviour of the same individuals in control presentations (the same apparatus lacking prey), suggesting that variation in the response to prey reflects a ‘predator personality trait’ which is independent from other individual traits (body size, boldness and/or neophobia) and environmental factors. Pike cichlids which spent more time near prey also attacked prey at a higher rate. These findings imply that the risk posed by individual predators cannot always be adequately predicted from typically studied axes of personality variation.
Ciliopathic micrognathia is caused by aberrant skeletal differentiation and remodeling
Authors: Paese Christian Louis Bonatto , Brooks Evan C. , Aarnio-Peterson Megan , Brugmann Samantha A.
Published: June 2020

Ciliopathies represent a growing class of diseases caused by defects in microtubule-based organelles called primary cilia. Approximately 30% of ciliopathies can be characterized by craniofacial phenotypes such as craniosynostosis, cleft lip/palate and micrognathia. Patients with ciliopathic micrognathia experience a particular set of difficulties including impaired feeding and breathing and have extremely limited treatment options. To understand the cellular and molecular basis for ciliopathic micrognathia, we utilized thetalpid2(ta2), a bona fide avian model for the human ciliopathy Oral-Facial-Digital syndrome subtype 14 (OFD14). Histological analyses revealed that the onset of ciliopathic micrognathia inta2embryos occurred at the earliest stages of mandibular development. Neural crest-derived skeletal progenitor cells were particularly sensitive to a ciliopathic insult, undergoing unchecked passage through the cell cycle and subsequent increased proliferation. Furthermore, whereas neural crest-derived skeletal differentiation was initiated, osteoblast maturation failed to progress to completion. Additional molecular analyses revealed that an imbalance in the ratio of bone deposition and resorption also contributed to ciliopathic micrognathia inta2embryos. Thus, our results suggest that ciliopathic micrognathia is a consequence of multiple, aberrant cellular processes necessary for skeletal development, and provide potential avenues for future therapeutic treatments.
Learning efficient task-dependent representations with synaptic plasticity
Authors: Bredenberg Colin , Simoncelli Eero P. , Savin Cristina
Published: June 2020

Neural populations do not perfectly encode the sensory world: their capacity is limited by the number of neurons, metabolic and other biophysical resources, and intrinsic noise. The brain is presumably shaped by these limitations, improving efficiency by discarding some aspects of incoming sensory streams, while prefer-entially preserving commonly occurring, behaviorally-relevant information. Here we construct a stochastic recurrent neural circuit model that can learn efficient, task-specific sensory codes using a novel form of reward-modulated Hebbian synaptic plasticity. We illustrate the flexibility of the model by training an initially unstructured neural network to solve two different tasks: stimulus estimation, and stimulus discrimination. The network achieves high performance in both tasks by appropriately allocating resources and using its recurrent circuitry to best compensate for different levels of noise. We also show how the interaction between stimulus priors and task structure dictates the emergent network representations.
Family-managed firms and employment growth during an economic downturn: does their location matter?
Authors: Amato Stefano , Basco Rodrigo , Gómez Ansón Silvia , Lattanzi Nicola
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This study investigates the relationship between family-managed firms and firm employment growth by considering the effects of location and economic crisis as moderating variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses random-effect models on a large panel dataset of Spanish manufacturing firms covering 2003 to 2015 to estimate the joint effects of municipality size and economic crisis on firm employment growth.

Findings

The analysis reveals a positive association between family-managed firms and employment growth. However, this association is not uniform across space and time. When it considers location, the study finds that municipality size positively affects employment growth in family-managed firms but not in non-family firms. Additionally, while the study reveals that both firm types experience negative employment growth during the early stage of the global economic crisis (2007–08), it also finds that family-managed firms located in small municipalities downsize less than their non-family counterparts.

