bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Generation of a new six1‐null line in Xenopus tropicalis for study of development and congenital disease
Authors: Coppenrath Kelsey , Tavares Andre L. P. , Shaidani Nikko‐Ideen , Wlizla Marcin , Moody Sally A. , Horb Marko 
Published: October 2021

SummaryThe vertebrate Six (Sine oculis homeobox) family of homeodomain transcription factors plays critical roles in the development of several organs. Six1 plays a central role in cranial placode development, including the precursor tissues of the inner ear, as well as other cranial sensory organs and the kidney. In humans, mutations in SIX1 underlie some cases of Branchio‐oto‐renal (BOR) syndrome, which is characterized by moderate‐to‐severe hearing loss. We utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to establish a six1 mutant line in Xenopus tropicalis that is available to the research community. We demonstrate that at larval stages, the six1‐null animals show severe disruptions in gene expression of putative Six1 target genes in the otic vesicle, cranial ganglia, branchial arch, and neural tube. At tadpole stages, six1‐null animals display dysmorphic Meckel's, ceratohyal, and otic capsule cartilage morphology. This mutant line will be of value for the study of the development of several organs as well as congenital syndromes that involve these tissues.
Significance of probiotics in remodeling the gut consortium to enhance the immunity of Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Udayakumar Prithika , Das Reena , Kannadasan Anandbabu 
Published: October 2021

SummaryIn the recent past, Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as one of the leading nematode models for studying host–microbe interactions on molecular, cellular, or organismal levels. In general, morphological and functional similarities of the gut of C. elegans with respect to that of human has brought in speculations on the study of the intestinal microbiota. On the other hand, probiotics have proved their efficacy in metabolism, development, and pathogenesis thereby inducing an immune response in C. elegans. Nurturing C. elegans with probiotics has led to immunomodulatory effects in the intestinal microbiota, proposing C. elegans as one of the in vivo screening criteria to select potential probiotic bacteria for host health‐promoting factors. The major prospect of these probiotics is to exert longevity toward the host in diverse environmental conditions. The extent of research on probiotic metabolism has shed light on mechanisms of the immunomodulatory effect exerted by the nematode model. This review discusses various aspects of the effects of probiotics in improving the health and mechanisms involved in conferring immunity in C. elegans.
Tracking spatial regimes as an early warning for a species of conservation concern
Authors: Roberts Caleb P. , Uden Daniel R. , Cady Samantha M. , Allred Brady , Fuhlendorf Samuel , Jones Matthew O. , Maestas Jeremy D. , Naugle David , Olsen Andrew C. , Smith Joseph , Tack Jason , Twidwell Dirac 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn this era of global environmental change and rapid regime shifts, managing core areas that species require to survive and persist is a grand challenge for conservation. Wildlife monitoring data are often limited or local in scale. The emerging ability to map and track spatial regimes (i.e., the spatial manifestation of state transitions) using advanced geospatial vegetation data has the potential to provide earlier warnings of habitat loss because many species of conservation concern strongly avoid spatial regime boundaries. Using 23 yr of data for the lek locations of Greater Prairie‐Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido; GPC) in a remnant grassland ecosystem, we demonstrate how mapping changes in the boundaries between grassland and woodland spatial regimes provide a spatially explicit early warning signal for habitat loss for an iconic and vulnerable grassland‐obligate known to be highly sensitive to woody plant encroachment. We tested whether a newly proposed metric for the quantification of spatial regimes captured well‐known responses of GPC to woody plant expansion into grasslands. Resource selection functions showed that the grass:woody spatial regime boundary strength explained the probability of 80% of relative lek occurrence, and GPC strongly avoided grass:woody spatial regime boundaries at broad scales. Both findings are consistent with well‐known expectations derived from GPC ecology. These results provide strong evidence for vegetation‐derived delineations of spatial regimes to serve as generalized signals of early warning for state transitions that have major consequences to biodiversity conservation. Mapping spatial regime boundaries over time provided interpretable early warnings of habitat loss. Woody plant regimes displaced grassland regimes starting from the edges of the study area and constricting inward. Correspondingly, the relative probability of lek occurrence constricted in space. Similarly, the temporal trajectory of spatial regime boundary strength increased over time and moved closer to the observed limit of GPC lek site usage relative to grass:woody boundary strength. These novel spatial metrics allow managers to rapidly screen for early warning signals of spatial regime shifts and adapt management practices to defend and grow habitat cores at broad scales.
Multi‐family therapy for eating disorders: A systematic scoping review of the quantitative and qualitative findings
Authors: Baudinet Julian , Eisler Ivan , Dawson Lisa , Simic Mima , Schmidt Ulrike 
Published: October 2021

