bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revival of wind‐powered shipping: Comparing the early‐stage innovation process of an incumbent and a newcomer firm
Authors: Stalmokaitė Ignė , Larsson Segerlind Tommy , Yliskylä‐Peuralahti Johanna
Published: May 2022

Despite the urgency of decarbonising, the shipping sector has demonstrated a slow‐paced response to climate change challenges. Some frontrunner firms are engaged in sustainability‐oriented innovation processes. However, there is limited knowledge of how such processes emerge and contribute to societal sustainability transitions and what the role of technology is in companies' (re)orientation towards sustainable business models. This study contributes to filling these gaps through a comparative case study of the ongoing innovation process within an incumbent and a newcomer firm developing wind‐powered energy solutions for deep‐sea transportation. The study's findings bear implications for theory and practice. This paper's combination of a dynamic capabilities approach and a multi‐level perspective from sustainability transitions research is a conceptual novelty, enabling an understanding of the activities involved in the (re)orientation process towards sustainable business from a company's perspective, as well as broader societal and sustainability needs.
How can China's sustainable development be damaged in consequence of financial misallocation? Analysis from the perspective of regional innovation capability
Authors: Li Yunwei , Long Wenjing , Ning Xiao , Zhu Yumeng , Guo Yifan , Huang Zhou , Hao Yu
Published: May 2022

China's extensive economic growth has been accompanied with high levels of pollution, and excessive energy consumption has brought serious pollution problems. The use of financial resources to regulate green production modes and encourage high‐quality economic development has become a major focus in academia. At the same time, growth enterprise market (GEM) enterprises, which mainly operate in technology‐intensive industries, are assumed to have a simulating effect on regional innovation. Therefore, this paper utilizes the capital return differences of 4437 listed companies and 920 GEM companies based in 30 provinces of China from 2008 to 2018 to quantitatively analyze the levels of financial misallocation. With two‐stage regression method, the direct effect of financial misallocation on regional green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) and the indirect impact observed when taking regional innovation as an intermediary variable are discussed. Furthermore, dynamic threshold panel regression and heterogeneity analysis are used to verify the above nonlinear relationship. The empirical findings indicate that financial misallocation enhances innovation capability and further restrains GTFEE. With an improved degree of marketization and environmental regulation, the inhibitory effect of financial misallocation on GTFEE is more significant.
Critical human and behavioral factors on the adoption of sustainable supply chain management practices in the context of automobile industry
Authors: Gedam Vidyadhar V. , Raut Rakesh D. , Agrawal Nishant , Zhu Qingyun
Published: May 2022

Built upon the resource‐based view, the study examines the critical human and behavioral factors (HBFs) on adopting sustainable supply chain practices in the automobile sector (AS). The Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Decision‐Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method is applied to understand the causeeffect relationships between (HBFs), evidenced by a case study in the automobile industry of India. The causeeffect relationships are informed by an expert team consisting of 18 members working in academia, the automobile industry, and professional consulting companies. The experts provided their inputs based on their direct experience and expertise in this subject matter. The research findings highlight that sustainable supply chain cost (end to end) is a critical success factor. Mangers in the AS should prioritize and focus on sustainable supply chain costs (end to end) to pursue sustainable practices because such critical success factors can foster information sharing behavior. The firms could develop both hard and soft critical HBFs such as Information technology (IT) infrastructure and employee training to build up HBFs to integrate a supply chain. The study provides insight to academicians, policymakers, and practitioners about critical HBFs and develops sustainability goals and policies accordingly.
An approach to determining, delivering, and assessing essential course content in a medical human anatomy course
Authors: McNamara John P. , Nolan Michael F.
Published: May 2022

Learning objectives typically indicate subject matter judged to be important or that represents essential material to be learned during a course. We report here on our efforts to identify essential course content and determine our effectiveness teaching and assessing this content in our preclinical human anatomy course. Using a consensus driven approach, we identified anatomical structures, relationships, and functional concepts judged to represent essential material in our unit on the thorax that students were expected to be familiar with. We then determined performance on specific examination questions that focused directly on the essential material. Thirty‐seven of 48 students (77%) correctly answered all 34 of 51 questions that directly focused on content we defined as essential. The remaining 11 students answered the majority of these questions correctly. The overall mean score was 86% (range 61%–98%). Our review of student performance on the End of Block thorax examination confirmed our belief that we were successful in helping students learn material we defined as essential. We found the process described here to be helpful in defining essential content and for helping focus and improve medical education and learning assessment based on that material. We believe the idea of defining essential content that can be efficiently taught and effectively learned within a proscribed period of time is an important and necessary objective. We believe the approach used here might be successfully utilized in other programs in efforts aimed at quality improvement.
Iatrogenic Peri‐Implantitis—Factors Interplaying the Implant Suprastructure Design
Authors: Dab Sandeep Singh
Published: May 2022

Focused Clinical Question

What is the key clinically controllable preventive measure that may help reduce the incidence of biological complications?

