bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of protected areas in conserving tropical forest birds
Authors: Cazalis Victor , Princé Karine , Mihoub Jean-Baptiste , Kelly Joseph , Butchart Stuart H.M. , Rodrigues Ana S.L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractProtected areas are the cornerstones of global biodiversity conservation efforts1,2, but to fulfil this role they must be effective at conserving the ecosystems and species that occur within their boundaries. This is particularly imperative in tropical forest hotspots, regions that concentrate a major fraction of the world’s biodiversity while also being under intense human pressure3–5. But these areas strongly lack adequate monitoring datasets enabling to contrast biodiversity in protected areas with comparable unprotected sites6,7. Here we take advantage of the world’s largest citizen science biodiversity dataset – eBird8– to quantify the extent to which protected areas in eight tropical forest biodiversity hotspots are effective at retaining bird diversity, and to understand the underlying mechanisms. We found generally positive effects of protection on the diversity of bird species that are forest-dependent, endemic to the hotspots, or threatened or Near Threatened, but not on overall bird species richness. Furthermore, we show that in most of the hotspots examined this is driven by protected areas preventing both forest loss and degradation. Our results support calls for increasing the extent and strengthening the management efforts within protected areas to reduce global biodiversity loss9–11.
RdDM pathway is required forTobamovirus-induced symptomatology production
Authors: Leone Melisa , Zavallo Diego , Venturuzzi Andrea , Asurmendi Sebastián 
Published: January 2020

SummarySmall RNAs (sRNA) are important molecules for gene regulation in plants and play an essential role in plant-pathogen interactions. Researchers have evaluated the relationship between viral infections as well as the endogenous accumulation of sRNAs and the transcriptional changes associated with the production of symptoms, little is known about a possible direct role of epigenetics, mediated by 24-nt sRNAs, in the induction of these symptoms.With the use of different RNA directed DNA methylation pathway mutants and triple demethylase mutants, here we demonstrate that the disruption of RdDM pathway during viral infection produced alterations in the plant transcriptomic changes (because of the infection) and in symptomatology.This study represents the initial step in exposing that DNA methylation directed by endogenous sRNAs has an important role, uncoupled to defense, in the production of symptoms associated with plant-virus interactions.Significance statementThe crop yield losses induced by phytoviruses are mainly associated with the symptoms of the disease. DNA modifications as methylation, can modulate the information coded by the sequence, process named epigenetics. Viral infection can change the expression patterns of different genes linked to defenses and symptoms. This work represents the initial step to expose the role of epigenetic process, in the production of symptoms associated with plants-virus interactions.
The RNA-binding protein, Rasputin/G3BP, enhances the stability and translation of its target mRNAs
Authors: Laver John D. , Ly Jimmy , Winn Allison K. , Karaiskakis Angelo , Lin Sichun , Nie Kun , Benic Giulia , Jaberi-Lashkari Nima , Cao Wen Xi , Khademi Alireza , Westwood J. Timothy , Sidhu Sachdev S. , Morris Quaid , Angers Stephane , Smibert Craig A. , Lipshitz Howard D. 
Published: January 2020

SUMMARYG3BP RNA-binding proteins are important components of stress granules (SGs). Here we analyze the role ofDrosophilaG3BP, Rasputin (RIN), in unstressed cells, where RIN is not SG associated. Immunoprecipitation followed by microarray analysis identified over 550 mRNAs that copurify with RIN. The mRNAs found in SGs are long and translationally silent. In contrast, we find that RIN-bound mRNAs, which encode core components of the transcription, splicing and translation machinery, are short, stable and highly translated. We show that RIN is associated with polysomes and provide evidence for a direct role for RIN and its human homologs in stabilizing and upregulating the translation of their target mRNAs. We propose that when cells are stressed the resulting incorporation of RIN/G3BPs into SGs sequesters them away from their short target mRNAs. This would downregulate the expression of these transcripts, even though they are not incorporated into stress granules.
Small molecule inhibitors and a kinase-dead expressing mouse model demonstrate that the kinase activity of Chk1 is essential for mouse embryos and cancer cells
Authors: Muralidharan Somsundar V , Nilsson Lisa M , Lindberg Mattias F , Nilsson Jonas A 
Published: January 2020

