bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alternative reproductive tactics are associated with sperm performance in invasive round goby from two different salinity environments
Authors: Green Leon , Niemax Jan , Herrmann Jens‐Peter , Temming Axel , Kvarnemo Charlotta 
Published: September 2020

AbstractDuring male–male competition, evolution can favor alternative reproductive tactics. This often results in a dominant morph that holds a resource, such as a nest for egg laying, which competes with a smaller sneaker morph that reproduces by stealing fertilizations. The salinity environment can influence male growth rates, for example, via osmoregulatory costs, which in turn may influence the use of sneaker tactics for small males competing for mating opportunities. Salinity can also affect sperm directly; however, little is known of how salinity influences sneaker tactics through sperm performance. We sampled males of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from two environments, a freshwater river and a brackish estuary. This fish has two male morphs: nest‐holding dark males and non‐nest‐holding light males. We examined the role of water salinity of 0, 8, and 16 on sperm performance and found that for estuarine males, a salinity of 0 reduced sperm velocity compared to a salinity of 8 and 16. Riverine males had low velocity in all salinities. Sperm viability also decreased by over 30% in 0 salinity, compared to 8 and 16, for fish from both environments. Gobies produce ejaculate contents in specialized glands that could in theory shield sperm in an adverse environment. However, gland contents did not improve sperm performance in our tests. Body mass and age estimates indicate that riverine males invested more in somatic growth compared to estuarine males. Estuarine light morph males had a high enough gonadosomatic index to indicate sneaker tactics. We propose that when sperm performance is low, such as for the riverine males, sneaker tactics are ineffective and will be selected against or phenotypically suppressed. Instead, we interpret the increased investment in somatic growth found in riverine males as a life‐history decision that is advantageous when defending a nest in the next reproductive season.
Thanks for inviting me to the party: Virtual poster sessions as a way to connect in a time of disconnection
Authors: Holt Emily A. , Heim Ashley B. , Tessens Erin , Walker Robert 
Published: September 2020

AbstractCOVID‐19 presented the world with trauma and isolation, but many people, including educators, have offered bright spots of creativity and engagement. As we confronted these issues in our own ecology classroom, we sought solutions to carry‐forward the learning objectives we set for our students in January 2020, yet encourage interaction with the sensitivity that a pandemic requires. In the rapid transition to online course delivery, we opted to retain the original end‐of‐semester poster project in our introductory ecology course. However, we experimented with a new virtual platform where students could disseminate their work and communicate with the community. In this paper, we discuss the Mozilla Hubs virtual reality platform that we used for our event. We also collected qualitative data to share the benefits and challenges of this experience felt by the students, the instructors, and external observers.
Distribution and biogeography of Sanguina snow algae: Fine‐scale sequence analyses reveal previously unknown population structure
Authors: Brown Shawn P. , Tucker Avery E. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIt has been previously suggested that snow algal species within the genus Sanguina (S. nivaloides and S. aurantia) show no population structure despite being found globally (S. nivaloides) or throughout the Northern Hemisphere (S. aurantia). However, systematic biogeographic research into global distributions is lacking due to few genetic and no genomic resources for these snow algae. Here, using all publicly available and previously unpublished Sanguina sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 region, we investigated whether this purported lack of population structure within Sanguina species is supported by additional evidence. Using a minimum entropy decomposition (MED) approach to examine fine‐scale genetic population structure, we find that these snow algae populations are largely distinct regionally and have some interesting biogeographic structuring. This is in opposition to the currently accepted idea that Sanguina species lack any observable population structure across their vast ranges and highlights the utility of fine‐scale (sub‐OTU) analytical tools to delineate geographic and genetic population structure. This work extends the known range of S. aurantia and emphasizes the need for development of genetic and genomic tools for additional studies on snow algae biogeography.