Implant complications are common, ineffective care, and delay in diagnosis can lead to expensive time‐consuming surgical and nonsurgical interventions. Careful selection and placement of implant allow development of adequate emergence design of the implant suprastructure. This helps achieve effective plaque control, adequate maintenance at hygiene visits, accurate follow‐up assessments of the peri‐implant tissues addressing the key underlying factor impacting biological complications. This clinically controllable preventative measure may be considered a vital strategy in averting peri‐implant disease.

Conclusions

Surge in biological complications has led to increased patient dissatisfaction in terms of time, cost, esthetics, and maintenance. One of the factors identified in causing biological complications is the iatrogenic prosthesis‐related factor. Minimizing the impact of this factor is crucial to the overall implant success. Selection and placement of implant following meticulous planning, using careful surgical protocols, allow development of adequate suprastructure design that improves overall patient outcomes by reducing biological complications. Further research is essential to comprehensively assess the impact of these strategies in thwarting development of biological complications.
The ecological and economic advantages of carbon reinforced concrete—Using the C3 result house CUBE especially the BOX value chain as an example
Authors: Tietze Matthias , Kirmse Susanne , Kahnt Alexander , Schladitz Frank , Curbach Manfred
Published: May 2022

Against the background of global warming and the associated need to drastically reduce energy and resource consumption, action must also be taken in the building sector. Resource‐efficient construction methods must be used that nevertheless allow the increasing construction tasks in areas such as infrastructure and housing to continue to be fulfilled. In order to successfully introduce a new construction method to the market, the aspects of recyclability and economic efficiency are essential, in addition to important government requirements for climate neutrality and technical performance. Above all, the economic viability, that is, the economic advantageousness, as well as its simple applicability compared to competing systems, decides on the success and widespread use of a new technology. Carbon reinforced concrete, with its outstanding technical properties and simultaneous material efficiency, is an important building block toward climate neutrality in the construction industry. It is a promising technology that still has to prove its economic advantages and robust applicability under market conditions. In addition to the infrastructure sector, there is great potential in the area of housing creation, which needs to be tapped for carbon reinforced concrete. For this challenge, it is necessary to design a competitive value chain that allows the realization of marketable products in mass production on existing plant technology. The article gives a short overview of the economic and ecological status quo in the field of prefabricated construction with carbon concrete, using the example of the C3‐result building CUBE. In particular, the CUBE‐BOX, which is made of prefabricated and semi‐prefabricated parts, is examined in more detail and the carbon reinforced concrete components used are compared with classic reinforced concrete constructions in terms of sustainability. In this context, the conceivable global climate protection contribution of the carbon reinforced concrete construction method is forecast based on potential market segments.
Ligand‐Enabled [3+2] Annulation of Aromatic Acids with Maleimides by C(sp3)−H and C(sp2)−H Bond Activation
Authors: Naskar Gouranga , Jeganmohan Masilamani
Published: May 2022

A palladium‐catalyzed [3+2] annulation of substituted benzoic acids with maleimides leading to tricyclic heterocyclic molecules having a free carboxylic group in a high atom‐ and step‐economical manner is described. The reaction proceeds via a dual C−H bond activation such as C(sp3)−H at the benzylic position and C(sp2)−H bond activation at the meta position of substituted aromatics. An external ligand (MPAA) is crucial for the success of present protocol. Further, the decarboxylation and esterification of the free carboxylic acid group of observed products were carried out.
Use of the Weibull model on sizing thickeners—Part II: Methods of thickener sizing
Authors: Ferreira Daniel José de Oliveira , Galery Roberto , Cardoso Marcelo , de Oliveira Idalmo Montenegro
Published: May 2022

Among several methods employed for sizing thickeners available in the literature, the Kynch, Biscaia Jr., Talmadge and Fitch, Roberts, Coe and Clevenger, and Oltmann methods use experimental data from sedimentation curves and graphical approaches. By using the Weibull distribution, it is possible to represent sedimentation curves with algebraic equations, which does not require the use of graphical approaches and provides more accuracy and speed for sizing calculations. In the present work, the main objective is the development of a set of equations for sizing continuous thickeners, for six conventional methods found in the literature, using the Weibull model. A comparative analysis of calculated and literature diameters for each graphical method presented variations between 0.73% and 8.93%. The use of the Weibull model presented the best accuracy for the Biscaia Jr. method, with a 0.73% average absolute error.
Text sentiment analysis on E‐shopping product reviews using chaotic coyote optimized deep belief network approach
Authors: Mohana R. S. , Rajathi K. , Kousalya K. , Yuvaraja T.
Published: May 2022