AbstractChk1 kinase is downstream of the ATR kinase in the sensing of improper replication. Previous cell culture studies have demonstrated that Chk1 is essential for replication and Chk1 inhibitors are efficacious against tumors with high-level replication stress such as Myc-induced lymphoma cells. Treatment with Chk1 inhibitors also combines well with certain chemotherapeutic drugs and effects associates with induction of DNA damage and reduction of Chk1 protein levels. Most studies of Chk1 function has relied on the use of inhibitors. Whether or not a mouse or cancer cells could survive if a kinase-dead form of Chk1 is expressed has not been investigated before. Here we generate a mouse model that expresses a kinase-dead (D130A) allele in the mouse germline. We find that this mouse is overtly normal and does not have problems with erythropoiesis with ageing as previously been shown for a mouse expressing one null allele. However, similar to a null allele, homozygous kinase-dead mice cannot be generated and timed pregnancies of heterozygous mice suggest lethality of homozygous blastocysts at around the time of implantation. By breeding the kinase-dead Chk1 mouse with a conditional allele we are able to demonstrate that expression of only one kinase-dead allele, but no wildtype allele, ofChek1is lethal for Myc-induced cancer cells. Finally, treatment of melanoma cells with tumor-infiltrating T cells or CAR-T cells is effective even if Chk1 is inhibited, suggesting that Chk1 inhibitors can be safely administered in patients where immunotherapy is an essential component of the arsenal against cancer.
Cultural variation impacts paternal and maternal genetic lineages of the Hmong-Mien and Sino-Tibetan groups from Thailand
Authors: Kutanan Wibhu , Shoocongdej Rasmi , Srikummool Metawee , Hübner Alexander , Suttipai Thanatip , Srithawong Suparat , Kampuansai Jatupol , Stoneking Mark 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe Hmong-Mien (HM) and Sino-Tibetan (ST) speaking groups are known as hill tribes in Thailand; they were the subject of the first studies to show an impact of patrilocality vs. matrilocality on patterns of mitochondrial (mt) DNA vs. male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) variation. However, HM and ST groups have not been studied in as much detail; here we report and analyze 234 partial MSY sequences (∼2.3 mB) and 416 complete mtDNA sequences from 14 populations that, when combined with our previous published data, provides the largest dataset yet for the hill tribes. We find a striking difference between Hmong and IuMien (Mien-speaking) groups: the Hmong are genetically different from both the IuMien and all other Thai groups, whereas the IuMien are genetically more similar to other linguistic groups than to the Hmong. In general, we find less of an impact of patrilocality vs. matrilocality on patterns of mtDNA vs. MSY variation than previous studies. However, there is a dramatic difference in the frequency of MSY and mtDNA lineages of Northeast Asian (NEA) origin vs. Southeast Asian (SEA) origin in HM vs. ST groups: HM groups have high frequencies of NEA MSY lineages but lower frequencies of NEA mtDNA lineages, while ST groups show the opposite. A potential explanation is that the ancestors of Thai HM groups were patrilocal, while the ancestors of Thai ST groups were matrilocal. Overall, these results attest to the impact of cultural practices on patterns of mtDNA vs. MSY variation.
Risk Factors for Chikungunya Outbreak in Kebridhar City, Somali Ethiopia, 2019. Unmatched Case-Control Study
Authors: Alayu Mikias , Teshome Tesfalem , Amare Hiwot , Kinde Solomon , Belay Desalegn , Assefa Zewdu 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundChikungunya Virusis a Ribose Nucleic Acid (RNA) virus transmitted by a mosquito bite.Aedes AegyptiandAedes Albopictusare responsible vectors forChikungunya Virustransmission. CHIKV outbreaks are characterized by rapid spread and infection rates as high as 75%. A combination of health system efforts and healthy behavior practices by the community is essential for effective control.MethodsUnmatched case control study was done to identify risk factors of this outbreak. One case to two controls ratios was calculated. All cases during the study period (74 cases) and 148 controls were included in the study. Bivariate and multivariable analysis were implemented. Serum samples were tested by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction at Ethiopian Public Health Institute laboratory.ResultsA total of 74 chikungunya fever cases were reported starting from 19thMay 2019 to 8thJune 2019. Not using bed net at day time sleeping (P- value < 0.001, AOR 20.8, 95CI 6.4 – 66.7), presence of open water holding container (P- value 0.023, AOR 4, 95CI 1.2 – 13.5), presence of larvae in water holding container (P- value 0.015, AOR 4.8, 95CI 1.4 – 16.8), ill person with similar sign and symptoms in the family or neighbors (P- value <0.001, AOR 27.9, 95CI 6.5 – 120.4) and wearing not full body cover clothes (P- value 0.002, AOR 8.1, 95CI 2.2 – 30.1) were significant risk factors.ConclusionUsing bed nets at day time sleeping, cover the water holding containers, wearing full body cover cloths are protective factors.
Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for mark-resight nesting population estimation of adult female green sea turtles at Raine Island