Coexistence of predators in time: Effects of season and prey availability on species activity within a Mediterranean carnivore guild
Authors: Vilella Marc , Ferrandiz‐Rovira Mariona , Sayol Ferran 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe degree of coexistence among predators can determine the structure of ecological communities. Niche partitioning is a common strategy applied by species to enhance their coexistence. Diet, habitat, or time use can be responsible for segregation among carnivore species, the latter factor being the least studied in Mediterranean ecosystems. Terrestrial medium‐sized carnivores (i.e., mesocarnivores) carry out important functions in ecosystems, and identifying their interactions is essential for their conservation.In this study, we explore the activity of a terrestrial mesocarnivore guild in order to determine seasonal differences in daily activity patterns of competitors and prey. We also investigate how the abundance of a common mesocarnivore prey in the region, small mammals, influences the activity of predators.During a year, camera trap devices (n = 18) were installed in Montseny Natural Park (Catalan Pre‐Coastal Range, North‐East Iberian Peninsula), a region that hosts five mesocarnivore species. Camera trapping detections were used to estimate their daily activity patterns and corresponding overlaps. We also surveyed small mammal plots (n = 5) in order to calculate prey abundance and test its effect on the relative activity of each carnivore species.Despite all target mesocarnivores are mainly nocturnal, the activity overlap among them varies according to species particularities and season. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) appears as a generalist species in terms of time use, whereas stone marten (Martes foina) and genet (Genetta genetta) show the most similar activity patterns and both of them seem to be positively influenced by small mammal abundance. Overall, the diversity found in the way mesocarnivore species use time could facilitate their coexistence.Despite activity pattern similarities among carnivore species should not be directly translated to negative interactions, they can have a strong influence in habitat and resource‐limited ecosystems. Therefore, activity overlaps should be taken into account when discussing wildlife management actions.
Estimating response distances of lesser prairie‐chickens to anthropogenic features during long‐distance movements
Authors: Peterson Jacob M. , Earl Julia E. , Fuhlendorf Samuel D. , Elmore R. Dwayne , Haukos David A. , Tanner Ashley M. , Carleton Scott A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSpatially distributed populations often rely on large‐scale processes for long‐term population stability. These processes are driven by individuals moving across the landscape through long‐distance dispersal movements. However, as landscapes are continually altered by anthropogenic development, increased fragmentation and avoidance behavior can affect landscape permeability and limit dispersal. Lesser prairie‐chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) are a species of concern that have lost significant portions (>90%) of their historic distribution in the Southern Great Plains of the United States and are currently being impacted by continued anthropogenic development. Using GPS telemetry locations of 346 lesser prairie‐chickens across their entire geographic distribution, we identified 184 different long‐distance movements that drive population connectivity. We used empirical cumulative distribution functions to create a selection–avoidance–neutral curve and estimated the spatial scale of response to anthropogenic features (i.e., towers and windmills, large transmission and smaller distribution powerlines, oil wells, roads, and fences) during these movements. In addition, we tested for behavioral differences between movement types (e.g., exploratory loops vs. long‐distance movements between home ranges) and for regional differences in response among study areas. We found that during long‐distance movements, lesser prairie‐chickens generally avoided all anthropogenic feature types we tested despite some variation in the reported response distance among study areas. However, they avoided the tallest features (i.e., towers and windmills and transmission powerlines) at much greater distances in comparison with the shorter features in our analysis. Our results show that long‐distance movements are likely affected by responses to functional landscape fragmentation through increased development of anthropogenic features in important connectivity zones. As our estimated response distances during long‐distance movements varied in comparison with previously reported response distances during other behavioral states (e.g., breeding or nesting), using long‐distance or dispersal specific movement data may be more appropriate when asking questions related to connectivity across the landscape.