Text sentiment analysis is mainly used to the customers benefits. In the existing works, the text sentiment analysis faces more troubles such as, disambiguation (removing unwanted terms), discussions, contrast, intensity, and excessive flections and complex sound structure with less accuracy. In this article, the text sentiment analysis on E‐shopping product using chaotic coyote optimized deep belief network approach is proposed to minimize the troubles in the sentiment analysis and increase the accuracy. The other name of sentiment analysis is subjective analysis. The main objective of this article is “classify the text sentiments according to the polarity (positive and negative) and to increase the accuracy.” Here, the E‐shopping Kaggle datasets are preprocessed and the features are extracted. Then, the extracted features of the trained data's are given using deep belief network (DBN) classifier to get pure sentiments (positive or negative) with accuracy. Here, the performance metrics of the accuracy, recall, and precision, F‐measure, specificity, and sensitivity are calculated. The simulation process is executed in Python platform. The proposed chaotic coyote optimized deep belief network (CCO‐DBN) attains accuracy 9.8%, precision 17.2%, recall 5.61%, F‐measure 17.07%, specificity 2.247%, sensitivity 13.25% is higher than the existing methods such as FCM‐DFA, GA, SVM‐RFA.
Synthesis, Crystal Growth, and Characterization of a New Nonlinear Optical Crystal: EBQ‐T
Authors: Wang Guanjun , Wang Tianhua , Xu Kai , Chen Rui , Ma Jinkang , Yin Yanzhen , Cao Lifeng , Teng Bing
Published: May 2022

A type of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) material EBQ‐T (2‐(4‐ethoxystyryl)‐1‐methyl‐quinolinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate) is synthesized, and the EBQ‐T crystal with a size of 11 × 5 × 2 mm3 is grown by the evaporation method in methanol. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms that the EBQ‐T crystal belongs to the non‐centrosymmetric Cc space group, and the edge molecular orbital energy gap (HOMO‐LUMO) is calculated. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and fourier transform infra‐red (FT‐IR) tests further verify the crystal functional group. The crystal has a high second‐order nonlinear effect, and the second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency is about 3 times that of the KDP crystal. The ultraviolet‐visible‐near infrared (UV–vis–NIR) absorption spectrum shows that the EBQ‐T crystal has good transmission performance, which can be up to 76%. Additionally, thermal stability and electrical properties of the EBQ‐T crystal are characterized.
Constructing Binder‐ and Carbon Additive‐Free Organosulfur Cathodes Based on Conducting Thiol‐Polymers through Electropolymerization for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Ning Jiaoyi , Yu Hongtao , Mei Shilin , Schütze Yannik , Risse Sebastian , Kardjilov Nikolay , Hilger André , Manke Ingo , Bande Annika , Ruiz Victor G. , Dzubiella Joachim , Meng Hong , Lu Yan
Published: May 2022

Herein, the concept of constructing binder‐ and carbon additive‐free organosulfur cathode was proved based on thiol‐containing conducting polymer poly(4‐(thiophene‐3‐yl) benzenethiol) (PTBT). The PTBT featured the polythiophene‐structure main chain as a highly conducting framework and the benzenethiol side chain to copolymerize with sulfur and form a crosslinked organosulfur polymer (namely S/PTBT). Meanwhile, it could be in‐situ deposited on the current collector by electro‐polymerization, making it a binder‐free and free‐standing cathode for Li‐S batteries. The S/PTBT cathode exhibited a reversible capacity of around 870 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and improved cycling performance compared to the physically mixed cathode (namely S&PTBT). This multifunction cathode eliminated the influence of the additives (carbon/binder), making it suitable to be applied as a model electrode for operando analysis. Operando X‐ray imaging revealed the remarkable effect in the suppression of polysulfides shuttle via introducing covalent bonds, paving the way for the study of the intrinsic mechanisms in Li‐S batteries.
Large‐scale isolation of functional dermal papilla cells using novel surface marker LEPTIN Receptor
Authors: Gao Lipeng , Chen Eve Qian , Zhong Hong‐Bing , Xie Jing , Song Hong‐Zhi , Zhao Xu‐Bo , Lin Jin‐Ran , Liu Qingmei , Wang Shihua , Wu Wen‐Yu , Zhao Robert Chunhua , Liao Xin‐Hua
Published: May 2022

Dermal papilla (DP) cells regulate hair follicle epithelial cells and melanocytes by secreting functional factors, playing a key role in hair follicle morphogenesis and hair growth. DP cells can reconstitute new hair follicles and induce hair regeneration, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for treating hair loss. However, current methods for isolating DP cells are either inefficient (physical microdissection) or only applied to genetically labeled mice. We systematically screened for the surface proteins specifically expressed in skin DP using mRNA expression databases. We identified two antibodies against receptors LEPTIN Receptor (LEPR ) and Scavenger Receptor Class A Member 5 (SCARA5) which could specifically label and isolate DP cells by flow cytometry from mice back skin at the growth phase. The sorted LEPR+ cells maintained the DP characteristics after culturing in vitro, expressing DP marker alkaline phosphatase and functional factors including RSPO1/2 and EDN3, the three major DP secretory factors that regulate hair follicle epithelial cells and melanocytes. Furthermore, the low‐passage LEPR+ DP cells could reconstitute hair follicles on nude mice using chamber graft assay when combined with epithelial stem cells. The method of isolating functional DP cells we established here lays a solid foundation for developing DP cell‐based therapy.
The ADEBAR project: European and international provision of analytical data from structure elucidation and analytical characterization of NPS
Authors: Pulver Benedikt , Fischmann Svenja , Westphal Folker , Schönberger Torsten , Schäper Jan , Budach Dennis , Jacobsen‐Bauer Andrea , Dreiseitel Wolfgang , Zagermann Johannes , Damm Angela , Knecht Siegfried , Opatz Till , Auwärter Volker , Pütz Michael
Published: May 2022

