bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neural networks support vector machine for mass appraisal of properties
Authors: Yacim Joseph Awoamim , Boshoff Douw Gert Brand 
Published: March 2020

PurposeThe paper introduced the use of a hybrid system of neural networks support vector machines (NNSVMs) consisting of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) to price single-family properties.Design/methodology/approachThe mechanism of the hybrid system is such that its output is given by the SVMs which utilise the results of the ANNs as their input. The results are compared to other property pricing modelling techniques including the standalone ANNs, SVMs, geographically weighted regression (GWR), spatial error model (SEM), spatial lag model (SLM) and the ordinary least squares (OLS). The techniques were applied to a dataset of 3,225 properties sold during the period, January 2012 to May 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the hybrid system performed better than ANNs, SVMs and the OLS. However, in comparison to the spatial models (GWR, SEM and SLM) the hybrid system performed abysmally under with SEM favoured as the best pricing technique.Originality/valueThe findings extend the debate in the body of knowledge that the results of the OLS can significantly be improved through the use of spatial models that correct bias estimates and vary prices across the different property locations. Additionally, utilising the result of the hybrid system is thus affected by the black-box nature of the ANNs and SVMs limiting its use to purposes of checks on estimates predicted by the regression-based models.
Differences in oxidative status explain variation in thermal acclimation capacity between individual mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
Authors: Loughland Isabella , Seebacher Frank 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Evolutionary theory predicts that the capacity to acclimate should be favoured in variable environments. However, perfect compensation for thermal variation is rare and the capacity for thermal acclimation can vary considerably between individuals within natural populations. This variation may be explained by costs associated with acclimation, but it is not clear what these costs are.

We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress is a cost of acclimation that could explain the variation between individuals in acclimation capacity. We acclimated individual mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki (n = 416) to 18 and 28°C sequentially, and determined swimming performance at each temperature to evaluate their acclimation capacity. Fish were then acclimated to either cold (18°C) or warm (28°C) conditions, and we increased antioxidant capacities of a subset of fish experimentally by administering N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC). We measured H2O2 production, catalase antioxidant activities and oxidative damage to proteins and membranes.

We show that there is significant variation in acclimation capacity between individuals, and that there is a trade‐off between acclimation capacity and swimming performance in warm conditions. Mean swimming performance across both acclimation temperatures increased with increasing acclimation capacity, but the increase was small biologically. Hence, greater thermal plasticity (high acclimation capacity) resulted in only minor performance benefits across acclimation conditions. We verified this rather surprising result in replicate populations grown in outdoor mesocosms.

Reactive oxygen species production, antioxidant activities and oxidative damage were higher in cold‐acclimated fish, and particularly in those fish with low capacity for acclimation. However, experimentally increasing antioxidant capacities with NAC alleviated these changes to oxidative status, suggesting a causal relationship. Hence, oxidative stress may be a cost that constrains the capacity for acclimation. Together, the performance trade‐off and oxidative cost indicate that phenotypic plasticity is not always advantageous in variable environments, and instead bet‐hedging may be a more beneficial strategy, particularly in short‐lived species.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The dispersal syndrome hypothesis: How animals shaped fruit traits, and how they did not
Authors: Valenta Kim , Nevo Omer 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Fleshy fruits have evolved multiple times and display a tremendous diversity of colours, shapes, aromas and textures. For over a century this was attributed, at least in part, to frugivore‐driven selection. The dispersal syndrome hypothesis posits that fruits and frugivores co‐evolved, each exerting sufficient selective pressure on one another, and resulting to in suites of fruit traits that match frugivore behaviour, morphology and sensory capacities.

In the last two decades of the past century, the dispersal syndrome hypothesis has been deemed overly adaptationist. Challenges are based on a variety of arguments, primarily that previous studies did not sufficiently incorporate a phylogenetic framework, and that non‐adaptive factors can explain a great deal of extant fruit trait variation.

In recent years, many studies have addressed these issues and found support for the dispersal syndrome hypothesis. As empirical evidence mounts, it's become increasingly clear that many fruit traits—primarily size, colour and scent—are strongly affected by frugivore trait preference.

At the same time, many studies do not sufficiently consider the many confounding factors involved in fruit trait evolution.