Molybdenum, phosphorus, and pH do not constrain nitrogen fixation in a tropical forest in the southeastern Amazon
Authors: Wong Michelle Y. , Neill Christopher , Marino Roxanne , Silvério Divino , Howarth Robert W. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractHigh rates of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) are commonly reported for tropical forests, but most studies have been conducted in regions that receive substantial inputs of molybdenum (Mo) from atmospheric dust and sea‐salt aerosols. Even in these regions, the low availability of Mo can constrain free‐living BNF catalyzed by heterotrophic bacteria and archaea. We hypothesized that in regions where atmospheric inputs of Mo are low and soils are highly weathered, such as the southeastern Amazon, Mo would constrain BNF. We also hypothesized that the high soil acidity, characteristic of the Amazon Basin, would further constrain Mo availability and therefore soil BNF. We conducted two field experiments across the wet and dry seasons, adding Mo, phosphorus (P), and lime alone and in combination to the forest floor in the southeastern Amazon. We sampled soils and litter immediately, and then weeks and months after the applications, and measured Mo and P availability through resin extractions and BNF with the acetylene reduction assay. The experimental additions of Mo and P increased their availability and the lime increased soil pH. While the combination of Mo and P increased BNF at some time points, BNF rates did not increase strongly or consistently across the study as a whole, suggesting that Mo, P, and soil pH are not the dominant controls over BNF. In a separate short‐term laboratory experiment, BNF did not respond strongly to Mo and P even when labile carbon was added. We postulate that high nitrogen (N) availability in this area of the Amazon, as indicated by the stoichiometry of soils and vegetation and the high nitrate soil stocks, likely suppresses BNF at this site. These patterns may also extend across highly weathered soils with high N availability in other topographically stable regions of the tropics.
Prevalence and factors associated with diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes: A report from a tertiary medical center in Central Pennsylvania
Authors: Bogale Kaleb Tadesse , Hale Daniel E. , Schaefer Eric , Bangalore Krishna Kanthi 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the rate and factors associated with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a single tertiary medical centre in Central Pennsylvania.MethodsRetrospective chart review of all individuals ≤ 18 years of age who were diagnosed with T1D (N = 350) at the Penn State Hershey Pediatric Diabetes Clinic from January 2017 to December 2019. We report logistic regression models for DKA at diagnosis of T1D for age, gender, race/ethnicity, BMI percentile, health insurance, outcome of any healthcare encounter 30 days prior to T1D diagnosis, HbA1c level, altered mental status at diagnosis, and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and a multivariable logistic regression model including all aforementioned variables.ResultsOf the 350 newly diagnosed children with T1D from 2017 to 2019, 161/350 (46%) presented in DKA. Among patients with DKA, there were 45 (28%) in mild DKA and 116 (72%) in moderate/severe DKA, which represents 13% and 33% of all patients diagnosed with T1D, respectively. Variables associated with increased risk of DKA at presentation of T1D included age (<3 or 9‐13), BMI percentile (<3% or > 97%), no referral during preceding healthcare encounter, HbA1c level and altered mental status. In a multivariable model, age (<3 or 9‐13), no referral during preceding healthcare encounter, HbA1c level and altered mental status were associated with DKA at presentation, whereas gender, race/ethnicity, BMI percentile, health insurance and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis were not.DiscussionOur study notes an overall higher rate of DKA at diagnosis (46%) compared to the SEARCH study (approximately 30%) but a lower rate compared to a recent study in Colorado children (58%).
Using environmental DNA for biomonitoring of freshwater fish communities: Comparison with established gillnet surveys in a boreal hydroelectric impoundment
Authors: Boivin‐Delisle Damien , Laporte Martin , Burton Frédéric , Dion René , Normandeau Eric , Bernatchez Louis 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAccurate data characterizing species distribution and abundance are critical for conservation and management of aquatic resources. Inventory methods, such as gillnet surveys, are widely used to estimate distribution and abundance of fish. However, gillnet surveys can be costly in terms of material and human resources, may cause unwanted mortality in the fish communities being studied, and is subject to size and species selection bias. Detecting allochthonous DNA released by species in their environment (i.e., environmental DNA, hereafter eDNA) could be used as a noninvasive and less costly alternative. In this study, we directly compare eDNA metabarcoding and gillnets for monitoring freshwater fish communities in terms of species richness and relative species abundance. Metabarcoding was performed with the 12S Mifish primers. We also used species‐specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the most abundant species, the walleye (Sander vitreus), to compare estimated relative abundance with metabarcoding and gillnet captures. Water sample collection, prior to gillnet assessment, was performed on 17 sites in the hydroelectric impoundment of the Rupert River (James Bay, Canada), comparing two water filtration methods. After controlling for amplification biases and repeatability, we show that fish communities’ complexity is better represented using eDNA metabarcoding than previously recorded gillnet data and that metabarcoding read count correlates with qPCR (r = 0.78, p < .001) in reflecting walleye abundance. Finally, based on partial redundancy analysis, we identified alpha chlorophyll, pH, and dissolved oxygen as environmental variable candidates that may influence differences in fish relative abundance between metabarcoding and gillnets. Altogether, our study demonstrates that the proposed eDNA metabarcoding method can be used as an efficient alternative or complementary technique adapted to the biomonitoring of the fish communities in boreal aquatic ecosystems.
