bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral manifestations of COVID‐19 patients: An online survey of the Egyptian population
Authors: El Kady Dina M. , Gomaa Esraa Ahmad , Abdella Walid Shaban , Ashraf Hussien Reham , Abd ElAziz Rawda H. , Khater Ahmad G. A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis pilot survey aims to study the oral manifestations associated with COVID‐19 infection and report the prevalence of oral signs and symptoms in COVID‐19 patients.Materials and MethodsFrom May 15 to June 10, 2020, we used an online questionnaire containing the oral manifestations that are expected to be associated with the COVID‐19 infection. Adults in our survey who have been diagnosed with COVID‐19 positive were confirmed with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT‐PCR), and isolated in various hospitals in Cairo, Egypt.ResultsThis pilot study included 58 (53.4% males and 46.6% females) COVID‐19 patients ages 18–46 years, and 13 (22.4%) were healthcare workers. Our results showed that 67.2% of the patients had at least one manifestation related to the oral cavity and salivary glands, and 32.8% (n = 19) did not have any symptoms associated with the oral cavity. The highest prevalence symptoms were dry mouth 39.7% (n = 23), gustatory dysfunction as 34.5% (n = 20) loss of salt sensation, 29.3% (n = 17) loss of sweet sensation, and 25.9% (n = 15) altered food taste, while the least prevalent symptoms were tongue redness 8.8% (n = 5), and gingival bleeding 7% (n = 4). The most frequently associated symptoms were loss of salt and sweetness, as reported by 27.6% of the participants. However, there was no significant association between the incidence of oral symptoms and demographic data (age, gender, or job) of the patients (p > 0.05).ConclusionsBased on limited data, COVID‐19 significantly impacts the oral cavity and salivary glands, as salivary gland‐related symptoms and taste disorders are highly prevalent in COVID‐19 patients.
Conflict resolution in activist networks: Reflections on prework, power, and engaging with change in Appalachia
Authors: Romano Arthur , Linnemeier Emily K. , Allen Susan H. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis paper explores key lessons learned during the design and facilitation phases of a conflict resolution workshop with environmental activists in rural Appalachia. As these practice notes and analysis highlight, conflict resolution (CR) practitioners can support activists by engaging in robust preparation work in order to better understand how activists work together, how that work evolves over time, their frames for making sense of conflicts and new possibilities for collaboration. This work raises timely questions about the role of outside facilitator partiality in CR processes, especially when differences of power and marginalization within activist networks reveal fault lines that disrupt collaboration and trust.
Crystal‐storing histiocytes in ascites leading to a diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma
Authors: Hamadeh Fatima , Smith Mitchell R. , Hsi Eric D. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractHistiocytes containing multiple needle‐shaped eosinophilic crystals visualized in a peritoneal fluid sample during evaluation of a patient for liver transplantation led to the diagnosis of unsuspected IgA kappa myeloma. Crystal‐storing histiocytosis is a rare phenomenon typically associated with multiple myeloma and B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders. It can involve almost any anatomic site and can occasionally be seen in body fluid samples.
Habitat heterogeneity, temperature, and primary productivity drive elevational gradients in avian species diversity
Authors: Dillon Kristen G. , Conway Courtney J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAimAnticipating and mitigating the impacts of climate change on species diversity in montane ecosystems requires a mechanistic understanding of drivers of current patterns of diversity. We documented the shape of elevational gradients in avian species richness in North America and tested a suite of a priori predictions for each of five mechanistic hypotheses to explain those patterns.LocationUnited StatesMethodsWe used predicted occupancy maps generated from species distribution models for each of 646 breeding birds to document elevational patterns in avian species richness across the six largest U.S. mountain ranges. We used spatially explicit biotic and abiotic data to test five mechanistic hypotheses proposed to explain geographic variation in species richness.ResultsElevational gradients in avian species richness followed a consistent pattern of low elevation plateau‐mid‐elevation peak (as per McCain, 2009). We found support for three of the five hypotheses to explain the underlying cause of this pattern: the habitat heterogeneity, temperature, and primary productivity hypotheses.Main ConclusionsSpecies richness typically decreases with elevation, but the primary cause and precise shape of the relationship remain topics of debate. We used a novel approach to study the richness‐elevation relationship and our results are unique in that they show a consistent relationship between species richness and elevation among 6 mountain ranges, and universal support for three hypotheses proposed to explain the underlying cause of the observed relationship. Taken together, these results suggest that elevational variation in food availability may be the ecological process that best explains elevational gradients in avian species richness in North America. Although much attention has focused on the role of abiotic factors, particularly temperature, in limiting species’ ranges, our results offer compelling evidence that other processes also influence (and may better explain) elevational gradients in species richness.