We review the evidence supporting the dispersal syndrome hypothesis and highlight the existing gaps in knowledge and the factors that are currently still not fully incorporated into the study of the evolution of fruit traits.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Intertidal gobies acclimate rate of luminance change for background matching with shifts in seasonal temperature
Authors: da Silva Carmen R. B. , van den Berg Cedric P. , Condon Nicholas D. , Riginos Cynthia , Wilson Robbie S. , Cheney Karen L. 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Rate of colour change and background matching capacity are important functional traits for avoiding predation and hiding from prey. Acute changes in environmental temperature are known to impact the rate at which animals change colour, and therefore may affect their survival.

Many ectotherms have the ability to acclimate performance traits such as locomotion, metabolic rate and growth rate with changes in seasonal temperature. However, it remains unclear how other functional traits that are directly linked to behaviour and survival respond to long‐term changes in temperature (within an individual's lifetime).

We assessed whether the rate of colour change is altered by long‐term changes in temperature (seasonal variation) and if rate of colour change can acclimate to seasonal thermal conditions. We used an intertidal rock‐pool goby Bathygobius cocosensis, to test this and exposed individuals to representative seasonal mean temperatures (16 or 31°C, herein referred to cold‐ and warm‐exposed fish respectively) for 9 weeks and then tested their rate of luminance change when placed on white and black backgrounds at acute test temperatures 16 and 31°C. We modelled rate of luminance change using the visual sensitives of a coral trout Plectropmus leopardus to determine how well gobies matched their backgrounds in terms of luminance contrast to a potential predator.

After exposure to long‐term seasonal conditions, the warm‐exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their background more closely when tested at 31 than at 16°C. Similarly, the cold‐exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their backgrounds more closely at 16°C than at 31°C. This demonstrates that rate of luminance change can be adjusted to compensate for long‐term changes in seasonal temperature.

This is the first study to show that animals can acclimate rate of colour change for background matching to seasonal thermal conditions. We also show that rapid changes in acute temperature reduce background matching capabilities. Stochastic changes in climate are likely to affect the frequency of predator–prey interactions which may have substantial knock‐on effects throughout ecosystems.
The Rise of the Genotocracy
Authors: Young Toby 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis article examines whether meritocracy is an effective device for legitimising socioeconomic inequality. It looks at two ways in which it could be said to do that—by allocating wealth and prestige according to merit, and by creating opportunities for those born in low income families—and concludes that the first only creates the appearance of fairness (an argument made persuasively by John Rawls) and the second is a largely unfulfilled promise. The author asks whether the low levels of social mobility in Britain and America are because they have not yet become fully‐fledged meritocracies, or because they have, and considers Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray’s argument in The Bell Curve that meritocratic societies have a tendency to degenerate into genetically‐based caste systems. It examines the research by Dalton Conley, Jason Fletcher and Benjamin Domingue on this point, which shows that genetic assortative mating declined over the course of the twentieth century, and tentatively concludes that Herrnstein and Murray were wrong—that flatlining social mobility is a bug, not a feature, of meritocratic societies.
Microbial assemblages associated with the rhizosphere and endosphere of an herbage, Leymus chinensis
Authors: Chen Jin , Xu Daolong , Chao Lumeng , Liu Haijing , Bao Yuying 
Published: March 2020

SummaryRoot‐associated microbiomes play significant roles in plant productivity, health and ecological services. However, our current understanding of the microbial assemblages in the rhizosphere and endosphere of herbage is still limited. To gain insights into these microbial assemblages, Illumina MiSeq high‐throughput sequencing was performed to investigate the characteristics of microbial communities of an herbage, Leymus chinensis. Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) results showed that microbial communities of the rhizosphere and endosphere samples were clearly distinguished. Rhizosphere soil communities showed a greater sensitivity than root endosphere communities using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe). Rhizosphere and endosphere communities performed their respective functions in the soil as a cohesive collective, and Rhizobiales were observed to function as generalists. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) results revealed that the contribution of the interaction between soil physicochemical parameters and soil enzymes was greater than their individual contributions. In summary, this study is the first to elucidate the microbial diversity and community structure of L. chinensis and compare the diversity and composition between rhizospheric and endosphere microbiomes.
Metatranscriptomic identification of polyamine‐transforming bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Lu Xinxin , Wang Kai , Sun Shulei , Mou Xiaozhen 
Published: March 2020

