bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Running toward rankings: Ranked choice voting's impact on candidate entry and descriptive representation
Authors: Colner Jonathan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDoes the implementation of a ranked choice voting (RCV) system increase the number, diversity, and quality of candidates competing in local elections? Using original data from 273 cities across three decades and employing a preregistered difference‐in‐differences design with matching, I find that the size of the candidate pool increases following implementation. However, this effect dissipates in later election cycles, indicating that RCV has no long‐term effect on candidate entry. Indeed, the short‐term increase in the candidate pool mostly reflects increased entry by low‐quality candidates with little chance of winning. Additionally, I find that RCV has no effect on the proportion of female and non‐white candidates running for office. These results call into question several purported benefits of RCV and suggest that RCV, by itself, might not be sufficient to influence candidate entry at the local level.
From Coercive to Carceral Conservation: Reframing Conservation through Abolition Ecologies
Authors: de Jong Marlotte , McCoy Ember , Butt Bilal 
Published: September 2024

AbstractCritical social science research on conservation practice has long articulated the tactics that emerge out of a history of carcerality, environmental racism, colonialism, and violence against oppressed peoples. Despite these critiques, there has been little change in how conservation is conceptualised and implemented, resulting in the continuation of violence, racism, and injustice. Abolition ecologies offer a framework to see the world through a carceral lens and imagine an abolitionist future for conservation. Using Kenya as a case study, we outline the three ways that carcerality is apparent in and integral to contemporary conservation practices: legal/juridical, technoscience, and privatisation. Illuminating the carcerality of conservation practices, we posit, allows scholars and practitioners to begin to imagine and work towards a more just and liberatory conservation movement, one that minimises the perpetuation and reproduction of white supremacy, violence, and environmental injustice.
Sedimentology and structure of the Paleogene Nummulitic series of Corsica: Reconstruction of the southern termination of the western Alpine foreland basin
Authors: Van de Vyver Caroline , Carpentier Cédric , Ford Mary , Vergés Jaume , Melinte‐Dobrinescu Mihaela 
Published: September 2024

AbstractNummulitic Limestones deposits are preserved along the tectonic contact between the Variscan basement and Alpine units of Corsica. These marine carbonates, dated from the Late Palaeocene to the Middle Eocene, were deposited within a foreland flexural basin that is considered to be the southern continuation of the Alpine foreland basin of southeast (SE) France. However, in contrast with the Nummulitic Limestones of SE France, those of Corsica are far less documented. This field‐based study constrains the sedimentology, stratigraphy and structure of the Nummulitic Limestones of Corsica in three localities (Balagne, Corte and Sari‐Solenzara) to identify factors that controlled foreland basin development and to clarify its significance within the early alpine orogen. The microfacies, microfaunal assemblages and siliciclastic fractions are characterised throughout the succession at each locality. The results indicate the existence of an important Variscan basement relief to the west of the basin (West Corsican Massif) that supplied early alluvial fans found at the base of the foreland succession in the northernmost Balagne area. Continuous high clastic input strongly reduced the development and diversity of the overlying Nummulitic Limestones facies and fauna. Further south, limestones in the Corte and Sari‐Solenzara areas are thicker and contain richer fauna. Three depositional models corresponding to the carbonate ramp system are proposed for the Nummulitic Limestones and used to construct paleogeographic maps illustrating the transgressive evolution of the Corsican foreland basin from the Early to the Late Eocene. Based on our results and available regional tectonic data and LT thermochronological data, we propose that the Nummulitic marine transgression took place within a continuous foreland basin encompassing southern Corsica and SE France during the early development of the western alpine arc.