Authors: Dunstan Andrew , Robertson Katherine , Fitzpatrick Richard , Pickford Jeff , Meager Justin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractNester abundance is a key measure of the performance of the world’s largest green turtle rookery at Raine Island, Australia. Abundance surveys have been undertaken in waters adjacent to Raine Island reef using mark-resight counts by surface observer (SO), underwater video (UWV) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (since 1984, 2013 and 2016 respectively). UAV and UWV may provide more cost-effective and less biased alternatives, but estimates must be comparable with the historical estimates. Here we compare the three methods.The relative likelihood of resighting a marked turtle was significantly higher by SO than the other methods, which led to lower mark-resight population estimates than by UAV or UWV. Most (96%) variation in resighting probabilities was associated with survey period, with comparatively little variation between consecutive days of sampling or time of day. This resulted in preliminary correction factors of 1.53 and 1.73 from SO-UWV and SO-UAV, respectively. However, the SO and UWV estimates were the most similar when turtle densities were the lowest, suggesting that correction factors need to take into account turtle density and that more data are required.We hypothesise that the UAV and UWV methods improved detection rates of marked turtles because they allowed subsequent review and frame-by-frame analysis, thus reducing observer search error. UAVs were the most efficient in terms of survey time, personnel commitment and weather tolerance compared to the SO and UWV methods.This study indicates that using UAVs for in-water mark-resight turtle abundance estimation is an efficient and accurate method that can provide an accurate adjustment for historical abundance estimates. Underwater video may continue to be useful as a backup alternative to UAV surveys.
Absence of Sac2/INPP5F enhances the phenotype of a Parkinson’s disease mutation of synaptojanin 1
Authors: Cao Mian , Park Daehun , Wu Yumei , De Camilli Pietro 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMany genes whose mutations cause, or increase the risk of, Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been identified. An inactivating mutation (R258Q) in the Sac inositol phosphatase domain of synaptojanin 1 (SJ1/PARK20), a phosphoinositide phosphatase implicated in synaptic vesicle recycling, results in PD. The gene encoding Sac2/INPP5F, another Sac domain containing protein, was identified as a PD risk locus by GWAS. Knock-In mice carrying the SJ1 patient mutation (SJ1RQKI) exhibit PD features, while Sac2 knockout mice (Sac2KO) do not have obvious neurological defects. We report a “synthetic” effect of the SJ1 mutation and the KO of Sac2 in mice. Most mice with both mutations died perinatally. The occasional survivors had stunted growth, died within 3 weeks, and showed abnormalities of striatal dopaminergic nerve terminals at an earlier stage than SJ1RQKI mice. The abnormal accumulation of endocytic factors observed at synapses of cultured SJ1RQKI neurons was more severe in double mutant. Our results suggest that SJ1 and Sac2 have partially overlapping functions and are consistent with a potential role of Sac2 as a PD risk gene.
The Linker Domain of SNAP25 Acts as a Flexible Molecular Spacer to Ensure Efficient S-Acylation
Authors: Salaun Christine , Greaves Jennifer , Tomkinson Nicholas C.O. , Chamberlain Luke H. 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTS-Acylation of the SNARE protein SNAP25 is mediated by a subset of Golgi zDHHC enzymes, in particular zDHHC17. The ankyrin repeat (ANK) domain of this enzyme interacts with a short linear motif known as the zDHHC ANK binding motif (zDABM) in SNAP25 (112-VVASQP-117), which is downstream of the S-acylated cysteine-rich domain (85-CGLCVCPC-92). In this study, we have investigated the importance of the flexible linker (amino acids 93-111; referred to as the “mini-linker” region) that separates the zDABM and S-acylated cysteines. Shortening the mini-linker had no effect of zDHHC17 interaction but blocked S-acylation. Insertion of additional flexible glycine-serine repeats had no effect on S-acylation, whereas extended and rigid alanine-proline repeats perturbed this process. Indeed, a SNAP25 mutant in which the mini-linker region was substituted with a flexible glycine-serine linker of the same length underwent efficient S-acylation. Furthermore, this mutant displayed the same intracellular localisation as wild-type SNAP25, showing that the sequence of the mini-linker is not important in this context. By using the results of previous peptide array experiments, we generated a SNAP25 mutant predicted to have a higher affinity zDABM, and this mutant showed enhanced interaction with zDHHC17 in cells. Interestingly, this mutant was S-acylated with reduced efficiency, implying that a lower affinity interaction of the SNAP25 zDABM with zDHHC17 is optimal for S-acylation efficiency. Overall, the results of this study show that amino acids 93-111 in SNAP25 act as a flexible molecular spacer to ensure efficient coupling of enzyme-substrate interaction and S-acylation.
Political connections, joint audit and tax avoidance: evidence from Islamic banking industry
Authors: Ajili Hana , Khlif Hichem 
Published: January 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between political connections and tax avoidance in Islamic banking industry and to test whether joint audit affects this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach
Tax avoidance is measured using effective tax rate while political connections represent an indicator variable that equals 1 if a bank has at least one politically connected director on the board of directors and zero otherwise.

