bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol ameliorates fibrosis and inflammation in a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Kessoku Takaomi , Imajo Kento , Honda Yasushi , Kato Takayuki , Ogawa Yuji , Tomeno Wataru , Kato Shingo , Mawatari Hironori , Fujita Koji , Yoneda Masato , Nagashima Yoji , Saito Satoru , Wada Koichiro , Nakajima Atsushi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe natural polyphenol compound resveratrol (RSV) is considered to have a broad spectrum of beneficial biological activities upon human health. However, the exact effect of RSV on steatosis (a phenotype of non-alcoholic fatty liver [NAFL]) or fibrosis and inflammation (major phenotypes of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]) is not known. Our data showed that administration of RSV (2 or 20 mg/kg/day) did not suppress steatosis in a high-fat diet-induced model of NAFL in mice. In contrast, identical concentrations of RSV dramatically inhibited inflammation and fibrosis in a low-dose lipopolysaccharide-induced model of NASH. These data suggested that RSV administration-mediated improvement of inflammation and fibrosis was due to the inhibition of LPS reactivity controlled by CD14 expression in Kupffer cells. These findings suggest that RSV could be a candidate agent for the treatment of NASH.
Dorsal Intramedullary Epidermoid Cyst: Report of Two Rare Cases and Review of Literature
Authors: Baishya Basanta Kumar , Ali Asman , Hussain Zakir , Dutta Deep 
Published: February 2016

Study Design A report on two rare cases of dorsal intramedullary spinal epidermoid cyst.
Objective Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and surgical outcome of the two cases are discussed.
Case Description We report two cases of dorsal intramedullary epidermoid cyst, both presenting with descending spastic upper motor neuron type of paraparesis with pain and paresthesia of the lower limbs and early involvement of bladder and bowel. Magnetic resonance imaging was done to come to a diagnosis where the first case was having a dorsal intramedullary epidermoid cyst at D6–D7 and the second case has an epidermoid cyst at D5–D6 intravertebral level.
Results Near-total excision of the tumor was done in both the patients under microscope. Histopathologic examination confirmed the tumor as epidermoid. There was gradual neurologic improvement in both the cases on follow-up.
Conclusion Cases presenting with dorsal myelopathy without spinal dysraphism may be due to rare causes such as epidermoid cyst, and near-total excision of such cyst with microneurosurgical technique can give a good outcome.
Copulatory pattern and behavior in a semi-captive population of Eld’s deer
Authors: Zeng Zhigao , Song Yan-Ling , Zhang Qiong 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Male copulatory patterns, female multiple copulation and male post-copulatory guarding were studied in Eld’s deer Cervus eldi in Datian National Nature Reserve, China. Mating behavior in 18 females and 11 males from a group of 61 semi-captive Eld’s deer were observed. The majority (55.8%) of copulations occurred between 15:00–19:00 h. The ejaculatory mount was preceded by an average of 5.1 prior mounts. Successful copulation consisted of a single thrust with ejaculation during one intromission, with no lock. This copulatory pattern is classified as pattern No. 15 (no lock, no intravaginal thrusting, single intromission, and multiple ejaculation) and No. 16 (no lock, no intravaginal thrusting, single intromission, and single ejaculation) under Dewsbury’s scheme (1972) and as No. 16 (no lock, no thrusting, single and brief intromission) under Dixson’s classification (1998). Copulation frequency was 1.5 ± 0.9 times for males/ females with the same female/male per day. The duration of the final mount, which included ejaculation, was brief (3.4 ± 1.3 s), and ejaculation usually terminated copulation. Eleven females copulated more than once in this study: three of them copulated with several males (multi-male copulations) and the remainder copulated with a single male (repeated copulations). Our results indicate that some female Eld’s deer may seek multiple copulations to be a strategy to improve the genetic quality of their offspring or to avoid harassment. Post-copulatory guarding of females by males followed all copulations, with dominant males guarding for significantly longer than subordinate males. Dominant males appear to be more effective at post-copulatory guarding than subordinate males. Subordinate males engaged in a quicker pre-copulatory phase to improve their chances of finishing copulation before being forced to accede to dominant males.