A review of commercial captive breeding of parrots as a supply‐side intervention to address unsustainable trade
Authors: Davies Alisa , D'Cruze Neil , Martin Rowan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe volume and scale of commercial captive breeding of parrots have grown dramatically in recent decades. Although it has been proposed, and is often assumed, that captive breeding can reduce pressure on wild populations, there has been little scrutiny of the scale, viability, or impacts of captive breeding to prevent overexploitation among parrots, compared with similar approaches in other threatened taxa, such as pangolins or tigers. We reviewed the primary and gray literature to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate evidence concerning 5 criteria, established a priori, for commercial captive breeding of parrots as an effective supply‐side intervention. We focused on a sample of 16 threatened parrot species that are heavily traded or for which unsustainable trade has been a factor in the decline of wild populations, representing a range of taxonomic groups, life histories, and native regions. We identified multiple major gaps in knowledge of the extent to which these criteria are met, including a lack of quantitative data on breeding productivity under current commercial breeding practices, the scale and scope of commercial breeding practices in growing parrot markets, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, and the lack of financial viability of captive breeding under effective regulation to prevent laundering or use of wild‐sourced specimens as breeding stock. The capacity for captive breeding to displace demand for wild‐sourced parrots varied between species, and complex interactions between trade in different species and contexts sometimes made consequences of commercial production difficult to predict. Decision makers and regulatory authorities should approach commercial captive breeding of parrots with caution and take into account knowledge gaps and cross‐linkages between trade in different species to avoid unanticipated consequences from stimulating and facilitating unsustainable trade in wild‐sourced parrots.
Quantifying species biases among multidata sources on illegal wildlife trade and its implications for conservation
Authors: Hu Sifan , Liang Zhijian , Liang Dan , Liu Yang , Zhong Jia , Wei Qian , Lee Tien Ming 
Published: September 2024

AbstractUnsustainable wildlife consumption and illegal wildlife trade (IWT) threaten biodiversity worldwide. Although publicly accessible data sets are increasingly used to generate insights into IWT, little is known about their potential bias. We compared three typical and temporally corresponding data sets (4204 court verdicts, 926 seizure news reports, and 219 bird market surveys) on traded birds native to China and evaluated their possible species biases. Specifically, we evaluated bias and completeness of sampling for species richness, phylogeny, conservation status, spatial distribution, and life‐history characteristics among the three data sets when determining patterns of illegal trade. Court verdicts contained the largest species richness. In bird market surveys and seizure news reports, phylogenetic clustering was greater than that in court verdicts, where songbird species (i.e., Passeriformes) were detected in higher proportions in market surveys. The seizure news data set contained the highest proportion of species of high conservation priority but the lowest species coverage. Across the country, all data sets consistently reported relatively high species richness in south and southwest regions, but markets revealed a northern geographic bias. The species composition in court verdicts and markets also exhibited distinct geographical patterns. There was significant ecological trait bias when we modeled whether a bird species is traded in the market. Our regression model suggested that species with small body masses, large geographical ranges, and a preference for anthropogenic habitats and those that are not nationally protected were more likely to be traded illegally. The species biases we found emphasize the need to know the constraints of each data set so that they can optimally inform strategies to combat IWT.
Effects of trade and poaching pressure on extinction risk for cacti in the Atacama Desert
Authors: Villalobo‐Lopez Angelica , Peña Carol M. , Varas‐Myrik Antonio , Pillet Michiel , Jahnsen Paulina , Pliscoff Patricio , Goettsch Bárbara , Guerrero Pablo C. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this era of a global biodiversity crisis, vascular plants are facing unprecedented extinction rates. We conducted an assessment of the extinction risk of 32 species and 7 subspecies of Copiapoa, a genus endemic to Chile's fog‐dependent coastal Atacama Desert. We applied the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Categories and Criteria enhanced by expert insights and knowledge. Our primary aim was to analyze the impact of trade and poaching on their extinction risk. We employed machine learning models, including multinomial logistic regression (MLR), decision tree (DT), and random forest (RF), to analyze the relationships between conservation status and various factors. These factors encompassed trade and poaching activities, landscape condition, human footprint, monthly cloud frequency, and biological traits such as evolutionary distinctiveness and maximum diameter. Seven taxa had an area of occupancy (AOO) of <10 km2, 10 additional taxa had an AOO of <20 km2, and 16 taxa had an AOO of ≤100 km2. This reassessment exposed a critical level of extinction risk for the genus; 92% of the taxa were classified as threatened, 41% as critically endangered, 41% as endangered, and 10% as vulnerable. MLR, DT, and RF exhibited accuracies of 0.784, 0.730, and 0.598, respectively, and identified trade and poaching pressure and landscape condition as the primary drivers of extinction risk. Our assessment of Copiapoa showed trade, poaching, habitat degradation, and their synergic impacts as the main drivers of the genus’ extinction risk. Our results highlight the urgent need for nations to develop and enforce strategies to monitor and control trade and poaching pressure because these factors are crucial for the long‐term persistence of desert plants.
