bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the deterring effect of a butterfly’s eyespot in juvenile and sub-adult chickens
Authors: Olofsson Martin , Wiklund Christer , Favati Anna 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Circular patterns, or eyespots, are common anti-predator features in a variety of animals. Two defensive functions have been documented: large eyespots may intimidate predators, whereas smaller marginal eyespots may divert attacks. However, a given eyespot potentially serves both functions, possibly depending on the predator’s size and/or experience. Naïve predators are potentially more likely to misdirect their attacks towards eyespots; alternatively, their typically smaller size would make them more intimidated by the same eyespots. Here we test how juvenile and sub-adult naïve chickens respond to a single eyespot on a butterfly’s wing. We presented the birds with dead wall brown butterflies, Lasiommata megera, that had their apical eyespot visible or painted over. We assessed the birds’ responses’ by (i) scoring their intimidation reaction, (ii) whether they uttered alarm calls and, (iii) if they attacked the butterfly and where they targeted their attacks. Results show that both age categories received higher intimidation scores when offered a butterfly with a visible eyespot. Juveniles were more intimidated by the butterfly than the sub-adults: they received higher intimidation scores and were more prone to utter alarm calls. Moreover, only sub-adults attacked and did so by preferentially attacking the butterfly’s anterior. We demonstrate an intimidating effect of the type of eyespot that has previously been shown only to divert attacks. We suggest that one and the same eyespot may serve two functions relative to different predators; however, further experiments are needed to disentangle the role of predator identity and its link to size, ontogeny and experience.
Vivid birds do not initiate flight sooner despite their potential conspicuousness
Authors: Hensley Nicholai M. , Drury Jonathan P. , Garland Theodore , Blumstein Daniel T. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The distance from an approaching threat at which animals initiate flight -- flight-initiation distance (FID) -- is a sensitive metric of variation in risk, but the effects on FID associated with the risk of possessing highly detectable external coloration are unknown. We tested whether variation in the degree of plumage vividness in birds explained variation in flight-initiation distance. After controlling for body mass, the distance at which the experimental approach began, and phylogenetic relatedness, plumage vividness was not a predictor of FID. Contrary to the expectation that vividness affects risk, and therefore risk assessment, these results suggest that birds do not compensate for greater visual conspicuousness by fleeing sooner from approaching threats.
Mate-choice copying: Status quo and where to go
Authors: Witte Klaudia , Kniel Nina , Kureck Ilka Maria 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Mate-choice copying is a fascinating and widespread mate-choice strategy. Individuals gather public information about potential mates by observing others during sexual interactions and choose or reject the same individual as a mate as the observed individual did before. The influence of copying behavior on an individual’s mate choice can be so strong that socially acquired information can override genetically based preferences for certain phenotypes. Thus, mate-choice copying enforces dynamic processes in sexual selection. Here, we review the current state of research on mate-choice copying and focus on sex-specific aspects. We present evidence that mate-choice copying can support the evolution of novel sexual ornaments, and we discuss potential costs of mate-choice copying when public information is not reliable. Moreover, we discuss the conflict faced by males that copy since mate-choice copying increases sperm competition. In conclusion we suggest interesting topics for future research in mate-choice copying.
Temperature increase impacts personality traits in aquatic non-native species: Implications for biological invasion under climate change
Authors: Zhao Dapeng , Feng Peishan 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Climate change, such as elevated temperatures, may facilitate biological invasion. Aquatic animal systems are more vulnerable to biological invasion when the temperature rises. Animal personality also plays an important role in the possibility of successful establishment of invasive species. However, it is still unclear how personality traits of invasive species will respond to global warming. This study focuses on juveniles of red swamp crawfish Procambarus clarkii, an invasive poikilothermic species with wide distribution throughout the world, and explores how slight temperature increases influence three personality traits (activity, boldness and aggressiveness) of P. clarkii. For each personality, individual variation is to be presented in condition of the same temperature. Individual personality values can significantly increase with the subtle rising of water temperature. Significant correlations among activity, boldness and aggressiveness are found at any temperature stage, and such relationships are maintained at a similar level in the face of different temperatures. It is most likely that significant expressions of personality traits may be an ecological compensation strategy to offset increased metabolic costs when faced with small temperature increases. Aggression syndromes are formed due to stable linkages between personality traits, in order to acquire allopatric resources efficiently and establish a new population in this species.
Product Design in Selection Markets
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Authors: Veiga André , Weyl E. Glen 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
In selection markets, where the cost of serving consumers is heterogeneous and noncontractible, nonprice product features allow a firm to sort profitable from unprofitable consumers. An example of this “sorting by quality” is the use of down payments to dissuade borrowers who are unlikely to repay. We study a model in which consumers have multidimensional types and a firm offers a single product of endogenous quality, as in Spence (1975) . These two ingredients generate a novel sorting incentive in a firm’s first-order condition for quality, which is a simple ratio. The denominator is marginal consumer surplus, a measure of market power. The numerator is the covariance, among marginal consumers, between marginal willingness to pay for quality and cost to the firm. We provide conditions under which this term is signed and contrast the sorting incentives of a profit-maximizer and a social planner. We then use this characterization to quantify the importance of sorting empirically in subprime auto lending, analytically sign its impact in a model of add-on pricing, and calibrate optimal competition policy in health insurance markets.
Audit committee effectiveness, audit quality and earnings management: a meta-analysis
Authors: Inaam Zgarni , Khamoussi Halioui 
Published: February 2016