Network analyses reveal the role of large snakes in connecting feeding guilds in a species‐rich Amazonian snake community
Authors: Pinto‐Coelho Daniela , Martins Marcio , Guimarães Junior Paulo Roberto 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn ecological communities, interactions between consumers and resources lead to the emergence of ecological networks and a fundamental problem to solve is to understand which factors shape network structure. Empirical and theoretical studies on ecological networks suggest predator body size is a key factor structuring patterns of interaction. Because larger predators consume a wider resource range, including the prey consumed by smaller predators, we hypothesized that variation in body size favors the rise of nestedness. In contrast, if resource consumption requires specific adaptations, predators are expected to consume distinct sets of resources, thus favoring modularity. We investigate these predictions by characterizing the trophic network of a species‐rich Amazonian snake community (62 species). Our results revealed an intricate network pattern resulting from larger species feeding on higher diversity of prey and therefore promoting nestedness, whereas snakes with specific lifestyles and feeding on distinct resources, promoting modularity. Species removal simulations indicated that the nested structure is favored mainly by the presence of five species of the family Boidae, which because of their body size and generalist lifestyles connect modules in the network. Our study highlights the particular ways traits affect the structure of interactions among consumers and resources at the community level.
Evaluating new technology for biodiversity monitoring: Are drone surveys biased?
Authors: Corcoran Evangeline , Denman Simon , Hamilton Grant 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDrones and machine learning‐based automated detection methods are being used by ecologists to conduct wildlife surveys with increasing frequency. When traditional survey methods have been evaluated, a range of factors have been found to influence detection probabilities, including individual differences among conspecific animals, which can thus introduce biases into survey counts. There has been no such evaluation of drone‐based surveys using automated detection in a natural setting. This is important to establish since any biases in counts made using these methods will need to be accounted for, to provide accurate data and improve decision‐making for threatened species. In this study, a rare opportunity to survey a ground‐truthed, individually marked population of 48 koalas in their natural habitat allowed for direct comparison of the factors impacting detection probability in both ground observation and drone surveys with manual and automated detection. We found that sex and host tree preferences impacted detection in ground surveys and in manual analysis of drone imagery with female koalas likely to be under‐represented, and koalas higher in taller trees detected less frequently when present. Tree species composition of a forest stand also impacted on detections. In contrast, none of these factors impacted on automated detection. This suggests that the combination of drone‐captured imagery and machine learning does not suffer from the same biases that affect conventional ground surveys. This provides further evidence that drones and machine learning are promising tools for gathering reliable detection data to better inform the management of threatened populations.
Population genetic structure of sharpbellyHemiculter leucisculus(Basilesky, 1855) and morphological diversification along climate gradients in China
Authors: Wang Lihong , Zhu Long , Tang Kui , Liu Mengyu , Xue Xue , Wang Gaoxue , Wang Zaizhao 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSharpbellyHemiculter leucisculus(Basilewski, 1855) is a small, widespread, and native cyprinid fish with prominent habitat suitability and high invasive potential and is becoming the dominant species in freshwater ecosystems under intensified environmental disturbances. But howH. leucisculusacclimates to extremely heterogeneous environments remains unclear. In current study, the genetic structure ofH. leucisculuswas analyzed using Bayesian phylogenetic inference, haplotype network, and STRUCTURE base oncytbgene across 18 populations spanning 20 degrees of latitude and 18 degrees of longitude in China. The morphological diversification of body size and shape forH. leucisculusalong the climate gradient was studied. The results showed that the 18H. leucisculuspopulations were divided into 3 clusters: one cluster mainly from Huanghe River Basin, another cluster mainly from Yangzi River Basin, and H cluster containing Hainan and Beihai populations. The fish from southern populations were deeper bodied while individuals from northern populations were more slender. Inland individuals were more streamlined while coastal individuals were of deeper body. The partial Mantel test predicts that the potential mechanism underlining the intraspecies morphological diversification along climate gradients is primarily the divergent selection pressures among different environments, while genetic variation had less contribution to morphological differentiation. The formation of the Nanling Mountain Range could drive genetic differentiation between Beihai population and those from Yangzi River Basin. The present results highlight strong selective pressures of climate on widespread species and enrich morphological differentiation basis of acclimation for species with high habitat suitability and invasive potential.