SummaryThe importance of short‐chained aliphatic polyamines (PAs) to bacterioplankton‐mediated carbon and nitrogen cycles has been repeatedly proposed. However, bacterial taxa and genes involved in the transformations of different PA compounds and their potential spatial variations remain unclear. This study collected surface bacterioplankton from nearshore, offshore, and open ocean stations in the Gulf of Mexico and examined how metatranscriptomes responded to additions of three single PA model compounds (i.e. putrescine, spermidine, or spermine). Our data showed an overrepresentation of genes affiliated with γ‐glutamylation and spermidine cleavage pathways in metatranscriptomes received PA amendments and the expression level of each pathway varied among different PA compounds and sampling locations. PA‐transforming taxa were affiliated with Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Proteobacteria and their relative importance was also compound and location specific. These findings suggest that PAs are transformed via multiple pathways and by a diversity of marine bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico. The relative importance of different PA transforming pathways and composition of functional microbial communities may be regulated by nutrient status of local environments.
‘Variations in phenological and functional traits in Thapsia garganica populations in Al Jebel Al Akhdar, Libya’
Authors: Al Borki Abd El‐Nasser S. , Alzerbi Abdulhamid K. , Kabiel Hanan F. , Hegazy Ahmad K. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThapsia garganica is a herbaceous perennial in the Apiaceae, distributed around the Mediterranean and traditionally used in North Africa as a remedy for arthritis, herpes, hair‐fall, hypertension, rheumatic, eczema and scabies. T. garganica is the source of thapsigargin: known for killing cancer cells. Seven populations were studied in sites differing in aspect and elevation within Al Jebel Al Akhdar in Libya. We studied the within‐population size distribution of individuals, the timing of the phenological events, and vegetative and reproductive traits.Thapsia garganica showed high flexibility of functional traits and shifts in the timing of phenological events in response to elevation and aspect (north‐ or south‐facing slopes). Local soil properties, together with effects due to altitude and aspect, could be direct causes of the observed differences in terms of population size and phenological traits. The phenological patterns detected also provide insights into the species response to climate change. Despite this phenotypic flexibility, and good growth in sites at 300–700 m a. s. l. on south‐facing slopes, most sites in this study have an unstable size‐structure, with few small individuals. This raises concerns about the long‐term persistence of the other populations of this species in Al Jebel Al Akhdar.
Have natural disasters created opportunities to initiate Big Cat Tourism in South America?
Authors: Tortato Fernando , Hoogesteijn Rafael , Elbroch L. Mark 
Published: March 2020