Novel substances for which none or limited analytical data are available constitute a challenge for police and customs forensic laboratories. The time‐consuming process of structural elucidation and acquisition of analytical data has been centralized in the ADEBAR project in Germany, co‐funded since 2017 by the EU's Internal Security Fund. The project aims to comprehensively characterize substances relevant for forensic‐toxicological casework within the analytical competence network. The analytical datasets are distributed digitally through European and (inter)national channels. Additionally, pharmacological evaluation allows for estimating in vivo potency and potential harm required as scientific evidence for legislative amendments. The ADEBAR project contributes to the availability of analytical data on new substances relevant to the daily work of police and customs laboratories. Since the inception of the ADEBAR project, 549 samples have been registered, and 302 substance reports notified to the EMCDDA, including numerous spectrometric and spectroscopic data. In addition, 3,619 mass spectra have been accumulated in ADEBAR mass spectra databases. A central institution for the structure elucidation and acquisition of valid, high‐quality analytical data for police and customs forensic laboratories and forensic medicine institutes is important in the future because there does not seem to be an end to the dynamic of novel NPS appearing on the drug market.
Analytical profile, in vitro metabolism and behavioral properties of the lysergamide 1P‐AL‐LAD
Authors: Brandt Simon D. , Kavanagh Pierce V. , Westphal Folker , Pulver Benedikt , Schwelm Hannes M. , Whitelock Kyla , Stratford Alexander , Auwärter Volker , Halberstadt Adam L.
Published: May 2022

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is known to induce powerful psychoactive effects in humans, which cemented its status as an important tool for clinical research. A range of analogues and derivatives has been investigated over the years, including those classified as new psychoactive substances. This study presents the characterization of the novel lysergamide N,N‐diethyl‐1‐propanoyl‐6‐(prop‐2‐en‐1‐yl)‐9,10‐didehydroergoline‐8β‐carboxamide (1P‐AL‐LAD) using various mass spectrometric, gas‐ and liquid chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. In vitro metabolism studies using pooled human liver microsomes (pHLM) confirmed that 1P‐AL‐LAD converted to AL‐LAD as the most abundant metabolite consistent with the hypothesis that 1P‐AL‐LAD may act as a prodrug. Fourteen metabolites were detected in total; metabolic reactions included hydroxylation of the core lysergamide ring structure or the N6‐allyl group, formation of dihydrodiol metabolites, N‐dealkylation, N1‐deacylation, dehydrogenation, and combinations thereof. The in vivo behavioral activity of 1P‐AL‐LAD was evaluated using the mouse head twitch response (HTR), a 5‐HT2A‐mediated head movement that serves as a behavioral proxy in rodents for human hallucinogenic effects. 1P‐AL‐LAD induced a dose‐dependent increase in HTR counts with an inverted U‐shaped dose–response function, similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and other psychedelics. Following intraperitoneal injection, the median effective dose (ED50) for 1P‐AL‐LAD was 491 nmol/kg, making it almost three times less potent than AL‐LAD (174.9 nmol/kg). Previous studies have shown that N1‐substitution disrupts the ability of lysergamides to activate the 5‐HT2A receptor; based on the in vitro metabolism data, 1P‐AL‐LAD may induce the HTR because it acts as a prodrug and is metabolized to AL‐LAD after administration to mice.
Testing a generalized leaf mass estimation method for diverse tree species and climates of the continental United States
Authors: Dettmann Garret T. , MacFarlane David W. , Radtke Philip J. , Weiskittel Aaron R. , Affleck David L. R. , Poudel Krishna P. , Westfall James
Published: May 2022

Estimating tree leaf biomass can be challenging in applications where predictions for multiple tree species is required. This is especially evident where there is limited or no data available for some of the species of interest. Here we use an extensive national database of observations (61 species, 3628 trees) and formulate models of varying complexity, ranging from a simple model with diameter at breast height (DBH) as the only predictor to more complex models with up to 8 predictors (DBH, leaf longevity, live crown ratio, wood specific gravity, shade tolerance, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation), to estimate tree leaf biomass for any species across the continental United States. The most complex with all eight predictors was the best and explained 74%–86% of the variation in leaf mass. Consideration was given to the difficulty of measuring all of these predictor variables for model application, but many are easily obtained or already widely collected. Because most of the model variables are independent of species and key species‐level variables are available from published values, our results show that leaf biomass can be estimated for new species not included in the data used to fit the model. The latter assertion was evaluated using a novel “leave‐one‐species‐out” cross‐validation approach, which showed that our chosen model performs similarly for species used to calibrate the model, as well as those not used to develop it. The models exhibited a strong bias toward overestimation for a relatively small subset of the trees. Despite these limitations, the models presented here can provide leaf biomass estimates for multiple species over large spatial scales and can be applied to new species or species with limited leaf biomass data available.
DNA metabarcoding quantifies the relative biomass of arthropod taxa in songbird diets: Validation with camera‐recorded diets
Authors: Verkuil Yvonne I. , Nicolaus Marion , Ubels Richard , Dietz Maurine W. , Samplonius Jelmer M. , Galema Annabet , Kiekebos Kim , de Knijff Peter , Both Christiaan
Published: May 2022