Scale of unregulated international trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians
Authors: Chekunov Sebastian , Stringham Oliver , Toomes Adam , Prowse Thomas , Cassey Phillip 
Published: September 2024

AbstractReptiles and amphibians are popular in the exotic pet trade, where Australian species are valued for their rarity and uniqueness. Despite a near‐complete ban on the export of Australian wildlife, smuggling and subsequent international trade frequently occur in an unregulated and unmonitored manner. In 2022, Australia listed over 100 squamates in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to better monitor this trade. We investigated current trade and assessed the value of this Australian CITES listing using web‐scraping methods to monitor the online pet trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians, with additional data from published papers, trade databases, and seizure records. Despite the export ban, we identified 170 endemic herpetofauna (reptile and amphibian) species in international trade, 33 of which were not recorded previously in the international market, including 6 newly recorded genera. Ninety‐two traded species were included in CITES appendices (59 added in 2022), but at least 78 other traded species remained unregulated. Among these, 5 of the 10 traded threatened species were unlisted, and we recommend they be considered for inclusion in CITES Appendix III. We also recommend the listing of all Diplodactylidae genera in Appendix III. Despite this family representing the greatest number of Australian species in trade, only one genus (of 7 traded) was included in the recent CITES amendments. Overall, a large number of Australian reptile and amphibian species are traded internationally and, although we acknowledge the value of Australia's recent CITES listing, we recommend the consideration of other taxa for similar inclusion in CITES.
Development of a core descriptor set for parastomal hernia repair
Authors: Blackwell Sue , Massey Lisa , Mehta Akash , Smart Neil , Sahnan Kapil , Lederhuber Hans , Lee Matthew J. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimParastomal hernia repair is a poorly evidenced area, with uncertainty around the optimum management. There is considerable heterogeneity within the patient cohort, and currently there is no standardization of patient descriptors in the reporting of parastomal hernia repair. The aim of this study was to develop a core descriptor set of key patient characteristics for patients undergoing surgical repair of a parastomal hernia for reporting in all parastomal hernia research.MethodA longlist of descriptors was generated from a review of the existing literature. The longlist was discussed with patients with lived experience of parastomal hernia repair. Colorectal, general and hernia surgeons took part in a three‐round international modified Delphi process using a nine‐point Likert scale to rank the importance of descriptors. Items meeting predetermined thresholds were included in the final set and discussed and ratified at the consensus meeting.ResultsSeventy seven respondents completed round one, with 23 (29.8%) completing round three. Eighty six descriptors were rated across the three rounds, with 52 descriptors shortlisted. The consensus meeting ratified a final core descriptor set with 19 descriptors across eight domains: anatomy, contamination, disease, previous treatment, risk factors, symptoms, pathway and other hernia.ConclusionThe core descriptor set reflects characteristics that are important to surgeons when reporting on parastomal hernia repair. The use of this agreed core descriptor set may aid the reporting of future studies.