AbstractLivestock is the predominant biomass in terrestrial systems around the world, and conflict with livestock inventories continues to threaten large carnivore persistence in increasingly fragmented habitats. Nevertheless, social tolerance for large carnivores is increasing, as is interest in predator tourism, which can facilitate wildlife–livestock coexistence strategies. We report two case studies in which natural disasters led to a reduction in local livestock inventories, and subsequent economic hardships that in turn created opportunities for initiating predator tourism: jaguar tourism in the Pantanal of Brazil and puma tourism in the Patagonia steppe grasslands of southern Chile. Any time livestock numbers are reduced, whether through management decisions or natural disasters, may be considered opportunities to reduce dependency upon livestock and to weigh diversifying revenue streams via alternative activities, such as tourism. Livestock reductions in combination with a surge in the global demand for wildlife tourism have made jaguar and puma tourism an increasingly important economic activity for both regions. Well‐managed predator tourism can be effective carnivore conservation, and if integrated among other strategies, can augment conservation agendas.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Why Does the US Face Greater Disadvantages in the Trade War with China?
Authors: Ng Yew‐Kwang 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe rhetoric used by President Trump regarding the trade war against China is rife with misinterpretation. The actual American trade deficit with China is much lower if evaluated in the correct terms of value‐added. The deficit is mainly a result of insufficient domestic US savings. In addition, as the US dollar is an international currency which is being increasingly held as a result of increases in world population, income, prices and transaction intensity, Americans can benefit from having trade deficits of hundreds of billions of US dollars each year. My analysis, as well as a model of the Bank of England, reveals that the trade war is not only mutually harmful but also actually hurts America more than China. The Thucydides Trap is likely avoidable in the current nuclear era of assured mutual destruction and because China, facing many structural impediments, is still far behind America in technology and military power.
Bacitracin attenuates haemolysis‐induced insulin degradation during insulin sensitivity testing: Repurposing an old drug for use in metabolic research
Authors: Demidowich Andrew P. , Levine Jordan A. , Brady Sheila M. , Johnson Cheryl D. , Soldin Steven J. , Yanovski Jack A. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractHaemolysis of serially collected insulin serum samples frequently causes falsely‐low measured concentrations because of the release of intracellular insulin degrading enzyme (IDE). We investigated if bacitracin, an in vitro IDE inhibitor, could prevent haemolysis‐induced insulin degradation during insulin sensitivity testing. Blood samples were collected from adults undergoing serial sampling for insulin sensitivity. A dose‐finding study measured insulin from experimentally haemolysed samples containing five bacitracin concentrations (0‐2.5 g/L) and from non‐experimentally haemolysed samples. To confirm the utility of bacitracin in the clinical setting, we compared insulin in samples collected with and without 1 g/L bacitracin from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT), where haemolysis often occurs accidentally. In the dose‐finding study, bacitracin 0.25, 1 and 2.5 g/L all maximally prevented insulin degradation in experimentally haemolysed samples. Among FSIVGTT unintentionally haemolysed samples, insulin concentrations from bacitracin‐containing samples were significantly higher than from those without bacitracin (P < .01), and not different from non‐haemolysed samples obtained simultaneously from a second intravenous catheter (P = .07). Bacitracin did not significantly alter insulin concentrations in non‐haemolysed samples. Bacitracin attenuates haemolysis‐associated insulin degradation in clinical samples, enabling a more accurate assessment of insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis.
Inequality, public good provision and the composition of trade
Authors: Jahan Dideh Mahsa 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis paper investigates the effect of trade liberalization on the provision of public goods and shows that inequality also plays a vital role here. Public goods help enhance the productivity of firms, lower prices and raise profitability. The provision of public goods has different effects in closed and open economies. In an open economy, the impact of productive spending on increasing profit is stronger. Consequently, the opening up of the economy shifts the benefits of productive public goods from consumers to firms. As the median voters’, share of the firm’s profit rises, public goods become more appealing and flourish. Consequently, the manufacturing export is boosted by a rise in productivity.
Cancer therapeutics inspired by defense mechanisms in the animal kingdom
Authors: Noble Kathleen , Rohaj Aarushi , Abegglen Lisa M. , Schiffman Joshua D. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMany animals have evolved toxins to defend themselves from predators and hunt prey. These toxins have been honed over millions of years by the unique selective pressures on each organism leading to a vast array of potent bioactive compounds, many of which have therapeutic potential. Animal extracts have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and in the past 50 years, hundreds of animal‐derived compounds have been investigated for anticancer activity with a notable number showing significant potential. This review covers some of the most promising animal‐derived cancer therapeutic agents currently in use or under investigation. Potential therapeutic agents derived from insects, arachnids, amphibians, and marine organism are included. Four compounds are highlighted in this review: bee venom from honeybees (Apis mellifera), chlorotoxin from the Israeli deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus), Huachansu from Chinese Bufo toads (Bufo bufo gargarizans and B. melanotictus), and trabectedin from the marine tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinate. For each compound, the history of their discovery, their mechanism of action, and their clinical development are discussed.
Everyday illiberalism: How Hungarian subnational politics propel single‐party dominance
Authors: Jakli Laura , Stenberg Matthew 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWhile numerous studies consider the roles that media consolidation, court‐packing, and economic crises have played in Hungary's democratic decline since 2010, none have considered the subnational mechanisms driving illiberalism. This study examines the types of subnational procedural tinkering that propel illiberalism by reducing local capacity for institutional resilience. Specifically, we trace how the right‐wing Fidesz‐KDNP government implemented subnational constraints to prevent the reemergence of a viable political opposition by (a) limiting opportunities for political contestation and (b) reducing oversight of the governing coalition. We employ a multimethod approach, pairing systematic document analysis of city council rules and regulations in Hungary's 27 largest municipalities with 26 in‐depth elite interviews across five Hungarian regional cities with mayors, councilmembers, and local leaders of each major political party. In contrast to a large literature on subnational democratic resilience, we examine how subnational maneuvers can enable single‐party consolidation and exacerbate authoritarian tendencies in declining democracies.
Erythema of the skin after breast radiotherapy: It is not always recurrence
Authors: Gutkin Paulina M. , Fernandez‐Pol Sebastian , Horst Kathleen C. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractRecurrence of breast cancer is a predominant fear for patients who were treated for breast cancer. Acute and late dermatologic effects of radiotherapy are not uncommon and could have similar characteristics to breast cancer recurrence. Thus, it is important to highlight key differences between the clinical and histologic presentations of radiation effects and recurrence. Herein, we present two patients who presented with late dermatologic effects of radiotherapy months to years after treatment, neither of whom had workup consistent with cancer recurrence. We provide clinical and microscopic descriptions of each case and provide a review to differentiate various dermatologic conditions. This report aims to outline potential late dermatologic effects of radiation treatment and emphasise that changes in the breast do not always signal breast cancer recurrence.