Findings
This study documents that political connections are negatively associated with effective tax rate, while joint audit is positively related to the same variable. We also find that the negative association between political connections and effective tax rate becomes insignificant for joint-audited banks, while it remains negative and significant for banks audited by one auditors.

Originality/value
The findings of this study have policy implications for banking industry because joint audit reduces the adverse effect of political connections on tax avoidance.
Local responses to a national initiative on organised crime and local government procurement fraud
Authors: Doig Alan , Sproat Peter A. 
Published: January 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to research how local councils in England responded to a national initiative intended to address the risk of the involvement of organised crime in local government procurement fraud. In so doing, it considers definitional issues before undertaking original research to explore how councils responded and, through in-depth interviews with three councils, what initial explanations may explain the responses. It concludes that the national initiative was insufficiently thought-through, and that councils’ responses were significantly influenced by the relevance of the threat of organised crime, financial constraints and competing priorities.

Design/methodology/approach
The case study involves a literature review, an analysis of official documentation, a questionnaire to local councils in the north of England and semi-structured interviews with anti-fraud practitioners in three councils in the northeast of England. The approach is to provide an analysis of the implementation of a national initiative to promote a local government response to procurement fraud by organised crime.

Findings
On the basis of original research, the paper proposes that the national initiative was insufficiently thought-through, and that councils’ responses were influenced by the relevance of the threat of organised crime, financial constraints and competing priorities.

Research limitations/implications
The research looks at a national initiative and how local councils responded within the context of financial and other constraints. The research is limited in terms of the range of responses it sought, and that it only studied the experience of three local councils in detail. On the other hand, its findings support further research into the implementation of national initiatives in terms of practice on the ground.

Practical implications
The findings identify issues surrounding the design and implementation of national anti-fraud policies from the perspective of local government and will be of value to practitioners and academics interested in fraud, policing, organised crime, local government and policy making.