Originality/value

This study provides new evidence on the resilience of family-managed firms during economic crises, particularly those located in geographically bounded settings, such as small municipalities. When an adverse event, such as an economic crisis, jeopardizes employment levels, the embedded and trust-based relationships, between a family firm and its community leads them to prioritize employees' claims. However, family-managed firms' commitment to preserve jobs in small municipalities cannot be maintained over the long term; this effect disappears if the economic crisis is protracted. This study sheds new light on family-managed firms' distinctive behavior toward with local communities.
The influence of m-marketing tools on consumer buying process: evidence from the dining sector
Authors: Patsiotis Athanasios , Atik Marwan , Perrea Toula
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper explores the potential impact of mobile marketing tools on consumer buying behaviour within the context of dining. The aim is to examine the influence of mobile marketing tools through their different functions on the stages of the consumer buying process. The study addresses a lack of relevant research with evidence from both customer and supplier perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

The mobile tools that are found useful for dining were considered in this study. Qualitative interviews with marketers and consumer opinion leaders were conducted, given the limited extant research.

Findings

The results reveal that mobile marketing tools influence consumers' decision-making differently and their effect varies according to the customer type. Additionally, it shows that loyalty has a direct influence on mobile marketing effectiveness, as the decision-making process of loyal customers is more affected by mobile marketing tools than the non-loyal customers.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are mainly based on the qualitative nature of this study and are relevant to the research context. Further research could examine these findings in different service and geographical contexts.

Practical implications

Marketing activity through the smartphone should focus on loyal customers and opinion leaders with the use of appropriate mobile tools.

Originality/value

The study provides empirical evidence on the variable influence of mobile marketing tools on consumer decision-making and develops a conceptual framework. It is also found that loyalty is an important factor that positively affects smartphone tools adoption.
Linkage between social identity creation and social networking site usage: the moderating role of usage intensity
Authors: Upadhyay Parijat , Khemka Meenakshi
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Interaction and communication through social networking sites (SNSs) has witnessed exponential growth every year. The rising popularity of this platform has made researchers take a deeper look at this phenomenon and try and study it in a structured fashion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating role of SNS usage intensity on the relationship between social capital and social identity. There are very few published literature studies available and none in the context of a developing economy, which is undergoing enormous digital transformation. While studies like this have been done in abundance in the Western world, it is still a new approach in this part of the world. Even though the variables that are being studied have been adapted from the work done earlier by other researchers, the application and interpretation are very different, primarily because of the context.

Design/methodology/approach

A primary online survey was conducted to collect data for this study. A majority of 258 respondents were in the age group of 20–40 years. Most of them had an undergraduate and/or a postgraduate degree and spent an average of 70% of their weekly time on social media. The sample size was balanced in terms of gender (male/female) as well. To validate the research model and test the hypotheses of the study, through two analysis phases including measurement model and structural model, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlations and hierarchical multiple regression were deployed. The CFA was applied to assess the validity of the four factors under study.

Findings

Factors that were studied in this article were checked for content validity and reliability. Cronbach's alpha values were <1.0 indicating the reliability of the factors taken for the study. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that with the increase in bridging and SNS usage intensity, social identity also increases at a high level of bridging. Similar results were observed when regression was conducted for bonding and SNS usage intensity. Thus, the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that SNS usage intensity positively moderated the effects of social capital on social identity. Hence, the two hypotheses were supported.

Originality/value

The results of this study are significant for business organizations and society as well. A similar type of study in the context of an economy, which has embarked on the path of digitization as a state-sponsored policy has not been reported.
Flexibility, coping capacity and resilience of organizations: between synergy and support
Authors: Karman Agnieszka
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the following related terms: flexibility, resilience and coping capacity, in order to clarify relationships between them.

Design/methodology/approach

Methods applied in the study include the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and a critical discussion considering provided references. By drawing on the notion of the ladder of abstraction, conceptual differences between the three terms are proposed.

Findings

Based on the most common associations of the terms in the literature, the paper proposes the following relationships between the terms: flexibility is most commonly associated with the inherent property of systems, which allows them to change within pre-established parameters; resilience is the ability of organizations to withstand changes in their environment and still function; coping capacity commonly refers to organizational behavior involving timely purposeful change.

Practical implications

As managers strive to improve the performance of their organizations in turbulent conditions, the paper provides a useful enhanced understanding of the relative roles that flexibility, resilience and coping capacity play in changes and maintaining the continuity of the organization.