Design studies on IPMSM with radially oriented arc‐shaped hot‐deformed magnet for automotive traction drives
Authors: Kano Yoshiaki , Yabumi Takao 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis article presents the design studies of a multi‐layer interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) with a radially oriented arc‐shaped hot‐deformed magnet for automotive traction drives. Specifically, by using the IPMSM on a 2010 Prius as a benchmark, we designed an IPM rotor geometry that simultaneously achieves a 20% improvement in both the maximum power and constant output power line with high efficiency while maintaining maximum torque. A prototype of the designed three‐layer IPMSM was manufactured and evaluated. The results of the tests conducted on the prototype are reported and discussed in this article.
Association of rs2070600 in advanced glycosylation end‐product specific receptor with prognosis of heart failure
Authors: Li Shiyang , Hu Dong , Hu Senlin , Sun Yang , Zhang Ying , Li Huihui , Chen Yanghui , Liu Hao , Cui Guanglin , Wang Dao Wen 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimsOur objective was to investigate the association of common variants in the coding region of advanced glycosylation end‐product specific receptor (RAGE) and the prognosis of heart failure (HF).Methods and resultsA total of 3394 HF patients were continuously enrolled from January 2009 to August 2018 with a median follow‐up of 20.4 months. Additionally, 2861 healthy subjects also participated in the study. By sequencing these two groups, we identified a common functional missense variant rs2070600 in the coding region of RAGE, which showed a significant association with the prognosis of HF [hazard ratio = 0.53, 95%, confidence interval (CI) = 0.30–0.94, P = 0.03], but no association with the risk of HF (odds ratio = 0.52, 95%, CI = 0.66–1.04, P = 0.106). A series of functional assays revealed that rs2070600‐A, but not ‐G allele, suppressed the expression of RAGE protein by facilitating the binding of miR‐125a‐3p. Furthermore, the RAGE messenger RNA levels of human peripheral blood lymphocytes were reduced in subjects with the rs2070600‐AA genotype compared with subjects with the rs2070600‐GG or ‐AG genotypes. Additionally, our Western blot results from human heart tissue showed increased RAGE expression in HF samples compared with that in healthy donors.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that the common missense variant rs2070600‐A allele is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death and cardiac transplantation by facilitating the binding of miR‐125a‐3p.
Association of transcatheter direct mitral annuloplasty with acute anatomic, haemodynamic, and clinical outcomes in severe mitral valve regurgitation
Authors: Geyer Martin , Keller Karsten , Sotiriou Efthymios , Tamm Alexander R. , Ruf Tobias F. , Kreidel Felix , Beiras‐Fernandez Andres , Gori Tommaso , Schulz Eberhard , Münzel Thomas , von Bardeleben Ralph Stephan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimsSeveral approaches for transcatheter mitral valve repair for functional mitral valve regurgitation are established. Interventional direct annuloplasty is a novel trans‐venous, trans‐septal approach. While feasibility was proven recently, knowledge on its influence on cardiac dimensions, pressures, biomarkers, and clinical outcomes is sparse.Methods and resultsPatients consecutively treated with direct annuloplasty‐only procedures between December 2015 and April 2018 were included in this monocentric analysis. Echocardiographic measurements, biomarker levels, clinical status [New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and 6 min walk test] were assessed at baseline, at discharge, and at a 30 day follow‐up. Overall, 18 patients (in mean 77.0 ± 7.4 years, 44.4% women) with initially all high‐grade mitral valve regurgitation (MR) were included in this study. Procedural success rate was high (94.4%) without severe complications. Direct annuloplasty resulted in MR‐reduction (post‐procedural‐MR mild or no/trace: 72.2%) and the proportion of patients with severe dyspnoea (NYHA III/IV) was reduced (88.9% vs. 50%, P = 0.008). Clinical results were associated with a relevant diminution of left atrial volumes (−16.5%, P < 0.001) and cardiac pressures [left atrial pressure (−32.3%, P = 0.019) and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP, −15.8%, P = 0.025)]. Patients with lower baseline levels of PAP (P = 0.022) as well as elevated highly sensitive troponin (P = 0.034) were more likely to archive clinical benefit (improvement in NYHA class ≥1 grade) after 1 month, which could not be correlated with the grade of MR‐reduction.ConclusionsTranscatheter mitral valve repair by direct annuloplasty results in a relevant reduction of intracardiac pressures, left atrial volumes, dyspnoea, and MR. Lower PAP and higher troponin values at baseline could be associated to dyspnoea reduction.