AbstractObjectiveThis study reviewed the quantitative and qualitative evidence‐base for multi‐family therapy (MFT) for eating disorders regarding change in physical and psychological symptoms, broader individual and family factors, and the experience of treatment.MethodA systematic scoping review was conducted. Four databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Embase, CENTRAL) and five grey literature databases were searched on 24th June 2021 for relevant peer‐reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and dissertations. No beginning time‐point was specified. Only papers that presented quantitative or qualitative data were included. No restrictions on age or diagnosis were imposed. Studies were first mapped by study design, participant age, and treatment setting, then narratively synthesized.ResultsOutcomes for 714 people who received MFT across 27 studies (one mixed‐method, 17 quantitative and nine qualitative) were synthesized. MFT is associated with improvements in eating disorder symptomatology and weight gain for those who are underweight. It is also associated with improvements in other individual and family factors including comorbidities, self‐esteem, quality of life, and some aspects of the experience of caregiving, although these findings are more mixed. MFT is generally experienced as both helpful and challenging due to the content addressed and intensive group process.DiscussionMFT is associated with significant improvements in eating disorder symptoms across the lifespan and improvement in broader individual and family factors. The evidence base is small and studies are generally underpowered. Larger, higher‐quality studies are needed, as is research investigating the unique contribution of MFT on outcomes, given it is typically an adjunctive treatment.
Shell colour diversification induced by ecological release: A shift in natural selection after a migration event
Authors: Ito Shun , Hirano Takahiro , Chiba Satoshi , Konuma Junji 
Published: October 2021