Originality/value

While confusion between the meanings of these terms has been noted by various authors, the paper is believed to be the first to discuss the three terms in conjunction and thereby propose relationships between them. The proposed framework overcomes existing definitional fragmentation and raises awareness in the conceptualization of terms: flexibility, coping capacity and resilience. We contribute to extant business and management literature by proposing a model indicating the relationships between them.
The effect of service workers' proactive personality on their psychological withdrawal behaviors: a moderating effect of servant leadership
Authors: Song Chanhoo , Lee Chul Ho
Published: June 2020

Purpose

A worker with a proactive personality actively pursues changes in the environment instead of maintaining the status quo, leading to an expected result of a negative relationship between proactive personality and psychological withdrawal behaviors. The authors propose that based on the trait activation theory (TAT), this negative relationship is moderated by servant leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data collected from subway station workers in three metropolitan cities in South Korea supported all the hypothesized relationships. Even though the workers are not public servants, the subway companies are owned by three metropolitan cities. With reliability and validity tests for the measurements, the authors performed an ordinary least square (OLS) hierarchical multiple regression analysis for hypotheses testing.

Findings

A multilevel analysis showed that the higher a worker's proactive personality is, the less likely it is that he/she shows withdrawal behaviors at work and that the negative relationship between the two is stronger under servant leadership. An organization pursuing maximization of its members' proactive personality may find an advantage in servant leadership.

Research limitations/implications

First, the data was collected from three metropolitan city-owned companies, which may have different work attitudes and behaviors. Second, the authors hypothesized and found a negative relationship between the predictor and the dependent variable. To apply TAT more appropriately, the dependent variable could have been a positive work behavior showing a positive relationship between the predictor and the dependent variable.

Originality/value

The results of this study have both theoretical and empirical implications. In terms of theoretical implication, the study rather indirectly supports TAT. While Greenbaumet al.(2017) demonstrated the triggering effect of abusive supervision on employees' Machiavellianism, which leads to unethical behaviors, this study showed a stronger negative relationship between proactive personality and psychological withdrawal behaviors. This study provided empirical evidence showing servant leadership's role in lowering negative behaviors. This study's findings suggest how an organization could maximize the benefits of members' proactive personality under high servant leadership.
Empowerment or exposure? Ethical dilemmas of visual methods with vulnerable migrants
Authors: Hauber-Özer Melissa , Call-Cummings Meagan
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a typology of the treatment of ethical issues in recent studies using visual participatory methods with immigrants and refugees and provide insights for researchers into how these issues can be more adequately addressed.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents the results of a scoping study as a typology of ethical considerations, from standard IRB approval to complete ethical guidelines/frameworks for research with refugee/migrant populations.

Findings

The review reveals that there is a broad spectrum of ethical considerations in the use of visual participatory methods with migrants, with the majority only giving cursory or minimal attention to the particular vulnerabilities of these populations.

Originality/value

This paper encourages university-based researchers conducting participatory inquiry with migrant populations to engage in deeper critical reflection on the ethical implications of these methods in keeping with PAR's ethico-onto-epistemological roots, to make intentional methodological choices that are congruent with those roots and to be explicit in their description of how they did this as they disseminate their work.
Distinctive ethical challenges in qualitative research with migrant children
Authors: Castillo Goncalves Diego
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper describes distinctive ethical challenges encountered in qualitative research with migrant children. It brings attention to how the exploratory nature of qualitative research, intersected with the multifaced realities of migrant children, shapes stances towards these ethical challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is developed through conceptual and reflective contributions. It narrates distinctiveness within ethical challenges via the literature. It then illustrates these, through the author's experiences of negotiating such tensions on a project with a category of migrant children, namely, separated children.

Findings

Ethical choices are made throughout the research processes. These choices need to be matched to distinctive childhood and migration intersections, and methodological frameworks must reflect these, including when applied to standardised ethical guidelines. Transparency, reflexivity and positionality influence these choices, and researchers have enhanced responsibility to minimise harm in how they research migrant children.

Research limitations/implications

Findings relate to work in development, where sensitivities regarding research conduct are still present. The scope is therefore on particular challenges of dealing with ethical codes and practices. The intention of the author is for this to be a reflective discussion producing paper, but not a practice guide.