Assessment of major mental disorders in a German peripartum cardiomyopathy cohort
Authors: Pfeffer Tobias J. , Herrmann Julian , Berliner Dominik , König Tobias , Winter Lotta , Ricke‐Hoch Melanie , Ponimaskin Evgeni , Schuchardt Sven , Thum Thomas , Hilfiker‐Kleiner Denise , Bauersachs Johann , Kahl Kai G. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAimsPeripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a heart disease affecting women during the last month of pregnancy or in the first months after delivery. The impact of the disease on mental health is largely unknown.Methods and resultsMajor mental disorders were assessed by a structured clinical interview in 40 patients with a confirmed PPCM diagnosis, and the data were compared with published prevalence in postpartum women. Circulating biomarkers associated with mental health, such as kynurenine, serotonin, and microRNA (miR)‐30e, were evaluated in PPCM and compared with matched healthy pregnancy‐matched postpartum controls (PP‐Ctrl). Major mental disorders were diagnosed in 65% (26/40) of the PPCM cohort. The prevalence for major depressive disorders was 4‐fold, for post‐traumatic stress disorder 14‐fold, and for panic disorder 6‐fold higher in PPCM patients compared with postpartum women without a PPCM diagnosis. Compared with PP‐Ctrl, PPCM patients displayed elevated levels of serum kynurenine (P < 0.01), reduced levels of serum serotonin (P < 0.05), and elevated levels of plasma miR‐30e (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe majority of PPCM patients in the present cohort displayed mental disorders with a higher prevalence of major depressive disorders, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTBS), and panic disorder, compared with postpartum women without a PPCM diagnosis. This higher prevalence was associated with an impaired tryptophan metabolism and elevated levels of the depression‐associated miR‐30e, suggesting a potential predisposition for mental disorders at the time of PPCM diagnosis. Consequently, physicians should be aware of the increased risk for mental disorders in PPCM patients, and psychiatric assessment should be included in the diagnosis and management of PPCM patients.
Facile Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide‐Multi‐walled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite as Sensitive Probe for in‐vitro Determination of Nitrofurantoin in Biological Fluids
Authors: Kummari Shekher , Sunil Kumar V. , Vengatajalabathy Gobi K. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn this work, electrochemically reduced graphene oxide‐carbon nanotube (multi‐walled) nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (ErGO‐CNT/GCE) has been investigated for direct electrochemical determination of nitrofurantoin (NFT), which is the prime drug used in the treatment of urinary tract infection. Surface of ErGO‐CNT/GCE has shown leafy flake‐like layers on the nanowire bed of CNTs, promising porous surface structure with enhanced surface area. ErGO‐CNT/GCE showed high peak current along with low overpotential in sensing NFT. In differential pulse voltammetry studies, the low detection limit is 20 nM. Steady state current ‐ time analyses carried out in buffer and serum samples resulted a low‐detection‐limit of 1.87 nM with the analysis time of mere 5 s. Practical application of the fabricated sensor for NFT determination in serum samples has been demonstrated.