Population differences in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) DNA methylation: Genetic drift and environmental factors
Authors: Venney Clare J. , Sutherland Ben J. G. , Beacham Terry D. , Heath Daniel D. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractLocal adaptation and phenotypic differences among populations have been reported in many species, though most studies focus on either neutral or adaptive genetic differentiation. With the discovery of DNA methylation, questions have arisen about its contribution to individual variation in and among natural populations. Previous studies have identified differences in methylation among populations of organisms, although most to date have been in plants and model animal species. Here we obtained eyed eggs from eight populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and assayed DNA methylation at 23 genes involved in development, immune function, stress response, and metabolism using a gene‐targeted PCR‐based assay for next‐generation sequencing. Evidence for population differences in methylation was found at eight out of 23 gene loci after controlling for developmental timing in each individual. However, we found no correlation between freshwater environmental parameters and methylation variation among populations at those eight genes. A weak correlation was identified between pairwise DNA methylation dissimilarity among populations and pairwise FST based on 15 microsatellite loci, indicating weak effects of genetic drift or geographic distance on methylation. The weak correlation was primarily driven by two genes, GTIIBS and Nkef. However, single‐gene Mantel tests comparing methylation and pairwise FST were not significant after Bonferroni correction. Thus, population differences in DNA methylation are more likely related to unmeasured oceanic environmental conditions, local adaptation, and/or genetic drift. DNA methylation is an additional mechanism that contributes to among population variation, with potential influences on organism phenotype, adaptive potential, and population resilience.
Differential reliance on aquatic prey subsidies influences mercury exposure in riparian arachnids and songbirds
Authors: Jackson Allyson K. , Eagles‐Smith Collin A. , Robinson W. Douglas 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCross‐ecosystem subsidies move substantial amounts of nutrients between ecosystems. Emergent aquatic insects are a particularly important prey source for riparian songbirds but may also move aquatic contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), to riparian food webs. While many studies focus on species that eat primarily emergent aquatic insects, we instead study riparian songbirds with flexible foraging strategies, exploiting both aquatic and terrestrial prey sources. The goal in this study is to trace reliance on aquatic prey sources and correlate it to Hg concentrations in common riparian arachnids (Families Tetragnathidae, Opiliones, and Salticidae) and songbirds (Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus, Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus, Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia, and Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia). We used stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N and Bayesian mixing models in MixSIAR to determine the reliance of riparian predators on aquatic prey sources. Using mixed effects models, we found that arachnid families varied in their reliance on aquatic prey sources. While songbird species varied in their reliance on aquatic prey sources, songbirds sampled earlier in the season consistently relied more on aquatic prey sources than those sampled later in the season. For both arachnids and songbirds, we found a positive correlation between the amount of the aquatic prey source in their diet and their Hg concentrations. While the seasonal pulse of aquatic prey to terrestrial ecosystems is an important source of nutrients to riparian species, our results show that aquatic prey sources are linked with higher Hg exposure. For songbirds, reliance on aquatic prey sources early in the breeding season (and subsequent higher Hg exposure) coincides with timing of egg laying and development, both of which may be impacted by Hg exposure.
Six minutes to promote change: People, not facts, alter students' perceptions on climate change
Authors: Sauer Kodiak A. , Capps Daniel K. , Jackson David F. , Capps Krista A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAnthropogenic climate change threatens the structure and function of ecosystems throughout the globe, but many people are still skeptical of its existence. Traditional “knowledge deficit model” thinking has suggested that providing the public with more facts about climate change will assuage skepticism. However, presenting evidence contrary to prior beliefs can have the opposite effect and result in a strengthening of previously held beliefs, a phenomenon known as biased assimilation or a backfire effect. Given this, strategies for effectively communicating about socioscientific issues that are politically controversial need to be thoroughly investigated. We randomly assigned 184 undergraduates from an environmental science class to one of three experimental conditions in which we exposed them to short videos that employed different messaging strategies: (a) an engaging science lecture, (b) consensus messaging, and (c) elite cues. We measured changes in student perceptions of climate change across five constructs (content knowledge, acceptance of scientific consensus, perceived risk, support for action, and climate identity) before and after viewing videos. Consensus messaging outperformed the other two conditions in increasing student acceptance of the scientific consensus, perceived risk of climate change, and climate identity, suggesting this may be an effective strategy for communicating the gravity of anthropogenic climate change. Elite cues outperformed the engaging science lecture condition in increasing student support for action on climate, with politically conservative students driving this relationship, suggesting that the messenger is more important than the message if changing opinions about the necessity of action on climate change is the desired outcome. Relative to the other conditions, the engaging science lecture did not support change in students' perceptions on climate, but appealing to student respect for authority produced positive results. Notably, we observed no decline in students' acceptance of climate science, indicating that none of the conditions induced a backfire effect.