Purpose
– Many researchers, in several contexts, have investigated the influence of audit committee effectiveness and audit quality variables on reducing the extent of earnings management, and empirical evidence is rather inconsistent.

Design/methodology/approach
– The aim of this paper is to meta-analyze the results of 58 prior studies that examined whether differences in results are related to moderating effects associated with corporate governance mechanisms or measures of earnings management.

Findings
– The findings show that the meta-analysis identifies many significant relationships. The independence of the audit committee, its size, expertise and the number of meetings have a negative relationship with earnings management. Similar negative relationships exist between auditor size, specialization and earnings management.

Research limitations/implications
– This study contributes to the corporate governance literature. Further, recognizing the function of an audit committee and audit quality shows the value of considering an institutional setting in governance research. This study is significant to academic and practitioner literatures, policy makers and professional accounting bodies as it shows that governance reforms promote companies to adopt good governance practices. The results also give useful information to investors in examining the effect of audit committee characteristics and audit quality on earnings quality.

Originality/value
– This study extends existing research on audit committee and audit quality to oversee both accrual and real earnings management using meta-analysis. Thus, this study has the potential to help stakeholders, board of directors, regulators and auditors, who are related with enhancing the supervision of firms and reducing the opportunities given to managers, to engage in earnings management.
Weather and supply chain performance in sport goods distribution
Authors: Appelqvist Patrik , Babongo Flora , Chavez-Demoulin Valérie , Hameri Ari-Pekka , Niemi Tapio 
Published: February 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to study how variations in weather affect demand and supply chain performance in sport goods. The study includes several brands differing in supply chain structure, product variety and seasonality.

Design/methodology/approach
– Longitudinal data on supply chain transactions and customer weather conditions are analysed. The underlying hypothesis is that changes in weather affect demand, which in turn impacts supply chain performance.

Findings
– In general, an increase in temperature in winter and spring decreases order volumes in resorts, while for larger customers in urban locations order volumes increase. Further, an increase in volumes of non-seasonal products reduces delays in deliveries, but for seasonal products the effect is opposite. In all, weather affects demand, lower volumes do not generally improve supply chain performance, but larger volumes can make it worse. The analysis shows that the dependence structure between demand and delay is time varying and is affected by weather conditions.

Research limitations/implications
– The study concerns one country and leisure goods, which can limit its generalizability.

Practical/implications
– Well-managed supply chains should prepare for demand fluctuations caused by weather changes. Weekly weather forecasts could be used when planning operations for product families to improve supply chain performance.

Originality/value
– The study focuses on supply chain vulnerability in normal weather conditions while most of the existing research studies major events or catastrophes. The results open new opportunities for supply chain managers to reduce weather dependence and improve profitability.
Sharing license-exempt spectrum based on multi-dimensional metrics
Authors: Kruys Johannes , Anker Peter , Schiphorst Roel 
Published: February 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility to replace radio equipment compliance requirements based on equipment parameters with a set of simple metrics that accurately reflects spectrum utilization and spectrum-sharing efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
– The approach taken is to go back to the basic factors that determine radio system behavior in a shared spectrum environment: radio frequency power, duty cycle and frequency occupation. By normalizing these parameters, device specificity is avoided and a statistical perspective on spectrum utilization and sharing becomes possible.

Findings
– The analysis shows that two technology-neutral metrics would be adequate to govern spectrum utilization and sharing: a spectrum utilization metric and a spectrum-sharing efficiency metric. These metrics form the core of regulatory requirements for shared frequency bands. Each shared frequency band could be assigned criteria based on these metrics that take into account the types of applications for which that band will be used.

Research limitations/implications
– This work is a first step that identifies the main factors that affect shared spectrum usage from a statistical point of view. More work is needed on the relationship between real-world interference and its abstraction in the spectrum-sharing rules.