Originality/value

Its value is centred on taking generalised ethical challenges in qualitative work with children and systematically contextualising these regarding factors specific to migrant children, arguing that the way which migrant children are represented is in itself a key ethical challenge. It further contributes to the body of knowledge by describing procedures of a qualitative study which address some of this distinctiveness.
Improved multifunctional controller for power quality enhancement in grid integrated solar photovoltaic systems
Authors: Chacko Fossy Mary , George Ginu Ann , M.V. Jayan , A. Prince
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an improved multifunctional control strategy for achieving real, reactive power flow control and the mitigation of power quality issues in grid integrated photovoltaic (GIPV) systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes a dual stage, three phase, multifunctional GIPV system with modified instantaneous reactive power (IRP) theory-based and modified synchronous reference frame (SRF) theory-based control algorithms for reference template generation with continuous load power requirement tracking. The control structure is designed so as to impart virtual distribution static compensator functionality to the photovoltaic inverter. The dual mode operation in active filter and renewable power injection modes provides enhanced capability to the GIPV system. A comprehensive evaluation of the dynamic behaviour of the GIPV system is carried out for various conditions of irradiance and load under MATLAB/Simulink platform. The performance comparison is done considering an uncompensated system and the GIPV system with both proposed control algorithms.

Findings

The extensive simulation results demonstrate that the proposed modified SRF theory-based multifunctional control strategy shows superior performance in real and reactive power flow control; reduction in real and reactive burden of the utility grid; and regulation of dc bus voltage under varying scenarios of irradiance and load. Furthermore, there is improvement of grid power factor and reduction in total harmonic distortion of grid currents in compliance with the IEEE 519 standard even with highly non-linear loads at the point of common coupling.

Originality/value

The proposed modified SRF theory-based multifunctional controller offers a viable solution for power quality enhancement as well as the realization of effective real and reactive power flow control in GIPV systems. Thus, the penetration level of distributed generation can be increased in this era of global energy crisis.
Oxidative stress mediates rapid compensatory growth and its costs
Authors: Janssens Lizanne , Stoks Robby
Published: June 2020

While oxidative stress has been hypothesized to function both as a constraint on and a cost of growth, its mediatory role in shaping life history is still highly debated. Empirical studies about the role of oxidative stress in shaping growth responses and the associated costs are scarce and the two hypotheses have never been combined in one study.

By directly manipulating oxidative stress, we tested its role in determining compensatory growth responses and the associated costs in the damselfly Lestes viridis. We reduced oxidative stress levels using the mitochondrial uncoupler 2,4‐dinitrophenol (DNP). To induce a compensatory growth response, half of the larvae in each oxidant treatment was exposed to a transient starvation period, after which food was present ad libitum.

As expected, the transient starvation period induced a compensatory growth response, which was associated with increased oxidative damage and costs in terms of performance (reduced escape swimming speed) and physiology (reduced fat content). As expected, DNP exposure reduced oxidative stress and this resulted in the strongest compensatory growth response without any apparent costs and no increase in oxidative damage.

By directly downregulating oxidative stress, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the level of oxidative stress predictably determines the degree of the compensatory growth response and its associated costs. Our data therefore suggest a mediatory role of oxidative stress in shaping life history.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Separation of magnetic anomalies into induced and remanent magnetization contributions
Authors: Baniamerian Jamaledin , Liu Shuang , Hu Xiangyun , Fedi Maurizio , Chauhan Mahak Singh , Abbas Mahmoud Ahmed
Published: June 2020

Inversion of magnetic data is complicated by the presence of remanent magnetization, and it provides limited information about the magnetic source because of the insufficiency of data and constraint information. We propose a Fourier domain transformation allowing the separation of magnetic anomalies into the components caused by induced and remanent magnetizations. The approach is based on the hypothesis that each isolated source is homogeneous with a uniform and specific Koenigsberger ratio. The distributions of susceptibility and remanent magnetization are subsequently recovered from the separated anomalies. Anomaly components, susceptibility distribution and distribution of the remanent and total magnetization vectors (direction and intensity) can be achieved through the processing of the anomaly components. The proposed method therefore provides a procedure to test the hypotheses about target source and magnetic field, by verifying these models based on available information or a priori information from geology. We test our methods using synthetic and real data acquired over the Zhangfushan iron‐ore deposit and the Yeshan polymetallic deposit in eastern China. All the tests yield favourable results and the obtained models are helpful for the geological interpretation.
Evaluating the potential for bird‐habitat models to support biodiversity‐friendly urban planning
Authors: Plummer Kate E. , Gillings Simon , Siriwardena Gavin M.
Published: June 2020