Ecological research is often hampered by the inability to quantify animal diets. Diet composition can be tracked through DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples, but whether (complex) diets can be quantitatively determined with metabarcoding is still debated and needs validation using free‐living animals. This study validates that DNA metabarcoding of feces can retrieve actual ingested taxa, and most importantly, that read numbers retrieved from sequencing can also be used to quantify the relative biomass of dietary taxa. Validation was done with the hole‐nesting insectivorous Pied Flycatcher whose diet was quantified using camera footage. Size‐adjusted counts of food items delivered to nestlings were used as a proxy for provided biomass of prey orders and families, and subsequently, nestling feces were assessed through DNA metabarcoding. To explore potential effects of digestion, gizzard and lower intestine samples of freshly collected birds were subjected to DNA metabarcoding. For metabarcoding with Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI), we modified published invertebrate COI primers LCO1490 and HCO1777, which reduced host reads to 0.03%, and amplified Arachnida DNA without significant changing the recovery of other arthropod taxa. DNA metabarcoding retrieved all commonly camera‐recorded taxa. Overall, and in each replicate year (N = 3), the relative scaled biomass of prey taxa and COI read numbers correlated at R = .85 (95CI:0.68–0.94) at order level and at R = .75 (CI:0.67–0.82) at family level. Similarity in arthropod community composition between gizzard and intestines suggested limited digestive bias. This DNA metabarcoding validation demonstrates that quantitative analyses of arthropod diet is possible. We discuss the ecological applications for insectivorous birds.
A review of the cues used for rejecting foreign eggs from the nest by the Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
Authors: Fulmer Andrew G. , Hauber Mark E.
Published: May 2022

Avian brood parasitism is reproductively costly for hosts and selects for cognitive features enabling anti‐parasitic resistance at multiple stages of the host's breeding cycle. The true thrushes (genus Turdus) represent a nearly worldwide clade of potential hosts of brood parasitism by Cuculus cuckoos in Eurasia and Africa and Molothrus cowbirds in the Americas. The Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) builds an open‐cup nest and is common within much of the common cuckoo's (C. canorus) breeding range. While this thrush is known to be parasitized at most only at low rates by this cuckoo, the species is also a strong rejector of nonmimetic foreign eggs in the nest. Given their open‐cup nesting habits, we predict that Eurasian blackbirds primarily use visual cues in making a distinction between own and parasitically or experimentally inserted foreign eggs in the nest. We then provide a comprehensive and quantitative review of the literature on blackbird egg rejection studies. This review corroborates that vision is the primary sensory modality used by blackbirds in assessing eggs, but also brings attention to some other, less commonly studied cues which appear to influence rejection, including predator exposure, individual experience, stage of clutch completion, and maternal hormonal state. Blackbirds are also able to recognize and eject even highly mimetic eggs (including those of conspecifics) at a moderate rate, apparently relying on many of the same sensory cues. Although the cues involved in foreign egg recognition by Eurasian blackbirds do not appear specialized to nonmimetic cuckoo parasitism, we cannot differentiate between the possibility of egg rejection being selected by mostly conspecific parasitism or by the evolutionary ghost of a now‐extinct, mimetic cuckoo host‐race.
Effects of insularity on genetic diversity within and among natural populations
Authors: Hunt David A. G. A. , DiBattista Joseph D. , Hendry Andrew P.
Published: May 2022

We conducted a quantitative literature review of genetic diversity (GD) within and among populations in relation to categorical population size and isolation (together referred to as “insularity”). Using populations from within the same studies, we were able to control for between‐study variation in methodology, as well as demographic and life histories of focal species. Contrary to typical expectations, insularity had relatively minor effects on GD within and among populations, which points to the more important role of other factors in shaping evolutionary processes. Such effects of insularity were sometimes seen—particularly in study systems where GD was already high overall. That is, insularity influenced GD in a study system when GD was high even in non‐insular populations of the same study system—suggesting an important role for the “scope” of influences on GD. These conclusions were more robust for within population GD versus among population GD, although several biases might underlie this difference. Overall, our findings indicate that population‐level genetic assumptions need to be tested rather than assumed in nature, particularly for topics underlying current conservation management practices.
Population genomic analyses reveal hybridization and marked differences in genetic structure of Scurria limpet sister species with parapatric distributions across the South Eastern Pacific
Authors: Saenz‐Agudelo Pablo , Peluso Lívia , Nespolo Roberto , Broitman Bernardo R. , Haye Pilar A. , Lardies Marco A.
Published: May 2022