Practical implications
– The metrics proposed could be considered as the basis for a new approach to the regulation of the license-exempt spectrum, and, by extension, as the basis for generic compliance criteria. Their use would facilitate the compliance assessment of software-defined radio technology.

Social implications
– This work has no direct social implications.

Originality/value
– This paper combines new work on spectrum utilization criteria with extensions of previous work on spectrum-sharing efficiency into a comprehensive proposal for a new approach to the regulation of the license-exempt spectrum.
Use of Physical Therapy Following Total Knee Replacement Surgery: Implications of Orthopedic Surgeons’ Ownership of Physical Therapy Services
Authors: Mitchell Jean M. , Reschovsky James D. , Reicherter Elizabeth Anne 
Published: February 2016

ObjectiveTo examine whether the course of physical therapy treatments received by patients who undergo total knee replacement (TKR) surgery differs depending on whether the orthopedic surgeon has a financial stake in physical therapy services.DataSample of Medicare beneficiaries who underwent TKR surgery during the years 2007–2009.Study DesignWe used regression analysis to evaluate the effect of physician self‐referral on the following outcomes: (1) time from discharge to first physical therapy visit; (2) episode length; (3) number of physical therapy visits per episode; (4) number of physical therapy service units per episode; and (5) number of physical therapy services per episode expressed in relative value units.Principal FindingsTKR patients who underwent physical therapy treatment at a physician‐owned clinic received on average twice as many physical therapy visits (8.3 more) than patients whose TKR surgery was performed by a orthopedic surgeon who did not self‐refer physical therapy services (p < .001). Regression‐adjusted results show that TKR patients treated at physician‐owned clinics received almost nine fewer physical therapy service units during an episode compared with patients treated by nonself‐referring providers (p < .001). In relative value units, this difference was 4 (p < .001). In contrast, episodes where the orthopedic surgeon owner does not profit from physical therapy services rendered to the patient look virtually identical to episodes where the TKR surgery was performed by a surgeon nonowner.ConclusionsPhysical therapists not involved with physician‐owned clinics saw patients for fewer visits, but the composition of physical therapy services rendered during each visit included more individualized therapeutic exercises.
A simple and effective method to collect leaves and seeds from tall trees
Authors: Youngentob Kara N. , Zdenek Christina , van Gorsel Eva 
Published: February 2016

Summary

Collecting leaves or seeds from tall trees is a difficult task that many plant physiologists, ecologists, geneticists and forest managers encounter repeatedly. Tree branches are often much higher than a cutting pole or saw can reach. When this happens, the most common solutions involve the use of sharp‐shooters, cherry pickers (a.k.a. bucket trucks) or tree climbers. All of these methods can be expense, logistically complicated, and often involve additional permits and licences.

We present a cost‐effective and simple alternative for collecting leaves and seeds from tall trees using an arborist throw‐line launcher. An arborist throw‐line launcher is traditionally used to throw a rope over high branches for tree climbing. However, the same instrument can be used to collect leaves and seeds from trees without the need for climbing.

In the course of sampling over 4000 trees from a variety of species across multiple continents, we have developed several techniques to optimize leaf and seed sampling with a throw‐line launcher at heights up to 40 m. We present these techniques along with several time‐saving tips and tricks to increase sampling efficiency and reduce the occurrence of lost weight bags, broken ropes, and hung branches that will not fall.

These techniques remove many of the limitations commonly associated with sampling leaves and seeds from tall trees with more traditional methods. Without these limitations, the costs, risks and time associated with this type of data collection are reduced.
Proliferation of the human urothelium is induced by atypical β1‐adrenoceptors
Authors: Winder M. , Wasén C. , Aronsson P. , Giglio D. 
Published: February 2016

Summary

We wanted to assess whether β‐adrenoceptors mediate proliferation in the normal and malignant urothelial cell lines UROtsa and T24, respectively.

Urothelial cells were cultured for 24 h in the presence of the β‐adrenoceptor agonists isoprenaline (β1/2/3), dobutamine (β1), salbutamol (β2), BRL 37344 (β3), CGP 12177 (a partial β‐agonist) or β‐adrenoceptor antagonists (metoprolol; β1, propranolol; β1/2). Phosphorylation of kinases was screened with a Human Phospho‐Kinase Array Kit (R&D systems). Intracellular pathways activated by proliferation of urothelial cells were characterized by incubating cells with the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD 98,059, the p38 kinase inhibitor losmapimod or with the Akt 1/2 kinase inhibitor. Proliferation was assessed with the MTT proliferation assay (ATCC). Western blot and immunocytochemistry were used for detection of the β1‐adrenoceptor.