Urban expansion poses a major threat to wildlife populations. Biodiversity‐friendly urban landscapes could deliver benefits for both wildlife and people, by incorporating conservation and ecosystem services objectives. Well‐designed urban developments could also soften the ecological impacts of urbanization. However, delivering urban landscapes that integrate biodiversity requirements effectively remains challenging.

Ecological models, designed to predict wildlife population responses to alternative urban designs, could prove effective in supporting the creation of biodiversity‐friendly urban landscapes. Here, we combine national‐scale bird abundance data with high resolution, spatially explicit habitat data to characterize relationships between bird densities and urban landscape form in Britain. From these analyses and cross validation, we evaluate the potential for well‐parameterized, species‐specific models to be used to predict bird densities in novel or modified urban areas.

Our analyses indicate that responses of bird abundance to urban habitat are species‐specific and complex, with few variables consistently affecting a large proportion of species. However, contiguous areas of greenspace within urban sites are preferential for accommodating breeding birds, compared to a more fragmented arrangement of multiple, small greenspace patches. In combination, the bird‐habitat relationships identified could successfully predict observed variation in abundance for most bird species considered.

Further evaluation of habitat descriptor variables, spatial scales of species' habitat use and analytical modelling approaches may be needed to improve the predictive ability of bird‐habitat models for certain species, particularly waterbirds and those observed less frequently in urban areas.

Synthesis and applications. We modelled breeding bird abundance in built‐up areas with respect to the characteristics and contexts of urban environments. While most variables were important for multiple species, responses overall were species‐specific, so simple assemblage metrics, like diversity, will not describe the variation in bird communities well. However, the results illustrate the potential of an evidence‐based, spatially explicit evaluation of urban development impacts on biodiversity, by predicting the consequences for bird numbers. Subject to verification of predictive ability, practitioners can apply the models to compare, for example, land‐sparing and sharing within developments, or to quantify the biodiversity requirements for effective offsetting. This would be facilitated by incorporation into an online tool allowing user‐determined input scenarios.
Contrasting species decline but high sensitivity to increasing water stress on a mixed pine–oak ecotone
Authors: Gea‐Izquierdo Guillermo , Aranda Ismael , Cañellas Isabel , Dorado‐Liñán Isabel , Olano Jose Miguel , Martin‐Benito Dario
Published: June 2020

Forest decline under environmental stress is expressed by regeneration failure and accelerated mortality in all ontogenic stages at the population level. Characterizing functional traits and mechanisms that best capture species decline and mortality is essential to assess forest dynamics.

We analysed sensitivity to increasing water stress in two species with different water‐use strategies on a mixed Quercus pyrenaica–Pinus sylvestris forest where adult pines express vulnerability to climate change but oaks do not. We compared the dynamics of radial growth, wood δ13C and sapwood non‐structural carbohydrates (NSCs) in response to drought at different time‐scales in both species and two age cohorts in pine.

Both species were very sensitive to water stress, which influenced trait phenotypic plasticity at short‐ and long time‐scales. Water‐use strategy in pines of both ages was more conservative than in the more drought‐tolerant oak. Both species showed negative growth trends despite increasing intrinsic water‐use efficiency. Recent growth of pines is slower than it was in the past. Carbon isotope discrimination trends in young pines suggested increasing leaf gas exchange constraints. NSCs were far from depletion in both species and all pine ages. Intra‐ and inter‐annual NSC variability was higher in oaks than in pines and in soluble sugars (SS) than in starch. SS were lowest in young pines. Sensitivity of NSCs to contrasting climatic years was low in pines, and NSC levels mostly remained homeostatic for this species. The sensitivity to climate expressed suggests different C allocation strategies, with less coupling between radial growth and current‐year photosynthesis in young pines.