AbstractEcological release is often attributed to the rapid adaptive diversification of phenotypic traits. However, it is not well understood how natural selection changes its strength and direction through the process of ecological release. Herein, we demonstrated how shell colour of the Japanese land snailEuhadra peliomphala simodaehas diversified via a shift in natural selection due to ecological release after migration from the mainland to an island. This snail's shell colour diversified on the island due to disruptive selection after migration from the mainland. We used trail camera traps to identify the cause of natural selection on both the mainland and the island. We then conducted a mark–recapture experiment while collecting microhabitat use data. In total, we captured and marked around 1,700 snails on the mainland, some of which were preyed upon by an unknown predator. The trail camera traps showed that the predator is the large Japanese field mouseApodemus speciosus, and the predatory frequency was higher on the mainland than on the island. However, this predation did not correlate with shell colour. Microhabitat use on the island was more extensive than on the mainland, with snails on the island using both ground and arboreal microhabitats. A Bayesian estimation showed that the stabilizing selection on shell colour came from factors other than predation. Our results suggest that the course of natural selection was modified due to ecological release after migration from the mainland, explaining one cause of the phenotypic diversification.
A molecular census of early‐life stage scleractinian corals in shallow and mesophotic zones
Authors: Soto Derek , De Palmas Stéphane , Ho Ming‐Jay , Denis Vianney , Allen Chen Chaolun 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe decline of coral reefs has fueled interest in determining whether mesophotic reefs can shield against disturbances and help replenish deteriorated shallower reefs. In this study, we characterized spatial (horizontal and vertical) and seasonal patterns of diversity in coral recruits from Dabaisha and Guiwan reefs at Ludao, Taiwan. Concrete blocks supporting terra‐cotta tiles were placed at shallow (15m) and mesophotic (40m) depths, during 2016–2018. Half of the tiles were retrieved and replaced biannually over three 6‐month surveys (short‐term); the remainder retrieved at the end of the 18‐month (long‐term) survey. 451 recruits were located using fluorescent censusing and identified by DNA barcoding. Barcoding the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene resulted in 17 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). To obtain taxonomic resolution to the generic level, Pocillopora were phylotyped using the mitochondrial open reading frame (ORF), resolving eight MOTUs. Acropora, Isopora, and Montipora recruits were identified by the nuclear PaxC intron, yielding ten MOTUs. Overall, 35 MOTUs were generated and were comprised primarily of Pocillopora and, in fewer numbers, Acropora, Isopora, Pavona, Montipora, Stylophora, among others. 40% of MOTUs recruited solely within mesophotic reefs while 20% were shared by both depth zones. MOTUs recruiting across a broad depth distribution appear consistent with the hypothesis of mesophotic reefs acting as a refuge for shallow‐water coral reefs. In contrast, Acropora and Isopora MOTUs were structured across depth zones representing an exception to this hypothesis. This research provides an imperative assessment of coral recruitment in understudied mesophotic reefs and imparts insight into the refuge hypothesis.
Video recording and vegetation classification elucidate sheep foraging ecology in species‐rich grassland
Authors: Hall Stephen J. G. , Arney David R. , Bunce Robert G. H. , Vollmer Elis 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Factors influencing grazing behavior in species‐rich grasslands have been little studied. Methodologies have mostly had a primary focus on grasslands with lower floristic diversity.

We test the hypothesis that grazing behavior is influenced by both animal and plant factors and investigate the relative importance of these factors, using a novel combination of video technology and vegetation classification to analyze bite and step rates.

In a semi‐natural, partially wooded grassland in northern Estonia, images of the vegetation being grazed and records of steps and bites were obtained from four video cameras, each mounted on the sternum of a sheep, during 41 animal‐hours of observation over five days. Plant species lists for the immediate field of view were compiled. Images were partnered by direct observation of the nearest‐neighbor relationships of the sheep. TWINSPAN, a standard vegetation classification technique allocating species lists to objectively defined classes by a principal components procedure, was applied to the species lists and 25 vegetation classes (15 open pasture and 10 woodland) were identified from the images.

Taking bite and step rates as dependent variables, relative importance of animal factors (sheep identity), relative importance of day, and relative importance of plant factors (vegetation class) were investigated. The strongest effect on bite rates was of vegetation class. Sheep identity was less influential. When the data from woodland were excluded, sheep identity was more important than vegetation class as a source of variability in bite rate on open pasture.