The study of sister species that occur in parapatry around biogeographic transition zones can help understand the evolutionary processes that underlie the changes in species composition across biogeographic transition zones. The South Eastern Pacific (SEP) coast is a highly productive coastal system that exhibits a broad biogeographic transition zone around 30–35°S. Here, we present a comparative genome‐wide analysis of the sister species Scurria viridula and Scurria zebrina, that occur in parapatry and whose poleward and equatorward range edges intersect in the 30–35°S SEP biogeographic transition zone. We sampled 118 specimens sourced from nine sites from Tocopilla (22°S) to Chiloé (41°S) including one site where both species overlap and analyzed over 8000 biallelic single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found evidence of hybridization between these species in the contact zone and found significant but contrasting population structures for both species. Our results indicate that the genetic structure in S. viridula, which is currently expanding its range poleward, follows a simple isolation by distance model with no traces of natural selection (no evidence of outlier loci). In contrast, S. zebrina, which has  its equatorward range edge at the transition zone, displayed a pronounced genetic break approximately at 32–34°S, along a region of marked environmental heterogeneity in association with a semi‐permanent coastal upwelling regime. For S. zebrina we also found 43 outlier loci associated with this genetic break, with a significant proportion of them clustering in a single linkage group. This marked difference in the presence of outlier loci between species suggests that they could be responding differently to local environmental challenges found at their overlapping geographic range edges, thus providing important new insights about genomic changes around biogeographic transition zones in sister species and the forces that shape genetic diversity in intertidal marine species.
Shifting focus from resistance to disease tolerance: A review on hybrid house mice
Authors: Balard Alice , Heitlinger Emanuel
Published: May 2022

Parasites have been proposed to modulate the fitness of hybridizing hosts in part based on observations in the European house mouse hybrid zone (HMHZ), a tension zone in which hybrids show reduced fitness. We here review evidence (1) for parasite load differences in hybrid versus parental mice and (2) for health and fitness effects of parasites promoting or preventing introgression and hybridization. The question of relative resistance or susceptibility of hybrids to parasites in the HMHZ has long been controversial. Recent field studies found hybrids to be more resistant than mice from parental subspecies against infections with pinworms and protozoans (Eimeria spp.). We argue that the field studies underlying the contradictory impression of hybrid susceptibility have limitations in sample size, statistical analysis and scope, focusing only on macroparasites. We suggest that weighted evidence from field studies indicate hybrid resistance. Health is a fitness component through which resistance can modulate overall fitness. Resistance, however, should not be extrapolated directly to a fitness effect, as the relationship between resistance and health can be modulated by tolerance. In our own recent work, we found that the relationship between health and resistance (tolerance) differs between infections with the related species E. falciformis and E. ferrisi. Health and tolerance need to be assessed directly and the choice of parasite has made this difficult in previous experimental studies of house mice. We discuss how experimental Eimeria spp. infections in hybrid house mice can address resistance, health and tolerance in conjunction.
Predator cannibalism can shift prey community composition toward dominance by small prey species
Authors: Takatsu Kunio
Published: May 2022

Cannibalism among predators is a key intraspecific interaction affecting their density and foraging behavior, eventually modifying the strength of predation on heterospecific prey. Interestingly, previous studies showed that cannibalism among predators can increase or reduce predation on heterospecific prey; however, we know less about the factors that lead to these outcomes. Using a simple pond community consisting of Hynobius retardatus salamander larvae and their associated prey, I report empirical evidence that cannibalism among predators can increase predation on large heterospecific prey but reduce that on small heterospecific prey. In a field‐enclosure experiment in which I manipulated the occurrence of salamander cannibalism, I found that salamander cannibalism increased predation on frog tadpoles but reduced that on aquatic insects simultaneously. The contrasting effects are most likely to be explained by prey body size. In the study system, frog tadpoles were too large for non‐cannibal salamanders to consume, while aquatic insects were within the non‐cannibals’ consumable prey size range. However, when cannibalism occurred, a few individuals that succeeded in cannibalizing reached large enough size to consume frog tadpoles. Consequently, although cannibalism among salamanders reduced their density, salamander cannibalism increased predation on large prey frog tadpoles. Meanwhile, salamander cannibalism reduced predation on small prey aquatic insects probably because of a density reduction of non‐cannibals primarily consuming aquatic insects. Body size is often correlated with various ecological traits, for instance, diet width, consumption, and excretion rates, and is thus considered a good indicator of species’ effects on ecosystem function. All this considered, cannibalism among predators could eventually affect ecosystem function by shifting the size composition of the prey community.
A chromosomal inversion may facilitate adaptation despite periodic gene flow in a freshwater fish
Authors: Thorstensen Matt J. , Euclide Peter T. , Jeffrey Jennifer D. , Shi Yue , Treberg Jason R. , Watkinson Douglas A. , Enders Eva C. , Larson Wesley A. , Kobayashi Yasuhiro , Jeffries Ken M.
Published: May 2022