Synthesis. Pines expressed negative responses to increased water stress regardless of age, showing rising gas exchange constraints through tighter stomatal control of water losses than oaks. Young pines showed similar functional responses to water stress than old pines in decline, which suggests species‐level vulnerability and could be regarded as early warning signals anticipating mortality in pines. Yet, given the high sensitivity to drought also expressed by the non‐declining oak, it would have been difficult to unequivocally disentangle species decline based only on the functional traits analysed.
Competition and demography rather than dispersal limitation slow down upward shifts of trees’ upper elevation limits in the Alps
Authors: Scherrer Daniel , Vitasse Yann , Guisan Antoine , Wohlgemuth Thomas , Lischke Heike
Published: June 2020

Species range limits are expected to be dramatically altered under future climate change and many species are predicted to shift their distribution upslope to track their suitable conditions (i.e. based on their niche). However, there might be large discrepancies between the speed of the upward shift of the climatic niche and the actual migration velocity of the species, especially in long‐lived organisms such as trees. In fact, most studies did not find any significant upward shift of the distributional limits of temperate forest trees over the last decades. It therefore beckons the questions why trees are moving upslope much slower than their bioclimatic envelope and what are the implications for ecosystem functioning.

Here, we compared the simulations of the upslope displacement of the bioclimatic envelope of 16 tree species inhabiting temperate mountain forests under ongoing and future climate change obtained by correlative species distribution models (SDMs) to those from a dynamic forest model accounting for dispersal, competition and demography. We then partitioned the discrepancy in upslope migration velocity between the SDMs and the dynamic forest model into different components by manipulating dispersal limitation, interspecific competition and demography.

Tree species in the dynamic forest model migrated only slowly upslope in contrast to the SDMs. Most of the difference in migration velocity can directly be attributed to tree's demography (long life cycle), followed by effects of competition and only a marginal contribution of dispersal limitation. Additionally, lower elevation species (‘non‐treeline’) shifted slower upslope than high elevation species (‘treeline’) indicating a strong effect of interspecific competition at their leading edge.

Synthesis. Forests have a high inertia to climate change because of their longevity and ability to acclimatize to high climatic fluctuations. Lower elevation tree species (deciduous) only slowly establish in stands at higher elevation where coniferous species dominate and likely profit from facilitation by disturbance events. Therefore, forest ecosystems seem to persist, even if climate becomes unfavourable, until they approach a tipping point at which an extreme event (e.g. drought, storm or insect attack) leads to a large dieback and resource change enabling new suitable species to spread and establish.
‘Destiny is written by God’: Islamic predestination, responsibility, and transcendence in Central Morocco
Authors: Menin Laura
Published: June 2020

Tracing the story of Atiqa, a young Moroccan woman in her late twenties, and the revivalist imagination that informs it, I reflect in this article on how responsibility is imagined and reckoned with when human choice and action encounter the transcendental forces of destiny. Far from leading to an abeyance of responsibility in the face of worldly and transcendental powers, I show that it is precisely the idea of a divine predestination based on God's omnipotence and omniscience that triggers an ethical reflection on questions of choice, action, and consequence. Atiqa's story provides insights with regard to the notion of human responsibility under God's will. Revealing the relational dynamics of the encounter (and disjuncture) between human and divine intentionalities, it compels us not only to move beyond the emphasis on the embodiment of divine will present in the paradigm of self‐cultivation, but also to reconsider transcendence in current anthropological debates on ethics.
Expanding intersubjective awareness: the anthropology of kinaesthetic diversity
Authors: Hammer Gili
Published: June 2020