The original hypothesis is therefore supported, and we further propose that, at least with sheep in species‐rich open pastures, animal factors will be more important in determining grazing behavior than plant factors. We predict quantifiable within‐breed and between‐breed differences, which could be exploited to optimize conservation grazing practices and contribute to the sustainability of extensive grazing systems.
Prospecting and informed dispersal: Understanding and predicting their joint eco‐evolutionary dynamics
Authors: Ponchon Aurore , Scarpa Alice , Bocedi Greta , Palmer Stephen C. F. , Travis Justin M. J. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe ability of individuals to leave a current breeding area and select a future one is important, because such decisions can have multiple consequences for individual fitness, but also for metapopulation dynamics, structure, and long‐term persistence through non‐random dispersal patterns. In the wild, many colonial and territorial animal species display informed dispersal strategies, where individuals use information, such as conspecific breeding success gathered during prospecting, to decide whether and where to disperse. Understanding informed dispersal strategies is essential for relating individual behavior to subsequent movements and then determining how emigration and settlement decisions affect individual fitness and demography. Although numerous theoretical studies have explored the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of dispersal, very few have integrated prospecting and public information use in both emigration and settlement phases. Here, we develop an individual‐based model that fills this gap and use it to explore the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of informed dispersal. In a first experiment, in which only prospecting evolves, we demonstrate that selection always favors informed dispersal based on a low number of prospected patches relative to random dispersal or fully informed dispersal, except when individuals fail to discriminate better patches from worse ones. In a second experiment, which allows the concomitant evolution of both emigration probability and prospecting, we show the same prospecting strategy evolving. However, a plastic emigration strategy evolves, where individuals that breed successfully are always philopatric, while failed breeders are more likely to emigrate, especially when conspecific breeding success is low. Embedding information use and prospecting behavior in eco‐evolutionary models will provide new fundamental understanding of informed dispersal and its consequences for spatial population dynamics.
Ethanol resistance in Drosophila melanogaster has increased in parallel cold‐adapted populations and shows a variable genetic architecture within and between populations
Authors: Sprengelmeyer Quentin D. , Pool John E. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractUnderstanding the genetic properties of adaptive trait evolution is a fundamental crux of biological inquiry that links molecular processes to biological diversity. Important uncertainties persist regarding the genetic predictability of adaptive trait change, the role of standing variation, and whether adaptation tends to result in the fixation of favored variants. Here, we use the recurrent evolution of enhanced ethanol resistance in Drosophila melanogaster during this species’ worldwide expansion as a promising system to add to our understanding of the genetics of adaptation. We find that elevated ethanol resistance has evolved at least three times in different cooler regions of the species’ modern range—not only at high latitude but also in two African high‐altitude regions. Applying a bulk segregant mapping framework, we find that the genetic architecture of ethanol resistance evolution differs substantially not only between our three resistant populations, but also between two crosses involving the same European population. We then apply population genetic scans for local adaptation within our quantitative trait locus regions, and we find potential contributions of genes with annotated roles in spindle localization, membrane composition, sterol and alcohol metabolism, and other processes. We also apply simulation‐based analyses that confirm the variable genetic basis of ethanol resistance and hint at a moderately polygenic architecture. However, these simulations indicate that larger‐scale studies will be needed to more clearly quantify the genetic architecture of adaptive evolution and to firmly connect trait evolution to specific causative loci.
Detection probabilities and surveillance sensitivities for managing an invasive mammalian herbivore
