bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cognition and covariance in the producer–scrounger game
Authors: Reichert Michael S. , Morand‐Ferron Julie , Kulahci Ipek G. , Firth Josh A. , Davidson Gabrielle L. , Crofts Sam J. , Quinn John L. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

The producer–scrounger game is a key element of foraging ecology in many systems. Producing and scrounging typically covary negatively, but partitioning this covariance into contributions of individual plasticity and consistent between individual differences is key to understanding population‐level consequences of foraging strategies. Furthermore, little is known about the role cognition plays in the producer–scrounger game.

We investigated the role of cognition in these alternative foraging tactics in wild mixed‐species flocks of great tits and blue tits, using a production learning task in which we measured individuals’ speed of learning to visit the single feeder in an array that would provide them with a food reward. We also quantified the proportion of individuals’ feeds that were scrounges (‘proportion scrounged’); scrounging was possible if individuals visited immediately after a previous rewarded visitor. Three learning experiments—initial and two reversal learning—enabled us to estimate the repeatability and covariance of each foraging behaviour.

First, we examined whether individuals learned to improve their scrounging success (i.e. whether they obtained food by scrounging when there was an opportunity to do so). Second, we quantified the repeatability of proportion scrounged, and asked whether proportion scrounged affected production learning speed among individuals. Third, we used multivariate analyses to partition within‐ and among‐individual components of covariance between proportion scrounged and production learning speed.

Individuals improved their scrounging success over time. Birds with a greater proportion scrounged took longer to learn their own rewarding feeder. Although multivariate analyses showed that covariance between proportion scrounged and learning speed was driven primarily by within‐individual variation, that is, by behavioural plasticity, among‐individual differences also played a role for blue tits.

This is the first demonstration of a cognitive trait influencing producing and scrounging in the same wild system, highlighting the importance of cognition in the use of alternative resource acquisition tactics. The results of our covariance analyses suggest the potential for genetic differences in allocation to alternative foraging tactics, which are likely species‐ and system‐dependent. They also point to the need to control for different foraging tactics when studying individual cognition in the wild.
Global patterns in bumble bee pollen collection show phylogenetic conservation of diet
Authors: Wood Thomas J. , Ghisbain Guillaume , Rasmont Pierre , Kleijn David , Raemakers Ivo , Praz Christophe , Killewald Michael , Gibbs Jason , Bobiwash Kyle , Boustani Mira , Martinet Baptiste , Michez Denis 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

Bumble bees (Bombus) are a group of eusocial bees with a strongly generalised feeding pattern, collecting pollen from many different botanical families. Though predominantly generalists, some bumble bee species seem to have restricted dietary choices. It is unclear whether restricted diets in bumble bees are inherent or a function of local conditions due to a lack of data for many species across different regions.

The objective of this study was to determine whether bumble bee species displayed specific patterns of pollen collection, and whether patterns were influenced by phylogenetic relatedness or tongue length, a trait known to be associated with structuring floral visitation.

Bumble bee pollen collection patterns were quantified from 4,132 pollen loads taken from 58 bumble bee species, representing 24% of the pollen‐collecting diversity of this genus.

Phylogenetic trait mapping showed a conserved pattern of dietary dissimilarity across species, but not for dietary breadth. Dietary dissimilarity was driven by collection of Fabaceae, with the most similar species collecting around 50%–60% of their diet from this botanical family. The proportion of the diet collected from Fabaceae also showed a conserved phylogenetic signal. Greater collection of Fabaceae was associated with longer tongue lengths, with shorter tongued species focusing on alternative botanical families. However, this result was largely driven by phylogenetic relatedness, not tongue length per se.