When people with widely diverse bodily characteristics collaborate in dancing together, an exploration and communication of movement and embodied knowledge takes place through dialogue and shared practice. Engagement in these activities develops participants’ awareness of and appreciation for kinaesthetic complexities and diverse embodiments, promoting an understanding of bodily difference as contributing to, rather than detracting from, the realm of physical arts and society as a whole. Based on fieldwork conducted in Israel and the United States with integrated dance projects bringing together people with and without disabilities, this article offers an ethnographic analysis that continues the anthropological endeavour of revealing the ways kinaesthetic knowledge (awareness and knowledge of the movement and spatial orientation of one's body) is fostered. Introducing disability into movement theory, I offer an understanding of movement/stasis as a spectrum of ways of moving, looking at what happens when individuals who are different from one another engage in shared, critical reflection upon their movement practices.
From hazard analysis to risk control using rapid methods in microbiology: A practical approach for the food industry
Authors: Ripolles‐Avila Carolina , Martínez‐Garcia Maria , Capellas Marta , Yuste Josep , Fung Daniel Y. C. , Rodríguez‐Jerez José‐Juan
Published: June 2020

The prevention of foodborne diseases is one of the main objectives of health authorities. To this effect, analytical techniques to detect and/or quantify the microbiological contamination of foods prior to their release onto the market are required. Management and control of foodborne pathogens have generally been based on conventional detection methodologies, which are not only time‐consuming and labor‐intensive but also involve high consumable materials costs. However, this management perspective has changed over time given that the food industry requires efficient analytical methods that obtain rapid results. This review covers the historical context of traditional methods and their passage in time through to the latest developments in rapid methods and their implementation in the food sector. Improvements and limitations in the detection of the most relevant pathogens are discussed from a perspective applicable to the current situation in the food industry. Considering efforts that are being done and recent developments, rapid and accurate methods already used in the food industry will be also affordable and portable and offer connectivity in near future, which improves decision‐making and safety throughout the food chain.
Enquiries to the New Zealand National Poisons Centre in 2018
Authors: Kumpula Eeva‐Katri , Shieffelbien Lucy M , Pomerleau Adam C
Published: June 2020

Objective

A retrospective analysis of enquiries made to the New Zealand National Poisons Centre (NZNPC) in 2018; which includes direct contacts through telephone of caller, patient and exposure substance characteristics, and indirect contacts through the internet of page hits by New Zealand (NZ) healthcare professionals on the TOXINZ poisons information database.

Methods

All calls made to the NZNPC, and TOXINZ page hits by NZ based healthcare professionals, from 1 January to 31 December 2018 were analysed. For calls, caller location and relationship to the patient, reason and site for the exposure, patient demographics and the management advice given by NZNPC were described. Substance classes and most frequently encountered individual agents were described for both call data and web page hits to TOXINZ.

Results

There were 25 330 calls to the NZNPC and 39 028 TOXINZ web page hits in 2018. Most callers were members of the public (79.4%), calling from residential settings (77.2%), reporting an exposure which had occurred in a residential setting (88.2%) because of child exploratory behaviour (50.3%), and which involved a person aged 0–4 years (50.3%) who could be managed at home (74.3%). TOXINZ searches mostly involved therapeutics, especially paracetamol.

Conclusions

In 2018, the NZNPC provided assessment and/or advice in 64 358 enquiries, comprising 25 330 direct contacts and 39 028 indirect contacts. The NZNPC provides specialised services regularly used by both members of the public and healthcare professionals that contributes to the clinical management of poisoned and potentially poisoned patients in NZ.
Phenolic profile associated with chilling tolerance induced by the application of a hot water treatment in bell pepper fruit
Authors: López‐Velázquez Jordi G. , Delgado‐Vargas Francisco , López‐Ángulo Gabriela , García‐Armenta Evangelina , López‐López Martha E. , Ayón‐Reyna Lidia E. , Díaz‐Corona Denisse A. , Vega‐García Misael O.
Published: June 2020

Hot water treatment (HT) has proved to alleviate chilling injury (CI) in bell pepper and other Solanaceae species, this has been associated with the presence of metabolites such as sugars and polyamines, which protect the plasmatic membrane. However, it is unknown if the phenolic compounds in bell pepper play a role in the CI tolerance induced by the application of a HT. The aim of this study was to identify the specific phenolics associated with induced CI tolerance in bell pepper by HT (53 °C, 1 to 3 min). Fruit treated for 1 min (HT‐1 min) exhibited CI tolerance (the lowest symptom development, electrolyte leakage, and vitamin C loss) and was the chosen treatment for further experiments. The phenolic composition was affected by HT‐1 min and CI. Phenolics presented a strong correlation with the antioxidant activity. In fruit with CI tolerance, the concentration of seven compounds was increased, being quercetin‐O‐rhamnoside‐O‐hexoside and chlorogenic acid the most remarkable. Quercetin‐3‐O‐rhamnoside was accumulated only in fruit with induced tolerance, meanwhile orientin was particularly sensitive to heat and cold exposure. Thus, HT‐1 min (53 °C, 1 min) is a useful technology to induce CI tolerance in bell pepper and such tolerance is associated with the phenolic composition that may reduce the prevalence of oxidative stress during the storage under CI conditions.