Isoprenaline and dobutamine induced proliferation, while salbutamol and BRL 37344 did not. Dobutamine‐induced proliferation was not affected by metoprolol or propranolol but was instead antagonized by CGP 12177 in T24 but not in UROtsa. In response to stimulation with dobutamine, Akt1/2/3 was phosphorylated in UROtsa, while ERK1/2 and p38 were phosphorylated in T24. MEK1/2 inhibition blocked basal and dobutamine‐induced proliferation in T24 but only basal proliferation in UROtsa. Losmapimod slightly inhibited basal proliferation in T24 but not dobutamine‐induced proliferation. Akt 1/2 inhibitor blocked basal and dobutamine‐induced proliferation in UROtsa. Immunocytochemistry and Western blot revealed expression of β1‐adrenoceptors in both urothelial cell lines.

The present data show that the urothelium expresses atypical β1‐adrenoceptors that activate intracellular kinases inducing urothelial proliferation.
Wnt/β‐catenin pathway in the prefrontal cortex is required for cocaine‐induced neuroadaptations
Authors: Cuesta Santiago , Severin Maria J. , Batuecas Jorgelina , Rosso Silvana B. , Pacchioni Alejandra M. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBehavioral sensitization is a progressive and enduring enhancement of the motor stimulant effects elicited by repeated administration of drugs of abuse. It can be divided into two distinct temporal and anatomical domains, termed initiation and expression, which are characterized by specific molecular and neurochemical changes. This study examines the role of the Wnt canonical pathway mediating the induction of cocaine sensitization. We found that β‐catenin levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala (Amyg) and dorsal striatum (CPu) are decreased in animals that show sensitization. Accordingly, GSK3β activity levels are increased in the same areas. Moreover, β‐catenin levels in nuclear fraction, mRNA expression of Axin2 and Wnt7b are decreased in the PFC of sensitized animals. Then, in order to demonstrate that changes in the PFC are crucial for initiation of sensitization, we either rescue β‐catenin levels with a systemic treatment of a GSK3β inhibitor (Lithium Chloride) or inhibit Wnt/β‐catenin pathway with an intracerebral infusion of Sulindac before each cocaine injection. As expected, rescuing β‐catenin levels in the PFC as well as CPu and Amyg blocks cocaine‐induced sensitization, while decreasing β‐catenin levels exclusively in the PFC exacerbates it. Therefore, our results demonstrate a new role for the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway as a required neuroadaptation in inducing behavioral sensitization.
The prognostic value of the miR‐200 family in ovarian cancer: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Shi Can , Zhang Zhenyu 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIntroductionTo assess the association between miR‐200 family expression and overall survival/progression‐free survival in women with ovarian cancer.Material and methodsA systematic literature search, up to September 2015, in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library was performed to identify articles that assessed the association between miR‐200 family expression and the survival of women with ovarian cancer. Summary hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval were calculated to estimate the effect.ResultsA total of seven articles, consisting of 553 women, were included in this meta‐analysis. Overall, significantly improved overall survival/progression‐free survival were observed with higher expression of the miR‐200 family in women with ovarian cancer (overall survival, hazard ratio = 0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.20–0.58; progression‐free survival, hazard ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.50–0.82). Subgroup analysis revealed that there was a significant association between enhanced expression of the miR‐200c and improved overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.10–0.42) and progression‐free survival (hazard ratio = 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.11–0.81). Moreover, in the Asian population, a significant association was found between higher expression of the miR‐200 family and improved overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.09–0.45).ConclusionHigh expression of miR‐200c may predict improved survival in women with ovarian cancer and high expression of the miR‐200 family significantly improves overall survival for Asian women.
Paediatric apnoeas are not related to a specific respiratory virus, and parental reports predict hospitalisation
Authors: Wishaupt JO , van den Berg EAN , van Wijk T , van der Ploeg T , Versteegh FGA , Hartwig NG 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to determine the frequency of apnoeas in previously healthy young infants with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) and correlate their occurrence with isolated micro‐organisms, clinical findings, disease severity and outcome.MethodsWe performed reverse transcriptase real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) on the nasal wash specimens of a prospective cohort study of 582 children with ARI. Clinical data on a subgroup of 241 infants under three months of age, with and without apnoeas, were compared.ResultsOur study found that 19 (7.9%) of the 241 infants under three months old had a history of apnoeas: eight had a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), five had a different virus than RSV and seven RT‐PCR results were negative. Infants with apnoeas were more likely to have cyanosis, had longer hospital stays and required extra oxygen for a longer period. Most patients with parental reported apnoeas also experienced apnoeas during hospitalisation.ConclusionThis study observed apnoeas irrespective of the isolated micro‐organism, and we hypothesise that they were related to the pathophysiology of the respiratory infection and not to the micro‐organism itself. Parental reported apnoeas were a major warning sign and predicted that apnoeas would occur in hospital.