These results demonstrate that, though generalists, bumble bees are still subject to dietary restrictions that constrain their foraging choices. These dietary constraints have implications for their persistence should their core resources decline in abundance.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the emergency department: An observational study of an Australian regional hospital's acute clinical practice
Authors: Neely Prue , Patel Hemal , Wellings Tom 
Published: June 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo analyse adherence to evidence based practice in the diagnosis and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in a regional ED.MethodsRetrospective observational population study. Wyong Hospital's ED, Central Coast Local Health District, New South Wales, Australia. Medical records of patients with an ED diagnosis of BPPV (n = 101) between 2017 and 2018 were included for auditing. Adherence to clinical practice guidelines for BPPV4statements 1a, 3a, 4a and 6 were reviewed as primary outcomes using a de‐identified binary data excel tool. These outcomes were compared to available data from metropolitan tertiary EDs both in Australia and the USA.ResultsGeneral compliance to best practice standards was low. Of patients diagnosed with BPPV in the ED only 45% (95% CI 35–54%) were diagnosed with the recommended Hallpike–Dix positional test. Of those patients who did receive diagnosis via the Hallpike–Dix test only 41% (95% CI 28–56%) went on to receive gold standard recommended treatment of a canalith repositioning manoeuvre/technique. In regards to the recommendations against practice, 36% (95% CI 28–46%) had neuroimaging performed in the ED and 58% (95% CI 48–68%) received vestibular suppressant medication as their only treatment prior to discharge.ConclusionAdherence to best practice diagnosis and management of BPPV was low in Wyong Hospital's ED. Although low, Wyong Hospital's ED appeared to perform better in compliance to the clinical guidelines to its metropolitan Australian peer. There is opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the management of acute peripheral dizziness in EDs.
Inside the Commons Committee of Secrecy: George Treby's Shorthand and the Popish Plot
Authors: McKenzie Andrea 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThis article examines the hitherto undeciphered shorthand notes of George (later Sir George) Treby, an opposition MP and lawyer and the chairman of the house of commons committee of secrecy investigating the Popish Plot (1678–81). These shorthand memoranda, draft letters and marginalia not only open up a glimpse into the secret proceedings of this mysterious committee, composed of the leading opponents of Charles II and the duke of York in the lower house, but shed new light on how Whig MPs such as Treby viewed, and justified, the prosecution of a plot now widely accepted as a convenient political fiction. This new evidence allows us to re‐evaluate the allegations of Tory propagandists that Whig investigators deliberately suppressed and distorted evidence, suborning and coercing witnesses to further their oppositional agenda. Treby's shorthand annotations paint a more complicated picture of a lawyer selecting evidence but also painstakingly verifying facts and genuinely concerned about both a ‘popish plot’ (broadly defined) and obstruction and witness‐tampering on the part of the court.
The Man Who Enriched – and Robbed – the Tories
Authors: Lexden Alistair 
Published: June 2021