Patterns of color phase indicate spawn timing at a Nassau grouper Epinephelus striatus spawning aggregation
Authors: Archer Stephanie K , Heppell Scott A , Semmens Brice X , Pattengill-Semmens Christy V , Bush Phillippe G , Mccoy Croy M , Johnson Bradley C 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Nassau grouper Epinephelus striatus are a large bodied, top level predator that is ecologically important throughout the Caribbean. Although typically solitary, Nassau grouper form large annual spawning aggregations at predictable times in specific locations. In 2003, The Cayman Islands Marine Conservation Board established protection for a newly rediscovered Nassau grouper spawning aggregation on Little Cayman, British West Indies. The large size of this aggregation provides a unique opportunity to study the behavior of Nassau grouper on a relatively intact spawning aggregation. During non-spawning periods Nassau grouper display a reddish-brown-and-white barred coloration. However, while aggregating they exhibit three additional color phases: “bicolor”, “dark”, and “white belly”. We video sampled the population on multiple days leading up to spawning across five spawning years. Divers focused a laser caliper equipped video camera on individual fish at the aggregation. We later analyzed the video to determine the length of the fish and record the color phase. Our observations show that the relative proportion of fish in the bicolor color phase increases significantly on the day leading up to the primary night of spawning. The increase in the proportion of the bicolor color phase from 0.05 early in the aggregation to 0.40 on the day of spawning suggests that this color phase conveys that a fish is behaviorally and physiologically prepared to spawn. Additionally, 82.7% of fish exhibiting dark or white belly coloration early in the aggregation period suggests that these color phases are not only shown by female fish as was previously posited.
A robust new metric of phenotypic distance to estimate and compare multiple trait differences among populations
Authors: Safran Rebecca , Flaxman Samuel , Kopp Michael , Irwin Darren E. , Briggs Derek , Evans Matthew R. , Funk W. Chris , Gray David A. , Hebets Eileen A. , Seddon Nathalie , Scordato Elizabeth , Symes Laurel B. , Tobias Joseph A. , Toews David P. L. , Uy J. Albert C. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Whereas a rich literature exists for estimating population genetic divergence, metrics of phenotypic trait divergence are lacking, particularly for comparing multiple traits among three or more populations. Here, we review and analyze via simulation Hedges’ g, a widely used parametric estimate of effect size. Our analyses indicate that g is sensitive to a combination of unequal trait variances and unequal sample sizes among populations and to changes in the scale of measurement. We then go on to derive and explain a new, non-parametric distance measure, “Δp”, which is calculated based upon a joint cumulative distribution function (CDF) from all populations under study. More precisely, distances are measured in terms of the percentiles in this CDF at which each population’s median lies. Δp combines many desirable features of other distance metrics into a single metric; namely, compared to other metrics, p is relatively insensitive to unequal variances and sample sizes among the populations sampled. Furthermore, a key feature of Δp—and our main motivation for developing it—is that it easily accommodates simultaneous comparisons of any number of traits across any number of populations. To exemplify its utility, we employ Δp to address a question related to the role of sexual selection in speciation: are sexual signals more divergent than ecological traits in closely related taxa? Using traits of known function in closely related populations, we show that traits predictive of reproductive performance are, indeed, more divergent and more sexually dimorphic than traits related to ecological adaptation.
Mimicry and masquerade from the avian visual perspective
Authors: Stoddard Mary Caswell 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Several of the most celebrated examples of visual mimicry, like mimetic eggs laid by avian brood parasites and palatable insects mimicking distasteful ones, involve signals directed at the eyes of birds. Despite this, studies of mimicry from the avian visual perspective have been rare, particularly with regard to defensive mimicry and masquerade. Defensive visual mimicry, which includes Batesian and Müllerian mimicry, occurs when organisms share a visual signal that functions to deter predators. Masquerade occurs when an organism mimics an inedible or uninteresting object, such as a leaf, stick, or pebble. In this paper, I present five case studies covering diverse examples of defensive mimicry and masquerade as seen by birds. The best-known cases of defensive visual mimicry typically come from insect prey, but birds themselves can exhibit defensive visual mimicry in an attempt to escape mobbing or dissuade avian predators. Using examples of defensive visual mimicry by both insects and birds, I show how quantitative models of avian color, luminance, and pattern vision can be used to enhance our understanding of mimicry in many systems and produce new hypotheses about the evolution and diversity of signals. Overall, I investigate examples of Batesian mimicry (1 and 2), Müllerian mimicry (3 and 4), and masquerade (5) as follows: 1) Polymorphic mimicry in African mocker swallowtail butterflies; 2) Cuckoos mimicking sparrowhawks; 3) Mimicry rings in Neotropical butterflies; 4) Plumage mimicry in toxic pitohuis; and 5) Dead leaf-mimicking butterflies and mantids.