Collecting eco‐evolutionary data in the dark: Impediments to subterranean research and how to overcome them
Authors: Mammola Stefano , Lunghi Enrico , Bilandžija Helena , Cardoso Pedro , Grimm Volker , Schmidt Susanne I. , Hesselberg Thomas , Martínez Alejandro 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCaves and other subterranean habitats fulfill the requirements of experimental model systems to address general questions in ecology and evolution. Yet, the harsh working conditions of these environments and the uniqueness of the subterranean organisms have challenged most attempts to pursuit standardized research.Two main obstacles have synergistically hampered previous attempts. First, there is ahabitat impedimentrelated to the objective difficulties of exploring subterranean habitats and our inability to access the network of fissures that represents the elective habitat for the so‐called “cave species.” Second, there is abiological impedimentillustrated by the rarity of most subterranean species and their low physiological tolerance, often limiting sample size and complicating laboratory experiments.We explore the advantages and disadvantages of four general experimental setups (in situ,quasi in situ,ex situ, andin silico) in the light of habitat and biological impediments. We also discuss the potential of indirect approaches to research. Furthermore, using bibliometric data, we provide a quantitative overview of the model organisms that scientists have exploited in the study of subterranean life.Our over‐arching goal is to promote caves as model systems where one can perform standardized scientific research. This is important not only to achieve an in‐depth understanding of the functioning of subterranean ecosystems but also to fully exploit their long‐discussed potential in addressing general scientific questions with implications beyond the boundaries of this discipline.
Processes underlying complex patterns of song trait evolution in a Setophaga hybrid zone
Authors: Love Jay , Goller Franz 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDuring secondary contact between two species when hybrids are less fit than parents, mating signals are expected to diverge, while aggressive signals are expected to converge. If a single signal trait is used in both mating and aggression, then the dynamics between these two forces could influence the evolutionary trajectory of that trait. We studied such a situation in an avian hybrid zone between two Setophaga species, where birdsong is used in both mate attraction and territory defense. We hypothesized that song modules of the two species will show separate and distinct geographic patterns due to the influence of selective pressures for effective territorial aggression and for effective mate attraction. We conducted geographic cline analyses and playback experiments across this hybrid zone. We found an unexpected geographic pattern of asymmetric introgression of song rhythm, which may be explained by results of the playback experiments that suggest that differences in song rhythm serve a greater role in mate attraction than in territory defense. In contrast, differences in syllable morphology show little evidence of importance in mate attraction or territorial defense. Song features converge in the hybrid zone, yet patterns of trait change suggest that the song production modules may vary in their modes of development and inheritance. Syringeal motor gesturing, which gives rise to syllable morphology, shows a nonclinal mosaic pattern, suggesting that this trait may be predominantly learned. In contrast, respiratory patterning, which forms song rhythm, shows a clinal geographic transition, suggesting that this trait could be more innate. The results indicate that opposing forces act independently on song via distinct modules of the song production mechanism, driving complex patterns of song trait evolution.
Trait hierarchies are stronger than trait dissimilarities in structuring spatial co‐occurrence patterns of common tree species in a subtropical forest
Authors: Yin Deyi , Liu Yu , Ye Qing , Cadotte Marc W. , He Fangliang 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

The dissimilarity and hierarchy of trait values that characterize niche and fitness differences, respectively, have been increasingly applied to infer mechanisms driving community assembly and to explain species co‐occurrence patterns. Here, we predict that limiting similarity should result in the spatial segregation of functionally similar species, while functionally similar species will be more likely to co‐occur either due to environmental filtering or due to competitive exclusion of inferior competitors (hereafter hierarchical competition).

We used a fully mapped 50‐ha subtropical forest plot in southern China to explore how pairwise spatial associations between saplings and between adult trees were influenced by trait dissimilarity and hierarchy in order to gain insight into assembly mechanisms. We assessed pairwise spatial associations using two summary statistics of spatial point patterns at different spatial scales and compared the effects of trait dissimilarity and trait hierarchy of different functional traits on the interspecific spatial associations. These comparisons allow us to disentangle the effects of limiting similarity, environmental filtering, and hierarchical competition on species co‐occurrence.

We found that trait dissimilarity was generally negatively related to interspecific spatial associations for both saplings and adult trees across spatial scales, meaning that species with similar trait values were more likely to co‐occur and thus supporting environmental filtering or hierarchical competition. We further found that trait hierarchy outweighed trait dissimilarity in structuring pairwise spatial associations, suggesting that hierarchical competition played a more important role in structuring our forest community than environmental filtering across life stages.

This study employed a novel method, by offering the integration of pairwise spatial association and trait dissimilarity as well as trait hierarchy, to disentangle the relative importance of multiple assembly mechanisms in structuring co‐occurrence patterns, especially the mechanisms of environmental filtering and hierarchical competition, which lead to indistinguishable co‐occurrence patterns. This study also reinforced the importance of trait hierarchy rather than trait dissimilarity in driving neighborhood competition.