AbstractHorace Farquhar, financier, courtier and politician, was a man without a moral compass. He combined ruthlessness and dishonesty with great charm. As a Liberal Unionist MP in the 1890s, his chief aim was to get a peerage, for which he paid handsomely. He exploited everyone who came his way to increase his wealth and boost his social position, gaining an earldom from Lloyd George, to whose notorious personal political fund he diverted substantial amounts from the Conservative Party, of which he was treasurer from 1911 to 1923, the first holder of that post. The Tories’ money went into his own pocket as well. During these years, he also held senior positions at court, retaining under George V the trust of the royal family which he had won under Edward VII. By the time of his death in 1923, however, his wealth had disappeared, and he was found to be bankrupt. He was a man of many secrets. They have been probed and explored, drawing on such material relating to his scandalous career as has so far come to light.
Does the Threat of a PCAOB Inspection Mitigate US Institutional Investors' Home Bias?*
Authors: He Yue , Li Bing , Liu Zhenbin , Pittman Jeffrey 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACTWe exploit the staggered introduction of the PCAOB's international inspection program to examine the role that the stringency of public audit oversight plays in shaping US institutional investors' home bias. Analyzing a sample of foreign firms listed in the United States, we evaluate whether US institutional investors hold larger equity stakes in these firms—a longstanding issue that reflects investor portfolio decisions—if their auditors are exposed to the threat of a PCAOB inspection. In a differences‐in‐differences framework, we find that US‐listed foreign firms enjoy an increase in US institutional investors' equity positions after their auditors become subject to PCAOB inspection access. Cross‐sectional analysis implies that the benefit of the PCAOB inspection threat in mitigating US institutional investors' home bias is concentrated in foreign countries without a strict local audit oversight system; active US institutional investors that are known to value accounting transparency; and firms from countries that grant PCAOB access later (after the onset of its international inspection program in 2005). Our evidence suggests that foreign firms become better known in the capital markets under the PCAOB inspection program, which induces US institutional investors to acquire larger equity stakes in US‐listed foreign firms given the lower information asymmetry that ensues under the PCAOB inspection threat.
Do PCAOB Inspections of Foreign Auditors Affect Global Financial Reporting Comparability?*
Authors: Ege Matthew , Kim Young Hoon , Wang Dechun 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACTThis study investigates whether PCAOB inspections of foreign auditors affect global financial reporting comparability. Foreign auditors may adjust audit methodologies to address PCAOB inspection findings, which could affect financial reporting of local clients. Exploiting both within‐ and cross‐country variation in PCAOB inspections, we predict and find that non‐US‐listed foreign companies' financial reporting becomes more comparable to their US and non‐US industry peers after their auditors undergo an initial inspection. However, there is a decrease in comparability compared to local peers whose auditors have not been inspected. Subsample tests suggest that the improvement in comparability is driven by (i) auditors that satisfactorily address deficiencies and (ii) auditors that do not publicly push back against deficiencies. The effects are dampened after local audit regulators begin inspection programs. Overall, our evidence suggests that the PCAOB international inspection program affects audit methodologies of inspected auditors in a consistent way, improving comparability across jurisdictions. The improved comparability implies that the PCAOB international inspection program may unintentionally help meet accounting regulators' goals of cross‐country financial reporting convergence, which potentially promotes efficient cross‐country capital allocation.
Is There a Brain Drain in Auditing? The Determinants and Consequences of Auditors Leaving Public Accounting*
Authors: Knechel W. Robert , Mao Juan , Qi Baolei , Zhuang Zili 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACTThis study investigates why auditors leave public accounting and the consequences of auditor departures, both of which have been of great concern for audit firms and regulators worldwide. Using data from China and controlling for demographics, we find that audit partners and managers, auditors who generate more revenue, and auditors who provide higher audit quality have a lower likelihood of departure, while non–Big 4 auditors have a higher likelihood of departing public accounting. We also find that an audit firm is likely to lose clients when an auditor departs. Clients who stay with the same firm pay lower audit fees but with no drop‐off in audit quality after a signing auditor departs. In supplementary analyses, we also demonstrate that the determinants and consequences of auditor departures are different for auditors who leave the firm but not the profession (i.e., auditor turnover). Specifically, high audit quality is associated with a lower likelihood of auditor departure, but it increases auditor turnover. We also observe that audit quality is reduced for the clients who stay with an audit firm after highly skilled auditors depart for high‐visibility corporate positions. Our study provides insights that should be of interest to the audit profession, audit firms, and regulators.
Tax Haven Incorporation and the Cost of Capital*
Authors: Lewellen Christina M. , Mauler Landon , Watson Luke 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACTIncorporating the firm's corporate parent in a tax haven is a major decision that receives significant attention from many stakeholders, yet certain implications of this corporate strategy remain unclear. While tax haven incorporation offers tax savings, it also imposes risks that are potentially costly and hence important to consider. We predict and find a higher cost of equity capital in firms with parent companies that are incorporated in tax havens but that are primarily based in nonhaven countries. We also predict and find that the observed cost of equity premium is more pronounced in firms with greater tax risk, firm‐level information risk, and country‐level legal risk. We also employ corporate inversions in a difference‐in‐differences test and again find a positive relation between tax haven parent incorporation and the cost of capital. Our findings imply that an increased cost of capital is a material cost of tax haven parent incorporation. We contribute to the literatures on valuation of tax haven use, tax and nontax costs of corporate tax strategies, corporate inversions, and the relation between taxes and the cost of capital. Our study provides evidence on the tax and nontax risks of a uniquely observable tax strategy (i.e., tax haven parent incorporation) that could factor into firms' decisions about whether to incorporate in a tax haven and policymakers' efforts to deter such activity.
Plasma secretory phospholipase A2 as an early marker for late‐onset sepsis in preterm infants—a pilot study
Authors: Hibbert Julie , Armstrong Nicola J. , Granland Caitlyn , Ng Sherrianne , Simmer Karen , Richmond Peter , Burgner David , Strunk Tobias , Currie Andrew 
Published: June 2021