Vocal repertoire of the New Zealand kea parrot Nestor notabilis
Authors: Schwing Raoul , Parsons Stuart , Nelson Ximena J. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The unique alpine-living kea parrot Nestor notabilis has been the focus of numerous cognitive studies, but its communication system has so far been largely neglected. We examined 2,884 calls recorded in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Based on audio and visual spectrographic differences, these calls were categorised into seven distinct call types: the non-oscillating ‘screech’ contact call and ‘mew’; and the oscillating ‘trill’, ‘chatter’, ‘warble’ and ‘whistle’; and a hybrid ‘screech-trill’. Most of these calls contained aspects that were individually unique, in addition to potentially encoding for an individual’s sex and age. Additionally, for each recording, the sender’s previous and next calls were noted, as well as any response given by conspecifics. We found that the previous and next calls made by the sender were most often of the same type, and that the next most likely preceding and/or following call type was the screech call, a contact call which sounds like the ‘kee-ah’ from which the bird’s name derives. As a social bird capable of covering large distances over visually obstructive terrain, long distance contact calls may be of considerable importance for social cohesion. Contact calls allow kea to locate conspecifics and congregate in temporary groups for social activities. The most likely response to any given call was a screech, usually followed by the same type of call as the initial call made by the sender, although responses differed depending on the age of the caller. The exception was the warble, the kea’s play call, to which the most likely response was another warble. Being the most common call type, as well as the default response to another call, it appears that the ‘contagious’ screech contact call plays a central role in kea vocal communication and social cohesion.
Response of brown anoles Anolis sagrei to multimodal signals from a native and novel predator
Authors: Elmasri Omar L. , Moreno Marcus S. , Neumann Courtney A. , Blumstein Daniel T. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Multiple studies have focused on the importance of single modalities (visual, auditory, olfactory) in eliciting anti-predator behavior, however multiple channels are often engaged simultaneously. While examining responses to multiple cues can potentially reveal more complex behavioral responses, little is known about how multimodal processing evolves. By contrasting response to familiar and novel predators, insights can be gained into the evolution of multimodal responses. We studied brown anoles’ (Anolis sagrei) response to acoustic and visual predatory cues of a common potential predator, the great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus and to the American kestrel Falco sparverius, a species found in other populations but not present in our study population. We observed anole behavior before and after a stimulus and quantified rates of looking, display, and locomotion. Anoles increased their rate of locomotion in response to grackle models, an effect modulated by grackle vocalizations. No such response or modulation was seen when anoles were presented with kestrel stimuli. This suggests that the degree of sophistication of anole response to predators is experience dependent and that relaxed selection can result in reduced anti-predator response following loss of predators.
The consequences of genomic architecture on ecological speciation in postglacial fishes
Authors: Rogers Sean M. , Mee Jonathan A. , Bowles Ella 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The quest for the origin of species has entered the genomics era. Despite decades of evidence confirming the role of the environment in ecological speciation, an understanding of the genomics of ecological speciation is still in its infancy. In this review, we explore the role of genomic architecture in ecological speciation in postglacial fishes. Growing evidence for the number, location, effect size, and interactions among the genes underlying population persistence, adaptive trait divergence, and reproductive isolation in these fishes reinforces the importance of considering genomic architecture in studies of ecological speci-ation. Additionally, these populations likely adapt to new freshwater environments by selection on standing genetic variation, as de novo mutations are unlikely under such recent divergence times. We hypothesize that modular genomic architectures in postglacial fish taxa may be associated with the probability of population persistence. Empirical studies have confirmed the genic nature of ecological speciation, implicating surprisingly extensive linkage disequilibrium across the genome. An understanding of these genomic mosaics and how they contribute to reproductive barriers remains unclear, but migration rates and the strength of selection at these loci is predicted to influence the likelihood of population divergence. Altogether, understanding the role of ge-nomic architecture is an important component of speciation research and postglacial fishes continue to provide excellent organisms to test these questions, both from the perspective of variation in architectures among taxa, and with respect to the distinct environments they have colonized. However, more empirical tests of ecological speciation predictions are needed.
Ecological speciation in Darwin’s finches: Parsing the effects of magic traits
Authors: Podos Jeffrey , Dybboe Rie , Jensen Mads Ole 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Many recent studies of ecological speciation have focused on “magic trait” scenarios, in which divergent selection on viability traits leads inextricably to corresponding divergence in mechanisms, especially mate recognition systems, that facilitate assortative mating. Speciation however may also proceed via other scenarios, such as when populations experience directly selected or random divergence in mate recognition systems. The relative contributions of magic trait versus other scenarios for speciation remain virtually unexplored. The present study aims to test the relative contribution of the magic trait scenario in the divergence of populations of the medium ground finch Geospiza fortis of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. First, we assess differences in G. fortis song between a northern population (Borrero Bay) and a southeastern population (El Garrapatero), differences that we propose (along with other within-island geographic song variations) have arisen via scenarios that do not involve a magic trait scenario. Pairwise comparisons of raw and composite (PC) song parameters, as well as discriminant functions analyses, reveal significant patterns of song divergence between sites. Second, we test the ability of territorial males at Borrero Bay to discriminate songs from the two sites. We find that G. fortis males can discriminate within-island song variants, responding more strongly to local than to “foreign” songs, along 3 raw and 1 composite response measures. Third, we compare these findings to prior data sets on song divergence and discrimination in Santa Cruz G. fortis. These comparisons suggest that song divergence and discrimination are shaped less strongly by geographic sources than by morphological (beak-related) sources. We thus argue that interpopulation song divergence and discrimination, fundamental elements of assortative mating in Darwin’s finches, can be fostered in early stages of divergence under magic trait as well as alternative scenarios for speciation, but with more emphasis on the magic trait scenario, at least for this species on this island.