Randomized, placebo‐controlled study on the effects of intravenous GSK3858279 (anti‐CCL17) on a battery of evoked pain tests in healthy participants
Authors: Boyle Yvonne , Hijma Hemme J. , Rees Jamie , Nijjar Jagtar , Panoilia Eirini , Alvarez Yolanda , Siederer Sarah , Greening Emma , Emery Edward , Abbott Banner Kathy , Groeneveld Geert Jan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractC–C Motif Chemokine Ligand 17 (CCL17) is a chemokine that binds and signals through the G‐protein coupled CC‐chemokine receptor 4 and has been implicated in the development of inflammatory and arthritic pain. GSK3858279 is a high‐affinity, first‐in‐class, monoclonal antibody, binding specifically to CCL17 and inhibiting downstream signaling. In this phase I, randomized, single‐center, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, three‐period, incomplete‐block crossover study (NCT04114656), the analgesic effects and safety of intravenous GSK3858279 were assessed in a battery of evoked acute pain assessments on healthy, adult (aged ≥18 years), male participants. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either one placebo (0.9% w/v NaCl) dose followed by two GSK3858279 doses (PAA treatment sequence), or one GSK3858279 dose followed by two placebo doses (APP treatment sequence). The co‐primary end points were ultraviolet B heat pain detection threshold (°C), cold pressor time to pain tolerance threshold (PTT, sec), and electrical PTT (mA, single stimulus). Twenty‐one participants were enrolled (PAA = 11; APP = 10). Mean age (standard deviation) was 29.3 (7.9) years for PAA, 31.1 (7.7) years for APP. No significant differences were observed in the analgesic effect between GSK3858279 and placebo for any end point. Exposure to GSK3858279 was similar between Period 1 (APP sequence), and Periods 2 and 3 (PAA sequence), with some GSK3858279 carry‐over. Changes in serum CCL17 levels were consistent with the expected GSK3858279 activity. All drug‐related adverse events were mild in intensity and caused no discontinuations. The absence of an efficacy signal in this acute pain model does not preclude efficacy in chronic pain states.
Digital Active Learning Strategies in Blended Environments to Develop Students' Social and Emotional Learning Skills and Engagement in Higher Education
Authors: Mujallid Amjaad Tariq 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTThe COVID‐19 pandemic has led to a shift towards online and blended learning; however, most students and faculty members still report more challenges in online courses regarding social interaction and engagement. This paper aimed to design an interactive blended course following Merrills' first principles of instruction model to develop students' social and emotional learning skills and engagement in higher education. A mixed‐method design, including questionnaires and interviews, was used with a sample population which consisted of 90 graduate students and divided into two groups, an experimental and a control group. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in‐terms of social–emotional learning skills and students' engagement due to the high perception of the experimental group. The findings also revealed that the most dominant social–emotional learning skills that appeared to be supported by applying these strategies from the students' point of view were self‐awareness and social awareness. The study also found that instructor presence, effective course design and appropriate use of technology significantly influenced students' engagement.
Creating insect neopolyploid lines to study animal polyploid evolution
Authors: Sivaprakasham Murugesan Saminathan , Beukeboom Leo W. , Verhulst Eveline C. , Leung Kelley 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWhole‐genome duplication (polyploidy) poses many complications but is an important driver for eukaryotic evolution. To experimentally study how many challenges from the cellular (including gene expression) to the life history levels are overcome in polyploid evolution, a system in which polyploidy can be reliably induced and sustained over generations is crucial. Until now, this has not been possible with animals, as polyploidy notoriously causes first‐generation lethality. The parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis emerges as a stunningly well‐suited model. Polyploidy can be induced in this haplodiploid system through (1) silencing genes in the sex determination cascade and (2) by colchicine injection to induce meiotic segregation failure. Nasonia polyploids produce many generations in a short time, making them a powerful tool for experimental evolution studies. The strong variation observed in Nasonia polyploid phenotypes aids the identification of polyploid mechanisms that are the difference between evolutionary dead ends and successes. Polyploid evolution research benefits from decades of Nasonia research that produced extensive reference—omics data sets, facilitating the advanced studies of polyploid effects on the genome and transcriptome. It is also possible to create both inbred lines (to control for genetic background effects) and outbred lines (to conduct polyploid selection regimes). The option of interspecific crossing further allows to directly contrast autopolyploidy (intraspecific polyploidy) to allopolyploidy (hybrid polyploidy). Nasonia can also be used to investigate the nascent field of using polyploidy in biological control to improve field performance and lower ecological risk. In short, Nasonia polyploids are an exceptional tool for researching various biological paradigms.