AbstractPreterm infants are particularly susceptible to bacterial late‐onset sepsis (LOS). Diagnosis by blood culture and inflammatory markers have sub‐optimal sensitivity and specificity and prolonged reporting times. There is an urgent need for more rapid, accurate adjunctive diagnostics in LOS to improve management and minimise antibiotic exposure. We measured the diagnostic performance of secretory phospholipase A2 type IIA (sPLA2‐IIA) in very preterm infants (<30 weeks gestational age) with suspected LOS. Plasma sPLA2‐IIA levels were elevated in infants with LOS (n = 28) compared to those without LOS (n = 21; median 30,970 vs. 2534 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). The mean area under the curve was 0.884 (95% CI: 0.771, 0.977) with a sensitivity of 0.907 (95% CI: 0.667, 1.00) and specificity of 0.804 (95% CI: 0.600, 1.00). The positive and negative predictive values were 0.833 (95% CI: 0.664, 0.927) and 0.842 (95% CI: 0.624, 0.945), respectively. This pilot study suggests that sPLA2‐IIA may have clinical utility for the early diagnosis of LOS in very preterm infants, potentially informing clinical management and antibiotic stewardship.
Amino acid transporters as emerging therapeutic targets in cancer
Authors: Saito Yasuhiro , Soga Tomoyoshi 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAmino acids are indispensable nutrients for both normal and cancer cells. Cancer cells are unable to synthesize essential amino acids as well as some non‐essential amino acids adequately to support rapid proliferation, and must take up amino acids from the surroundings. To meet the increased demand for the amino acid needed for proliferation, high levels of amino acid transporters are expressed on the surface of cancer cells. Cancer cells utilize amino acids to synthesize proteins and nucleotides, as well as to obtain energy. In addition, amino acids are known to play pathological roles in cancer cells. Interestingly, breast cancer cells limit the use of amino acids for cell proliferation based on amino acid availability, which depends on estrogen receptor status. Here, we present a summarized literature review of novel amino acid functions in cancer cells. This review organizes the available knowledge on 2 amino acid transporters, SLC7A5 and SLC7A11, which are considered essential for breast cancer cell growth in a cell‐dependent manner. In particular, we propose the glutamine recycling model to clarify the mechanism underlying aberrant SLC7A5 activation. Finally, we overview the pathological significances of SLC7A5 and SLC7A11 in cancer tissues.
AQP3‐mediated H2O2 uptake inhibits LUAD autophagy by inactivating PTEN
Authors: Wang Yawei , Chen Di , Liu Yu , Zhang Yong , Duan Chao , Otkur Wuxiyar , Chen Huan , Liu Xiaolong , Xia Tian , Qi Huan , Piao Hai‐long , Liu Hong‐Xu 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIt is widely accepted that redox reprogramming participates in malignant transformation of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the source of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the downstream signaling regulatory mechanism are complicated and unintelligible. In the current study, we newly identified the aquaporin 3 (AQP3) as a LUAD oncogenic factor with capacity to transport exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and increase intracellular ROS levels. Subsequently, we demonstrated that AQP3 was necessary for the facilitated diffusion of exogenous H2O2 in LUAD cells and that the AQP3‐dependent transport of H2O2 accelerated cell growth and inhibited rapamycin‐induced autophagy. Mechanistically, AQP3‐mediated H2O2 uptake increased intracellular ROS levels to inactivate PTEN and activate the AKT/mTOR pathway to subsequently inhibit autophagy and promote proliferation in LUAD cells. Finally, we suggested that AQP3 depletion retarded subcutaneous tumorigenesis in vivo and simultaneously decreased ROS levels and promoted autophagy. These findings underscore the importance of AQP3‐induced oxidative stress in malignant transformation and suggest a therapeutic target for LUAD.
Indications and long‐term outcomes of preoperative inferior vena caval filters in 111 patients at high risk of pulmonary embolism undergoing major abdominal surgery
Authors: Kostadinov Danko , Tzivanakis Alexios , Ubhayakar Gaurang , Dixon Shaheen , Helyar Vincent , Dayal Sanjeev Paul , Mohamed Faheez , Cecil Thomas Desmond , Moran Brendan John 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAimsPatients with abdominal cancer requiring major surgical intervention are at high risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE), particularly pulmonary emboli (PE). A proportion of patients with cancer can present with, or have had, major VTEs prior to definitive surgical treatment. Preoperative percutaneous inferior venal caval filters (IVCF) may reduce the risk of PE. The aim of this study was to assess the indications, complications, retrieval rates, and long‐term outcome of IVCFs in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of a prospective IVCF database between 2007 and 2018 of all patients with IVCF insertion prior to major abdominal surgery. The indications for an IVCF, procedural complications and surgical interventions were recorded.ResultsOverall, 111 patients had IVCF insertion. IVCF placement failed in one patient with gross abdominal disease. Indications for an IVCF were: prior PE in 65/111 (59%) and major vein thrombus in 42 (38%). Overall, 26/111 (23%) had the IVCF removed at a median of 91 days. In two patients IVCF removal failed. At follow‐up of the 85 patients who had the IVCF left in situ, six developed filter‐related thrombus and 13 a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Four patients had a PE with an indwelling IVCF.ConclusionPreoperative IVCF may reduce perioperative PE in patients at high risk of thrombosis undergoing major abdominal surgery where early anticoagulation is contraindicated. Long‐term follow‐up of retained IVCF suggests that major problems are infrequent, though further thrombosis may occur and long‐term anticoagulation may be needed.
Acute increase in arterial stiffness after swimming in cooler water
Authors: Hayashi Suguru , Otsuki Takeshi 
Published: June 2021