Differences in genomic architecture between populations, such as chromosomal inversions, may play an important role in facilitating adaptation despite opportunities for gene flow. One system where chromosomal inversions may be important for eco‐evolutionary dynamics is in freshwater fishes, which often live in heterogenous environments characterized by varying levels of connectivity and varying opportunities for gene flow. In the present study, reduced representation sequencing was used to study possible adaptation in n = 345 walleye (Sander vitreus) from three North American waterbodies: Cedar Bluff Reservoir (Kansas, USA), Lake Manitoba (Manitoba, Canada), and Lake Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada). Haplotype and outlier‐based tests revealed a putative chromosomal inversion that contained three expressed genes and was nearly fixed in walleye assigned to Lake Winnipeg. These patterns exist despite the potential for high gene flow between these proximate Canadian lakes, suggesting that the inversion may be important for facilitating adaptive divergence between the two lakes despite gene flow. However, a specific adaptive role for the putative inversion could not be tested with the present data. Our study illuminates the importance of genomic architecture consistent with local adaptation in freshwater fishes. Furthermore, our results provide additional evidence that inversions may facilitate local adaptation in many organisms that inhabit connected but heterogenous environments.
A multi‐year dormancy strategy in a cabbage beetle population in southeastern China
Authors: Tang Jian‐Jun , Liu Xing‐Ping , He Hai‐Min , Huang Li‐Li , Wu Shao‐Hui , Xue Fang‐Sen
Published: May 2022

The life cycle of the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi in southeastern China is complex due to four options for adult development: summer diapause, winter diapause, prolonged diapsuse, and nondiapause. However, detailed information on the multi‐year emergence patterns of diapausing individuals in this beetle has not been documented. In this study, we monitored the adult emergence patterns of diapausing individuals and estimated the influence of the diapause‐inducing temperature and photoperiod on the incidence of prolonged diapause under seminatural conditions for several years. The duration of diapause for adults collected from the vegetable fields in different years varied from several months to 5 years. Approximately 25.9%–29.2% of individuals showed prolonged diapause (emergence more than 1 year after entering diapause) over the 5 years of observation. Furthermore, regardless of insect age, the emergence of diapausing adults from the soil always occurred between mid‐February and March in spring and between late August and mid‐October in autumn, when the host plants were available. The influence of diapause‐inducing temperatures (22, 25, and 28°C) combined with different photoperiods (L:D 12:12 h and L:D 14:10 h) on diapause duration was tested under seminatural conditions. Pairwise comparisons of diapause duration performed by the log‐rank test revealed that the low temperature of 22°C combined with the long photoperiod of L:D 14:10 h induced the longest diapause duration, whereas the low temperature of 22°C combined with the short photoperiod of L:D 12:12 h induced the highest proportion of prolonged diapause. This study indicates that C. bowringi adopts a multi‐year dormancy strategy to survive local environmental conditions and unpredictable risks.
High genetic differentiation of Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) along the Asian Coast of the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Dai Yufei , Sakornwimon Watchara , Chantra Rachawadee , Zhao Liyuan , Wu Fuxing , Aierken Reyilamu , Kittiwattanawong Kongkiat , Wang Xianyan
Published: May 2022

The Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is a vulnerable marine mammal species that inhabits shallow, coastal waters from Southeast China, southward throughout Southeast Asia, and westward around the Bay of Bengal to eastern India. Polymorphic microsatellites are useful for elucidating ecological and population genetics‐related questions. Here, 18 new polymorphic microsatellites were developed from S. chinensis genomic DNA by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Population genetic analyses were conducted on 42 S. chinensis individuals from three geographic locations, including the Xiamen Bay of China, the Western Gulf of Thailand, and Andaman Sea. Our microsatellite data revealed a strong and significant population structure among the three sampling regions (overall FST = 0.371, p = .001). Pairwise mutual information index also demonstrated high levels of genetic differentiation between different region pairs (values range from 0.272 to 0.339, p < .001). Moreover, Structure analysis inferred three genetic clusters, with the high assignment probabilities of 95.92%, 99.47%, and 99.68%, respectively. Principal coordinate analysis plots of individuals divided entire genotypes into three clusters, indicating high level of genetic differentiation. Our results indicated the strong genetic structure in S. chinensis populations is a result of geographic distances. Other factors such as environmental variables, anthropogenic interference, and social behavior may also have contributed to population differentiation.
Localizing wild chimpanzees with passive acoustics
Authors: Crunchant Anne‐Sophie , Isaacs Jason T. , Piel Alex K.
Published: May 2022

Localizing wildlife contributes in multiple ways to species conservation. Data on animal locations can reveal elements of social behavior, habitat use, population dynamics, and be useful in calculating population density. Acoustic localization systems (ALS) are a non‐invasive method widely used in the marine sciences but not well established and rarely employed for terrestrial species.