Chemosensory response in stunted prairie rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis
Authors: Saviola Anthony J. , Chiszar David , Smith Hobart M. , Mackessy Stephen P. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Rattlesnakes use chemical stimuli in ambush site selection and for relocation of envenomated prey through strike-induced chemosensory searching. Shifts in responsiveness to prey chemicals have been documented in many snakes, and often correlate with prey commonly taken as snakes increase in age and size as well as geographical locations of the species. For instance, neonate rattlesnakes that prey primarily on ectotherms responded most strongly to chemical cues of commonly taken lizard prey, whereas adult rattlesnakes that prey primarily on small mammals responded significantly to chemical cues of commonly taken rodents. In the current study, 11 Prairie Rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis which were classified as large neonates based on measures of snout-vent length (SVL) and body mass, yet chronologically were at or near adulthood, were tested for their responsiveness to chemical extracts of natural and non-natural prey items. Although the snakes had eaten only neonate lab mice (Mus musculus), they responded significantly more to chemical cues of natural prey items and particularly to chemical cues of prey normally taken by subadults (Peromyscus mice and Sceloporus lizard). These results suggest that ontogenetic shifts in responsiveness to natural prey chemical cues are innately programmed and are not based on body size or feeding experience in C. v. viridis. This does not imply, however, that growth and experience are without effects, especially with novel prey or rare prey that have experienced recent population expansion.
The evolution of female sex pheromones
Authors: Harari Ally R. , Steinitz Hadass 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The role of female sex pheromones in natural selection, particularly as a means for species recognition to avoid the generation of hybrid offspring with low fitness, has been widely explored and is generally accepted by scholars. However, the significance of sex pheromones in shaping mate choice (sexual selection) and in competition over breeding resources (social selection) has been largely ignored. The effect of sexual selection on sex pheromones as a sexually dimorphic signaling trait has been discounted because the amount of pheromone released by females is typically minute, while the role of sex pheromones in competition over breeding resources (other than mates) has not yet been considered. As a result of natural selection, variation in sex pheromones among females is expected to be low, and males are not expected to choose their mates among phero-mone-releasing conspecific females. Sexual selection, on the other hand, should drive the increase in pheromone variance among females, and males are expected to choose females based on this variation. Moreover, social selection resulting from more general social interactions, for example competition among females for breeding sites and food, should also promote variance among female sex pheromones. Here, we review the current evidence for each of the three selection processes acting on sex pheromones of female moths as an advertising trait. We suggest that the three selection types are not mutually exclusive but rather act together to promote different fitness components in diverse ecological situations.
Sexual selection and hermaphroditic organisms: Testing theory
Authors: Leonard Janet L. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Sexual selection is widespread if not ubiquitous in hermaphroditic organisms. Although many phenomena that have been described as sexual selection in gonochores, (e.g. harem polygamy, multiple mating, elaborate courtship, even secondary sexual characters) can be found in some hermaphrodites, what is more interesting is the ways in which sexual selection in hermaphrodites may differ from dioecious taxa. In hermaphrodites, an individual’s mating success includes its success from both sexual roles. Secondly, in many simultaneously hermaphroditic taxa there is strong evidence of sexual selection and yet the operational sex ratio is 1:1, by definition. Many simultaneous hermaphrodites have elaborate courtship and genital anatomy, suggesting sexual selection plays an important role in reproductive success. Sperm competition and cryptic female choice mean that the number of mates acquired is not necessarily a predictor of reproductive success. Even in simultaneous hermaphrodites with reciprocal mating, variance in reproductive success through the male role and through the female role may differ in a population. Moreover hermaphrodites may choose to emphasize one sexual role over the other. Data suggest that the preferred role varies in hermaphrodites, which creates an opportunity to test fundamental predictions and assumptions of sexual selection theory. Hermaphrodites may vary their emphasis on one sexual role over the other either developmentally or behaviorally in response to environmental or social parameters. How they use this capability in acquiring more or higher quality mates still requires study.