AbstractCold stimuli increase arterial stiffness, but it has not been explored whether arterial stiffness increases after swimming in cooler water. To investigate the effects of water temperature on changes in arterial stiffness after swimming, 13 men participated in three trials of 20‐min swimming in 25 and 30°C water (S25 and S30, respectively) and sitting at poolside (CON) in random order. There were no significant differences between the S25 and S30 trials in mean swimming distance (719 vs. 722 m) and heart rate reserve during swimming (63% vs. 63%). Sublingual temperature was lower after swimming in 25°C water versus before swimming. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aortic PWV, an index of central arterial stiffness based on applanation tonometry) and brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV, an index of systemic arterial stiffness based on air plethysmography) were higher 30 min after versus before swimming in 25°C water. Aortic PWV recovered to pre‐swimming levels by 60 min after swimming in 25°C water, but baPWV was higher even at 60 min after swimming. PWVs did not change in the CON and S30 trials. Systemic vascular resistance based on Doppler ultrasonography did not change, but forearm vascular resistance based on strain‐gauge plethysmography was higher 30 and 60 min after swimming in 25°C water. Heart rate was higher, but stroke volume was lower 30 min after swimming in 25°C water, resulting in no detectable change in cardiac output. In conclusion, arterial stiffness increases acutely after moderate‐intensity swimming in cooler water.