Authors: Latham A. David M. , Warburton Bruce , Latham M. Cecilia , Anderson Dean P. , Howard Simon W. , Binny Rachelle N. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractInvasive mammalian herbivores can have significant unwanted impacts on indigenous ecosystems and production landscapes. Their impacts are often mitigated using sustained lethal control or eradication. If eradication is the chosen option, it is critical to confirm where the pest population is distributed and prove that eradication has been achieved following the removal intervention. This form of pest management requires robust and quantitative estimates of surveillance. We compared the detection probabilities, derived surveillance system sensitivities (under standardized conditions), and cost of surveillance for four survey methods for invasive Bennett’s wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus) in South Island, New Zealand: helicopter surveys with observers, helicopter surveys using a thermal imaging camera, a ground hunter with detector dogs, and camera traps. We found camera traps and ground hunters with dogs were the most sensitive surveillance methods (82% and 45% chance of detecting a wallaby assuming full search coverage of a 100‐ha area, respectively) and were most cost‐effective (62% and 85% cheaper than helicopter surveys with observers, respectively). However, although these methods are useful for surveying small areas (~1000 ha or less), capacity and time issues make them impractical for surveying large areas. The helicopter‐based methods will likely be more suitable for monitoring large areas (e.g., 10,000–50,000 ha) that need to be completed more rapidly than could be achieved using ground‐based methods. The model that we used for evaluating detection probability and surveillance sensitivity for different survey methods is highly applicable for managing a wide range of mammalian pests and confidently declaring their absence from an area.
A study on emergency control of battery energy storage systems for primary frequency regulation after unexpected loss of generation
Authors: Kobayashi Taichi , Kawabe Kenichi , Tokumitsu Keita 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn this study, we investigate two kinds of control modes of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) to improve the short‐term frequency stability after a sudden loss of generation. One is a current control mode that directly controls current output, and the other is a voltage control mode that controls the frequency of the voltage output. The methods are verified by numerical simulation in a multi‐machine power system model considering transmission network. Numerical examples show that the voltage control mode is more effective than the current control mode for suppressing frequency drop and the rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) on condition that RoCoF data is unavailable for the control of the BESSs. It is also shown that the use of RoCoF data makes the current control mode effective for the alleviation of frequency drop and RoCoF as well as the voltage control mode.
Metabolite signatures of heart failure, sleep apnoea, their interaction, and outcomes in the community
Authors: Dutta Shashwati , Li Desmond , Wang Andy , Ishak Mark , Cook Kristina , Farnham Melissa , Dissanayake Hasthi , Cistulli Peter , Hunyor Imre , Liu Renping , Wilcox Ian , Koay Yen Chin , Yang Jean , Lal Sean , O'Sullivan John F. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAimsSleep apnoea and congestive heart failure (CHF) commonly co‐exist, but their interaction is unclear. Metabolomics may clarify their interaction and relationships to outcome.Methods and resultsWe assayed 372 circulating metabolites and lipids in 1919 and 1524 participants of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) (mean age 54 ± 10 years, 53% women) and Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (mean age 67 ± 7 years), respectively. We used linear and Cox regression to relate plasma concentrations of metabolites and lipids to echocardiographic parameters; CHF and its subtypes heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); and sleep indices. Adenine dinucleotide phosphate (ADP) associated with left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening; phosphocreatine with LV wall thickness; lysosomal storage molecule sphingomyelin 18:2 with LV mass; and nicotine metabolite cotinine with time spent with an oxygen saturation less than 90% (β = 2.3 min, P = 2.3 × 10−5). Pro‐hypertrophic metabolite hydroxyglutarate partly mediated the association between LV wall thickness and HFpEF. Central sleep apnoea was significantly associated with HFpEF (P = 0.03) but not HFrEF (P = 0.5). There were three significant metabolite canonical variates, one of which conferred protection from cardiovascular death [hazard ratio = 0.3 (0.11, 0.81), P = 0.02].ConclusionsEnergetic metabolites were associated with cardiac function; energy‐ and lipid‐storage metabolites with LV wall thickness and mass; plasma levels of nicotine metabolite cotinine were associated with increased time spent with a sleep oxygen saturation less than 90%, a clinically significant marker of outcome, indicating a significant hazard for smokers who have sleep apnoea.
Discrete versus 1D Compounds based on Pentagonal Bipyramid Coordination Geometries: A Matter of Solubility?
Authors: Pichon Céline , Duhayon Carine , Delahaye Emilie , Sutter Jean‐Pascal 
Published: October 2021

AbstractA series of heterometallic compounds based on the association of trans‐dicyanido Cr(III) complex [Cr(L)(CN)2]K ⋅ 2H2O and several divalent [MnII(H2Ln)Cl2] heptacoordinated complexes, where Ln stands for pentadentate ligands featuring a planar N3O2 coordination pocket and various substituents (NH2, cyclohexyl, S,S‐mandelic), is described. A dinuclear compound [Cr(L)(CN)2M(H2L2)] and 1D coordination polymers of general formula [Cr(L)(CN)2M(H2Ln)]X (X=PF6− or [Cr(L)(CN)2]−) were rationally prepared by a simple adjustment of the Cr : M stoichiometry for R=NH2 or tuning the solvent mixtures to promote the crystallization of discrete complexes or chains. The crystal structures, phase purities and magnetic properties of all the compounds are reported.