We deployed an acoustic array in a mountainous environment with heterogeneous vegetation, comprised of four custom‐built GPS synchronized acoustic sensors at about 500 m intervals in Issa Valley, western Tanzania, covering an area of nearly 2 km2. Our goal was to assess the precision and error of the estimated locations by conducting playback tests, but also by comparing the estimated locations of wild chimpanzee calls with their true locations obtained in parallel during follows of individual chimpanzees. We assessed the factors influencing localization error, such as wind speed and temperature, which fluctuate during the day and are known to affect sound transmission.

We localized 282 playback sounds and found that the mean localization error was 27 ± 21.8 m. Localization was less prone to error and more precise during early mornings (6:30 h) compared to other periods. We further localized 22 wild chimpanzee loud calls within 52 m of the location of a researcher closely following the calling individuals.

We demonstrate that acoustic localization is a powerful tool for chimpanzee monitoring, with multiple behavioral and conservation applications. Its applicability in studying social dynamics and revealing density estimation among many others, especially but not exclusively for loud calling species, provides an efficient way of monitoring populations and informing conservation plans to mediate species loss.
New challenges in the study of the evolution of wild animals and their gut microbiome
Authors: Zhu Lifeng
Published: May 2022

In this viewpoint, by reviewing the recent findings on wild animals and their gut microbiomes, we found some potential new insights and challenges in the study of the evolution of wild animals and their gut microbiome. We suggested that wild animal gut microbiomes may come from microbiomes in the animals' living habitats along with animals' special behavior, and that the study of long‐term changes in gut microbiomes should consider both habitat and special behaviors. Also, host behavior would facilitate the gut microbiome transmission between individuals. We suggested that research should integrate the evolutionary history and physiological systems of wild animals to understand the evolution of animals and their gut microbiomes. Finally, we proposed the Noncultured‐Cultured‐Fermentation‐Model Animal pipeline to determine the function (diet digestion, physiology, and behavior) of these target strains in the wild animal gut.
A multifaceted ecological assessment reveals the invasion of the freshwater red macroalga Montagnia macrospora (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) in Taiwan
Authors: Fontana Silvia , Yeh Lan‐Wei , Zhan Shing Hei , Liu Shao‐Lun
Published: May 2022

Invasive freshwater macroalgae are rarely described. Montagnia macrospora is a freshwater red alga introduced from South America to East Asia via the global aquarium trade. The earliest occurrence record of this alga in Taiwan is dated 2005. To determine whether M. macrospora has become invasive in Taiwan and to understand the traits that facilitated its invasion, we took a multifaceted approach that combines examination of ecological background and population genetic analysis. Our island‐wide survey showed that M. macrospora is widespread in the field across Taiwan, where the climate greatly differs from that of South America, and can self‐sustain for nearly a decade. Our population genetic analysis revealed a lack of genetic diversity of M. macrospora in Taiwan, consistent with the hypothesis that the alga expanded through asexual reproduction. Moreover, during our long‐term ecological assessments and field surveys, we observed that M. macrospora is an ecological generalist that can survive in a wide range of temperature, pH, illumination, and nutrient enrichment. Taken together, our data suggest that M. macrospora has successfully invaded the freshwater ecosystems of Taiwan, likely due to its ability to disperse asexually and to grow under broad environmental conditions. We hope that our study brings attention to invasive freshwater algae, which have been overlooked in conservation planning and management.
Multistate modeling of Florida scrub‐jay adult survival and breeding transitions
Authors: Breininger David R. , Carter Geoffrey M. , Legare Stephanie A. , Payne William V. , Stolen Eric D. , Breininger Daniel J. , Lyon James E.
Published: May 2022

Adult nonbreeders are important for the stability and conservation of many species despite that their functional roles are often undervalued. Nonbreeders can buffer breeding population sizes and help their kin raise new generations of offspring, but in high numbers can compete and have negative effects. Long‐term studies are useful for elucidating relationships among nonbreeder population parameters, such as density, survival, and transitions to breeding status. Florida scrub‐jays are cooperative breeders where young delay breeding often for many years and are at risk of extinction across most of their range. Our objectives were to estimate how population covariates (pair density and mean family size) influenced Florida scrub‐jay adult nonbreeder survival and breeding transitions using long‐term data of uniquely marked birds and multistate capture–recapture models. The evolution and maintenance of Florida scrub‐jay delayed breeding has been attributed to living in crowded and sharply delineated habitat at Archbold Biological Station, the site of longest long‐term study. Contrastingly, most habitat we studied had a dynamic mixture of habitat quality with mean family sizes and pair densities much lower than the stable, optimal habitat at Archbold Biological Station. Despite having densities below carrying capacity, Florida scrub‐jays still delayed breeding. We found that greater mean family size was associated with greater breeder survival, possibly because nonbreeders contributed to predator detection and territory defense. Nonbreeder‐to‐breeder transitions increased with increased annual breeder mortality rates but were influenced little by population densities. Most Florida scrub‐jays became breeders by replacing dead breeders within occupied territories, and many male and female nonbreeders inherited their territories upon the death of their parents. Nonbreeders buffered changes in the breeding population supporting greater recognition of nonbreeder population roles within field and modeling studies.