Originality/value
The paper is the first study in the UK on the local implementation of national strategies on procurement fraud and organised crime and raises positive and less-positive aspects of how far national strategies and intentions are addressed on the ground, with a focus on what factors may influence local implementation.
Coexistence among morphologically similar hummingbird species is promoted via density compensation in a Mexican temperate forest
Authors: Lara Carlos , Curiel‐Durán Hugo Antonio , Castillo‐Guevara Citlalli 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWhen limits on the exploitation of shared resources are exceeded among morphologically similar species, competitive exclusion and/or character displacement is expected. However, competition may not be sufficiently intense to engender these phenomena, but it may alter the densities of their local populations, a deterministic phenomenon known as density compensation. Hummingbirds are the most phenotypically specialized nectar‐feeding birds, and trait variation within their communities may facilitate finer resource partitioning, which is ideal to test hypotheses related to coexistence. Here, we used simulation models to investigate whether hummingbird ensembles with high morphological similarity to one or several competitors display a reduction in population density as a result of competition in two contrasting habitats (pine forest and second‐growth vegetation). In both habitats, four scenarios based on morphological proximity to neighbors were analyzed non‐parametrically using multivariate metrics. No evidence of density compensation was found in the pine forest in any scenario. Conversely, evidence of density compensation in the second‐growth habitat was found, with the relationship strongest when scenarios represented competition between more proximal neighbors. Our data suggest that the redistribution of hummingbird species between contrasting habitats leads to certain subgroups of morphologically similar species having to pay a population cost to coexist in a given habitat due to density compensation. Thus, competition may not be the leading determinant of hummingbird ensemble structures, which instead appears to be attributable to a combination of mechanisms that operate at local and regional scales, such as source‐sink dynamics.
“It is a different world in here”: collective identification and shared experiential knowledge between psychiatric inpatients
Authors: Kessing Malene L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper explores the social relations between inpatients in psychiatric wards. Combining Barker's (2002) concept of ‘collective illness identity’ with Nelson's (1993) concept of ‘epistemological communities’, I draw attention to the inpatients’ collective identification and experiential knowledge. Through the analysis, three aspects of the inpatients’ relationships are unfolded. First, how the inpatients, through bodily expressions and narrative accounts, construct a collective illness identity based on shared experiences of symptoms and suffering. Second, the ways in which the inpatients use their shared experiential knowledge to support one another and challenge the mental health professionals. Third, how the inpatients’ reflections on the long‐term potential of their relationships reveal a number of concerns related to their continuation. Centrally, the paper points to the potential and challenges that arise from the inpatients’ relations to one another and their embeddedness in a specific time and space. Empirically, the paper draws on five months of participant observation conducted in two psychiatric wards in Denmark and interviews with 14 psychiatric patients.
Potential carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in foodstuffs: Formation, extraction, analytical methods, and mitigation strategies
Authors: Dong Hao , Xian Yanping , Li Haixia , Bai Weidong , Zeng Xiaofang 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDuring the heat treatment of proteinaceous food, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), a kind of strong mutagens/carcinogens are formed. HAAs can be classified into two major groups based on the heating temperature, which are thermic HAAs generally formed in 150 to 300 °C and pyrolytic HAAs produced above 300 °C. This review focuses on the formation mechanisms of HAAs and identifies different mechanisms of the formation of HAAs in foodstuffs. Moreover, an overview of the available extraction, purification methods, and instrumental analytical methods in the last two decades is shown to determine the HAAs in various foodstuffs. Finally, based on the factors that affect the formation of HAAs in heat‐processed foodstuffs, such as the cooking method, food type, the recipe, and the content of substances with enhancing or inhibiting effects on the formation of HAAs, this review also highlights the most promising strategies for mitigating HAAs, which include adjusting cooking methods or process conditions, adding natural product extracts, antioxidants or other compounds, or reasonable selection of types of foodstuff. The review intends to provide a broad but comprehensive understanding of the formation, extraction, purification, analytical methods, and possible mitigation strategies for isolated and identified HAAs.