Practical Application

Phenolics induced by CI and HT may be useful to detect early stages of heat and chilling injuries in bell pepper and prevent the negative effect of such stresses even before its harvest and during commercial storage. Additionally, the phenolics associated with CI tolerance may be used as markers in breeding programs to create new chilling resistant cultivars.
A chromosome‐level genome assembly of the parasitoid wasp Pteromalus puparum
Authors: Ye Xinhai , Yan Zhichao , Yang Yi , Xiao Shan , Chen Longfei , Wang Jiale , Wang Fei , Xiong Shijiao , Mei Yang , Wang Fang , Yao Hongwei , Song Qisheng , Li Fei , Fang Qi , Werren John H. , Ye Gongyin
Published: June 2020

Parasitoid wasps represent a large proportion of hymenopteran species. They have complex evolutionary histories and are important biocontrol agents. To advance parasitoid research, a combination of Illumina short‐read, PacBio long‐read and Hi‐C scaffolding technologies was used to develop a high‐quality chromosome‐level genome assembly for Pteromalus puparum, which is an important pupal endoparasitoid of caterpillar pests. The chromosome‐level assembly has aided in studies of venom and detoxification genes. The assembled genome size is 338 Mb with a contig N50 of 38.7 kb and a scaffold N50 of 1.16 Mb. Hi‐C analysis assembled scaffolds onto five chromosomes and raised the scaffold N50 to 65.8 Mb, with more than 96% of assembled bases located on chromosomes. Gene annotation was assisted by RNA sequencing for the two sexes and four different life stages. Analysis detected 98% of the BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single‐Copy Orthologs) gene set, supporting a high‐quality assembly and annotation. In total, 40.1% (135.6 Mb) of the assembly is composed of repetitive sequences, and 14,946 protein‐coding genes were identified. Although venom genes play important roles in parasitoid biology, their spatial distribution on chromosomes was poorly understood. Mapping has revealed venom gene tandem arrays for serine proteases, pancreatic lipase‐related proteins and kynurenine–oxoglutarate transaminases, which have amplified in the P. puparum lineage after divergence from its common ancestor with Nasonia vitripennis. In addition, there is a large expansion of P450 genes in P. puparum. These examples illustrate how chromosome‐level genome assembly can provide a valuable resource for molecular, evolutionary and biocontrol studies of parasitoid wasps.
The attempted predation of a sand goanna (Varanus gouldii) by a juvenile red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Authors: Brown Amber , Wooster Eamonn , Norval Gerrut , Gardner Michael G. , Ueland Maiken
Published: June 2020

Predation is a dynamic process that is directly influenced by resource availability (e.g. prey types), and the health and welfare conditions of the predator (e.g. body condition, health status). When these conditions are altered, predators may need to adapt new modes of predation for survival. On 26 October 2019, a mid‐day attempted predation event occurred between a juvenile fox and a subadult sand goanna. This event occurred in an area that has been subject to long‐term drought conditions with significant vegetation die‐off, which may have influenced the availability of preferred small mammal prey. Additionally, this event occurred in broad daylight, which may be considered risk‐taking behaviour for the juvenile fox. Supporting this, the fox was in poor body condition (e.g. underweight with sarcoptic mange). Until this recording, no direct evidence has been reported regarding the predator/prey relationship between the two species. This observation supports that foxes may adopt prey‐switching behaviour under certain environmental and health conditions. As drought conditions continue to fluctuate in Australia, it is important that the full scope of fox predatory behaviour is well understood for the future management of Australian ecosystems.