Cystic echinococcosis due to Echinococcus equinus in a Swiss donkey
Authors: Piotrowski Isabelle L. , Fabian Rosalie , Ohlerth Stefanie M. , Grimm Felix , Wehrli Eser Meret E. 
Published: September 2024

SummaryA 22‐year‐old donkey (Equus asinus) mare was presented for investigation of a 3‐day history of lethargy and anorexia. Serum biochemistry profile revealed severe increased liver‐derived enzymes. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated several large round cysts in the liver. Broad‐spectrum antimicrobials and anti‐inflammatory therapy were started. However, exacerbation of the clinical signs occurred, and the donkey was euthanised. Necropsy and histopathological evaluation showed multiple hydatid cysts with protoscoleces from Echinocococcus spp. in the liver with replacement of parenchyma by fibrosis accompanied by liver atrophy, severe ascites and thorax effusion. The present report describes the first case of a molecularly confirmed Echinococcus equinus infection in a donkey in northern Switzerland.
Comparison of serum cytokines and chemokines levels and clinical significance in patients with pemphigus vulgaris—A retrospective study
Authors: You Shuqiong , Ouyang Jianting , Wu Qian , Zhang Yaozhong , Gao Jian , Luo Xiaojia , Wang Yuan , Wu Yongzhuo , Jiang Fuqiong 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between the serum cytokine levels of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI), along with the presence of anti‐desmoglein (Dsg) 1 antibody, anti‐Dsg3 antibody and co‐infection among patients with pemphigus vulgaris. This retrospective study included 62 PV patients and 59 healthy individuals who attended the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from November 2014 to November 2022. The serum concentrations of cytokines and chemokines were assessed using the Luminex 200 System (a high‐throughput cytokine detection method). Additionally, anti‐Dsg1 and anti‐Dsg3 antibodies were determined through enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, while disease severity was evaluated using the PDAI scoring system. The PV group exhibited elevated levels of Th1 cytokines (such as interleukin (IL)‐1RA, IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐12p70, GM‐CSF, TNF‐α, IL‐18, IFN‐γ), Th2 cytokines (IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐13) and Th17/Th22‐related cytokines (IL‐17A, IL‐22) compared to the healthy control group (p < 0.05). Conversely, the levels of chemokines (macrophage inflammatory protein‐1 alpha (MIP‐1α), stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 alpha (SDF‐1α), interferon‐inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10), Regulated on Activation in Normal T‐Cell Expressed And Secreted (RANTES), growth‐regulated on‐gene‐alpha (GRO‐α), MIP‐1β) and Th2 (IL‐31) were lower in the PV group compared to the healthy control group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in other cytokines and chemokines (p > 0.05). Additionally, IL‐7, IFN‐γ, IL‐18 and GRO‐α showed positive correlations with PDAI, IL‐6 correlated positively with anti‐Dsg3 antibody levels, and IL‐12p70, IL‐18, and IFN‐γ correlated positively with anti‐Dsg1 antibody levels. Furthermore, IL‐15 exhibited a positive association with skin infections. PV patients have elevated levels of various cytokines and chemokines, and there are different degrees of elevation in cytokines and chemokines associated with the activation of various T cell subsets. PDAI and the Dsg1 antibody levels are mainly related to the Th1‐related cytokines.